(10 Jul 2003)
Tel village, near Nablus, West Bank
1. Palestinians with donkeys walking down road
2. Palestinian family walking down road
3. Men and donkey walking past mound of earth
4. Locals and International Solidarity Movement (ISM) members attempting to move earth with bulldozer
5. Soldiers approaching them and pointing guns
6. Soldiers and ISM members arguing
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nora Khouri ISM:
“This morning our plan and goal was to dismantle the roadblocks that have been assembled, from the people that need to go from Nablus to the villages and the village to Nablus and who are prevented from doing so because of these roadblocks, they are preventing those that need to visit their families to see their homes. There are families that need to walk five miles that need to get from one place to another with their families, little children, old ladies, old men, that are just wanting to go from one point to another who are not able to drive their automobiles.”
8. Palestinian women walking towards IDF forces
Ramallah
9. UN Envoy to the Middle East Terje Roed Larsen getting out of his car
10. Larsen walking passed security into building
11. Wide shot of Larsen and Arafat seated together
12. Various of the two men
13. Arafat walking to meeting with children
14. Hundreds of children gathered outside Arafat’s HQ
15. Children chanting and waving flags
16. Arafat applauding
17. Wide of children
18. Small child – crying – being presented to Arafat
19. Pan of children
STORYLINE:
A group of international peace activists and local Palestinians were prevented by Israeli soldiers from using a bulldozer to clear away roadblocks in the West Bank on Thursday.
Members of the International Solidarity mission (ISM) and local people, had begun to clear away heaps of rubble placed by the Israelis to block a road near Nablus when soldiers arrived, fired tear gas, arrested the driver of the bulldozer and grappled with the activists.
Roadblocks of this sort are used by the Israelis to isolate Palestinian villages and towns in a effort to prevent the movement of armed militants.
Nora Khouri, a Palestinian-American volunteer with ISM says the roadblocks also hinder everyday travel by people who only want to get to work, see a doctor or visit relatives in neighbouring villages.
Travel by car or bus is virtually impossible in large areas of the West Bank and Palestinians of all ages have to journey on foot or by donkey. The movement of agricultural produce is especially difficult.
Meanwhile, in Ramallah, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat received UN envoy Terje Roed Larsen at his headquarters.
Larsen said he had come to brief Arafat on his recent contacts with other leaders in the region and discuss the situation within the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian leadership is at loggerheads over the scope of powers granted to newly appointed prime minister Mahmoud Abbas and security chief Mohammed Dahlan.
Abbas is threatening to resign unless he receives more support for his efforts to proceed with a US-backed peace plan.
Arafat also welcomed hundreds of Palestinian children on an outing from summer camps in an auditorium attached to his office.
The children were bused to Arafat’s headquarters where they were entertained, sang the Palestinian national anthem and met the PLO chairman.
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