Israel Adds Another Four Months on Anti-Wall Activist Sentence

Abdallah Abu Rahma’s students are going to have to wait for their teacher for a little longer.  It wasn’t enough for Israel to send Rahma to jail for a year for leading non-violent protests against the wall/fence in the West Bank.  Now, having been kept detained, even after he was suppose to be released November 18th,Israel has compounded the outrage by tacking on another four months in jail for the prisoner of conscience.

Abdallah Abu Rahma

“By extending Abdallah Abu Rahma’s sentence the Israeli authorities appear to be seeking not only to punish him further in a case where the prosecution’s evidence was questionable to begin with, but to deter others from participating in legitimate protests,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

The story of Abdallah Abu Rahma is typical of the many Palestinians who attempt to bring change to their communities through peaceful means.  They don’t get a lot of attention here in the United States, but Rahma, like other activists, is an important man in the West Bank village of Bil’in.

He is a teacher. As we have written earlier, Rahma is warm and articulate, the kind of spokesman who brings home the deep, divisive impact the wall/fence is creating on many Palestinian communities.  As head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, he is well known to Amnesty International as a political activist with a long-term public commitment to using peaceful means to raise international awareness of the human rights violations.

He has won court rulings that would reroute the wall in his community, but the orders have been ignored by the military.  He has held regular peaceful demonstrations against the wall, but his work is met with spurious charges based on retracted claims of children, and conviction after an unfair trial in military court.  This is the lot given to non-violent Palestinian activists.

Amnesty International has made Rahma a prisoner of conscience and is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

Here are two additional recent statements on Abdallah Abu Rahma and non-violent Palestinian activists.

Israel must stop harassment and detention of Palestinian activists (Jan. 8, 2010)

Palestinian anti-wall protester convicted by Israeli military court (Aug., 2010)

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28 thoughts on “Israel Adds Another Four Months on Anti-Wall Activist Sentence

  1. Geoffrey Mock:
    Please stop lying and claiming these demonstrations are non-violent.

    Here is video from last week where you can see for yourself the violence on the part of the demonstrators
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP3Z7Q815Lg

    Edith Garwood, your own fellow employee, an Amnesty International Palestine blogger on this web site has personally admitted in previous posts on this very blog that she herself has personally attended the Bilin demonstrations and herself witnessed violence on the part of the demonstrators.

    reference: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-ta

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    "I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this."

  2. Geoffrey Mock:
    Please stop lying and claiming these demonstrations are non-violent.

    Here is video from last week where you can see for yourself the violence on the part of the demonstrators
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP3Z7Q815Lg

    Edith Garwood, your own fellow employee, an Amnesty International Palestine blogger on this web site has personally admitted in previous posts on this very blog that she herself has personally attended the Bilin demonstrations and herself witnessed violence on the part of the demonstrators.

    reference: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-ta

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    "I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this."

  3. Geoffrey Mock:
    Please stop lying and claiming these demonstrations are non-violent.

    Here is video from last week where you can see for yourself the violence on the part of the demonstrators
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP3Z7Q815Lg

    Edith Garwood, your own fellow employee, an Amnesty International Palestine blogger on this web site has personally admitted in previous posts on this very blog that she herself has personally attended the Bilin demonstrations and herself witnessed violence on the part of the demonstrators.

    reference: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-ta

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    "I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this."

  4. Geoffrey Mock:
    Please stop lying and claiming these demonstrations are non-violent.

    Here is video from last week where you can see for yourself the violence on the part of the demonstrators

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP3Z7Q815Lg

    Edith Garwood, your own fellow employee, an Amnesty International Palestine blogger on this web site has personally admitted in previous posts on this very blog that she herself has personally attended the Bilin demonstrations and herself witnessed violence on the part of the demonstrators.

    reference:
    http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-targeted-in-occupied-palestinian-territories/#comments

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    “I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this.”

