FilAm activist from N.J. shot by Israeli Army in the West Bank

Amado Sison, a Filipino American community organizer from New Jersey, was shot by the Israeli army following the violent dispersal of a peaceful demonstration in Beita Village in the West Bank.

The incident occurred on August 9, 2024, at approximately 3 p.m. in an olive grove near the village.

Sison, using a pseudonym, was struck in the back of his right thigh by a bullet. He was attempting to find cover and leave the area as the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) reportedly fired live ammunition and teargas at demonstrators and international supporters.

“The bullet resulted in a significant exit wound in the front of his thigh, confirming that he was moving away from the soldiers when he was shot,” according to a press statement from Bayan USA and Filipinos 4 Palestine.

The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement saying an American activist was “accidentally shot in the leg” during a protest in the Beita area in the northern West Bank. He is in stable condition and receiving treatment at the Rafidia Hospital in the West Bank, according to reports.

Villagers of Beita carried  Sison to safety for over 500 meters as the IOF continued to attack, preventing an ambulance from arriving on the scene, according to the statement. Locals drove him to an emergency medical clinic for immediate treatment.

Bernama.com and other foreign news agencies identified Sison as an American citizen “injured by Israeli forces.” WAFA News Agency reported that “despite his grave injury, (Sison) was seen smiling with his thumbs up while being transferred into an ambulance.”

The demonstration in Beita Village followed the Jummah (congregational) prayers, a regular occurrence in the region as locals protest the ongoing tensions and land disputes. According to the Palestinian tradition called Faz3a, Beita is heavily targeted because it is “crucial for maintaining a contiguous path between Israeli settlements, thus aiding apartheid and severely impacting native Palestinian villages’ ability to thrive.”

The statement says, “Locals of Beita have been resisting the onslaught of Israeli settlers and colonization attempts for over a decade against illegal land grabbing in what is called the Evyatar outpost. Last June, the Israeli security cabinet “legalized” the illegal Evyatar outpost, which blocks Palestinian access to the olive groves in Beita.”

The shooting of Sison followed an intensified six-week long campaign by Israeli settlers, accompanied by Israeli soldiers cracking down on weekly demonstrations against the settlement.

Originally from New Jersey, Sison joined the demonstrations as one of many international supporters. Sison is well-known for his advocacy for human rights and justice, including his involvement in the National Democratic movement of the Philippines and local organizations like Solidarity Jersey City.