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8th July 2008
BIL’IN GRASSROOTS NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE
MOVEMENT – A LIGHT OF HOPE WHICH DESERVES INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT.
It is difficult to sustain a grassroots non-violent movement.
The sceptics argue nonviolence doesn’t work, the militants
argue only violence gets results, and many just sit on the
sidelines to see which way the wind will blow. In Bil’in
every Friday the wind blows, and it blows across the olive
groves and into the homes of Bil’in villagers and lungs
of young children playing in their gardens. On this wind is
the tear gas from the metal gas cylinders fired by the Israeli
military at the Palestinian villagers, the Israeli peace activists,
politicians and International activists who have walked to
the wall to protest its annexing of yet more of the Bil’in
villagers’ land. I wonder to myself, as I watch the
children, what this weekly inhalation of gas is doing to their
young lungs, equally I wonder to myself what it is doing to
their minds as they listen to the ambulances rushing up the
road to assist the people injured with the gas, plastic bullets,
and tragically sometimes, most recently, live bullets.
It’s the women and children who are suffering so much
in this situation. During my stay in a Palestinian home, where
I was treated with such unbelievable kindness, I was saddened
as I watched the Palestinian mother, who suffers from migraine
headaches, no doubt brought on by stress, struggle to bring
up her family in the midst of violence, real hardship of unemployment,
and little hope that things will ever get better. One of her
young sons, Mohammad, showed me his tin of plastic bullets,
CS canisters, and bullet shots, one of which was actually
collected inside his own home and which hit his mother in
the face narrowly missing her eye. Mohammad pointed to his
mother’s scar on her face and then to the plastic bullet,
which had been fired into their home by Israeli soldiers.
The question for me is ‘what is this kind of military
repression upon the Palestinians doing to the mental and physical
health of the Palestinians? Also what is this violence doing
to the Israeli soldiers and the Israeli people, who in their
heart of hearts know that injustice is injustice and the occupation
is wrong. Also what it is doing to the minds of the wider
Palestinian society, many of whom know that the ‘armed
struggle’ suicide bombings, Qassam rockets into Sderot,
and other such acts of violence, is wrong.’? I found
a lack of hope amongst many Palestinians/Israelis and people
asking what can be done to break this mad cycle of violence
and counter-violence?
For me, that is why the grassroots non-violent movement of
the people of Bil’in (and in other areas of Palestine)
together with the Israeli peace movement, is so important.
It is a courageous movement of people, both in Israel and
Palestine, who recognize there will be no military or paramilitary
solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict. They recognize
that this can only be solved by the civil community, together
with all inclusive, unconditional dialogue and negotiations,
by all political leaders willing to take risks for peace.
Such a movement deserves our help, and that is why for the
past two years I have gone to attend the Bil’in Nonviolence
Conference and Peace Walk, to join in solidarity with the
Bil’in villagers, andPalestinian/Israeli/International
grassroots activists to protest the Wall. (This wall has been
declared illegal by the International Court of Justice).
For over 3 years now, every Friday, the villagers of Bil’in
(outside Ramallah in the occupied terrorities of Palestine)
have gathered in their mosque to pray, and afterwards walk
down the road to the fence which marks the route of the wall
at the end of their village. They are nonviolently resisting
the continuing building of the wall both by weekly protests
and also through the Israeli courts. In 2007 the villagers
of Bil’in won an Israeli high court of Justice decision
to remove the Israeli wall that separates the village from
its land; However, the Israeli army refused to comply with
the order for ‘security reasons’. The court ruling
also forbids the settlers from expanding the settlement of
Mitetyaho Mizrah which is build on the village land. However
on 26th May, 2008, Israeli settlers installed six mobile homes
on the villagers land sending out a clear sign that they are
going to expand their illegal settlement. The villagers tried
to stop the installation of the mobile homes but the Israeli
soldiers prevented them and protected the settlers as they
erected the mobile homes.
The Third Bil’in Conference held June 4-6th, 2008 addressed
many issues, including the extension of the settlement and
building of the mobile homes. The Villagers Lawyer updated
them on developments but pointed out that the installation
of the mobile homes changes facts on the grounds and this
could well change the original Israeli court decision against
the villagers. Attending the Conference was Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad, the representative of President Abbas, members
of the PLO Executive Committee, members of the Palestinian
National Council and representatives of various political
parties and civil society groups.
