Around 150 Palestinians, Internationals and Israelis marched, on Friday, in the village of Wad Rahhal near Bethlehem to protest Israel’s construction of the wall on their land and to protest the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla passengers.The march started after the Friday prayers and arrived at the lands slated for confiscation for the construction of the wall.
The wall is planned to isolate the illegal settlement of Efrat, which is built on lands that belong to villagers from Wad Rahhal, and the neighboring villages in Bethlehem area.
As soon as protesters arrived to the lands, 5 Israeli military jeeps arrived at the scene and demanded that the protesters leave.
The protesters, who were raising Turkish and Palestinian flags refused to leave and decided to stay and express their rejection to the wall. Shadi Fawaghra, head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in the village spoke to the crowd stressing the importance of nonviolent popular resistance and the need for more frequent activities against wall and settlements.
On his part, Dr. Mazin Qumsieh, member of the Popular Committee of Beit Sahour spoke in English addressing the Israeli soldiers who were persent there. Dr. Qumsiyeh pointed out that the world, except the USA, is against what Israel is doing, confiscating land of Palestinians, to build the wall and settlements and especially in the latest Israeli assault against the humanitarian aid convoy in the Mediterranean, which claimed the lives of 10 activists, mostly from Turkey and wounded dozens.
He added that there will be a day when the US will realize that it is supporting Israel’s wrong doings and then, Israel will recognize the rights of the Palestinians, adding that peace can not prevail until the Palestinian people achieve their rights.
