Jailed Bil’in Protest Organizer, Abdallah Abu Rahmah, Released One Day Behind Schedule

14 March 2011 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

Abdallah Abu Rahmah shortly after he was released. Credit: Simon Krieger

Abu Rahmah was released this evening, after having served the 16 months sentence imposed on him by the Israeli Military Court of Appeals for organizing demonstrations. Abu Rahmah was received by his family, friends and supporters at the prison’s gate and vowed to continue the struggle. After much delay, Abu Rahmah who was supposed to have already been released yesterday, was finally released from the Ofer Military Prison this evening. He was received by hundreds who waited for him at the prison’s gate.
Abu Rahmah, who during his trial was declared a human rights defender by the EU and a prisoner of conscious by Amnesty International, vowed to continue struggling against the Occupation, despite his unjust imprisonment and the six-months suspended sentence still imposed on him. He said, “On my release, I have no intention to go back home and sit there idly. In fact, by imprisoning me they have silenced me long enough. Our cause is just, it is one striving for freedom and equality, and I intend to continue fighting for it just as I have before”.
Media Contact: Jonathan Pollak +972-54-632-7736
Background
Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was arrested last year by soldiers who raided his home at the middle of the night and was subsequently indicted before an Israeli military court on unsubstantiated charges that included stone-throwing and arms possession. Abu Rahmah was cleared of both the stone-throwing and arms possession charges, but convicted of organizing illegal demonstrations and incitement.
An exemplary case of mal-use of the Israeli military legal system in the West Bank for the purpose of silencing legitimate political dissent, Abu Rahmah’s conviction was subject to harsh international criticism. The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, expressed her deep concern “that the possible imprisonment of Mr Abu Rahma is intended to prevent him and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to protest[...]“, after EU diplomats attended all hearings in Abu Rahmah’s case. Ashton’s statement was followed by one from the Spanish Parliament.
Renowned South African human right activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called on Israel to overturn Abu Rahmah’s conviction on behalf of the Elders, a group of international public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela. Members of the Elders, including Tutu, have met with Abu Rahmah on their visit to Bil’in prior to his arrest.
International human rights organization Amnesty International condemned Abu Rahmah’s conviction as an assault on the right to freedom of expression, and declared him a prisoner of conscious. Human Rights Watch denounced the conviction as well, pronouncing the whole process “an unfair trial”.
Israeli human rights organizations also criticized the conviction – including statements by B’Tselem, which raises the issue of questionable testimonies by minors used to convict Abu Rahmah, and The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) which highlights the impossibility of organizing legal demonstrations for Palestinians in the West Bank.
Legal Background
Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was acquitted of two out of the four charges brought against him in the indictment – stone-throwing and a ridiculous and vindictive arms possession charge. According to the indictment, Abu Rahmah collected used tear-gas projectiles and bullet casings shot at demonstrators, with the intention of exhibiting them to show the violence used against demonstrators. This absurd charge is a clear example of how eager the military prosecution is to use legal procedures as a tool to silence and smear unarmed dissent.
The court did, however, find Abu Rahmah guilty of two of the most draconian anti-free speech articles in military legislation: incitement, and organizing and participating in illegal demonstrations. It did so based only on testimonies of minors who were arrested in the middle of the night and denied their right to legal counsel, and despite acknowledging significant ills in their questioning.
The court was also undeterred by the fact that the prosecution failed to provide any concrete evidence implicating Abu Rahmah in any way, despite the fact that all demonstrations in Bil’in are systematically filmed by the army.
Under military law, incitement is defined as “The attempt, verbally or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may disturb the public peace or public order” (section 7(a) of the Order Concerning Prohibition of Activities of Incitement and Hostile Propaganda (no.101), 1967), and carries a 10 years maximal sentence.

Updated on March 15, 2011

Israeli military court extends jail term for Palestinian anti-wall activist

Amnesty International 

11 January 2011

Amnesty International has condemned an Israeli military appeal court's decision to extend the prison sentence of a Palestinian non-violent activist, convicted over his involvement in organizing protests in the occupied West Bank.

Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in, had his sentence extended from 12 months to 16 months by the Israeli Military Court of Appeals at Ofer in the West Bank on Tuesday, after the prosecution argued that his initial sentence was too lenient.

Detained since December 2009, Abdallah Abu Rahma, a school teacher, was supposed to be released on 18 November 2010, but has been kept in detention at the military prosecution's request. He has now been in prison for 13 months.

"By extending Abdallah Abu Rahma's sentence the Israeli authorities appear to be seeking not only to punish him further in a case where the prosecution’s evidence was questionable to begin with, but to deter others from participating in legitimate protests," said
Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"Amnesty International believes Abdallah Abu Rahma to be a prisoner of conscience, jailed solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and assembly. As such we call for his immediate and unconditional release."

Abdallah Abu Rahma was found guilty of "organizing and participating in an illegal demonstration" and "incitement" by an Israeli military court on 24 August 2010. He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment on 11 October 2010.

Following the extension of his sentence, he will now serve an additional three months in prison, with the possibility of an administrative release after two months, in which case he would be forbidden from participating in any demonstrations.

When convicting Abdallah Abu Rahma the military judge accepted the prosecution’s arguments that he had encouraged demonstrators in Bil’in to throw stones at Israeli soldiers.

The allegations were based on the statements of three children, who subsequently retracted them in court, claiming that they were made under duress.

Abdallah Abu Rahma is well known to Amnesty International as a political activist with a long-term public commitment to using peaceful means to raise international awareness of the human rights violations suffered by Palestinians because of Israel's fence/wall, much of which has been built in the occupied West Bank.

Since 2005, the villagers of Bil'in, together with Palestinian, Israeli and international supporters, have been holding weekly demonstrations in protest against the fence/wall and the confiscation of their land by the Israeli authorities for its construction.

In September 2007 the Israeli High Court of Justice issued a ruling instructing the Israeli military authorities to reroute the fence/wall in Bil’in to give the villagers access to more of their land, but this ruling has yet to be implemented.

The arrests of Abdallah Abu Rahma and other prominent activists against the fence/wall in 2010 have been part of a crackdown on those voicing their opposition to the construction of the fence/wall.

The Israeli 700-kilometre fence/wall runs through the West Bank, encircling Palestinian villages as well as whole neighbourhoods in and around East Jerusalem.

