Bristol Man Lined Up For ‘mock execution’ By Israeli Soldiers.

“I felt my legs start to shake” said Mr Woodhead. “I thought I was about to die.” He is currently facing deportation by Israeli authorities after being arrested last Friday by border police at a demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, a village in the occupied Palestinian territories.

This gives you a good idea of the intolerance those poor Palestinians are facing.....now a Bristolian guy has had the fear of death put into him by the ever more rogue Israeli army. Look I know feelings run high from Israelis when anything bad comes to light, and I know we're all people here good and bad so to speak. This is really getting dangerous for Israel though.....at some point it will be have been enough. Bring your insane Government, Military and secret services to heel please.

Bristol 24-7

reply to post by cyoshi


they probably heard his brizzle accent and thought he was taking the piss? perhaps they thought they had finally captured banksy?

seriously though, it's way past time that the international community reigned israel in, they are doing enormous damage to international relations and our chances of a peaceful future. why tf cant they just stick to their borders?

reply to post by cyoshi

I would never condone such a crass act

The trouble with these do gooders is that they don't genuinely understand what they are protesting, or what could be the consequences.

I'm against some things in Syria but intelligent enough to know my presence on the front line will make no difference to the situation and may well get me killed.

Going to the territories to protest is a pretty stupid thing to do so don't cry when you get hurt and treated like an enemy of the state

Just saying

reply to post by cyoshi


Explanation: S&F!

Ok for once I am going to say ... that IMO ... the victim in this case ... is actually the IDF!

I also think that arrested and detained man has made an error in what he has sensed!

Here is why ...

“All three of us were handcuffed with cable ties and then blindfolded. We were pushed against a wall with our heads down. Then I heard the soldiers cocking their rifles like a mock execution. I felt my legs start to shake, I thought I was about to die.

Note: All bolds and underlines are my edits of the original text for both clarity and emphasis.

The IDF would NOT have had their guns unloaded at the time of arrest and I am quite confident that what he heard was the UNCOCKING and possibly unloading of their weapons once the three men inclucing this man from bristol were arrested and dare I say it ... safely detained.

Personal Disclosure: I am no fan of Israel or the IDF ... but OL must call it as I see it and I think this is merely a case of misidentifying what was really occuring due to being in shock from being arrested, beaten, handcuffeed and BLINDFOLDED.



But I can definately put myself in this man from bristols shoes and if I didn't know any better then I too would have thought that I may have been about to be executed.

Got some corroboration OP?

Tom Woodhead is still being held in a deportation prison in Israel following his arrest more than a week ago. He described how he and two other Palestinians were lined up against a wall while Israeli soldiers cocked their rifles for a “mock execution”.

We have a self declared activist who is there specifically because he hates Israel, the IDF or both ....and now, strictly based on his word, we're to believe this scene of mock executions? Okay, Israeli troops HAVE done some raunchy crap before (you really don't want to get into what Palestinians have done in comparison..).

However... This is ATS with Deny Ignorance as the Motto and I live in Missouri...the Show Me State. Show me more than his personal, verbal claims while he's still in a detention center to be making them? I'd be interested with more.

reply to post by cody599


i agree with some of what you say, however how can you be sure that he does not understand the details of what he is protesting about?
it's also a sad sad thing when the term "do good" is a pejorative

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


i agree that more sources would be needed to examine this story in detail. however i read the op article, and found no indication that he "hates israel, the idf or both" as you so clearly state, just that he is protesting for palestine - they can be mutually exclusive, honestly... do you have an alternative source where you found this info and could you please share it? deny ignorance/show me etc etc

reply to post by skalla

(Sorry... Reply quotes got totally screwed here somehow. I dropped that part)

UK peace activist faces deportation by Israeli occupation authorities and is set to be detained by Special Branch under anti-terror powers upon return

Tom Woodhead, a British activist, is currently facing deportation by Israeli authorities after being arrested last Friday by border police at a demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, a village in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Woodhead, (born July 1984 in Sheffield), was a volunteer in the West Bank with the International Solidarity Movement since early-October last autumn. On 1 March, Woodhead was amongst several international and Israeli activists attending one of Kafr Quddom´s weekly Friday protests, with the aim of monitoring and to provide an international presence to restrain violence by the Israeli occupation forces. The regular demonstrations, which began in July 2011, are part of a local strategy by the village´s popular struggle committee to regain access to the road which leads to Nablus, the nearest city. It has been obstructed by a roadblock since 2003 and all travel to Nablus henceforth has been elongated by 14km one-way going the next shortest route.

