Nabi Saleh: Videos, reports & photos (1st – 16th January 2015)

Video: 2 January 2015

by David Reeb

 

Reports & Photos: 16 January 2015

Report from Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

Local and International protesters participated in the peaceful weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh. The reprisals didn’t made wait. The patients demonstrators suffered again the Israeli violence. The soldiers shot protesters with live bullets, pushing back them. Moreover, threw tear gas bombs leaving tens wounded. But, in spite of this, the demonstration continued shouting for stopping the violence, collective punishment and terror against humanity which Israel practice every day against Palestinians

ISM Report: Live ammunition used at Nabi Saleh demonstration

16th January 2015 | International Solidarity Movement | Nabi Saleh, Occupied Palestine

For five years now, residents of Nabi Saleh have been denied access to their spring. A source of irrigation for their crops, as well as a place for recreation: al-Qaws spring was the heart of this farming community.

The illegal settlement of Halamish was established on the land of Nabi Saleh, and the neighbouring village of Deir Nidham in 1977; since then, and particularly in recent years, the settlement has been growing, stealing more land, and finally denying the villagers access to their spring.

For five years, every Friday, residents of Nabi Saleh gather with local supporters, Israeli and international activists, to protest against the theft of their land and the denial of access to the spring. Sometimes, with bravery and determination alone, these villagers have managed to reach the spring, stealing a few precious moments before the arrests and reprisals reach their climax.  Most of the time, the repression from the Israeli Occupation Forces is too great to get anywhere close.

Today in Nabi Saleh the villagers gathered at the petrol station on the edge of the village; undeterred by the rain, they were ready for the weekly demonstration. The weekly show of strength and determination to fight for what is rightfully theirs.

We walked down the road, men, women, and children chanting in Arabic and English, voicing our common determination to end this occupation. The Israeli military were waiting at the bottom of the road, blockading the access to the village. As soon as we were in range the tear gas started. A peaceful march met with poisonous tear gas from the very beginning. Many attempted to throw and kick the smoking toxic canisters away, but the sheer quantity meant we had to retreat quickly.

As the smoke cleared, we tried to walk forwards once more. But then the unmistakable crack of live ammunition. We ran back. Without provocation, live ammunition was aimed at a group of peaceful protestors. Fortunately this time the bullet didn’t find a body, but the Israeli Occupation Forces lack of respect for human life is truly frightening.

Two months ago four protestors were injured at this peaceful demonstration, adding to a long list of villagers who have been hurt or killed by Israeli military bullets whilst trying to fight for their rights. The army have been using live ammunition at this group of families and demonstrators more and more frequently during the last year. So the villagers’ weekly demonstration to struggle for their most basic rights – land and water – has been reduced to a short walk to become the target of bullets. Each week villagers risk their lives because they will never accept the theft of their land. Each week they are shot at because they want access to the spring which has been the source of life for their community for generations.

Nabi Saleh marks 1 year anniversary since the death of Rushdi Tamimi

Photos by Tamimi Press and Haim Schwazenberg: 15 November 2013

Video by David Reeb

Nabi Saleh marks the 1 year anniversary of the murder of Rushdi Tamimi (31) by Israeli occupation forces. Rushdi died on 19 November, two days after he was shot by the IOF on his village land. An IOF probe concluded that Israeli soldiers fired 80 bullets without justification causing his death.

IOF injure and arrest 14 year old boy in Nabi Saleh; Spray pepper spray at video journalists.

by Nabi Saleh Solidarity: 22 February 2013

Today’s demonstration (22 Feb 2013)  in NabiSaleh called for solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers and Palestinian political prisoners.  The demonstration saw protesters started to march towards the spring. Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) invaded the village, accompanied by skunk truck and also began firing rubber coated steel bullets and teargas. IOF have also sprayed local cameraman and videographer Bilal Tamimi with pepper spray as he was filming the demonstration.   At least one protester received medical treatment after being hit by a rubber coated steel bullet fired by the IOF.

A 14 year old boy was also injured by at least 3 rubber coated steel bullets and kidnapped by the IOF and taken to the check point tower has been evacuated to hospital in Ramallah.

 

Nabi Saleh children play soccer while IOF invade village and fire teargas and rubber coated steel bullets.                                                   Photo by Tweet Palestine

At least one injury from rubber coated steel bullet fired by IOF. Photo by: Baraa Hijazi

IOF and Palestinian ambulance at the tower checkpoint, preparing evacuation of 14 year old boy                                                                           hit by 3 steel  coated rubber bullets and arrested by IOF.  Photo by Tweet Palestine.

Video: First Nabi Saleh protest for 2013

4 January 2013

Video by Israel Puterman

Video by David Reeb

IOF arrest 2 Palestinian men, 1 Palestinian child and 2 Israeli activists; spray “skunk” at houses (4 Jan 2012)

4 January 2013

video by Sam4Palestine

video by Sam4Palestine

Israeli Occupation Forces arrest Othman Bazzar from Ramallah. He was beaten and fainted. A Palestinian ambulance workers were able to eventually treat him. According to a report from an Israeli activist who was arrested at the same time, he was unconscious and the ambulance workers were not able to rouse him. He was then apparently taken to hospital (not sure where). Also arrested were two other Israeli activists and a 15 year old child from Beit Rima (next to Nabi Saleh) and another man from Beit Rima.

