>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "International" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 12:29:51 -0500 > >INTERNATIONAL ACTION CENTER PALESTINE JOURNAL II >Sunday, Oct 29, 2000 > >[The following is the second report from a four-person delegation from >the International Action Center from their humanitarian and fact-finding >mission to Palestine during what is being called the Al Aqsa Intifada, >or uprising. The delegation aims to bring back a first-hand report >documenting the repression inflicted by the Israeli army and to bring >medical supplies for Palestinian hospitals, which have been declared a >state of medical emergency. The Emergency is caused by the dual >problem of the heavy casualties inflicted by the Israeli repression and >the inability of sick and wounded people to pass through Israeli >checkpoints on their way to the hospital. The IAC delegation includes >Richard Becker, Sara Flounders, Randa Jamal and Preston Wood.] > >************************** > >The International Action Center delegation held several meetings Oct. >29 with doctors, journalists and activists in the Bethlehem/Beit >Sahour/Deheishe/Beit Jala area, and had a night-time tour of the >frontlines of the struggle in a region which has been in the forefront of >the new uprising. > >The normally 30-minute trip from East Jerusalem to Beit Sahour took >two hours, illustrating the high level of tension here. The van >transporting the delegation was stopped three times at Israeli military >checkpoints, once at an encampment of Israeli armor in the shadow of >the Jabal Abu Ghneim, where the infamous Har Homa Israeli hill-top >settlement is being built. > >Usually, there are thousands of tourists in Bethlehem. Now, because >of the Intifada�the Palestinian uprising�and the vicious reaction of the >Israeli military forces, Bethlehem seems almost empty. By 8:00 p.m. >there are no one in the streets, not even cars moving along. Lights are >out. And the hotels are completely empty. > >The delegation met with Drs. Naim Abu-Tair and Majed Nassar, >president and deputy director respectively of the Union of Health Work >Committees, and presented a donation of antibiotics, wound dressings >and sutures to the organization. > >The IAC delegates also met with Nassar Ibrahim of the Alternative >Information Center, whose central office is in Bethlehem, and other >activists from the area. > >In the evening, the delegation met with Ziad Abbas, a key organizer in >the Deheishe refugee camp, a camp renowned for its long and >distinguished struggle against occupation. > >Later, the group toured several Palestinian checkpoints in key strategic >points bordering Areas A and C in the Bethlehem region. Area A is >under Palestinian security as well as administrative control. Area C is >territory in the West Bank that is under full Israeli control. > >At several of the points, Israeli soldiers and settlers have been firing, >including tank fire, into Palestinian towns in recent days, particularly >Beit Jala and Beit Sahour. Dr. Nassar described it this way: > >�Yesterday we in Beit Sahour were subject to four hours of continuous >bombardment. Israeli helicopters, heavy machine guns, and tanks >joined in strikes on the area to the east of Beit Sahour. Between 10 >p.m. and 2 a.m. > >�We lived a nightmare of horror. At the same time, Beit Jala was hit >badly. In the late afternoon of the same day, Ramallah witnessed the >same experience, as did many other Palestinian cities.� > >The Palestinian Authority forces patrolling these areas displayed a very >high level of morale and determination to repel attacks. The delegation >witnessed widespread damage from Israeli automatic weapons and >tank fire, which had occurred in the past few days. > >+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > >To send a donation in support of the delegation, go to >www.peoplesrightsfund.org or send checks to the International Action >Center (write to "Peoples Rights Fund/Medical Aid"). > >If you would like to arrange for a speaker from the delegation at your >school or in your community, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >International Action Center >39 West 14th Street, Room 206 >New York, NY 10011 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.iacenter.org >CHECK OUT THE NEW SITE www.mumia2000.org >phone: 212 633-6646 >fax: 212 633-2889 > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
