STOP THE WALL. Renewed Destruction in Biddu Village

Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
April 11th, 2004


Renewed Destruction in Biddu Village, Forced Expulsion, and Landlessness in the North.


Latest News

Work Restarts in Biddu, Villagers Injured in Protests
On April 8th, people from the village of Biddu, as well as several neighboring villages north west of Jerusalem confronted Occupation Bulldozers destroying their lands for the Wall's path. Villagers gathered early in the morning, as work on the Wall started, and headed towards the lands being destroyed. Occupation soldiers immediately began firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators, who were quickly surrounded, with soldiers taking up positions on the rooftops of several village homes. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]

Landlessness in Qaffin

Qaffin is located 25 km to the north of Tulkarem city. Before 1948 the total area of the village was 30,000 dunums. During the 1948 Occupation the village lost 20,000 dunums of its lands. Last Year, the village lost 6500 dunums more of the remaining 10,000 dunums with the construction of The Apartheid Wall. Moreover, another 500 dunums of the village's lands were recently lost inside a fence built around Harmish settlement. Occupation forces have always claimed that the villagers are able to reach their isolated lands, whether behind the Wall or inside the settlements fence, however, the people report that they've been prohibited several times from reaching their lands, particularly within the settlement fence. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]

Forced Expulsion, and Gate Closures in Jayyus

On March 28th, Occupation forces attacked a group of farmers while they worked in their fields, forcing them at gunpoint out of their lands, destroying the food and agricultural equipment the farmers had with them. Similarly, on April 4th Occupation soldiers forced another two families who were in lands east of the Wall to leave their lands, claiming that the fields were too close to the Wall. The soldiers informed the villagers that in the future they wouldn't be allowed to use these lands for any reason whatsoever. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]

Occupation Forces Invade Marda Looking for Toy Guns

On April 11th, Occupation forces invaded Marda's boys school looking for toy weapons. A group of students were in the middle of performing a play, with the rest of the student body and their parents in the audience. At approximately 12:00pm five military jeeps arrived, and surrounded the school preventing anyone from leaving. Occupation soldiers entered the school, and demanded that the students produce a toy gun the children where using in their performance. Young children, students and their parents were held until the toy was handed over to the Soldiers. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]


Community Voices

Ahmad Nimer – Beit Liqya
"My land is located in an area where many peoples lands where confiscated in 1993. During that year I was in prison, and when I was released in 1994 I gave all my time to protect my land from any further attempts to confiscate more. The Occupation forces tried different ways to prevent us from reaching our lands, they would shoot at us while we were heading to the land, or while working in it. Nevertheless we resisted and continued to go to our lands and plant our fields." [ http://www.stopthewall.org]


Video

Renewed Destruction for the Apartheid Wall in Biddu

April 07, 2004. After forcing protesters away from the Apartheid Wall construction site in Biddu village, work continued unhindered, with Occupation forces continuing their assault against the villagers, ensuring they didn't interfere. This 52 second video shows the extent of the destruction to village lands, with several Occupation bulldozers clearing land, while others work to "replant" olive trees, after having butchered them of all their branches a few hours earlier. [ http://www.stopthewall.org]



International Law

International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid
This week the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign posted the UN convention pertaining to the crime of Apartheid in it's entirety. Having been in existance for almost 30 years, the convention states clearly that Apartheid is a crime against humanity, and thereby not confined soley to South Africa, but rather to any country that institutes policies and practices of racial segregation and discrimination.

"Observing that the Security Council has emphasized that apartheid and its continued intensification and expansion seriously disturb and threaten international peace and security, Convinced that an International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid would make it possible to take more effective measures at the international and national levels with a view to the suppression and punishment of the crime of apartheid." [ http://www.stopthewall.org]


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