  5. You are right, there has been rock-throwing at some of the demos. But as Edith mentioned, the overall tenor of these demonstrations are non-violent. This description does not account for all events and all participants at the events, but calling them non-violent is an accurate description of the purpose and overall characteristic of the event. Regardless of the actions of a few at these events, none of it can justify the continuing detention of Abdallah Abu Rahma, and Amnesty International continues and will continue to consider him a prisoner of conscience and call for his immediate and unconditional release.

  6. You are right, there has been rock-throwing at some of the demos. But as Edith mentioned, the overall tenor of these demonstrations are non-violent. This description does not account for all events and all participants at the events, but calling them non-violent is an accurate description of the purpose and overall characteristic of the event. Regardless of the actions of a few at these events, none of it can justify the continuing detention of Abdallah Abu Rahma, and Amnesty International continues and will continue to consider him a prisoner of conscience and call for his immediate and unconditional release.

  7. Geoffrey Mock:

    I would like to know what evidence you have for your claim that rock throwing only goes on at "some" of the Bilin demos. All reports I have read including from Edith Garwood, your own Amnesty eye witness, say it is a regular feature at all these events, not the exception.

    You even have your own colleague, Amnesty's own Edith Garwood, an actual eye witness, stating that Abdallah Abu Rahme himself explicitly admitted rock throwing is a major problem but it is out of his control to prevent, so what evidence do you Mr. Mock, a non-eyewitness, have that rock throwing only happens occasionally ?

    I ask because rock throwing is the central issue in Abdallah Abu Rahma's conviction. Because in fact, what Abdallah Abu Rahme was convicted of by the Israeli military court of organizing is not organizing non-violent demonstrations but of organizing the rock throwing.

    Here is what seems to be a copy of the actual judgment handed down against Abdallah Abu Rahma by the Israeli military court from a pro Palestinian web site .
    http://www.popularstruggle.org/sites/default/file

    It is in Hebrew, but a rough translation is that Abdallah Abu Rahma has been convicted of carefully deliberately organizing each Friday at Bilin two parallel groups of demonstrators, one being the "non-violent" group including foreigners, women and elderly, and off to the side of this main group, a second group of young men throwing rocks. That is what he was convicted of.

    You can see exactly this kind of dual side by side non-violence next to violence in the video of the riot at Bilin last week I posted above, as well as many many videos from Bilin posted to you tube by pro-Palestinian activists.

    Look Mr. Mock, every Friday for over 3 years now, so more than 150 of these weekly Friday afternoon events, and every one plays out exactly the same way, like some kind of a Japanese Kabuki play, with the non-violent civilians holding signs and yelling slogans side-by-side a smaller group of young men throwing rocks at the police until they eventually get the response I assume they wanted which is tear gas and then they all go home till the same time next week when the exact same thing happens again.

    Does that not seem organized to you ? Anyways, I do not know if he is guilty or not but that is what Abdallah Abu Rahma was in fact convicted of organizing.

  8. Geoffrey Mock:

    I would like to know what evidence you have for your claim that rock throwing only goes on at "some" of the Bilin demos. All reports I have read including from Edith Garwood, your own Amnesty eye witness, say it is a regular feature at all these events, not the exception.

    You even have your own colleague, Amnesty's own Edith Garwood, an actual eye witness, stating that Abdallah Abu Rahme himself explicitly admitted rock throwing is a major problem but it is out of his control to prevent, so what evidence do you Mr. Mock, a non-eyewitness, have that rock throwing only happens occasionally ?

    I ask because rock throwing is the central issue in Abdallah Abu Rahma's conviction. Because in fact, what Abdallah Abu Rahme was convicted of by the Israeli military court of organizing is not organizing non-violent demonstrations but of organizing the rock throwing.

    Here is what seems to be a copy of the actual judgment handed down against Abdallah Abu Rahma by the Israeli military court from a pro Palestinian web site .
    http://www.popularstruggle.org/sites/default/file

    It is in Hebrew, but a rough translation is that Abdallah Abu Rahma has been convicted of carefully deliberately organizing each Friday at Bilin two parallel groups of demonstrators, one being the "non-violent" group including foreigners, women and elderly, and off to the side of this main group, a second group of young men throwing rocks. That is what he was convicted of.

