Ni’lin: Palestinians begin the long, non-violent struggle against the Wall

The road to peace is continually broken by walls.

The Israeli military has commenced building a new section of the Wall through the town of Ni’lin, roughly eighteen kilometers west of Ramallah. Peaceful demonstrations halted construction on this portion of the Wall three years ago, but now the Israeli authorities have returned, pushing the proposed site of the Wall over a hill, further away from the town.

A group of young protesters from Ni’lin sit in front of an Israeli military bulldozer on Tuesday.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

Even though this newly-designated spot is some distance from the town, the Wall will still cut into Palestinian territory, some three kilometers inside the Green Line. Eighty percent of the Wall is being, and has been built inside the Green Line, slicing up to twenty-two kilometers into the West Bank in the case of the Ariel settlement fore example.

Some of the land which the Wall - if built - will occupy is the farmland of the 5,000-inhabitant village. Some 6,000 olive trees grow along a hill and ravine near the village and the Wall will either completely destroy this environment or isolate it from the community. Access to schools and workplaces in the surrounding areas will also be greatly affected.

Preparation for the construction of the Wall through Ni’lin has been underway for a month, but Tuesday was the first day that the Israeli military bulldozer arrived to begin work. Specifically because of this, a group of approximately fifty villagers and supporters gathered to peacefully protest the Wall at the construction site.

This rally was a follow-up to one which was held the week before. Dr. Muhammad Shahwn did not attend last week’s rally, choosing instead to remain in his clinic to treat an asthmatic victim of teargas. He felt optimistic about their efforts.

“[The] strongest weapon is the heart,” Dr. Shahwn said. “If you want something in your heart, you will work for it.”

Commenting on the use of non-violence to achieve their goals, he added, “If you have weapons, your heart is weak.”

Approximately forty Israeli soldiers, along with several police officers, were present to ensure that the bulldozer was allowed to carry out its destructive work without interventions from the protestors.

A man informs the gathered demonstrators that this was to be a peaceful protest, and no rocks were to be thrown.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

The participants of the rally were very clear in their intentions to be peaceful. Salah Khawaja, who is originally from Ni’lin and who is also a steering committee member of the recently formed Arab Non-Violence Network, explained that the purpose of the protest was to stand for the land, and to do so peacefully.

Despite the Palestinians’ desire for a peaceful demonstration, Israeli soldiers began flinging sound grenades into the midst of the non-violent protesters, dispersing them towards the clouds of teargas that they launched over their heads. Rubber-coated bullets were also fired as the group ran across the field to take cover behind trees and stone walls.

Several fleeing boys then began hurling rocks at the armed soldiers, who continued to shoot teargas and rubber bullets. The soldiers followed the stone-throwers, advancing as far as a rock fence which climbed over the summit of the hill. Teargas was still released even after the rocks stopped flying. The uneven skirmish lasted around fifteen minutes.

When asked what he foresees as a result of all this, Khawaja said, “This can work, but we must come continuously, with peaceful demonstrations.”

Dr. Shahwn, however, was less confident. The Israelis, he explained over the low hum of the bulldozer, are forceful now and the Wall will not be moved again.

“It’s hard to win when they have no rules.”

Large numbers are expected at another peaceful demonstration scheduled for Friday. This protest is set to become a weekly event, similar to those held in the nearby village of Bil’in, which have been ongoing on for the past three years.

A soldier fires teargas at the dispersed protesters who ran across the hill for cover.

Photo: Palestine Monitor