Campus Under Apartheid part 1

by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, University of Western Ontario, Canada

In the last decade the word 'apartheid' has become synonymous with Israel. But what does it truly mean to be a Palestinian living under the apartheid system of Israel? If you have never been to the Holy Land and experienced firsthand living under occupation, living under apartheid, it's hard to imagine the sever lack of quality of life Palestinians must struggle with daily. This short video allows you a glimpse, a short controlled encounter with apartheid.

If you think midterms, tons of homework and tough professors are making earning your degree painful, imagine doing it under an APARTHEID system tailored to oppress you!. While your classmates have the freedom to do whatever they wish, you will have to go through harsh checkpoints, harassment, administrative detention, and suffer all types of physical and mental abuse. What is your breaking point?

Global Day of Action - Open Shuhada St

Dear friends,
as you may be aware, Friday 25th February marked the Global Day of Action calling for Shuhada St in Hebron to be opened and to mark the anniversary of the Ibrahim Mosque Massacre carried out by Israeli settler, Baruch Goldstein.

Please find below video of yesterday's action and the media release issued by Youth Against Settlements.

In solidarity, Kim

Video by Israel Puterman

February 24, 2012 – Press Release

THOUSANDS   MARCH TO END SETTLEMENTS IN HEBRON

The “Youth Against Settlements” movement marks 18 years since the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre with a peaceful march through the streets of Hebron, violently broken up by Israeli forces

and part of the Apartheid week in Palestine . 

thousand of Palestinians from across the West Bank joined by solidarity activists participated in a demonstration in Hebron today (Friday) calling for the reopening of Shuhada Street.  Occupation forces arrested Badia Dweik (39), member of Youth Against Settlements, along with Fadi Quran (24) and four other Palestinians.  Issa Amro, Coordinator of Youth Against Settlements and dozens of others suffered asphyxiation due to overwhelming amounts of tear gas. 

Medical sources from Mohammad Ali Hospital reported that the number of injured protesters that arrived to the hospital and were treated was over 80 people. The number of people injured continues to rise as a result of tear gas weapons being used in the region.

The events Friday were only a few of many activities taking place as part of a wider campaign, the 3rd Annual Global Day of Action to Open Shuhada Street.  This year’s campaign was called “Shideh Helek Ya Balad” (a call for Hebronites to join the struggle), organized by Youth Against Settlements. 

Unarmed demonstrators chanted for the reopening of Shuahda Street, ending the closure on the city of Hebron and the removal of settlers from the city.  Other chants expressed solidarity with Sheikh Khader Adnan (currently under administrative detention and his 65-plus-day hunger strike), as well as calling for Palestinian national unity. 

Media spokesperson for the 3rd Annual Global Day of Action to Open Shuhada Street, Tamer Al-Atrash said, “despite our peaceful, unarmed demonstration, Occupation forces met it with violence as yet another way of supporting the illegal settlement enterprise.  None of this will stop us from continuing our struggle to reopen Shuhada Street, the closure of which results in severe human rights violations.  Worldwide solidarity actions took place today.  thousand of Palestinians from various regions of the West Bank, and representing the full political spectrum, met in Hebron in coordination with national and Islamic entities in the city.”

The Annual Global Day of Action to Open Shuhada Street falls on the 18th commemoration of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre.  The campaign was launched in 2010 in more than 25 locations across the world, growing the following year to more than 31 locations.  This year over 35 solidarity actions will take place globally.

Shuhada Street is in the heart of Hebron and is the central thoroughfare connecting all corners of the city.  It has been closed since the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre in 1994. 

Youth Against Settlements is a politically unaffiliated national youth movement working to end the Occupation and to dismantle settlements through nonviolent community actions. 

On the occasion of the 3rd Annual Global Day of Action to Open Shuhada Street, the Mayor of Naples, Italy, sent the following message of solidarity:

In a normal country, Shuhada Street would be a swarm of workshops, sellers of zatar, barbers and candy artisans.  In a country under occupation, Shuhada Street, is instead subjected to an endless curfew, closed shops, racist drawings and writings painted on walls and doors. Citizens from international movements, as well as Palestinians and Israelis, who are acting in a nonviolent manner to reopen Shuhada Street, represent one of the best aspects of solidarity and humanity.  I send them all my support and hope that Hebron will soon return to be a town of inclusion.  In fact, the Arabic name of the city, Al-Khalil, means “friend” and those who live there cannot, and never will be an enemy.

