Volume [8]
No. [1]
June 2011
June 2011
Remembering
ISM Volunteer Vittorio Arrigoni, 1975–2011
Israel's
Lack of Interest in a Peace Process
Palestinian Olive Oil: Raising Money and
Awareness
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Volume [8]
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No. [1]
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June 2011
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June 2011Remembering
ISM Volunteer Vittorio Arrigoni, 1975–2011 Israel's
Lack of Interest in a Peace Process Palestinian Olive Oil: Raising Money and
Awareness |
Previous Editions |
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Remembering ISM Volunteer Vittorio Arrigoni, 1975–2011
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The most vivid memory I have of Vik is of him with a big grin on his face as he clung to the bow of a Gaza fishing boat, bouncing precariously across the waves and waving a Palestinian flag while he bid farewell to those of us returning from a victorious effort to break the siege of Gaza in 2008. Vik chose to stay, along with nine others who re-constituted the ISM presence in the Gaza Strip, which had been closed to volunteers since 2003. |
Vik was among the ISM volunteers who were in Gaza during the
Israeli
invasion of 2008-2009, in which around 1400 Palestinians (mostly
civilians) and 13 Israelis (mostly soldiers) lost their lives. He was
an independent journalist with a loyal following in Italy, so his voice
carried far, and was important in mobilizing Italian support for
Palestinian rights. |
Israel's Lack of Interest in Advancing a Peace Process
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| To understand what is happening
today in Israel/Palestine, one must know that all the land between the
River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, including occupied Palestinian
territory, is ultimately controlled by Israel. All internal travel and
travel to and from the country, including the occupied West Bank, is
controlled by Israel, and the exit from Gaza to Egypt is extremely
limited due to Israeli and American pressure. All trade is controlled
by the Israelis. And Israel maintains this control with the fifth most
powerful military in the world. The Green Line, marking the borders between Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, is widely recognized by the international community as a starting point for any two-state peace agreement. Yet Israel continues to expand beyond the Green Line, making peace impossible. |
The expansion is achieved by Israel in several ways. One method is the construction of large housing developments, or settlements, and the infrastructure associated with them. These are Jewish settlements within Palestinian territory. Only Jews can live in these homes. | |
Palestinian Olive Oil: Raising Money and Awareness
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| On March 27, 2011, NorCal ISM held
one of its most popular community functions, the olive oil bottling
party. The tradition began in 2003 and it binds the Northern California community in ways reminiscent of the way local communities are bound in Palestine. In both places, olive cultivation, harvesting, pressing and use are communal projects, where people eat and socialize together and renew their ties. |
In Palestine, the community often
owns the land, while individual families may own individual trees for
hundreds or even thousands of years. An olive branch is the symbol of
peace because such an offering is an invitation to plant and own
something that will make the receiver a permanent member of the
community. Trees are often given individual names, and become like a
member of the family, outliving all the others. |
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Tell Me, Who is the Terrorist?!
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| Two days ago, on March 22nd 2011,
the Israeli army attacked a populated area in the Al-Shejaija
neighborhood, east of Gaza City. Four days after the murder of two
children in Johr Al-Dik, the Israeli army once again killed civilians,
amongst them two more children. The latest victims of Israel's war
crimes are Yasser A'hid Al-Helo (15), Mohamed Jalal Al-Helo (10),
Mohammed Shaber Harara (18) and Yasser Hamid Al-Helo (55). At approximately 3 pm, Israeli tanks, positioned along the border, hit Al-Nazzaz street, 2 km from the border with four consecutive artillery shells. The first one hit Samer Walid Mushtaha's house, destroying the upper floor. His wife, who was preparing dinner, had just gone downstairs and missed the attack by chance. The second shell hit vacant land nearby belonging to the Al-Helo family. The third one hit a group of children and older boys who were playing football near their houses, as they do every single day. 10 year old Mohamed Jalal Al-Helo and 19 year old Mohamed Saber Harara were immediately killed and their bodies brutally dismembered. Ten more children and an adult were also injured by shrapnel. Three year old Yasser A'mer Al-Helo and six year old Ahmad Talal Al-Helo are currently in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital with severe injuries.Yasser Hamed Al-Helo and his 15 year old grandson Yaser Ahed Al-Helo were opening the garage door to take out the car and rescue the wounded when they were hit by the fourth shell. They were killed on the spot. |
At approximately 3 pm, Israeli
tanks, positioned along the border, hit
Al-Nazzaz street, 2 km from the border with four consecutive artillery
shells. The first one hit Samer Walid Mushtaha's house, destroying the
upper floor. His wife, who was preparing dinner, had just gone
downstairs and missed the attack by chance. The second shell hit vacant
land nearby belonging to the Al-Helo family. The third one hit a group
of children and older boys who were playing football near their houses,
as they do every single day. 10 year old Mohamed Jalal Al-Helo and 19
year old Mohamed Saber Harara were immediately killed and their bodies
brutally dismembered. Ten more children and an adult were also injured
by shrapnel. Three year old Yasser A'mer Al-Helo and six year old Ahmad
Talal Al-Helo are currently in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital
with severe injuries.Yasser Hamed Al-Helo and his 15 year old grandson
Yaser Ahed Al-Helo were opening the garage door to take out the car and
rescue the wounded when they were hit by the fourth shell. They were
killed on the spot. |
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A Call For Volunteers |
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| The presence of activists reduces
the risk of violence by extremist settlers and the Israeli army, and
supports Palestinians’ right to protest the occupation, the apartheid
wall, and illegal settlements. International solidarity activists
engage in non-violent intervention and documentation, which is
support that enables villages and individual activists to maintain
their continued resistance. For this year's olive harvest we had a third of the volunteers that we had last year: no more than 20 at one time. This made it impossible to support the families in Nablus with their harvest to the extent we had promised. |
Now that the harvest is over, our
numbers have decreased significantly
to an average of 10 total, with only 5 long term residents. It is so
difficult with these numbers to maintain a basic presence in key the
areas al-Khalil, Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah, and Jiftlik in the Jordan
Valley, that it is an incredible strain to expend anyone for special
projects, such as to live with families in need of a continuous
international presence. |
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405 Vista Heights Rd. El Cerrito, CA 94530 510.236.4250 www.norcalism.org |