ISM Training - Day Two

We got up very early this morning to start the next phase of our training, since we agreed Wednesday night to be going on an action later today.

One of the sessions was about weapons. Neta took us through each of the weapons that the Israeli Army uses against demonstrators. Sound grenades are used most often, and are the least harmful. Soldiers throw them at Palestinian and international as well as Israeli demonstrators. They make very loud BOOM noises, and are used to scare people. It is a good idea to cover your ears when they are thrown and to take a step or two back, but they are pretty harmless. They do make a small explosion when they are thrown, so it's best to wear thick clothing. They can slightly cut up light fabric or exposed skin.

Teargas is another commonly used weapon against demonstrators, regardless of whether they are being violent or not. I experienced it twice last year, so not much more to add except it makes you feel like there is a hot smoke inside your lungs, and you feel like you are suffocating. They are sometimes thrown as grenades, sometimes shot from rifles as projectiles, and in other cases shot from trucks as cannisters. When they are shot from vehicles, they come in bursts, and a "teargas cloud" forms. When teargassed, the best idea is to walk away, but not run. Panicking will mean taking deeper breaths and inhaling more of this into your body. Some people come to demonstrations armed with an onion or lemon to sniff, it helps to counter the effects of the gas.

The Israeli Army also uses pepper spray, which also is very painful and hurts the eyes and skin a lot. When pepper sprayed, it is a good idea to try to wash one's face with water, and if possible, a cold cream based soap.

Another feared weapon is the "Skunk". It is a disgusting vile concoction of water treated with chemicals that smell like sewage. People sprayed with it have the smell on them and their clothes for hours and sometimes days.


So far I have described only the non-lethal weapons used against Palestinian protesters, regardless of whether they are being violent or not. Well, the weapons are mostly non-lethal. Several years ago, a Palestinian woman, Jawaher Abu Rameh, from the village of Biliin, collapsed and died after a large amount of teargas was shot at her. People who have pre-existing health conditions or are very elderly or very young can be killed by this garbage. Most others live, although the gas causes a lot of suffering.


The Israeli military however not only uses teargas and sound bombs. Live and rubber coated steel bullets have been used to shoot Palestinian demonstrators. Usually the people who are shot are throwing rocks, though not always. Rubber coated steel bullets have killed people, and during the Second Intifada, were shot by soldiers who were aiming them into the eyes of rock throwing young men and kids.
International and Israeli demonstrators who have been in close vicinity to clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli Army have also been at times shot. Some have suffered some very serious damage.


This is one of the reasons why I move out of an area if there are clashes.

The first reason is that as a Christian and a pacifist I am opposed to the use of violence, which includes rock throwing... although at the same time I can understand why many Palestinians do this. It would be hard to imagine living under a military occupation that denies your human rights on a daily basis and not feel tempted to resist in sometimes a violent way. Also, the violence of a rock thrown is nothing in comparison to the violence of the occupation that is inflicted on a daily basis. Having said this, I believe that my faith requires me to step back when a situation like this unfolds.

The second reason is my own safety. Usually when rock throwing is taking place, the soldiers begin to use their firearms... and they shoot live as well as "rubber" rounds. I prefer to not get hit, so I move out of the way when clashes start, so I am not around when the shooting begins. If you are in a situation where people are shooting at you, the thing to do is try to take cover behind anything- rocks, trees, cars, buildings. If someone gets hurt, try to get someone who has medical experience. Do not try moving the person unless you absolutely must, because you can end up doing more damage than good.


We also covered what solidarity means... and what it does not.

Basically, the last thing Palestinian people need are "heroes" who will come from the West to "save" them from the occupation. The Palestinians have been resisting for a very long time. As internationals, our role is to support them in their struggle, and share what is happening with the world. However, we are not here to "rescue" them.

We covered some other things... that you will learn about if one day you decide to join ISM and take the training!