26 oct 2015
Abdul-Rahman Obeidallah, 13, killed by the Israeli army in Bethlehem on October 8
Names of all 61 dead
Three were killed by Israeli troops gunfire on Monday meanwhile at least 40 others injured as clashes continue all over the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza.
Israeli soldiers shot and killed, on Monday morning, a young Palestinian man, at the Beit ‘Einoun Junction, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Israeli media sources said the Palestinian was shot dead after stabbing a soldier. The slain Palestinian, Raed Jaradat, 22 years of age, from Sa'ir town, is a student of the Al-Quds Open University. He suffered multiple gunshot injuries, and was left to bleed to death, eyewitnesses said.
On Monday afternoon, two Palestinians young men were killed in two separate attacks in Hebron and nearby Sa’eer town. Sa’ed Al Atrash, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers in Hebron old city near the Ibrahemi mosque. According to eyewitnesses, Sa’ed was walking home when soldiers operating a checkpoint ordered him to show them his ID card. As soon as he tried to get it out Israeli troops shot him then left him to bleed to death.
Meanwhile, Eyiad Jaradat, 19, was killed during clashes with invading Israeli troops in the southern entrance of Hebron city. According to Palestinian sources, Eyiad was shot in the head and was moved to Hebron city hospital for treatment but died of his wounds.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 61 including 14 children; Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the beginning of this month. 43 of them have been killed in the occupied West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem, 17 in the Gaza Strip, including a pregnant woman and her two years of age child, and one in Houra, in the Negev. Moreover, 2120 have been injured by Israeli army gunfire since October 1. Including 820 with live gunfire and more than 900 by rubber-coated steel bullets.
On Monday clashes between local youth and invading Israeli troops were reported in Bethlehem and Hebron cities, southern West Bank, in addition to Nablus and Ramallah northern and central West Bank. moreover in Jerusalem clashes were reported in old city part, Eswayia town and in Abu Diees. Palestinian sources said that at least 40 Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire and tear gas during clashes on Monday.
Earlier on Monday at dawn, Israeli soldiers have kidnapped at least thirteen Palestinians from their homes, in occupied East Jerusalem, Nablus, Jenin and Hebron. Later on Monday morning, Paramilitary settlers attack homes and stores in Nablus, and assaulted olive pickers.
Names of all 61 dead
Three were killed by Israeli troops gunfire on Monday meanwhile at least 40 others injured as clashes continue all over the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza.
Israeli soldiers shot and killed, on Monday morning, a young Palestinian man, at the Beit ‘Einoun Junction, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Israeli media sources said the Palestinian was shot dead after stabbing a soldier. The slain Palestinian, Raed Jaradat, 22 years of age, from Sa'ir town, is a student of the Al-Quds Open University. He suffered multiple gunshot injuries, and was left to bleed to death, eyewitnesses said.
On Monday afternoon, two Palestinians young men were killed in two separate attacks in Hebron and nearby Sa’eer town. Sa’ed Al Atrash, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers in Hebron old city near the Ibrahemi mosque. According to eyewitnesses, Sa’ed was walking home when soldiers operating a checkpoint ordered him to show them his ID card. As soon as he tried to get it out Israeli troops shot him then left him to bleed to death.
Meanwhile, Eyiad Jaradat, 19, was killed during clashes with invading Israeli troops in the southern entrance of Hebron city. According to Palestinian sources, Eyiad was shot in the head and was moved to Hebron city hospital for treatment but died of his wounds.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 61 including 14 children; Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the beginning of this month. 43 of them have been killed in the occupied West Bank, and occupied Jerusalem, 17 in the Gaza Strip, including a pregnant woman and her two years of age child, and one in Houra, in the Negev. Moreover, 2120 have been injured by Israeli army gunfire since October 1. Including 820 with live gunfire and more than 900 by rubber-coated steel bullets.
On Monday clashes between local youth and invading Israeli troops were reported in Bethlehem and Hebron cities, southern West Bank, in addition to Nablus and Ramallah northern and central West Bank. moreover in Jerusalem clashes were reported in old city part, Eswayia town and in Abu Diees. Palestinian sources said that at least 40 Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire and tear gas during clashes on Monday.
Earlier on Monday at dawn, Israeli soldiers have kidnapped at least thirteen Palestinians from their homes, in occupied East Jerusalem, Nablus, Jenin and Hebron. Later on Monday morning, Paramilitary settlers attack homes and stores in Nablus, and assaulted olive pickers.
