A Bridge Too Far

by Katharine Maycock

From: Bullet Points (used w/permission)

Imagine the photo for this bullet point (I don't yet have a digital camera) as a bridge road or concrete flyover - going over the top of a big intersection of main roads in East Jerusalem. Underneath flowers are being laid nearby in remembrance of the seven Israelis who died there early this Sunday morning.

At 6.14 am morning I heard a loud explosion. It was someone blowing himself to pieces. Torrents of sirens rose immediately on the airwaves as ambulances sped towards the scene of the blast, less than a mile away from where I live. This was the second Palestinian suicide attack of the morning, but this time only the bomber was killed.

Last night, chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat resigned. In his parting speech, he said he didn't want to be led on another dance by Sharon in the talks around the Road Map, whilst the 'facts on the ground' continued to be created. The Road Map was to be implemented rather than discussed with both sides taking the required steps in parallel - i.e. Israel to freeze settlement activity in the West Bank and Palestinians to end violence - rather than sequentially. He also reminded us that since the Road map was published on April 30th, dozens of Palestinians have been killed.

The Road so far has indeed been rough. The day after the Road Map publication and the formation of a new Palestinian government, Israeli tanks backed by helicopters raided an area of Gaza City after midnight and laid siege to the house of the family of a Hamas militant. Soldiers called on family members inside to leave the house, but they refused, witnesses said. Among the seven Palestinians killed in the gunfight was Amer Ayad, a two-year-old struck by a bullet to the head, and a 13-year-old boy. Fifteen others were wounded. On 14th May, three policemen and a child were killed in Gaza. The next day a further three Palestinians were killed in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza including Muhammad Zaanen, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was shot in the head and left to bleed for three hours because Israeli troops prevented paramedics from reaching the scene. After some negotiations, he was eventually transported away by an ambulance but died on his way to the hospital. Muhammad joins the statistic of 365+ Palestinian minors who have been killed by Israeli security forces in the Occupied Territories since October 2002. (cf Btselem, the Israel Information Centre on Human Rights)

Rescuing Children

When Tom Hurndall, a 21 year old British volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), was shot in Rafah, south Gaza, two weeks ago, "he saw machine gun fire being directed at a mound of earth on which about twenty children were playing. Most of the children fled but three young children were too scared to move, two girls and a boy aged between 5 and 8. Tom walked forward and picked up the little boy, named Salem Baroum. Having brought Salem back to safety he returned for the second child. Tom was shot in the head by a single sniper bullet as he leant forward to pick up the little girl."

"The IDF released reports that Tom was armed, clothed in army camouflage and firing at the soldiers. They have also released a report saying he was involved in crossfire. These reports have been reflected in media around the world, especially in Israel. These reports are not true. Many of you will have seen photographs of Tom in his fluorescent orange activist's vest. We have photographs of Tom immediately before and after the shooting - from several independent sources. There were over ten eye witness reports of Tom's shooting including the accounts of journalists- all of which support the fact that Tom was fired at with no justification. But what is extraordinary is that to this day, not a single one of these witnesses has been questioned by the IDF or the Israeli authorities. [extract from recently published speech by Sophie Hurndall, Tom's sister].

Palestinian blood is no less costly than Israeli blood. Nor indeed is 'international' blood. Shortly after Tom and the British cameraman James Miller were shot (Tom is in a come, and James was killed) in Gaza, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) made all internationals including UN, NGO staff and most diplomats sign a disclaimer in order to enter Gaza. The statement declared it is not the fault of the IDF if the person signing is shot. But since last Sunday- less than 24 hours after the departure of Colin Powell, the Gaza Strip has been totally closed to all internationals. It is closed to NGO workers as well as the UN agencies. Those inside cannot get out, and no one and no supplies can get in. The world must not see what is happening there. Furthermore, the offices of ISM near Bethlehem have been raided, and many peace activists deported.

The brutality of entering densely populated areas and using sophisticated weaponry to crush militants and all who surround them is not conducive to a peace process. But Israel has an alibi. Though not a combatant, Israel scored a major victory with the war against Iraq.

America with the 'coalition of the willing', used a military force which was vastly and excessively disproportionate to the weapons of the Iraqi fighters. What's more, it has occupied the country in the name of democracy and security without the consent of the Iraqi people. What greater vindication could Israel want for its heavy handed actions against Palestinian civilians and gunmen? In the context of the global 'war on terrorism' the fact that Israel's occupation of Palestinian Territory has violated almost every international law for the last 35 years and is in large part fuelling these obscene and fatal suicide attacks, gets forgotten. What is better known is that democratic Israel is the victim of unlawful terrorists and is only doing what is necessary to defend itself. This morning's suicide bombings have yet again provided a perfect pretext for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to delay his trip to USA to meet President Bush to talk about the Road Map.

The bridge under which the bomber detonated himself and others this morning, is the new road which has been built as the filter road into the Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem. It runs roughly parallel to the main road connecting all the Palestinian suburbs - Shufaat, Beit Hanina (where I live), then Al Ram and Ramallah. No Jewish settler living in Pisgat Ze'ev (where one victim of the bombing lived) need ever pass through the 'Arab neighbourhoods'. In fact, even the report in Haaretz (the 'Guardian' of Israeli media) today referred to the bomb blast as taking place in "northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze'ev