The struggle in Nabi Saleh: Nariman Tamimi Interview

Dear friends,

Please find below, a video interview with the amazing Nariman Tamimi, who I am very proud to call a friend.  In the video, Nariman peaks about the struggle in Nabi Saleh, her husband Bassem Tamimi who is currently in Israeli Occupation jail and why he is taking the stand he is taking and the impact that the trial on her own relationship with her husband. 

While I can say that every single Palestinian woman I have met has been wonderfully courageous, Nariman stands out as someone who is absolutely spectacular. 

In solidarity, Kim

Addameer Press Release on the deal struck by Khader Adnan's lawyers

Dear friends, 

you will probably have heard by now that Khader Adnan has ended his hunger strike after his lawyer struck a deal with the Israeli state which met Khader's minimum demands.  I have included below the media release issued immediately after the deal was struck. Also included below is Amnesty International's statement calling for a blanket end to Administrative Detention.  More than 300 Palestinian political prisoners remain under Administrative  Detention (ie. arbitary detention without charge or trail) and while Khader's hunger strike has focused world attention on Israel's brutal and illegal detention of Palestinians, the struggle to free all Palestinian political prisoners and to end Israel's occupation and apartheid practices continues.

In solidarity, Kim

Footage of Khader Adnan in prison, while still on hunger strike.

***

Despite the Announcement of a Deal Limiting Khader Adnan’s Detention, Addameer Reiterates its Urgent Concern for His Health

Ramallah, 21 February 2012 – Khader Adnan’s hearing at the Israeli High Court was cancelled today, 21 February 2012, only minutes before the hearing was to take place. On Khader’s 66^th day of hunger strike in protest of his administrative detention and inhuman and degrading treatment by the Israeli authorities, one of Khader’s lawyers negotiated a deal with the Israeli military prosecutor that Khader will be released on 17 April instead of 8 May and that his administrative detention order will not be renewed. Addameer lawyer Samer Sam’an is actively working to gain permission to visit Khader to confirm whether or not he will continue with his hunger strike.

Khader previously stated to Addameer lawyers that though he was calling for his immediate and unconditional release, the minimum requirements he would consider for ending his hunger strike would be the guarantee that he would not receive a new administrative detention order and that his duration of detention would be considered from the date of his arrest on 17 December 2011 and not from the date that he received his administrative detention order on 8 January 2012. The provisions of the deal reached today as announced by the lawyer involved do meet these minimum requirements. However, if new “secret material,” upon which administrative detention is based, presents itself during the next two months, there would still be grounds for the renewal of his administrative detention order. This caveat is consistent with similar deals made in the past, in which Israeli officials leave the door open for re-arrests.

Addameer maintains that the fact that Israeli officials negotiated the duration of his detention, in addition to agreeing to an early release, reveals that there were no grounds for his administrative detention in the first place. His administrative detention order, as in the cases of all other administrative detainees, is based on the alleged threat he poses to the “security of the State of Israel.” However, if Israeli officials agree that he will not be a threat on 17 April, as clear from today’s deal, he surely does not pose any threat today and his case provides further proof of Israel’s policy of arbitrary detention. Addameer reiterates its call for his immediate and unconditional release and the release of the 308 other administrative detainees.

Addameer’s main concern remains Khader’s health, in critical condition after over two months of hunger strike. Whether or not Khader continues his hunger strike, he must receive proper arrangements for observing his health condition, which will likely now have irreversible consequences. If he does decide to end his hunger strike, the potential complications from such a protracted hunger strike will require urgent and trusted care, which can only be provided if he is released.

Addameer continues to salute Khader Adnan for his incredible steadfastness in challenging Israel’s policy of holding Palestinians in detention without charge or trial, which is in violation of international law. Addameer further thanks all individuals and institutions who have chosen not to ignore the basic human rights violations being committed against Palestinian prisoners on a daily basis and who have expressed their explicit support for Khader and his fellow prisoners. The date set for Khader’s release, 17 April, ironically falls on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, which will serve as a reminder of the thousands of other Palestinian political prisoners who remain in Israeli detention.

Follow Addameer’s campaigns to release all Prisoners at Risk and immediately Stop Administrative Detention.

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17 February 2012

Israel: End use of administrative detention 

Khader Adnan's hunger strike has prompted demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Palestinian activist Khader Adnan has been on hunger strike since 18 December 2011 in protest against his detention by the Israeli authorities without charge or trial. 

Khader Adnan started his hunger strike the day following his arrest from his home in the occupied West Bank  to protest his ill-treatment by the Israel Security Agency (ISA). 