Newly-released affidavits and testimonies have testified to the cold-blooded and deliberate manner with which 17-year-olds Dania Ersheid and Mohammed kmail were shot and killed by the Israeli occupation troops while posing no threat, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) reported Monday.
A report by the PCHR slammed the Israeli occupation forces for continuing to flagrantly commit more crimes and violations against Palestinian civilians, the latest of which was the killing of Dania Jehad Ersheid, 17, at one of the gates leading to the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil and Ahmed Mohammed Sa'id Kmail, 17, at al-Jalama crossing, northeast of Jenin.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights quoted an eye-witness as stating that at approximately 13:30 on Sunday, 25 October 2015, in a new cold-blooded crime, Israeli border cops stationed at the entrance of the Ibrahimi Mosque, south of al-Khalil's Old City, killed Dania Jehad Ersheid, 17. The occupation officers opened fire at her when she stopped to have her school bag searched. Ersheid's corpse was later taken to an unknown destination.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR and a statement of an eyewitness, at approximately 13:30, Ersheid entered the Ibrahimi Mosque's yard through a metal detector gate fixed between the aforementioned yard and the old market in the city. She obeyed the soldiers' orders to be searched in the place where she was asked to stay. While one of the soldiers standing behind a desk was searching the girl's school bag, a number of border cops gathered around her.
Ersheid was standing behind an iron barrier erected by Israeli soldiers to allow persons subjected to searching pass through it. The soldier, who was searching the bag, asked the girl, "Where is the knife? Where is the knife?" The girl replied, "I do not have a knife," and put her hands up. She was extremely frightened.
An officer fired a bullet around Ersheid, whereas the bullet hit the wall behind her. She moved few steps backwards putting her hands up, but a number of bullets were fired at her. As a result, she fell to the ground and died.
The girl did not pose any threat to the security and lives of Israeli soldiers. She was even putting her hands up when the soldier was talking to her and accused her of having a knife.
Furthermore, the area, where the girl was killed, was reinforced and backed-up. The Israeli forces could have arrested her instead of killing her if she posed any threat to them.
On Friday, 23 October 2015, in another crime of excessive use of force, private security guards serving the Israeli army killed a Palestinian child while running towards the first barrier at al-Jalama crossing, northeast of Jenin.
According to PCHR's investigations and statements of eyewitnesses, on the abovementioned day, Ahmed Mohammed Sa'id Kmail, 17, was present along with other peddlers in the place where they used to stay.
At approximately 11:00, Kmail ran towards the first barrier at al-Jalama crossing. The security guards noticed him and opened fire at him. Kmail fell to the ground and the Israeli troops denied the Red Crescent paramedics access to the area. Soon after, Kmail's corpse was pulled inside the crossing and the security guards stopped the traffic.
PCHR noted that the victim was present at the checkpoint in the early morning along with other peddlers. A number of eyewitnesses said to PCHR's field reporter that they saw him selling chocolate-coated marshmallow treats.
PCHR strongly condemned such Israeli crimes, saying in the above-mentioned cases the Israeli soldiers could have used less force against the victims or could have arrested and tied them if their allegations were true.
A report by the PCHR slammed the Israeli occupation forces for continuing to flagrantly commit more crimes and violations against Palestinian civilians, the latest of which was the killing of Dania Jehad Ersheid, 17, at one of the gates leading to the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil and Ahmed Mohammed Sa'id Kmail, 17, at al-Jalama crossing, northeast of Jenin.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights quoted an eye-witness as stating that at approximately 13:30 on Sunday, 25 October 2015, in a new cold-blooded crime, Israeli border cops stationed at the entrance of the Ibrahimi Mosque, south of al-Khalil's Old City, killed Dania Jehad Ersheid, 17. The occupation officers opened fire at her when she stopped to have her school bag searched. Ersheid's corpse was later taken to an unknown destination.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR and a statement of an eyewitness, at approximately 13:30, Ersheid entered the Ibrahimi Mosque's yard through a metal detector gate fixed between the aforementioned yard and the old market in the city. She obeyed the soldiers' orders to be searched in the place where she was asked to stay. While one of the soldiers standing behind a desk was searching the girl's school bag, a number of border cops gathered around her.