Source

Perhaps hate is too harsh a word. He was just there for the express and specific purpose of opposing and resisting the IDF in protest and direct confrontation. Such as this describes and more covers if one takes a moment to look up that group and cause.

It's a complicated situation over there and while I respect the Western people who go join on what they believe is worth the sacrifice....I also don't have pity or sympathy when or if they MAKE that sacrifice. If they weren't willing, they should have stayed home. Of all the places on Earth, the Occupied Territories is one where NEITHER side plays games with anyone and it's as real as it gets for consequence of action, IMO.

* Part of what got munched with the quote was that if you run his name, specifically, he's by no means an unknown within activist news and circles. In fact, as I'd run his name while reading the OP the first time, it's quick to find he's a very accomplished and known protester. To each their own on that...but can't win 'em all. It ought to be interesting.....seeing him arrested on the spot when he's returned to England too, eh?

reply to post by skalla


Every foreign activist I came across during my service was 10 times worse than the Palastinians at goading us, as if being British or American gave them some right to disobey the laws and abuse us.

They were wrong.

If anything they should have acted with more decorum, then they may just have earned some respect and been listened to.

Originally posted by cody599

Going to the territories to protest is a pretty stupid thing to do so don't cry when you get hurt and treated like an enemy of the state

In this case the Israeli's are the land snatching terrorists and the guy was protesting for a good cause.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000

We have a self declared activist who is there specifically because he hates Israel, the IDF or both ....

Maybe, just maybe he doesn't hate Israel but feels he is fighting a good cause. I know i would be thinking that way if i found myself protesting against zion.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

(i wrote this just after your post etc but family biz delayed me hitting reply by about an hour, dont have time to look at subsequent replies)

well i see myself as just a layman when it comes to palestinian and israeli issues, though the organisation i work for has educational links to both nations and i have personnal colleagues from israel as well as young clients from palestine so i do appreciate how entangled the whole situation is, not just from the MSM or ats for example.

Woodhead certainly does seem a prominent activist from the info in your link (thank you for posting it), though it is interesting to note..

Woodhead, had previously been one of the six activists who broke into the Brighton factory of EDO-MBM Technology and, after barricading themselves in, proceeded to damage around £200,000 worth of manufacturing equipment. Following a month-long trial in Lewes in summer 2010, they were cleared of charges of criminal damage after satisfying the court that they had lawful excuse by preventing war crimes; due to the company´s proven supply of exclusively-made equipment used by the Israeli military in the December 2008 to January 2009 offensive in the Gaza Strip. Prior to his time in Palestine, Woodhead had been a first aid trainer with the British Red Cross in his city of residence, Bristol.

altahrir.wordpress.com...
which does not paint him in a bad light, in my eyes at least.

he may not be too worried about being questioned by special branch, not just due to his previous experience with the courts as above,..

Upon his return to the UK, Woodhead is reasonably expected to be detained for questioning by Special Branch under Schedule VII powers provided within the Anti-Terrorism Act 2000. This is in line with the recent experiences of two researchers from Corporate Watch, campaign affiliates of Woodhead through Smash EDO. They were quizzed on a variety of personal and non-violent campaigning-related matters with no relation to any ongoing criminal proceedings and no further action taken in either case

as we all know, being questioned by TPTB about terrorism does not mean one is a terrorist, or indeed that one can expect fair treatment.

as to him being assaulted by an IDF soldier etc..

