At least 250 Palestinian residents of the village of Bil’in, west of Ramallah, along with some 50 Israeli and international peace activists, protested against the Israeli military attacks in Lebanon and Palestine, and against the construction of the annexation Wall, and settlements, on the village’s orchards.
Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil’in told the IMEMC that the protesters headed to the Wall construction area carrying a coffin draped Palestinian and Lebanese flags, and with the words “The New Middle-East” on the side.
The activists who carried the coffin were wearing shirts that carried the pictures of the US president, George Bush, Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, resembling the death caused by their support to the ongoing Israeli aggression and war against the Lebanese and Palestinian people, Abu Rahma stated.
Several protesters were wearing shirts that had red stains resembling the blood of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, and children, killed during the ongoing Israeli military attacks.
Commenting on the recent ruling of the Israeli High Court of Justice regarding the illegality of constructions in Matityahu East settlement, constructed on Palestinian orchards that belongs to Bil’in residents, and residents of nearby villages, Abu Rahma said that this decision is not enough, and that “every annexed land should be returned to its rightful owners”.
“The orchards in question are only a small part of the annexed lands” Abu Rahma added, “These orchards were green, and filled with olive trees”.
The Israeli High Court said in its ruling on Thursday that “while it is considering the legality of the Matityahu East settlement being constructed on Bil’in land, the ban on new construction and new settlers moving in must remain in effect”.
Also, the Court ruled that “the demolition of settlement constructions can proceed in certain enclaves of Matityahu East in an attempt to return the land to its pre-settlement, vegetated state”, but the fact that remains is that these orchards were uprooted and damaged during the construction process of the settlement.
Abu Rahma told the IMEMC that the residents, with the support of peace activists, will continue their peaceful resistance against the Annexation Wall and the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements.
