Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 15:45:17 +0100 (BST)
From: Mika Minio-Paluello
To: David Babbs
Subject: Re: net-working

hey, sorry this is such a mess again, I haven't had time to write things up neatly. looks like I'll ty to get to Jerusalem tomorrow ( was planning to go a day or two ago and visit academics in Hebrew university) - quite lucky I didn't I guess. might weel be seeing you soon
cheers
mika

roadblocks, occupied house and bullets vs stones

ROADBLOCKS Sunday, Monday and toady (wed) we've been diggin up roadblocks. Sunday we cleared three raodblocks between Nablus, Iraq Burin and Tel. These had been erected the day before by a military bulldozer. They were stopping ambulances from collecting sick people and distributing bvacines in Tel, water trucks from tel reching Iraq Burin (10 trucks needed daily), and figs harvested in Tel frfom reaching Nablus (as well as genreal freedom of movement). The digging was successful, the roadblocks cleared - I were still open last night.

Monday we dug up 5 roadblocks at the entrance to Salem village, to the East of Nablus.. Unlike in Tel and Iraq Burin, these roadblocks had been present for months. Once we'd cleared the blockas, traffic started pouring through. Two hours after we'd cleared the roadblocks, aa tank, an APC, a bulldozer turned up to try and close the road again. we sat in front of the bulldoxer to try and stop its work. the soldiers threatened all of us with arrest, but ended up arresting only three americans (who had been sitting peacefully on the ground). After a five hour standoff, the military vehicles left, without closing the road. Howeer, we had to leave a nightfall. During the night, the bulldozer came back, digging two 5-foot deep ditches across the road, a far larger pile of dirt, and cutting the telephone cables to the village. rather than being cowed, the Salem villageers asked us to return, to attempt to open the road again. today we returned at 9am and cleared a path around the ditches. by 11am, trucks, taxis and private cars were coming through. we don't know whether the army will increase thei damage caused as punishment again tonight. however, the villagers have already asked us to return when the road is closed again.

occupied house

The army has occupied civilian houses in Nablus , transofrming the m into mini-military bases, for the past two months. The resident family is usually forced together into a small area within the house, and not allowed out. (smtimes one family member is allowed out to buy food for two hours when curfew is lifted -this happened last 11 days ago). over the past week, the army has de-occupiued many of these houses. however, one of them, in the Masakken Shabiyya area f Nablus, remained occupied after 27 days. internationals have established a rapport with the family inside, a regularly bring necessities such as food and gas. yesterday evening we held a vigil outside the house for two hours. after this, 5 of us bedded down outside the front gate,, intenedning to spend the night unless the soldiers were prepared to negotiate better condition for the family inside (a demonstration by Spanish people a few days earlier had led to the soldiers allowing the family out to play - but not walk away- for two hours a day). the soldiers wree clearly uncomfortable with us staying there. however, after first threatening us with force, they began to negotiate, and agreed to let the family out for four hours a day rather than two, if we went away. we accepted that.

Stone vs bullets

Tanks & jeeps passing below Askar refugee camp in east Nablus are prone to being stoned by the neighbourhood boys. We witnessed soldiers, wellshielded within an APC, becoming angry with the boys and their shouting + stones, and resiprocating with concussion grenades. while the boys stopped throwing stones, they refused to disappear, continuing their jeering. one particular soldier began threatening to shoot the boys and aiming his gun. when we stepped betwen him and the boys, he told me "I'll shoot your hand off". However, when we engaged him in discussion, he calmed down a bit. we had areasonable political discussion and he walked back k to his APC. noe of the soldiers or boys were hurt.