Visit to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society.

This week the Hebron team met with Amjad, head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society responsible for the Hebron area. Founded in 1993 by prisoners from inside Israeli prisons the organisation is concerned with Palestinian and Arab political prisoners locked away in Israeli prisons, interrogation and detention centers. The society was formed on the basis of creating popular organization that could work to care for prisoners and their families.

There are currently about 10,000 political prisoners located in approximately 30 jails and interrogation centers in Israel. Hebron accounts for 1600 of these prisoners. Out of the 10,000 prners 75 have spent more than 25 years in jail. While the Society engages in many different aspects concerning prisoners’ issues it gives more attention and concern to those prisoners who are ill in the prisons. Out of the 10,000 about 1,000 are ill with 16 currently inflicted with cancer. As the prisoners do not receive adequate medical treatment the organization works hard to secure the release of those seriously ill in order to receive treatment. We were told how the organization managed to help get a man released who has had cancer for the previous 7 months. While he contracted cancer seven months ago the Israeli prison authorities refused to treat him and only did so now when it is too late. Upon being released the man was told he had only weeks left to live.

Amjad then talked to us about the conditions that the prisoners face in the Israeli prisons informing us that the main diet of prisoners consisted of beans and rice that is made up in a soup. However not to be deceived Amjad said that such food is miserable and is the type that “we give to our animals”. When questioned whether the prisoners eat any meat in prison Amjad joked that, “we make a party when we see chicken!” king the conditions to that of Guantanamo bay Amjad detailed various torture methods that the prisoners would be subjected to. Amjad demonstrated to us various stress positions and other methods including tying your hands up against the wall above your head so that your heels do not touch the ground. Although the use of such methods is illegal under international law Israel continues to use such techniques. Furthermore evidence and information collected under such methods are used in constructing and running cases in Israeli courts.

When someone is arrested the most important thing is to find out where they are as this information is not always forthcoming. The society acts as the main source of communication between the prisoners and their families. While the society is able to locate where loved ones have been placed in prison they also help organize transportation to and from the jails in Israel. However this is a complicated process as it is difficult for relatives to enter Israel due to the permit regime that restricts the freedom of movement. Amjad detailed that around 50% of relatives are refused access to see their relatives in prison due to security reasons.

Amjad is one of the founding members behind the Prisoners He had been given a 20 year sentence but was freed as part of the Oslo process after serving 5 years of his sentence. We asked Amjad what made him change his course of action from a violent past to creating this organization and continuing to work in it. Amjad replied that the presence of his wife and kids that caused him to break with violence. However towards the end of the meeting Amjad shows us a picture of his 4 year old son holding an automatic weapon and looking through the sight. This picture disturbs us all and we ask him what good does it do teaching his son how to hold and aim an automatic weapon. Amjad explains that we (Palestinians) have to ready our children against Israeli children who are brought up only to see good Arabs as dead Arabs. In reflecting on this as a team it is clear that to a certain extend violence is glorified both in the culture of martyrdom and through active resistance in Palestine. Seeing a picture of 4 year old son holding a weapon although shocking reminds us of the psychological impact that the occupation brings to bear on those living within it.

The Society carries out a variety of activities aimed at raising awareness about prisoners issues and rights which include: taking part in rallies and demonstrations; offering material and cash assistance to prisoners and their families; holding legal seminars for specialist on prisoner’s rights; engaging in cultural , art and sports activities in support of prisoners; press conferences; establishing training centers for released prisoners and prisoners families; and publishing books, reports and press releases related to prisoners’ issues.

Susiya - Visiting Rural farming families

Susiya



Every Friday the Hebron team head out to Susiya to show support and provide a protective presence to the inhabitants there. The video shows what the Hebron team does in Susiya, while also highlighting the role we play in accompnaying and supporting non-violent actions against settlements that have been built on Palestinian lands. Below the video is an explanation behind the village of Susiya.

Background:

Susiya is located south of Hebron in a region known as the South Hebron Hills. Most of this area is Area C designated as such by the Oslo accords. The rural village today consists of tents that are arranged in small groups, each containing an extended family, spread over a wide area. There are 33 families present in the community translating to between 300-350 families. Our main task is to provide a visible protective presence especially during Shabbat which often coincides with increased settler activity.

