9 jan 2012
Dr Amer: The countdown to a new Israeli war on Gaza started
Specialist in Israeli affairs and political analyst Dr. Adnan Abu Amer said the countdown to new military aggression against the Gaza Strip started, but when this war would happen is not yet decided by the Israeli occupation regime.
Dr. Amer made his remarks in a political symposium held on Sunday in Al-Omah university in Gaza.
"I think the occupation is busy now more than ever mulling over the timeline for a military campaign that seems to be closer," the specialist in Israeli affairs stated.
He explained that the Israeli occupation, through its war threats, has sent several messages to the Arabs and the first of them is political.
"The regional changes, the occupation's losing of more allies after the Arab spring and its military and security exposure have made it to live in a state of panic. The Israeli decision-maker wants to regain the balance he has lost and send a message that the war is not directed against Gaza and its resistance but against the political region around Gaza which changed greatly," the specialist added.
The second message is related to the Israeli intelligence concern about the growing capabilities of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and its thirst to explore them, the specialist elaborated.
"The enemy will not stand up for the growing development of the resistance which has turned from guerrilla groups to a regular army, so it wants to test the weapons of the resistance and the level it has reached."
For his part, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, who took part in the symposium, said his Movement is geared up to confront any new Israeli aggression against Gaza.
"We are prepared for the war and deal with the Israeli treats at the same time as a psychological warfare," spokesman Barhoum stated.
The spokesman stressed that the competition between Israeli leaders are based on who can inflict the biggest losses among the Palestinians.
"An Israeli leader cannot run for elections before his track record is examined to see if he is a killer or a politician, and of course if he is a killer he will win the elections," he added.
Dr. Amer made his remarks in a political symposium held on Sunday in Al-Omah university in Gaza.
"I think the occupation is busy now more than ever mulling over the timeline for a military campaign that seems to be closer," the specialist in Israeli affairs stated.
He explained that the Israeli occupation, through its war threats, has sent several messages to the Arabs and the first of them is political.
"The regional changes, the occupation's losing of more allies after the Arab spring and its military and security exposure have made it to live in a state of panic. The Israeli decision-maker wants to regain the balance he has lost and send a message that the war is not directed against Gaza and its resistance but against the political region around Gaza which changed greatly," the specialist added.
The second message is related to the Israeli intelligence concern about the growing capabilities of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and its thirst to explore them, the specialist elaborated.
"The enemy will not stand up for the growing development of the resistance which has turned from guerrilla groups to a regular army, so it wants to test the weapons of the resistance and the level it has reached."
For his part, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, who took part in the symposium, said his Movement is geared up to confront any new Israeli aggression against Gaza.
"We are prepared for the war and deal with the Israeli treats at the same time as a psychological warfare," spokesman Barhoum stated.
The spokesman stressed that the competition between Israeli leaders are based on who can inflict the biggest losses among the Palestinians.
"An Israeli leader cannot run for elections before his track record is examined to see if he is a killer or a politician, and of course if he is a killer he will win the elections," he added.
Israel will acquire 2,500 military vehicles and equipment from the US, including gear used in Iraq and Afghanistan, Israeli media reported on Sunday, as the country's premier announced a rise in defense spending.
The military equipment to be transferred according to the preliminary deal will be deducted from United States' annual military aid to Israel, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Rights groups estimate that the United States gives Israel around $3 billion per year in foreign aid, military and economic grants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will boost defense spending by about 6 percent this year in the face of deepening regional instability, defying calls for cuts as living standards are squeezed.
Israel will spend an additional 3 billion shekels ($780 million) on defense this year. The 2012 budget had been projected at around 50 billion shekels, broadly unchanged from last year.
"Given the abundant challenges and threats surrounding us, it would be a mistake, a big mistake even, to cut the defense budget," Netanyahu told reporters.
Israel faces a strategic map that has been radically redrawn in the past 12 months.
It looks likely to lose regional alliances with Turkey and Egypt and faces a possible entente between Hamas and Fatah, an uprising in neighboring Syria and growing fears over Iran's nuclear program.
Netanyahu said some of the money would come from trimming other government departments but savings from within the military would also play a part.
