From Veterans For Peace -- Report From Palestine

Email-VFP: Chapter 22 in Garberville is pursuing our project idea to send a VFP Ambulance to Palestine. We currently have a member in Ramallah serving with the International Voluntary Service. Member Dan Fortson will be investigating this ambulance idea and the details to follow. We invite all interested to reply. Future delegation forming for later this summer.

From Dan Fortson:
Greetings all,
Ramallah, Occupied Palestine 6 June, 2002 11PM local.

A relatively quiet day after the early morning artillery fire. Just after daybreak, we went outside to talk to some of the local resistance fighters patrolling the streets. They informed us that, if Israeli tanks should roll into their neighborhood, they would engage them. While I question the wisdom of taking on a tank with nothing but a rifle, I respect their motive when I pressed them for a reason: "Because this is our home. We will resist the invaders with our spirits & with our blood. We will drive them out of our land."

Walked to Arafat's compound about 9 am. Bombed out buildings & wrecked autos. It was clear from the evidence that the buildings were demolished from a tank within the compound. News reports said that one shell fell 5 feet from Arafat's bed (he was a few rooms down at the time). They also brought in a bulldozer to push the cars around like hockey pucks. The Mosque was completely destroyed but the main building was left intact. In what appeared to be a random act of violence, Israeli soldiers sprayed automatic weapon fire at an unrelated civilian office building 200 yards away, breaking windows & damaging the roof & walls. As this was a 5 story bldg. whose roof was accessible only from inside, it is unlikely that there were resistance fighters on the roof at 2 AM.

We entered a bunker at the back of the compound with about a dozen armed militia men. They offered us coffee & we exchanged questions about politics, the occupation, the current world cup soccer matches, gunshot wounds, the usual male-bonding stuff. Photos were taken before we resumed our tour of the damage. It's worth bearing in mind that these kalashnikov-toting citizen-soldiers are the epitome of George W. Bush's image of a terrorist & here I was, unarmed in a bunker, out of sight of the crowd, a U.S. citizen who's tax dollars paid for the tanks that destroyed their Presidential compound. They could have killed me on the spot, yet at no time was I concerned for my safety.

Arafat came out about 11 to meet with reporters & several hundred supporters. Though a hundred or so riflemen were in the compound, security directly around him was light & informal. I got within 5 feet of him & my colleague shook his hand. As most of you know, I look obviously American or European. If I had a pistol & the intention to, I likely could have killed him. A bomb, definitely, yet nothing but friendly smiles from the Palestinian crowd. When was the last time Bush or any other imperial leader would get so close to a crowd?

I read the MSN web page story & offer a few relevant facts:

1. This invasion was the 97th since the Israelis supposedly "pulled out" on 24 April.

2. (My opinion) This was clearly an act of collective punishment for the suicide bombings. (Fact) Collective punishment is forbidden under the Geneva Conventions to which Israel is a signatory.

3. Everything about the situation is illegal under International Law. The occupation now 35 years & counting, the settlements, the stealing of water, the checkpoints, the daily harassment of Palestinians, to name a few.

3a. This is essential to the situation here yet is almost never mentioned in the media.

Back in the HDIP office tonight but the chance of a re-invasion is unlikely.

Tomorrow, we head north to Jenin, conditions permitting. If any of you have any specific questions you would like to look into, please email them to me & I'll try my best.

Best wishes to all,
Dan