10th July 2003 – Tulkarem

Today farmers from the village of Deir Ghussun and seven internationals
joined in a march to a gate in the security fence, which currently
prevents them from accessing approximately one fifth of their cultivatable
land, though it is within "the green line" demarking the Palestinian
border. The land previously fed approximately 30,000 people in the
villages around Tulkarem. Some thirty or forty farmers and locals arrived
at the gate around 9AM, only to find that the gate was unlocked. However,
upon opening it an IDF jeep very rapidly appeared on the scene, and the
gate was secured. Negotiation though the wire for the admission of the
farmers in order to work their land was met only with orders to withdraw.
As the morning progressed, the Israeli presence intensified with three
jeeps and a hum-vee depositing soldiers on both sides of the fence. Tear
gas canisters were made visible. There was also a border police vehicle,
so the possibility of arrest was high. The farmers however, were not
intimidated.

After perhaps 90 minutes of waiting before the gate, a television camera
appeared, which quite promptly seemed to cause the Israelis to withdraw
from sight. In this window the farmers reopened the gate and began to
make their way through to their land, but very rapidly the soldiers
rematerialized, surrounding the party. One soldier mimed the lob of a
grenade to scare the group away. In the ensuing moments the situation
became very aggravated, with the farmers demanding access to the land they
had a right to, though they remained non-violent. The soldiers made a
brief determined effort to arrest a Palestinian, known to us as Gilal, but
internationals quickly surrounded him and held on so that it was
impossible. Gradually the farmers’ party was forced to withdraw, though
they made their indignation obvious. The scene approached farce as the
Israelis struggled to funnel protestors back through the gate, and then
fumbled with the latch for several minutes. All this was quickly
broadcast on local television.

With the gates closed again, the farmers withdrew at 11.10AM, informing
the Israeli forces they would return the next morning, and every morning
after that until they were allowed back on to their land.

Ellis Brooks