Ta'ayush demonstration violently attacked at Bethlehem Roadblock by Bryan Atinsky of Indymedia Israel 5:28pm Sat Aug 10 '02 bryan@indymedia.org.il The Israeli Border Police and Army violently attacked a group of approximately 700 Arab and Jewish demonstrators who were attempting to enter Bethlehem from Jerusalem for a cooperative Palestinian and Israeli demonstration against the occupation outside of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem. The demonstration was organized by the joint Arab/Jewish organization Ta'ayush. print article Peaceful, joint Arab/Jewish demonstration organized by Ta'ayush violently turned away at Bethlehem roadblock By: Bryan Atinsky, Indymedia Israel Aug.10, 2002 JERUSALEM - The Israeli Border Police and Army violently attacked a group of approximately 700 Arab and Jewish demonstrators who were attempting to enter Bethlehem from Jerusalem for a cooperative Palestinian and Israeli demonstration against the occupation outside of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem. The demonstration was organized by the joint Arab/Jewish organization Ta'ayush. Eight busloads of demonstrators drove from Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem and attempted to turn onto the settlement tunnel road towards Bethlehem, where a large number of Palestinian demonstrators were waiting, however, they were stopped by tens of Israeli army soldiers and border police. The demonstrators exited the busses and made their way quickly down the road by foot, but were soon after attacked by water cannons, horse-mounted police, and foot soldiers who beat and kicked demonstrators as they tried to pass. Several demonstrators were severely hurt in the attack, one who needed to be taken away in an ambulance. One Italian woman was hit by the water cannon in the back and was thrown so severely that she cracked her head against the road and ended up with deep cuts in her head and right arm. Numerous people had their legs trampled by two mounted police who ran their horses directly into the crowd of peaceful demonstrators. Several demonstrators were kicked in the legs and chest, one who sustained bruised ribs due to having been attacked by one officer with a running jump-kick with both feet into his chest. A sixty year old woman was thrown into a rocky ravine on her back, by the water cannon; she needed to be evacuated by ambulance soon after. One peaceful protestor was arrested during the assault by the Israeli police and army. After twenty minutes of the assault, most of the demonstrators sat down in the road and began to chant several slogans and songs against the occupation and calling for the soldiers to refuse to serve. Approximately thirty minutes later, the demonstrators turned back from the settlement road and began to walk towards the main entrance into Bethlehem through the Gilo roadblock, singing as they marched. Once more a large contingent of Israeli police officers and soldiers blocked the way, this time just inside the Gilo roadblock. The demonstrators made a group decision to stop their march and cease the demonstration where they were. However, they remained in the border crossing for another forty minutes, singing protest songs and at the end, they received a couple of speeches by cellular telephone (broadcast over a megaphone) by Palestinian demonstrators who were waiting in the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, discussing the importance of these shows of solidarity between Jews and Palestinians. Soon after, the demonstrators peacefully marched back to their busses and made their way home. indymedia.org.il add your comments Source file

Peace demonstators by me 5:55pm Sun Aug 11 '02 print comment These wicked nazis were calling for peace? The ugly satanic donkeys who you are fighting for will kill you when they are through islam/nazifying yesha. That you would stand up for these satanic beasts is unconsciousable. I pray you die painfully in sacred satanic jihad. EXPEL THE WICKED SATANISTS NOW!! (tm) add your comments

Brainless junk by Alberto G 7:50pm Sun Aug 11 '02 print comment It's interesting to note how religious zealots pray for the death of other people. Even more interesting to note how some other people do not need any kind of superior being to justify their respect and their love of life. add your comments

namehere? by headinghere? 2:43am Thu Aug 15 '02 address: labels phone: read cant print comment do a google search "jargon file troll" and look up the internet meaning of the word "troll." dont know hebrew sorry add your comments

