Israeli army prevent Israelis from joining nonviolent protest in Bethlehem

Friday April 11, 2008 20:43 by IMEMC News

The Israeli army prevented a number of Israeli peace activists from joining the Palestinian residents of Al-Khader, near Bethlehem, in their weekly nonviolent protest against the construction of the annexation wall on their land on Friday at noon.

Part of the wall in Al-Khader village (Photo: Tadamon)

Eyewitnesses told IMEMC that troops stopped the Israeli activists and took the keys of their cars at one of the entrances of the village. Later on, troops informed the activists that they will get their keys backunless they are going back to Jerusalem.

Coordinator of the Local Committee for Popular Resistance in Bethlehem, Samer Jaber, said “This is an attempt by Israel to prevent solidarity with the Palestinians in their just struggle to end the Israeli occupation.”

“Israel has prevented hundreds, if not thousands, of Internationals from coming to Palestine the moment the the army finds out that those internationals are coming to join nonviolent activities with the Palestinians,” Jaber added.

Jaber told IMEMC that around 150 Palestinians and Internationals, protested near the southern entrance of Bethlehem area.

The protest took the form of holding the Friday prayer in the street at the presence of around 60 Israeli soldiers. The protestors dispersed after the Imam gave a speech to the worshippers and protestors calling for an ongoing nonviolent resistance to end the Israeli occupation.

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