Conference in Bethlehem in support of Nonviolent Resistance

Friday December 28, 2007 16:17 by George Rishmawi - IMEMC News

At least five hundred Palestinians, joined by a number of International solidarity groups and some Israelis attended a conference in Bethlehem on Friday which was organized by the Palestinian National Initiative to support the popular nonviolent resistance against the Wall and the Israeli occupation.

Nonviolent Anti-Wall March in Bethlehem (Photo: Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC)

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Initiative and Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council spoke to the conference about the need to adopt nonviolent popular resistance as a national strategy to end the Israeli occupation. Dr. Barghouthi also demanded the wall to be dismantled and described it as a tool to implement Apartheid in Palestine.

On her part, Louisa Morgantini, vice President of the European Parliament from Italy said the popular resistance in Palestine is not new, adding that she has been involved in nonviolent activities in Palestine in the past twenty years. She expressed hope that the Palestinians will one day manage to put an end to the Israeli military occupation stressing the importance of the role of International, and specially European supporters in informing the public in their countries about the situation in Palestine and the dire situation, the Palestinian people are facing day to day as a result of the Israeli military occupation.

A number of speakers from different parts of the West Bank spoke about their nonviolent struggle in their respective villages and towns. The speakers included Mohammad Al-Khatib from Bilin, who has been resisting the Israeli wall on their land for more than two years, and managed to change the route of the wall and saved half of their land.

During the conference, the Nonviolence Network in Arab Countries was introduced by a speech by one of it steering committee members. The Network was recently established after the first meeting of its General Assembly on December 6-0 in Amman, Jordan.

The conference was concluded with a nonviolent march started from the location of the conference at the International Center of Bethlehem to the Wall near Rachel Tomb at the northern Entrance of Bethlehem. Few hundred people participated in the demonstration which ended with few words from Dr. Barghouthi and Vice President Morgantini.

After the end of the march, a number of Palestinian youth threw rocks at the soldiers positioned in the watch towers of the Wall. The soldiers did not respond and the crowed dispersed peacefully.

In a separate event, a number of Palestinian villagers along with some international and Israeli activists protested against the construction of the wall on the land of Um Salamouna in the southern Bethlehem.

Israeli troops assaulted the nonviolent protestors with tear gas and sound bombs. Two protestors were lightly wounded, eyewitnesses reported.

bethlehem | non-violent action | news report george at imemc dot org