Continuation of Diaries from the Occupied Territories
August 13, 2002

Joshua Brown called me today from Balata Refugee Camp. The following summary of questions and answers describes his and other members of the International Solidarity Movement's (ISM's) attempts to stop the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from destroying the home of the family of a suicide bomber. At the time of the call (11 p.m. there, 4 p.m. here) Joshua is with the Aunt, Mother and Sisters who live in the home and 15 internationals. The suicide bomber, Jihad Al-Titi resorted to this awful decision after his cousin was blown up in an assassination action.

Joshua - I'm here in a refugee camp with 15 other internationals trying to stop the IDF from bulldozing or shelling this house. They (the internationals) are from the U.S., U.K., Japan, Denmark, Italy, Canada, Ireland and Sweden. We are at the home along with the women of the family, Jihad's Mother, Aunt and two sisters. We're trying to protect the house. Last night there were only two internationals in the house - me and a guy from the U.K.. We were asleep. At 3:15 am we woke to the sound of machine guns firing at the front of the house. There was pounding on the door. The two of us went to the door. They shoved a Palestinian man through the door as a "human shield." Everyone was pulled out of the house, the men and women separated and forced to lie on the ground. I had an M16 pointed at my head. I said "I am an international." The soldier said, "Shut your f-in mouth or we'll kill you." All the men (4 Palestinians and the two of us) were put in an Israeli armored personnel carrier. We were taken to a base "Huwara" - H-u-w-a-r-a, I believe was how it is spelled. We were detained and questioned. We finally convinced them to let us go - and the four Palestinian men were released too.

Question - How long were you detained?

Joshua - Counting the time on the ground which was about an hour - 20 minute drive to the base - 20 minutes at the base.

Now it is 11 p.m. An hour ago they (IDF) started shooting with tanks. Do you hear that? (There is a sound of gun fire from automatic weapons).

Question - I hear the gun fire. What are they firing at?

Joshua - They are firing at Palestinian youth who throwing rocks at them two blocks away. The weirdest thing is the flares. They are firing flares overhead. The shadows are creeping toward us - the shadows caused by the flares.

Question - What are they using the flares for?

Joshua - To see as they advance.

Question - Are Palestinians fighting back with guns?

Joshua - We are not fighting back. Everyone who is in ISM, everyone being supported by ISM has pledged not to use armed resistance. This is strictly non-violent direct action that we are doing. There is a 24 hour curfew here. For 55 days. It has only been lifted for 34 hours total.

Question - Is there food?

Joshua - There is food. People secretly break the curfew and bring back food. But there are shortages of milk and flour. People are basically working on a credit system. No one has a job, no one can get to Israel or work.

Question - What is the consequence when the curfew is violated?

Joshua - They can face death. Right across the street the neighbors have boarded their windows in anticipation of an attack. Also - right across the street, there is a 3-4 foot hole in the wall - the wall was blown up. The alleys are only 2 to 2-1/2 feet wide, so the IDF have knocked holes in the walls so they don't have to go into the street. When they come after a house, they don't target it very directly - so some of the Palestinians turn against each other.

Question - Is that a very effective strategy for the IDF?

Joshua - Sometimes it works.

Question - Tell me more about what it was like last night.

Joshua - When they come for you, you can't see them. They have bright lights mounted on their guns. All you can see is the bright light and the barrel of the gun, you can't see them. We had been on the roof. The IDF knew that. They asked us when we were detained, "Were you on the roof?" We said, "We were asleep." They kept asking, "Were you on the roof?" We said, "Yes, we heard shooting and went to see what it was about." Apparently they could see us on the roof with infra-red light - night vision goggles. Also when they detained me, one IDF soldier said, "I am sending you back to U.S.A." My heart sank - then he laughed. "Nablus U.S.A." Then I realized I wasn't being deported. Many internationals are deported. The women of the family may be deported, too.

Question - How big is the camp?

Joshua - There are 22,000 Palestinians here. The Al-Titi family has been here since 1949. They were refugees from Haifa in Israel.

Question - How long have the internationals been at this house?

Joshua - For two and a half months. I've been with the family for 5 days. We have also been doing children programs. We take them to a safe place and do recreation and drawing. It's a chance for them to be safe. We also arrange for food to get in.

Question - Thank you for talking with me. Be careful.
Joshua - I will try to call you if they come tonight to destroy the house, but there's no guarantee that I will be able to make a phone call at that point.

www.thestoryofjihad.com a link to the story of Jihad Al-Titi