Hilmy, one of the photographers for Tamimi Press was also shot at close range with two rubber coated steel bullets. Will update once again, when we have more information on Othman and the other arrests.  The IOF also sprayed “skunk” deliberately at Palestinian homes in order to try and intimidate village residents.

Nabi Saleh protestor injured with live ammunition

By Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 31 September 2012

Malek Tamimi, 22, was hit in the hand and waist. A second protester was shot in the head with a rubber-coated bullet; delayed ambulance entry to the village by an hour.

Malek Tamimi, evacuated after being shot with live Ammunition. Picture credit: Anne Paq/Activestills.org

Three Palestinians protesters were injured and 5 others arrested during the weekly demonstration in the village of Nabi Saleh. In order to prevent people from joining the demonstration, the Israeli army had set up checkpoint in all entrances to the village earlier in the morning.

During the demonstration, the soldiers have arrested 5 people, including local cameraman, Bilal Tamimi, Bil’in activist, Mohammed Khatib, two female protesters and a journalism student, as they walked to the village’s spring, which settlers from the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Halamish have been trying to take over for the past 3 years.

Soldiers arresting a protester. Picture credit: Anne Paq/Activestills.org

In the afternoon, soldiers retreated from inside the village, adding the firing of live bullets to the assemblage of tear-gas, the foul-smelling liquid known as “the Skunk” and rubber-coated bullets used throughout the day. One protester, 22 year-old Malek Tamimi, was hit with a bullet that pierced through his arm and eventually lodged itself in his waist. Tamimi was evacuated to the Ramallah hospital where he underwent surgery. A second protester was shot in the head with a rubber-coated bullet and evacuated to the Ramallah hospital, where he received stitches. Yet another protester, a young woman, was hit in the leg with a tear-gas projectile shot directly at a crowd of people, resulting in a gushing wound. The woman’s wound could only be treated long after her injury, as soldiers prevented the ambulance from entering the village for about an hour.

At 4.30 p.m., Malek Tamini was shot with a live bullet which went through his hand and the side of his body. He has undergone surgery for his injuries. One Palestinian suffered an open wound after being shot with a tear gas canister during protests. Soldiers were firing tears gas canisters directly in to the crowd with the intent of causing serious injury and then prevented the ambulance from entering the village for one hour . One local resident received stitches in Ramallah hospital after suffering a head wound from a rubber-coated steel bullet.

3 Arrested during Nabi Saleh Demonstration

By Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, 8 June 2012

Three international solidarity activists were arrested during the weekly demonstration in Nabi Saleh this week. The army used anti-riot gear inside populated areas, shooting tear-gas canister and spraying “skunk” water into homes.

Dozens joined the weekly demonstration at Nabi Saleh this week, which marked 45 years to the “Naksa” – 1967 war which ended with the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Making its way from the center of the village towards the main road of the village, protesters were met by the “skunk”, a water cannon spraying foul-smelling liquid, and a volley of tear-gas canisters. As the demonstrators were dispersing and regrouping, soldiers marched into the village and started making arrests.

Picture by Ahmad al-Bazz/Activestills

Three international activists were detained on no grounds, only to be released at the end of the demonstration. The skunk truck also proceeded into the residential areas of the village, spurting the fetid liquid into homes for clearly no other reason than vengeance. A group of protesters who began making their way to the villages confiscated spring was attacked with a volley of tear-gas, fired from a launcher which shoots dozens of canisters at once. The demonstration ended with some clashes, however no serious injuries were reported.

video by David Reeb

Palestinian Activist, Bassem Tamimi, Sentenced to 13 Months Imprisonment & 17 months Suspended Sentence

By Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 29 May 2102

Tamimi was slapped with a longer imprisonment period than his alleged accomplice, who was convicted of more serious offenses.

Bassem Tamimi and wife, Nariman Tamimi, waiting at the Israeli military occupation court to hear sentencing.

In a controversial ruling by an Israeli Military Court earlier today, Tamimi, a grassroots organizer from the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment, which he had already served. Tamimi’s alleged accomplice, who was charged of the same charges and was convicted also of charges that Tamimi was acquitted of, was only sentenced to 12 months imprisonment as part of a plea bargain.

In addition, the judge, Major Eti Adar, also sentenced Tamimi to a suspended sentence of 17 months, which will be activated in the event that he is convicted of committing incitement, solicitation to throw stones, stone-throwing, accessory to stone-throwing, attempted stone-throwing or actions against public order within the next five years. If convicted of having participated or organized unpermitted marches within the next two years, a suspended sentence of 2 months will be added to his punishment.

