Mighty Israel and its quest to quash Palestinian popular protest
The military has delegated its best soldiers, investigators and judges to safeguarding Israel against the organizer of Nabi Saleh's popular uprising.
By Amira Hass Tags: Israel news Palestinians"Now that Abdullah Abu Rahma has been released from jail, the Israeli soldiers and the honorable military tribunal judges will have time for Bassem Tamimi." Thus Tamimi, the coordinator of Nabi Saleh's Popular Committee, was introduced to guests who came to congratulate Bil'in resident Abu Rahma on his release after serving 16 months on charges of incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations. Twenty-four hours later, late Thursday morning, Tamimi was arrested.
The truth is, though, that regardless of Abu Rahma's release, the military has delegated its best soldiers, investigators and judges to safeguarding Israel from 44-year-old Tamimi and from the spreading virus of popular uprising.
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Bassem Tamimi arguing with soldiers at Nabi Saleh. |
| Photo by: Bilal Tamimi |
We met several times in the past two weeks - in Ramallah, not in Nabi Saleh. Facing the suppression of that village's weekly demonstrations is a challenge best reserved for the experienced. Huge quantities of tear gas, rubber-coated bullets flying between buildings, gas canisters with (illegally ) extended ranges, beatings, shovings and home invasions - this is what the Israel Defense Forces employs against the small village of 500. Since the demonstrations began in 2009, 155 of the residents have been injured, 40 percent of whom are children. Thirty-five houses have been damaged in the process of dispersing demonstrations, and seven caught fire.
The Civil Administration does not shy from taking action. It has distributed 11 demolition orders for home additions in Area C (about half of the village is in that area, meaning it is under full Israeli administrative and security control ).
In straightforward terms, that is where Israel forbids Palestinians from building and developing. On the other side of the road, also in Area C, the settlement of Halamish is expanding and building houses on land belonging to the villages of Nabi Saleh and Dir Nizam.
Some 13 percent of Nabi Saleh's residents - 63 people - have been arrested and jailed since the end of 2009. All but three were tried for participating in demonstrations against the army. Bassem Tamimi is number 64. Of those imprisoned, 29 were minors. Four were women, including Nariman Tamimi, Bassem's wife.
To complete the picture there are night raids on homes, access to the village is blocked and scores of others have been detained for a few hours at a time.
Tamimi had not been staying at home for almost two weeks - he knew the army wanted to arrest him. As a Fatah member, he had been arrested repeatedly since his youth.
Now he hoped to postpone this predicament. He had spent three years in administrative detention (without a trial ). During an interrogation in 1993, he was shaken and lost consciousness for eight days. Paralyzed, he was taken from the hospital to jail. After 40 days in solitary confinement, he was released.
"I didn't kill so I didn't have anything to admit," he said.
We met for a long talk a few days after the Fogel family members were murdered in the settlement of Itamar. His colleagues in Bil'in's Popular Struggle Committee had published a statement condemning the murder. Tamimi did not think it was right to initiate a condemnation of "something that never has represented us. But if I'm asked, I obviously respond that murdering children is murdering children, whatever their nationality, color, religion or race. It doesn't matter if the child is named Hadas Fogel or Iman Hijju or Abir Aramin. The murder of Hadas Fogel, even without knowing who the murderer is, goes against our humanity. The occupation has occupied our reason and consciousness. Due to the conflict we started to make excuses for acts that are not humane, that harm the Palestinians more than they harm the Israelis.
"Our strategic choice of a popular struggle - as a means to fight the occupation taking over our lands, lives and future - is a declaration that we do not harm human lives. The very essence of our activity opposes killing. Therefore there is no need to condemn something that from the start does not represent us and is contrary to our way of thinking.
"The popular uprising is not a reaction. The problem is not expropriated land or a spring the settlers took over - that is merely an expression of the problem, which is foreign rule. If Benjamin Netanyahu genuinely wanted to save lives and end the conflict, he would not declare that houses are being built in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, houses that are actually graves for Palestinians and Israelis.
He would announce that homes are being built to move the settlers to Tel Aviv, within Israel, on 78 percent of our historical land that we have agreed will be the State of Israel, so that we will have a state in the remainder of the territory. As members of Fatah, we supported peace negotiations. But it merely led to more settlements and settlers. During the peace process, we lost more than at any other time.
