Black-and-Tan methods used by Israeli soldiers in Bil'in

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday September 16, 2009 16:42

by Justin Morahan

Middle of the night raids, children terrorised

In another of the increasing assaults on the people of Bilin village in Palestine, Israeli soldiers engaged last night in yet another middle of the night raid during which villagers were assaulted, property was trashed and children terrorized in their beds.

This morning at 1.30 a.m. Israeli forces were again raiding a Palestinian home in Bil'in, the West Bank, Palestine, looking for Abdullah Mahmoud Aburahma. He was not at home.

The soldiers closed the gates, sealed off the house, forced open two doors, broke the locks, destroyed the doors, trashed several rooms, beat a neighbour who had come to the rescue of the family - he was taken to hospital and released after treatment.

When five jeep loads of military reinforcements arrived, a Palestinian activist who was filming events was pushed to the ground and one soldier broke his camera. Other Palestinian journalists who were also filming were threatened with arrest unless they stopped filming. Another activist was hit on his right hand with a gun.

At another house, that of Abdullah's brother, the soldiers entered the children's bedrooms, pulling the sleeping children out of their beds. They searched every room and trashed a downstairs room. They took away Palestinian flags, banners and posters which are used in lawful protest in the weekly demonstrations against the wall.

Having terrorized the house owners and their families in the middle of the night, they left with a threat that the entire village was theirs until they found Abdullah.

The whole episode is similar to the actions of the notorious Black and Tans in Ireland in 1920-21.

Abdullah Mahmoud Aburahma has now called on all Human Rights organizations worldwide to help stop the night raids in Bil'in, and to support the lawful demonstrations in Bil'in against the Israeli occupation.

Bil'in is the village made notorious by the Israeli Army's brutal repression of its inhabitants over many years because of their non-violent protests against the Wall and the ongoing robbing by Israel of their land.

Among the hundreds of victims wounded there was Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire (20 April 2007) shot at point blank range
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnu5qPXEmkc

Among those killed there was Bassem Ibrahim Abu Rahma (17 April 2009) shot at point blank range while pleading for someone else's safety
http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/more-on-the-killing-of...asem/

The people of Bil'in have had to endure incessant persecution in the face of their non-violent protests against the wall in Bil'in. This has increased in recent weeks.

George Mitchell and President Barack Obama, please take note. You won't hear much about these continuing atrocities at the tables at which you sit and where you seek to establish justice and peace in Palestine and Israel.

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Comments (5 of 5)

Israel's relentless night terror against Bil'in continues

Sat Sep 19, 2009 16:23

This latest story to arrive is from Palestine News Network. It is the account of Sheikh Suleiman Yasseen Mohammed Burnat, the father of Hamaza Burnat (age 16), whose house has been invaded at night five times so far within the past three months, usually around 3am.

They want Hamaza for allegedly "throwing stones" during protests at the Wall, but he has not been at home when they called. They confiscated family IDs, threatened to arrest the boy at school, threatened to invade the home nightly until he was arrested. After consulting the Palestinian Authority, the Sheik brought his son to prison, fearing for the boy's safety.

Without IDs the whole family is afraid to be seen outside in their Israeli-occupied village.

According to the report, within the past three months, 11 children under the age of 20 have been arrested, while most of the prisoners incarcerated since the beginning of the resistance against the apartheid wall five years ago are children.

"Members of the Bil'in Popular Committee against the Apartheid Wall are going to court on a regular basis in support of the many prisoners on trial", it says.

Sheikh Suleiman is well-known for always helping the injured during the weekly demonstrations by administering first-aid as Bil'in does not have any Ambulance Car available nor any trained Red Crescent personnel.

Full report:

the last post

by li'l lulu

Fri Sep 18, 2009 22:59

My last posting was a response to an anti-Semitic comment, now removed.

No to racism!

Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:28

Racism is for those who can barely think; people are what they do, more than their 'race' or culture. Jews for Justice for Palestine supports human rights in Palestine; some Jewish medics treat Palestinian children.

President Obama, why does the USA support this regime with money and arms?

Wed Sep 16, 2009 21:51

The money given by the USA to Israel is being used to support this kind of night-time hooliganism by men with guns who are afraid to show their faces.

Great credit to the international observers who remain as witnesses (how much worse would it be without them?)

The voice of an American woman saying to the soldiers repeatedly "What you are doing is against international law" is a relief in a horror video.

There is also a chilling exchange between a Palestinian and a soldier:
Palestinian: "This is Palestine"
Soldier: "This is Israel"

Wake up UN, EU, USA and all who purport to defend human rights.

More info

by TD - Free Palestine Campaign

Wed Sep 16, 2009 19:27

Two Videos on the IOF night terror raid can be viewed on
http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&t...mid=1

An EI article/interview on Bil'in cameraman/journalist, Haitham al-Katib can be read on Related Link

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Black-and-Tan methods used by Israeli soldiers in Bil'in

Comments (5 of 5)