Decent Jews and Decent Palestinians by American Vet 4:32am Thu Aug 15 '02 print comment Thank God for the good people of this world. The article stated: "Numerous people had their legs trampled by two mounted police who ran their horses directly into the crowd of peaceful demonstrators". When Gandhi marched, and the British attacked on horseback - the Indians laid down flat. The horses will not walk in an area where everyone is close in together flat on the ground - it offers unsure footing and the horses therefore will not trample you, and in fact will rear and possibly throw their riders. Anyway, It is important to note that here in America, the more sophisticated and knowledgeable among us are very much against the horror of colonial occupation by Israel. They also are not happy about the apartheid within Israel, and all the taxpayer money that flows to Israel, especially for military hardware and arms - all due to the arm twisting of our congress by AIPAC. It is a subversion of our democratic process. -American Vet www.seruv.org.il add your comments

Not covered by Trox 2:43pm Thu Aug 15 '02 print comment What really frustrates me is that here in the States we never hear about peaceful demonstrations done by Arabs or Israelis. The only evidence Americans get that Palestinians are angry about their treatment is through news about suicide bombings and attacks on settlements. By ignoring events like this (and it is my belief that it is done intentionally) the American media basically sends a message that only violent acts warrant any attention. Of course, any violent act is immediately condemned by governments and media alike, so the situation just keeps spiraling and spiraling as people worldwide begin to feel that there is only one way to get the American public's attention. The mainstream media has to start covering non-violent forms of protest, and do it in a more objective light. Otherwise this vicious circle will continue. add your comments

Ethnic Cleansing by PAN 3:21am Fri Aug 16 '02 print comment 'Transfer' (Ethnic Cleansing) Zionist Quotes http://www.palestineremembered.com/Acre/Famous-Zionist-Quotes/Story694.html#David%20Ben-Gurion In 1919 Lord Balfour, the father of the Balfour Declaration, justified the usurpation of Palestinians right of self determination as the following: "Zionism, be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-old traditions, in present needs, in future hopes, of far profounder important then the desires and prejudices of the 700,000 [Palestinian] Arabs who now inhabit the ancient land." (Righteous Victims, p. 75) As early as October 25, 1919 Winston Churchill predicted that Zionism implied the clearing of the indigenous population, he wrote: "there are the Jews, whom we are pledged to introduce into Palestine, and who take it for granted the the local [Palestinian] population will be cleared out to suit their convenience." (Expulsion Of The Palestinians, p. 15) In 1941 Ben-Gurion expressed his opinion on the "Arab question" in Eretz Yisrael, he wrote: "We have to examine, first, if this transfer is practical, and secondly, if it is necessary. It is impossible to imagine general evacuation without compulsion, and brutal compulsion, There are of course sections of the non-Jewish population of the Land of Israel which will not resist transfer under adequate conditions to certain neighboring countries, such as the Druze, a number of Bedouin tribes in the Jordan Valley and the south, the Circassians and perhaps even the Metwalis [the Sh'ites of the Galilee]. But it would be very difficult to bring about resettlement of other sections of the [Palestinian] Arab populations such as the fellahin and the urban populations in neighboring Arab countries by transferring them voluntarily, whatever economic inducements are offered to them." (Expulsion Of The Palestinians. 129) And he also added "The possibility of large-scale transfer of a population by force was demonstrated, when the Greeks and the Turks were transferred [after WW I]. In the present war [referring to WW II] the idea of transferring a population is gaining more sympathy as a practical and the most secure means of solving the dangerous and painful problem of national minorities. The war has already brought the resettlement of many people eastern and southern Europe, and in the plans for the postwar settlements the idea of a large-scale population transfer in central, eastern, and southern Europe increasingly occupies a respectable place." (Expulsion Of The Palestinians. 129) On December 19, 1947, Ben-Gurion advised the Haganah on rules of engagement with the Palestinian population: "we adopt the system of aggressive defense ; with every Arab attack we must respond with a decisive blow: the destruction of the place or the expulsion of the residents along with the seizure of the place." (Expulsion Of The Palestinians, p. 176-177 and Israel: A History, p. 156) Old habits die hard... so apparently this show of pre-meditated ethnic cleansing, funded by a delighted american audience, continues. When the world finally DEMANDS accountability, where will America stand? add your comments

another Vet by avgjoeboomer 6:29pm Wed Aug 28 '02 print comment Another American Vet here agreeing that its so heartening to get news about good people,as we all know that the majority of palastinians and israelis are good. Non violence is the way,wish I could help but we are getting into our own struggle in the states. eventually we will all come togather. Peace. add your comments