Ersheid was standing behind an iron barrier erected by Israeli soldiers to allow persons subjected to searching pass through it. The soldier, who was searching the bag, asked the girl, "Where is the knife? Where is the knife?" The girl replied, "I do not have a knife," and put her hands up. She was extremely frightened.
An officer fired a bullet around Ersheid, whereas the bullet hit the wall behind her. She moved few steps backwards putting her hands up, but a number of bullets were fired at her. As a result, she fell to the ground and died.
The girl did not pose any threat to the security and lives of Israeli soldiers. She was even putting her hands up when the soldier was talking to her and accused her of having a knife.
Furthermore, the area, where the girl was killed, was reinforced and backed-up. The Israeli forces could have arrested her instead of killing her if she posed any threat to them.
On Friday, 23 October 2015, in another crime of excessive use of force, private security guards serving the Israeli army killed a Palestinian child while running towards the first barrier at al-Jalama crossing, northeast of Jenin.
According to PCHR's investigations and statements of eyewitnesses, on the abovementioned day, Ahmed Mohammed Sa'id Kmail, 17, was present along with other peddlers in the place where they used to stay.
At approximately 11:00, Kmail ran towards the first barrier at al-Jalama crossing. The security guards noticed him and opened fire at him. Kmail fell to the ground and the Israeli troops denied the Red Crescent paramedics access to the area. Soon after, Kmail's corpse was pulled inside the crossing and the security guards stopped the traffic.
PCHR noted that the victim was present at the checkpoint in the early morning along with other peddlers. A number of eyewitnesses said to PCHR's field reporter that they saw him selling chocolate-coated marshmallow treats.
PCHR strongly condemned such Israeli crimes, saying in the above-mentioned cases the Israeli soldiers could have used less force against the victims or could have arrested and tied them if their allegations were true.
A statistical study by Jerusalem center for Israeli affairs studies showed that Israel has been executing a Palestinian minor every day. 35% of Palestinian children and 8% of women have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of Jerusalem Intifada, 26 days ago.
The study also revealed that 16 martyrs were killed in Occupied Jerusalem, 15 in al-Khalil and 17 in the Gaza Strip.
The center said the scores of martyrs are likely to increase in the coming days in light of Israeli continuous offensive practices against Palestinians.
Most of the murdered are below the age of 25 years. The number of Palestinian minors killed mounted to 12 in addition to 4 female martyrs.
Director of the center Alaa al-Rimawi said “in the past couple of days, Israel claimed that its crimes of murdering Palestinians were for the attempt of carrying out stabbing operations. While, in fact, Israel aims at intimidating Palestinians in order to prevent anti-occupation resistance operations in light of the braveness of Palestinian youths in confronting the Israeli occupation."
Rimawi called on the Palestinian Authority to prosecute Israel at the international level for its crimes against the Palestinian people.
The study also revealed that 16 martyrs were killed in Occupied Jerusalem, 15 in al-Khalil and 17 in the Gaza Strip.
The center said the scores of martyrs are likely to increase in the coming days in light of Israeli continuous offensive practices against Palestinians.
Most of the murdered are below the age of 25 years. The number of Palestinian minors killed mounted to 12 in addition to 4 female martyrs.
Director of the center Alaa al-Rimawi said “in the past couple of days, Israel claimed that its crimes of murdering Palestinians were for the attempt of carrying out stabbing operations. While, in fact, Israel aims at intimidating Palestinians in order to prevent anti-occupation resistance operations in light of the braveness of Palestinian youths in confronting the Israeli occupation."
Rimawi called on the Palestinian Authority to prosecute Israel at the international level for its crimes against the Palestinian people.
Israeli settlement in foreground, with Sho'afat camp behind the Wall
The Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in a recent Cabinet meeting, proposed revoking the residency rights of 80,000 Jerusalemites, which would mean that the people of Sho'afat refugee camp and Kafr Aqab, as well as other neighborhoods, would be cut off from the rest of Jerusalem.
The proposal was considered by the Israeli Cabinet in their recent meeting, but no decision was made.
