Mariam Barghouti released on 18 April, after being arrested in Nabi Saleh the week before

by the International Solidarity  Movement: 18 April 2014

15th April 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Occupied Palestine

Update Friday 18th April:

Mariam was released yesterday evening and is now home with her family.

*****

Update Thursday 17th April:

Mariam had a military court hearing this morning and the military judge agreed to release her on bail. Mariam’s bail has been paid and she is expected to be released later this evening.

*****

Update Wednesday 16th April:

At Mariam’s military court hearing today, an Israeli military judge stated that he “has doubts if the evidence supports the prosecution charges” and agreed to her release on bail. Nonetheless, he ruled that Mariam should remain in military detention until tomorrow morning, April 17^th, at 11:00, so that the military prosecution has a chance to appeal his decision.

*****

On Friday, April 11^th, 2014, 20-year-old Mariam Barghouti, a university student at Birzeit, was arrested by Israeli forces. She was brought to court on Sunday, April 13^th where she was charged and her detention extended until Wednesday, April 16^th.

Mariam was arrested while leaving the village of Nabi Saleh. Mariam, along with Abir Kopty (a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship who was later released on bail), and three foreign journalists were detained by soldiers and searched. Mariam had been in Nabi Saleh accompanying some of the journalists on their assignments and translating for them. Soldiers on the scene fabricated charges against her and handed her over to the police who arrested her along with Abir. At her hearing yesterday Mariam was charged with stone-throwing and entering a closed military area; her detention has been extended until Wednesday. Mariam sobbed throughout the whole hearing and told her lawyer that the charges are simply lies.

Mariam is a student at Birzeit University where she is majoring in English Literature and Psychology. Mariam is also active in community work and organizing and received a two-month residency scholarship in the UK, part of a program supporting women.

Abir said that during the arrest incident on Friday, “one of the soldiers who detained us looked at me and with a big smile said, ‘I’m going to mess up your life.’ It was obvious to me then that not only will he fabricate everything for his own purposes, but he knows he has the power to do so.”

 

ISM report: Three arrests at Nabi Saleh demonstration against occupation

by International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | 28 June 2013

Update 29th June 2:15pm: Both Palestinian activists have a court date set in Ofer military court tomorrow.

Update 29th June 1:00pm: The Two Palestinian activists are now currently being held at HaSharon Prison.

Update 29th June 09:00am: The two Palestinian activists are currently being held at Jalameh prison. They may or may not have court on Sunday but will not be released before then.

Update 29th June 2am: The international activist arrested at the protest was released last night.

Update 29th June 00.45am: The two Palestinian activists are currently being interrogated at Giva Binyamin police station.

*******

During the June 28th demonstration in Nabi Salih, after Friday prayer had finished, the Palestinians once again began their resistance against the illegal Israeli occupation. As usual, their demonstration was met with high levels of violence; disproportionate teargas was fired and foul smelling skunk water was shot onto homes. Two Palestinians and one international were arrested. They are currently being held in Binyamin police station.

At around 1:30 pm demonstrators began marching towards the stolen water spring of Nabi Salih, currently occupied by Israeli settlers from the nearby illegal settlement of Halamish. As soon as the demonstrators began to descend the mountain, two military jeeps began using their tempest tear gas attachments, firing excessive tear gas canisters directly at unarmed marchers. The military jeeps then began to aim directly at those who chose to stay on the road, shooting canisters at head height and disregarding the flammable nature of the local petrol station. The skunk truck and two jeeps then invaded the centre of the village, including the olive groves [as seen in video] which then allowed the skunk truck to maneuver freely, shooting at all homes and demonstrators in its wake.

Palestinian activist Nariman Tamimi today being arrested (Photo by: Oren Ziv/Activestills)

After this, those demonstrators that had reached the bottom of the mountain close to the spring were faced with a large group of soldiers. Demonstrators confronted the soldiers; however as the video shows, the soldiers disregarded the rights the Palestinians have to their land and proceeded to aim their weaponry at demonstrators. Two Palestinian women, including prominent Nabi Saleh activist Nariman Tamimi, and one international man, believed to be from Spain, were arrested for no reason other than resisting the occupation. It is currently understood that these three have been transferred to Giva Binyamin police station, where they are still currently being held.

