Green activist in Palestine blog

Many Palestinians who I talk to ask what people in England think of them and almost beg me to make sure you all know that they are an intelligent, articulte group who feels their labnd has been taken and feel they have the right to resist. But they are not monsters, whatthey want is justice and peace

Greg sent me this from Palestine, read it and judge for yourself...he is a Green activist with a blog on his experience with the International Solidarity Movement.


hey there

sorry for spam email just went through my address book and clicked a few peoplewho might be internested about Palestine, am curently out here with ISM basically protecting the human rights of the palestinians

Yesterday went to a demo, the wall has been built across these peoples land and so they have little access so every friday they demonstrate and ask for internationals to go and document any Israeli Occupation force abuse. The march went up to the top of the hill with no problem and at the fence we were told we were here illegally, stating this was a controled military zone - something which an officer can decare at anyrime. we did not leae but protestd by trying to remove barbed wire at various points of the wall. Israeli soldiers roughed up one paesintian man who had not done much - they dont bother arresting internationl and israelis as these people come up under Israeli law and it takes an age to prosecute.Eventually they arrestd this man, a few people including myself tried to hold on to this man to stop them taking him away (they can be detained for 8 days without seeing a judge and then held for 6 months in order toprevet them committing crimes, although they haev a right to a defence they are not tod what cries they allegedly might have comttd so its obviously a little difficult - 2,000 people are held like this). they pulled people off often by the neck or hair and then held the man blindfolded him and took him away. Aftera while the demonstration finished but there were running battles between youths throwing stones and soldiers firing tear gas and rubber bullets. We followed the sodiers and kept asking them what ehy were doing, which means we narrowly missed the odd stone.

I travelled from there t Tel Rumeia where there is an Israeli settlement, these settlers are nutcases, there are no other words for it. Very few of them work but they are funded by Israeli Jews who basically believe that they are reclaiming the holy land and they constantly attack Palestinians. two weeks ago they bottled one of my colleagues and almost blinded her, her vision is still not perfect. ( http://www.telrumeidaproject.org/Proposal_Background.html for info about another group working here). Our job is to make sure that they let the children get to shcool and back and generally be a presence to make the Palestinians feel safe. the street iam on was deserted but was once the main street, a checkpoint and the forced shutting of al shops (for security obviously). Many shops have been grafittied by pro Israel support. Although there was litle trouble today when the children left school, one settler got a ittle close, I was threatened by Israeli soldiers.
They were on a patrol and opne of them walked towards me but was caled off, he then proceeded to kick stones and make remarks, he then came over to me and asked waht i was doing. i said i was loking around, he then said thatsa lie, we went on and he searched my bag of oranges (3 times!) and asked what was in my pcoket (a video camera) - he then said it is dangerous here for you, you leave tomorrow. i had ben intending on doing that but now im going to bloody stay. he kept repeating this while getting clsoer and closer to me and repeating this saying look into his eyes, its not safe. he then asked whatithought of jews, whatmy jewish friends thought of me and then kept repeating its not safe. its very threatening and with 4 soldiers with guns its not particulary nice.

Settlers continued to spit and shout a little but there were lots of foreign ones (come to see how their millions are spent) who would say hello to us and were quickly told nt to - obviopusly we dont look like the devil we are made ot to be! The settlers hate us and i feel little compassion for them, i sdaw one bittenby a dog and thought it was great. i can see how easiy the Palestinians can see these people as subhuman, most ofthe soldiers dislike then. this settement is guarded by 400 soldiers, there are 100 settlers! One soldier we\hen questiond b a friend said he idn't want to pull out of te west bank as een though they should neer have invaded it would destroy the fabric of Israel. when questioned a bit more essentially his views are: if we pull out these nutters mve back to Israel!

Many Palestinians who I talk to ask what people in England think of them and almost beg me to make sure you all know that they are an intelligent, articulte group who feels their labnd has been taken and feel they have the right to resist. But they are not monsters, whatthey want is justice and peace

Anyway, hpe eeryone is well , if you dont want to recieve these emails let me know as might send a few more (am here for about 4 weeks in total)

Sorry forthe spelling, the computer is not very good!

Greg