Already, the 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank have been severed from Jerusalem due to the Israeli construction of a massive Wall over the past 13 years. The Wall has annexed large sections of Palestinian land and made them a de facto part of the state of Israel, in direct violation of the responsibilities of an occupier under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Israel's government signed the Convention in 1957, requiring it to provide for the needs of civilian populations under occupation. The Convention also requires that an Occupying Power must not transfer any civilians into the land it has militarily occupied. But Israel has transferred over half a million people into settlements constructed on Palestinian land that was militarily occupied, then illegally seized, since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights began in 1967.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli Annexation Wall has been constructed in such a way as to annex as much of Jerusalem as possible for the Israeli state, while forcing the Palestinian population into smaller and smaller enclaves. Now, under the Israeli Prime Minister's proposal, residents of those enclaves would lose their residency rights altogether.
Israel has an identity card system for the residents of Jerusalem that is completely unique in the world. Jewish Israelis who live in Jerusalem or in paramilitary colonies in the West Bank are afforded full Israeli citizenship. But Palestinians who live on their ancestral land in Jerusalem are given a different kind of identity card, which ensures that they have far fewer rights than Jewish residents of the city.
If a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem, for example, were to travel abroad for more than a year, Israel would consider that person to be an 'absentee property owner', and would seize their land and home and annex it to Israel, denying the Palestinian owner the right to return to their home. The rule only applies to Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, and not to Jewish residents of the city.
According to the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahranoth, following the construction of new walls and barricades in recent weeks to further separate and segregate Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from Jewish residents, the Israeli Prime Minister told his Cabinet ministers, "We need to examine the possibility of canceling their [Palestinian Jerusalemites] residency. There needs to be a discussion about it."
Some Israeli ministers voiced opposition to the plan, not because they were concerned about the Palestinian Jerusalemites losing their residency rights, but because they believe such a division would "give up territory" that some Israelis believe should belong to Israel.
That claim is based on a military takeover of the land by Israeli forces. Neither international law nor signed agreements recognize military takeover of land as a legitimate way of expanding state territory.
The Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in a recent Cabinet meeting, proposed revoking the residency rights of 80,000 Jerusalemites, which would mean that the people of Sho'afat refugee camp and Kafr Aqab, as well as other neighborhoods, would be cut off from the rest of Jerusalem.
The proposal was considered by the Israeli Cabinet in their recent meeting, but no decision was made.
Already, the 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank have been severed from Jerusalem due to the Israeli construction of a massive Wall over the past 13 years. The Wall has annexed large sections of Palestinian land and made them a de facto part of the state of Israel, in direct violation of the responsibilities of an occupier under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Israel's government signed the Convention in 1957, requiring it to provide for the needs of civilian populations under occupation. The Convention also requires that an Occupying Power must not transfer any civilians into the land it has militarily occupied. But Israel has transferred over half a million people into settlements constructed on Palestinian land that was militarily occupied, then illegally seized, since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights began in 1967.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli Annexation Wall has been constructed in such a way as to annex as much of Jerusalem as possible for the Israeli state, while forcing the Palestinian population into smaller and smaller enclaves. Now, under the Israeli Prime Minister's proposal, residents of those enclaves would lose their residency rights altogether.
Israel has an identity card system for the residents of Jerusalem that is completely unique in the world. Jewish Israelis who live in Jerusalem or in paramilitary colonies in the West Bank are afforded full Israeli citizenship. But Palestinians who live on their ancestral land in Jerusalem are given a different kind of identity card, which ensures that they have far fewer rights than Jewish residents of the city.
If a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem, for example, were to travel abroad for more than a year, Israel would consider that person to be an 'absentee property owner', and would seize their land and home and annex it to Israel, denying the Palestinian owner the right to return to their home. The rule only applies to Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, and not to Jewish residents of the city.
According to the Israeli paper Yedioth Ahranoth, following the construction of new walls and barricades in recent weeks to further separate and segregate Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from Jewish residents, the Israeli Prime Minister told his Cabinet ministers, "We need to examine the possibility of canceling their [Palestinian Jerusalemites] residency. There needs to be a discussion about it."
Some Israeli ministers voiced opposition to the plan, not because they were concerned about the Palestinian Jerusalemites losing their residency rights, but because they believe such a division would "give up territory" that some Israelis believe should belong to Israel.
That claim is based on a military takeover of the land by Israeli forces. Neither international law nor signed agreements recognize military takeover of land as a legitimate way of expanding state territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to withdraw Israeli blue identity cards of Jerusalemites especially those residing in Shufat refugee camp, Kafr Aqeb, and Sawahreh districts, Hebrew sources revealed.