On 10 January 2012 he was given a four-month administrative detention order signed by a military commander. It ends on 8 May but could be renewed indefinitely. 

Khader Adnan is now in a hospital in northern Israel. After more than 60 days on hunger strike, doctors warn that his life is in imminent danger. He is still under detention and is shackled to his hospital bed at all times and under constant armed guard.  

Administrative detention is a procedure under which detainees are held without charge or trial for periods of up to six months, which can be renewed repeatedly. Under administrative detention, detainees' rights to a fair trial as guaranteed by Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) are consistently violated. 

Khader Adnan is one of 309 Palestinians currently held in administrative detention by the Israeli authorities, including one man held for over five years and 24 Palestinian Legislative Council members. Hundreds of other Palestinian detainees and prisoners have joined Khader Adnan's hunger strike.

Take Action
Support Palestinian activist Khader Adnan’s protest for respect for the human rights of Palestinians in Israeli detention. Call on the Israeli Minister of Defence to:

• Immediately release Khader Adnan and other Palestinians held in administrative detention, or immediately charge and try them for internationally recognizable criminal offences in full conformity with international fair trial standards;

• End the use of administrative detention, which violates the right to a fair trial;

• Ensure that detainees are treated humanely at all times, and that no detainees are punished for their decision to go on hunger strike.

Dying to Live: Khader Adnan's 63rd day of hunger strike against Administrative Detention

                                        

Dear friends,

as many of you will be aware, Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan has entered his 63rd of a hunger strike.  Khader has been on hunger strike since his arrest in December 2011, protesting his arrest and the conditions under which he is being held.  He is on of more than 300 Palestinian prisoners who are being held under what is known as Administrative Detention - that is he is being held with out charge or trail.  

Palestinian Prisoner support group, Addameer, who is running a public campaign against Administrative Detentin notes that:

Administrative detention is a procedure under which detainees are held without charge or trial. In the occupied Palestinian West Bank, the Israeli army carries out administrative detention on the basis of Military Order 1226 (1988). This order empowers military commanders to detain an individual for up to six months if they have “reasonable grounds to presume that the security of the area or public security require the detention.” On or just before the expiry date, the detention order is frequently renewed. This process can be continued indefinitely.

Israeli military and civil laws related to the administrative detention orders are based on the British Mandate Emergency Law for the year 1945.  No definition of “public security” is given and the initial six month period can be extended by additional six-month periods indefinitely. Administrative detention orders are issued either at the time of arrest or at some later date and are often based on secret evidence collected by the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).  Neither the detainee, nor the detainee’s lawyers are given access to the secret evidence.

Administrative detention has resulted in Palestinian political prisoners being held for years without charge or trail and without ever knowing the evidence against them.  The longest person to be held under Adminstrative detention was Ali Jamal from Jenin who spent seven years in administrative detention in the 1970s.  Hana Al Shalabi is the longest serving Palestinian female political prisoner in administrative detention having been held for over two years. Ayed Dudeen, who was one of the longest serving administrative detainees in recent times had been held for over three and half years.  He was released in mid 2011 only to be rearrested under an Administrative Detention order 40 days later.  

Addameer notes that International Law prohibits arbitary arrest or detention and is used by Israel as a form of collective punishment which is illegal under international  law. Addmeer notes that during the period of March 2002 to October 2002, Israeli Occupying Forces arrested over 15,000 Palestinians during mass arrest campaigns, rounding up males in cities and villages between the ages of 15 to 45. In October 2002, there were over 1,050 Palestinians in administrative detention. By the beginning of March 2003, Israel held more than one thousand Palestinians in administrative detention. In 2007, Israel held a monthly average of 830 administrative detainees, which was one hundred higher than in 2006. Furthermore, during the PLC elections of 2006,Israel placed dozens of candidates from the Islamic ‘Change and Reform Party’ in administrative detention. Some of them are imprisoned to this day.

Over the years, only nine Israeli citizens from settlements in the West Bank have reportedly been detained for periods up to six months.

