Monday, January 5, 2009

Prayers Behind Bulletproof Vests

© Lilith Antinori, December 2008. Al-Funduq, The West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories.

"The main roads into and out of Nablus were blocked by settlers, as were Huwwara, Beit Iba and Beit Furiq checkpoints, leaving many Palestinians stranded for hours. Settlers also blocked roads and attacked Palestinians in the villages of Huwwara, Burin, Al-Funduq, Turmasayya, and the old city of Jerusalem. The main road from Nablus to Qalqilia was blocked on Thursday night, only partly opening on Friday, with the section from Nablus to al Funduq closed by Israeli soldiers throughout Friday. Roads between Kufr Laqif and Jinsafut in Qalqiliya region; and Deir Istiyia to Haris in Salfit region were also closed due to settlers stoning Palestinian cars.

Two days after settlers attempted to block Huwwara checkpoint, Palestinians are still denied entrance into Nablus via the key checkpoint. Israeli soldiers now, rather than Israeli settlers, block the main entrance to Nablus. As Ahmad Soufan says, `I think the Israeli settlers and the Israeli army are working together.` As part of its attempt to appear to `crackdown` on ultra-right wing settler extremists, on Thursday 4th December, the Israeli army finally carried out the Israeli supreme court ruling to evacuate one settler-occupied but Palestinian- owned house in Hebron. Although the Israeli authorities received the order to evacuate the illegal settlers more than two weeks ago, Israeli military officials, expecting a settler backlash, waited until precisely the time when most Palestinians would be out of their houses to carry out the command."

- excerpt from the ISM (International Solidarity Movement) report on the violence that week

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