Sharonistan

GUSH SHALOM pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 www.gush-shalom.org

International release, Nov. 8. 2003

"This is Sharonistan" - report on two anti-Wall events

At the rendezvous point in the Liberty Bell Park. A hitch developed:
the Jerusalem Ta'ayush people, who organized the morning event, had
underestimated the number of people. As more and more activists arrived
from Tel-Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem itself, it turned out that there
weren't
enough buses to transport everybody to the demonstration site in
Sawahre,
and the whole action was delayed for an hour. The mostly young
organizers stayed remarkably calm: "It is very good that many came."

As the cavalcade set out at last across the invisible border between
West
and East Jerusalem, the activiststs meanwhile got detailed instructions
for
the eventuality of confrontation with the police. However, the
contingency plans remained unused, no problems whatsoever with the
police..But as we found later, the police was active further east,
blocking
the way for many Palestinian villagers who wanted to join the
demonstration. Still. when we alighted from the buses, there was a
considerable Palestinian crowd, of all ages, to welcome us.

Sawahra valley. It really looked like a replica of the Berlin Wall,
that
wall
which had fallen exactly fourteen years ago - a long row of giant
concrete
panels planted in the middle of a pastoral landscape. Did the Israeli
military
consciously emulate the East-German example? Or is this just what
engineers/bureaucrats routinely come up with?

In no time, the dull grey was overlaid by an enormous lot of graffiti,
as
Israeli, Palestinian and international activists simultaneously pulled
out
spraypaint bottles and cheerfully set to work . There was complete
freedom of speech - no attempts to censor or streamline: "Barrier for
peace" / No more ghettos! / No to the Apartheid Wall! / There are no
good walls. / Here ends the Zionist dream and begins the nightmare.
/ Arabern raus, this is Sharonistan. / Zionism of dispossession. / Riv
Muren
Swedent. / Make peace - not walls./ Pull down the wall. / The Wall will
fall.
/ This wall is killing Israel, too. / Two states for two peoples. / Non
au
mur.
/ Planting and sowing is better than the wall of blood. / One state for
two
peoples. / IDF go home. / The IDF is a terrorist organization. / Yes to
reconciliation. / Remember the Warshaw Ghetto. / This is not the Israel
we
dreamed of. / Down with the wall. / Yes to peace - No to the wall. /
Another
future without a wall. / This is Israeli supremacy and Apartheid. / Yes
to
the Green Line. / Peace begins with vegetarianism. / This is not
security,
this is stupidity. / Ghetto Palestine. / Wall = ethnic cleansing. / Stop
the
shame! / The wall kills the chance for peace. / Concrete is not
security.
/ Do you see a Nazi in the mirror? / We want peace, we don't want wall.
/ No to ghettos - Yes to compassionate listening. / Enough of
Dispossession
and Provocation; Long Live Peace and Brotherhood. / No hands meet
when walls are built. / Let the Palestinians live! / Somebody is calling

from
the other side, do you listen? / Love thy neighbor. / Down with Zionist
terrorism. / Long Live Free Palestine. / Peace Now! / Peace immediately!
/
Amor no guerra. ./ Remember the Maginot Line. / Remember the Bar-Lev
Line. / This is occupation is killing us. / Love without borders. /
Legalize
hash. / Education and not the wall. / The occupation kills, we want
peace -
and now.

And, in some places also the standard inscription of each block
(Ministry
of Defence - Department of Construction) was transformed: Department of
Destruction / Department of Occupation / Department of Apartheid /
Ministry of Oppression. And the Japanese word for peace, painted on
many corners looked like an ornament. (Two separate groups of Japanese
activists had arrived as well as the Buddhist monk, long-time resident
of
Jerusalem and a fixed feature of demonstrations.)

Then we set out in procession to the top of the hill, with Palestinian
flags,
rainbow peace flags, red flags of the DFLP, the round Gush Shalom Two-
Flag signs... En route, some information over the megaphones: The
concrete blocks are not yet in their final place. Construction has been
temporarily stopped by an appeal to the Supreme Court. The rally will
take
place at the wall site as designated by the army where Sawahre
inhabitants
have been maintaining a protest tent for the past month.

