Beit Reema and the first Intifada

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It was a new exciting experience, they hear about it on the news but they did not experience it yet. They would camp out with bon fires just for a look out, the rapture of the experience and the thrill of breaking the fear barrier intoxicate them.

The soldiers finally started to come and the Intifada officially started in Beit Reema.If you hear a whistle that means the soldiers are coming. Ras Salman (a mountain overlooking the main road at the beginning of Beit Reema) has seen it all: the first wounded the first killed.

Isma`el “alHodali” Al-Barghouthi was the first to sacrifice. He is the first Martyr in Beit Reema. His death created a reality shock but fiercer confrontations. Then came Ali Ata Aqel Rimawi, Faud Hussni Rhamy Rimawi and the young Abdilkader Barghouthi. So many were wounded the most critical of all was Mohammed Mothkal. 70% of Beit Reema Youth was either arrested or wounded .

Everybody participated. The political transformation can be seen as a move from a leftist town to a more secular.The first period of the Intifada Beit Reema was mainly a Popular Front supporting town then Fatih and Democratic Front. The Islamic Movement started weak and remained weak.