It was a very successful three day conference with several
hundred people participating, many coming from l2 different
countries, and including Louise Morgantini, Deputy Speaker
of the EU Parliament. On the second day, the participants
split up into groups to visit surrounding areas of occupied
Palestine, such as Bethlehem, Hebron. For those people visiting
first time they were shocked by the heavy militarization,
and growing apartheid system within the occupied terrorities.
To see the continuing building of the wall and further Israeli
settlements, particularly around Jerusalem, and fresh rubble
of demolished Palestinian homes, is truly a shock to the system.
Even after many visits to Israel/Palestine it was still for
myself a profound feeling of unbelief and shock that such
injustice upon the Palestinian people can go unchallenged
by the International Governments, as the Israeli occupation
and military apparatus, continues to be financed by the American
Government. Talk of Peace Process by the Israeli Government
sound hallow in light of the facts on the ground where they
continue to ignore USA and UN resolutions and build settlements,
etc., (The siege of Gaza and collective punishment to the
point of hunger and starvation of the people of Gaza, by the
Israeli Government, is both illegal and inhumane, and the
siege must end, and ceasefires recalled by Hamas and Israeli
military. The British Government and the EU, must act to help
the people of Gaza, and challenge Israel that as it calls
for ‘security’ it is in fact doing much to undermine
‘security’ with its ongoing repressive policies.)
The Conference stated as one of its goals the unification
of the Palestinian people, in order to apply pressure on Israel
for the implementation of the July 9th, 2004 ruling of the
International Court of Justice, and UN resolutions which have
largely been ignored, and take a firm stand regarding the
Israeli defacto annexation of Jerusalem, the apartheid wall,
and the continuing enlargement of settlements.
The conference also asked the Palestinian people to boycott
all Israeli good and channel all its efforts in the struggle
against the occupation towards peaceful popular resistance
that has been proven to be the most strategic and successful
in opposition to the wall, and thereby increasing the peaceful
resistance that has its roots in the Palestinian struggle
as exemplified in the first intifada.
The conference also asked International and European supporters
to put pressure on their EU leaders to stop the proposed upgrade
in their relationship with Israel in light of their violations
of international laws. Many other actions such as boycott,
disinvestment in Israel, , etc., were proposed as methods
International supporters can use to highlight continuing illegal
occupation. (see www.bilin-ffj.org for updates).
At the conclusion of the Conference the participants went
to watch a soccer match between the Internationals and the
local Palestinians. Minutes into the match the Israeli Occupation
Forces shot tear gas into the makeshift football field and
we all suffered from the effects of tear gas and had to leave
the area.
Later we all walked to the Wall for a non-violent protest.
Again the Israeli Soldiers fired tear gas and plastic bullets
into the crowd. Many of us, including village women, Minister
Mustafa Barghouti, Deputy Speaker EU Parliament Louise Morgantina,
suffered gas inhalation, and an Italian Judge, was hit with
a gas canister and hospitalized. (Last year as well, at the
same place, I was hit with a steel tipped plastic bullet and
overcome with tear gas. I subsequently received an apology
from the Israeli Government).
I believe this violent repressive treatment by the Israeli
military, of the non-violent peace movement is counter-productive
as it feeds the anger and strengthens Palestinian military
resistance, just at a time when many Palestinians are turning
to support the non-violence resistance. After a long drawn
out military resistance it is hard for many Palestinian militants
to accept the military struggle is coming to an end. Consequently,
those brave people who have taken up the non-violent struggle
now, are doing so with a passion and an absolute commitment
to stay with nonviolence no matter what the cost, no matter
for how long. They passionately believe the solution is there
and peace will come. However, they need help. They need the
help of International Governments to convince the Israeli
Government that they have Palestinians partners for dialogue
and negotiations and to grasp this opportunity now. The Palestinians
also need to see change on the ground, and that change is
within the power of the Israeli government to deliver. Upholding
the Israeli Court ruling to remove the wall that separates
the Bil’in villagers from their lands would give hope
that nonviolence works and strengthen those villagers who
have put their lives on the line to say NO to violence, Yes
to nonviolence as the way forward for the Palestinian people
and their Israeli brothers and sisters.
I have great hope for the future of Palestine/Israel, and
my hope comes from people such as the courageous villagers
of Bil’in, and the Israeli Peace activists. I believe
by standing together to reject the bomb, the bullet, and all
the techniques of violence, and saying ‘yes’ to
building justice and peace for themselves and their neighbours,
they bring closer the day of peace for Palestinians and Israelis.
Salaam, Shalom,
Mairead Maguire
Nobel Peace Laureate (www.peacepeople.com) Bil’in, Palestine
(June, 2008).
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