The village of Nabi Salih has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severely injured. Resident Bassem Tamimi, has spent 17 months in Israeli jails, merely for being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three years and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.

Israeli forces violently suppress villagers working their land in Nabi Saleh

31 May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement

Unlike in previous demonstrations, two army jeeps invaded Nabi Saleh today an hour before the demonstration was due to begin. After midday prayers, over 60 villagers, joined by a number of Israeli and international activists, marched from the center of the village along a path through the olive groves on to the main road. The march then diverted into the valley below the village and proceeded towards the olive groves located by road 465, the road closest to the Halamish settlement that occupies Nabi Saleh land.

Palestinian activists protesting the denial of access to Nabi Saleh’s land (Photo by ISM)

Reaching the olive groves, the villagers started clearing the lands around the olive trees and several army and border police jeeps arrived. One of the soldiers shouted at the crowd with a megaphone declaring the area a close military zone. The nonviolent protesters continued working the land, but Israeli forces began shooting tear gas canisters at them.

Despite the crowd dispersing around the valley, Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas canisters and then began aiming directly at people. The canisters ignited the surrounding agricultural land on fire and, with the high temperature and strong winds, the flames soon spread throughout the valley.

A number of villagers went peacefully towards the soldiers to protest the denial of access to their own land, but were soon met with stun grenades thrown, tear gas canisters shot and skunk water sprayed at them.

Israeli forces also launched several rounds of multiple tear-gas canisters from jeep-top launchers.  As a result, three people were treated for tear gas suffocation by Red Crescent personnel.

When the valley was full of tear gas, protesters marched back to the village where three border-police officers remained shooting tear gas canisters first at young boys still near the valley, and then further tear-gas and rubber-coated steel bullets indiscriminately into the village.

The protest finished at around 4:30pm when Israeli forces retreated back to the main road.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severely injured. Bassem Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh, has spent 17 months in Israeli jails, merely for being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three year and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.

Israeli forces shoot tear gas canisters, setting the land on fire (Photo by ISM)

Skunk water truck spraying protesters while soldiers shoot tear gas canisters (Photo by ISM)

Photo essay: Israeli soldiers sing “We wish your whole village would burn down” to residents of Nabi Saleh

by International Solidarity Movement: 17 May 2013

Today Palestinian, international and Israeli activists marched towards a well that was stolen from the village of Nabi Saleh by the establishment of Halamish illegal settlement. As activists walked down the hill towards the well, Israeli soldiers shot tear gas at them which set fire to the ground around them. As they did so , soldiers sang “we wish your whole village would burn down”. Activists were then blocked from reaching the spring by a large group of Israeli soldiers. At the same time, a skunk water truck entered the village spraying several of the homes in the village with the putrid smelling liquid. Eight international and Israeli activists were detained by Israeli soldiers who confiscated their passports. They were released within 30 minutes. Long after the demonstration was over, two Israeli military vehicles and several Border Policemen entered the village and drove slowly around the neighbourhood in a bid to intimidate its residents.

Tear gas canisters set ground alight

Residents of Nabi Saleh and Israeli activists argue with Israeli soldiers blocking the stolen well

Residents of Nabi Saleh confront soldiers blocking them from reaching their stolen well

Israeli soldiers block residents of Nabi Saleh from reaching their stolen well

Israeli border police patrol village long after demonstration has ended

Nabi Saleh demonstration violently suppressed by Israeli forces; activist shot three times

12th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Updated: Nabi Saleh demonstration violently suppressed by Israeli forces; activist shot three times

Posted on: April 12, 2013 |

UPDATE 13th April 2013: The injured Spanish activist returned to hospital Saturday morning, after experiencing continued pain, dizziness and fatigue. She had been shot three times with plastic coated steel bullets at Nabi Saleh demonstration the day before. She is currently under observation at the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, being treated with antibiotics.

______________________________________________________________________________

12th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Around one hundred Palestinians, joined by a handful of Israeli and international activists, participated in today’s demonstration in Nabi Saleh. After midday prayers, protesters marched from the centre of the village, deviating from their usual route and walking across the main road and up the hill, trying to reach the water spring stolen by settlers from Halamish settlement more than three years ago.

