BOSTONTOPALESTINE DELEGATE REPORT
www.bcpr.org/b2p

Below is another double report from Tom of Boston, who is engaged in
(nonviolent) battle with the mainstream media from the International
Solidarity Movement's (ISM) media office in Beit Sahour, West Bank.

Last week Tom helped force AP to publicly retract its story repeating unverified
Israeli military claims that a gun was found in an ISM apartment. But now there
are new concerns (read below).

Thanks Tom for your incredible work. We are all in awe of your
energy and dedication as you staff the media office round the clock!

Bostontopalestine list moderator
for more info contact: bostontopalestine@...
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Hi All

1. More problem with Associated Press [and call for Rachel Corrie]

2. My trip to the village of Twane, truly magnificent


1. AP

I think I sent you the details of the major coups I pulled off last
week involving the Associated Press and IDF. Well believe it or not,
we have the exact same scenario again this week. In this case
however, the import and the stakes are much higher.

As you know, Brian Avery, an ISM activist, was shot through the face
this past Sat night by Israeli forces from a tank. There are of
course several versions of the story. There is our story, which
includes the statement of Tobias, the eye witness. He basically says
that they were the only people around.

Then there is the IDF version which states that they (the army) had
at some point encountered kids throwing stones at the armored
carrier. They then encountered the ISMers, who they thought were
carrying molotov cocktails. The details and differences in these
stories are important, but not right now,

There is also a third version. It is that of the Associated Press.
It basically says that there was a gun battle between Palestinians
and the army. Brian and Tobias were caught in the middle. According
to the AP, we don't know who actually shot Brian. They say they got
this story from an IDf spokesman. They got the "gun in the apartment
story from the same person". They didn't check that story with the
official statement and had to retract it.

With this story, they again did not check the official IDF statement.
However, they will not retract it. To add insult to injury, they
changed Tobias' statement to support their story.

There are many more details which I will send tomorrow. We are
currently working on a legal strategy as well as a media strategy.

The ultimate irony is that the Jerusalem Post has been talking to me
a great deal because there are too many inconsistencies in the IDF
story. They were shocked and amazed when I told them about the AP
story.

In fact, it was a reporter from the Jerusalem Post that faxed me the
IDF statement. HELLO!!!! For those of you who don't get the humor
here, it is that the Jerusalem Post is the Israeli paper of the far
right. It is supposed to be the enemy.

Are you still with me???

Hopefully, this will all be very clear tomorrow. I just want to give
you an idea of what we are up against here. The AP is standing by a
story that has no basis in fact. And it is not supported by either
party. Do they think that the IDF needs more protection than it is
capable of providing itself????

This is why you must call you congressperson tomorrow about Rachel
Corrie.

It is the only way that this will stop.


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2. Save Twane,

On Friday April 4, the International Solidarity Movement embarked on
a new and successful endeavor to work with Tayush in protecting
Palestinians who live the village of Twane. Twane is a village that
survives off of it's land. If not for the cell phones and limited
electricity, you may think you had fallen into a time warp. It is
truly a magnificent place. It brings the bible to life. The houses
are built of stones from the area and are built into the hillside. It
is one of those places where man and beast co-exist naturally. In the
midst of the sheep, chickens, roosters, mules, and goats; there were
plenty of beautiful children.

Then there is the established settlement of Ma'on. Like all
settlements, it is an eye sore built on land confiscated (stolen) in
1982. Throughout that time, there have been ongoing problems, usually
a result of the settlement's desire to expand. In 1998 the first
illegal outpost was built on Twane land. It was called Havat Ma'on.
Soon after, Avi gayil followed.

Illegal outposts are outposts that are not officially sanctioned by
the government. They are usually built by extremely violent people
and protected by the army and the police. The settlers then go about
terrorizing the native Palestinians until there is nothing for the
Palestinians to do but leave. These settlers are very courageous,
they know that they can assault Palestinians in any way they want,
with no reprisal. If there is any amount of resistance by the
Palestinians, the police arrest the them. Palestinians do not do well
in Israeli jails.

For the past several months, the assaults by the settlers have
increased. As a result, we have worked with Tayush and stayed in the
village over Shabat. Last weekend there was a confrontation but it
did not turn violent. This weekend, the settlers left us and the
Palestinians alone. They did however, come onto Twane property to
bath. They are forbidden from Twane property, except of course what
they've stolen. Unfortunately, the villagers are also forbidden from
some of their own land by what the army says is a closed military
zone. This just happens to be one of the olive grove area of Twane.

Last week there was a film producer with the group who caught the
army using their own techniques of harassment. They drove through the
village at various times, blaring their sirens and filling the area
with a smoke screen. This is a very thick smoke that makes one gag.
They did this every day until it was filmed. They have not done it
since.

The mayor of Twane explained to us that they have survived the rule
of the Turks, the British and Jordan. All of these colonial powers
had their own unpleasant methods of ruling. None however, have stolen
their land and terrorized them until Israel. They now have a
population of about 200. They used to have a population of 2000.
Many people had to go live in the cities to support themselves.
People were convinced that they would do better by working in Israel
and in the cities. So they moved to Yatta, but still hung onto

There is an interesting phenomenon now. Because of the ongoing
Intifada and lack of work in the cities and of course in Israel;
people are beginning to come back to their land. It is all they have.

It is my strong hope that we can build on this mini success of the
past two weekends and allow Twane to live in peace.

Tom
ISM Media Coordinator
Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine
02-277-4602
052-360-241