Popular committees decry the unjust persecution of leaders of the popular resistance

11/05/2010

Press Release by Bil’in FFJ

The popular committees in Palestine decry the unjust persecution of leaders of the popular resistance in Palestine. In particular, we strongly condemn the Israeli Shin Bet for denying Mr. Iyad Burnat to leave Palestine. Eyad is the head of the local Popular Committee to Resist the Settlements and Apartheid Wall in Bilin. He was invited for a speaking tour in Italy and Switzerland on the topic Palestinian nonviolent resistance. His hosts including the mayer of Geneva (Remy Pigany ) and organizers of the Peace march in Italy were dismayed when informed that the Israeli authorities refused to let Mr. Burnat cross the bridge to Jordan on 1 May 2010.

The Israeli authorities made Mr. Burnat wait for 3 hours before telling him he is forbidden from exiting the country.

The attempt to deny the people engaged in civil resistance from telling their stories abroad is part of a pattern of intimidation and harassment to end this form of resistance. The Israeli actions fit well with policies that aim to ensure that only Israeli propaganda is available in Western media and to sever any links between the Palestinain people and people around the world.

Over the years of struggle, we have never given up despite even killing of peaceful demonstrators like our colleague Bassem Abu Rahma in April 2009 and the kidnapping and imprisonment of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. In our weekly demonstrations, the Israeli authorities have used all sorts of weapons from tear gas to chemicals to high-powered hoses, to live ammunition and other experimental weapons.

Iyad Burnat is 37 years, married and father of four young children. He was first arrested during the 1987 uprising and imprisoned for two years in 1992. He has been injured several times in the weekly non-violent resistance in Bilin. We strongly oppose the measures taken against our collegue Eyad Burnat including:

  • The denial of his right to travel merely on claim of ‘security’ without explanation
  • The denial of his right to leave area A (a bizrre request since this is an are of less than 10% of the West Bank and separated into many ghettos that travel between one area A and another requires passing through areas B and C).
  • Forbidding him to participate in peaceful demonstrations
  • Considering him arrested in case he leaves area A

You can help by:

  1. writing letters to Israeli embassies around the world and to Israeli ministers
  2. Publicizing these unjust policies
  3. intensifying the international solidarity with the just Palestinian cause including joining us in demonstrations and engaging in boycotts, divestments, and sanctions