| [Bilin, West Bank]Largely unreported by the media, | | | | power, and US support. During seven years of |
| thousands of Palestinians and hundreds of Israelis | | | | supposed peace, Palestinians saw 200,000 new |
| and Internationals have been waging a major | | | | Israeli settlers arrive in the Occupied Palestinian |
| grassroots nonviolent campaign of resistance to | | | | Territories, the same number of settlers that had |
| the construction of Israel's Wall in the Occupied | | | | arrived there in the previous 26 years. |
| Territories. | | | | "However, the recent grassroots struggle against |
| Palestinian farmers, workers, mothers, and | | | | Israel's Wall has demonstrated that it may be |
| students, together with Israeli and International | | | | possible to counter Israel's overwhelming power, |
| volunteers, are braving teargas, beatings, bullets, | | | | and its exploitation of negotiations, through |
| arrest, and even death to rise up against the well | | | | nonviolent resistance. The Wall, is just one blatant |
| equipped Israeli army with nothing more than their | | | | Israeli attempt to impose its will, and has become |
| own bodies. | | | | a focus for civilian resistance. |
| In 2004 the International Court of Justice ruled | | | | "Although Israel marketed the Wall as a security |
| that The Wall is a violation of International Law | | | | barrier, logic suggests such a barrier would be as |
| because it cuts through the West Bank | | | | short and straight as possible. Instead, it snakes |
| appropriating Palestinian land and destroying | | | | deep inside the West Bank, resulting in a route |
| Palestinian villages and economy to make way for | | | | that is twice as long as the Green Line, the |
| further Israeli illegal settlements. | | | | internationally recognized border. Israel chose the |
| My first time to Billin was in January 2005, my | | | | Wall's path in order to dispossess Palestinians of |
| second trip upon the potholed unpaved roads to | | | | the maximum land and water, to preserve as |
| this agricultural village near Ramallah was | | | | many Israeli settlements as possible, and to |
| November 10, 2006. Billin is one of many villages in | | | | unilaterally determine a border. |
| the occupied Palestinian territories where locals, | | | | "In order to build the Wall Israel is uprooting tens |
| Israeli's and Internationals have been nonviolently | | | | of thousands of ancient olive trees that for many |
| and creatively resisting "The Wall" which in Bilin is | | | | Palestinians are also the last resource to provide |
| an electrified fence and miles of rolled barbed | | | | food for their children. |
| wire. | | | | "The Palestinian aspiration for an independent |
| The electric fence and the Israeli army prevents | | | | state is also threatened by the Wall, as it isolates |
| the indigenous people to care and harvest their | | | | villages from their mother cities and divides the |
| olive groves and 2,003 dunums of land have | | | | West Bank into disconnected cantons [bantusans |
| already been confiscated for The Wall/Fence and | | | | ghettos]. The Israeli human rights organization |
| 750 settlers apartments have been built and are | | | | B'Tselem conservatively estimates that 500,000 |
| now occupied which the indigenous people are | | | | Palestinians are negatively impacted by the Wall. |
| forbidden to enter. | | | | "Faced with a history of suffering, Palestinians |
| In Billin, the Green Line is five miles from The Wall | | | | have no alternative but to struggle. The only |
| electric fence and the Popular Committee in Bilin | | | | question is how? Killing diminishes our humanity, |
| has been nonviolently fighting the illegal actions of | | | | and Israel's occupation, which has killed thousands |
| the Israeli government with demonstrations and | | | | of Palestinians, shouldn't be our teacher. It is time |
| legal actions. Three court cases have been filed | | | | for both sides to refuse killing. |
| regarding the route of The Wall, the illegal | | | | "Though Palestinians have employed nonviolence |
| settlements and land ownership. | | | | since 1929, they have seen little evidence that it |
| The Israeli government uses the Ottoman Law | | | | will help them to achieve freedom. In 2003-2004, |
| that states if the landowner doesn't tend his land | | | | the West Bank village of Budrus decided to set an |
| it can be confiscated by the State. The Israeli | | | | example for how nonviolence can defeat the Wall. |
| army and the electrified fence have effectively | | | | "All the people of Budrus mobilized, and were |
| prevented the indigenous people from accessing | | | | joined by Israeli and international activists. In 55 |
| and caring for their olive tree crop, depriving them | | | | nonviolent marches, Israeli soldiers injured more |
| of food and income. | | | | than 300 people, arrested 33 and killed one, as |
| The indigenous people of Bilin brought their case | | | | the villagers, with their bodies alone, attempted to |
| to the Israeli Municipal Court and the High Court. | | | | stop the destruction of their land. Faced with |
| Both courts agreed the building of the settlement | | | | Budrus' determined protests, the Israeli |
| dwellings was indeed illegal and ordered the | | | | government eventually moved the Wall to the |
| construction to cease in January 2006. | | | | Green Line. The village saved 300 acres of its land |
| Construction continued and now that the settlers | | | | and 3000 olive trees. Children, women and old |
| have moved in, the High Court has chosen to | | | | people were among the heroes of Budrus' |
| accept these "facts on the ground" and the | | | | nonviolent struggle. |
| colonists have been allowed to remain and the | | | | "Throughout the West Bank, nine protesters |
| indigenous people have not recieved any | | | | were killed in marches against the Wall, thousands |
| compensation. | | | | were injured and hundreds arrested. Hundreds of |
| Abdullah and Mohammod, the local Coordinator's | | | | civilian protests throughout the West Bank are |