"We want to offer our people an example and model of popular struggle. From the start of the revolution (the establishment of Fatah ) and the armed struggle, we committed cumulative mistakes that the Israelis exploited against us, even though they were merely reactions to Israeli repression. We don't have a military response to Israel. History has taught us that only popular uprisings were successful, albeit partially: in 1936 and 1987. Through a popular struggle we can prove our moral superiority."
On Thursday, March 24, Tamimi thought that a visit by European diplomats to his village would protect him from arrest.
He left Ramallah and had 10 minutes to spend at home and embrace his children. Just when he asked his wife to "prepare a delicious meal that I miss so much," the IDF with all its resourcefulness sent five jeeps and 15 soldiers. We've got Tamimi.
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what does this guy say to the arab media? i doubt it is the same as to haaretz. In the arab world this journalist would be in jail
Thank you for walking the walk, Amira. You and a few others speak truth to power. I applaud this work done, it's so necessary!
and this attack on their civil and political rights...
Fantastic to see that some Israelis actually see the occupation for what it is, brutal, repressive and illegal. Keep up the good work Amira. You are the conscience of a nation!
Mighty arab states have millions of jihadists to fight Israel.Israel which is few in number has a mighty God .Tell who would you rather have?
Not so long ago that idiot Tom Friedman [of NYT fame]posed the question: where is the Palestinian Ghandi? A rthetorical question demonstrating complete ignorance on his part. More than terror, Israel fears peaceful opposition. All the harder to opposes with bullets and imprisonment. Better to lock the fledgling Ghandis up before they gain momentum. Such a noble state! Israel today, despite its much lauded democratic status has more in common with its despotic neighbours than it would have us believe.
spiraling so completely into the abyss of McCarthyism and xenophobia.
More than 2/3 of historical Palestine is a Palestinian state called Jordan with a massive Palestinian majority. The areas of Judea and Samaria are Jewish historical land, although they were controlled for 19 years by Jordan. The Arabs (and Amira) play fast and loose with history, numbers and other facts.
Weather the Arabs and Haaretz want to hear it or not. They cannot have any, repeat any, of our 22%.
Please remember that The Golan, Gilead ( the lands assigned by Moses to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the Half-tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan River) and the Sinai as well as Gaza are rightfully included as Israel proper.
and unfortunatly the vast majority of normal decent Israelis are afraid to use theirs at the moment and the whackjobs have the upperhand. Until this changes and I honestly believe that sanctions must be applied to affect those in Tel Aviv from going on holiday etc, or evenbetter having to choose between an Israeli or their second passports. Nothing will change in the near future
as I'm allowed to go to those Muslim nations that do not permit Israelis to enter. Malaysia was very nice! Israelis aren't afraid to speak up, the silent majority just happens to be as lazy as most people are in Democracies.
the silent majority unlike the american one knows much more about the political situation in israel. the majority as can be seen in the elections prefers the approach that will provide security. unfortunately the leftist approach has failed so the majority is against it. the end!
Any "sanctions" must be applied to Hamas. If they stop shooting, the conflict ends and "hope" can begin for both Palestinians and Jews.
...and then Israel complains that there is no non-violent Palestinian partner. This demonstrates that Israel is not really afraid of Arab violence (that's easy enough to deal with when you have ridiculous military superiority), they are truly afraid when the Palestinians become unified, kick out the puppet PA, and non-violently demand their rights.
i dont know what this woman has but certainly there is something in her Mighty israel is a tiny tiny land and if she continues to support the uprising i think the palestinians include her office in their greater palestine plan show me a peaceful palestinian who talks with something other than his hands and i will show you sanity , so far it is not happening , not in our life time anyway what a bunch of balloney
How can you consider Hamas a "neighbor?"
How can you not? They are your neighbors on any view, unless you happen to be unbelievably blinkered, or plain bonkers.
The term neighbor mean "friend" in most countries which speak English even as a second language.
You assume that it is a "popular uprisings." Maybe it is an attempt to destroy the State of Israel instead which is and has been the dream of Arabs and Palestinians for a couple of generations at least? Maybe it is about Israel and Israeli "rights" as well?
Haaretz censors are out in force 24/7 - disagree with the sensationalist, bias of queen amira and you'll be certain to never see the light of day. call yourself freedomfighter and justify any murder of israelis and you shall be honored on the wall! disregarding all point previously made and censures: Fatah and Hamas have squashed any rallies that show support for arab political reform more heavy handedly than israel has.
