BILIN JOURNAL In Village, Palestinians See Model for Their Cause

[grassfed]

By ETHAN BRONNER
BILIN, West Bank — Every Friday for the past four and a half years, several hundred demonstrators — Palestinian villagers, foreign volunteers and Israeli activists — have walked in unison to the Israeli barrier separating this tiny village from the burgeoning settlement of Modiin Illit, part of which is built on the village’s land. One hundred feet away, Israeli soldiers watch and wait.

The protesters chant and shout and, inevitably, a few throw stones. Then just as inevitably, the soldiers open fire with tear gas and water jets, lately including a putrid oil-based liquid that makes the entire area stink.

It is one of the longest-running and best organized protest operations in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it has turned this once anonymous farming village into a symbol of Palestinian civil disobedience, a model that many supporters of the Palestinian cause would like to see spread and prosper.

snip
Ms. Schaeffer was explaining the case to the visitors, who go by the name The Elders. The group was founded two years ago by former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa and is paid for by donors, including Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group, and Jeff Skoll, founding president of eBay. Its goal is to “support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.” Both Mr. Branson and Mr. Skoll were on the visit to Bilin, as were Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland; Gro Harlem Brundtland, a former prime minister of Norway; Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil; and Ela Bhatt, an Indian advocate for the poor and women’s rights.

more
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/world/middleeast/28bilin.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=branson&st=cse

[Scurrilous]

1. Israel fires live ammo on protesters, tear gas on media, during weekly protests against the Wall

<snip>

"The International Solidarity Movement is reporting that two people, an Israeli and Palestinian protester, were shot with live ammunition during the weekly nonviolent protest in the West Bank village of Ni’lin. Both protesters were shot in the leg, and both evidently are known to film the Nil’in protests.

Perhaps related, the IDF took a more aggressive stance towards the media during the Bil’in weekly protest today as well. Above is a video of Al Jazeera English’s Jacky Rowland reporting on Bil’in’s weekly protest. Watch as the IDF begins shooting tear gas directly at her beginning about one minute into the video. Thanks to the internet this news is finally able to get out."

http://mondoweiss.net/2009/09/israel-fires-live-ammo-on-protesters-tear-gas-on-media-during-weekly-protests-against-the-wall.html

(video at link)

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Proof is in the pudding. It's not "violent" resistance that Israel won't tolerate.. it's ANY

resistance.