- Some 100 people gathered at Ush Ghrab in Beit Sahour
to pray for peace and protest the planned military presence there. As
we were gathering in peaceful contemplation and prayer, Israeli army jeeps
quickly rolled in between us and one officer barked orders in Hebrew. We
explained to them in Arabic and English that we do not understand Hebrew
(later we realized they also knew Arabic and English) but they immediately
started throwing concussion grenades and tear gas at the elderly, women,
children, the priest doing the prayer, other town people and internationals
(Christians and Muslims). A translator who reviewed our video footage later
in the day said that their orders meant we have one minute to disperse!
The priest's words, delivered as the army was attacking, was to plead
to God to teach us to live in dignity based on morality and speak out for
what is right (then we gave the Lord's prayer together). But considering
the unusual circumstances, we persisted and succeeded in holding our ground.
On image captured on video that sticks out in my mind is Issa, which is
Arabic for Jesus, holding his child in his arms while kicking the teargas
canister. His other child had started crying with the noise of a concussion
grenade. The tape done by IMEMC.org professional photographer Ghassan
shows the rest of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4he1vayLrfo
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- My thought to the 40,000 people receiving this: If after
watching this, you are not outraged, then you have no humanity. If you
are outraged and is able to do something about it, but don't, then you
have abrogated your moral responsibility. Doing something about it means
joining us next week if you are in the Bethlehem district or,
if you are not, pressuring your government and the 101 other ways you know
about that can make a difference.
-
- The popular committee will continue and asks all of you
to join us at 11 AM at Ush Ghrab next week where will have better organization
and ensuring that young children and elderly who join us will be away from
any potential area of conflict (we just did not expect the speed and viciousness
of the Israeli attack this time). Despite the arrayed forces against us
(including both Israeli and unfortunately some supine Palestinians), we
believe in the power of popular resistance to move conscience and achieve
results. The examples from our town of Beit Sahourduring the first
uprising of the late 1980s and places like Bilin in the past few years
should be ample proof. The fact that Bilin retrieved over 1500 dunums
of its land thanks to its popular resistance in ALL its forms. They are
still going on strong five years later and they grew from a handful to
thousands.
-
- The attack on peaceful demonstrations fit a pattern of
pathology (psychosis) indicative of the bankruptcy of the apartheid state.
Israeli forces shot at a private vehicle in Husan near Bethlehem yesterday
injuring three civilians including one critically. Their insults to foreign
countries, demeaning the Turkish ambassador, use of foreign passports in
sending hit squads are all telling: mafia like actions. Acting irrationally
and lashing out helps show the rest of the world the true nature of this
sick regime.
-
- I am so proud of the people who came and joined together
with us and for those of you who did not join us, you missed something
rather amazing. The best of humanity is on the march with love. Those
of us who were here are energized and wish you would come and join us in
"joyful participation in the sorrows of this world". You can't
be neutral on a moving train. You are either on the side of justice or
you are contributing to the injustice.
-
- Silence is complicity.
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- Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
- Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG)
- A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home
- http://www.qumsiyeh.org
- http://www.pcr.ps
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