It will sell assets such army bases, prime real estate in some cases, and he also promised a more efficient use of the budget.
A panel formed last year in response to protests over the cost of living recommended that defense spending be cut by 2.5 billion shekels. That sparked a political fight between Treasury officials and national security chiefs.
Despite their apparent victory, defense officials were circumspect about the changes, saying they might only receive extra funding for this year and that they expected cuts to be imposed later.
The military equipment to be transferred according to the preliminary deal will be deducted from United States' annual military aid to Israel, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Rights groups estimate that the United States gives Israel around $3 billion per year in foreign aid, military and economic grants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will boost defense spending by about 6 percent this year in the face of deepening regional instability, defying calls for cuts as living standards are squeezed.
Israel will spend an additional 3 billion shekels ($780 million) on defense this year. The 2012 budget had been projected at around 50 billion shekels, broadly unchanged from last year.
"Given the abundant challenges and threats surrounding us, it would be a mistake, a big mistake even, to cut the defense budget," Netanyahu told reporters.
Israel faces a strategic map that has been radically redrawn in the past 12 months.
It looks likely to lose regional alliances with Turkey and Egypt and faces a possible entente between Hamas and Fatah, an uprising in neighboring Syria and growing fears over Iran's nuclear program.
Netanyahu said some of the money would come from trimming other government departments but savings from within the military would also play a part.
It will sell assets such army bases, prime real estate in some cases, and he also promised a more efficient use of the budget.
A panel formed last year in response to protests over the cost of living recommended that defense spending be cut by 2.5 billion shekels. That sparked a political fight between Treasury officials and national security chiefs.
Despite their apparent victory, defense officials were circumspect about the changes, saying they might only receive extra funding for this year and that they expected cuts to be imposed later.
7 jan 2012
Armed Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers on Saturday attacked villagers in Nablus in the northern West Bank, Palestinian Authority officials said.
PA settlement affairs official Ghassan Doughlas told Ma'an that residents of the illegal Bracha settlement raided Burin village, threw rocks and glass bottles at locals and attacked homes.
Israeli military jeeps arrived in the village and soldiers beat up several Palestinians, including Bilal al-Dmeiry and Khalid Bashir, Doughlas said.
Israeli forces fired tear gas and sound bombs at Palestinians who were protesting the settler raid, witnesses told Ma'an.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army used riot dispersal means to break up clashes between Israelis and Palestinians who were throwing rocks at each other.
She added that three Palestinians and an Israeli were injured in the clashes.
PA settlement affairs official Ghassan Doughlas told Ma'an that residents of the illegal Bracha settlement raided Burin village, threw rocks and glass bottles at locals and attacked homes.
Israeli military jeeps arrived in the village and soldiers beat up several Palestinians, including Bilal al-Dmeiry and Khalid Bashir, Doughlas said.
Israeli forces fired tear gas and sound bombs at Palestinians who were protesting the settler raid, witnesses told Ma'an.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army used riot dispersal means to break up clashes between Israelis and Palestinians who were throwing rocks at each other.
She added that three Palestinians and an Israeli were injured in the clashes.
American society plan to unearth landmines in Husan pending Israeli approval
Israel has been refusing to clear a minefield in the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem, for decades, the village’s municipal council chairman, Jamal Sabatin, said.
He told Quds Press on Saturday that the minefield, which was planted in 1950, had killed six citizens and seriously wounded 15 others, who had their limbs amputated.
Sabatin said that the American society “Roots of Peace” had set up a plan on Friday to remove those mines but the plan was pending Israeli approval, charging that Israel has been adamantly refusing all plans to demine that field.
He said that international reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of mines were planted by the Israeli forces in various Palestinian areas.
Group launches campaign to clear minefields in Bethlehem
A US-based organization Roots of Peace on Friday launched a campaign to clear mines from fields near Bethlehem.
The initiative was announced at a press conference in Husan village, west of Bethlehem, where a 1.5-acre minefield has claimed four lives and injured 10 people since 1967.
The area was partially cleared by Israeli authorities in 1985, when Israel built a road through the land to connect the Jewish settlement Betar Illit to Jerusalem.