Palestinians in the West Bank are subjected to Israeli military laws including Order No. 101, “Order Regarding Prohibition of Incitement and Hostile Propaganda Actions”, which was issued shortly after the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967 and carries a maximum 10-year sentence.

The order enables sweeping restrictions to be placed on freedom of expression, requiring any proposed gathering of 10 or more persons “for a political purpose of for a matter that could be interpreted as political” or even to “to discuss such a topic” to obtain a permit in advance from the commander of the Israeli military forces in the area.

Since 2010 charges under Order No. 101 have been used increasingly by the Israeli authorities against Palestinians who organize demonstrations against Israel’s fence/wall.

Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah sentenced to a year in prison

11 October 2010 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee

Bil’in protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment today, for his involvement in his village’s unarmed struggle against the wall.
Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced today to 12 months in prison, plus 6 months suspended sentence for 3 years and a fine of 5,000 NIS. In the sentencing, the judge cited the non-implementation of an Israeli High Court ruling which declared the current route of the wall on Bil’in’s land illegal as a mitigating factor.
The military prosecution is likely to appeal this sentencing – as they did in the case of Adeeb Abu Rahmah, who was also sentenced for 12 months on similar charges but is still in prison after 15 months, pending the decision about the prosecution’s appeal. The defense attorney, adv. Gaby Lasky, is considering an appeal against Abu Rahma’s conviction.
Today’s sentencing hearing was attended by diplomats from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Belgium, Germany along with representatives of UNSCO and Human Rights Watch.
“The Israeli army, which served as prosecutor, judge and jury in this case, is try to use Abu Rahmah to set an example that will deter people from protesting. They have even said so themselves”, said Mohammed Khatib of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. “Their message falls on deaf ears, as we have no choice but to continue struggling for our lands, our freedom and our dignity”, he added.
Background
Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was arrested last year by soldiers who raided his home at the middle of the night and was subsequently indicted before an Israeli military court on unsubstantiated charges that included stone-throwing and arms possession. Abu Rahmah was cleared of both the stone-throwing and arms possession charges, but convicted of organizing illegal demonstrations and incitement.
An exemplary case of mal-use of the Israeli military legal system in the West Bank for the purpose of silencing legitimate political dissent, Abu Rahmah’s conviction was subject to harsh international criticism. The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, expressed her deep concern “that the possible imprisonment of Mr Abu Rahma is intended to prevent him and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to protest[...]“, after EU diplomats attended all hearings in Abu Rahmah’s case. Ashton’s statement was followed by one from the Spanish Parliament.
Renowned South African human right activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called on Israel to overturn Abu Rahmah’s conviction on behalf of the Elders, a group of international public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela. Members of the Elders, including Tutu, have met with Abu Rahmah on their visit to Bil’in prior to his arrest.
International human rights organizations Amnesty International condemned Abu Rahmah’s conviction as an assault on the right to freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch denounced the conviction, pronouncing the whole process “an unfair trial”.
Legal Background
Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was acquitted of two out of the four charges brought against him in the indictment – stone-throwing and a ridiculous and vindictive arms possession charge. According to the indictment, Abu Rahmah collected used tear-gas projectiles and bullet cases shot at demonstrators, with the intention of exhibiting them to show the violence used against demonstrators. This absurd charge is a clear example of how eager the military prosecution is to use legal procedures as a tool to silence and smear unarmed dissent.
The court did, however, find Abu Rahmah guilty of two of the most draconian anti-free speech articles in military legislation: incitement, and organizing and participating in illegal demonstrations. It did so based only on testimonies of minors who were arrested in the middle of the night and denied their right to legal counsel, and despite acknowledging significant ills in their questioning.
The court was also undeterred by the fact that the prosecution failed to provide any concrete evidence implicating Abu Rahmah in any way, despite the fact that all demonstrations in Bil’in are systematically filmed by the army.
Under military law, incitement is defined as “The attempt, verbally or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may disturb the public peace or public order” (section 7(a) of the Order Concerning Prohibition of Activities of Incitement and Hostile Propaganda (no.101), 1967), and carries a 10 years maximal sentence.

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Army court sentences protest leader to 1 year

 

Published Monday 11/10/2010 (updated) 12/10/2010 13:29

 

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- An Israeli military court on Monday sentenced non-violent protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah to 12 months imprisonment, with a six-month suspended sentence.

Abu Rahmah has been in an Israeli jail since December, and was convicted in August of incitement, and organizing and participating in protests in Bil'in. Ofer military court also ordered Abu Rahmah to pay a 5,000 shekel fine (almost $1,400).

At his hearing in August, the military prosecutor requested an exceptionally harsh sentencing in order to deter Abu Rahmah and to intimidate others, a statement from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said.

PSCC spokesman Jonathan Pollak said the committee would appeal the sentence.

Abu Rahmah is a coordinator of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements. Weekly protests are held in Bil'in against confiscation of village land to build illegal Israeli settlements.

Israeli military law in the West Bank uses a much stricter definition of illegal assembly than Israeli civilian law, in practice forbidding more than 10 people from assembling without receiving a permit from the military.

According to his supporters, Abu Rahmah's conviction was based only on testimonies of minors who were arrested in the middle of the night and denied legal counsel despite significant concerns, acknowledged by the court, over their questioning.

The protest leader's detention was internationally condemned. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said "The EU considers Abdallah Abu Rahmah to be a Human Rights Defender committed to non violent protest against the route of the Israeli separation barrier through his West Bank village of Bil'in."

The Intergroup for Palestine, an official body of the Spanish Parliament represented by all political parties, issued a statement expressing its "deep concern that Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s potential incarceration aims at preventing him and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to protest against the existence of the Wall in a non violent manner."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said he had been "very impressed" by Abu Rahmah's commitment to non-violence and wise leadership, and said "Israel's attempt to crack down on this effective resistance movement by criminalizing peaceful protest is unacceptable and unjust."

Abdallah is the recipient of the the Carl Von Ossietzky Medal for Outstanding Service in the Realization of Basic Human Rights, which is awarded by the International League for Human Rights in Berlin.

Palestinian anti-wall protester convicted by Israeli military court

 Amnesty International

27 August 2010

Amnesty International has condemned the conviction by an Israeli military court of a Palestinian non-violent political activist who has been detained since last December because of his involvement in protesting against the fence/wall which the Israeli authorities have been building largely on Palestinian land.

Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the "Popular Committee Against the Wall" in the West Bank village of Bil'in, was found guilty of "organizing and participating in an illegal demonstration" and "incitement" by an Israeli military court on Tuesday.

He was acquitted of two other charges of "stone-throwing", and "possession of arms". He is expected to be sentenced within the next few weeks and could face up to 10 years in prison.  He remains in custody awaiting sentence.

"In prosecuting Abdallah Abu Rahma, the Israeli authorities appear to be seeking to punish him and to deter others from participating in legitimate protests," said Malcolm Smart, director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa programme.

"Abdallah Abu Rahma now faces imprisonment for exercising his right to freedom of expression in protesting against the construction of the fence/wall."

Abdallah Abu Rahma is a school teacher and well-known political activist who through peaceful means has sought to raise international awareness of the human rights violations suffered by Palestinians because of Israel's fence/wall.

The villagers of Bil'in, together with Palestinian, Israeli and international supporters, have been holding weekly demonstrations for the last five years in protest against the fence/wall and the confiscation of their land by the Israeli authorities for its construction.

The arrests of Abdallah Abu Rahma and other prominent activists against the fence/wall – including Mohammed Othman, and Jamal Juma' – have been part of a crackdown on those voicing their opposition to the construction of the fence/wall.

Mohammed Othman and Jamal Juma' were released uncharged in January 2010 following international appeals.

In 2008 the Bil’in Popular Committee was awarded the Carl Von Ossietzky Medal for Outstanding Service in the Realization of Basic Human Rights by the Berlin-based International League for Human Rights in Berlin.

The Israeli 700-kilometre fence/wall runs from north to south of the West Bank, encircling Palestinian villages as well as whole neighbourhoods in and around East Jerusalem.

Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are subjected to Israeli military laws including Order No. 101, “Order Regarding Prohibition of Incitement and Hostile Propaganda Actions” which was established shortly after the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967.

The order enables sweeping restrictions to be placed on freedom of expression, requiring any proposed gathering of 10 or more persons “for a political purpose of for a matter that could be interpreted as political” or even to “to discuss such a topic” to obtain a permit in advance from the commander of the Israeli military forces in the area.

This year there has been a dramatic increase in the use of the Order No. 101 particularly against Palestinians who organize demonstrations against Israel’s fence/wall.

The majority of the fence/wall is not built on the "Green Line" (the 1949 armistice line which separates the State of Israel from the occupied West Bank) but is located on Palestinian land inside the West Bank, separating Palestinian towns, villages, communities and families from each other and vital services, as well as cutting off Palestinian farmers from their land.

In June 2004 the International Court of Justice issued a unanimous advisory opinion stating that the construction of the wall in the OPT is contrary to international law and that Israel was obliged to dismantle sections already built there and provide reparation to Palestinians affected by the construction. The Israeli government rejected these recommendations.

When Palestinians, together with Israeli and international supporters, have demonstrated against the fence/wall, Israeli forces have often used excessive force against them. Some demonstrations are conducted peacefully; in others, some protesters throw stones at the Israeli military or attempt to damage the fence/wall.

Read More

Palestinian activist faces prison sentence (News, 11 June 2010)
Second Palestinian activist freed by Israel (News, 15 January 2010)
Palestinian activist Jamal Juma' freed (News, 13 January 2010)
Israeli detention of Palestinian activists must end (News, 8 January 2010)
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Enduring occupation. Palestinians under siege in the West Bank (Report, 4 June 2007)

Criminalization of Popular Struggle Continued; Abdallah Abu Rahmah Sentenced

From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.

Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s first trial from 2005 had reached conclusion yesterday, with his sentencing to two months of imprisonment and a six months suspended sentence for participating and organizing demonstrations and for walking the streets of his village during a curfew designed to prevent a demonstration. A verdict in Abu Rahmah’s main case for which he is already in jail since December is expected soon.

Bil’in Protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced to two months of imprisonment and to a six month suspended sentence, after a five year long trial on charges clearly related to freedom of speech.
Abu Rahmah was convicted of two counts of “activity against the public order”, simply for participating in demonstrations, in one count despite the fact that “No evidence of violence towards the security forces was provided”. Abu Rahmah was also convicted of “obstructing a soldier in the line of duty”, for shouting at a police officer and refusing to leave the scene of a demonstration, of “breaking curfew”, for being in the street in front of his house when the army declared curfew on Bil’in to suppress a demonstration, and of “incitement”, which under military law is defined as “The attempt, verbal or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may disturb the public peace or public order”. Abu Rahmah was convicted of inciting others to “[…] continue advancing [to their lands during a demonstration in Bil'in], claiming that the land belongs to them.
Gaby Lasky, Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s lawyer said that “The military court threads a dangerous path of criminalizing legitimate protest in the West Bank. Abu Rahmah was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced with the clear intention of sending a message that the Palestinian struggle, even when of civic nature, will not be tolerated”.
Yesterday’s sentence joins a long line of recent military court decisions criminalizing Palestinian protest and effectively cracking down on the already limited Palestinian freedom of speech. The decisions are part of an Israeli campaign to suppress Palestinian grassroots resistance to the Occupation across the Occupied Territories.
One of the clearest examples of the legal persecution against protesters is that of Adeeb Abu Rahmah from Bil’in, who is still incarcerated, even after fully serving a ridiculously long 12 months sentence.
Mohammed Khatib of the Bil’in Popular Committee said that “In my village we learned that when we fight for our rights, when we expose what is being done to us, we can achieve victories, and indeed the path of the Wall is now being moved. Israeli is trying to intimidate us, to dissuade from fighting for our rights – but what other options do we have? Both the Wall and the settlements on our lands are built in contradiction of i

http://theonlydemocracy.org/2010/07/criminalization-of-popular-struggle-continued-abdallah-abu-rahmah-sentenced/

Why Israel jailed me for 'talking too much'

By Jamal Juma’ / March 9, 2010
East Jerusalem

The Palestinian elected leadership is weak. And even with Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan this week, the renewed Middle East peace process appears to be little more than a charade.
Israel has taken this opportunity to crack down on Palestinians who advocate nonviolent protests against the Israeli West Bank segregation barrier and charged them based on questionable or false evidence.

I know: I was arrested for talking too much. All we Palestinians want is a life free from racial discrimination.

During 2009, 89 peaceful apartheid wall protesters were arrested; since January, more than 40 have been arrested.