    You can see exactly this kind of dual side by side non-violence next to violence in the video of the riot at Bilin last week I posted above, as well as many many videos from Bilin posted to you tube by pro-Palestinian activists.

    Look Mr. Mock, every Friday for over 3 years now, so more than 150 of these weekly Friday afternoon events, and every one plays out exactly the same way, like some kind of a Japanese Kabuki play, with the non-violent civilians holding signs and yelling slogans side-by-side a smaller group of young men throwing rocks at the police until they eventually get the response I assume they wanted which is tear gas and then they all go home till the same time next week when the exact same thing happens again.

    Does that not seem organized to you ? Anyways, I do not know if he is guilty or not but that is what Abdallah Abu Rahma was in fact convicted of organizing.

  9. Geoffrey Mock:

    I would like to know what evidence you have for your claim that rock throwing only goes on at "some" of the Bilin demos. All reports I have read including from Edith Garwood, your own Amnesty eye witness, say it is a regular feature at all these events, not the exception.

    You even have your own colleague, Amnesty's own Edith Garwood, an actual eye witness, stating that Abdallah Abu Rahme himself explicitly admitted rock throwing is a major problem but it is out of his control to prevent, so what evidence do you Mr. Mock, a non-eyewitness, have that rock throwing only happens occasionally ?

    I ask because rock throwing is the central issue in Abdallah Abu Rahma's conviction. Because in fact, what Abdallah Abu Rahme was convicted of by the Israeli military court of organizing is not organizing non-violent demonstrations but of organizing the rock throwing.

    Here is what seems to be a copy of the actual judgment handed down against Abdallah Abu Rahma by the Israeli military court from a pro Palestinian web site .
    http://www.popularstruggle.org/sites/default/file

    It is in Hebrew, but a rough translation is that Abdallah Abu Rahma has been convicted of carefully deliberately organizing each Friday at Bilin two parallel groups of demonstrators, one being the "non-violent" group including foreigners, women and elderly, and off to the side of this main group, a second group of young men throwing rocks. That is what he was convicted of.

    You can see exactly this kind of dual side by side non-violence next to violence in the video of the riot at Bilin last week I posted above, as well as many many videos from Bilin posted to you tube by pro-Palestinian activists.

    Look Mr. Mock, every Friday for over 3 years now, so more than 150 of these weekly Friday afternoon events, and every one plays out exactly the same way, like some kind of a Japanese Kabuki play, with the non-violent civilians holding signs and yelling slogans side-by-side a smaller group of young men throwing rocks at the police until they eventually get the response I assume they wanted which is tear gas and then they all go home till the same time next week when the exact same thing happens again.

    Does that not seem organized to you ? Anyways, I do not know if he is guilty or not but that is what Abdallah Abu Rahma was in fact convicted of organizing.

  10. The law .

    Under international law, IN ANY OCCUPIED LAND, any FORCE OF OCCUPATION has NO right to condemn the resistance against itself …. for its OWN PRESENCE is a VIOLATION of this law, & any resistance or protest is JUSTIFIED under this law.

    A military Occupier, applying military law against the Occupied, is complaining of "rock throwing" ???

    Can anything be more ludicrous ??

    ***

    What's the policy israel's police & legal system have declared as the policy most effective to crush peacful protests ?

    The policy of "ZERO TOLERANCE".

    How do israeli police break up peaceful protests ?

    By physical violence & mass arrests.

    WHEN do israeli police DO NOTHING against VIOLENT protests ?

    When the protestors are Ultra – Orthodox Jews, throwing STONES & PUNCHES at the cops.

    How are leaders of peaceful Palestinian protest leaders TREATED ?

    By being forced into illegal interrogations … threatened with deportation to Gaza … asked to become spies for the Occupying police force….

    UNARMED Palestinian protestors have been SHOT DEAD .