Roots of Peace founder Heidi Kuhn joined Palestinian Authority representatives, and Islamic and Christian clerics in Husan village for the campaign launch, which coincided with the Christian celebration of Epiphany and the Orthodox Christmas Eve.
The organization plans a large-scale campaign to remove 1.5 million landmines and unexploded ordnance from the West Bank, a statement said.
He told Quds Press on Saturday that the minefield, which was planted in 1950, had killed six citizens and seriously wounded 15 others, who had their limbs amputated.
Sabatin said that the American society “Roots of Peace” had set up a plan on Friday to remove those mines but the plan was pending Israeli approval, charging that Israel has been adamantly refusing all plans to demine that field.
He said that international reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of mines were planted by the Israeli forces in various Palestinian areas.
Group launches campaign to clear minefields in Bethlehem
A US-based organization Roots of Peace on Friday launched a campaign to clear mines from fields near Bethlehem.
The initiative was announced at a press conference in Husan village, west of Bethlehem, where a 1.5-acre minefield has claimed four lives and injured 10 people since 1967.
The area was partially cleared by Israeli authorities in 1985, when Israel built a road through the land to connect the Jewish settlement Betar Illit to Jerusalem.
Roots of Peace founder Heidi Kuhn joined Palestinian Authority representatives, and Islamic and Christian clerics in Husan village for the campaign launch, which coincided with the Christian celebration of Epiphany and the Orthodox Christmas Eve.
The organization plans a large-scale campaign to remove 1.5 million landmines and unexploded ordnance from the West Bank, a statement said.
Three years on from an Israeli attack that left him blind, 17-year-old Mahmoud Mattar says he spends most of his days inside and has little hope for the future.
Mahmoud was injured in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on Jan. 7, 2009 during Israel's brutal three-week war on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli warplanes targeted a mosque in Sheikh Radwan, and Mahmoud, who was 14 at the time, ran to site of the attack. Two further strikes hit the area, killing two teenagers and injuring Mahmoud, who was thrown unconscious.
He was left totally blind by the attack, and told the Palestinian Center for Human Rights that he now spends his days inside.
"I used to go by myself to the sea. I was independent. Now I need someone to go with me everywhere I go. I go out maybe once every two or three months."
He is also self-conscious of his injuries. "I don’t want to go out due to the comments I get from children. Anytime I do I cover my face with my clothes and dark glasses."
He added: "The glasses broke yesterday."
His injuries have taken a psychological toll on the teenager, who was suspended from school after having difficulties with students and teachers.
"I have become very nervous since the attack. If someone is kidding with me I will try to hit them with anything at hand," he says.
His hopes of being a PE teacher or opening a sports club were destroyed in the strike, he says, and he has lost interest in education.
"Now my only wish is to leave my formal education and focus on my religion and learn the Koran."
Several charities have promised to provide reconstructive surgery to clear his breathing, which he struggles with due to transplanted bone matter in his nose, but the organizations have not delivered.
"It would be great if someone could take me to the desert and leave me there, that way I wouldn’t have to see people," Mahmoud says.
PCHR submitted a criminal complaint to Israeli authorities on Mahmoud's behalf on Dec. 30, 2009, but has yet to receive a reply.
Mahmoud was injured in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City on Jan. 7, 2009 during Israel's brutal three-week war on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli warplanes targeted a mosque in Sheikh Radwan, and Mahmoud, who was 14 at the time, ran to site of the attack. Two further strikes hit the area, killing two teenagers and injuring Mahmoud, who was thrown unconscious.
He was left totally blind by the attack, and told the Palestinian Center for Human Rights that he now spends his days inside.
"I used to go by myself to the sea. I was independent. Now I need someone to go with me everywhere I go. I go out maybe once every two or three months."
He is also self-conscious of his injuries. "I don’t want to go out due to the comments I get from children. Anytime I do I cover my face with my clothes and dark glasses."
He added: "The glasses broke yesterday."
His injuries have taken a psychological toll on the teenager, who was suspended from school after having difficulties with students and teachers.
"I have become very nervous since the attack. If someone is kidding with me I will try to hit them with anything at hand," he says.
His hopes of being a PE teacher or opening a sports club were destroyed in the strike, he says, and he has lost interest in education.
"Now my only wish is to leave my formal education and focus on my religion and learn the Koran."
