The village of Bil’in, in the West Bank, has lost two-thirds of its land behind the wall, even though it stands five miles distant from the 1967 Green Line border. For the last 2½ years they have demonstrated non-violently, and won more access through the gate to their land than other villages have. Israeli soldiers fire less live ammunition here, as Israelis and Internationals are usually present at the protests and injuries would perhaps be reported in the media.
I joined a protest march in Bil’in, after the villagers’ Friday prayers. We were immediately met with tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and concussion grenades. After a reply of stones from the local youths, soldiers advanced to the village. Fourteen people were injured by soldiers clubs and rubber bullets. The villagers of Bil’in have been called “Palestinian Gandhis” for their non-violent tactics. I saw an impressive range of lock-ons, banners and theatre props used to keep the protest fresh week after week. As with protests elsewhere, the non-violent bloc cannot exercise control or judgement on the stone throwers. And truly, after seeing the life the youths are faced with, I could not judge them for their choice of means to resist their occupiers.
The next week I attended the second annual conference on non-violent resistance in Bil’in. Speakers included Dr Mustafa Bargouti (Palestinian Information Minister), Ilan Pape (Israeli academic) and Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner). The recurring theme of the conference was boycott, divestment and sanctions. These were the methods by which Apartheid South Africa was beaten. Ex-US president Jimmy Carter has called some aspects of the occupation “worse than Apartheid.”
A boycott is gathering pace in the UK, with academics, UNISON, and the National Union of Journalists supporting it. Inevitably, Israel’s supporters have cried anti-Semitism. However, few Palestinians or internationals I spoke to expressed hatred of Jews, just disgust of injustice, violence and occupation.
So how can you help? The Big Campaign website explains that 60% of Israeli vegetable exports come to the UK. If they are not labelled as Israeli, the number 792 above the barcode will give the game away. I interviewed an agricultural NGO worker and an academic in Hebron. It is best that I do not give their names. They explained that the aquifers of the area are under Palestinian land, but that Israel is systematically tapping into and using the water. Settlers use 455 litres of water per day compared to 90 litres per day for Palestinians. The water is also used for export agriculture.
Boycott, divestment and sanctions are the ways the international community can support a just solution to the conflict. While in Palestine I heard varying views of what this could look like; one democratic state or two. What is known is that the Israelis will not choose to end the occupation of their own free will.
Dr. Vicky Dunn is a member of the Wyre Forest Green Party. Her blog from Palestine is at www.manyangrygerbils.typepad.com under Compost Diaries.
If you are interested in visiting Palestine or joining protests in the UK against Israeli interests, visit www.ism-london.org.uk. More about boycotts at www.bigcampaign.org.uk