    Hundreds of peaceful protestors arrested, beaten, hit & kicked…

    In Tel Aviv, arrested Jewish – Palestinian protestors are freed the same day or the next.

    UltraOrthodox Jews are released at once, despite the high violence levels at their protests, as seen on TV.

    In Palestinian regions, arrested protestors have been REFUSED BAIL in court DESPITE MINOR charges, in as many as 80 % cases.

    Arrested children have been treated in court the same as adults, in violation of international law …

    Abu Rahma was tried in MILITARY court, while all Jews are tried in civil courts.

    Protest leaders are kept under house arrest for MONTHS, as long as 8 months in one case, with electronic bracelets on their ankles to warn the police if they step outside their door.

    Police have received a directive on how to deal with peaceful protests, a directive they have kept secret from the public.

    Why ? What's in that document that needs to be hidden, if it deals with civil society ?

    Police have created new offences to deal with peaceful protests, like "protests detrimental to public morale."

    No policemen have EVER been charged for the shooting deaths of unarmed demonstrators.

    Israel & the Occupied Territories aren't countries where international law has any place…

    where the Native, the Occupied, have the simplest rights….

    where there is any single NATIONALITY for all citizens …

    where there's even any CONSTITUTION for all, let alone justice …

    where the iron rules of apartheid govern every apect of the Occupied Peoples' existence.

    & to see its apologists argue with "logic" …

    …. as if they came from a place where logic & reason apply !!

  11. Geoffrey Mock:

    I would like to know what evidence you have for your claim that rock throwing only goes on at “some” of the Bilin demos. All reports I have read including from Edith Garwood, your own Amnesty eye witness, say it is a regular feature at all these events, not the exception.

    You even have your own colleague, Amnesty’s own Edith Garwood, an actual eye witness, stating that Abdallah Abu Rahme himself explicitly admitted rock throwing is a major problem but it is out of his control to prevent, so what evidence do you Mr. Mock, a non-eyewitness, have that rock throwing only happens occasionally ?

    I ask because rock throwing is the central issue in Abdallah Abu Rahma’s conviction. Because in fact, what Abdallah Abu Rahme was convicted of by the Israeli military court of organizing is not organizing non-violent demonstrations but of organizing the rock throwing.

    Here is what seems to be a copy of the actual judgment handed down against Abdallah Abu Rahma by the Israeli military court from a pro Palestinian web site .

    http://www.popularstruggle.org/sites/default/files/Abdallah.Abu_.Rahmah.Sentence.2010.pdf

    It is in Hebrew, but a rough translation is that Abdallah Abu Rahma has been convicted of carefully deliberately organizing each Friday at Bilin two parallel groups of demonstrators, one being the “non-violent” group including foreigners, women and elderly, and off to the side of this main group, a second group of young men throwing rocks. That is what he was convicted of.

    You can see exactly this kind of dual side by side non-violence next to violence in the video of the riot at Bilin last week I posted above, as well as many many videos from Bilin posted to you tube by pro-Palestinian activists.

    Look Mr. Mock, every Friday for over 3 years now, so more than 150 of these weekly Friday afternoon events, and every one plays out exactly the same way, like some kind of a Japanese Kabuki play, with the non-violent civilians holding signs and yelling slogans side-by-side a smaller group of young men throwing rocks at the police until they eventually get the response I assume they wanted which is tear gas and then they all go home till the same time next week when the exact same thing happens again.

    Does that not seem organized to you ? Anyways, I do not know if he is guilty or not but that is what Abdallah Abu Rahma was in fact convicted of organizing.

  12. Throwing baseball sized rocks at people's faces is violence.

    Not non-violence.

    Gandhi or MLK Jr would never have condoned or ever allowed any rock throwing of any kind at any of their marches.

    I am sure that if either Gandhi or MLK Jr had organized an weekly action like at Bilin and saw that it repeatedly devolved into nothing but rock throwing week after week after week like Bilin has they would have shut the marches down rather than be associated with acts of violence.

