Thursday, February 5, 2009

looking for Ayala



Israeli soldier at Kalandia military checkpoint. photo: Markus Cuel at Flikr.

from B'Tselem, The Isreali Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories:

Testimony: Soldier beats Mahmoud 'Awwad, fracturing his skull, Jan. '09.

Read Mahmoud's brother's testimony of what happened at the West Bank Huwara checkpoint, one of many Israeli military gate-keeping practices, to keep Palestinians OUT of Israel. Mahmoud's brain had to be operated on because of the beating; he was put on a respirator and is in intensive care.

"A female soldier was at the checkpoint, and she saw what happened. She checked the ID cards of the young people crossing the checkpoint. Na’im heard soldiers call her Ayala. She is light-skinned, of moderate build, 1.65 meters tall, and has long, brown hair combed into little braids."

synopsis:

"I saw policemen talking with Fawzi. Fawzi took his ID card from one of the soldiers and asked him, “What about my brother? You detained him because of me, and I’m being released now.” The soldier said, “I detained him, and I’ll release him whenever I want.” I called to another soldier and said, “Let him take his things.” The soldier came over to me, took Fawzi’s things, and gave them to him. Fawzi left.

A tall soldier, about 1.8 meters high, light-skinned, with a thin face, came over to me and said, “Your nose is too much up in the air. You’ll lower your nose and bow now.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. He called another soldier over and the two of them beat me. The other soldier was shorter, light-skinned, thin, and had a bit of a beard. They pushed me to the ground and hit me with the butts of their weapons on my shoulders and back. I tried not to fall. They wanted to humiliate me but I preferred to die than to be humiliated. I didn't do anything, my hands were cuffed. The soldiers beat me hard. They said, “You’ll go down on the ground, whether you want to or not.” I told them I wouldn’t. The soldier who had cuffed me said to me, “Now I’ll show you how you’ll go down.” Then he blindfolded me with a piece of cloth.

In the meantime, my brother Mahmoud, 29, arrived at the checkpoint. He was on his way to work in Israel and was waiting in line at the checkpoint. I heard him say to the soldiers, “Why are you beating him? What did he do?” The beating stopped and the soldiers shouted. Then I heard some commotion, but I couldn’t see what was happening. Somebody, I don’t know who, removed my blindfold. I saw my brother stretched out on the ground. His head was bleeding and he was unconscious. The soldiers shouted at people coming to the checkpoint to move back. Some people picked up Mahmoud and walked away. I ran after them. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Somebody told me that a soldier had hit Mahmoud in the head with his weapon, and that Mahmoud had immediately lost consciousness. We took Mahmoud by car to Rafidya Hospital."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Do you consider yourself a journalist ? You only report one tiny side of the story ad nauseaum. Do you see the unfairness in this? Do you think these are the only people with an army, the only ones with guns...COME ON!! Take a look at yourself!
 
 What very few people working for justice and peace do not get is that they are not even close to peace within themselves. They continue to undermine both their inner peace and outer peace we wish to experience in the world.
 
 They do not see that they are part and parcel of the overall Oneness. They are stuck in their individual consciousness, stuck in holding the separation, they are empowering and strengthening the forces of separation that they supposedly oppose. They do this by continually projecting their shadow and not looking within and forgiving themselves.
 
  A person who is at peace does not condemn other people and throws no swords. words and swords are the same.
 
 It is eveident that you are very violent, and accumulating a heavy load of karma for yourself. No one ascends from this planet without reaping what they have sewn. You too will have to burn off the karma she has produced for yourself. This will be very painful for you.
 
  Israel will survive in spite of the calls for it's destruction by those on the left. The risk for Israel does not come from the Arabs but from those who hold the reigns of power. That would be the elite. Those that profit from Israel's existence will keep it going as long as it suits their needs.
 
  But you know what ?
 
 The game is starting to unravel for those forces. The consciousness of the planet is rising and that is what is probably going to save out planet, not a bunch of left wingers, or entrenched bloggers who if they got into power would enslave us even more so than the current lot.
 
 A time will come when no one will be able to avoid themselves. 3rd dimensional time is collapsing and part of that means that the lag between thought and manifestation is narrowing. 
 
To me this means that one's own negativity whether you are Jew,Arab,Aboriginal etc, will come home to roost.
 
 Forgiveness a key to the kingdom of heaven. Those not willing to practice it, will ultimately place themselves in a hell of their own making.
 
 It's too bad, that you have chosen this destructive path. It's not evolutionary, it's revolutionary and it will only result in violence that will ultimately bounce back to her.
 
 Land belongs to no one, There is no soul I know that has a land claim in Heaven.
 
Here's to a future where Israelis and Arabs live and work together in Peace.