The Face of the Israeli Occupation in Beit Ommar, West Bank, Palestine, 12/25/10: video

On December 25th, 2010, after the weekly peaceful demonstration against the Karmei Tsur settlement, Beit Ommar villagers speak about the demonstrations and the contradiction between the concilliatory words of one Israeli Defense Forces soldier, who offered to shake hands with villagers at that day's protest, versus the hostility Beit Ommar residents regularly endure from soldiers, as was the case on this very day just hundreds of yards from the demonstration in Beit Ommar. They speak of the release of massive amounts of tear gas near a wedding party two days earlier and the constant harassment and provocations of villagers by the IDF, often for no apparent reason other than the "training" of new soldiers who come into the area. Military commanders are allowed free reign by the Israeli government to do as they please, from making nighttime arrests to even killing people. Seventy percent of the income of the village is dependent upon agriculture, but due to the presence of settlements in the area, villagers are denied access to all of their lands. In fact, settlements across Palestine have been expanding since the 10-month settlement freeze ended in September, with 13,000 new units built in the West Bank. Karmei Tsur alone has added fourty-two new housing units in just two months. The Palestine Solidarity Project opposes the Israeli occupation through non-violent direct action such as this day's protest and welcomes Israelis and internationals of conscience to come participate and bear witness to the occupation of Palestinian lands.

In this first video, on the walk back from the demonstration, Mousa Abu Maria of the Palestine Solidarity Project explains what happened in the discussions with the soldiers this day and how it contradicts the real face of the occupation: