April 26, 2010
Bil’in Conference and Weekly Demonstration
Bi’lin – Wednesday – Friday, April 21-23, 2010
On Wednesday and Thursday, I attended the 5th annual Bi’lin International Conference on Palestinian Popular Resistance. There were probably 300-400 in attendance with representatives from the various Popular Committees (local grassroots groups that are not affiliated with any faction or political party), local Palestinians, internationals from the US, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy (these are the countries I am sure were represented; there probably were others), Israeli activists, and representatives of the various Palestinian political parties. The Popular Committees are local grassroots groups that are not affiliated with any faction or political party. Palestinian notables included Salam Fayyad (Palestinian Prime Minister), MK Mohammed Barakeh, Omar Barghouti, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Khaleda Jarrar, and Mohammed Khatib. International notables included Irish Peace Prize Laureate, Mairead Maguire, Luisa Morgantini, Max Ajl, Adie Mormech, Jonathan Cook, and Jonathan Pollak.
Salam Fayyad, Palestinian Prime Minister
Luisa Morgantini - former member of European Parliment
The female Palestinian speakers were especially strong in their presentations. Raja Abu Rameh, whose father, Adeeb Abu Rahmeh, was a leader in Bil’in’s non-violent resistance and was violently arrested in July 2009 in the middle of the night (as is so often the case charges have yet to be brought) read a message from her imprisoned father, as well as a powerful poem that she had written about him. I stayed with the Adeeb family on Wednesday night – a family of great warmth and hospitality.
Rajah Abu Rahmah
Adeeb Abu Rahmah
Fatma, Abu Rhaman's wife, with her needlework
Tear gas was in plentiful supply on Friday at the weekly march to the Apartheid Wall. Approximately 500 people, including locals from the village of Bi’lin, internationals, and Israelis, converged at the center of the village after mid-day prayer to march to the Apartheid Wall that has devoured huge tracts of Bi’lin’s land. Spirits were high and the numbers of internationals greatly increased due to the three-day annual international conference on Palestinian popular resistance. Flags from Scotland, Ireland, France, and Australia, as well as from several Palestinian political parties, were unfurled and waving proudly in the wind.
Jumping shebab - photo by Rocky
Clouds of Teargas
Rocky with his Australian flag
At first, it appeared as if the Israeli soldiers might be reticent to fire teargas into the large crowd of so many internationals, but that assumption quickly dissipated as the teargas canisters started volleying through the air, causing all but the shabab (who almost seem to be immune to the gas) to fall back, regroup, and advance again. This pattern was repeated several times throughout the march.
Tear gas canister (one of several types)
One Palestinian man from Yaffa, Israel, Imad Riska, was hit in the forehead with an aluminum gas canister that was shot directly at him. He was evacuated to an Israeli hospital where it was determined that he suffered a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage.
Imad Riska - photo by Hamdi Abu Rahmah
An hour later, IOF soldiers came running onto Bilin land and arrested six demonstrators, including one woman from International Women’s Peace Service (IWPS) and one journalist.
After the demonstration Rocky and I went to the home of Adeeb Abu Rahmah, where I had stayed on Wednesday night, for dinner. We were served maklouba (one of my favorite Palestinian dishes) and I have to say that it was the best maklouba that I have ever had – it was zakhi kattir (very tasty)!! They are a large family (seven daughters and two sons) and all of them, despite their father being in prison, extraordinarily warm and generous, not to mention courageous and endowed with a strong resilience and sense of humor. I will miss them all so very much – they took me into their hearts, as well as their home – they even took great pleasure in teaching me some Arabic words (even 8 yr-old Falesteen), laughing heartily at my attempts and mispronunciations and insisting that I say it until I got it right – I have a deep love for this family!!!!
Maklouba
Me with Alaa and Falasteen
Mohamed, Abu Rahmah's oldest son
Three of Abu Rahman's daughters
Achmed, the youngest son
Red Rebel's Blog - A Hooligan for Palestine 
Jan Powers said,
April 27, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Keren — Your blogs are so important for us, for you give a really accurate picture of what is going on there. We had some news from the weekly Bi’lin report (I never will learn to spell the name of that village!), but you make it very graphic. It sounds like you are getting battered and bruised, but let’s hope those will be the worst of your injuries. I too have been tear gassed by the Israelis, but not at such close range. I particularly hated the percussion grenades, which leave you a bit deaf for a time. The report from Jerusalem this month was really devastating. I do think we need to get busy with the boycott and push it harder — this gobbling of land cannot continue!