The Award Committee has unanimously decided to confer the 2007 Yasser Arafat Award on the Bil’in Committee of Popular Resistance against the Wall and Settlements.
In the evening of 12 November 2007, a special party was organised to grant the first 2007 Yasser Arafat Award at the Ramallah Cultural Palace. On behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas, the ceremony was held under auspices of Ahmed Qurei’, Member of the Fatah Central Committee and Commissioner General of Mobilisation and Organisation. In addition to a large number of ministers, diplomatic representatives and citizens, the party brought together Dr. Nasser al Qudwah, Chairman of the Constituent Committee of the Yasser Arafat Foundation (YAF) and Dr. Nabil Qassis, Chairman of the Award Committee.
“Yasser Arafat was, first and foremost, a resistance activist and Fedayee. The avantgarde resistance movement which he led managed to mobilise an unprecedented, broad international support and solidarity with the Palestinian people. Arafat successfully created an assembly that involved all peace-loving nations, which support peoples’ freedom and defend their right to self-determination.” Dr. Qassis stated after he had announced the Award recipient.
Dr. Qassis explained that the Committee’s decision to confer the 2007 Yasser Arafat Award on the Bil’in Committee of Popular Resistance against the Wall and Settlements was unanimous. The village of Bil’in has adopted a well-informed, effective technique in resisting the occupation and lobbying an international solidarity, which the Palestinian people had been in dire need to. This peaceful village generated a powerful effect at a time when inimical forces were redefining the conflict in Palestine and market it as if it had been a conflict over land between two parties. However, as we have witnessed and as international peace activists realised, the reality is such that the unarmed Palestinian people face an aggression waged by an avaricious, oppressive usurper.
“We have brought our voice out to the outside world because we work with the team spirit far from partisan, factional conflicts and rivalries and disputes,” Abdullah Abu Rahmah, Coordinator of the Bil’in Committee of Popular Resistance against the Wall and Settlements, asserted. “Since the first day of our protest on 20 February 2005, we have hoisted the Palestinian flag only. Besides managing our activity against the Wall and settlements, young Palestinian leaders have shouldered the responsibility for following up on legal and political issues and organising our peaceful endeavour in participation with international and Israeli
peace activists, who have long defied the occupation, settlement activity and Wall and decided to resist it, not only by slogans, but on the ground.” Abu Rahmah added
Abu Rahmah expounded that campaigns launched by the Bil’in Committee of Popular Resistance against the Wall and Settlements have succeeded because they have adopted a nonviolent, peaceful approach. Campaigners constantly pay attention to creative challenge techniques, ideas and slogans that cast light on our just cause. “We are residents of a small Palestinian village, which the Wall and settlement activity have devastated our resources and undermined our ability to lead a decent life. More than half of the village’s land were seized, and with it were the livelihoods of households who relied on the agricultural activity as a source of income.” Abu Rahmah elaborated.
“Peace activists from across the globe have acted as ambassadors who transmitted, through photographs and short films, the Palestinian farmer’s suffering. From Bil’in – the epitome of land levelling, settlement activity and Wall construction, they conveyed the image of the Palestinian woman, who embraced her olive tree in a desperate attempt to prevent Israeli bulldozers from uprooting it. Israeli peace activists have further revealed an absent image of the Israeli society. Whereas the Israeli military establishment attempts impatiently to justify their crimes against our people, Israeli peace activists report the reality of violence, brutality and crimes which Israeli troops commit against unarmed Palestinian civilians. The Israeli forces use all types of internationally prohibited weapons, including sponge grenades, expanding bullets and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse peaceful demonstration.