By the time protesters reached the hilltop, several Israeli Border Police officers waiting and immediately started to shoot tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at them. One Spanish international activist was hit by a rubber coated bullet in the right leg. As people retreated from the hilltop back to the main road, Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas canisters.

Teargas shot at peaceful demonstrators

As protesters walked chanting and clapping towards a large group of Israeli military personnel and jeeps blocking the road, they were ambushed. Border police officers who had invaded the village shot multiple volleys of rubber coated steel bullets directly at unarmed protesters from a vantage point on top of the hill, as protesters retreated.
The same international activist who had previously been shot was again shot with two bullets; one in the ribs on the back and the other on the stomach. This breaks the Israeli forces’ own rules of engagement which state that rubber coated bullets should be fired at the legs. Despite the fact that officers clearly saw that the activist was injured, they continued shooting rubber coated steel bullets along the road. The activist was immediately assisted by Red Crescent personnel and taken to hospital by ambulance. She is in good health condition, recovering from the injuries at home.

Activist’s injury by rubber coated steel bullets

Israeli forces continued shooting tear gas canisters and rubber coated steel bullets at protesters until three in the afternoon, when the demonstration finished.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severely injured. Bassem Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh, has spent 16 months in Israeli jails, merely for being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three year and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.

Children’s Day in Nabi Saleh

5th of April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

Young protesters walking towards the Israeli military

On Palestinian Children’s Day, the kids of Nabi Saleh played a leading role in their village demonstration, holding banners and balloons, claiming their rights to a childhood free of oppresion and occupation. However, Israeli forces, as they regularly do, quickly suppressed the demonstration.

As the crowd of protesters were marching along the road with the intention of going to their stolen water spring down the hill, Israeli border police accompanied by a skunk water truck started to shoot the malodorous water and tear gas canisters at the protesters.

Border police officers, located on the main road and on the two hilltops beside it, continued shooting tear gas canisters for approximately an hour, after which they further invaded the village, chasing Palestinian youths down the hills on the other side of Nabi Saleh. A local journalist was severely pushed, pepper sprayed and had stun grenades thrown at him by Israeli border police officers whilst covering the protest.

Nabi Saleh boy watching Israeli soldiers invading his village

The demonstration finished at around 3pm when Israeli forces retreated from the village. Then, the children of Nabi Saleh, took over their streets to celebrate their day, claiming their right to a childhood without Israeli occupation.

The village of Nabi Saleh has been demonstrating against the theft of the natural spring and the occupation since December 2009. Israeli forces violently suppress the weekly Friday protests by shooting tear gas canisters, skunk water, sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and even live ammunition at protesters. Two people have been killed, Mustafa and Rushdi Tamimi, and many others severly injured. Bassem Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh, has spent 16 months in Israeli jails for the only reason of being a prominent activist at the protests. After more than three year and despite the repression, Nabi Saleh continues to fight against the injustices of a brutal military Israeli occupation.

Nabi Saleh endures despite military presence

26 July 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

At 10 a.m. we arrived at  Nabi Saleh to interview the neighbors about what had happened the night before. We found out on the internet that something was going on, thanks to Tamimi Press, a Facebook page created by a young designer who lives in the village. Walking down the main road our eyes and nose got irritated. We could still breathe the  tear gas shot by Israel’s occupation forces throughout the night.

According to the people we interview this is constant; what happened last night is nothing exceptional. The neighbors told us as follows:

Around 6 p.m. a group of settlers tried to enter the village of  Nabi Saleh. Seemingly, the reason was a fire started on the lands at the border of the the illegal settlement of  Halamish. To be precise the fire was sparked on the side of the new extension where settlers are just now occupying with prefabricated units.

For a couple of hours the youngsters from the village tried to avoid  entering through the main street, until the army came. This resulted in  various neighborhood vehicles being damaged by the stones thrown by the settlers. At that point, soldiers were blocking the roads.

At 8.30 p.m. more than 50 soldiers entered the village and started shooting tear gas and sound bombs. Then an officer started to shoot real bullets shouting at his subordinates to do the same.

At that moment the village was completely full of gas and 3 people had been hurt by the impact and the burns from the bullets. Among them were two women from the same family, whose house had been shot at directly.