Addameer notes that  administrative detainees are political prisoners, however, they are not separated from the rest of the (criminal) prisoner population within Israeli jails.  Nor do they benefit from special food or have the right to wear their own clothes to which they are entitled by the Israeli law. Prison personnel usually do not receive specific training on how to deal with administrative detainees and on international law regarding administrative detainees. Administrative detainees in Israel must endure severe restrictions on their right to education, rights to communicate with families and receive visits, and right to adequate medical treatment

In recent weeks, a number of the Irish Maze political prisoners who engaged in a similar hunger strike against similar conditions have sent messages of solidarity to Khader Adnan and called for his immediate release.  The Irish prisoners, were members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and were also held under a similar form of administrative detention known as "internment".  The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners. In 1978, after a number of attacks on prisoners leaving their cells to "slop out", the dispute escalated into the dirty protest, where prisoners refused to leave their cells to wash and covered the walls of their cells with excrement. In 1980, seven prisoners participated in the first hunger strike, which ended after 53 days.

 

The second hunger strike took place in 1981 and resulted in 10 hungerstrikers dying, including Bobby Sands who had been elected as a Member of the British parliament during the strike.  More than 100,000 people attended Bobby Sands funeral. The hunger strike draw attention to the illegal conditions under which the political prisoners were being held and radicalised the Irish struggle further.   

I have included below, three videos from two of the Irish hunger strikers who have sent messages of solidarity to Khader Adnan and his family and the brother of Francis Hughes who died during the second Irish hunger strike.

You can also send messages of solidarity to Khader Adnan and his family via twitter or to: post@khaderadnan.posterous.com http://khaderadnan.posterous.com/

You can read more about Khader Adnan's protest here (report from Al Jazeera).   Protests throughout the West Bank, Gaza and internationally have been taking place in solidarity with Khader, you can read about some of them here (report by Haggai Mattar on +972 magazine)

in solidarity, Kim

***

Protest in the West Bank

Protest outside Ofer Prison

***

Tommy McKearney was the first of the Irish hungerstrikers to send a message of solidarity to Khader Adnan.  McKearney took part in the first Irish hunger strike in 1980, along with Brendan Hughes, Tom McFeeley, John Nixon, Sean McKenna, Leo Green and Raymong McCartney.

Raymond McCartney is a  former Irish hunger striker and current Member of Northern Ireland’s Legislative Assembly for Sinn Féin. McCartney, along with six other prisoners (Brendan Hughes, Tom McFeeley, John Nixon, Sean McKenna, Tommy McKearney and Leo Green) participated in what became known as the First Hunger Strike in 1980 in order to attain political status under the British occupation.

Oliver Hughes, the brother of Francis Hughes who was one of the 10 hunger strikers who died during the second Maze hunger strikes sends a message of solidarity to Khader Adnan. 

Love Under Apartheid

Dear friends,

some of you may have already heard about the wonderful,moving and inspiring new project, Love Under Apartheid.  The Love Under Apartheid project uses videos to document Palestinians' stories describing how interpersonal, intimate and familial relationships are affected by Israeli laws, occupation, and siege. 

Tanya Keilani, who found the project, describes on the Love Under Apartheid website how the project started.  Tanya writes:

"The Love Under Apartheid project developed after a particularly compelling conversation with a good friend about her relationship with her fiancé. We were having dinner when she shared her story, detailing the difficulties of maintaining her relationship, and concerns she and her fiancé have about the future. It was then that I fully understood the extent to which the Israeli apartheid system affects individuals by restricting a deeply personal right: their right to love. 

When we find a partner, we think about our futures: where will we live; what kind of home we will create; would we like children; if so, how many—but planning a future together isn’t the same for Palestinians.

Indigenous Palestinians have been living under Israeli military occupation for nearly 70 years now. Thinking about occupation historically and in the abstract, we may not comprehend the extent to which it affects the most private and intimate parts of Palestinian lives. My friend and her fiancé have already managed to defy the apartheid system by meeting, falling in love and becoming engaged to be married. These were huge obstacles to conquer, but even more difficulties lay ahead.

After reflecting on my friend’s story, I became outraged that, because of the Israeli occupation, she couldn’t be with the person she loved. I knew her story was not the only one of its kind, and proposed we collect those of others working to resist the apartheid that has defined and directed their lives.

In a place where love is made nearly impossible, these stories hope to capture singular moments of love in struggle. I hope you’ll watch the videos, share them with friends, family and loved ones, and join us in defending the right to love".

I have include two of the project's videos below.  You can support the project, contribute to its video collection and view more video by visiting the Love Under Apartheid website here.

in solidarity, Kim

 Yousef from Gaza hasn’t seen his mother’s side of the family in the West Bank in years because of the Israeli siege and travel restrictions imposed on Palestinians.