See here for a transcript of the sentencing hearing (Hebrew)

On hearing the sentence, Tamimi said, “The military court, being an instrument of occupation, sent a clear message today that Palestinian political prisoners are better off confessing to what they have not done than go to trial. I was acquitted of the bulk of the indictment against me, but served more time than my friend who chose to plead guilty to all the charges in a plea-bargain. Has I confessed to what I was not convicted of, I could have returned to my family earlier.”

The hefty suspended sentence imposed on Tamimi for “actions against public order” – a charge Tamimi was neither convicted of nor charged with – as well as for “incitement”, in fact represent an attempt to literally remove Tamimi from the sphere of political activism. The two offences are defined by military law in a manner that can be interpreted to include any political activity under the Occupation. The offence of actions against public order is defined as “Committing an act which harms or may harm public peace or public order” (Article 247 of the Order regarding Security Provisions [Consolidated Version]), while incitement is defined as “Attempts, orally or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a manner which may harm public peace or public order (Article 247B1 of the Order regarding Security Provisions [Consolidated Version]).

Tamimi was arrested in March of 2011, indicted on protest-organizing related charges, and has spent 13 months in jail before he was granted bail last month. Tamimi was convicted on May 20th, a move that stirred harsh criticism by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who said that “The EU […] is concerned at the use of evidence based on the testimony of a minor who was interrogated in violation of his rights”

The court acquitted Tamimi of incitement – the central charge brought against him, which included allegations of military-like activity – but convicted him of organizing and participating in illegal marches as well as of solicitation to throw stones.

The bulk of the indictment against Tamimi was based on the testimonies of three youth from the village, aged 15, 19, and most heavily on that of a 14 year-old. The judge ruled the statement given by the 14 year-old, Islam Dar Ayyoub, is unreliable and could not substantiate a conviction. The court therefore acquitted Tamimi of the incitement charge, that included allegations, supported only by  Dar Ayyoub’s testimony, that Tamimi had formed battalions who lead the demonstrations.

In regards to the 19 year-old’s statement, the judge ruled after viewing the recording of his interrogation, that the transcript of that was handed to the court was mendacious, and that the interrogators put words in his mouth, leading him to incriminate Tamimi.

The conviction, therefore, was based on the testimony of the 15 year-old, which the judge ruled is credible despite clear video evidence to the contrary. The audio-visual recording of his interrogation proves that he, too, was questioned in an unlawful manner, told to implicate others and was led to believe that doing so may earn him a more lenient treatment by the court. The boy was told, numerous times, “Tell us what happened […] and who in the village incited you to throw stones. […] (shouting) you were incited! You…. you are a young boy, incited by people. Grownups, we know. It’s the grownups who incite you, right?”

Tamimi’s trial has become the center on international interest and subject to criticism on the use of military justice to repress civil resistance to the occupation and on the treatment of minors. Following his arrest, Tamimi was recognized as a human rights defender by the European Union and pronounced a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. His verdict today was attended by a dozen diplomats, including the British, Spanish, Dutch, Slovenian and Cypriot Consul Generals, as well as the representative of the European Union. Diplomats from Germany, Sweden, Ireland the USA and the UN were also in attendance.

During the course of Tamimi’s trial, new evidence has emerged, including first hand verification given by a military commander of disproportional use of force by the army in response to peaceful demonstrations, as well as police admittal of systematic violations of Palestinian minors’ rights during police interrogations, when a police interrogator who questioned both material witnesses against Tamimi, said on the stand that in his 25 years as an officer, he cannot recall a single time in which a Palestinian minor was allowed the presence of his parents during questioning.

West Bank Protest Organizer, Bassem Tamimi, to Testify in his Trial on Sunday

By Popular Struggle Coordination Committee: 14 February, 2012

Almost a year after his arrest, the Palestinian protest organizer from the village of Nabi Saleh, will have a chance to answer his accusers.

When: Sunday, February 19th, 2012, at 10 AM
Where: Ofer Military Court*
* Entry to the military court must be coordinated with the Israeli army’s spokesperson’s office in advance.

Bassem Tamimi, who was arrested on March 24th, 2011, is being tried for organizing demonstrations in his village, Nabi Saleh, north-west of Ramallah. The Military Prosecution’s case against Tamimi is based on the coerced confessions of two children, 14 and 15 years old. In the course of interrogations tainted by illegality and gross violations of the minors’ rights, the two incriminated Tamimi of having organized protests and stone-throwing.

At the opening of the trial, during his arraignment, Tamimi pleaded “not guilty” to the charges against him, and gave a general but defiant statement, explaining the motivation and rational behind the demonstrations in his village. During the course of Tamimi’s trial, new evidence has emerged, including proof of systematic violations of Palestinian minors’ rights during police interrogations, as well as first hand verification given by a military commander of disproportional use of force by the army in response to peaceful demonstrations.

Almost a year into his detainment, the hearing on Sunday will, in fact, be Tamimi’s first chance to face his accusers and give his own version of the events. Tamimi, who has been recognized as a human rights defender by the European Union shortly after his arrest, is expected to say that his arrest and trial is motivated by Israel’s will to crack down of Palestinian popular resistance to the Occupation.