Photo of raiding Israeli soldier by Hamde Abu
Distressing news from an activist in Bi’lin, the West Bank village divided by the wall that has been at the epicenter of the nonviolent Gandhi-and-Martin-Luther-King-inspired movement:
At 2 AM on this night [last night], Bil’in was once again raided by the Israeli Army. A document was posted around the whole village of Bil’in. This document declared that Israeli and international activists were strictly prohibited from entering Bil’in between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm on every Friday, the day in which the weekly demonstration takes place. Every Israeli and international activist must leave the village during this time, or else he or she will be deported or arrested by Israeli soldiers. The head of the police, Benjamin, ordered that this action be taken. The permit declares Bil’in to be a closed military area until August 17th. This is an attempt to stop Israeli and international activists from supporting the popular struggle of Bil’in, and is therefore just another action to repress and destroy the village’s resistance against the occupation and also against the annexation of it’s land.
Also, earlier in the day, Iyad Burnat, the head of the Popular Committee, received a phone call by the ‘shabak.’ [Israeli security agency, Shin Bet] He was ordered to report to an office tomorrow for questioning.
At Facebook, Burnat says: "We say you are more than welcome to Bilin this is our Village."
Readers, that is the voice of… a human being’s sovereign, self-determination! It calls to us across our own past, of Tom Paine and RW Emerson and Martin Luther King Jr. Let us celebrate that spirit and take joy in the prospect of Palestinian freedom. Thanks to K.E. Feldman for all the tips on this post.