Nehad, whose name has been changed for security, and her husband have been married for nearly two decades. But they can’t live together in Nehad’s hometown because Israel won’t permit her husband to join her and their kids. As a result, their son’s special needs often go unmet and they are forced to live in an area of the Jerusalem district where neither Israel nor the Palestinian Authority provide basic services like fire, police, and others.

Report: When Settlers Attack

Dear friends,

please find below Palestine Studies TV, video interview with Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the Palestine Center, about their new report, "When Settlers Attack."  The report and interview looks at patterns of Israeli settler violence since 2007, finding an upward trend. 

According to the report, that between 2004 and 200, there was  3,700 recordedinstances of settler violence.  The Palestine Center report notes in its Executive Summary:

• Israeli settler violence presents a direct and consistent threat to Palestinian civilians and their property in the occupied West Bank and instances of Israeli settler violence are on the rise. 

• From 2010 to 2011 there was a 39 percent increase in incidents of Israel Settler violence. In the five year period from 2007 through 2011 there has been a 315 percent increase. Conversely, over the same 5-year period, there has been a 95 percent decrease in Palestinian violence in the West Bank. 

• There is a noticeable shift in the proportion of violence as it occurs geographically in the West Bank. In the past, the southern part of the West Bank saw the largest number of instances but in recent years the northern part of the West Bank is becoming increasingly targeted and has overtaken the southern part of the West Bank in terms of number of attacks. 

• The period of the olive harvest annually brings a peak in violent settler activity. The presence of Palestinian civilians in olive groves, where they are easy targets for unrestrained and violent Israeli settlers, is the main reason why this occurs on an annual basis. 

• There is a noticeable increase in the frequency and proportion of arson attacks employed by violent settlers. This suggests that violent settlers are increasingly choosing this method of violence and will continue to do so. The percentage of arson among all attack types in 2005 was 6 percent and has risen to 11 percent in 2011. 

• While minimal variation in Israeli settler violence over time can be explained as a response to Israeli state actions against settlements, like the dismantlement of outposts, the vast majority of Israeli settler violence is not responsorial but rather structural and symptomatic of occupation. 

• Over 90 percent of all Palestinian villages which have experienced multiple instances of Israeli settler violence are in areas which fall under Israeli security jurisdiction

You can read the full report here

You can also watch a video of the Palestine Centre's release of the report here, which includes a presentation on the report.

in solidarity, Kim

Activestill's video: Nabi Saleh - a village remains steadfast

Dear friends,

please find below a short video produced by the amazing Israeli and international activists from the Activestills collective, who regularly document Israel's ongoing occupation against the Palestinian people.  I have been a big fan of the group for many years, their dedication and conviction are a true inspiration. 

As their website notes, Activestills "was established in 2005 by a group of Israeli and international documentary photo-graphers, out of a strong conviction that photography is a vehicle for social change". 

The collective goes onto note:

We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. We do work on various topics, including the grassroots movement and the popular struggle against the Israeli occupation, women’s rights, immigration, asylum-seekers, social justice, the siege on Gaza, and housing rights inside Israel.

The work as a collective is based upon the belief that mutual work serves each photographer‘s personal statement, and that joint projects will create shared statements that are more powerful than individual ones.  The collective, now consisting of ten photographers, operates in Israel/Palestine and focuses on social and political documentation, project production, publication, and exhibition.

Israeli public opinion is shaped first and foremost by the mainstream media, which is shifting to become more racist and violent. The impact of this shift is evident in increased public support for violent military operations, racist legislation, and discriminatory policies. We wish to challenge these changes with our work. Each time our photos are published, either in the mainstream media or in alternative channels, they convey messages that challenge oppression and bring the voices of the unheard into public discourse.

 Activestills often uses public space for exhibitions in order to more directly influence public opinion and bring about social change.

You can check out Activestill and their incredible work here.

In solidarity,
Kim

***

NABI SALEH - a village remains steadfast 

Photos by Activestills collective and live sound recording:

 

Two years of popular struggle against the Israeli occupation and settlements, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh.

The illegal settlement of Halamish which can be seen from many houses in the village, is built on more than half of the village's land. In December 2009, after settlers confiscated a spring located on private Palestinian land, residents of the village together with their neighbor villages started weekly demonstrations. Palestinians who demanded the right to be on their land were attacked by settlers, some of them armed, while Israeli soldiers stood by and/or protected the settlers. At the time of writing, the Israeli army prohibits the access of Palestinians in groups and on Fridays to the spring, while settlers have unlimited access.

