Bulldozing the Apartheid Wall
[Qalqilya - Westbank, 19 December] Assisted by activists from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), Palestinian farmers from the villages of Zeta and Atil today bulldozed 8 roadblocks erected around the foundations of the new Apartheid Wall that separates them from their farmland. The removal of the roadblocks enabled more than 50 farmers to harvest their crops for the first time in weeks.

Construction of the new wall known as the Security Fence, but dubbed the "Apartheid Wall" by Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups, began earlier this year in the northern West Bank. The 8m high concrete wall, which will be some 350km in length when complete, will annex an additional 10% of the Westbank and leaves whole cities such as Qalqylia fenced in and villages such as Zeta without the farmland that is their existence. Approximately 900 of Zeta's 2000 dunnums (1 dunnum=1000m2) of land will be destroyed or isolated by the wall. Around 60% of the fruit and vegetables consumed in the West Bank are produced in the greenhouses and fruit groves of the Tulkarem/Qalqilya area.

Later actions will attempt to keep open the roads unblocked in the action, enabling more farmers to reach their lands.
[adapted from ISM report]

Tearing down the Nablus fence
[Nablus - Westbank, 18 December] Palestinian youth joined by ISM international activists tore down the heavy iron gate, erected by the Israeli 'Defence' Forces (IDF) to divide the city of Nablus and isolate its refugee camps.

Local Palestinian groups organized the march, supported by 18 internationals, defying the by-now permanent curfew of the city. Around a hundred and fifty people with banners and placards arrived at the start, accompanied by ambulances. As the protesters marched more people joined and by the time the demonstration reached the gate, a good crowd had been assembled. The traffic came to a complete stop and snarled up for a considerable distance in all directions. Spanners were brought and the hinges were removed. The gate was immensely heavy and it took some time to lift it and carry it away, to great cheering. It now lies at the bottom of a nearby ravine.

There was no interference from the IDF, but they were undoubtedly watching from the overlooking fort and retaliation is expected.
[Original report on Indymedia Palestine, with pictures]

The Gaza prison wall next?
[Rafah - Gaza, 19 December] Block O of the refugee camp is almost empty now. The 8 meter high, 10 meter deep prison wall the Israeli military government is building around Gaza is growing, on the land where before were hundreds of people's houses and livelihoods. Lining the wall are sniper towers: the area is under siege.

The sewage flood is knee deep in places. The way to drain the flood is to break this wall apart to allow a simple flow. "When the tanks and bulldozers came, the people were panicking in the dark. The noise is of crushing concrete and people screaming. They ran out of their home into sewage water" (Rafah resident).

There is nearly nothing left, nothing to come back to as the Israeli military moves through crushing homes, infrastructure, life. But some people here are saying, "If we just had one person standing beside us, just one set of eyes from outside, we would take a stand in our homes. We would stand up here."
[adapted from an ISM report]

CALL TO ACTION
The Zeta and Nablus actions show what can be done by Palestinians with limited international support. But without major and sustained international pressure, Palestinians will again become the victims of Israel's criminal policy of making Palestinian land into apartheid-stye Bantustans with no farmland, food, water or homes. The current ISM campaign is the strongest direct action movement in the country at the moment. With your help it could be stronger, so join.