The sources disclosed that Israeli government decided, in its meeting two weeks ago, to withdraw thousands of IDs which equals quarter the number of the Jerusalemites.
Israeli Channel Two quoted an Israeli official as saying “withdrawing the blue cards of residents of Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem is a political order and does not come within mere security measures”.
The sources disclosed that Israeli government decided, in its meeting two weeks ago, to withdraw thousands of IDs which equals quarter the number of the Jerusalemites.
Israeli Channel Two quoted an Israeli official as saying “withdrawing the blue cards of residents of Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem is a political order and does not come within mere security measures”.
Detainee Abdul-Fattah Doula, representative of child detainees in Ofer Israeli Prison, told a lawyer of the Palestinian Detainees' Committee Israel is holding captive 100 children in Ofer Prison, and that all of them were kidnapped this month.
Doula added that this number was a %400 increase in the number of child detainees, adding that 40 of the detained 100 children in Ofer are below the age of 16, including 13 years of age child.
He also said that 22 children were beaten and tortured, including assaults against them during the course of their arrest; many were attacked by army bogs, and others were tortured with electric shocks, in addition to being subject to ongoing verbal abuse.
The Detainees' Committee said torture marks could be seen on the bodies of many child detainees.
About 60% of the children were taken prisoner after the soldiers invaded their homes, and five of them were shot and injured prior to their arrest.
The Israeli Prison Authority also transferred 70 detained children to Majeddo Israeli prison, and opened a new section for child detainees in Givon prison.
The Committee also said the army has kidnapped nearly 1000 detainees since the begging of this month, half of them were children, and that most of them are from occupied Jerusalem.
Doula added that this number was a %400 increase in the number of child detainees, adding that 40 of the detained 100 children in Ofer are below the age of 16, including 13 years of age child.
He also said that 22 children were beaten and tortured, including assaults against them during the course of their arrest; many were attacked by army bogs, and others were tortured with electric shocks, in addition to being subject to ongoing verbal abuse.
The Detainees' Committee said torture marks could be seen on the bodies of many child detainees.
About 60% of the children were taken prisoner after the soldiers invaded their homes, and five of them were shot and injured prior to their arrest.
The Israeli Prison Authority also transferred 70 detained children to Majeddo Israeli prison, and opened a new section for child detainees in Givon prison.
The Committee also said the army has kidnapped nearly 1000 detainees since the begging of this month, half of them were children, and that most of them are from occupied Jerusalem.
The Hamas Movement has strongly denounced all voices calling for calming the tension with the Israeli occupation in light of its ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people.
In a press release on Sunday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that demanding the Palestinians to ease the tension with the Israeli occupation while it persists in committing crimes against them is "another crime and complicity with the occupation."
Abu Zuhri also said that the cold-blooded killing of a Palestinian girl in al-Khalil on Sunday confirmed further that Israel was never honest about its willingness to calm the situation.
He expressed his belief that Israel's escalation of its crimes against the Palestinians was directly resulting from the US support and the official Arab impotence.
Israeli soldiers on Sunday afternoon shot dead a 17-year-old school girl at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil city on allegations that she was found in possession of a knife.
In a press release on Sunday, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that demanding the Palestinians to ease the tension with the Israeli occupation while it persists in committing crimes against them is "another crime and complicity with the occupation."
Abu Zuhri also said that the cold-blooded killing of a Palestinian girl in al-Khalil on Sunday confirmed further that Israel was never honest about its willingness to calm the situation.
He expressed his belief that Israel's escalation of its crimes against the Palestinians was directly resulting from the US support and the official Arab impotence.
Israeli soldiers on Sunday afternoon shot dead a 17-year-old school girl at a military checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil city on allegations that she was found in possession of a knife.
By Khalid Amayreh in Occupied Palestine
Suddenly there is a modicum of optimism in some quarters, especially in Amman and Ramallah, over Binyamin Netanyahu's reported willingness to defuse tension in Occupied Palestine.
Since the beginning of October, as many as 60 Palestinians, including more than 20 children, have been killed, many in a cold-blooded execution-style, by trigger-happy Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Around ten Israeli soldiers and settlers were also killed in the same period.
The Israeli policy to kill first and ask questions later was effectively, though not formally, adopted in an effort to crush Palestinian protests over reasserted attempts by government backed Messianic Jewish fanatics to arrogate a foothold at the Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest places.