Since then, and despite harsh daily repression, the residents of Nabi Saleh continue to go every Friday, together with other Palestinians, and international and Israeli activists, to demonstrate and resist the Israeli occupation

South Africa pledges support for Palestinians

by Mel Frykberg | The New Age Newspaper

02 February 2012

The South African government might consider supporting sanctions against Israel as it explores a variety of peaceful methods to step up support for the Palestinians' fight for freedom and independence.

"We want to step up our support of the Palestinians and are investigating a number of peaceful ways to upgrade this support. We have no problem with supporting the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel," Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile told The New Age.

Mashatile was addressing a press conference in Pretoria yesterday at the Department of Arts and Culture, during the signing of a cultural agreement between South Africa and Palestine.

During the signing Palestinian Arts and Culture Minister Siham Barghouti and Palestinian Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Musa Abu Ghreibeh, exchanged gifts with their South African counterparts, Minister Mashatile and deputy minister Joe Pehle.

Later on in the year the Palestinians will host South Africa's Arts and Culture Week, where South African artists and cultural entrepreneurs will present cultural exhibitions from their country.

Mashatile's statement presents a considerable upping of the ante in South Africa's long-standing support for the Palestinians and the cementing of a relationship that goes back decades, to when the ANC was struggling against the former apartheid government.
 

"Your Excellency, we count the people of Palestine among those patriots who stood by us in our struggle for national liberation," Mashatile told the Palestinian delegation as he recalled former President Nelson Mandela's 1997 speech to honor the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

"Having achieved our freedom we can fall into the trap of washing our hands of difficulties that others face. Yet we would be less human if we do so," said Mandela in 1997.

BDS supporters argue that Israel's continued illegal occupation of the Palestinians territories and expropriation of Palestinians land, water and other resources can only be stopped when sanctions against Israel begin to bite economically

"We are grateful for South Africa's support for our efforts to become members of the international community and look towards you for guidance in our continued struggle," said Barghouti.

The two delegations agreed that future cooperation would include language development, heritage preservation, literature exchanges and exhibitions.

www.thenewage.co.za

French activist shot in neck/head in Nabi Saleh by Israeli Occupation Forces

Dear friends,

the IOF have once again been caught out lying about their attacks on unarmed demonstrators in Nabi Saleh.  On 3rd February, a young French activist was hit in the head/neck by a teargas canister fired by the IOF.  At the time of the shooting, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) spokespersons tweeted that she had been supposedly hit by a stone thrown by Palestinians.  Eyewitnesses to the shooting in Nabi Saleh quickly challenged this lie, stating they had video proving the young woman was not hit by stones.  The IOF quickly changed their story and now claim that the young woman was hit by a teargas canister which ricocheted. Video of the incident shows that this was not the case.  I have included below photos taken by Activestills, video shot by Bilal Tamimi and a report by Omar Rahman who witnessed the incident.

in solidarity, Kim

**

Photos by Activestills

***

+972 Magazine, Friday, February 3, 2012|Omar Rahman

Witnesses, video challenge army account of Nabi Saleh shooting

Activists carry injured French woman while the teargas canister burns in the background (photo: Omar Rahman)

In Nabi Saleh on Friday a French citizen–in the village for her first time–was struck in the back of the head by a high-velocity teargas canister fired by an Israeli soldier. The woman was part of a small group of activists that were walking down the main road out of the village, which was being closed off by a group of soldiers.
Although some youth from the village had been previously throwing stones from the hilltop above, the activists were unarmed and merely chanting slogans. When the group was approximately 25 to 30 meters away, the soldiers immediately began firing teargas canisters and rubber bullets directly at the people without warning. The group of around fourteen people turned to run and the girl was hit in the back of the head/neck area and dropped to the ground. A few of the others stopped to pick her up and a number of them were hit by rubber bullets.

A video shot by Bilal Tamimi, a resident of the village who was standing next to the soldiers, shows the entire incident. The teargas canister clearly ricochets off the girls head in mid-flight.

In response to the incident, Major Peter Lerner of the Israeli military began tweeting that “IDF soldiers on site” reported that she was hit from behind by Palestinian youths throwing stones. The video and eyewitnesses, including myself, can testify that this is false. There were no Palestinian youth standing behind the girl and she was struck after she turned to run from soldiers firing their weapons directly at unarmed activists. After witnesses and video refuted Major Lerner’s baseless assertion, he altered his story and tweeted that the Israeli military will investigate a teargas canister that ricocheted “off the ground.”

Palestinian activist holds blood-soaked kuffiyeh that Fthe rench woman was wearing when struck by canister (photo: Omar Rahman)