NEXT MEETING:
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Demonstrators Met with Live Ammunition in Bil’in Village

For report and video:

http://www.bilin-ffj.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=240&Itemid=1

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How Israel Enforces Democratic Separation:

 http___the-death-of-bassam-abu-rahme

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Message from the head of the Popular Committee in Bil’in
microsoft-word-Bil’in Report
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Videos:
B A S S E M     A B U     R A H M E
A video about the life of Bassem can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyTXoMzwr50

A video showing the Israeli murder of Bassem                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlbzuZ_50mU

Halil Babhiti -Bil’in My Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WynTOY04Ac8

People & Power – Courtroom Intifada – 3 Jun 09

Bil’in villagers and protesters are taking their longstanding campaign against Israel’s seperation wall to the courts. Helped by an Israeli legal maverick have now a filed a case against the international construction companies who are building the settlements. They claim they have violated international human rights law by building on occupied land.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TySr95aKSlU&feature=channel_page
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THE VILLAGE OF BIL’IN

For the latest news from Bil’in, visit the following websites:
www.bilin-ffj.org,        
http://www.bilin-village.org/english/
 
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LFoP  Bil’in Link group

The Bil’in Link group of LFOP was set up in May 2008 following a public meeting where Eyad Bornat, Chair of the Friends of Freedom and Justice Committee in Bil’in, spoke to us about the resistance of his village to the Israeli occupation and in particular to the Apartheid Wall, which has cut off 60% of their lands in order to expand the nearby illegal settlement complex of Modi’in Ilit. Bil’in is a West Bank village of some 1,800 people, north-west of Jerusalem, which has become internationally famous for its powerful, non-violent and long-term resistance. In a village of subsistence farmers who depend for their livelihood on their agricultural crops and olive groves, the Wall has been a serious blow to their economy and well-being.

Weekly Demonstrations

see photos : http://www.bilin-village.org/photos/alb_demos/

http://www.bilin-village.org/photos/alb_conference_2009/

They hold weekly demonstrations after Friday prayers in the mosque, by walking from the village centre to the Wall on the outskirts, which in this rural area is a 9 metre high electronic fence with watch towers, censors and automatic weapons, bounded by a military road and no-man’s land. The aim of the demonstration is to move non-violently through the metal gate in the Wall to access their lands. They are always met with armed IDF soldiers and it is now standard practise to shoot at close range with tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets which cause injuries every time. There is also evidence that the Israelis are experimenting with a variety of newly developed crowd control weaponry. Friday demos are always joined by both Israeli peace activists and international groups and individuals from all over the world. The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Luisa Morgantini and our own north-west region MEP, Chris Davies are among the many high-profile supporters who have witnessed Israeli violence there. Because of their spirited resistance the villagers are also subject to regular night-time army raids to harass and make arrests. Bil’in lives in a permanent war-zone, but it is only one of many West Bank villages and towns to do so, and its campaign of non-violent resistance has now broadened to embrace other places. They themselves act as a support to the resistance elsewhere.

Twinning Activities
The first decision of LFOP was an agreement to pay the on-going admin expenses of the Bil’in organising committee, and money was given for this.

The second decision was to send 3 of our members to make a first-hand assessment of village needs and the possibilities for grass-roots community groups making links with similar groups in Liverpool. In December they spent a week living with families, hearing the stories of many people, enjoying overwhelming hospitality, meeting many groups and individuals and visiting other places too, as well as attending the weekly demonstration and experiencing a night-raid.
In addition to the clear need for financial help to buy anything from video cameras to tractors, the greatest need impressed upon them was for friendship and solidarity links with the outside world. They, like all Palestinians – and with good reason – feel isolated in their daily struggle against the 62 year old occupation. The great powers (effectively the US and Europe) have abandoned them to their fate instead of insisting that international law be upheld and a viable Palestinian state within the 1967 borders established. And like all Palestinians, they will not give up their land or their freedom. In such a situation it is very important for them to feel the genuine human concern and support of the outside world – and this is the power of linking community to community which we are involved in.

One of our 3 visitors quoted in his diary some words that were spoken at their first meeting with the Committee for Freedom and Justice, sitting in a moonlit circle outside the small office of the committee after the day’s demonstration:

“Israel started confiscating land and building the first settlement in 1985. The Apartheid Wall followed in 2004. Israel intends to clear villages next to the Wall, evacuate them, and transfer the people by economic strangulation. They destroy the land and then claim it is not being tended. They deny us our water. The Wall coincides with the aquifer, on their side, the only big aquifer in the West Bank. The occupation is killing people slowly, forcing them off their land. . . .In Bil’in we will not give up. Although every house here suffers from the occupation we are trying to support people and help them to stay. Resistance is peaceful, which is why we invite foreign witnesses. But the occupation can never be peaceful. The US and European media paint Palestinians as terrorists; our aim, step by step is to reshape this. We believe when people hear our story they will support us. We thank you.”

Later he wrote his own comments:

“The occupation is evil and should by all rights be brutalising, but so far we have seen not a sign of this. In their innate decency and quiet, unyielding, courageous and sustained resistance they have achieved a quality of living that we might envy.”

As a result of that visit our group has identified areas where we are looking for group-to-group links. We will start with schools, health professionals, youth football, students and women’s groups, but we hope that other possibilities will emerge as we develop our confidence and experience. There is much scope for other Merseyside groups and individuals to become involved and we are open to approaches.

National Twinning Network (www.twinningwithpalestine.net)
We belong to the national Britain-Palestine Twinning Network, a dynamic and expanding organisation which promotes and co-ordinates twinning around the country. It organises regular visits of British people to go to the West Bank to visit twinned communities and it brings people from those communities here to Britain. The next such visit is 4-11 March for a group of Palestinian women timed around International Women’s Day.

Get Involved
• To be kept informed of news from Bil’in and of our events, join our mailing list by
contacting lfopbilinlink@yahoo.com and you will receive a regular weekly update.
• If you know of any group that would be interested to know more about twinning we
have a variety of speakers and information available.
• Fundraising is an on-going activity and we’re always open to suggestions and offers
of a fund-raising event. If you can make a small regular donation and can set up a
standing order please contact the email above.

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Photo of Bil’in Village

More Videos from Bil’in

European parliament members brutalized by Israeli soldiers

bilin palestine One kid 11 years old was arrested

The Bil’in conference on popular resistance ends with anti w

Flashes from Bil’in 2nd International Conference on Popular Resistance, April 2007