in memory of Yahya Atta Riahin

today i went to the funural of Yahya Atta Riahin. He lived in our nabour village.
He was killed on the 27th of sep, by settelrs, when he was out feeding his sheep.
He was 17 years old.
he recently got engaged and was to get married next year.

When is this gone stop.......?

in memory of Suheid saleh


this boy was shot by the army. he was the brother of my friend.
He was on his daily walk, that he took everyday after going to the mosque.
To years ago his brother was shot.
this is living in a occupied territories.



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A little news letter

Why I am here?

I am here to learn more about Israel and Palestine. I am her e to observe and document.

I am here as en EAPPI

The vision of EAPPI:

The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) seeks to support local and international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and bring a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a just peace, based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

(see www.eappi.org)

I will stay here for 3 months and I am living in a little village called Yanoun. Northeast in the West Bank. Or as some people refer to “the OPT”, Occupied Palestinian Territory or as I like to call it Palestine. This village lies in the bottom of a valley. On the top of the valley are the illegal outposts of Itamar settlement. And because of that they have some troubles. The troubles involve settlers coming to the village harassing them. Both verbal and physical. I have experienced it a Saturday, last week. First 6 children accompanied with three older youths came down. One of them was caring a machinegun. They just walked through, washed them self in the well, played around on the fields. And then left. Than later came 4 older boys, 3 of them were carrying big machineguns. I think I have never seen such big machineguns. They came running from downhills and towards the village. All the people in the village run inside their houses. We stayed outside to show our international support. They started talking to us, and asked one of my colleges in the team if he wanted to die. They started asking us why we are here…. And if we were afraid of them. They stayed for a while, making sure that we understood that they had no troubles using the guns they were carrying. Then they left. Luckily nothing more happened this day. But back to the village, it is beautiful and the people who live here are so nice and friendly There are about 100 people living here.

And most of them are farmers. . Around us we have a lot of olive trees. (There used to be many more, but the settlers has burned down and taken the fields)

It could have been such a relaxing place here, but people here are not that relaxed. They live everyday in the fear -of what can happen. Will the settlers come down today, will they burn down fields, will they maybe kill some of the animals, or will they come and harass the people physical. One of the young boys here gets really nervous when he sees the settlers, he can not forget the day, a settler came and pointed machinegun to his face. He could not stand on his feet for half an hour afterwards.

Since 1996, the settlers have come down here to harass the villagers. But still they are here. This is their land, and here they want to live. As long as it is possible. In 2002 it became to dangerous here. (It seems like the aim of the harassment of the settlers is to scare the villagers away, so they can get the land for them self.) on the 18 of October 2002 almost all of them left the village.

From this day there has been internationals in this village. And EAPPI has had people here since 2003. There always has to be some international present here.

So now I am present here, in this village that never gets dark, because of the 6 big spotlights that have been put up on the hilltops. (They monitor everything that happens here from the hilltops, and the Israeli authorities allow them to do it.)

Upper Yanoun is located in what became area C (Oslo agreement) It means is it under full Israeli control. They are being monitored by the same people that are supposed to protect them. Ironic? For a long time there has been a building stop here in Yanoun. They cannot even build an extra room in one of the houses to make a little “hospital” But every day the settlers build new houses. They have no restrictions.

Area A- under full Palestinian control
Area B- under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control.
Area C – under full Israeli control.

(according to the Oslo Agreement)

To get back to the situation here, I put in some photos. One of them is me in front of “the doom of rock” and the Wailing Wall in the Jerusalem. The holy city in The holy land. The place that has so many holy places but peace is not present.

The short version of what is happening is that you have an occupier and the occupied. One country in control and one under control. Israel has full control here. And were they do not have the full control, they make sure that they surround the area with walls and checkpoints.

Every day thousands of Palestinians has to cross checkpoints. They are being searched for bombs and their ID is closely looked at. To get from one place to another might take hours, compared to the 20 minutes it should have taken, if there had been no checkpoints and no closed roads. There are several different ways of controlling the movement of the Palestinians. The physical closures (around 600+) are checkpoints, road gates, observation towers, earthmounds, roadblocks, tunnels, earth wall, road barrier and trenches. Then you have closed and restricted areas, as Israeli army bases, Israeli closed military area, projected closed areas. Then you have the road system, there are different roads for Israelis and Palestinians. and then there is the 149 settlements and around 100 outpost. Leaving the Palestinians left with almost nothing.

And then there is the wall, 723 km surrounding the West Bank. Also called the barrier. The wall that has been put op for the safety of Israel. The country that’s occupied Palestine. The wall does not follow the green line from the Oslo agreement. But is taking a whole lot of more land. The wall has separated families, demolished houses and somehow put all of Palestine inside a “jail” letting the wall be grey as a prison wall on the Palestinian side, but having a nice architecture on the Israeli side.

The humanitarian law says: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement.

I think this enough for this first little report. If you think this is interesting and want to know more you could have a look at these links:

www.unocha.pal - UNOSCHA

www.showrimshtika.org – breaking the silence

www.machomwatch.org – Machom watch

www.icahd.org - ICAHD

Hope you liked reading this little report from me.

-Simi in Palestine-

checkpoint 300

today i was with the Bethlehem team at checkpoint 300, also called Bethlehem checkpoint. I came there at 6... already thousned of people were there, trying to get true to Jeruslame to go praying.



since it is Ramadan they give out extra permits, and also all woman over 45 can cross, and all men over 50 can somehow get true.



but it takes time, and bytoday there wer built a new barrier infront of the checkpoint, with just to small gates to get true. one for the men, and one for the woman.



It was hot, and the sun was hard on the people.

it was very hard to se all the old people, sick people and kids crying, beeing scared... seeing people that got pushed in the the crowd.. and because of ramadan, they are not drinking.



I was staying abit in the back, lokking and upserving. but then 3 soldiers came walking... and than they grabbed a boy.. and i just had to do somthing... so i just run after the soldiers and said, u can not do this... why are u doing this, what has he done... and then suddely i was in the middle og the soldiers and the PAlestinns at gunpointing.. and i just sad i demnad talking to someone who speaks back to me. teh CC came, and after a little while (that seemd like a very long time) the boy was released.

Then suddenly there was this blind man next to me... and the soldiers said.. i could help him true. so i walked him tru the main gate for the soldiers, and followed him to the bus. passing all the soldiers. It was a really good feeling, to help this men getting to the Jeruslamside, so he could go and pray!!

We also achived some other stuff to day, so it was a good day. and in the end most people got to go to Bethlehem!

more photos http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=160110&l=251d4&id=602760607


Jerusalem – Ma’an – Two hundred thousand Palestinians performed their Friday prayers in the Al-Aqsa mosque in the third week of the holy month of Ramadan. According to the Al-Aqsa foundation for Waqf (Muslim heritage sites) most of the worshipers were residents of East Jerusalem and the surrounding villages, or other Palestinian communities inside Israel, owing to the restrictions placed on West Bank and Gazan Muslims that prohibit travel into Jerusalem. Despite the heavy restrictions imposed on movement to and around the Old City of Jerusalem, said the foundation, Palestinian Muslims flocked to the mosque from the early hours of Friday morning. The streets of Jerusalem are overcrowded with people who were heading to the holy compound for prayers.Sheikh Yousef Abu Sneineh, who delivered the Friday sermon at the mosque, congratulated the worshipers on making the journey to the holy site a priority despite the heavy restrictions imposed on them by Israel. He called the popular action an appropriate form of resistance to Israeli efforts to take over the city. Sheikh Abu Sneineh also called for unity among Palestinians, since acting together against their oppressor would ensure their victory. Early Friday morning Israeli authorities imposed new inspection procedures and restrictions on worshipers going to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Thousands of Israeli police officers were deployed throughout the Old City and around the mosque. Sources told Ma’an that authorities placed new security officials within the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday night, along with new video cameras at Al-Asbat gate. Israel also closed main roads around the area. Israel still refuses to allow male Palestinians younger than 45 to enter the city during Ramadan. But men aged 45-50 may apply for temporary permits to enter, while those 50 and older may enter without one. Women under the age of 35 are forbidden to enter Jerusalem, but those aged 35-45 can apply, and those 45 and older may enter without permits. (http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=32034 )

israeli commander jailed

huwwara, Nablus –

An Israeli company commander was jailed for 14 days and stripped of command for his role in causing a pregnant Palestinian woman’s baby to be delivered stillborn, Israeli sources said Friday.
The Israeli army said the soldier violated protocol by not allowing the woman to pass.
The baby died as its mother, Nahil Abu Raja, attempted to cross a checkpoint en route to a Nablus hospital.
Israeli soldiers reportedly told the woman that she did not have proper identification. When paramedics arrived nearly one hour later, the baby was declared dead.
( link, http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=31882 )

this is the checkpoint i normally do my observing at.

WATER

water is a problem herE in Palestine.
The west bank only gets to use 1/5 of all the water. the rest Israel uses. In the west bank there is a lot of water recourses, but they have been cut of by Israle, the barrier/wall, or lies within the settlements. some have also been damaged by the settlers.
I visited a settlement the other day, and i got shocked. it was so green and in the middle of a roundabout there is a big fontane, that ´water just keep running out of. And than were i live there is no water. This years the oliveharvest will probely just last for 2 weeks because there has been no rain, and they don't have water to water the trees with. so not so much olives.

2 examples to show how little water we have, and how we are saving water is:

After using the toilet, we first wash our hands, the water goes down in a little bowl. we use this bowl for flushing the toilet.

the other is the showering time. i do not shower like u anymore, i have a bucket. I use half a bucket for washing. a full one when i am washing my hair.

And then in the settlement u see svimmingpools, water splashing out of fontens, and wateringhooses...

it is awful!

saturday 13th of september

I går var det en ganske så heftig dag...Det begynte med en telefonsamtale klokken halv syv på morgenen, om at Asira al Qibliya, en liten landsby ca 30 min fra oss ble angrepet av over 200 bosettere.Vi avgjorde at to av oss skulle dra, da mann alltid må ha folk i Yanoun på lørdager, jødenes helligdag. En helligdag mange av bosetteren i dette området bruker på å trakassere Palestinere.

Vi drar av gårde ganske så fort. Som du skjønner var jeg en av dem som dro. På veien passerte vi unger som ropte, snu,snu... dere må ikke kjøre videre... soldater, soldater... snu, snu
Men, vi snudde ikke, vi var jo på vei dit. Vi ankom området akkurat i det et portforbud ble satt i verk. Dermed mistet vi sjansen til å komme inn i området. Så vi ble stående ved militærposten. I bunnen av landsbyen. Jeg spurte militæret hva som skjedde... og de fortalte meg om portforbudet. INGEN UT, INGEN INN sa de.
Vi prøvde å komme oss inn, men til slutt måtte vi gi opp. En ambulanse som kom samtidig som oss ble også stoppet. Vi prøvde å snakke med militæret, og sa at de måtte slippe ambulansen inn. Men de nektet. Dette er et brudd på både Israelsk lov og menneskerettigheter.
Vi ringte FN, ICRC og prøvde å sette fart i prosesser som kunne få ambulansen inn da vi allerede hadde fått telefon fra kontakter inne i landsbyen at folk var blitt skutt og at det var sårede. Vi prøvde å snakke med militæret igjen.. men til ingen lykke.
Disse soldatene var ikke interessert i å hjelpe. Plutselig kom to menn bærende på en mann, som var blitt skutt i låret. Men ambulansepersonell ble nektet adgang forbi soldatene, og som tidligere sagt, ingen får lov til å komme ut av landsbyen. Vi prøvde igjen å snakke med soldatene, og til slutt fikk ambulansepersonell og den sårede lov til å møtes på grensen. Men palestineren som var skutt i låret måtte hinke de siste meterne selv, da de to mannfolka som bar han ikke fikk lov til å nærme seg soldatene. Mannen ble etter hvert lagt inn i ambulansen og kom seg til sykehus. Vi begynte å høre flere og fler skudd... skuddene gikk i ett... vi snakket med våre kontakter inne i landsbyen, og vi hørte rop, skrik, hyl, og redsel.... Plutselig kommer det en bil kjørende, en far kommer med sin tenåringssønn som er blitt skutt i haka... en gråtende og fortvilet mor følger med. De får sønnen ut av bilen, og begynner å komme mot oss (grensen)... soldatene blir stressa og plutselig skyter en av soldatene. 5-6 skudd blir avfyrt opp i lufta... hele jeg dirrer.... jeg står nemlig bare noen få meter unna. Ambulansefolket løper og får tak i gutten, men familien hans blir dyttet vekk av truende maskingevær.Ambulansen kjører av sted... og det roer seg ned. Vi hører fortsatt skytingen i landsbyen. Bosetterne kaster stein og skyter vilt mot husene og inn i vinduene til folk. Og her står jeg ved grenseposten og hører alt. Vi ringer norsk presse og prøve å fortelle historien.
Vi ringer FN på nytt angående ambulansene som trengs inne i landsbyen. Vi kontakter presse som oppholder seg på Vestbredden, og etter hvert dukker de opp en etter en...til slutt har vi 5\6 forskjellige team der. Flere internasjonale dukker opp, og vi er ikke lenger alene som internasjonale. Flere og flere militærbiler kommer, en stor lastebil full av soldater kommer. og vi hører fra kontaktene våre at soldatene gjennomsøker alle hus, de leter etter en palestiner de mener har knivstukket en bosetter.

Det er helt utrolig, og helt umulig å tro. De er på samme plass som meg, en liten landsby som blir angrepet av ca 200 bosettere, som skyter vil rundt seg.. og de leter etter en palestiner. Etter hvert får vi høre at militæret mener bosetter problemet er for stort for dem og takle. Det eneste de kan gjøre er å sette opp portforbud. Som i dette tilfellet betyr å stenge palestinerne inn i landsbyen sin, umulig for dem å komme seg ut.. eller vekk... mens skuddene hagler mot husene deres.

Flere sårede blir båret ut, og etter hvert lar soldatene dem slippe lettere forbi. Det er nå bare tre soldater igjen (med store maskingevær) de er helt alene og du kan se på dem at de er usikre og selv ikke vet hva som skjer. Og de peker maskingeværet sitt mot alle som kommer mot dem. En mann som kommer, og vil bli med sin sårede bror eller venn, blir totalt kroppsvisitert, og avkledd for å sikre at han ikke bærer våpen eller en kroppsbombe. Men han slipper ut. En gammel dame nekter å godta at hun ikke får komme in i byen.... og med 6 tv-team, som filmer, 4 internasjonale som dokumentere, lar soldatene damen slippe inn. og vi skjønner at dette er tidspunktet til å prøve å få ambulansen inn i byen... noe som går. etter ca 4 timer ventetid ... får 2 ambulanser lov til å dra inn landsbyen.
Vi ringer vår kontakt og forteller de glade nyhetene. Vi får høre at han vet om 5 sårede, bare i nærheten av ham. Fra dette tidspunktet er det ikke så mye mer vi kan få til. Grenseposten ser ut til å ha blitt noe lettere og ambulansen er sendt inn. Skuddene har også stilnet, og vi hører fra kontakten vår at det nå bare er militære igjen inne i landsbyen. 5 timer er gått og vi er klare for å dra hjem. Vi forlater landsbyen hvor knust glass og kuler ligger overalt. Sårede venter på å få hjelp. Vi ankommer Yanoun.... hjemmet vårt... og slenger oss ned på en madrass for å hvile... jeg puster lettet ut.. med tanken på et jeg er tilbake i trygghet, og er like hel.

