Partridge
08-22-2006, 01:17 PM
[Partridge: I guess Israel is only a 'haven' for those of the Jewish community who agree with mass murder, land confiscation, permanent war, torture and racism... ie, Zionists.]
Israeli Army Causes Two Serious Head Injuries to Protestors in Bil’in
International Solidarity Movement (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/08/11/bilin-4/)
To view a video of the initial violence of the Israeli military and shooting of Lymor click here. (http://content.mishtara.org/bilin-11-8-06.wmv) Higher quality for broadcast is also available from the ISM media office.
The video clearly shows the Border Police unit firing on the demonstrators from close range. There is no evidence that the soldiers were in danger. Typically, the military spokesperson has claimed that “activists threw stones” and Haaretz’s article yesterday (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/749623.html) reiterating the same false information. The video also clearly shows the commander of the unit saying, “This is Lebanon!” as he orders his force to fire on retreating demonstrators, and “I will not allow a demonstration during wartime!”
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On August 11, the Israeli army and Border Police brutally prevented Bil’in’s weekly non-violent demonstration, by firing rubber bullets and sound grenades on protestors as they marched through the village on their way to the Apartheid wall.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/israeli.jpg
Fourteen people from Bil’in, Israelis and internationals, have been injured, including an Israeli, Lymar, in critical condition who was shot on neck and just above his right ear with 3 rubber bullets at close range. He has had surgery at Tel Hashomer hospital to remove a rubber bullet that was lodged in his skull. Currently he is in a medical induced coma in moderate but stable condition, but has sustained brain damaged of unknown severity.
Another demonstrator from Denmark, Rina, has suffered a fracture in her skull and brain contusion after a soldier beat her with the butt of his gun. She is currently hospitalized in Hebron (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/plugins/auto_links/klogs/?kw=Hebron&rl=http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/category/hebron/), West Bank and is conscious but unable to walk. She was also beaten on her legs and sustained minor injuries.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/demo8-11.jpg
The demonstrators marched through the village carrying 5 fake bodies symbolizing an entire family killed by the Israeli army in order to protest their “New Style of Killing” in which the whole family is targetted. The border police and army were stationed along the route of the march that leads to the Apartheid Wall, where the demonstrations usually take place. The military began firing when the protestors were less than 50 meters away, immediately causing many injuries.
The violence began so early that the ambulance (usually present at the demonstrations in case of injuries) had not yet arrived. At first the Israeli army would not let the protestors evacuate the Israeli who was shot in the head, and was suffering from blood loss. Eventually the soldiers took him in an army ambulance to Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/shooting.jpg
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/shai8-11.jpg
The soldiers then chased after the protestors and beat them as they were retreating, causing more injuries. Soldiers detained Jonathon Pollack, a prominent Israeli supporter and later released him. The army claimed that it was an “illegal demonstration” despite the fact that the Israeli Court ruled that Bil’in has a right to hold demonstrations.
This is a list of those injured at the Bil’in demonstration today, Friday 11th Aug.
An Israeli, shot with 3 rubber bullets at close range, with injuries to head and neck. He is currently undergoing surgery.
Two villagers, El Haj Wa’el Fahene and Nimer Mustafa Abu Rahma were both shot with rubber bullets to their backs and legs.
Gavin from UK, beaten
Martin from Sweden, beaten
Rina from Denmark, hit with a rifle butt on side of head
Jonathon from Israel, shot with rubber bullet
Uri a 20 year old from Israel, struck by rubber bullet
Rojo Didier from France (43 years old), shot with rubber bullet in back and leg
Jonas from USA, struck with rubber bullets on hip and leg
Cheryl aged 45 from USA, struck with rubber bullet to the back
Margaret from UK, struck by exploding sound grenade
Yoshki, a 22 year old journalist from Japan, shot by rubber bullet
Abudullah Abu Rahma, beaten
It is likely that an official complaint will be made to the Israeli authorities about the violent behaviour of the soldiers.