Last Friday´s demonstration, as customary, began with approximately 150 walking up the road towards the colonial-settlement Qedumim, where the earthmound sits further along. The protestors were forced back into Kafr Qaddum with stun grenades, teargas and rubber-coated steel bullets

several border police officers burst out of a vacant building where they had been hiding and grabbed who they could of the surprised protesters running past them. Along with two Palestinians, Belal Fathi Jomaa (22) and Nayif Khalel Jomaa (17), Woodhead was arrested by three officers during which he was hit with a rifle butt, whilst one of the Palestinians was photographed being hit in the back of the head with a rock by one officer. During his arrest Tom was blindfolded and punched twice in his face. Border police ‘played’ with their guns making noises while he was blindfolded to scare him

i know i have posted a lot from your link, but obvs some peeps just skim threads, and i thought there was valuable info present, and it was worth posting. one last bit

The teenager is being held in Megiddo prison, where Arafat Jaradat was lethally tortured during interrogation a few days ago. The other Palestinian is interned in Huwara military base; whilst Woodhead is currently being transferred to detention by the Israeli Interior Ministry as part of his deportation ordeal. No evidence has been presented of any wrong-doing and this, ISM maintains, is due to the Israeli government not wanting any outside scrutiny of the recent upsurge of violent oppression in the West Bank.

by "the teenager", i am left assuming they are referring to Nayif Khalel Jomaa (17) in the last but one ex text.

i admire and respect that you posted an islamic source for further info, wrabbit obvs if someone were to find a source from israel we may have a really balanced pic

reply to post by skalla

I appreciate your reply and it sounds like you do have a deeper understanding of the whole situation over there. I honestly do respect the people willing to put themselves at risk for a cause...whether I agree with them or their cause or not. Agreement isn't necessary for respect.

The flip side of that is that respect comes from their knowing and willingly putting themselves at risk and accepting what comes.

I think it is relevant that he's a professional or at least, experienced protester (and his stunt at the corp cost 1/4 million US Dollars by what I'd read... What was accomplished for the cost? That's hard to respect), because he'd know how to play something like what happened out there and so I factor that in when I see a report like this.

He'd very well know there were cameras watching and recording as he'd have helped arrange that and know the people holding those cameras himself. He'd know what he could mutter under his breath to make an Israel see red, for instance and lose their temper if they were prone to do that. Perhaps here it went a bit further than he'd figured? Some of this is so hard to really get into figuring out when it's professionals on all sides of a thing that's happening. I saw in Occupy that it doesn't take a paycheck or training to be a real savvy and pro- protester.

Just my additional thoughts...

reply to post by Exitt

I take incidents on a case by case basis. Even if I agreed with your take on the overall geopolitical situation in Israel and the Occupied territories, which I don't, it doesn't make any single incident automatically fall one way or the other for right or wrong.

I'm looking at just what happened here, specifically, and about the only larger factor I'd say is relevant is the fact Israeli troops are known to go further than most for physical treatment (they call it enhanced interrogation here...I think they just call it orientation to prison there) and I think they have a history of temper issues. Seeing them egged into being stupid wouldn't be shocking, given that. That's particularly relevant because a knowledgeable protester would know that too.

Aside from that, who has done what to whom over the past few wars, 1948 or back to the time of Jesus wouldn't really change much for who did what to whom at this particular event.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I'm actually surprised you don't agree. We talked on another thread about something else and i got the impression you think freedom of speech is one of the most important issues.


I guess that depends which country we are discussing at the moment

reply to post by Exitt

Freedom of Speech is critically important. That's never changed. I don't see anything like that clear cut an issue here though, if that Right even existed in the same way there as it does in other places. How they view it is secondary to much more happening at this incident though.

Ultimately... Did the Israeli soldiers mentally torture him (as I understand mock executions are literally seen as being by many..making this a serious accusation above most), did they over-react to verbal or other provocation they should have been above reacting to...or was there more involved here than we know?

The whole event this thread is about relates to long term and very organized efforts to force the opening of a local road and removal of a checkpoint. Not strictly a free speech thing on the face of it, by any stretch. So..questions I do see.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Couldn't find anything in the Israeli media or the IDF news site.

Hardly surprising as this was a relatively mundane story for Israel, It would be like reporting a mugging in South Africa.