Niham Abu-Gush, head of the Sawahre Civic Committee, addressed the
gathered crowd: "Do you see the beautiful view of the valley? The
mountain on the other side? When the wall is erected here, you will see
nothing. And the houses over there have all got demolition orders." He
was followed by Beate Zilversmidt of Gush Shalom ("The wall destroys
Israel from the inside, economically and morally") and Yigal Bronner of
Ta'ayush ("It has nothing to do with security; only with annexation and
ethnic cleansing.")
***
Between the morning action and the evening rally in Tel-Aviv, news
broadcasts told of 11 Palestinians shot to death by soldiers in
different
locations during the past 48 hours...
***
At Tel-Aviv's Cinematheque Square a giant screen was erected. In an
effort to bring some of the occupation reality to the city, the images
and
the noise of bulldozers cutting down olive trees; soldiers shooting
teargas
grenades; demonstrators being dragged away from a bulldozer which they
tried to block. Activists circulating among the crowd distributed a
realistic
replica of the confiscation order signed by General Moshe Kaplinsky of
the Central Command: "Under my authority as commander of military
forces and according to my judgment that it is needed for security
reasons
I order a strip of land at a varying width of 47 to 60 metres to be
transferred
to the possession of the army and be declared a closed military zone, as

designated in the enclosed map." The map, however, marked the
confiscated strip down a major Tel-Aviv thoroughfare...

Lin Dovrat and Hulud Badawi were the inspiring moderators, alternatingly

in Hebrew and Arabic. Speeches were delivered by Einat Podgorny of
Ta'ayush ("We will not stay silent about this crime and the destruction
of
our future"); Na'ama Nagar of ICAHD ("The Wall unilaterally annexes
large parts of the West Bank, severely damaging property and living
conditions"); the remarkably vivid Hannah Safran - Women's Peace
Coalition (Israeli society is full of oppression, violence and hatred -
against Palestinians, against migrant workers, against women, against
the
poor"); Adam Keller - Gush Shalom ("Sharon had this annexation map
ready since the 1970s, implementing it first through settlement
activity,
now through the Wall"); the poet Rawda Murkus ("At Tuwani village I
feel occupied / And all women are occupied with me").

Most impressive was the direct appeal of Ossama Zachalke from the
Sawahre Civic Committee who had joined the bus from Jerusalem. "People
of Tel-Aviv! I came here to tell you what this wall will do to us in
Sawahre.
This is not a wall of separation between Israelis and Palestinians, but
between Palestinians and Palestinians, between people of one village.

We in Sawahre are 30 000 people. The wall will divide us, 20 000 on one
side, 10 000 on the other. Eight hundred families will be divided, in
some
places brothers are divided from each other, in another place a father
and a
son. In the one part, pupils will not be able anymore to go to school
and it
will be forbidden to die, as the cemetery will be on the other side."

Moderator Lin Dovrat then reminded the audience that Sawahre was but
one of many dozens of afflicted towns and villages, and asked everybody
to stay tuned for further activity, among other things signing the
petition
on the website: www.gader.org

The anti-Wall Coalition includes:
Alternative Information Center * Black Laundry * Coalition of Women
for a Just Peace * Green Action * Gush Shalom * HaKampus Lo Shotek
* HaKav HaYarok * Independent Media Group - Indymedia *
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions * Mas'ha Group *
One Struggle * Peace Now * Ta'ayush - Arab-Jewish Partnership *
Women Against The Wall * Yesh Gvul

P.S.: The Israeli & Palestinian actions are part of a global campaign
which
includes demonstration in the U.S. (New York, Washington, Boston,
Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans etc..; and one event
or
more in England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland,
Norway, Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Brazil, Argentina,
Chile,
Bangladesh and Jordan - details on:
http://stopthewall.org/worldwideactivism/62.shtml

Freelance photographer Eyal Ofer gave us the link to his recent series
of
professional photos of the Wall: http://www.pbase.com/yalop/fence

--
http://www.gush-shalom.org/ (�����)
http://www.gush-shalom.org/english/index.html (English)

with
\\photos - of actions or otherwise informative
\\the weekly Gush Shalom ad - in Hebrew and English
\\the columns of Uri Avnery - in Hebrew, Arab and English
\\position papers & analysis (in "documents")
\\and a lot more

Gush Shalom
pob 3322
Tel-Aviv 61033
Israel
-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST

It's amazing how much Sharon is getting away with, to a resounding chorus of silence in the non-Muslim world. My hat is off to the courageous few in Israel who dare to protest. Here's another look at Sharon and how he operates: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/358478.html . The man should be in jail.

