Attacking solidarity in Saffa July 6, 2009
Palestine Monitor
5 July 2009
Villagers of Saffa, a town located in the South West Bank, have been facing several measures of collective punishment since last April, after an unidentified man, thought to be a Palestinian, attacked a settler youth in the nearby settlement of Bat Ayn. Since then and for over months, the Palestinians residents have faced arbitrary sanctions such as random closures, as the land of Saffa has been declared ‘closed military zone’ by the Israeli soldiers, further preventing the farmers from accessing their main resource of income. Solidarity actions with the farmers have been taking place for weeks. But last weekend, the Israeli repression became harsher, further attacking international solidarity.
For weeks, dozens of activists have joined the Soleiby family (whose members are prevented from accessing their agricultral land) in an attempt to pick fruit on their land. But last week, however, the military went to extreme measures to prevent the activists and farmers from getting anywhere near their land. When about 35 Israelis and 10 Internationals went along with scores of women and men from three extended families towards their land, nearly 20 Israeli soldiers confronted the group, beating and arresting over 26 Israeli and international activists.
An Israeli and a Palestinian woman were severely beaten, soldiers seriously injured a Reuters photographer, an Israeli activist was taken to a hospital and treated for a wrist fractured, after a soldier was twisting it behind her back. A Palestinian’s leg was broken as soldiers beat him with rifle butts.
Link: http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1002
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