Israeli Occupation Forces terrorise internationals in the West Bank village of Bil'in

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Saturday December 19, 2009 16:10

by TD - Free Palestine Campaign

So it goes in Bil'in, resistance and sumoud, sumoud, sumoud.

In 6 jeeps and on foot, on the night on Dec 18th 2009 at 1.30 AM, 35 to 40 Israeli Occupation Forces consisting of the notorious Shabak "Internal security service" and regular troops raided the building where Bil'in's Popular Committee house their international solidarity activists and journalists, the building was specifically targeted with no others in the village selected for special treatment.

Heavily armed and threatening, no explanation was offered by their commanding officer for their intrusion despite numerous requests to do so, except: "Shut up" and "Show your passport." One activist was ordered outside in the heavy rain at gunpoint whilst his apartment was searched, the other apartment in the building was similarly invaded and scrutinized, there were no arrests or items stolen, coupled with a violent IOF raid on the nearby village of Ni'lin the previous night (where a car windscreen and many windows in the house of the teenager, Salam Amira, who vidoed the shooting in the foot of Ashraf Abu Rahma whilst blindfolded and handcuffed at point blank range were smashed with stones and one fired percussion "sound bomb." See video) it was clear at the time that a fresh campaign had been initiated to harass, intimidate and terrorise activists and journalists empathetic with the plight of Palestinians and in the case of Bil'in probably a harbinger of things to come: subsequently borne out last night when approximately the same number of IOF raided - as is their wont deep in the night - two houses in the village but arrested no one (see video). The villagers are anxious but mentally prepared and geared up for further expected Black and Tan style raids - as can be seen, clear as an elephant in the rooom, when Iyad Burnt, head of Bil'in's Popular Committee angrily shouted at the IOF at yesterday's demonstration at the nearby Apartheid Wall: "Even if you arrest all of us, we will still resist".

So it goes in Bil'in and Palestine, resistance and sumoud, sumoud, sumoud.

Video of yesterday's protest in Bil'in to follow.