Actually i thought the idea of a wall was a good idea . possibly we should start constructing one about 150 miles south of the Mexican border to deal with all those illegials trying to get to our country to ruin it and steal all our strawberry pickin jobs

"John A. deLaubenfels" wrote:

> It's amazing how much Sharon is getting away with, to a resounding chorus of silence in the non-Muslim world. My hat is off to the courageous few in Israel who dare to protest. Here's another look at Sharon and how he operates: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/358478.html . The man should be in jail.
>
>

-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST

In a message dated 11/10/2003 11:44:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,
kraiggrady@... writes:

> Actually i thought the idea of a wall was a good idea . possibly we should
> start constructing one about 150 miles south of the Mexican border to deal
> with all those illegials trying to get to our country to ruin it and steal all
> our strawberry pickin jobs
>
>

How many Mexicans have you heard of that blow up children on the border?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yes all palistinians blow up their children

Afmmjr@... wrote:

> In a message dated 11/10/2003 11:44:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> kraiggrady@... writes:
>
> > Actually i thought the idea of a wall was a good idea . possibly we should
> > start constructing one about 150 miles south of the Mexican border to deal
> > with all those illegials trying to get to our country to ruin it and steal all
> > our strawberry pickin jobs
> >
> >
>
> How many Mexicans have you heard of that blow up children on the border?
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> Meta Tuning meta-info:
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-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST

Kraig, that's a non-sequitor. I asked you if Mexicans blow up children on
their border? I didn't ask say all-Mexicans, but any Mexicans.

It doesn't do any good to build a wall on the wrong side of the palestinians
.

Afmmjr@... wrote:

> Kraig, that's a non-sequitor. I asked you if Mexicans blow up children on
> their border? I didn't ask say all-Mexicans, but any Mexicans.
>
>

-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST

In a message dated 11/11/03 5:47:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,
kraiggrady@... writes:

> It doesn't do any good to build a wall on the wrong side of the
> palestinians
>

Too bad you weren't around to tell the Chinese not to build the Great Wall to
protect them from the Mongols.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yes that was the last time such backward thinking worked. it sure worked well
against the germans in WWII didn't it! I hope to someday buy a chunk of it like
the berlin wall and have it in my front yard.

we also know that the wall was to keep people in as much as out

By cut the BS , we know what the wall is for , a new border. It is n't i am
anti jewish, butIreals government a corrupt and disgusting as our own. Isreal

Afmmjr@... wrote:

> In a message dated 11/11/03 5:47:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> kraiggrady@... writes:
>
> > It doesn't do any good to build a wall on the wrong side of the
> > palestinians
> >
>
> Too bad you weren't around to tell the Chinese not to build the Great Wall to
> protect them from the Mongols.
>
>

-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST

In a message dated 11/11/2003 11:48:34 AM Eastern Standard Time,
kraiggrady@... writes:

> Yes that was the last time such backward thinking worked. it sure worked
> well
> against the germans in WWII didn't it! I hope to someday buy a chunk of it
> like
> the berlin wall and have it in my front yard.
>
> we also know that the wall was to keep people in as much as out
>
> By cut the BS , we know what the wall is for , a new border. It is n't i am
> anti jewish, butIreals government a corrupt and disgusting as our own.
> Isreal
>
>

Nah, Chinese weren't the last by a long shot. Maybe the walled-ghettos of
Germans to keep Jews in have stayed with the Sharonistani?

Cutting the BS, currupt and disgusting nations shouldn't throw stones.
Besides with the loads of currupt and disgusting nations in this world, its always
amazing how Israel gets the biggest nod. Do you think Israel is the most evil
country in the world? Second most evil?

Come on now, why all the special attention? As for the real estate issue,
who ever heard of a wall that went up that couldn't come down? I'm against
taking land from Palestinians, period. But for you to make light of the killing,
especially when it is reving up all over the world, belies your supposed
neutral leanings.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Afmmjr@... wrote:

> Do you think Israel is the most evil
> country in the world? Second most evil?

I am sure if i knew the details of most countries i would realize the world is
nothing but one macbeth castle against another.

Being such an Idealist possibly if i just accepted this i could just go one with
my life and let them all battle it out among themselves. But they always seem to
involves us 'citizens'
oops such a thing no longer exist, i meant to say "consumers'.

>
>
> Come on now, why all the special attention? As for the real estate issue,
> who ever heard of a wall that went up that couldn't come down?

like i said i want a piece. the real monlith of 2001 was the berlin wall

> I'm against
> taking land from Palestinians, period.

> But for you to make light of the killing,
> especially when it is reving up all over the world, belies your supposed
> neutral leanings.

That i question the actors behinds the bombing doesn't mean i don't find them
horrendous. possibly even more so since they serve no purpose, especially their own.
frankly none of them learned fronm the IRA thart the less you kill the better, of
course they themselves learned this the hard way with many innocent people dying.
And it is only the lack of killing that has brought peace. They always incorrectly
refer to tne mideast of fighting each other for thousands of years. not so. In
Ireland they have been fighting for 400 so if they end it , anyone can.
Although i speak too soon since it is not completely over.

>
>
>

-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST