Editor's Note: For more on this event see the post Video: Senior IDF officer smashes peaceful activist in the face with his M-16.
On Saturday, a group of Palestinians and internationals went to the Jordan Valley in what they hoped would be a fun-filled day with an event organized by Sharek Youth Forum.
As we began riding, we noticed several settler cars heading back from what we assumed was a camping trip. A few minutes later, Israel army jeeps arrived to block the road. The crime? RIDING BIKES IN THE JORDAN VALLEY!
Why did they prevent us you ask? We were given three reasons, not in any specific order:
1) for your security
2) riding bikes here is a security threat
3) this is a closed military zone
In short, our bike tour didn’t happen. Nonetheless, the town of Jiftlik provided us with za3tar and cheese sandwiches. And while we were watching performances, the soldiers were sitting outside overdressed and sitting directly in the sun. No wonder they were cranky!
viva palestina
You can find a PDF factsheet on the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea area here.
Seeing Palestinians with their friends having some fun and enjoying the Palestinian countryside is like a red rag to a bull as far as the IDF joyless thugs are concerned. What a provocation it must be for their tiny minds, as well as for their settler bosses.
It is a very important point. It was NOT a protest, it was supposed to be a Spring bicycle ride from Jericho to visit some villages in Area C and have such heinous activity like a dance in youth center. Which were actually allowed. Rt 90 is not a road closed to Palestinians.
If a local commander in his wisdom decided that Rt. 90 cannot accomodate many bicyclist, he (she?) could advise/order to use a parallel minor road through agricultural area.
Without Col. Eisner athletics the incident would be just assholery.
great video, i cried when it showed the cultural festival. thank you.
I wonder what was the specific situation. Was it that the road is “Palestinien-rein”? Did the tour attempt to ride that rode or cross it? Or one of those impromptu “military closures”?
This was not a holiday ride in the countryside. The group of Palestinian and foreign bicyclists intended to block route 90 in the Jordan valley.
it’s a jew only road isn’t it? are you going to claim they were blocking it for jews and therefore it was anti semitic? that road is always blocked for palestinians, isn’t it? and it’s on palestinian land isn’t it?
How many times you need to be explained, Annie-there are no “Jewish” only roads! There are roads for Israeli movement, regardless of their nationality, and for the Palestinians, having the permits to travel. Stop reacting-start thinking.
right dimadok – except we all know that The Jewish State does it’s best to either ignore or smack down the 20% of it’s population that aren’t jewish. You know what I mean – not let them marry OPT Palestinians and have family unity, give them really shitty quality public services such as health and education, not invest in infrastructure, refuse to allow town growth etc.
You are right [technically], but Annie’s designation is closer to reality. There just aren’t Palestinian Israelis driving around on the Israeli-only West Bank roads to visit their Palestinian Israeli settler mates. It’s Israeli jewish settlers.
“There are roads for Israeli movement, regardless of their nationality”
And we have heard a billion times that Israel is the Jewish state, so they are, therefore, “Jewish roads.” When Israel permits everyone under its control full equality in all respects and permits all the people under its control to vote for the government which controls them, and doesn’t have judeo-supremacy as its defining character, then the lame distinction you are trying to draw might be legitimate.
“The group of Palestinian and foreign bicyclists intended to block route 90 in the Jordan valley.”
Wrong. But even if they did, so what? It’s the Palestinian’s land. They should be able to block any road any time they want. And the bicyclists were “guests” of the Palestinian owners of the land. The only “foreigners” were the Jews in the Jeeps.
As opposed to what you and your flying checkpoints and armored bulldozers do? Ooooh! How scary those bicyclists must be to occupying soldiers like you! Armed only with the best weapons American tax money can buy you.