The US president’s support for nonviolent protest could go a long way. However, President Obama's repeated failure to protect the very rights and peace he has called for is a heavy blow to Palestinians. Especially now that Israel has taken to crushing the grass-roots equivalent of Palestinian Gandhis and Martin Luther Kings.

The power and importance of nonviolent protest is close to America’s heart. Decades after African-Americans’ historic sit-in at the Woolworth’s counter,

Palestinians live under a regime strikingly similar to Jim Crow. My Palestinian friends from the West Bank cannot eat dinner with me at my favorite Jerusalem restaurant. They would need to obtain Israeli “permits” to visit me, a privilege given to very few. They would be forced to endure several checkpoints or would have to defy Israeli martial law.

For my friends in Gaza, getting a permit to visit Jerusalem is nothing but a dream. Meanwhile Israeli settlers live illegally on our land, sail through checkpoints, and travel freely.

And it does not end there. One of the world’s strongest armies pounded our cities in Gaza with white phosphorous and encloses us in isolated, shrinking Bantustans almost with impunity.

Yet, every Friday, Palestinian villagers losing precious agricultural land to Israel’s wall turn out to protest peacefully. Unarmed farmers and entire families march to defend their lands. They do so though 16 have been killed, many just kids. They continue to show up though thousands have been injured.

In October, I expressed concern over the arrest of my colleague Mohammed Othman. Shortly before his arrest, Israeli soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint took him aside and warned, “We’re going to arrest you, but it’s difficult with you because all you do is talk.” I wrote then, “If talking is a crime, if urging the international community to hold Israel accountable for theft of our land is a crime, then we all are vulnerable.”

Less than two months later I, too, was sitting in an Israeli prison cell – for talking too much.

As they dragged me from my house, Israeli occupation forces threatened my family’s well-being, saying they would only see me again after a prisoner exchange.

Because we Palestinians are under military occupation, where military decrees sharply limit political activity, the struggle for our most basic human rights is, by default, criminalized. Once arrested, protesters do not face civil courts, but military courts which blatantly violate international standards of fair trial.

Fortunately, individuals around the world, including European diplomats, demanded my release. Amnesty International’s role was vital in suggesting that detained activists such as Abdallah Abu Rahma, Mr. Othman, and I were in fact prisoners of conscience. Othman and I were released within a week of Amnesty’s intervention.
Mr. Abu Rahma from the West Bank village of Bilin, however, is still in prison. He is charged with “illegal possession” of Israeli army equipment; charges which stem from his possession of spent tear gas canisters and bullet casings, which he keeps as evidence of the methods the Israeli army uses against the villagers when they protest the illegal confiscation of their land.

Last month, 40 Israeli soldiers raided our Ramallah office. They spent three hours turning it upside down and confiscating documents, research, computers, and electronic equipment.

More than six months ago, Obama gave a powerful speech in Cairo in which he asserted America’s commitment to promote the right to “speak your mind,” to have “confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice,” all basic elements of democracy.
His speech temporarily gripped a large part of the Palestinian people, especially those of us practicing the nonviolence he advocated. We were cautiously hopeful.

But Obama’s quick and near-total reversal on Israeli settlement activity and his silence in the face of the Israeli onslaught on Palestinian human rights and democratic freedoms came as a shock to those of us who dared to hope.

Because Obama is unwilling to stand up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and domestic critics, Palestinian civil society leaders are subject to unchecked seizure by Israeli forces in the middle of the night.

Critics in America say the solution is for a Palestinian Gandhi to emerge from within our society. This seems increasingly untenable when unarmed teens and real life Palestinian Gandhis such as Bassem Abu Rahma are killed by an occupying army that regularly meets nonviolence with violence.

What Palestinians want are simple demands: self-determination, the right of our refugees to return, a life free from racial discrimination, an end to the brutal occupation, and the immediate dismantling of the illegal wall.

Just under 50 years ago, the American civil rights movement inspired people worldwide with its many successes in pursuing social change through nonviolent means.

Today, the US vice president doesn't inspire when he visits Israel and fails to denounce the occupation and clamor in a clear moral voice for Palestinians' freedom. Instead, America has provided $30 billion over the past 10 years to Israel in military aid. And Obama has fallen silent on the issue of Palestinian nonviolent protests.

By speaking up for communities being ruined by the wall, for protesters being killed or maimed, and for community leaders being hauled away in the middle of the night, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate will not only imbue his Cairo words with meaning, but he will be promoting basic elements of democracy.

Jamal Juma’ is the coordinator of the Palestinian grass-roots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. He was released from an Israeli prison on January 12.

A letter From My Holding Cell

Abdallah Abu Rahmah during a demonstration in Bil'in. Picture credit: Oren Ziv/ActiveStills

Feb 17, 2010

This letter from Bil'in's Abdallah Abu Rahmah was conveyed from his prison cell by his lawyers. For information on his case and actions to take for his release see here

