ISM: Mas'ha Peace Camp Rafah
BBSNews - 2003-04-22 -- Rafah April 19, 2003 - Mas'ha Peace Camp was set up three weeks ago by local Palestinian
farmers, activists from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), International Women’s Peace Service (IWPS), and
activists from various Israeli peace groups. The Palestinian farmers are land owners whose land is being expropriated
by Israel through the erection of an apartheid wall. The Mas'ha locals made a call to internationals and two weeks
later, internationals from the ISM and IWPS and Israeli peace activists arrived.
The Israeli government claims that this wall is for security but when you look closer, you realize that this couldn't
be further from the truth. Mas'ha village is isolated and located close to the 1967 'Green Line'. Relations between
Israelis and Palestinians were traditionally good, with Israelis and Palestinians shopping together in the well-known
local market. During both the first and second intifada there was no resistance to the occupation from Mas'ha. Clearly,
there was no security threat from the people of Mas'ha.
However, the Israeli's want to build the new apartheid wall through the middle of Mas'ha, separating the villagers from
their farm land, which would fall on the 'Israeli' side of the wall. When looking at maps of the area where the wall
will be built, between illegal Israeli settlements and Palestinian villages, it is clear that the wall is planned to
wind round the settlements, thus annexing this land to Israel and expropriating an additional 10% of the West Bank
from the Palestinians and contravening UN Resolution 242. It is easy to conclude therefore, that in the case of
Mas'ha, the wall is not for security reasons, but rather, it will further Israel's land interests.
The implications of this wall are enormous. The people of Mas'ha rely on the sale of their olives and other
crops for their income. Without the land upon which thousands of olive trees are being either destroyed or taken, the
villagers of Mas'ha rely on work within Israel - something that is considered an embarrassment to the resourcefulness
of the Mas'ha people. However, since the start of the second intifada, it has been deemed illegal for Palestinians
to work in Israel, cutting off this source of income too, although some Palestinians risk short term work in
Israel. Presently, the villagers rely on charity from Israeli organizations and again, this is humiliating for
the Palestinian people and not a permanent solution.
In order to protect the Palestinian locals from Israeli army aggression, the peace camp is no longer actively trying
to stop the bulldozers from continuing with their work. Instead, the camp acts as an information point to locals,
internationals and Israeli peace activists. The locals are not really aware about what Israeli army is doing to
Mas'ha, so locals visit the camp to get more information about the land being annexed and to drink tea with the
internationals and Israeli peace activists. In fact, the camp is a place of relationship building, where all
nationalities, including Israeli's and Palestinians live together under the stars, while trying to stop the wall.
Last Sunday there was a demonstration and an information centre with maps and pictures set up in the camp, which
the media visited. Clearly the most frerquent visitors are the Israeli soldiers. They come to the camp an average of
three times per day, sometimes asking the people at the camp if they need anything, other times, trying to push them
about. During the night, people staying at the camp work in shifts. They keep watch for soldiers, and for the violent
nationalistic Israeli settlers, who often carry Uzi's with them, even whilst conducting normal daily activities.
At the moment, the land has been cleared and the wall is ready to be erected using stone quarried from the land at the
site where the wall will be constructed. When looking over the mountain from the peace camp, you can see the Israeli
settlements encircling Mas'ha and its' olive farmland.
We hope that the peace camp will continue to flourish, and that the people who pass through will tell the story of
Mas'ha's plight to the world.
We further hope that the world will do something about it!
Raph Cohen
Rafah
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The preceding report was provided to BBSNews by the International Solidarity Movement.
Michael Hess is the Editor of BBSNews in Charlotte, NC. Write to the editor here. Not all submissions are published. Or visit the completely new BBSNews Blog and Forum on our front page - Please Participate in BBSNews!
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