Thursday, March 16, 2006
Amireh: 'Israel Didn't Win, Again'
Earth is squeezing us. If only we were its wheat, we might die and yet live Mahmoud Darwish
Earth, gape! O no, it will not harbor me Christopher Marlowe
Commentary and Reporting on the Siege of the Prison in Jericho:
Ahmed Saadat:There are more than 200 people holed up. Now they are shelling some of the sides of the prison. Moreover, the prison is being surrounded, and some of its parts are being demolished by bulldozers. I say that there is UK-US collusion with Israel in the storming of the prison.
We, along with our people, will meet our fate courageously. All our people in all corners of the homeland are being targeted. We as strugglers operating within the ranks of this people will engage in confrontation using all our available resources.
From PCHR: During the operation, IOF bombarded the prison and governorate complex before and after bulldozing the buildings inside. The bombardment included tank shells and rockets fired from attack helicopters. The operation ended with the detention of the aforementioned as well as scores of political and criminal prisoners, security guards, and members of the National Security Service, who use the governorate building as their headquarters. In addition, 2 Palestinians were killed, one a prison guard and the other a prisoner detained on criminal charges. Another 50 Palestinians were injured.
From Laila El-Haddad: According to a friend who was at the scene before herself being arrested, the military destroyed one building of Jericho muqatta with tank and Apache shells. And they made sure all the prisoners were in one internal room, in the courtyard which journalists couldn’t see. They then brought a crane and tore down the wall of the room the prisoners were in while they were in it.
On her own experience: Angry protestors from the PFLP poured out onto Gaza’s streets. They attacked symbols of what they perceived as foreign collusion: the British Council (a cultural center) was partially burned, and the office of Amideast, which is in the building right next door to me, was briefly stormed, and its windows shattered. They called a general strike, as stores closed their doors.
Machine-gun fire ripped through the air just as Israeli drones whirred incessantly above, and Israeli artillery shells continued to pound Eastern and Northern Gaza, shaking my entire building. Plumes of black smoke from burnt tires and vehicles could be seen rising in Gaza’s skies.
From Lucy Widaad: You see, our system here works differently then in the rest of the world. It is illegal for us to have our own police according to Israel. If Israel decides to come into our city they warn our people that if they see anyone with a uniform they will shoot and kill him. So when things just start to feel good again, Israel decides they need to come monitor the city, which means, all police hide and all civilians are confined to their home as they drive around in their hummers, etc.
We do not have any choices. We do not have any power.
How are powerless & hopeless people to act?
From Amal Amireh: One of the saddest things I heard today was from some one called Abu Nawras, the head of the Jericho security "battalion". He was on the phone with al Jazeerah correspondent describing how the Israeli bulldozer was knocking the walls of the room he's in, getting closer and closer, saying it's only 10 meters away when suddenly he started thanking the world media for showing up to cover the event. I couldn't believe my ears! How low our expectations have fallen that now we thank the world for coming to witness our execution. "Thank you for coming to my massacre, world."
But he was dignified to the last minute. So was Ahmad Saadat. Their act of resistance was simple and as all simple acts of resistance it was immense: "come and get us; we won't come to you." They didn't kneel. Israel didn't win, again.
Earth, gape! O no, it will not harbor me Christopher Marlowe
Commentary and Reporting on the Siege of the Prison in Jericho:
Ahmed Saadat:There are more than 200 people holed up. Now they are shelling some of the sides of the prison. Moreover, the prison is being surrounded, and some of its parts are being demolished by bulldozers. I say that there is UK-US collusion with Israel in the storming of the prison.
We, along with our people, will meet our fate courageously. All our people in all corners of the homeland are being targeted. We as strugglers operating within the ranks of this people will engage in confrontation using all our available resources.
From PCHR: During the operation, IOF bombarded the prison and governorate complex before and after bulldozing the buildings inside. The bombardment included tank shells and rockets fired from attack helicopters. The operation ended with the detention of the aforementioned as well as scores of political and criminal prisoners, security guards, and members of the National Security Service, who use the governorate building as their headquarters. In addition, 2 Palestinians were killed, one a prison guard and the other a prisoner detained on criminal charges. Another 50 Palestinians were injured.
From Laila El-Haddad: According to a friend who was at the scene before herself being arrested, the military destroyed one building of Jericho muqatta with tank and Apache shells. And they made sure all the prisoners were in one internal room, in the courtyard which journalists couldn’t see. They then brought a crane and tore down the wall of the room the prisoners were in while they were in it.
On her own experience: Angry protestors from the PFLP poured out onto Gaza’s streets. They attacked symbols of what they perceived as foreign collusion: the British Council (a cultural center) was partially burned, and the office of Amideast, which is in the building right next door to me, was briefly stormed, and its windows shattered. They called a general strike, as stores closed their doors.
Machine-gun fire ripped through the air just as Israeli drones whirred incessantly above, and Israeli artillery shells continued to pound Eastern and Northern Gaza, shaking my entire building. Plumes of black smoke from burnt tires and vehicles could be seen rising in Gaza’s skies.
From Lucy Widaad: You see, our system here works differently then in the rest of the world. It is illegal for us to have our own police according to Israel. If Israel decides to come into our city they warn our people that if they see anyone with a uniform they will shoot and kill him. So when things just start to feel good again, Israel decides they need to come monitor the city, which means, all police hide and all civilians are confined to their home as they drive around in their hummers, etc.
We do not have any choices. We do not have any power.
How are powerless & hopeless people to act?
From Amal Amireh: One of the saddest things I heard today was from some one called Abu Nawras, the head of the Jericho security "battalion". He was on the phone with al Jazeerah correspondent describing how the Israeli bulldozer was knocking the walls of the room he's in, getting closer and closer, saying it's only 10 meters away when suddenly he started thanking the world media for showing up to cover the event. I couldn't believe my ears! How low our expectations have fallen that now we thank the world for coming to witness our execution. "Thank you for coming to my massacre, world."
But he was dignified to the last minute. So was Ahmad Saadat. Their act of resistance was simple and as all simple acts of resistance it was immense: "come and get us; we won't come to you." They didn't kneel. Israel didn't win, again.