Being located in Area C contains negative implications to the inhabitants of Susiya and another 20 villages similarly located south of Hebron. Being under Israeli civil and military control, all villages in the south Hebron hills share the daily threat of house demolitions, evictions and settler violence. The goal of such harassment is clear as the Palestinians inhabitants feel the Israeli Civil Administration, the IDF and settlers are trying to make them move voluntarily to the nearest Palestinian city, Yatta.

Farming Community

The farming communities of Susiya is based on shepherding and thus are dependent on land to graze, water resources and the price of fodder to feed their sheep. As such the construction of settlements surrounding Susiya presents a very real danger to the life of the inhabitants. The presence of the settlements places restrictions on movements which hinder access to grazing areas. Areas surrounding settlements are designated closed military zones where famers are no longer able to take their sheep. Should famers dare to take their sheep to grazing lands near settlements the constant presence of IDF soldiers quickly confront the farmers denying access and turning them away.

Settlement

The Israeli settlement of Susiya was established in 1982. Located in the West Bank this settlement is illegal according to international law that prevents the occupying power from transferring their population into the occupied territory. Three years after the establishment Susiya was declared a National Park after findings of an ancient Synagogue in the area. Following this development in 1986 the villagers were evicted from Susiya which was transformed into an archaeological site where nobody is allowed to live. The villages packed up their things and moved out into the land they own and either constructed tents or moved into other caves. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the villagers have suffered many attacks including: the killing of a young boy in 1989, being driven out by the IDF during the middle of the night, house demolitions and intimidation.

Villagers refure to give in

However the villagers consistently refuse to give into the authorities and the settlers and their ability to remain is a credit to their will to live and survive despite the harsh circumstances. Tensions resurfaced in 2001 after a settler was killed. While our contact, Nasser, and one of his cousins were accused of the murder, they and the rest of the Palestinians living in the area were designated as a “security threat”. While the police had to release Nasser and his cousin, when there was no indication of their involvement, the IDF nonetheless used the murder to expel once again the people from their land and destroyed their caves and wells. Responding to this senseless and needless actions the family were offered legal assistance from the Israeli organisation Ta’ayush who managed to obtain Israeli Supreme Court rulings that the eviction of the Abu Jihad family and other were illegal and they have the right to return to their fields. After a second eviction in 2001 the Supreme Court again ruled that the people had a right to return to their land. Having obtained the right to return to their lands the question that remains is whether they have the right to build on their land. As such the inhabitants of Susiya remain living in makeshift tents as their building permit applications get denied time and time again.

Our continual presence in Susiya goes a long way to providing protection to the inhabitants of Susiya as any developments in the area are routinely recorded and sent to the relevant authorities. Apart from being visible we take part in farm life by accompanying the shepherds with their sheep, eating with and listening to the families, and playing football both with the children and the men.

Cordoba School Run - Tel Rumaida, Heborn

The School run at 7am, noon and at 12.40 is one of our most important daily tasks in Hebron. EAPPI extended its programme to include the school run as a result of increasing violence and attacks on the school in 2003.

The Cordoba school is located in area H2, located opposite the Jewish settlment of Beit Hadassa. Being there provides a protective presence for the Palestinians school children who have to walk down Shuhada street to get to school. Should anything happen we are there to monitor and send reports. While we have been here there have been no incidents of a violent nature. May this continue.

Settler Violence in West Bank on the rise. The story of the Azzeh family

Settler Violence

Settler violence in the West Bank is on the rise. In the first 8 months of 2008 UN OCHA recorded, “290 settler-related incidents targeting Palestinians and their property”. When compared to the figures of the previous two year (182 in 2006 and 243 in 2007) it is clearly evident of a worrying trend. According to B’Tselem, “Israelis, individually or in organized groups, carry out the attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian property to frighten, deter, or punish them, using weapons and ammunition they received from the IDF.” In cataloging accounts of settler violence UN OCHA have concluded that, “settler violence is not random criminal activity; in most cases, it is ideology-driven, organized violence, the goal of which is to assert settler dominance over an area”.