Several charities have promised to provide reconstructive surgery to clear his breathing, which he struggles with due to transplanted bone matter in his nose, but the organizations have not delivered.
"It would be great if someone could take me to the desert and leave me there, that way I wouldn’t have to see people," Mahmoud says.
PCHR submitted a criminal complaint to Israeli authorities on Mahmoud's behalf on Dec. 30, 2009, but has yet to receive a reply.
The Israeli army announced that its Home Front concluded a two-month preparation for a potential military offensive against the Gaza Strip, the Arabs48 news website reported.
On its website, the occupation army stated that the preparations included several scenarios, including the possibility of Palestinian fighters firing shells at Israeli areas that are 45 kilometers away from Gaza.
An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the army is ready to counter every possible scenario, including “the possibility that resistance fighters in Gaza could fire as much as 1000 shells into Israeli areas”.
The spokesperson stated that in 2011, Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired 680 shells into southern Israel, some of the shells were homemade, but some other shells were the advanced Grad Missiles.
During the three-week war that started on December 28, 2008, Israeli soldiers did not only bombard resistance centers, but also heavily bombarded civilians areas; homes, hospitals, schools, UNRWA facilities and infrastructure, killing 1419 Palestinians, the vast majority of them were civilians, including hundreds of women and children, and members of local rescue teams.
On the Israeli side, 13 Israelis were killed; eight of them were soldiers and five of the eight were killed by friendly fire.
On its website, the occupation army stated that the preparations included several scenarios, including the possibility of Palestinian fighters firing shells at Israeli areas that are 45 kilometers away from Gaza.
An Israeli military spokesperson stated that the army is ready to counter every possible scenario, including “the possibility that resistance fighters in Gaza could fire as much as 1000 shells into Israeli areas”.
The spokesperson stated that in 2011, Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired 680 shells into southern Israel, some of the shells were homemade, but some other shells were the advanced Grad Missiles.
During the three-week war that started on December 28, 2008, Israeli soldiers did not only bombard resistance centers, but also heavily bombarded civilians areas; homes, hospitals, schools, UNRWA facilities and infrastructure, killing 1419 Palestinians, the vast majority of them were civilians, including hundreds of women and children, and members of local rescue teams.
On the Israeli side, 13 Israelis were killed; eight of them were soldiers and five of the eight were killed by friendly fire.
6 jan 2012
A Palestinian teenager sustained serious injuries on Saturday after he was hit by an Israeli military jeep in Silwan in East Jerusalem, local sources said.
Mahmoud al-Aawar, 18, was walking in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood when an army jeep hit him and fled the scene, locals said.
He was taken to the al-Maqasid Hospital to be treated for serious injuries.
Witnesses told Ma'an that an Israeli patrol in the area prevented locals evacuating al-Aawar immediately.
An IOF Jeep runs over a Jerusalem young man
Eighteen-year-old Mahmoud al-Awar was seriously injured after an IOF military vehicle ran him over in the Ras al-Amud neighbourhood to the south of the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
The young Palestinian man was in Ras al-Amoud to attend a national celebration when the Jeep hit him. The soldiers stopped anyone from aiding him immediately, then the IOF soldiers drove away. The victim was taken to al-Makased Hospital in Jerusalem suffering serious injuries.
The young man hails from the Ein Allawza neighbourhood in Silwan suburb of occupied Jerusalem.
Mahmoud al-Aawar, 18, was walking in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood when an army jeep hit him and fled the scene, locals said.
He was taken to the al-Maqasid Hospital to be treated for serious injuries.
Witnesses told Ma'an that an Israeli patrol in the area prevented locals evacuating al-Aawar immediately.
An IOF Jeep runs over a Jerusalem young man
Eighteen-year-old Mahmoud al-Awar was seriously injured after an IOF military vehicle ran him over in the Ras al-Amud neighbourhood to the south of the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
The young Palestinian man was in Ras al-Amoud to attend a national celebration when the Jeep hit him. The soldiers stopped anyone from aiding him immediately, then the IOF soldiers drove away. The victim was taken to al-Makased Hospital in Jerusalem suffering serious injuries.
