Thursday, January 15, 2004 [3:30AM Local Time]
[Budrus, RAMALLAH] Approximately one hour ago, shortly after 2:15 AM, Thursday January 15, 2004 Israeli soldiers came and took away the coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in the village of Budrus, Ayed Ahmed Hussein Morrar. They also took away his brother, Na'im Ahmed Hussein Morrar who was just released from Israeli military custody yesterday. On January 2, 2004 their brother, Nasir Ahmed Hussein Morrar, was arrested for making a public speech against the bulldozing of village farmlands.
Both Ayed, Na'im and Nasir have been active in organizing massive, civilian, nonviolent resistance against the confiscation of their land and uprooting of ancestral olive trees for Israel's planned Apartheid Wall. They have hosted dozens of Internationals and Israelis who have come to work in solidarity with the villagers against the wall, in their homes. In fact, a charge against Nasir when he was detained on January 2, 2004 was "hosting internationals in his home."
Construction of the wall began approximately two months ago in Budrus with the clearing of larger stones in the proposed path of the Wall. The people of Budrus successfully stopped several attempts of the workers to uproot their trees by using non-violent acts of resistance, including protest gatherings, marches, and obstructing the work of the bulldozers by using their bodies to protect their trees. A few of Budrus' actions were covered by the Israeli and international media, especially the shooting injury of Israeli protester, Gil Naamati, which exposed Israel's uncivilized manner of dealing with nonviolent protesters, creating bad PR for the Israeli military.
The villagers of Budrus are determined to continue resisting the confiscation and destruction of their land, and the erection of an Apartheid Wall that will turn their village into a large prison. They had called for and were organizing yet another demonstration against the Wall to take place later today, Thursday January 15, 2004 at 12:00 noon. The Israeli military and government do not seem to like the negative publicity or the determination of the villagers to resist this Wall and seem to have arrested Ayed and Na'im today in an effort to thwart the demonstration and break the village resistance.
Please call the Israeli authorities and protest the abduction of nonviolent activists in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and demand the safe and immediate release of these men:
Ayed Ahmed Hussein Morrar, ID# 929915163 DOB: 25 February, 1962
Nasir Ahmed Hussein Morrar, ID# 929915106 DOB: ?
Na'im Ahmed Hussein Morrar, ID# 929915197 DOB: 22 February 1969
Numbers to call:
Ofer Military Prison: +972-2-588-4325 or +972-2-588-4300
Ramallah DCO: +972-2-997-0284/5
Background Information
URGENT ACTION TO FREE PALESTINIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS AND STOP THE
APARTHEID WALL
Eight men from the village of Budrus are imprisoned by the Israeli army for their role as organizers of nonviolent resistance to the Apartheid Wall construction. Three have been held in Ketziot prison for one month:
Bilal Sami Mustafa
Raqan Tayseer Khalisa
Behar Muhammed Abdallah Awad
Ketziot prison: +972-8-650-6715
Six others were arrested over a week ago and are held in Ofer:
Abdelrahim Omar Mustafa Awad
Abdelrahman Omar Mustafa Awad
Hamzi Omar Mustafa Awad
Mustafa Sami Mustafa Awad
Na'eem Morrar (released and re-arrested)
Abdelnasser Ahmad Hussein Morrar
Ofer Military Prison: +972-2-588-4325 or +972-2-588-4300
Defend the right of Palestinians to protest in defense of their land.
Your calls really do make a difference! Call today to demand their release:
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
http://www.palsolidarity.org
UPDATES
Please call - new numbers for Ofer prison
Thank you to all who are making calls on behalf of Ayed and Na'im Morrar who were abducted from their homes by the Israeli military early this morning, and the other men from Budrus who have been detained for their involvement in nonviolent organizing. Some of you have reported that no one is picking up at the numbers we listed for Ofer prison. Please, please try again, using the numbers below:
Ofer Prison
+972-2 588-4202 or +972-2 588-4348
Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid
Phone: +972-2-646-6527
Fax: 0+972-2-628-5438
Military Attorney General, Brig. General Menahem
Finkelstein
Fax: +972-3-569-4370
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A Vigil for Tom Hurndall + UPDATES
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout4.php&id=1341&blz=1
TUL KAREM REFUGEE CAMP RE-INVADED, HOMES DEMOLISHED
[Tulkarem] Around 11 pm Wednesday, January 14, the Israeli army re-invaded the Tul Karem refugee camp, after a 30 hour invasion that ended Tuesday. A curfew was imposed throughout the entire camp at 4am, Thursday morning.
Soldiers entered two homes, between the hours of 5 and 9 am and ordered the families and nearby neighbors to leave immediately. One of the homes belonged to the family of a man who was killed by Israeli troops over one year ago in the Nur Shams refugee camp of Tul Karem. The second home belonged to a man who was arrested by the army during the invasion two days ago.
Neither of the families were told that their homes were to be demolished or allowed to take any belongings with them.
All homes surrounding the two targeted also sustained damage, including entire walls destroyed, severe structural cracks, shattered windows and damage to personal property.
Israeli soldiers also told one camp resident that their home would be destroyed once their son, who is wanted by the Israeli army, is caught.
For more information, contact:
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
http://www.palsolidarity.org
Email: info@palsolidarity.org