Background & Updates
The commander, Majdei, made this decision despite a military court decision in August 2005 that people in Bil’in have the right to protest on their land on the village-side of the apartheid wall. Every week since the wall was finished in March 2006, the Israeli military has also denied them the right to protest on their farmland on the other side of the wall. The wall separates villagers from 60% of their farmland, half of which has already been annexed and developed by Jewish settlements. In addition many villagers have been arrested in the night during army raids for participating in the demonstrations in Bil’in. Two villagers are still in prison: Esaam Matar, 29, has been imprisoned eight months and the military has ruled he is to be deported to Jordan; and Muhammad Burnat, 19, has been imprisoned for 3 months and has not yet had a trial for his alleged crimes.
According to official military regulations, which were reported in the Hebrew version of Haaretz today, soldiers are not allowed to fire from a distance closer than 40 meters. They are instructed not to fire at vital areas of the body and only to fire when they are in immediate danger. Each week during demonstrations in Bil’in, many non-violent demonstrators are injured in the head, neck and chest.
The Israeli who was shot in the head and a Danish woman beaten with a gun on Friday are the most serious injuries the army has caused since Ramzi Yassin, who was shot in the head with a plastic-coated steel bullet. Ramzi, from Bil’in, was handing out water during a demonstration in Bil’in on July 8th 2005, when he was shot in the side of the head. The bullet caused severe bleeding of his brain and he was left unconscious for 7 days and with permanent brain damage. Haitham al Khateeb of Bil’in, Yonathan Pollack, an Israeli, BJ from Denmark, and Phil of Austrailia were hospitalized at different times all for rubber bullets injuries to their heads at close range at Bil’in demonstrations, except for Haitham who was hit by a tear gas canister fired at his head.
Lymor, who was shot on Friday, is currently in a stable condition at Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv. It took the ambulances about an hour to get from the site where he was shot to the hospital. He was taken in for immediate surgery which took 3 hours, and a rubber bullet as well as shards of bone and damaged brain tissue were removed from his head and an internal heomorage was stopped. Before the surgery he was totally clear and aware even though he was in a lot of pain. After the surgery he was moving his arms and legs while he was under sedation. He was taken off sedation around 7pm yesterday evening. He can move his limbs and can talk but is having trouble with his vision.
Rina, from Denmark, is also currently in the hospital in Hebron (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/plugins/auto_links/klogs/?kw=Hebron&rl=http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/category/hebron/), suffering from severe concussion caused by an Israeli soldier beating her with his gun. She is stable, but is still having trouble walking on her own.
Israeli Army Causes Two Serious Head Injuries to Protestors in Bil’in
International Solidarity Movement (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/08/11/bilin-4/)
To view a video of the initial violence of the Israeli military and shooting of Lymor click here. (http://content.mishtara.org/bilin-11-8-06.wmv) Higher quality for broadcast is also available from the ISM media office.
The video clearly shows the Border Police unit firing on the demonstrators from close range. There is no evidence that the soldiers were in danger. Typically, the military spokesperson has claimed that “activists threw stones” and Haaretz’s article yesterday (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/749623.html) reiterating the same false information. The video also clearly shows the commander of the unit saying, “This is Lebanon!” as he orders his force to fire on retreating demonstrators, and “I will not allow a demonstration during wartime!”
=====
On August 11, the Israeli army and Border Police brutally prevented Bil’in’s weekly non-violent demonstration, by firing rubber bullets and sound grenades on protestors as they marched through the village on their way to the Apartheid wall.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/israeli.jpg
Fourteen people from Bil’in, Israelis and internationals, have been injured, including an Israeli, Lymar, in critical condition who was shot on neck and just above his right ear with 3 rubber bullets at close range. He has had surgery at Tel Hashomer hospital to remove a rubber bullet that was lodged in his skull. Currently he is in a medical induced coma in moderate but stable condition, but has sustained brain damaged of unknown severity.
Another demonstrator from Denmark, Rina, has suffered a fracture in her skull and brain contusion after a soldier beat her with the butt of his gun. She is currently hospitalized in Hebron (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/plugins/auto_links/klogs/?kw=Hebron&rl=http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/category/hebron/), West Bank and is conscious but unable to walk. She was also beaten on her legs and sustained minor injuries.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/demo8-11.jpg
The demonstrators marched through the village carrying 5 fake bodies symbolizing an entire family killed by the Israeli army in order to protest their “New Style of Killing” in which the whole family is targetted. The border police and army were stationed along the route of the march that leads to the Apartheid Wall, where the demonstrations usually take place. The military began firing when the protestors were less than 50 meters away, immediately causing many injuries.
The violence began so early that the ambulance (usually present at the demonstrations in case of injuries) had not yet arrived. At first the Israeli army would not let the protestors evacuate the Israeli who was shot in the head, and was suffering from blood loss. Eventually the soldiers took him in an army ambulance to Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/shooting.jpg
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/shai8-11.jpg
The soldiers then chased after the protestors and beat them as they were retreating, causing more injuries. Soldiers detained Jonathon Pollack, a prominent Israeli supporter and later released him. The army claimed that it was an “illegal demonstration” despite the fact that the Israeli Court ruled that Bil’in has a right to hold demonstrations.
This is a list of those injured at the Bil’in demonstration today, Friday 11th Aug.
An Israeli, shot with 3 rubber bullets at close range, with injuries to head and neck. He is currently undergoing surgery.
Two villagers, El Haj Wa’el Fahene and Nimer Mustafa Abu Rahma were both shot with rubber bullets to their backs and legs.
Gavin from UK, beaten
Martin from Sweden, beaten
Rina from Denmark, hit with a rifle butt on side of head
Jonathon from Israel, shot with rubber bullet
Uri a 20 year old from Israel, struck by rubber bullet
Rojo Didier from France (43 years old), shot with rubber bullet in back and leg
Jonas from USA, struck with rubber bullets on hip and leg
Cheryl aged 45 from USA, struck with rubber bullet to the back
Margaret from UK, struck by exploding sound grenade
Yoshki, a 22 year old journalist from Japan, shot by rubber bullet
Abudullah Abu Rahma, beaten
It is likely that an official complaint will be made to the Israeli authorities about the violent behaviour of the soldiers.
Background & Updates
The commander, Majdei, made this decision despite a military court decision in August 2005 that people in Bil’in have the right to protest on their land on the village-side of the apartheid wall. Every week since the wall was finished in March 2006, the Israeli military has also denied them the right to protest on their farmland on the other side of the wall. The wall separates villagers from 60% of their farmland, half of which has already been annexed and developed by Jewish settlements. In addition many villagers have been arrested in the night during army raids for participating in the demonstrations in Bil’in. Two villagers are still in prison: Esaam Matar, 29, has been imprisoned eight months and the military has ruled he is to be deported to Jordan; and Muhammad Burnat, 19, has been imprisoned for 3 months and has not yet had a trial for his alleged crimes.
According to official military regulations, which were reported in the Hebrew version of Haaretz today, soldiers are not allowed to fire from a distance closer than 40 meters. They are instructed not to fire at vital areas of the body and only to fire when they are in immediate danger. Each week during demonstrations in Bil’in, many non-violent demonstrators are injured in the head, neck and chest.
The Israeli who was shot in the head and a Danish woman beaten with a gun on Friday are the most serious injuries the army has caused since Ramzi Yassin, who was shot in the head with a plastic-coated steel bullet. Ramzi, from Bil’in, was handing out water during a demonstration in Bil’in on July 8th 2005, when he was shot in the side of the head. The bullet caused severe bleeding of his brain and he was left unconscious for 7 days and with permanent brain damage. Haitham al Khateeb of Bil’in, Yonathan Pollack, an Israeli, BJ from Denmark, and Phil of Austrailia were hospitalized at different times all for rubber bullets injuries to their heads at close range at Bil’in demonstrations, except for Haitham who was hit by a tear gas canister fired at his head.
Lymor, who was shot on Friday, is currently in a stable condition at Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv. It took the ambulances about an hour to get from the site where he was shot to the hospital. He was taken in for immediate surgery which took 3 hours, and a rubber bullet as well as shards of bone and damaged brain tissue were removed from his head and an internal heomorage was stopped. Before the surgery he was totally clear and aware even though he was in a lot of pain. After the surgery he was moving his arms and legs while he was under sedation. He was taken off sedation around 7pm yesterday evening. He can move his limbs and can talk but is having trouble with his vision.
Rina, from Denmark, is also currently in the hospital in Hebron (http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/wp-content/plugins/auto_links/klogs/?kw=Hebron&rl=http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/category/hebron/), suffering from severe concussion caused by an Israeli soldier beating her with his gun. She is stable, but is still having trouble walking on her own.