Israeli circles though obviously mistakenly thought that political turmoil in much of the Arab world presented a golden opportunity for Israel to drastically alter the status quo at the Mosque and its spacious courts, including allowing Jews to hold Talmudic rituals, which effectively means partitioning the exclusively Islamic shrine.
Indeed, in addition to killing and maiming hundreds of Palestinians, Israel took draconian measures to crush what seemed to be a renewed Palestinian intifada.
The stringent measures included, inter alia, cordoning off Arab quarters and neighborhoods in Jerusalem, carrying out sweeping arrests, demolishing homes of suspects accused of trying to stab Israelis, and imposing hefty financial fines on the families of Palestinian youngsters involved in the protests.
By way of deception
Unable to crush the protests, which the Israeli media referred to as "Lone-wolf attacks", Netanyahu has been trying to use sly diplomatic ploys to achieve the same goal.
He repeatedly declared the willingness of his government to maintain "the status quo" at the Aqsa Mosque.
But Netanyahu obviously doesn't say what he means and doesn't mean what he says.
He simply lacks the goodwill to pursue any confidence-building measures that would defuse the powder keg at the Haram al-Sharif.
Indeed, when Netanyahu speaks of the status quo, he has in mind something entirely different from what the rest of the world understands.
In fact, Netanyahu's status quo includes organizing daily or regular encroachments by fanatical Jewish millenarians into the Islamic holy place, escorted by crack soldiers and heavily-armed para-military police units.
Needless to say, we are not talking here about innocent visits or innocent visitors.
Instead, we are talking about conscious and malicious efforts to gradually desensitize Muslim objections to attempts by the Israeli authorities to partition the Aqsa, probably in preparation for a more daring feat, e.g. demolishing the Mosque entirely.
This is not a phobic reaction on the part of the Palestinian community.
Messianic Jews, including members of the Israeli cabinet, make nearly daily statements about the need to achieve "Jewish spiritual fulfillment" by way of "restoring the Temple Mount" to the Jews.
So, Netanyahu is not being honest. The opposite is exactly correct.
Second, the Israeli premier cannot be given the benefit of the doubt in case there is any doubt about his intentions.
In fact, the Israeli government which adopts daily decisions to expand Jewish settlements all over the West Bank can't really be trusted to pursue just peace.
This week, that government took a decision to build thousands of new settler units in the West Bank, which begs the following question:
Does a government that builds more and more settlements on occupied land and transfer hundreds of thousands of its settlers to live on land that belongs to another people really desires peace with these people?
This is why the relative optimism that Israel will agree to take genuine measures to defuse tension should be viewed with great caution.
Besides, we all know that the ongoing escalation of violence is a mere symptom of the decades-old occupation as well as the de facto elimination by Israel of all realistic chances to establish a viable and territorially-contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Needless to say, this creates a real dilemma for the Palestinians and forces them to either rise up against Israeli oppression and ethnic cleansing or struggle for equality with Jews in the context of a unitary and truly democratic state.
But equality between Jews and non-Jews doesn't really exist in Zionism's lexicon. More to the point, Democracy and Talmudic Judaism are an eternal oxymoron.
Hence, the dilemma, which has become conspicuously acute in light of the decapitation by Israel of all realistic efforts to establish a true Palestinian state, worthy of the name.
Suddenly there is a modicum of optimism in some quarters, especially in Amman and Ramallah, over Binyamin Netanyahu's reported willingness to defuse tension in Occupied Palestine.
Since the beginning of October, as many as 60 Palestinians, including more than 20 children, have been killed, many in a cold-blooded execution-style, by trigger-happy Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Around ten Israeli soldiers and settlers were also killed in the same period.
The Israeli policy to kill first and ask questions later was effectively, though not formally, adopted in an effort to crush Palestinian protests over reasserted attempts by government backed Messianic Jewish fanatics to arrogate a foothold at the Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest places.
Israeli circles though obviously mistakenly thought that political turmoil in much of the Arab world presented a golden opportunity for Israel to drastically alter the status quo at the Mosque and its spacious courts, including allowing Jews to hold Talmudic rituals, which effectively means partitioning the exclusively Islamic shrine.
Indeed, in addition to killing and maiming hundreds of Palestinians, Israel took draconian measures to crush what seemed to be a renewed Palestinian intifada.
