Village of Bil'in, West Bank Palestine

The village of Bil'in (pronounced Bila-ine) is a small village of 200-300 people that has been terrorized by the demolitions and building of the wall, separating them from their land. In 2003, the Israeli government ordered for the demolition of houses and olive trees centuries old, their main source of agricultural economy. As I wanted to educate myself on how small resistance movements were creating awareness, this village was of particular interest as they lead peacefull and creative demonstrations religiously every Friday, on their day of rest. In watching a recent documentary called Bil'in Habibti created by a Jewish activist, well known and loved in the community, I was intrigued by the community's use of creative resistance. Aware that throwing a rock or two will get them a 3 month automatic jail time, they use things like mirrors with words written backwards so when they meet the wall of soldiers in the march, they can shine it against them to say words like killer or peace with a strike through it. I was surprised to see a group of disabled people, rolling for peace towards the gates with signs in Arabic, English and Hebrew and the IDF still continued to shoot gas bombs and random rubber bullets. There is an entrance at the gate which the IDF use to torment the village at night, driving through the streets of Bil'in. I knew I had to show my support and visit the site. As a couple of American protestors were killed in the last month during the Friday protest, I went on Wednesday! We set out to Ramallah and found our way to this ghost town of half torn buildings, olive trees and a beautiful Mosque. We had a contact number for one of the families that lead the protests and invites internationals into his home to teach them about their suffering. Last month, an active and peacfull demonstartor from the village, one who would constantly try to intervene between the soldiers and try to get them to retreat from their village, was shot. His memorial is undescribable - I am forever changed by this experience, I'm writing this with tears. When I arrived to Project Hope in Nablus, I saw posters on the wall that read Bassem with a picture of a man with his arms out straight walking into the wind. I thought at first this was some kind of pop-star and laughed at the cheesy black and white picture. When Eddy, our contact invited us into his home, his wife graciously greeted us with tea and coffee and we were surrounded by members of Bassems family all sitting on the couches waiting for us to see the video of his protests and eventual death. After the video's, I trully understood what was meant by a martyr, living the end of his life in constant threat. I don't understand how a man who was peacfully trying to protect his community with signs and international support could be wasted away, all for a wall to protect a settlement that could be built within the masses of land outside Bil'in. After the video's, the wife grabbed his picture and pointed a gas-bomb canister towards his pic saying "my cousin, he died". The look in her eyes sent my blood pressure through the roof and I had to leave before I embarrased myself with a flood of tears. We headed to see the wall with Bassem's cousins and as we pulled up and began to take a couple photo's, two Isareli soldiers came running from behind a concrete structure on the other side of the wall. They intimidatingly asked for our journalism passes and told us they were calling the police or their superior. We stood there saying it was a free country and I was taking pictures of my friends, they ran away to get whoever, so we left. They took the case to the Israel's high court and nothing came of it, so here they stand strong and united with protestors from around the world in a collective resistance against the apartheid.
More info on their resistance visit www.bilin-ffj.org RIP Bassem