- Title: WEST BANK: West Bank village of Bilin plants flowers in Israeli tear gas shells
- Date: 3rd October 2013
- Summary: BILIN, WEST BANK (OCTOBER 2, 2013) (REUTERS) BILIN VILLAGERS WORKING ON TEAR GAS GARDEN VARIOUS OF MOTHER OF TEAR GAS VICTIM, SOBHAYA ABU RAHMEH, WATERING PLANTS POSITIONED INSIDE TEAR GAS GRENADE SHELL CLOSE OF PLANT IN TEAR GAS GRENADE SHELL MORE OF SOBHAYA ABU RAHMEH WATERING PLANTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOTHER OF TWO VICTIMS OF TEAR GAS INJURIES, SOBHAYA ABU RAHMEH, SA
- Embargoed: 18th October 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Conflict,Nature / Environment,Quirky,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVADHD1ABE6BHE6TGKQOZE21U4O4
- Story Text: Hundreds of tear gas casings until recently littered a farm in Bilin, a flashpoint for clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian demonstrators in recent years.
Residents in the West Bank village have used the spent casings to transform a part of the farm into a commemorative garden.
Individual flowers bloom from gas grenade casings leftover from anti-riot operations, now planted in rows at the field to commemorate victims of the violence.
Local resident Sobhaya Abu Rahmeh lost two of her children to tear gas injuries as they demonstrated against Israel's building of the West Bank barrier.
Her daughter Jawaher was killed in 2011, and her son Bassem was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during a protest in 2009. He was critically wounded by a tear canister shot at his chest.
"I still have the bomb that killed Bassem. This (bomb) kills people, it killed Bassem," Sobhaya Abu Rahmeh, as she watered individual flowers in the garden on Wednesday (October 2).
"I planted flowers, because Bassem is a flower," she added, holding up a casing with blooming flower in it.
A striking image of Bassem printed on a net has been positioned next to the garden, raised up by tear gas shells.
Bilin had become a symbol of resistance when Israel started building a barrier in 2005, that was strongly opposed by Palestinian villagers. It was the site of weekly protests, many spiralling into violent clashes.
The barrier in the Bilin area cut some 3 kilometres (2 miles) into the village, separating some farmers from their fields.
The West Bank barrier- a series of concrete walls, fences and ditches snaking in and around the Israeli-occupied West Bank was declared illegal in 2004 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Israel has credited the barrier for stemming Palestinian suicide bombings that peaked in 2002 and 2003.
Palestinians say that the barrier's route is a blatant land-grab meant to prejudge the borders of any future Palestinian state.
Villager Mohammed Al Khatib, who oversees the flower garden in Bilin, that was planted on Tuesday (October 1), says the project will send a positive message to the world.
"The idea is that from these weapons, which kill and destroy, we can make life. In spite of all the destruction and killing, we still stand on our lands. We will stay here to plant flowers and roses to send a message of love to the whole world. It is also a message of steadfastness, challenging the occupation that we will survive from these remains," said Al Khatib.
The creation of the garden coincided with Bilin hosting on Wednesday the 8th International Conference for Popular Resistance.
Attendants included Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, as well as human rights lawyers and activists. On the agenda for the gathering were discussions on how to support the non-violent Palestinian resistance movement.
Conference organiser Abdullah Abu Rahmeh told Reuters the event aimed to unify Palestinians.
"The Bilin Conference, in its 8th year of commemorating the Popular Resistance, is an annual gathering that is convened to energise the Popular Resistance and unify the efforts of the committees in the West Bank, from the north to the south, toward innovation, new activities and new strategies, co-ordinated across Palestine," said Abdullah Abu Rahmeh.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders renewed peace talks in July, with the U.S. brokering negotiations over borders, the status of Jerusalem, the future of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and the fate of Palestinian refugees. Neither side has expressed much optimism for the talks.
While talks continue villagers in Bilin hope the garden will flourish as a symbol of life in the face of adversity. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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