    But Abdallah Abu Rahma's choice unfortunately has been the opposite. Instead of choosing non-violence Abdallah Abu Rahma decided to the contrary to incite even larger and larger demonstrations each week, even though Abdallah Abu Rahma himself admitted to Amnesty's Edith Garwood that he knew full well the Bilin marches often end up as out of control rock throwing melees that he either could not or would not interfere with.

    Yet Amnesty calls Abdallah Abu Rahma a follower of the path of non-violence.

    Right.

    Sure.

    All except for the rock throwing.

    It is a complete perversion of the English language to call organized rock throwing "non-violence".

  13. The law .

    Under international law, IN ANY OCCUPIED LAND, any FORCE OF OCCUPATION has NO right to condemn the resistance against itself …. for its OWN PRESENCE is a VIOLATION of this law, & any resistance or protest is JUSTIFIED under this law.

    A military Occupier, applying military law against the Occupied, is complaining of “rock throwing” ???

    Can anything be more ludicrous ??

    ***

    What’s the policy israel’s police & legal system have declared as the policy most effective to crush peacful protests ?

    The policy of “ZERO TOLERANCE”.

    How do israeli police break up peaceful protests ?

    By physical violence & mass arrests.

    WHEN do israeli police DO NOTHING against VIOLENT protests ?

    When the protestors are Ultra – Orthodox Jews, throwing STONES & PUNCHES at the cops.

    How are leaders of peaceful Palestinian protest leaders TREATED ?

    By being forced into illegal interrogations … threatened with deportation to Gaza … asked to become spies for the Occupying police force….

    UNARMED Palestinian protestors have been SHOT DEAD .

    Hundreds of peaceful protestors arrested, beaten, hit & kicked…

    In Tel Aviv, arrested Jewish – Palestinian protestors are freed the same day or the next.

    UltraOrthodox Jews are released at once, despite the high violence levels at their protests, as seen on TV.

    In Palestinian regions, arrested protestors have been REFUSED BAIL in court DESPITE MINOR charges, in as many as 80 % cases.

    Arrested children have been treated in court the same as adults, in violation of international law …

    Abu Rahma was tried in MILITARY court, while all Jews are tried in civil courts.

    Protest leaders are kept under house arrest for MONTHS, as long as 8 months in one case, with electronic bracelets on their ankles to warn the police if they step outside their door.

    Police have received a directive on how to deal with peaceful protests, a directive they have kept secret from the public.

    Why ? What’s in that document that needs to be hidden, if it deals with civil society ?

    Police have created new offences to deal with peaceful protests, like “protests detrimental to public morale.”

    No policemen have EVER been charged for the shooting deaths of unarmed demonstrators.

    Israel & the Occupied Territories aren’t countries where international law has any place…

    where the Native, the Occupied, have the simplest rights….

    where there is any single NATIONALITY for all citizens …

    where there’s even any CONSTITUTION for all, let alone justice …

    where the iron rules of apartheid govern every apect of the Occupied Peoples’ existence.

    & to see its apologists argue with “logic” …

    …. as if they came from a place where logic & reason apply !!

  14. Throwing baseball sized rocks at people’s faces is violence.

    Not non-violence.

    Gandhi or MLK Jr would never have condoned or ever allowed any rock throwing of any kind at any of their marches.

    I am sure that if either Gandhi or MLK Jr had organized an weekly action like at Bilin and saw that it repeatedly devolved into nothing but rock throwing week after week after week like Bilin has they would have shut the marches down rather than be associated with acts of violence.

    But Abdallah Abu Rahma’s choice unfortunately has been the opposite. Instead of choosing non-violence Abdallah Abu Rahma decided to the contrary to incite even larger and larger demonstrations each week, even though Abdallah Abu Rahma himself admitted to Amnesty’s Edith Garwood that he knew full well the Bilin marches often end up as out of control rock throwing melees that he either could not or would not interfere with.

    Yet Amnesty calls Abdallah Abu Rahma a follower of the path of non-violence.

    Right.

    Sure.