Actions against Palestinians living near settlers include: blocking roadways, destruction of property including solar panels and water tanks on tops of buildings, torching automobiles, shattering windows, destroying crops, uprooting trees. Some of the actions are intended to try and frighten Palestinians to force them to leave their homes so that settlers can take control of them. During the olive picking season settler violence also increases resulting in casualties among Palestinian olive-pickers, destruction of trees and the theft of Palestinian crops. While the violence takes many forms the most severe actions have resulted in the loss of life.

I had been so taken aback by the hospitality and friendliness shown to me over the past weeks that I had lured myself into a false sense of what I am doing here in Hebron. Today I sat and listened to the stories of Hashem Azzeh and his family and the suffering they have endured over the past years due to the occupation and the existence of Israeli settlers living above his home.

Hashem Azzeh

Hashem Azzeh, his wife and his children (aged 11, 6 and 1) live below the Tel Rumeida settlement in the Israeli-controlled H2 Area of Hebron. The family has been the subject of frequent attacks by settlers over the years. To illustrate the transformation that Tel Rumeida has undergone, before the imposed curfew on Palestinian movement from 2000-2003 this area housed 350 Palestinian families. Today only 50 remain due to a combination of an escalation of attacks from settlers, security concerns and economic impoverishment.

Speaking to Hashem it becomes evident the level of abuse, intimidation and violence that he and his family has to endure on a daily basis. The family has had to suffer rubbish and stones thrown into their back yard and at their house on a regular basis. While Hashem recounts incidents in the past, the reality of the situation his family faces sinks in. His wife has been verbally threatened with rape while stones have been shoved into his nephew’s mouth by a settler woman resulting in broken teeth. The settlers have tried to poison Hashem’s water supply. When he installed water tanks to counter this, the settlers came and shot holes in the tanks. His front door has failed to escape such aggression with the Star of David sprayed on it. Hashem recounts that during one attack the words “Gas Arabs” was also marked on his door. An Israeli soldier subsequently told Hashem to remove the words “Gas Arabs”. But when Hashem tried to also remove the Star of David the soldier told him to stop, stating that the Star of David represents Israel and therefore should not be removed.

Olive Trees

Not even his olive trees were spared as they were slit and no longer bear life. In 2007 when Hashem secured an Israeli court order to harvest his olives not even the presence of B’Tselem, EAPPI, the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) and other Israeli and international observers managed to prevent the settlers from preventing the action from taking place. When Hashem fought back to document such attacks with the use of a camcorder, given to Hashem as part of the B’Tselem “shooting back” project, the settlers donned masked in order to hide their identity. Notwithstanding the impact that the physical and verbal violence has had on his home, Hashem remarked how, “the children will only sleep with the light on,” such is the psychological damage that has been done. Speaking to us Hashem said that it is only with the presence of internationals such as EAPPI, TIPH and the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) that have helped reduce the number of attacks from settlers in recent months.

Dual Nature of laws

In international law the occupying forces must obey by certain laws in protecting the occupied people. Such laws remain in fantasy land and are nowhere to be found in Area H2 where the Israeli settlers are governed by civil law while Palestinians must endure military law. When Hashem’s father died last year Hashem had to carry his dead father out of H2 to bury him. Upon reaching Checkpoint 56, which controls access into H2, Hashem was forced to lay his father on the ground and watch while the soldier searched his father with his machine gun. Such is the invasive nature of living under military laws that Hashem and the other residents of Tel Rumeida are not even allowed to have a kitchen knife inside his house. Should one be found during the monthly inspections Hashem would risk spending three years in prison for possession of an “illegal weapon”. However in spite of this all Hashem speaks about the need for “hope in order to be strong” and the hope in a better life for his children’s future.

As Israel is the occupying force it is bound by international law to enforce the law and protect the life, property and rights of all persons under its authority. Israel treats settlers and Palestinians differently subjecting them to a different set of rules. While Palestinians living under Israeli control are subjected to military law, settlers living in the same areas are afforded the protection of Israeli civil law. In failing to take a tough stance against settler violence and protecting Palestinians the IDF act as a complicit force more often than not acting in the interests of settlers. This systematic failure of law enforcement against Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories undermines the rule of law in Israel, not only in the OPT but in the State of Israel as well. By failing to respond to settler’s violent acts, the authorities are in effect sanctioning it.