The young man hails from the Ein Allawza neighbourhood in Silwan suburb of occupied Jerusalem.
A teenage girl was injured Friday when an ordnance left by the Israeli army exploded east of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, medics said.
Medical officials told Ma'an the 19-year-old was taken to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and treated for moderate injuries.
Medical officials told Ma'an the 19-year-old was taken to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and treated for moderate injuries.
5 jan 2012
Israeli forces shot and injured a man at a checkpoint near Bethlehem on Wednesday, local radio reported.
Munqeth Moussa Rumi, from al-Eizariya in East Jerusalem, was injured in his hand and leg but refused assistance from the Palestinian Red Crescent, the ambulance service's director told Radio Bethlehem 2000.
Abdul Halim al-Jaafra said medics were informed a man was injured and sent ambulances to the area.
Rumi refused to be treated by the Red Crescent and insisted on being taken to an Israeli hospital because Israeli forces were responsible for his injuries, al-Jaafra said.
The container checkpoint was briefly closed after the incident.
An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Munqeth Moussa Rumi, from al-Eizariya in East Jerusalem, was injured in his hand and leg but refused assistance from the Palestinian Red Crescent, the ambulance service's director told Radio Bethlehem 2000.
Abdul Halim al-Jaafra said medics were informed a man was injured and sent ambulances to the area.
Rumi refused to be treated by the Red Crescent and insisted on being taken to an Israeli hospital because Israeli forces were responsible for his injuries, al-Jaafra said.
The container checkpoint was briefly closed after the incident.
An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
4 jan 2012
Israeli gunboats on Wednesday opened fire at fishermen off the coast of southern Gaza, witnesses said.
No injuries were reported.
An Israel army spokeswoman was not familiar with the incident.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks entered the Gaza Strip through the Kisufim gate near Khan Younis and opened fire as bulldozers razed farmland in the area, onlookers told Ma'an.
An military spokeswoman said soldiers identified an explosive device near the border fence and safely detonated it. She said soldiers fired tank shells during the procedure as a "method of deterrence."
The Israeli army holds Hamas fully responsible for maintaining calm in the coastal enclave, she added.
No injuries were reported.
An Israel army spokeswoman was not familiar with the incident.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks entered the Gaza Strip through the Kisufim gate near Khan Younis and opened fire as bulldozers razed farmland in the area, onlookers told Ma'an.
An military spokeswoman said soldiers identified an explosive device near the border fence and safely detonated it. She said soldiers fired tank shells during the procedure as a "method of deterrence."
The Israeli army holds Hamas fully responsible for maintaining calm in the coastal enclave, she added.
3 jan 2012
Turkish media outlet claims fighter jets called up to intercept unmanned aerial vehicle circling over missile batteries, radar equipment.
An Israeli drone flying over Turkey was nearly intercepted by Turkish aerial defense forces, an Istanbul-based media outlet reported on Tuesday.
Two F-16 fighter jets were called-up to the area, but failed to locate the drone.
"The Israeli 'Heron' drone was detected spying on military headquarters in Turkey's southern Hatay province," the report stated, adding that "the aircraft hovered over the Turkish forces in order to capture images of missile batteries and radar equipment."
A Turkish officer, who reportedly noticed a bright light in the sky, asked a senior sergeant to confirm the identity of the object. When they received confirmation, the soldiers abandoned their post for fear of an attack.
Meanwhile, the report claimed the Turkish radar continued to monitor the unmanned aerial vehicle, while the Turkish army waited for authorization to shoot it down.
The report stated that "by the time the order was given, the drone had already left the area."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit refused to comment on the Turkish report.
The IDF maintains full coordination with the Turkish army regarding all flights in the eastern Mediterranean region. Turkey has also purchased from Israel 10 drones of the same kind in recent years.
The Heron drone is designed for prolonged flights at medium altitude. During its flight testing, the aircraft preformed a 52 hour flight, but its operational flight time is much lower due to the heavy weight of the cargo.
An Israeli drone flying over Turkey was nearly intercepted by Turkish aerial defense forces, an Istanbul-based media outlet reported on Tuesday.
Two F-16 fighter jets were called-up to the area, but failed to locate the drone.
