About 200 Palestinian activists set up camp, and a Twitter feed, on Friday in a part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank just east of Jerusalem known as E1, where Israel plans to build homes for thousands of new settlers. The activists described their encampment as the start of “a new Palestinian village named Bab al-Shams,†Arabic for “Gate of the Sun,†after a book by the Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury.
As my colleague Isabel Kershner reports from Jerusalem, Israeli military authorities served the protesters an eviction notice, but the activists said they had preempted that action with an appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court for a delay and would be allowed to stay for at least six days.
Evction notice handed to #BabAlShams. At the same time High Court ruled that the village cannot be evicted for 6 days http://t.co/cJ2ItMZT
The protesters openly acknowledged that they were copying the successful tactics of Israeli settlers, who have helped to expand existing settlements in the West Bank by setting up small outposts without permission and then resisting the efforts of the occupation authorities to evict them.
We were ready to the eviction order so along with building #BabAlShams we went to the court & got suspending order! We are using their tools
In a statement, the grass-roots Palestinian Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said: “For decades, Israel has established facts on the ground as the international community remained silent in response to these violations. The time has come now to change the rules of the game, for us to establish facts on the ground â€" our own land.â€
The construction of the tent camp was broadcast on social networks, in the form of photographs and text updates from activists at the site.
We a group of #Palestinian women and men have established the new village of #BabAlShams on Palestinian land on what Israel refers to as #E1
Campers start the popular struggle camp in E1 area next #Jerusalem #PopularCamp #Palestinians http://t.co/0Ozd1hIZ
First photo Palestinian activists bulding an outpost in e1 http://t.co/IJbtqsdQ
#BabAlshams camp Tents already set http://t.co/ZanYURBa
And the flag is set! #BabAlshams #palestine http://t.co/nsR0VoC6
Friday prayers at #BabAlshams village which is built in #Palestinian lands #Israel call it #E1 http://t.co/Vy1ZZUoc
Before long, the protest encampment had electricity, enabling the activists to charge their phones and continue posting updates about their protest on the new @Bab_Alshams Twitter feed and a dedicated Facebook page.
For anyone referring to #BabAlShams as an outpost or settlement, we own the land this village is created on Palestinian land not land theft!
Sitting next to the fire in the village, songs , cold, shared stories ..all you have to do is join us #BabAlShams http://t.co/SpJ9Zq7P
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