| of The Popular Committee Against The Wall in | | | | the reason the world learned of the injustice of |
| Bilin informed me that 1,700 people live there and | | | | the Wall. As a direct result, the International Court |
| legally own 4,000 dunums of property. The Israeli | | | | of Justice at the Hague ruled in 2004 that Israel's |
| government has effectively confiscated 2,003 | | | | construction of the Wall violated international law. |
| dunums of prime agricultural land. | | | | "The villagen of Budrus and the International Court |
| Every Friday in Bilin after prayer at the mosque | | | | of Justice ruling represent victories for nonviolent |
| the ritual for the last two years is for locals, | | | | resistance. Another success of the joint struggle |
| Israeli's and Internationals to march in solidarity to | | | | was the connection forged between Palestinians |
| The Wall/Electric Fence while singing and chanting | | | | and the Israelis who joined them in their |
| in Arabic slogans such as: "The wall will fall in Bilin, | | | | resistance. This connection, stronger than anything |
| the wall will fall like in Berlin." | | | | that ideas could create, was unwittingly forged by |
| On November 10, 2006 I was one of over 40 | | | | the Israeli army, through their beatings, the joint |
| internationals from the UK, France, Ireland, Spain, | | | | arrests and the bullets. Joining Palestinians in |
| Germany, Netherlands and the US who marched | | | | nonviolent struggle has allowed some Israelis to |
| with dozens of Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall | | | | voice very clearly that the struggle against |
| and over 300 locals down the dirt road to The | | | | occupation and for freedom is not a Palestinian |
| Wall/Electric Fence. | | | | struggle alone, but is their struggle as well. |
| Soldiers hid behind trees to the right and to the | | | | "We believe that, as with Apartheid South Africa, |
| left of us while over five dozen well armed | | | | Americans have a vital role to play in ending Israeli |
| soldiers stood on the other side of The Wall | | | | occupation - by speaking out, coming to Palestine |
| Fence with one videotaping us. | | | | as witnesses, or standing with Palestinians in |
| In November 2005 throughout the USA two | | | | nonviolent resistance. |
| Anarchist Against the Wall/AAtW held Power | | | | "We are confident that Israeli occupation will one |
| Point presentations about the situation. I met one | | | | day be defeated, as were other US government |
| of them again during the Friday ritual of creative | | | | supported repressive regimes - Apartheid South |
| nonviolent resistance. Jonathan Pollak, a young | | | | Africa, Pinochet's Chile and racial segregation in the |
| Israeli stated that in 2005 that, "I was six years | | | | United States. There is no price too great to pay |
| old at my first demonstration and active on my | | | | for freedom, and nothing will deter us from |
| own at thirteen. I am 23 now. When they started | | | | achieving this goal." |
| to build the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank I | | | | After chanting a while in front of the soldiers, |
| would go a few times a week and watch them | | | | Jonathon was the first down the steep rocky hill |
| deceive the world. The Israeli government | | | | and over a metal railing to grab the roll of razer |
| successfully marketed the Apartheid Wall as a | | | | sharp barbed wire that is in front of the electrified |
| security barrier. But it is all about segregation, | | | | fence in order to shake it. He was immediately |
| separation and ethnic cleansing. | | | | joined by a few dozen locals and other AAtW |
| "Civilian uprising and non-violent activism is not like | | | | who were swiftly greeted by the first of dozens |
| the Gandhi movie. It's not carrying posters and | | | | of sound bombs-thick orange plastic grenades |
| saying we don't like your wall, go away. We stand | | | | that hit the ground with a deafening sound. |
| in front of Caterpillar's knowing we will be shot | | | | I was half way down the hill when a teenager |
| and arrested. I was shot five times in the last | | | | next to me threw a rock at a soldier and I know |
| two years by rubber bullets which are 1/2 inch | | | | that action alone can get one killed or arrested, so |
| steel bullets covered with plastic. I have been shot | | | | I headed back up the hill before the tear gas |
| in the head and the more I experience I have the | | | | assaulted the crowd at the barbwire. By the time |
| scarier it is. One learns to recognize the ritual of it | | | | I made it up the hill the first of hundreds of |
| all: when the IDF will begin using the billy clubs, | | | | rubber bullets were being shot into the crowd. |
| when the tear gas will come, when the bullets will | | | | Only two internationals were hit and other than a |
| come. | | | | few Palestinian adolescents and young boys |
| "We are not a dialogue group, AAtW is an Israeli | | | | throwing rocks all remained nonviolent. Because of |
| organization and we are not colonial liberators. All | | | | the large International presence no live ammo |
| the strategy is done by Palestinians, we are with | | | | was fired, although the week before a Frenchman |
| them seeking justice and giving support. There is | | | | took a bullet in the arm while standing next to a |
| no price to high to pay for freedom, equality and | | | | group of children. He was back at the Friday ritual |
| universal rights. Without justice there can be no | | | | with a cast and sling on. |
| peace. | | | | Anarchy is best understood as Rebellion against |
| "Negotiations alone will not secure freedom for | | | | UNJUST laws. The Yang [male positive force] of |
| the Palestinian people. During the negotiations of | | | | anarchy resists authority and causes disorder and |
| the so-called Oslo Peace Process from 1993-2000, | | | | is socially and politically incorrect by the norms of |
| Israel simply imposed its will on the Palestinians, | | | | the status quo for it seeks the higher ground of |
| using its overwhelming military and economic | | | | justice. |