This morning PA forces attacked the hundreds of mourners who gathered to take part in Jamil Kayyal’s funeral procession. Kayyal was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces in Nablus last night during a raid. Videos show him left on the ground bleeding as soldiers leave.
The Palestinian Authority is an effective subcontractor for Israel’s settler-colonial regime, enforcing violent punishments for Palestinians who demand their political rights rather than uplifting the voices of the people it allegedly represents in the struggle.
Decolonization means dismantling all of the forces of oppression that are separating and oppressing Palestinian people.
This news is particularly painful in that this is the second killing in two days. Jamil Abu Ayyash was also shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces during protests in Beita against the ongoing colonization of Jabal Sbeih.
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Wisdom from Kwame Ture on the difference between “mobilization” and “organization” in the struggle. Despite daily acts of violence, we continue to try to move toward organization, creating a path forward for justice and out of a racist and unjust system. We cannot simply react.
In Palestine, we often see activists—particularly self-proclaimed allies—who can effectively mobilize to respond to moments of violence or injustice. We don’t see carefully-constructed organization, empowering oppressed people to take the necessary steps forward toward justice.
Without this, we have no hope of moving out of the current situation toward a just future. In general, mobilizing still appeals to the authority governing the status quo, and doesn’t move us closer to an altogether different division of power and resources.
Today Israeli settlers from Avigail outpost in the South Hebron Hills entered al Mufagara village by force and escorted by Israeli soldiers. They attempted to provoke Palestinians in the village, yelling abuse like “Go to Jordan,” and “This is not your place.” #DefundRacism
This verbal assault, in which soldiers added insult to injury by protecting settlers and intimidating and harassing Palestinian locals and international activists, come just over a month after the attack by dozens of settlers in al Mufagara village. #DefundRacism
This is just one facet of abuse carried out by Israeli settlers in order to cause Palestinians’ forcible eviction. #DefundRacism
In Burin today, Israeli settlers set fire to lands and threw stones and Palestinians near homes, trying to scare Palestinians off of their lands. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers stood nearby doing nothing to curb the settlers’ violence or protect Palestinians.
This is how settler-colonialism works: in order for settlers to be successful in replacing the Indigenous people, they must control resources. That means land, crops, water, energy, and so on. #DefundRacism
The acts that allow that to happen aren’t limited to settlers in the narrow sense of those in the West Bank - the entire state, including the legal/judicial system and military infrastructure is devoted to this mission. #DefundRacism
Late last night, Israeli forces shot and killed sixteen year old Amjad Abu Sultan during a raid in Beir Ouneh, a town located between Beit Jala and Jerusalem. They also arrested a fourteen year old boy, Mohammed al Arouj, during the raid.
The children were targeted by Israeli soldiers because they were accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli military vehicles. The fact that the mere accusation of these children committing this act was enough to arrest one and essentially execute the other in his home
is an clear illustration of the way Israeli military rule works in the West Bank. Even being accused of violence is enough for a literal child to be killed. Imagine the impact this killing will have on every other child in Amjad’s neighborhood.
Yesterday, Israeli settlers likely from the outpost of Havat Ma’on broke into the garden in Atuwani and destroyed approximately seventy trees, from olive trees to fruit and vegetable trees. Some were trees planted through our olive tree project to protect vulnerable lands.
Among the destroyed trees were also cactus plants and pepper plants, located in a garden created in collaboration with solidarity activists. When settlers attack these living plants, they are working to destroy traces of Palestinian presence in the land.
It is not an accident that spaces like this are continually targeted by settlers looking to expand their outpost further into Palestinian spaces. If we don’t support vulnerable communities across Historic Palestine, we will continue to see settlements grow.
Last night, Jewish Israeli youths marched in the streets of Jerusalem, chanting "Death to Arabs."
What's left to say? Settlers are marching in the streets, calling for the genocide of those the land was stolen from. Is this one of the hallmarks of "democracy" we're just missing?
Let's set aside our existential dread for a second to bring you some truth: the fact that people feel comfortable to do this en masse is a result of the rhetoric of organizations like Regavim, Israel Land Fund, Hebron Fund, Ateret Cohanim, etc, etc.
For years, these orgs have been bringing once-hidden racism into the light. They tell settlers, "This is your land. Those people don't belong here. They are liars, thieves - they made up their identity." They reinforce that dehumanization through political and legal decisions.