Hatred

What makes listening to Hashem’s stories so powerful is that after explaining the nature of the attacks he shows us videos of such instances. As I sink into Hashem’s couch witnessing the ferocity and mob-like nature of the attacks I am beginning to realize the depth of the situation facing many Palestinians who live here. The level of hatred the settlers living in Tel Rumaide show towards Palestinians is clearly evident and remains one of the foremost obstacles to achieving a lasting peace in Israel/Palestine in our time.

Hashem's Children

Raghad and Younis

Khalid

What is it like to live beside a settlement? Visit to the Da'ana family.

This week the Hebron team (Simphiwe, Elaine and I) made it a priority to visit the Da’ana family in Wadi al-Hussein. We soon discovered what it was like for an isolated Palestinian family to be located beside a settlement. The Da’ana family (17) live on an isolated farm land with no Palestinian neighbors. Their land and house is located very close to the Harsina settlement in the Wadi al-Hussein valley. The gravity of the situation is marked by the presence of a huge Russian winter ten in their garden, where ISM, other internationals and Israeli peace activists often sleep over to support the family and provide a protective presence.

Security Fence

While the world is aware of the effects of the so called “security barrier” or Wall, we got a glimpse of what the effects of separation fence has had on the Da’ana family. Erected in 2004 the fence cut the Da’ana land in two resulting in the loss of 200 olive trees. The economic effects of cutting his lands in half is such that he loses 50-60,000 NIS per year in loss of earnings. Psychologically speaking it has and continues to be extremely damaging on Khalifa’s heart when he sees settlers picking and eating his olives. This is very difficult for him to handle. I ask him how he manages to deal with the anger of what is happening to him and his family. The father is at a loss, and while it makes him feel crazy he doesn’t do anything because he says he can’t do anything. What he does do is files police report after police report. Khalifa then took out his copies of police reports to show us the level of violence his family has been subjected to. The sheer volumes of reports astonish us. It is a remarkable testament to his resilience that he continues to abide by the laws and file police reports instead of reacting in an aggressive manner. Khalifa files police reports after police reports fully in the knowledge that it is merely paper work and that nothing will be done.

Settlers

When I asked him whether there had been any dialogue with the settlers over the past 20 years, the father said that he considers a few of the settlers as his friends. Although a minority some of the settlers continue to ask after him and pay him greetings when they meet. They have in the past given the Da’ana family water and have said to him, that our heart is with you. It is not the case that the Da’ana family has always suffered problems with the presence of the settlement. The father traces the beginning of his problems to the arrival of settler Friedman who arrived four years ago stating that “before that it was quiet”. This gives me hope that without such barriers and with good people it is possible for both communities to live side by side in peace.

However this hope is not shared by Khalifa who tells us that he is “waiting for the day when they leave”. He then looks us in the eye and asks us a direct question, “when will I see that day?” He waits for an answer but all we can do is sit in silence unable to muster a response. Khalifa informs us of recent developments in which settler boys had erected an orange flag with the Star of David overlooking his house. The purpose of the flag is clear as it is located on what used to be Da’ana family land but which now is located on the settler side of the fence. That young boys are engaging in this type of activity does not bode well for the future.

The Future?

Turning to politics Khalifa is harsh on the role of the International Community stating that, “they have done nothing for (Palestinians in) the last 20 years”. This is man who has lived his whole life in the occupation. Having seen the (non)-effects of the international community over the past 20 years one can forgive the father from displaying a high level of cynicism. He believes that European governments and the American government are against the Palestinians in which they are protecting those who take Palestinian land, build on it and then do not allow Palestinians the visit their lands. However the father does not end his harsh treatment of interested countries there. He vilifies the Arab nations who also have done nothing to help the Palestinian people. “What do I expect from Germany, when my brothers do not help me”.

Reflection

We were deeply moved by the Da’ana families’ experience of living beside the settlement. While we all have had experience of what the Wall looked like with the Da’ana family we saw another side to the concept of the Wall. In this all it takes is for a simple fence, erected in 2004 for “security” concerns in order to cut the Da’ana family’s income in half. The fence accounts to nothing else than a land grab and that the family have to watch the settlers pick harvest his olive trees and eat his fruit must be so hard to bear.

Who will give the Da’ana family back their land that was taken from them? You? Me? The Arab states? The International Community? Israel? The Palestinian Authority? The Da’ana family is still waiting…