Monday started with the news that the Israeli military has decided to
reoccupy part of Ush Ghrab in Beit Sahour after having left it in 2006 and
Tuesday saw the army begin clearing land of Ush Ghrab. Ush Ghrab is part
public (Palestinian) land but a major part of it is private lands that was
put off limit to their owners for nearly four decades and used as a center
for the occupation forces in Bethlehem district. From this military camp,
nearly 300 Palestinian homes were partially or completely destroyed in 2002
and 2003.
This camp was also where in 28 December 2000, Palestinians and
Internationals walked into the military camp taking it over for a few hours
(organized by the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People). The
participants felt empowered and moved on to form the International
Solidarity movement at PCR (becoming independent movement in 2001 and moving
to Ramallah in 2004). This symbolic place was vacated by the army in 2006
but the locals were prevented from using the site located in area C (60% of
the West Bank is under this category of full Israeli control). Colonial
settlers (funded by tax-deductible donations in the US) have been visiting
the site since 2008 trying to establish a new colonial settlement. If they
succeed, that would mean the remaining canton/ghetto of Bethlehem would be
surrounded on all sides by settlements. Ten days ago, the settlers horde
moved down the hill to the childrens’ park and vandalized it.
On Monday, we not only faced this news of planned Israeli military
“reoccupation” of part of Beit Sahour, but we also joined an event at Jeb
Al-Theib near Beit Sahour where settlers have already taken lots of lands
from Arab Al-Zawahreh and regularly harass the remaining Palestinians.
Settlers, soldiers, and police from the apartheid state surrounded us as we
tried to plant trees. The media was ordered out first and then threats and
intimidation started. The standoff lasted nearly four hours. One settler
who had three viscious looking dogs and drives an SUV was there and was
obviously on good terms with the soldiers. I tried to talk to the soldier in
command. He was extremely racist. He also told me that they will not let
us start something here “like Um Salamuna.” Um Salamuna is a threatened
Palestinian hill near a colonial settlement built on stolen Palestinian
land. For the past few months, we had regular activities there of land
reclamation and tree planting with help of Internationals and Palestinians
from other areas (invited to help by the land-owners). Clearly, as they
intensify their colonial activities (primarily land theft), Zionists are
worried about the spreading popular resistance. But on Monday case
unfortunately, we did not have enough people and the land owners were
threatened and told to visit the officials Tuesday (in their headquarters at
an illegal colonial settlement of Gush Etzion). They felt it maybe
worthwhile to do that to find a solution. Since we always respect the
wishes of the owners who invited us, we had to disperse. The colonial
settlers must be happy but the local Palestinians assured each other that
they will resist (popular resistance).
So the next day (Tuesday) we head to the site with a lot of media and see
the army already bulldozing land around the abandoned military base. We are
told to leave but we hang around. We explain to journalists. We gather
lots of data (including photos and video) to use later. The Municipality
calls for a meeting in the afternoon and we form a popular committee to
thwart plans for either a new colonial settlement or the revival of the
Israeli military base in the middle of our town.
After that meeting, we hear a talk from Professor Nurit Peled-Elhanan about
racism in Israeli school curricula. Berlesconi of Italy is coming to
Bethlehem today and meeting with Abu-Mazen and a minister is coming to visit
meet local leaders about Ush Ghrab…. There is so much to do here.
Watch this link http: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6j9RRVEUMA
and other video link s
Background on Ush Ghrab: Liberated Land Under Attack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9ZaFwi6WBo
An activity 16 October 2008
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHpdc78xUvg
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjXsutlrHys
