Peacemaking in Beit Jala

Just back from the Beit Jala demonstration. Tasted first hand Israeli military brutality. It was a non violent peaceful demonstration. We were a group of about 70 international, Israeli and Palestinian peace activists protesting against the theft of land and the destruction of hundreds of olive trees to enable the Israeli government to build its illegal apartheid barrier right through the middle of Beit Jala, leaving West Bank Palestinians from the village on both sides of the barrier. By cutting Beit Jala in half, the Israeli government are creating a so called 'security threat' , thereby giving the lie to the idea that the barrier is designed to increase security for Israelis. It is not. It is designed to steal land for further colonisation in flagrant breach of the 4th Geneva Convention.

As we walked down the road toward the construction site, and at least 100 yards away from the Israeli soldiers they fired stun grenades at us. One fell at my feet and blasted my ears repeatedly. They literally stun you. Thankfully my hearing aids were unable to cope with the extreme sound and shock waves created but it was still painful and disorientating.

The action was totally unnecessary and provocative in the extreme. We eventually confronted the soldiers and remonstrated with them politely concerning the illegality of their actions under international law. They produced a paper declaring our demonstration illegal under Israeli military law. Orwellian in the extreme. 1984 had nothing on this travesty.

When Israel acts in such a beligerant and provocative way, disregarding the norms of democratic society it loses what little credability it had.