Today we have the New Rules. In some respects they’re rather like the Old Rules. The aim and sole rationale remain the same: dispossession, expulsion, taking more land. The army has, it seems, given up on its favorite device of declaring Closed Military Zones, week after week; perhaps the outright illegality of this practice ended up causing them too many problems in court. Instead, the soldiers simply chase us—Palestinian shepherds, farmers, Israeli activists—physically away, pushing, shoving, threatening, beating. They also have decided they won’t allow us to document their crimes ...Saturday, January 19 2013 Rihya by David Shulman
For a brief report of the violent arrest of fifteen people, at Umm Arayes about the same time as the event recounted below, click here. — Three armed reservists are waiting for us when we arrive. Initially, they are rather jolly. “Shalom, Shabbat Shalom. Please tell us your names.” They shake hands with Yusuf, who is leading the Ar-Rihiye contingent. Most of the Palestinians are carrying olive saplings in their hands. They want to plant them in this field. Ar-Rihiye (population 3500) clings to a tall hill; its best lands ...Friday, January 4 2013 ‘Isawiyya protest by David Shulman
— I meet the drummers on the city bus to French Hill. They ask me: “Are you going there?” Yes. Smiles. I tell them I’m happy to see the big drum again; it brings up good memories of Sheikh Jarrah, the demonstrations two years ago and more. There the drums made all the difference. They say to me: “You’re an honorary drummer.” Now that’s worth putting on my CV. — The Border Police are, of course, waiting for us at the gas station at the edge of the village. Quite ...Saturday, December 1 2012 Partnering in justice by Jon Simons This post was originaly published in Jon’s blog – israelipeaceimages.com If I were a cinematographer, I’d show you the scene this way. First you see small groups of Palestinian men and children sitting on rocks on a sunny hillside, mostly in everyday, modern clothes, many smoking as they chat. The camera passes over a few Israelis and a Westerner sitting among them, apparently basking in the sun. To one side, women, more of whom are in traditional dress, are preparing tea over an open fire. You might think it’s a ...
Saturday, November 17 2012 Mitzpe Yair and Susya by David Shulman
10 AM. A dusty blue tractor, idle at the edge of the field. Some twenty soldiers, including many officers and a Druze super-officer from the Civil Administration. Six army vehicles plus the big police van. A dozen settlers or so, held at bay by the soldiers. Fifteen Palestinians of the ‘Awad and Jabareen families, whose land we are standing on. Sa’id ‘Awad, restrained, dignified, is their spokesman today. Children—like Latif, in school in Yata, and Sara, in a long brown coat and pink boots and a knitted scarf for the ...Saturday, October 6 2012 Soldiers fired tear gas on olive harvesters from Tarqumiya – by Alon Aviram It’s that time of the year again and the olive trees are ripe and ready for harvest. I found myself last Saturday picking olives alongside Palestinian families and Israeli activists from Ta’ayush in the village of Tarqumiya, northwest of Hebron. As the morning light crept over us, the only sounds to be heard were those of intermittent conversations, of hands sifting through coarse olive branches as they plucked the fruit, and then of the olives dropping like scattered rain drops on the nylon sheets below. The annual olive harvest is a ...
Saturday, September 15 2012 Gawawis and Bi’r al-‘Id – by David Shulman I’ve never been expelled from my home or my lands or from anywhere else. No doubt my ancestors could have said something about it. When I came to live in Israel some 45 years ago, I never dreamed that someday I’d be spending my weekends trying to keep Palestinian farmers and shepherds from suffering that prototypically Jewish trauma—at the hands of the Jews. I can tell you. It feels like hell, even if you’re just watching it happen to someone else. There are times when I think I can’t go ...
Saturday, July 21 2012 They’ll Stone You When You’re Trying to Feed Your Sheep by Amitai Ben Abba “Waaargh!!!” the older settler roars and charges us with a rock in his palm. I am afraid, finding myself behind the camera at a settler attack once again. “We already called the cops, they’re attacking us, stop them!” I shout to the soldiers in the jeep down in the wadi. The settler runs past us to throw the stones at the shepherds and Ada makes a ninja jump, imitates the settler’s roar and starts running after him screaming at him go home, nutcase. Fruitcake. Cupcake. Ada, a brave yoga teacher ...
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