Dear Friends and Supporters,
It has been two months now since I was handcuffed, blindfolded and taken from my home. Today news has reached Ofer Military Prison that the apartheid wall on Bil'in's land will finally be moved and construction has begun on the new route. This will return half of the land that was stolen from our village. For those of us in Ofer , imprisoned for our protest against the wall, this victory makes the suffering of being here easier to bear. After actively resisting the theft of our land by the Israeli apartheid wall and settlements every week for five years now, we long to be standing along side our brothers and sisters to mark this victory and the fifth anniversary of our struggle.
Ofer is an Israeli military base inside the occupied territories that serves as a prison and military court. The prison is a collection of tents enclosed by razor wire and an electrical fence, each unit containing four tents, 22 prisoners per tent. Now, in winter, wind and rain comes in through cracks in the tent and we don't have sufficient blankets, clothes, and other basic necessities.
Food is a critical issue here in Ofer, there's not enough. We survive by buying ingredients from the prison canteen that we prepare in our tent. We have one small hot plate, and this is also our only source of warmth. Those whose families can put money in an account for us to buy food, do so, but many cannot afford to. The positive aspect to this is that I have learned how to cook! Tonight I madefalafel and sweets to celebrate the news about our victory. I cannot wait to get home and cook for my wife and children!
I was arrested in my slippers, and to this day my family has been unable to get permission to supply me with a pair of shoes. I was finally given my watch after repeated requests. For me this is an essential way to keep oriented; it was unbearable not being able to see the rate at which time passes. Receiving it, I felt so overjoyed, like a child getting his first watch. I can barely imagine what it will be like to have a pair of proper shoes again.
Because of our imprisonment, the military considers our families to be a security threat. It is very hard for our wives, children and extended family to visit. My friendAdeeb Abu Rahmah , also a political prisoner from Bil'in, cannot receive visits from his wife and one of his daughters. Even his mother, a woman in her eighties who is currently in bad health, is considered a security threat! He is afraid that he will not see her before she dies.
I am a teacher and before my arrest I taught at a private school in Birzeit and also owned a chicken farm. My family had to sell the farm at a loss after I was arrested. I don’t know if I will have my position at the school when I am released.Adeeb 's family of nine is left without their sole provider, as are many other families. Not being able to care for our loved ones who need us is the hardest part of being here.
It is the support that I receive from my family and friends that helps me go on. I am grateful to the Palestinian leaders who have contacted my family, the diplomats from the European Union and to the Israeli activists who have expressed their support by attending my hearings. The relationship we have built together with the activists has gone beyond the definition of colleague or friend, we are brothers and sisters in this struggle. You are an unrelenting source of inspiration and solidarity. You have stood with us during demonstrations and court hearings, and during our happiest and most painful occasions. Being in prison has shown me how many true friends I have, I am so grateful to all of you.
From the confines of my imprisonment it becomes so clear that our struggle is far bigger than justice for only Bil’in or even Palestine. We are engaged in an international fight against oppression. I know this to be true when I remember all of you from around the world who have joined the movement to stop the wall and settlements. Ordinary people enraged by the occupation have made our struggle their own, and joined us in solidarity. We will surely join together to struggle for justice in other places when Palestine is finally free.
Missing the five-year anniversary of our struggle in Bil'in will be like missing the birthday of one of my children. Lately I think a lot about my friend Bassem whose life was taken during a nonviolent demonstration last year and how much I miss him. Despite the pain of this loss, and the yearning I feel to be with my family and friends at home, I think that if this is the price we must pay for our freedom, then it is worth it, and we would be willing to pay much more.
Yours,
Abdallah Abu Rahmah
From the Ofer Military Detention Camp

Israel tries to silence political protest

Ben Hubbard | Washington Post
Israel is arresting a growing number of prominent opponents to its policies toward the Palestinians, say critics who are accusing the government of trying to crush legitimate dissent.
In the most high-profile case yet, Jerusalem police detained the head of a leading Israeli human rights group during a vigil against the eviction of Palestinian families whose homes were taken by Jewish settlers.
Since the summer, dozens of Palestinian and Israeli activists have been picked up, including those organizing weekly protests against Israel’s West Bank separation barrier as well as others advocating international boycotts of Israeli goods.
Some of the Palestinians were released without charge only after weeks and months of questioning.
The arrests come at a time of shifting tactics in the protests against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and annexation of east Jerusalem, territories the Palestinians want for their future state. Israel captured both from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war.
The violence of the second Palestinian uprising, with mass marches and violent attacks, has given way to carefully calibrated protests and legal action in which Israeli and Palestinian activists now often work together.
The main protest efforts are Friday demonstrations against the West Bank barrier in the Palestinian villages of Bilin and Naalin and vigils in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheik Jarrah, where Palestinians have been evicted.
There appears to be an increased police crackdown on the protests with greater numbers of activists being arrested.
In the West Bank, troops fire tear gas, stun grenades, and live rounds – even midnight arrest raids – to disperse anti-barrier protesters. Israel says the protests are illegal, and the harsh tactics are a response to stone-throwing and violent rioting.
In east Jerusalem, police have arrested some 70 demonstrators during marches in recent months, according to Israeli rights groups. On Friday’s protest, police arrested 17 Israelis, including Hagai Elad, head of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
They were released 36 hours later by a Jerusalem court, which found the gathering to be illegal, but the arrests unnecessary.
Elad said the arrests represent a “dramatic increase in attempts to silence dissent” that he believes began during last year’s offensive in Gaza, when Israel arrested hundreds of anti-war protesters, mostly Arab citizens of Israel.
Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld dismissed allegations of an arrest campaign and said recent protests in east Jerusalem did not have the required permits.
“There’s no campaign whatsoever,” he said. “When there’s a right wing or left wing, or Jewish or non-Jewish or Christian or Muslim demonstration … they have to be fully coordinated with the police.”
The residents of Bilin have marched every Friday since 2005 toward the barrier that separates villagers from 60 percent of their land. Last year, Nobel Peace Prize laureates Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu dropped by for a visit. Nearby Naalin started similar marches two years ago.
Israel says the barrier seeks to keep out Palestinian attackers, including suicide bombers. Palestinians call it a land grab because parts of it jut far into the West Bank.
The Bilin marchers, joined by Israeli sympathizers and international activists, chant and wave Palestinian flags. Some youths throw stones at Israeli soldiers. A Bilin man and five in Naalin have been killed and hundreds wounded over the years by soldiers. Israeli troops also have been injured, including one who lost an eye.
Since June, Israel has arrested almost three dozen villagers, mostly during night raids on the village, organizers say. More than 100 have been arrested in Naalin, including 16 in the past month.
Schoolteacher Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, a leader of the Bilin protests, has been held since last month on charges of incitement and weapons possession – the latter stemming from spent Israeli tear gas canisters, stun grenades and other munitions he collected to show visitors.
Two high-profile Palestinian activists were recently released without being charged.
Jamal Juma, coordinator of the Stop The Wall campaign, was held for 17 days. Mohammed Othman, who encourages a boycott against Israel, was released after nearly four months.
Othman, who was arrested upon his return from an advocacy trip to Norway, said he was interrogated almost daily. “The questions focused on the boycott movement, ‘How do you work on this and who are your contacts?’” said Othman, 33.
Interrogators searched his computer, his cell phone and e-mail accounts, he said. He had to pay a $2,700 bond.
Othman said he would continue with his activism. “I don’t do anything illegal,” he said. “All my work was out in the open.”

Second Palestinian activist freed by Israel

Amnesty International

The activists were detained following their protests against the fence/wall

© Amnesty International

The International Court of Justice said in 2004 that the fence/wall should be dismantled

© Neta E. / Machsom Watch

15 January 2010

Amnesty International has welcomed the release from detention of Palestinian human rights activist Mohammed Othman - but is concerned that the Israeli authorities have imposed conditions which will prevent him exercising his human rights.

Mohammed Othman was arrested on 22 September 2009 when he returned from a visit to Norway where he spoke publicly about the adverse impact of the fence/wall that Israel is building on the territory of the occupied West Bank.

He was held without charge under an administrative detention order until his release on Wednesday after laying down a guarantee of 10,000 Israeli shekels (around US$2,700).

He is the second activist to be released by the Israeli authorities this week.

However, his liberty is conditional on him not travelling outside the West Bank for an unspecified length of time and reporting to the police immediately whenever they  summon him for questioning.

"The conditions applied to Mohammed Othman's release from detention appear intended to prevent or deter him from continuing to campaign against the construction of the fence/wall in the West Bank and exposing the impact it has on the lives of Palestinians living there," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Director.

"These conditions should be immediately rescinded."

Mohammed Othman's release follows that of Jamal Juma’, who was freed without conditions on Tuesday. A third human rights activist, Abdallah Abu Rahma, remains in detention.

Jamal Juma’, Mohammed Othman and Abdallah Abu Rahma have been campaigning against the West Bank fence/wall for years by raising awareness about its negative impact on Palestinians, organizing grassroots opposition and peacefully demonstrating against its construction.

The three have repeatedly expressed their commitment to the principle of non-violence and Amnesty International is unaware of any credible evidence that they have used or advocated violence.

Amnesty International continues to be concerned that Abdallah Abu Rahma is being detained solely on account of legitimately exercising his right to freedom of expression in opposing the Israeli fence/wall.

If this is the case, he is a prisoner of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally. Otherwise he should be brought to trial on recognizable criminal charges and in full conformity with international fair trial standards.


                                      Take action on behalf of Palestinian activists 

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Palestinian activist Jamal Juma’ freed (News, 13 January 2010)

Palestinian activist Jamal Juma’ freed

Amnesty International

The activists were detained following their protests against the fence/wall

© Amnesty International

The International Court of Justice said in 2004 that the fence/wall should be dismantled

© Neta E. / Machsom Watch

Jamal Juma' is co-ordinator of the 'Stop the Wall' campaign

© Martina Waiblinger

13 January 2010

Amnesty International has welcomed the release of Palestinian human rights activist Jamal Juma’, who was detained by the Israeli military late last year.

Jamal Juma’ was arrested in December 2009, joining fellow activists Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman in detention, following a series of protests against the construction of the fence/wall in the West Bank.

Amnesty International last week called for the three men to be released unless they were brought before a fair trial. Jamal Juma’ was released on Tuesday evening but Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman remain in detention.

“Without international pressure I would not be out today,” Jamal Juma’ told Amnesty International on Wednesday.

“You can tell that there is pressure from abroad from how the guards behave with you inside. Yesterday I was released without charge and I thank everybody for their efforts and support.

“However, many others are still in detention and there are more arrests of activists every day. The authorities must stop this harassment.”

Jamal Juma’, Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman have been campaigning against the fence/wall for years by raising awareness about its negative impact on Palestinians, organizing grassroots opposition and peacefully demonstrating against its construction.

The three have repeatedly expressed their commitment to the principle of non-violence and Amnesty International is unaware of any credible evidence that they have used or advocated violence.

Amnesty International is concerned that Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman are being detained solely on account of legitimately exercising their right to freedom of expression in opposing the Israeli fence/wall.

If this is the case, they are prisoners of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally. Otherwise they should be brought to trial on recognizable criminal charges and in full conformity with international fair trial standards.


                                      Call on Israel to release the two remaining activists 

Bil’in organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah remanded until the end of legal proceedings

Posted on the ISM webpage: January 10, 2010

Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
10 January 2010
For immediate release:
Abdallah Abu Rahmah, coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall, was remanded until the end of legal proceedings today in an Israeli military court. Abu Rahmah is charged with incitement, stone-throwing and a ridiculous arms possession charge for collecting and displaying used tear gas canisters shot at demonstrators in Bil’in by the army.
A judge in the Ofer military court has ordered the remand of Abdallah Abu Rahmah until the end of legal procedures against him. Abu Rahmah, a high school teacher and the coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in is charged with incitement, stone throwing and possession of illegal arm. The latter charge was pressed against Abu Rahmah for collecting and displaying used tear gas canisters shot at demonstrators in Bil’in by the army.
On receiving the indictment Adv. Gaby Lasky, Abu Rahmah’s lawyer said that “The army shoots at unarmed demonstrators, and when they try to show the violence used against them to the world by collecting and displaying the remnant tear-gas canisters – they are persecuted and prosecuted. What’s next? Charging protesters money for the bullets shot at them?”
On December 10, International Day of Human Rights, exactly one year after receiving Carl Von Ossietzky Medal from the International League for Human Rights, Abu Rahmah was arrested during an Israeli military night-time raid. He was detained for his involvement in organizing unarmed protests against the Wall in the village of Bil’in.
As part of a recent wave of repression against the Palestinian popular protest movement, Israel has charged numerous grassroots organizers with both stone throwing and incitement. In at least one case, that of Mohammed Khatib from Bil’in, the court found evidence presented on a stone-throwing charge to be falsified.
The charge of incitement, defined in military law as “an attempt, whether verbally or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may disturb the public peace or public order”, is a cynic attempt to equate grassroots organizing with a hefty charge, and is part of the army’s strategy to use legal measures as a means of quashing the popular movement.
In recent months five members of the Bil’in Popular Committee have been arrested in suspicion of incitement, including Adeeb Abu Rahmah who is now in detention for more than five months. Jamal Juma and Mohammed Othman of the Stop the Wall NGO have also been arrested, presumably for being involved in anti-Wall and BDS work. They are both held with no charges and on secret evidence.

Updated on January 10, 2010

Israel must stop harassment and detention of Palestianian activists

Amnesty International


8 January 2010

Call On Israel to release detained activists

Three prominent campaigners for the dismantlement of the fence/wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are currently held by the Israeli military.

Their arrests last year and continuing detention indicate a growing crackdown on the legitimate expression of opposition to the construction of the fence/wall through the occupied West Bank.

Jamal Juma’, Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman are human rights activists who have been campaigning for years against the fence/wall by raising awareness about its negative impact on Palestinians, organizing grassroots opposition to it and peacefully demonstrating against it.

Amnesty International said it is concerned that they have been detained solely on account of legitimately exercising their right to freedom of expression in opposing the Israeli fence/wall.

The detainees have repeatedly expressed their commitment to the principle of non-violence and Amnesty International is unaware of any credible evidence that they have used or advocated violence.

If this is the case, Amnesty International considers the detainees to be prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. Otherwise they should be brought to trial on recognizable criminal charges and in full conformity with international fair trial standards.

In June 2004 the International Court of Justice issued a unanimous advisory opinion which stated that the construction of the wall in the OPT is contrary to international law and that Israel was obliged to dismantled sections already built there and provide reparation to Palestinians affected by the construction. The Israeli government rejected these recommendations.

Furthermore, when Palestinians, together with Israeli and international supporters, have demonstrated against the fence/wall, Israeli forces have often used excessive force against them.  Some demonstrations are conducted peacefully; in others, some protestors throw stones at the Israeli military or attempt to damage the fence/wall.

In the last 18 months, Israeli forces have killed six people, including a ten-year old boy, at the sites of such demonstrations and injured scores more, some very seriously. In no case have the Israeli authorities subsequently produced credible evidence that those killed posed a threat to the lives of the soldiers involved.

Many Palestinian participants in demonstrations are arrested and held briefly before being released, but a few are convicted or held in administrative detention and therefore without charge.

In September 2009, an Israeli activist, Kobi Snitz, was convicted of being present in a “closed military zone”, which the army had declared around the site of a demonstration, and, in a rare occurrence for a Jewish Israeli citizen, served a prison sentence, in this case of 20 days.

Jamal Juma’, the co-ordinator of the “Stop the Wall” campaign, has been detained without charge or trial by the Israeli authorities since his arrest on 16 December 2009. Jamal Juma’ possesses a valid Jerusalem identity card and, according to Israeli law, his case should fall under the jurisdiction of the civil legal system. To date, however, the Israeli authorities have dealt with him under the military court system, so enabling him to be detained without charge or trial for interrogation for up to 90 days.

Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the “Popular Committee Against the Wall” in the village of Bil’in, was arrested on 10 December 2009. He has subsequently been charged with three offences: incitement, stone-throwing, and possession of arms. Amnesty International understands that the last charge relates solely to his involvement in the collection of used M16 bullets and empty sound and gas grenades employed by Israeli forces to disperse demonstrators against the fence/wall and their exhibition in Bil’in museum.

Mohammed Othman, a volunteer with the “Stop the Wall” campaign, has been continuously detained without charge or trial since he was arrested by the Israeli authorities on 22 September 2009 when he returned from Norway, where he had met activist groups campaigning against the fence/wall. Amnesty International understands that he is currently held under an administrative detention order which is due to expire on 22 January 2010, but could be renewed indefinitely.
  Please write to the Military Advocate General at the Israeli Defense Forces, Brigadier General Avihai Mendelblit, to ask for the immediate release of the detainees unless they are brought to trial promptly on recognizable criminal offences and in full conformity with international standards for fair trial.
 
Picture copyright: Neta E. / Machsom Watch

Israeli detention of Palestinian activists must end

Amnesty International

The activists were detained following their protests against the fence/wall

© Amnesty International

The International Court of Justice said in 2004 that the fence/wall should be dismantled

© Neta E. / Machsom Watch

8 January 2010

The Israeli authorities must immediately release, or bring before a fair trial, three Palestinian human rights activists detained in Israel following their protests against the construction of the West Bank fence/wall, Amnesty International said on Friday.

In a letter sent to Ehud Barak, Israeli Defence and Deputy Prime Minister on Thursday, Amnesty International expressed concern that Jamal Juma', Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman were prisoners of conscience, held for legitimately voicing their opposition to the fence/wall.

"These men have all been involved in campaigning against the building of this construction, much of it on the land of the occupied West Bank, and we fear that this is the real reason for their imprisonment," said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme. "If this is the case they must be released immediately and unconditionally."

Jamal Juma' is the co-ordinator of the "Stop the Wall" campaign and a prominent human rights activist. He was arrested by the Israeli authorities on 16 December 2009. He has not been formally charged with any offence since his detention and information relating to his arrest has not been shared with his lawyer.

A military court in Israel on Thursday extended Jamal Juma's detention for another six days.

Jamal Juma' is being held under military law, which allows him to be tried without charge or trial for interrogation for up to 90 days. As someone who holds a Jerusalem ID card, according to Israeli law his case should be handled under the country's civil, not military, legal system. Since his arrest he has only been permitted limited access to his lawyer.

Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the "Popular Committee Against the Wall" in the village of Bil'in, was arrested on 10 December 2009. He has been charged with three offences: incitement, stone-throwing, and possession of arms.

Amnesty International said it understands the possession of arms charge relates to Abdallah Abu Rahma collecting used M16 bullets, and empty sound and gas grenades, employed by Israeli forces to disperse demonstrators against the wall, and exhibiting them in Bil'in museum to raise awareness of Israeli practices against protestors.

Mohammed Othman, a volunteer with the "Stop the Wall" campaign, has been detained continuously since 22 September 2009. He was arrested on his return from Norway, after meeting activist groups there campaigning against the fence/wall and is being held without charge or trial in Israeli administrative detention.

The International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion in 2004 that the construction of the fence/wall on the territory of the occupied West Bank is contrary to international law and should be dismantled. Israel has ignored the ruling.

"These three men are all well known for their defence of the human rights of Palestinians. In the unlikely event that there are genuine grounds to prosecute these men, they should be charged with recognizable criminal offences and brought promptly to trial in full conformity with international fair trial standards," said Malcolm Smart.

