First PEDAL event at the Afro Jerusalemite Centre in Damascus Gate, East Jerusalem
explanation of the genesis of PEDAL
We begun the day by telling the story of the last four months- each PEDALer described a community we had visited and the work we had done there- all the with help of the Map of Resistance.
We also showed a couple of videos including the Land Annexation Society performance in Turkey.
After four months of doing the PEDAL presentation and some hiccups along the way.. we are slowly slowly getting all the information in to a relatively smooth 45 minute visual aided presentation!
After the story of our journey was complete, questions asked and some further discussion- the day was split into three sections reflecting the themes of the project.
BOYCOTT DIVESTMENT SANCTIONS
Akram from the Boycott National Committee (http://www.bdsmovement.net/ ) and Ronnie from Boycot From Within (http://boycottisrael.info/) gave short presentations of their organisations’ work, while a PEDALler explained how the group had supported the campaign along our route such as participating in international days of action and running workshops in communities.
Discussion was centred on the use and success of BDS tactics and how we as activists from Europe can be most effective at home in our communities and as part of wider European networks. Linking up with existing BDS campaigns was highlighted as a way forward- especially with positive steps being taken by the likes of the European Forum Against Agrexco in July this year.
Ronnie from Boycott From Within
We discussed the new law passed by the Israeli Knesset, which effectively bans any public call for a boycott, economic, cultural, or academic, against Israel or its West Bank settlers, making such actions a punishable offence. The BDS campaigners view this law as a testimony to the success of the campaign, showing that Israel must resort to restricting freedom of speech as a weapon to defend itself while showing the world its anti-democratic and repressive nature.
Here in Israel / Palestine cultural and academic boycott are huge focuses of the campaign. Artists and academics are lobbied to cancel their dates/ appointments in Israel. These areas allow them to reach a wider audience, especially to young Israeli’s. When they see their favourite artist refuses to play, it allows discussion of Israel’s role in Palestine to resonate in the collective consciousness of Israel.
describing how PEDAL have supported the BDS campaign from London to Palestine.
Recent successes of the BDS campaign have included cancellations by performing artists Roger Walters of Pink Floyd, Pixies, Gorillaz, the late Gill-Scot Heron. French multinational corporation Veolia has also been targetted as one of the companies contracted to build a light railway network which would connect the settlements in West Bank to the rest of Jerusalem. Veolia has lost $10 billion in global contracts and has claimed to end its involvment in the Jerusalem light railway, without doing so yet.
FOOD AUTONOMY
“Plants of resistance, you can’t always react, you also must create your own systems”
Alice from Bustan Qaraaqa (Tortoise Garden) described the community permaculture project in the West Bank. They use creative and experimental methods to over-come food insecurity as a result of Israel’s occupation and the resulting environmental degradation and lack of resources in particular water and space.
Akram from Stop the JNF spoke about access to land in Palestine, highlighting the role of the JNF from 1901 in systematically contributing towards the creation of an exclusively Jewish sate in Palestine, how they hide the colonizing of land behind environmentalism, while contributing towards the destruction of Palestinian agriculture.
Akram does a presentation on the history of the JNF
The discussion was centred around how European and international farmers, activists and their networks can support each other. And also focused on the tools that farmers in Palestine are using to oppose the occupation and protect their right to grow and sustain themselves and economy. Discussion begun on how networks such as Reclaim the Fields can support Palestinian farmers, dialogue which will continue as PEDAL meets more farmers in the West bank.
Plants, and in particular trees are used to reclaim space. Replanting is used in retaliation to settlers and the IDF ripping up Olive trees. Farmers use these tools of resistance proactively, where in more recent radical acts farmers are planting trees “aggressively” to protect their land. We were told that if the Israeli authorities want to take a piece of land, but the Palestinian owner can prove within three months that the land is in use and being developed it remains in their hands.
CULTURES OF RESISTANCE
The final section of the day created the space for all to network with each other and was valuable for PEDAL at the beginning of our time in Palestine. It provided a platform to share and understand the different tactics used within the Palestinian movement.
The following questions were posed to the small break-out groups for discussion and to feed-back to the whole meeting:
describe an event/action that you organised and took part in that was successful in the last couple of years? why?
describe something that you have organised that hasn’t worked so well- and why didn’t it work?
how do we build communities of power-with each other that challenge power from-above?
do you value co-operation in your political organising? to what extent does it exist in the movements you work in? how can you take steps to deepen co-operation your movements?
what next for international solidarity for Palestine popular resistance movements?
Discussion about cultures of resistance.
The speakers included Mohammed from Sheikh Jarrah, a Palestinian neighbourhood in East Jerusalem where Israeli settlers have seized Palestinians homes, in an effort to increase the Jewish presence in there. These actions are illegal with respect to international law, however the settlers are protected in their new homes by the Israeli state.
Mohammed described the long-term resistance this community has shown from camping outside the homes of settlers, the legal battle and the weekly Friday protests attended by mostly Israelis and internationals.
Mohammed from the popular committee of Sheikh Jarrah speaks about the history of the struggle there and the tactics they use
a Palestinian home in Sheikh Jerrah now lived in by settlers and protected by security
Dawoud from Silwan popular commitee, East Jerusalem
Dawood, a resident from village Silwan, spoke passionately about his village in East Jeruslam which was once renowned for the quality of its agriculture. He told us of the increasing number of settlements there, Israeli control of water and house building, and house demolitions, while child arrests there have become pandemic with the Israeli authorities looking to curtail any resistance.
Roee from Anarchists Against the Wall also spoke in this section. AAW is an Israeli group supporting the Palestinian popular resistance movement, providing a Israeli presence at demonstrations. This has become increasingly important as it was recently revealed in writing that if there is an Israeli presence at a demonstration the army are not permitted to use live ammunition. AAW also document demonstrations and the development of situations in the villages facing the brutality of the instruments of the Israeli state.
Throughout the day there was much discussion and debate. It was a fruitful first event for PEDAL, and we made many connections that have allowed us to plan our time here in Palestine.
Discussion here allowed us to gain a sense of what activism within Palestine and Israel is like and left us with answers and also more questions, for our time in Palestine, especially around the question of international solidarity and how we can support popular resistance here in an effective way as possible.
