Today, 20 august at the height of the day’s heat, Palestinians from al-Ma’sara were once again joined in solidarity by internationals and Israelis for their weekly demonstration against the Apartheid Wall and illegal settlements that are expanding on the lands of nine villages south of Bethlehem . As soon as the protestors descended to the “bypass-road” that the occupiers built illegally on Palestinian land to connect the Jewish-only settlements, they were intercepted by the Israeli Occupation Forces who once again denied the villagers’ right to access their lands.   Several protestors wore handcuffs and blindfolds, while others carried large pictures depicting three Israeli soldiers posing in front of an injured Palestinian detainee who is lying in front of their feet. In this way, the protestors insisted that, contrary to dominant claims in the current debate that was triggered by an Israeli female soldier posting pictures of her on a social network site where she poses proudly with blindfolded Palestinian detainees, Israeli soldiers have been collecting photographs of their systematic humiliation and abuse of Palestinians for a long time. In chants and speeches, protestors reminded that these repeated abuses that have become regular in Israel ’s illegal occupation, constitute a severe violation of the Geneva Accords and international law. Ignoring protests that they were exhibiting their right to protest on Palestinian land, IOF forces immediately started to violently push the protestors up the hill and threw several sound bombs at the unarmed crowd. Despite of the extreme August heat and although the Palestinian protestors are currently fasting for the month of Ramadan, organizers affirmed that they will always continue to fight for their unalienable right to freedom and justice. TOP