    All except for the rock throwing.

    It is a complete perversion of the English language to call organized rock throwing “non-violence”.

  15. I can't believe people are ignoring the larger issue that it's an OCCUPIED country. If you truly and totally believe in the right of people to come into a country and pick a house to live in and kick the occupants out, then put your money where your mouth is. Go find any Native American and sign over your house, furniture, appliances, vehicles, etc and move you and your family wherever. If you can't do that, then shut your mouth plain and simple. If someone came up on your house and did the same thing, you might throw a rock now and then too!

  16. what ?

    reference: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-ta

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    “I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this.”

  17. Judo,

    Please stop attributing statements to me that were never made. If you feel you must attribute something to me, then QUOTE me precisely and do not take statements out of context, twist, manipulate or misinterpret – then attribute to me.

    I know this is your usual mode of operation, but since this involves me specifically – please cease and desist.

    Thank you.

    Edie

  18. what ?

    reference: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-ta

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    “I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this.”

  19. what ?

    reference: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-ta

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    “I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this.”

  20. I can’t believe people are ignoring the larger issue that it’s an OCCUPIED country. If you truly and totally believe in the right of people to come into a country and pick a house to live in and kick the occupants out, then put your money where your mouth is. Go find any Native American and sign over your house, furniture, appliances, vehicles, etc and move you and your family wherever. If you can’t do that, then shut your mouth plain and simple. If someone came up on your house and did the same thing, you might throw a rock now and then too!

  21. Judo,

    Please stop attributing statements to me that were never made. If you feel you must attribute something to me, then QUOTE me precisely and do not take statements out of context, twist, manipulate or misinterpret – then attribute to me.

    I know this is your usual mode of operation, but since this involves me specifically – please cease and desist.

    Thank you.

    Edie

  22. what ?

    reference:
    http://blog.amnestyusa.org/iar/local-activists-targeted-in-occupied-palestinian-territories/#comments

    Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:

    “I have attended and witnessed a number of protests against the wall/fence, including Bil’in and yes, I’ve seen rock throwing myself. Over-all the characteristic of most of the protests I’ve seen have been non-violent and the organizers have stressed the non-violent nature. I have Abdallah Abu Rahme on video addressing this issue specifically before one protest in Bil’in. He acknowledges that there are youth that do end up throwing rocks at the Israeli forces although discouraged from doing so by the organizers. The youth can simply not be policed or restrained from doing this.”

  23. Thank you Judo for the direct quote, this is the appropriate way to do it, but you also used the 'out of context, twist, manipulate or misinterpret' technique still when you said, "Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:".

    The individuals at these protests come unarmed, no weapons upon their persons with the INTENTION of holding a peaceful demonstration stating that the wall/fence that Israel is building on their land and is decimating their village's economy is ILLEGAL and must be moved. They believe in non-violence resistance so much, training sessions are held before the demonstrations to stress this fact.

    The impression you give by describing these protests as 'violent' is that the participants come armed and prepared to or intend to do physical harm to the soldiers which is ridiculous when you see the disparity between the two parties: one party is a highly trained cadre of young men and women with a full arsenal of both lethal and non-lethal weapons that are enforcing a military occupation and the confiscation of land and water while the other party is villagers; young, old, men, women, internationals – all unarmed except with the belief that they have the right to their own land.

    I never called what I have witnessed 'violence' from my own personal judgement, not based on any legal definition. I too have teenagers and although I'm teaching them to respect others and be good citizens, even I don't know what they would do under such circumstances: village economy destroyed, father unable to support family, brother arrested and beaten for protesting, neighbor's child killed … As adults, we have a bit more self control, but teenagers are impulsive and emotional and exploiting their act of frustration of throwing stones to make it sound as if the demonstrations are inherently 'violent' is a misrepresentation of the facts for an audience that may not have actually been able to travel there yet and witness it for themselves.

  24. Thank you Judo for the direct quote, this is the appropriate way to do it, but you also used the ‘out of context, twist, manipulate or misinterpret’ technique still when you said, “Here is how Edith Garwood describes the violence:”.

