The non-violent resistance in Bil’in

01/09/2005

Villagers from Bil’in fight against the construction of the separation wall and against the confiscation of their land. Every Friday, demonstrations are organized in front of the work-site of the wall to show envies for them to fight continually. During these demonstrations, are present a lot of international, as well as pacifist activists Israelis. But well that the demonstrations start up in a peaceful way, the Israeli army always showed a lot of violences to do to disperse the showing. Using weapons such as the bullets in rubber, the tear grenades, the deafening grenades, etc. This is for that that the counsel of the town put some places demonstration systems all more original ones of one another.

During the an of her, the showing carried ten enveloped persons in cloths, each of them being marked of a word concept: "Liberty, independence, humanity, life, land, State, hope, future, economy, justice" in the three languages (Arabic, English and Hebrew). Arrived to some meters of the place of the demonstration, they installed a false rope, symbolizing "the wall", then simulated, in front of following soldiers cautiously the scene, the hanging of the "bodies" that they carried, some signs execution of the ten concepts. In front of the execution post, the showing deposited a post on which one could read in English: “The racist separation wall is only the expression of the political Israeli one of destruction”. This is not the first time that the inhabitants of Bil’in show peaceful against the "wall", but this time the inhabitants tried of not to give to the Israeli army the occasion to attack them and to repress them as usual.

Abdallah Abou Rahme, member of the popular Committee of resistance, explained that his association attempted to create again protest forms against the Israel’s separation wall. "To avoid a reaction of the Israeli army in opposition to the showing". "This that interests us, this is to say to the world and to the Israelis that we are against the construction of the wall on our land and that the construction of this project will kill us", does it add.

Another time, five foreign activists introduced themselves in open barrels to the two extremities and put themselves in front of the Israeli bulldozers. These pacifists, of which an Israeli, all were stopped to the continuation, by the Israeli army. Little before, of the showing, that had attached themselves to the olive trees to the assistance of chains to mean their devotion to their earth, had been shouted at.

The association meets all the Thursdays evening to Bil’in to discuss the demonstration and form that she will take the next day, after the weekly prayer. Israeli pacifists and foreigners participate in this meeting and give notice and suggestions on the demonstrations.

But despite this craving to continue with their non-violent protests, the oppression of the occupation army is constant. And that goes while amplifying itself, the physical violences, the arrests, the night incursions in the town are more and more constant. More the resistance becomes publicized, more the oppression is lasts.

The order of the army in the region, the lieutenant colonel Tzachi Segev recently was quoted in Ha’aretz (Israeli newspaper) for its matters: "More the actions against the barrier will be strong, more our operations will be it. We reserve ourselves the right to enter into the village to any hour… Sometimes, there is not any means to escape the collective punishment, even if she has a negative impact. The collective punishment is completion, the ban to the people to enter into a village, while blocking the road Bilin-Safa as means of pressure if the town does not behave correctly."

The collective punishments are illegal by virtue of the Fourth Geneva Convention.