Kfar Qassem resists demolitions

The Arab town of Kfar Qassem witnessed riots yesterday night, as locals confronted the demolition of a greenhouse owned by an Arab, Majid Issa. As the Israeli Border Police and their bulldozers invaded the town, a call was issued from the louderspeakers of local mosques for the inhabitants to rally in solidarity with the affected family. Five Israeli policemen were injured in the confrontations. At least 12 persons have been arrested after the riots. The community is now active in mobilizing solidarity with the detainees.

Kfar Qassem is located on the Israeli side of the Apartheid Wall, Tulkarem is located just on the other side. Building permits are rarely given to Arab citizens of Israel, resulting in that a vast majority of newly-built structures lack permits. It is a consistent policy of discrimination against an entire community. A month earlier, Mr. Issa's sister's house had been demolished.

In 1956 Kfar Qassem was the site of a massacre by the Israeli military, see Haaretz and Wikipedia.


Israeli Border Police guarding the demolition


The site of the demolished building

Photo credits: Kfar Qassem website
Newslinks: Kfar Qassem website, JPost, Maan, Haaretz
Blogs: Loke, Esbati, Pastey

More on the murder of Ibrahim Abu Rahma

More details are coming out on the cold-blooded killing of anti-Apartheid wall protestor Ibrahim Abu Rahma in Bil'in, West Bank. The Israeli peace organization Gush Shalom has stated:

This escalation was not caused by the demonstrators' behavior, in which there had been no change, but to new instructions given to the military forces on the ground. Whether by explicit instructions or by a tacit nod and a new "spirit of the commander", the finger on the trigger was loosed and authorization given for the tear gas containers as lethal missiles.

See a slide-show of photos of the killing here.

Below a video from Brazilian newscast on the killing. The claims of 'violent riots' by the Israeli authorities fall quite flat. Abu Rahma was clearly unarmed and not engaged in any violent act.

PPP leader Bassam as-Salhi and seven others injured in IOF attack on anti-Wall protest

Eight Palestinians were injured today, as Israeli Occupation Forces attacked an anti-Apartheid Wall protest in Idhna, occupied West Bank. The injured includes Palestinian People's Party general secretary Bassam as-Salhi.

Report (in Arabic) at PPP website.

Tear gas and rubber bullets against West Bank protest

A protest at the Apartheid Wall in Nilin was attacked by Israeli Occupation Forces today, according to Svd.se (Swedish daily newspaper). The air was filled with gas, as Israeli peace activists and Palestinian demonstrated to show support to the besieged population in Gaza.

The same article also carries a short report of viewpoint amongst Israelis in Jerusalem. A statement by an Israeli 17-year old pinpoints the racist logic of the ongoing massacre; "-What do I think of civilian deaths? It's sad, but it's not my problem. Hamas are animals, we are civilized.".

"Israel is an occupying country and conducts state terrorism" - urgent appeal from intellectuals and artists to the Spanish government

Their statement, which can be read in full at PazAhora website, demands the sending of protection troops, that Israel tears down the West Bank wall and the support for the two-state solution.