    The individuals at these protests come unarmed, no weapons upon their persons with the INTENTION of holding a peaceful demonstration stating that the wall/fence that Israel is building on their land and is decimating their village’s economy is ILLEGAL and must be moved. They believe in non-violence resistance so much, training sessions are held before the demonstrations to stress this fact.

    The impression you give by describing these protests as ‘violent’ is that the participants come armed and prepared to or intend to do physical harm to the soldiers which is ridiculous when you see the disparity between the two parties: one party is a highly trained cadre of young men and women with a full arsenal of both lethal and non-lethal weapons that are enforcing a military occupation and the confiscation of land and water while the other party is villagers; young, old, men, women, internationals – all unarmed except with the belief that they have the right to their own land.

    I never called what I have witnessed ‘violence’ from my own personal judgement, not based on any legal definition. I too have teenagers and although I’m teaching them to respect others and be good citizens, even I don’t know what they would do under such circumstances: village economy destroyed, father unable to support family, brother arrested and beaten for protesting, neighbor’s child killed … As adults, we have a bit more self control, but teenagers are impulsive and emotional and exploiting their act of frustration of throwing stones to make it sound as if the demonstrations are inherently ‘violent’ is a misrepresentation of the facts for an audience that may not have actually been able to travel there yet and witness it for themselves.

  25. Many Jews lived in Israel prior to its formation.
    Much of the land of Israel was purchased from Arabs, not stolen.
    Many Arabs continue to live in Israel without fear of methodical, systematic, genocide.
    Close to a million Jews were evicted from Arab lands.
    The chief mufti of Jerusalem was on the Nazi payroll. Muslims murdered many Jews in that war.
    Had the Arabs won in 1948 you would have seen a real genocide.
    If Jews wanted to be like Nazis, there would be few Palestinians, not millions.

  26. Many Jews lived in Israel prior to its formation.
    Much of the land of Israel was purchased from Arabs, not stolen.
    Many Arabs continue to live in Israel without fear of methodical, systematic, genocide.
    Close to a million Jews were evicted from Arab lands.
    The chief mufti of Jerusalem was on the Nazi payroll. Muslims murdered many Jews in that war.
    Had the Arabs won in 1948 you would have seen a real genocide.
    If Jews wanted to be like Nazis, there would be few Palestinians, not millions.

  27. By order of the Israeli Supreme Court in the case you mentioned that Abdallah Abu Rahma won there, the route of the temporary fence near Bilin is being moved to a new route much further from the village along a line that the court ruled will greatly reduce the suffering in Bilin. The old fences will be torn down in several months once the new much further away from Bilin fence is completed.

    But in any event, this fence is a temporary defensive security structure, and Israel has never made any move to legally annex this land permanently. Israel does not in any way claim the fence route is the final border. The final border is subject to negotiation under United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 and the Oslo Interim Agreement under the principles of land for peace and the 2 state, one Jewish and one Palestinian, solution to finally end the conflict between the two peoples. The probable solution is going to be based on the 67 border with land swaps so that the West Bank part of Palestine will be the same exact land area in square kilometers as the West Bank was under Jordanian military occupation. Once the two parties make peace, they will agree on the final border and the current temporary route of this fence, which Bilin complains about so much, whose purpose is solely for defense and security can easily be moved.

    From the time the Oslo agreement was signed in 1993 until this anti-suicide bomber fence was built in 1998, over 1000 Israelis civilians were murdered wave after wave of over 100 suicide bombings attacks launched from Palestinian villages just like like Bilin. Amnesty International repeatedly condemned these cruel and deliberate targeted attacks on Israeli civilians, organized at the highest levels of the Palestinian leadership and supported by the vast majority of the Palestinian people, as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    Israel occupied the west bank in 1967 and never built an anti-suicide bomber fence of any kind for 20 years and only did so reluctantly in 1998 after 1000 Israeli civilians were murdered in these Palestinian suicide bombings, including Jewish grandmothers and baby granddaughters murdered while sitting in ice cream shops and dozens of Jewish youths sitting after school murdered in packed pizza parlors and discotheques.