"The Israeli 'Heron' drone was detected spying on military headquarters in Turkey's southern Hatay province," the report stated, adding that "the aircraft hovered over the Turkish forces in order to capture images of missile batteries and radar equipment."
A Turkish officer, who reportedly noticed a bright light in the sky, asked a senior sergeant to confirm the identity of the object. When they received confirmation, the soldiers abandoned their post for fear of an attack.
Meanwhile, the report claimed the Turkish radar continued to monitor the unmanned aerial vehicle, while the Turkish army waited for authorization to shoot it down.
The report stated that "by the time the order was given, the drone had already left the area."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit refused to comment on the Turkish report.
The IDF maintains full coordination with the Turkish army regarding all flights in the eastern Mediterranean region. Turkey has also purchased from Israel 10 drones of the same kind in recent years.
The Heron drone is designed for prolonged flights at medium altitude. During its flight testing, the aircraft preformed a 52 hour flight, but its operational flight time is much lower due to the heavy weight of the cargo.
2 jan 2012
The Israeli daily Haaretz reports that several dozens of Israeli teenagers have been trained and armed with M-16s in order to help Israeli Border Police, known as Magav, catch undocumented Palestinian laborers from the West Bank.
The children and young adults, who range in age from 16 to 18, are local high school students. According to Haaretz, the “Noar Magav”, or Border Police Youth program is financed by the Modi’in Regional Council. The program also receives state funds via the Israel Ministry of Public Security. The Israel Ministry of Education says it is not involved in the project.
Speaking to Haaretz, the teenagers expressed their enthusiasm for the program, which sees them policing checkpoints. They also detain Palestinians laborers who lack Israeli-issued work permits.
One described the project as “fun”; another called it “a form of pleasure.”
Haaretz’s article comes just days after the International Middle East Media Center reported that the Israeli army is also using Israeli settlers to help patrol checkpoints in the West Bank.
This post was corrected to reflect the fact that the activities described are taking place within Israel, not the West Bank.
This post originally appeared on the Alternative Information Center website.
Israeli force trains teens to catch Palestinian workers
Israeli border police are training teenagers to use weapons and catch Palestinians working illegally in Israel and Jewish settlements, Israeli media said on Monday.
The weapons and police-duties training funded by the Public Security Minister of Israel has prepped some 30 16-18-year-olds in Israeli border region Modiin and will be rolled out to new groups, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
Youth volunteers catch Palestinian workers, stand at checkpoints and help guard the neighboring settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to the report.
Haaretz reported that Israel's education ministry was not aware of the project and would investigate it.
IN PHOTOS: Israeli teenagers train with lethal weapons
Israeli children and young adults who volunteer in the government-funded Border Police Youth program take aim.
Yesterday, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that several dozen teenage volunteers have been trained and armed with lethal weapons, including M-16s, and are aiding the Israeli Border Police (Magav).
Known as Noar Magav (Border Police Youth), the children and young adults patrol checkpoints and detain Palestinian workers who are attempting to enter Israel without a permit. These photos offer a compelling look at the militarization of Israel's youth.
The Israeli Ministry of Public Security and the Modiin Regional Council, both of which use state funds, fiance the Noar Magav (Border Police Youth)
All photos from Slide/Noar Magav; h/t to Ruth Hiller, co-founded of New Profile, a movement that aims to demilitarize Israeli society.
The children and young adults, who range in age from 16 to 18, are local high school students. According to Haaretz, the “Noar Magav”, or Border Police Youth program is financed by the Modi’in Regional Council. The program also receives state funds via the Israel Ministry of Public Security. The Israel Ministry of Education says it is not involved in the project.
Speaking to Haaretz, the teenagers expressed their enthusiasm for the program, which sees them policing checkpoints. They also detain Palestinians laborers who lack Israeli-issued work permits.
One described the project as “fun”; another called it “a form of pleasure.”
Haaretz’s article comes just days after the International Middle East Media Center reported that the Israeli army is also using Israeli settlers to help patrol checkpoints in the West Bank.
This post was corrected to reflect the fact that the activities described are taking place within Israel, not the West Bank.
This post originally appeared on the Alternative Information Center website.
