On International Human Rights Day in 2008, my husband Abdallah Abu Rahmah was in Berlin receiving a medal from the World Association for Human Rights. Last year on the same day, December 10th, Abdallah was taken away at 2am by Israeli soldiers who broke into our West Bank home. Abdallah was arrested for the same reasons he received the prize - his nonviolent struggle for justice, equality and peace in Israel/Palestine.
My husband is a school teacher and farmer from the Palestinian village of Bil'in. When Israel built its apartheid wall here, it separated Bil'in from more than half of its land, in order to facilitate the expansion of the illegal settlement Mattityahu East. In response, Abdallah and fellow villagers began a campaign of nonviolent resistance. Every Friday for the past five years, we've marched, with Israeli and international supporters, to protest the theft of our land and livelihoods.
In September, 2007 Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the route of the wall in Bil'in was illegal and should be changed. Over two years later, the wall remains, unmoved. Many were discouraged, but Abdallah told them that the pressure of our campaign and international support could bring down the wall.
As the grassroots struggle grows here, the efforts to end our actions have intensified. The army has been instructed to use weapons against the protesters and arrest participants. Our beloved friend, Bassem Abu Rahmah, was murdered by Israeli soldiers as he tried to talk with them, while participating in a demonstration. Seventy-seven others have been arrested in violent night raids.
Among the other arrestees is Abdallah's cousin Adeeb Abu Rahmah, who, like Abdallah, never missed a demonstration and was never violent. Adeeb, a father of nine, has been in prison for five months, with no end in sight. Since the first time our home was invaded, our seven year-old daughter Luma has been waking up screaming, and five year-old Layan wetting her bed. Only our nine month-old son Laith still smiles and giggles, but I cry when he calls for his father.
Leaders like former President Jimmy Carter and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the leaders of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, have visited our village. They stood with Abdallah at Bassem's grave last August. Mr. Tutu told us, "Just as a simple man named Gandhi led the successful nonviolent struggle in India and simple people such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King led the struggle for civil rights in the United States, simple people here in Bil'in are leading a nonviolent struggle that will bring them their freedom."
The afternoon before his arrest, Abdallah prepared a speech to be read on his behalf to the World Association for Human Rights since Israel would not allow him to travel to Germany for the ceremony. Abdallah wrote:
"I wish I could be with you to share in the joy of our colleagues receiving this year's prize and to celebrate with you the 20th anniversary of the removal of the Berlin Wall. But the occupation not only robs us of statehood, land, and so often of our lives, it also deprives us of many beautiful moments."
"My mother passed away in a hospital in occupied East Jerusalem, our historic capital, in August but the Israeli occupation refused me a permit to be with her. An Israeli friend held a mobile phone to my mother's ear so that I could say good bye to her and thank her for all the love she has given me. In the darkness of all these difficulties the occupation imposes on us, the solidarity of justice-seeking people like you all over the world gives us strength."
"Unlike Israel, we have no nuclear weapons, and no army, but we do not want or need those things. With your support and the justice of our cause, we will bring down Israel's apartheid wall."
Twelve hours after Abdallah was taken to a military jail from our home, I listened as President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize and spoke of "the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice." I thought of Bassem, Adeeb and my husband, and wondered if President Obama will take action to support our struggle for freedom.
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This is factually and legally incorrect.
1.aIsrael is an administra
1.b According to the Geneva convention
2. The Oslo accord which was agreed upon by Palestinia
Get informed on the issue,
"The Security Council,
Emphasizin
Emphasizin
Affirms that the fulfillmen
Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territorie
Terminatio
Let people read that make of it what their intelligen
Since the settlement
The settlement
http://www
(Israel's position is that that court lacks jurisdicti
And a ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court
http://ely
(Seeing as it would be hard for Israel to take the position that its own courts lack jurisdicti
But the most important is the overwhelmi
The concept is meaningles
"In September, 2007 Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the route of the wall in Bil’in was illegal and should be changed. Over two years later, the wall remains, unmoved."
"In September, 2007, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the government had to move the wall in Bil’in to allow access to more of the village’s land (8). More than two years later, the Israeli government has yet to move the wall."
http://pal
The Israeli High Court has specifical
http://www
http://www
which show how easy it is for someone who is not old, or crippled, to get past the Jerusalem Wall
and
http://www
so you can see the contrast between the route of that Wall, and the Green Line
You complain because it does work and stopped suicide bombers
The listing of the middle of the night raids on house after house, such as the one Majida endured, tends to suggest that these raids aren't about finding and arresting people, but rather about harassing and intimidati
The headlines blare about how wrong it is to arrest demonstrat
Israel bans journalist
Sanctions galore for Iran, and favoured nation status for Israel.
Not a whisper of objection to an un-inspect
Quite the contrast, isn't it.
I/P conflict is heavily covered by the MSM
At every step of the way, the Indians tried to bargain in good faith and relied on the "promises"
It has enough universal similariti
I could have used aboriginie
Demonizati
This is pretty much how things roll with the anti-Israe
The were massed protest against Israel blockade in Lebanon. Said protests proclaimin
In scenes straight worthy of Swift's pen, said demonstrat
Wow. What do people need to do around here to get attention.
btw, I did a solidarity hunger strike with her.
So much for your "facts".
When it was designed, the area was in the middle of weekly, some times daily raids.
Since the wall was build, the amount of suicide bombings have dropped - reaching zero in recent years
Life in israel and in Palestine have become normal again
Was the wall a prefect solution ?
Is it routed in the best possible route
all this is indeed debatable - but the success of the wall is clear to anyone who live in Israel: People who were afraid to go out now are back in the streets
Same positive effect is in Ramallah and other Palestinia
As for the route of the wall, while not optimal in 90% it is no further away from 300 ft away from the int'l green line
That wall has no business there!
This is a question you should ask Sharon - who is in coma for 4 years.
What is important is the reality:
1. The wall works. It stopped suicide bombings
2. Despite the false propaganda
3. In the remaining 10% the wall goes slightly into the west bank to encircle large settlement
On the Israeli side 85% of the population support the wall (they call it what it is in 95% of it's route: A fence) Only the settlers are opposed to it since they prefer that there will be no border between Israel and the west bank.
The fact there there is a demarcated border between Israelis on one side and Palestinia
1. The wall works. It stopped suicide bombings. - Of course, because suicide bombers were too unmotivate
For points 2 and 3, I'll just go with a visual aid
http://www
Just click on the buttons to see the route of the wall, and the Green Line, and judge for yourself whether the purpose of the Wall is to protect Israel, or grab more of Palestine.
Israel brags about being a beacon of democracy in the area, but then turns around and commits atrocities against the most vulnerable
Please know that we are with you all the way; that we never stop thinking of your suffering, and that in our own way we will all be your voice against this injustice.
as you pointed out in obama's speech: people are in jail for non-violen
http://www
God Speed.