Amnesty International: Israeli soldiers arrest son of detained Palestinian activist at West Bank protest

Dear friends,

news has just come through that Israeli Occupation Forces arrested Wa'ed Tamimi yesterday.  

Wa'ed is 16 years old and he is the son of my friends, Bassem and Nariman Tamimi. Wa'ed is an amazing young man and like the rest of his family, Wa'ed is active in the popular non-violent resistance to Israel's occupation. 

Two weeks ago, as you will be aware, his father Bassem was arrested by the IOF for his participation in the first BDS action in the West Bank against an Israeli settlement (see my earlier posts). 

Amnesty International who issued a statement earlier this week about the arrest of Bassem has now also issued a statement about Wa'ed arrest.  Please find it below. 

The arresting of Palestinian children is a regular ploy used by the Israeli Occupation Forces in order to try and intimidate Palestinian activists and Palestinian communities. See my earlier articles and blogs on this both on Palestine Chronicle (here and here) and on this blog (here).

As soon as more news come to hand about both Bassem and Wa'ed I will let you all know. In the meantime please share the widely with your networks the two statements by Amnesty International and raise awareness of the situation being faced not only by the Tamimi family, but also the whole Palestinian community Nabi Saleh and Palestine as a result of Israel occupation and apartheid policies.

If you are not already involved in the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel, please consider getting involved and take a stand in support of Palestinian human rights and self-determination.

In solidarity, 

Kim

****

Amnesty International: Israeli soldiers arrest son of detained Palestinian activist at West Bank protest

by Amnesty International: 2 November 2012

 
Israeli soliders arrested 16-year-old Wa’ed Tamimi at a demonstration in the village of al-Nabi Saleh 

The 16-year-old son of Bassem Tamimi, a detained Palestinian rights activist in the occupied West Bank, was himself arrested by Israeli soldiers today during the regular weekly protest against the encroachment of Israeli settlers onto Palestinian land.

Wa’ed Tamimi was arrested along with four activists during the demonstration on Friday afternoon in the West Bank village of al-Nabi Saleh, 21km northwest of Ramallah.

“Today’s arrest of Wa’ed Tamimi while he was walking peacefully in his village points to the continuing harassment of activist Bassem Tamimi, his family, and the community of al-Nabi Saleh by Israeli military forces,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. “This harassment must stop”.

“Wa’ed Tamimi and the four others arrested in al-Nabi Saleh today must be allowed access to lawyers and should be released immediately unless they are to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence. His father Bassem is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for peacefully protesting Israel’s illegal settlement expansion, and must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Nariman Tamimi told Amnesty International how she witnessed her son’s arrest: “I saw him being dragged violently by a soldier who immediately put him in a jeep,” she said. “Right now I am very tired and worried, and I am not sure what to do.”

Wa’ed Tamimi was taken to the police station in Sha’ar Benyamin settlement north of Ramallah.
Bassem Tamimi has been detained since his arrest on 24 October following a non-violent demonstration in a supermarket in the settlement of Sha’ar Benjamin. He faces a further prison sentence after appearing before the Ofer Military Court on Wednesday.

All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. Amnesty International is calling for their construction and expansion to stop as a first step towards removing the Israeli civilians living there.

Children from Nabi Saleh try to block an Israeli military jeep after it stormed into the village, arresting 5 activists, amongst them a 15 year old Palestinian boy, the brother of 2 of the children seen in the photo, during the weekly demonstration against the occupation in Nabi Saleh, West bank, November 2, 2012. 

Photo by: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org