Plutselig ringer en av kollegene mine: få på deg vesten og kom deg ut. Bosettere er på vei mot oss. Jeg tar på meg vesten og kommer meg ut, og der ser jeg 9 bosettere komme nedover veien. De er barn, barn sendt av sine foreldre for å vise hvem det er som bor på toppen av haugen. En av dem bærer et stort maskingevær.... de går forbi oss og ned til brønnen.
Der forsyner de seg av vann, vasker hunden sin, for de går videre. De setter seg ned på et jorde for å slappe av litt for de går videre. Og så forlater de området heldigvis - ingen trakassering eller skyting.
To av oss blir sittende igjen ute for å holde vakt, og før en time er gått, får vi besøk igjen.
Denne gangen av 4 gutter i 20 årene, som kommer gående imot oss ganske fort.
De begynner å kjefte på en av team- medlemmene og spør han hvorfor han driver og ta bilder... 3 av guttene bærer på maskingevær. Jeg føler meg ganske så utrygg... de begynner å snakke til meg... de spør meg hvem jeg er, hvorfor jeg er her.... De begynner å spørre meg hvorfor vi har et klistremerke som sier, våpen ikke tillatt i huset vårt... Plutselig roper en av team- medlemmene mine på meg, og jeg sier at jeg må gå.... de lar meg gå. og jeg er ca 20 meter unna dem.

Etter hvert sier de farvel og drar. I mellomtida har noen ringt militæret... og plutselig dukker bil etter bil opp. Jeg trekker inn i huset, mens guttene på teamet tar seg av militæret. Til sammen 5 biler og ca 20 soldater står utenfor, og jeg tar bilder i smug gjennom vinduet. Det er nesten litt ironisk. Dette er soldater som hver dag overvåker oss og vet nøyaktig hva gjør.... å så plutselig er de der for å beskytte oss. De spør litt rundt, hører forklaringer på hva som er skjedd. Snakker med borgermesteren... og sier at de skal holde utkikk etter bosetterne.
Mens politi og militær er her, står bosetterne og følger med i det fjerne.

Dette var et lite utdrag fra hverdagen min her. En hverdag jeg kan forlate etter 3 måneder, en hverdag jeg kan fortelle deg om, men som jeg aldri klarer å beskrive så godt at du kjenner det på kroppen. En hverdag palestinere opplever hver dag. En hverdag de har levd med lenge. En hverdag de blir igjen i, etter at jeg har dratt!










se også: http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/uriks/midtosten/article2655600.ece
men minner m feil her, da det var over 200 bosettere.


more photos: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=158363&l=56866&id=602760607

were i live...

Yanoun, a small little vilage in the northeast of Palestine. the photo shows upper Yanoun were is the place i am living. (there is lower Yanoun also, just down a hill)

behind the vilagge and around it live settlers. The settlers are harrasing the poeple living in the village. and this is the main reason for me living here now. I am here to show international support. and be a part of their dailylife.

except from the part of the rason for beeing here, Yanoun is a beautiful place. it really on the countryside. there are sheep, goats, donkeys etc.. ther are also some very big rats here:(

the landskape is so nice, the olivetrees makes it look veru pretty. not so far from us is Nabi nun, a very nice place to go if you want to relax and have some time on your own.




so now u have an ide of were i am living:)

some photos

the wall....

me in my west, after a meething at UNOCHA, pointing my finger at Yanoun, my homevillage for the next months
one kind of checkpoint....

the sunset from were i live when i am in Jerusalem. living on the mount of olives

The guy in this photo, live right under a settlement. And are being harassed allot. a little while ago, his fields were burned down, and the solarsysytem was smashed...

a little shop... in Jerusalem:)

me overlokking some Jerusalem land...

a house that has been tared down... a lot og Palestinan houses gets a "house demolition" order. it is valid for ten years,m and u never now ehn they will ciome with the bulldosers to teasr down your house.

this house was to close to the wall\fence and Israelian land.

رمضان, Ramaḍān

it is now Ramadan...
so no drinking or eating in public....

a bit more about ramadan:

Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان, Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to Angel Gabriel which later was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
It is the Islamic month of fasting (sawm), in which Muslims don't eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset.
Fasting is meant to teach the person patience and humility. Ramadan is a time to fast for the sake of God, and to offer even more prayer than usual. Also, asking forgiveness for the sins of the past, asking for guidance in the future, and asking for help with refraining from every day evils and trying to purify oneself through self-restraint and good deeds is involved in Ramadan.


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nyttige linker

NOEN NYTTIGE LINKER:

http://rhr.israel.net/ RABBIES FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
http://www.btselem.org/English/ BTSELEM
http://www.peacenow.org.il/Site/en/homepage.asp PEACE ORGANISATION