Dec 27 2003
Yesterday we were shot at from close range from the exact position where the nice soldiers told me two weeks ago how they are fighting for peace from inside the army and accused me of taking the easy way out.
I was wrong to assume that whatever happens idf soldiers will never shoot israelis but I might also have been wrong about not believing the soldier who said he would be on our side if he was out of uniform- the protester who was shot yesterday was serving in the army only two weeks earlier. His army service is what convinced him to join the demo and this was his first action of this type.
The course of the day reminded me of two things: first the pershing park mass arrest in sept 27 2002. There I left in the morning thinking whatever happens i don't have time to be arrested and that they always try to get you to leave before arresting you. Yesterday I left the house thinking that whatever happens the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will not deliberately shoot Israelis.
I went with the anarchists, who were very well organized. They all seemed 16-22 years old and they had a bus, a precise drop off place to climb over the hills and around the checkpoints, a medic, media people and legal support.
The plan was to run at a gate in the fence in two groups. One group of people with wire cutters and another group of shakers to shake the gate and try to force it open. The palestinians were supposed to stay back but some went up to the fence. behind them was a line of blockers who's job is to sit on the road in case the army comes to surround us. an army unit of about 8 soldiers was across the fence and a two lane road from us. a distance of about 20 meters. we were cutting the fence for a few minutes ( hard to be sure about time) when they started to shoot. Some of our faces were covered expecting tear gas and when they shot we did not run because we did not really believe that they were actually shooting at us. I think I felt a fragment hit my hand (but it could also be a cut from the fence) and then the guy next to me got hit in the thigh. I only noticed it when people started yelling and i saw the blood.
The strange thing is that we did not feel afraid at all. Part of it must be that we did not realize we were being shot at and, even when we did realize it, we thought these were probably plastic bullets. At the time we were more exited than afraid. Even after we left the fence some of the people around me did not sound like they were too worried about the next demo. I think we need to be a little more afraid before we go back.
The second thing I thought during the demo yesterday is the recent "bloody sunday" movie (please watch it) the very complicated dynamics of a rally heading for disaster and organizers not being able to stop it. On the other side, the dynamics of the army, also not in full control of itself and getting to the point of opening fire an unarmed crowed.
The day of the demo yesterday was a funeral for an officer from a settlement who was killed by a suicide bomber the day before. We were very worried that the settlers will leave the funeral and run into our demo. All of them are armed and will be very angry after the funeral. We managed to stop the young kids from running ahead of the march and pulling us with them and waited for most of the funeral to leave. still, it could be that the soldiers were also upset by the funeral that just took place and that was part of the reason they shot at us.
Peace, Kobi