                                      Call on Israel to release the three Palestinian activists 

Free Israel's anti-apartheid prisoners

Free Israel's Anti-Apartheid Prisoners! January 6, 2010 Recently, Israel has been increasing its repression of nonviolent activists for Palestinian human rights, especially those involved in promoting boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaigns. The three Palestinian civil society leaders below are being held without trial for their nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation and apartheid. Click here to have the United States demand the release of these nonviolent activists by sending an email to the U.S. Consul General in East Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein. Mohammad Othman was arrested on September 22, 2009, at the Allenby Bridge crossing, while returning from addressing the Norwegian national pension fund about divestment from Elbit Systems, a major Israeli military contractor. Mohammad has now been held in administrative detention-without charge-for 106 days.   Abdallah Abu Rahmah, a leader of the weekly nonviolent protests against the Apartheid Wall in Bil'in, was arrested in his home in the early morning hours of December 10, 2009-International Human Rights Day. He has been slapped with a phony weapons possession charge for collecting tear gas canisters shot at him and other peaceful demonstrators by the Israeli army.   Jamal Juma', coordinator of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, was arrested on December 16 and is being held without charge. On January 4 his administrative detention was extended for a further 3 days. He has now been held for more than 20 days.   A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a major speech on human rights policy, pledging the Obama Administration to hold itself accountable to universal human rights standards: "By holding ourselves accountable, we reinforce our moral      authority to demand that all governments adhere to obligations under international law; among them, not to torture, arbitrarily detain and persecute dissenters, or engage in political killings. Our government and the international community must counter the pretensions of those who deny or abdicate their responsibilities and hold violators to account." Israel's arbitrary detention and persecution of dissenters such as Mohammad, Abdallah, and Jamal-Palestinians who are leading a nonviolent movement of protest against Israeli apartheid and in support of campaigns of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel-stand as a crucial test of whether the Obama Administration singles out Israel for a special exemption from its human rights rhetoric. Tell the U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem to press Israel to free these and all Palestinian political prisoners by clicking here. Jamal, Mohammad, and Abdallah aren't the only Palestinian grassroots figures being targeted by the Israeli military. They join hundreds of other Palestinians being held without charge in administrative detention, and thousands of Palestinian political prisoners being held in Israeli jails. The villages of Jayyous, Ni'lin, Bil'in, and al-Ma'sara, as well as Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah and other East Jerusalem neighborhoods, are facing collective punishment for their nonviolent resistance to the Wall and eviction. Learn more about this campaign of repression by watching this report from the Real News Network, and demand the release of Israel's anti-apartheid prisoners by clicking here. Israel's attacks on nonviolent resistance and its imprisonment of Palestinian grassroots leaders is a violation of international law and human rights and a violation of the Obama Administrations stated policy objectives in Israel/Palestine. As Secretary of State Clinton said in her Dec. 14 human rights address: "Believing in human rights means committing ourselves to action, and when we sign up for the promise of rights that apply everywhere, to everyone, that rights will be able to protect and enable human dignity, we also sign up for the hard work of making that promise a reality." Help make that promise a reality by sending a letter to U.S. Consul General Daniel Rubinstein asking him to press Israel to free Palestinian political prisoners such as Mohammad, Abdullah, and Jamal by clicking here. Take Action! 1) Send an email to the U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem to demand the releease of the anti-apartheid prisoners by clicking here 2) Follow us on Twitter and help us send messages to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem and the State Department by clicking here 3) Learn how to start and intensify BDS campaigns in your local community by clicking here 4) Support the important BDS and anti-apartheid work of the US Campaign by clicking here 1 Support Our Work: Join the Olive Branch Club: Follow us on: ABOUT | TAKE ACTION | GET INVOLVED | STORE | DONATE | RESOURCES | MEDIA | SUBSCRIBE |UNSUBSCRIBE US CAMPAIGN TO END THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION | PO BOX 21539 | WASHINGTON, DC 20009 202-332-0994 | USCAMPAIGN@ENDTHEOCCUPATION.ORG | WWW.ENDTHEOCCUPATION.ORG

 

	Free Abdallah Abu Rahmah Abdallah Abu Rahmah keeping his daughter Luma from harms way On the night of International Human Right Day, Thursday December 10th, at 2am, Abdallah Abu Rahmah was arrested from his home in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Seven military jeeps surrounded his house, and Israeli soldiers broke the door, extracted Abdallah from his bed, and in front of his wife Majida and their three children — seven year-old Luma, five year-old Lian and eight month-old baby Laith — they blindfolded him and took him into custody for organizing peaceful demonstrations. For Abdallah's wife, Majida Abu Rahmah's account of the arrest see her blog in the Huffington Post Abdallah is a source of inspiration to us all, but now he needs your support. Please take a minute to show him that people from all over the world care about him and his cause by sending him a letter. Your support will strengthen Abdallah's morale and be presented to his judge, proving that the international community is watching. ____________________ This message was sent to talhrn@zahav.net.il by Popular Struggle Coordination Committee Popular Struggle Coordination Committee | Amarat alRamouni | Ramallah | Occupied Territories unsubscribe					This letter from Bil′in′s Abdallah Abu Rahmah was conveyed from his prison cell by his lawyers. Please circulate widely. January 1, 2010 To all our friends, I mark the beginning of the new decade imprisoned in a military detention camp. Nevertheless, from within the occupation′s holding cell I meet the New Year with determination and hope. I know that Israel's military campaign to imprison the leadership of the Palestinian popular struggle shows that our non-violent struggle is effective. The occupation is threatened by our growing movement and is therefore trying to shut us down. What Israel′s leaders do not understand is that popular struggle cannot be stopped by our imprisonment. Whether we are confined in the open-air prison that Gaza has been transformed into, in military prisons in the West Bank, or in our own villages surrounded by the Apartheid Wall, arrests and persecution do not weaken us. They only strengthen our commitment to turning 2010 into a year of liberation through unarmed grassroots resistance to the Occupation. The price I and many others pay in freedom does not deter us. I wish that my two young daughters and baby son would not have to pay this price together with me. But for my son and daughters, for their future, we must continue our struggle for freedom. This year, the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee will expand on the achievements of 2009, a year in which you amplified our popular demonstrations in Palestine with international boycott campaigns and international legal actions under universal jurisdiction. In my village, Bil'in, Israeli tycoon, Lev Leviev and Africa-Israel, the corporation he controls, are implicated in illegal construction of settlements on our stolen land, as well as the lands of many other Palestinian villages and cities. Adalah-NY is leading an international campaign to show Leviev that war crimes have their price. Our village has sued two Canadian companies for their role in the construction and marketing of new settlement units on village land cut off by Israel's Apartheid Wall. The legal proceedings in this precedent-setting case began in the Canadian courts last summer and are ongoing. Bil'in has become the graveyard of Israeli real estate empires. One after another, these companies are approaching bankruptcy as the costs of building on stolen Palestinian land are driven higher than the profits. Unlike Israel, we have no nuclear weapons or army, but we do not need them. The justness of our cause earns us your support. No army, no prison and no wall can stop us. Yours, Abdallah Abu Rahmah From the Ofer Military Detention Camp