Israeli Army uses live ammunition on non-violent demonstrators
26 Dec 2003 16:59 GMTToday December 26, the Israeli army responded with brutal force to a non-violent demonstration against the Apartheid Wall in Mas'ha village, West Bank, Occupied Palestine, shooting live bullets into a crowd and seriously injuring an Israeli activist. The activist, Gil Na'amati, 22, was shot with three live bullets in both legs and is badly injured. An American member of the International Solidarity Movement was also injured by a rubber bullet shot directly at her. Both were taken to the Biddya medical centre for treatment and Na'amati has since been transferred to Belinson hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel.
The demonstration was convened by Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals against the Apartheid Wall as part of the programme of activities of the Deir Ballut village Camp against the Apartheid Wall. About 300 non-violent protestors arrived at the gates of the Apartheid Wall and started shaking them. Over three Jeeps full of Israeli soldiers immediately arrived and fired several rounds of live bullets into the air for a period of seven minutes. Activists then began to dismantle the gates. At this point, Israeli soldiers fired directly at Na'amati's legs. After this, the soldiers invaded Mas'ha village, hunting down demonstrators, and declaring curfew.
Another Israeli activist, Jonathan Pollack, 21, has been arrested and is being detained in Ariel police station. This is not the first time the Israeli Occupation Forces have responded to non-violent action against the Wall with brutal force.
Calls to the Ariel police station to pressure for the release of Jonathan Pollack are crucial in these tense moments, as he risks expulsion from the country in his trial tomorrow. Ariel Police can be contacted at: +972 39 065 444 /06/16
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another disappointing visit
george 27.Dec.2003 05:59
i am a fan of independent coverage of world events, but as much as i think israel is generally in the wrong in its occupation of palestine, i never see any coverage of the barbarism of palestinian suicide bombings and the hate they engender in their youth. they now have playing cards for their favorite terrorists. to depict by implication all israelis as nazi minded thugs who are bent solely on the destruction of palestinians is just another instance where indymedia does little better by its reader than the mainstream. yes, israel needs to abandon the settlements, give true statehood to the palestinians, but the suicide bombings and the racial hatred from the palestinians must also be stopped. it is NOT justified regardless of whatever sympathy one might have for the cause. it is the same as feeling sympathy for saddam. indymedia needs to steady its moral compass or it will continue to sound like a group of people who believe bush was tipped off about 9/11 and chose to do nothing. don't equate being an independent media source with being part of the conspiritorial left. no one will ever take that seriously.
israel
darrion 27.Dec.2003 08:02
while violence in all its forms must be condemmed i do think that it is hard for us to be constantly bombarded with the mainstream views and reports with out having a alternative point of view presentedso i apprecaiate what indy media nd others do
also i think americans would do well to see al jazeera on a regualr basis to see what forms the thoughts and feelings of the arab masses that are so anti american and to see why that is
we certainly get the israelli point of view a lot
darrion
indy, not biased
sarai 27.Dec.2003 18:04
i come to indymedia wanting news coverage that is independant of corporate agendas and therefore fair-minded. i don't have many other media sources and am fairly sheltered from the mainstream media since i have no t.v. and no newspapers. (so the argument that the mainstream media balances indy doesn't work for me. also, it seems like a lame argument anyway (sorry). i just think that indymedia's responsibility should be to give information about all sides of the issues it covers (and to cover news that doesn't get covered by other sources but doesn't necessarily relate directly to activist causes)). if indymedia continues to only cover issues that relate specifically to its cause and then report with a bias - it's no better than the mainstream media (even if your bias is more likely to be mine).
Ad in Israeli newspaper
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel 28.Dec.2003 18:14
Click the link to view an ad that will be published in Haaretz newspaper, an Israeli daily.
thoughts
frank 29.Dec.2003 06:41
I've really been put off by how one-sided Indymedia has been in the Isreal/Palestine conflict. Editorial groups at IMCs keep promoting extreme and sometimes violent and borderline antisemetic articles to feature status, and contributed articles that point out some of the legitimate peace and security concerns of Israelis--including pieces and perspectives not in corporate media--are hidden as being from trolls or spam.
It's disappointing. Personally I've stopped donating money to the IMC collective in my community because of it, and I think Indymedia is understandably loosing a lot of credibility in the process.
Once upon a time Indymedia was a great place to come to hear a variety of voices and perspectives on social issues. Now, more and more, it's becoming a place where we only find extreme views of just one particular ideological bent, particularly on this subject.
blocked post
CC 29.Dec.2003 18:32
As usual indymedia blocks my post. You guys are so unfair!
Tear down the fence? How about Mr. Pink boy starting in his own back yard?
Dave Brown 30.Dec.2003 06:42
As usual, another Pink boy from Norte Americano (largest land grab in history) ignores the stench of his own shit, and points his delicate little finger at the evil hook-nose Jews, the very spawn of those who kacked his precious Blond Jesus. A few inconvenient facts:
1] Jesus was a Jew.
2] "Jews" come from "Judea". Jews ARE the indigenous people of Judea.
3] "Palestine" was a Roman Imperial protectorate, established by Titus following the genocide of the Jews (~66-250 CE). It was never a designation for "nation" or a "people".
Tear down the fence? By all means. How about Mr. Pink boy starting in his own back yard? There is a lil' ol' fence along the Rio Grande that separates Mexico from the US. Every year, 400-600 civilians die because of the US taxpayer-funded fence (e.g., 1,185 from 1993-1996). Many of these men women and children (whose bloated bodies fill the rivers, culverts, and deserts of California, Arizona and Texas), are descendants of indigenous Americans who once lived in the very land in which they now die.
Before you try to take a speck out of my eye, take that beam out of your own eye.
Now wipe your own ragged ass, and get the hell out of Israel, ISM scum.
Facts and history of the Israel Palestine
Mike 31.Dec.2003 13:55
I suggest all you misinformed souls to check out the facts and history of the Israel Palestine conflict at the UN web site instead of relying on the one-sided US media:
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/qpalnew/overview.htm