Israeli OccupationForce V JCD Match postponed

Training completed and locations to be decided we traipsed from the hotel to ISM office in the centre ofRamallah and as reports had been coming in that there was a strong possibility of a night raid in the village of Bilyin to the North West of Ramallah and the internationals there could do with more if possible. Why would the IOF raid the houses of Palestinians in the middle of the night asthey have been doing for months (Check ISM Web for video). Well those nasty Palestinians have had the termerity to hold weekly peaceful demonstrations against the building of the apartheid wall that has seen huge tracts of their land stolen, and well the IOF cant have demonstratins with a comeback hence the night raids. The demos are organised by the villages Popular Committee (Parish Council with teeth!). The village know the consequence of continued demonstrations but continue they do in the face of hostile armed squaddies pitching up and arresting the youngsters in the village,taking themaway and holding in "Administrative Detention", which is held without charge or trail for up to 6 months which can be extended by a Military Court for another 6 months ad infinitum.Pleasant people the Israelis!

Anyway we arrived at the apartment in Bilyin and got the brief, we would watch for an incursion from midnight until 4 at various locations throughout the village, if the IOF were to drive we would do all we could, peacefully to de-escalate and de-arrest any Palestinians nabbed. This we did and thats why I was a roof of house under contruction from midnight till 4 sat with 5 internationals and 3 members of the Popular Committee, chatting and smoking without a sign, not thats not true the IOF did send one jeep along the road by the Wall, I think they were just making sure my pulse rate rose.

At the end of the 4 hours we walked bak to the apartment where I fell asleep to the sound of Prayers being called.

As a foot note one of the Internations at Bilyin was on the pre travel training I did for ISM back in February, she has been here since April and in Bilyin for 3 months and has been on every nightwatch since-Respect!