I some how doubt he learned his lesson though

Some people just like the buzz of adrenalin, if you choose to call your self a freedom fighter for the buzz? Be prepared to be taken down, Oh and good luck withe job hunting, no doubt my tax will his benefits when he returned.

Personally I'd prefer to see him do time in Israel, Cheaper for Britain and he'd at least be a real prison, not a state sponsored hotel.

Originally posted by OmegaLogos
The IDF would NOT have had their guns unloaded at the time of arrest and I am quite confident that what he heard was the UNCOCKING and possibly unloading of their weapons once the three men inclucing this man from bristol were arrested and dare I say it ... safely detained.

Personal Disclosure: I am no fan of Israel or the IDF ... but OL must call it as I see it and I think this is merely a case of misidentifying what was really occuring due to being in shock from being arrested, beaten, handcuffeed and BLINDFOLDED.

But I can definately put myself in this man from bristols shoes and if I didn't know any better then I too would have thought that I may have been about to be executed.

Yep, that's exactly what I'd be thinking after I got hit in the head twice, blindfolded, put up against a wall and heard guns cocking (or uncocking). Yep, he definitely misread the situation. Sarcasm ended.

The IDF would NOT have had their guns unloaded at the time of arrest and I am quite confident that what he heard was the UNCOCKING and possibly unloading of their weapons once the three men inclucing this man from bristol were arrested and dare I say it ... safely detained.

reply to post by OmegaLogos



Nope
Sorry but the only time you take a magazine out when serving in the territories is when you return to base.
Possibly locked and loaded just in case, and then having the round taken out the chamber.

That would take multiple false executions as you would never all unload at the same time and leave no defence.

I hate to say it

The soldiers were out of order

But the guy needed a reality check. He got it.
I've been spat at, had nappies thrown at me, rocks thrown, bags of feces,
That was the foreign activists. Shot at, sling shot damn near killed me, lost my left thumb to a bomb.

But that was my choice to put on a uniform and be a target.

I would never have done that. And if one of my soldiers was caught doing so ................ Fill in the blank.

It aint pleasant

Originally posted by cyoshi
“I felt my legs start to shake” said Mr Woodhead. “I thought I was about to die.” He is currently facing deportation by Israeli authorities after being arrested last Friday by border police at a demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, a village in the occupied Palestinian territories.

If Bristol campaigner, Mr Woodhead, had traveled to a Palestinian controlled areas and started demonstrating against the Palestinians, they would have lined him up for execution and quite possibly put a bullet in his head.

Naive campaigners from Bristol would be safer at home.

reply to post by cody599


Explanation: St*rred!

I thank you for your personal insight into this from the standpoint of a former member of the IDF.

However I think your post is reading to much into my post and I will try qualify my posts position more clearly!

I wrote...

The IDF would NOT have had their guns unloaded at the time of arrest and I am quite confident that what he heard was the UNCOCKING and possibly unloading of their weapons once the three men inclucing this man from bristol were arrested and dare I say it ... safely detained.

1stly ... Uncocking a gun does NOT UNLOAD it!

2ndly ... Possibly unloading ...means exactly that ... POSSIBLY ...not definately!

3rdly ... My post never mentioned any numbers when it came to the IDF "soldiers cocking their rifles like a mock execution." and nor does the man from bristol. So whether they all did or just some did is still ambiguous.

4th and finally ... My post makes zero claims about any other issue and it focuses only on the issue detailed in this threads title which was about the 'mock execution' and again I reiterate that I think the man from bristol misread what his senses were telling him while he was blindfolded and in shock..

Personal Disclosure: I hope that clarifies my post succinctly for everyone!

Originally posted by cody599
reply to post by skalla

 

Every foreign activist I came across during my service was 10 times worse than the Palastinians at goading us, as if being British or American gave them some right to disobey the laws and abuse us.

They were wrong.

If anything they should have acted with more decorum, then they may just have earned some respect and been listened to.

Well when the USA pours millions of dollars in aid to Israel each year...

Yeah, I'd kind of feel like I have a right to bitch a little bit.