    Once the anti-suicide bomber fence was built, including the area around Bilin, the Palestinian crimes against humanity of suicide bombings Israeli civilians completely stopped.

    Not another suicide bomber from the West Bank. Not one.
    The rate of these illegal criminal Palestinian suicide bombings on Jewish civilians went from dozens a year suddenly to ZERO exactly when the fence was built.

    What, do you really think this is just a massive coincidence ?
    No fence and Jewish babies get blown up every second week, yes fence and nothing ever again ? Just random chance and no connection ? Come on.

    It is really hard to accept any argument against this temporary defensive anti-suicide bomber structure that can and will be moved to the final border under a future peace agreement given that it has been proven to be 100% effective in preventing Palestinians from being able to commit crimes against humanity, namely the deliberate mass murder of Jewish civilians.

    Bilin may indeed have a right to farm a few acres of land they are temporarily unable to, but Jewish children have an even bigger outweighing right not to have their arms and legs ripped off and their skin burned from their bodies by Palestinian nail bombs.

  28. By order of the Israeli Supreme Court in the case you mentioned that Abdallah Abu Rahma won there, the route of the temporary fence near Bilin is being moved to a new route much further from the village along a line that the court ruled will greatly reduce the suffering in Bilin. The old fences will be torn down in several months once the new much further away from Bilin fence is completed.

    But in any event, this fence is a temporary defensive security structure, and Israel has never made any move to legally annex this land permanently. Israel does not in any way claim the fence route is the final border. The final border is subject to negotiation under United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 and the Oslo Interim Agreement under the principles of land for peace and the 2 state, one Jewish and one Palestinian, solution to finally end the conflict between the two peoples. The probable solution is going to be based on the 67 border with land swaps so that the West Bank part of Palestine will be the same exact land area in square kilometers as the West Bank was under Jordanian military occupation. Once the two parties make peace, they will agree on the final border and the current temporary route of this fence, which Bilin complains about so much, whose purpose is solely for defense and security can easily be moved.

    From the time the Oslo agreement was signed in 1993 until this anti-suicide bomber fence was built in 1998, over 1000 Israelis civilians were murdered wave after wave of over 100 suicide bombings attacks launched from Palestinian villages just like like Bilin. Amnesty International repeatedly condemned these cruel and deliberate targeted attacks on Israeli civilians, organized at the highest levels of the Palestinian leadership and supported by the vast majority of the Palestinian people, as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    Israel occupied the west bank in 1967 and never built an anti-suicide bomber fence of any kind for 20 years and only did so reluctantly in 1998 after 1000 Israeli civilians were murdered in these Palestinian suicide bombings, including Jewish grandmothers and baby granddaughters murdered while sitting in ice cream shops and dozens of Jewish youths sitting after school murdered in packed pizza parlors and discotheques.

    Once the anti-suicide bomber fence was built, including the area around Bilin, the Palestinian crimes against humanity of suicide bombings Israeli civilians completely stopped.

    Not another suicide bomber from the West Bank. Not one.
    The rate of these illegal criminal Palestinian suicide bombings on Jewish civilians went from dozens a year suddenly to ZERO exactly when the fence was built.

    What, do you really think this is just a massive coincidence ?
    No fence and Jewish babies get blown up every second week, yes fence and nothing ever again ? Just random chance and no connection ? Come on.

    It is really hard to accept any argument against this temporary defensive anti-suicide bomber structure that can and will be moved to the final border under a future peace agreement given that it has been proven to be 100% effective in preventing Palestinians from being able to commit crimes against humanity, namely the deliberate mass murder of Jewish civilians.

    Bilin may indeed have a right to farm a few acres of land they are temporarily unable to, but Jewish children have an even bigger outweighing right not to have their arms and legs ripped off and their skin burned from their bodies by Palestinian nail bombs.

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