"Due to the conflict we started to make excuses for acts that are not humane, that harm the Palestinians more than they harm the Israelis." "The very essence of our activity opposes killing." "we committed cumulative mistakes that the Israelis exploited against us" Judging from his age he joined Fatah before it renounced terrorism - of course saying one thing doesn't mean it to be true seeing as they didn't have a problem with the second intifada. Those "cumulative mistakes" were the intentional slaughtering of civilians as they road the bus, had slice of pizza, or sipped a coffee - live by your euphemisms. The fact that this man is trying to say one suffered more greatly than the other fully exposes his inability to connect on a human level to the Israelis.
Dignified moral grounded non-violent resistance a la Ghandi. Seems Pals are learning truly and I salute the people of Nabi Saleh.
then they ban humilate and show superiority without risk.
This explains why some people believe that violence is the only answer - Israel clamps down aggressively on any non-violent protest and you expect them to sit down and 'negotiate' their own destruction?
And the schizophrenic reality it represents in the Israeli leadership mindset....it's so out of touch. Mindlessness....really. Dutch
I think the remnants of the Native American population would be happy to tell you about their successful negotiations with the United States government. How can people negotiate when one side holds all the cards and isn't willing to give a sliver.
Despite the efforts of those who want to portray Israel as "mighty," the truth is the exact opposite. Israel is a tiny sliver of a land with less than 6 million Jews in an area with dozens of Arab countries with many hundred times the total land mass -- more than 1.5 billion Muslims & Arabs with vast oil wealth and the political power that comes with it. That Israel continues to exist is a miracle in itself, especially with so many Arabs (and some Jews) within it who seek to undermine it -- partially by portraying it as some mighty power suppressing Arabs -- instead of the tiny David it is facing the Arab/Muslim Goliath. In light of that, the degree of freedom and justice for all that Israel maintains is admirable -- especially compared to its neighbors.
Which doesn't quite correlate with your image of poor defenseless Israel, with the firm backing and diplomatic, political, and military support of the strongest country in the world.
"Popular uprising"? This is para-military organisation, that engages in a well orchestrated series of violent actions against representatives of the law. They think they are going to obtain through violence what they may or may not get through negotiations. They are barking up the wrong tree. Their impatience should be directed at the PA who does not want to negotiate.
of an illegal occupation
you pride yourself to live in a democratic society don't you? Well with democracy comes the right to protest injustices. That's one lesson Israel has yet to learn. Besides wouldn't it be more wise to hunt down the killers of the Itamar-family or those behind the bombing in Jerusalem? That's what I would do!
The future of every part of Judea and Samaria must be determined through negotiation between Israel and the PA. The Arabs inhabitants of the area should vote for representatives who are willing to come and sit at the negotiation table, without preconditions. They should not be causing a disturbance week after week. There is nothing repressive about arresting people who disturb the peace and cause situations that are dangerous to the live of their neighbors. "Moral superiority"? These are people who danced in the streets and gave out candies to their children when the Aqsa Brigade proudly accepted responsibility for the murder of a family.
yes, those arabs should come to the table without preconditions. Preconditions like the signed agreements such as Oslo, Anapolis, or the road map. How dare they even think about such preconditions. Of course when they do come to the table, they need to accept OUR preconditions.
Israel is not willing to end the occupation of Palestine the settlements proves that theory,so the Palestinians has the full right to defend their country with all possible ways and actions .
interesting how Israel is so ahead of the game in realizing what organized illegal protests can do maybe instead of criticizing them give them credit for their foresight
Israel will never live in peace as long as it continue occupying the Palestinians and discriminating against its Arab minority in side Israel,period
mantra occupation. If there is an occupatin why is PA ruling WB?
Bantustan ang ghettos are not independent. Improve education
so, if i understand what you are saying, when the Germans said no (Jewish) minority in German, they were right? Please enlighten us!!!!
and the "israeli arabs", where would you force them to go????
The Arabs can go wherever they want. Unlike my parents, who were FORCED to flee Hungary with the shirt on their backs, or face imprisonment and murder, the Arabs can move, by choice, to over 20 Arab countries. They can start in Jordan, by joining their Palestinian brothers. They just cannot live in Israel, while their heart and allegiance is with the enemy. My parents did not act in such a subversive manner, yet had to flee with nothing, and nobody opened a mouth in protest.
Great work IDF. You guys are good. I send you all kisses.