Oh where is my secretary of State? At 972, Joseph Dana reports from Nabi Saleh in the West Bank, and the violent suppression of a peaceful demonstration against the occupation Friday in that tiny village. Shocking video of the teargassing of nonviolent demonstrators and the "skunk" gassing of villagers' homes. The quote in our headline is from 4:50 into video. Watch them arrest the great Jonathan Pollak at 7:30.
Dana: Another day in Nabi Saleh. I am happy that we were able to get clear video of the event. It is shocking what is happening there week in week out. The village, however, is resilient and determined in its drive to embrace this unique model of joint struggle, nonviolence and firm resistance to Israeli occupation. Luisa Morgantini, former European Union Vice President, was at the protest. You can see her holding a sign in the beginning. From Dana's published report:
The soldiers attacked the demonstrators with tear gas, rubber coated steel bullets and stun grenades. Despite the violence, the villagers continued to march to the spring when the ‘Skunk’ was brought to the scene.
At first, the ‘Skunk’ was sprayed from a large armoured car on the village’s main road. It did not stop the demonstrators. Three Israeli supporters were then thrown to the ground, handcuffed and then dragged through the chemical ‘Skunk’ muck covering the streets. After the arrest, the army blanketed the area in tear gas and most of the demonstrators fled to the village centre for fresh air. With no demonstrators left to deal with, the army decided to use the ‘Skunk’ on civilian homes. Clearly, the army rarely misses an opportunity to collectively punish Nabi Saleh for its nonviolent resistance.
The ‘Skunk’ is a petrochemical designed to cling to any surface that it touches. Once I was hit with the ‘Skunk’ during a demonstration in Bil’in. I had to throw out everything that the chemical touched as it was impossible to wash out the smell. My backpack, pants, shirt, even my shoes and the notebook I was carrying to take notes had to be thrown out. The smell stayed on my skin and in my hair for weeks after, which created an interesting conversation piece as everyone I would encounter gave me strange looks.
The families of the homes hit by the ‘Skunk’ on Friday will not be able to return for weeks. Their houses smell worse than dairy farms as the chemical has penetrated every surface. For them, it is another reminder of Israeli control over their lives. For the village, it is another price to pay for nonviolent resistance to domination.
In the USA, AIPAC is the Skunk smell. Can’t get it out of the US flag. The other day we discussed Old Glory with its new set of stars; they had each grown an extra foot, so they now looked like the Hebrew hexagon, rows of them up there in the corner. Maybe the Palestinains should carry the original Ol’ Glory along with their own flag. When asked why, they should say that they stand for America’s highest values, the right of all humans endowned by their creator with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happines? Would that be more controversial than the image of Ol’ Glory with its replacement stars? More controversial than Sarah Palin’s crossed flags label pin?
A new english language solidarity website and facebook page has been set up by international solidarity activists who are working with the people of An Nabi Saleh.
Website: link to nabisalehsolidarity.wordpress.com
Facebook: link to facebook.com
Our aim in creating the website/blog is to provide solidarity with people of An Nabi Saleh and their non-violent struggle. Through the site, we will be working with Palestinian activists from An Nabi Saleh to provide english language updates, news and information on the village and their struggle, as well as action alerts on how you can stand in solidarity with both An Nabi Saleh and the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination, freedom, justice and human rights.
If you want to be kept updated you can subscribe to the website and you will be notified every time a new article, post or video is uploaded to the website.
Just remind us: Who are the terrorists here?
And why are they so afraid of peaceful demonstrations?
Worried that the world might hear?
The Israelis claim that “Skunk” is harmless, but they refuse to reveal its chemical composition, raising questions about its legality under international chemical weapons conventions to which Israel is a signatory. It would be interesting to hear the deafening wail from Israelis and Americans if something like Skunk were used on Israelis.
For those who never encountered this topic, “Skunk,” before, here’s an introduction from a few years ago: link to eajg.nl
I bet there are a lot of Americans who would like to see “skunk” employed on their fellow Americans who they deem pushing the free speech envelope too far, never really comprehending that the free speech mandate in the USA was designed most pointedly to apply to those one disagrees with, as otherwise, who’d need the 1st Amendment? Rubber bullets are too direct.
How can this be allowed to continue day after day???
It only continues with my country’s support, that’s how. It makes me ashamed. Thankfully it also makes me angry enough to speak out and speak loudly.
It’s now possible to document Israel’s actions with video and photos…hopefully the true stories will make their way to the outside world…and wake it up to Israel’s crimes. Thank god for the ISM, their dedication and the new website and facebook page..
The terrorist Israeli soldiers are kids given enormous power…knowing there will be no consequences for their actions, unless they should steal and use someone’s credit card.
The soldiers are cowards and bullies of the worst kind…attaching peaceful people in their homes and as they non-violently demonstrate. Is a life that’s free…. too much to ask? Not one Palestinian weapon or act of aggression was seen on that video. Their weapons are their voices, their feet and their commitment …. walking toward those armed soldiers/terrorists….chanting for their right to freedom…they’re determined and they will not give up.
I would love to find a way of washing Skunk off surfaces , concentrating and recycling skunk.
There must be a clever chemist in Israel or Palestine who can find an organic solvent that can do the job.
All you then have to do is to spray the Skunk back – much classier than Molotov cocktails or old fashioned stones. I guess a small amount into a military vehicle would render them non-operational, while the single spray into the hair of a soldier would greatly disrupt the enjoyment of being an Ubermensch.
I can even envisage an international market opening with various anarchic movements bidding up the price.
Actually, we have one here, Eva. It’s called Nature’s Magic. Can even get goat piss out of car seats…about one of the worse smells to remove.
Trust me. I know. ;-)