Bil'in, a village of Palestine

2/08/2010 : Three 14-year-olds arrested near the Wall in Bil'in

At 12pm on Monday August 2nd, three children who had been walking near the wall in Bil’in village where arrested by Israeli soldiers. The three 14-year-old friends Moatasem Ali Mansor, Majde Burnat, and Mohamad Abu Rahmah often take walks near the wall. Today they were detained by soldiers behind the wall for three hours. While behind the wall their families tried to negotiate for their release to no avail. They were then arrested and taken away in an army ambulance. This happened three hours ago, and no ones knows where they have been taken yet. Soldiers claim that the boys were throwing stones.

July 30, 2010 Demonstration

July 23, 2010 Demonstration

By Hook and By Crook: Israel’s Settlement Policy in the West Bank

Some half a million Israelis are now living over the Green Line: more than 300,000 in 121 settlements and about one hundred outposts, which control 42 percent of the land area of the West Bank, and the rest in twelve neighborhoods that Israel established on land it annexed to the Jerusalem Municipality. The report analyzes the means employed by Israel to gain control of land for building the settlements. In preparing the report, B’Tselem relied on official state data and documents, among them Attorney Talia Sasson’s report on the outposts, the database produced by Brigadier General Baruch Spiegel, reports of the state comptroller, and maps of the Civil Administration. Read B’Tselem Report

19/07/2010 : Seventeen year old from Bil’in arrested in night raid

Last night the Israeli army carried out a night raid in the West Bank village of Bil’in and arrested a seventeen year old boy.

At least 12 Israeli army jeeps entered the village at approximately 1.30 in the morning. Soldiers from two of the jeeps then closed off the house of Ahmed Abdul Fatah Burnat, 17, who was arrested during the course of the 40 minute raid.

Palestinian villagers and internationals were unable to prevent what seems to have been a targeted arrest. Ahmed is understood to have been accused of participating in an illegal protest and throwing stones.

Israeli authorities’ attempts to criminalize protest have in recent years become more fervent. Peaceful protests have been declared illegal and Palestinian residents prosecuted for being present in their own homes if the army has declared that area a ‘closed military zone’.

Both targeted and arbitrary arrests occur commonly, again symptomatic of Israel’s attempts to deter protest. Popular committee leaders such as Abdallah Abu Rahma and Adeeb Abu Rahma from Bil’in have been convicted of ‘incitement’ by military courts and imprisoned – despite their commitment to nonviolent protest. Ahmed’s older brother Ibrahim has also been jail for the last 2 months.