Israeli force trains teens to catch Palestinian workers
Israeli border police are training teenagers to use weapons and catch Palestinians working illegally in Israel and Jewish settlements, Israeli media said on Monday.
The weapons and police-duties training funded by the Public Security Minister of Israel has prepped some 30 16-18-year-olds in Israeli border region Modiin and will be rolled out to new groups, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
Youth volunteers catch Palestinian workers, stand at checkpoints and help guard the neighboring settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to the report.
Haaretz reported that Israel's education ministry was not aware of the project and would investigate it.
IN PHOTOS: Israeli teenagers train with lethal weapons
Israeli children and young adults who volunteer in the government-funded Border Police Youth program take aim.
Yesterday, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that several dozen teenage volunteers have been trained and armed with lethal weapons, including M-16s, and are aiding the Israeli Border Police (Magav).
Known as Noar Magav (Border Police Youth), the children and young adults patrol checkpoints and detain Palestinian workers who are attempting to enter Israel without a permit. These photos offer a compelling look at the militarization of Israel's youth.
The Israeli Ministry of Public Security and the Modiin Regional Council, both of which use state funds, fiance the Noar Magav (Border Police Youth)
All photos from Slide/Noar Magav; h/t to Ruth Hiller, co-founded of New Profile, a movement that aims to demilitarize Israeli society.
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Israeli teenagers trained to search for and arrest Palestinian workers in Israel said they enjoy arresting Palestinian, according to a report published Tuesday in the Israeli daily Haaretz.
“I like catching Palestinian workers,” the paper quoted a high school senior from Modi’in, south of Tel Aviv. “Generally we look for them because they scare children,” he said. The teens are part of a Border Police program to train school students in catching Palestinians who work in Israel without a permit. “We went to a construction site and found a few of them there,” said another teen volunteer in reference to the Palestinian workers. “We saw them hiding and we caught them,” he said. The program upset some educators who said the teenagers were being taught militaristic principles. |
1 jan 2012
Armed Israeli settlers, in civilian clothes, were seen helping Israeli soldiers in searching Palestinian vehicles and checking ID numbers of Palestinians at a number of military roadblocks leading to the Ramallah district, in the central West Bank.
The Maan News Agency reported that dozens of settlers in civilian clothes, carrying automatic rifles, stood next to the Israeli soldiers at the Bet El Roadblock, north east of Ramallah, and even searched Palestinian vehicles and examined the ID cards of the passengers.
Israel settlers usually conduct “patrols” on several roads in the occupied West Bank, but are always accompanied by Israeli soldiers.
This is the first time that some of the settlers actually participate in tasks that are the sole responsibility of the army.
This is happening amidst Israeli reports of the threats some extremist settler groups are posing not only on the Palestinian population, but also on Israeli soldiers.
Settlers even attacked and wounded several Israeli soldiers during the evacuation of some random illegal outposts that were dismantled by the army in the West Bank.
Settlers also defaced offices and vehicles that belong to Israeli Peace Now movement.
It is worth mentioning that the settlers also stepped-up their attacks against the Palestinian population, and their property and even torched several mosques and churches in the occupied West Bank and in the 1948 territories. Approximately three weeks ago, the settlers even attacked an Israeli military base.
The Maan News Agency reported that dozens of settlers in civilian clothes, carrying automatic rifles, stood next to the Israeli soldiers at the Bet El Roadblock, north east of Ramallah, and even searched Palestinian vehicles and examined the ID cards of the passengers.
Israel settlers usually conduct “patrols” on several roads in the occupied West Bank, but are always accompanied by Israeli soldiers.
This is the first time that some of the settlers actually participate in tasks that are the sole responsibility of the army.
This is happening amidst Israeli reports of the threats some extremist settler groups are posing not only on the Palestinian population, but also on Israeli soldiers.
Settlers even attacked and wounded several Israeli soldiers during the evacuation of some random illegal outposts that were dismantled by the army in the West Bank.
Settlers also defaced offices and vehicles that belong to Israeli Peace Now movement.
It is worth mentioning that the settlers also stepped-up their attacks against the Palestinian population, and their property and even torched several mosques and churches in the occupied West Bank and in the 1948 territories. Approximately three weeks ago, the settlers even attacked an Israeli military base.
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