The Israeli army attacks the weekly Bil'in protest, dozens wounded

Friday May 09, 2008 16:53 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

On Friday, villagers from Bil'in, located near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, supported by international and Israeli peace activists conducted their weekly nonviolent protest against the illegal Israeli wall built on the village's land.

Bil'in on Firday - Photo By IMEMC's Haithem El Khatib

Protesters carried banners demanding the removal of the Israeli wall, settlements, and calling the international community to help Palestinians retain Jerusalem from the Israeli army.

As the case each week since the past three years the protests started after the mid-day Friday prayers were finished in the local mosque, villagers from Bil'in, along with Israeli and international peace activists, marched towards the location of the Wall which is separating the village from its land.

Immediately after the protest reached the gate of the Wall, soldiers showered the protestors with tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. Scores of protesters were treated for gas inhalation.

In related news this week the villagers of Bil'in along with Adallah-NY a grass roots movement in New York, succeeded of stopping a Jewish billionaire from opening business in the United Arab Emirates.

The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East is a grassroots strategic alliance of concerned organizations and individuals in New York, formed to demand an immediate, unconditional, and permanent end to U.S. and U.S.-sponsored Israeli aggression in the Middle East.

The companies of Liv Leviev, the Israeli Jewish Russian billionaire, have built settlements in Zufim, Mattityahu East, Har Homa and Modi'in Illit, the one near Bilin among other places. The villagers of Bil'in along with Adallah launched a Media campaign against Liviev which led officials in United Arab Emirates to refuse the business of Liviev.

ramallah | non-violent action | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org