The stringent measures included, inter alia, cordoning off Arab quarters and neighborhoods in Jerusalem, carrying out sweeping arrests, demolishing homes of suspects accused of trying to stab Israelis, and imposing hefty financial fines on the families of Palestinian youngsters involved in the protests.
By way of deception
Unable to crush the protests, which the Israeli media referred to as "Lone-wolf attacks", Netanyahu has been trying to use sly diplomatic ploys to achieve the same goal.
He repeatedly declared the willingness of his government to maintain "the status quo" at the Aqsa Mosque.
But Netanyahu obviously doesn't say what he means and doesn't mean what he says.
He simply lacks the goodwill to pursue any confidence-building measures that would defuse the powder keg at the Haram al-Sharif.
Indeed, when Netanyahu speaks of the status quo, he has in mind something entirely different from what the rest of the world understands.
In fact, Netanyahu's status quo includes organizing daily or regular encroachments by fanatical Jewish millenarians into the Islamic holy place, escorted by crack soldiers and heavily-armed para-military police units.
Needless to say, we are not talking here about innocent visits or innocent visitors.
Instead, we are talking about conscious and malicious efforts to gradually desensitize Muslim objections to attempts by the Israeli authorities to partition the Aqsa, probably in preparation for a more daring feat, e.g. demolishing the Mosque entirely.
This is not a phobic reaction on the part of the Palestinian community.
Messianic Jews, including members of the Israeli cabinet, make nearly daily statements about the need to achieve "Jewish spiritual fulfillment" by way of "restoring the Temple Mount" to the Jews.
So, Netanyahu is not being honest. The opposite is exactly correct.
Second, the Israeli premier cannot be given the benefit of the doubt in case there is any doubt about his intentions.
In fact, the Israeli government which adopts daily decisions to expand Jewish settlements all over the West Bank can't really be trusted to pursue just peace.
This week, that government took a decision to build thousands of new settler units in the West Bank, which begs the following question:
Does a government that builds more and more settlements on occupied land and transfer hundreds of thousands of its settlers to live on land that belongs to another people really desires peace with these people?
This is why the relative optimism that Israel will agree to take genuine measures to defuse tension should be viewed with great caution.
Besides, we all know that the ongoing escalation of violence is a mere symptom of the decades-old occupation as well as the de facto elimination by Israel of all realistic chances to establish a viable and territorially-contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Needless to say, this creates a real dilemma for the Palestinians and forces them to either rise up against Israeli oppression and ethnic cleansing or struggle for equality with Jews in the context of a unitary and truly democratic state.
But equality between Jews and non-Jews doesn't really exist in Zionism's lexicon. More to the point, Democracy and Talmudic Judaism are an eternal oxymoron.
Hence, the dilemma, which has become conspicuously acute in light of the decapitation by Israel of all realistic efforts to establish a true Palestinian state, worthy of the name.
25 oct 2015
Hundreds of Moroccans Sunday took to the streets of Casablanca in a march in support of Palestinian people and Jerusalem Intifada.
Since the morning hours marchers of different ages and society segments started to gather at the kickoff point in al-Amal neighborhood towards March, 02 Street in the city.
The march came in response to solidarity events taking place in Arab and International cities since the beginning of Jerusalem Intifada on October the first.
Since the morning hours marchers of different ages and society segments started to gather at the kickoff point in al-Amal neighborhood towards March, 02 Street in the city.
The march came in response to solidarity events taking place in Arab and International cities since the beginning of Jerusalem Intifada on October the first.
Fadi Aloun
The young Palestinian man Fadi Aloun performs the dawn prayers in his home in the west of Jerusalem and browses his Facebook and other social media, until he falls hungry. He heads then to get some fresh Palestinian cakes for breakfast.
Carefully, Aloun, 19, walks in the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem, with all the fears a young man can feel coming up, as Israeli settlers surround the city waiting for any Palestinian to attack and kill. When he gets close to the bakery, a group of settlers surround him insulting and attacking him. The young man defends himself alone before the savage settlers.
After being attacked and beaten, Alon manages to escape and run towards his home. The group follows him and keeps saying “this is a vandal, kill him!” Immediately a policeman comes and shoots him, according to videos released on social media. His public execution is documented by videos that prove the handsome young Fadi Alon was not attacking Israelis, but that he was attacked by settlers and then shot by seven bullets.
“Israeli police killed my son while he was peacefully walking, with their alleged charge of stabbing Israeli settlers, where is the knife! We want to see the surveillance camera tape that separates every corner of the streets,” Alon’s father stated, accusing Israeli police of killing his son.
What happened with Alon is one of dozens of stories of Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Most Palestinians killed publicly are aged between 11 and 20 years of age, according to The Independent Commission for Human Rights.
Farid Atrash, a lawyer at the ICHR told Donia Al-Watan that this is a deliberate execution and violates all the international law, Rome, and Geneva conventions. “They are war crimes, the executions of the child Abdulrahman Obidallah and Ahmed Sharaka prove that.”
The ICHR documents the Palestinian killed under the execution policy: Ahmed Abdullah Sharaka (13 years); Amjad Joundi (17 years); Mohammed Al-Jabari (19 years); Obaidullah Abdul Rahman (11 years); Hudhaifah Solomon (18 years); Ibrahim Ahmed Mustafa Awad (28 years); Fadi Alon (19 years); Thaer Abu Ghazaleh (19 years); Sam Mansi (20 years); Isaac Badran (16 years); Ahmed Salah (20 years).
Hadeel’s execution as she refused to take her veil off
This is not a different story to Alon as she was executed in Hebron the second day of Al-Adha Eid, on September 22, 2015.
Fawaz Abu Eisha, an eyewitness to the incident, said that Hadeel tried to pass as others through Checkpoint 56. As she was wearing a veil, the soldiers asked her in Hebrew to leave the barrier immediately but she didn’t understand the soldiers, she stood not responding. Fawaz Abu Eisha, a Palestinian municipal worker, tried to translate the soldiers’ words to her.
Hadeel performed the soldiers’ order but they ordered her to stop again, firing a shot where she stood and firing another shot at her left leg then another at the right one until she fell to the ground.
A Palestinian ambulance arrived but Israel prevented them from evacuating Hadeel in order to give her medical treatment. Omar Ja’ara, a specialist in the Israeli issue pointed out that Israel claims that it directly kills Palestinian people in order to deter persons from stabbing Israeli soldiers, however Israel is executing Palestinians as a deterrence preemptively, rather than provoked by the Palestinians. Ja’ara pointed out that Israel has surveillance cameras so why hasn’t this been sent to the media? Palestinian journalist Sawsan Shaheen declared that the Israeli attack on Palestinians comes in a calculated way by putting sharp tools near a Palestinian who is wounded or killed to send the international media a version about what happened: that Palestinians are terrorists.
Presidency Stance
The presidency spokesperson said in a statement released by the official media news Wafa that if the Israeli executions continue, the area will be considered to be an uncontrolled situation and everyone will pay the price.
Legislative Council Stance
The legislative council condemned these publicly committed Israeli crimes and that the world does not raise a finger against Israel, suggesting that the world continues to consider Israel above the law.
Negativity of Local Media
Palestinian local media deals with this policy very passively. Israel succeeds in passing on its poison as most journalists and activists spread any killing as a stabbing attack by Palestinians. Issa Abdullah, a journalist at the official newspaper Al-Ayam said that journalists are approaching the news in this way due to their incomprehension of the Israelis, in a call-out to all activists and journalist to be sure about news they’re publishing especially the execution cases.
Finally, we remind the reader of the video of the Palestinian child Ahmed Manasra, who was lying down, surrounded by many settlers calling him dirty words and saying “die son of *****!” Since the beginning of October, killings have increased to reach 24 Palestinians and more than 1000 wounded [ISM Ed note: this number has increased significantly since this article was written]. The videos prove that Israelis shot Palestinians without being a threat. After all this evidence, who will draw an end to public executions?
– Hamza Khalil Abu Eltarabish
The young Palestinian man Fadi Aloun performs the dawn prayers in his home in the west of Jerusalem and browses his Facebook and other social media, until he falls hungry. He heads then to get some fresh Palestinian cakes for breakfast.
Carefully, Aloun, 19, walks in the alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem, with all the fears a young man can feel coming up, as Israeli settlers surround the city waiting for any Palestinian to attack and kill. When he gets close to the bakery, a group of settlers surround him insulting and attacking him. The young man defends himself alone before the savage settlers.
After being attacked and beaten, Alon manages to escape and run towards his home. The group follows him and keeps saying “this is a vandal, kill him!” Immediately a policeman comes and shoots him, according to videos released on social media. His public execution is documented by videos that prove the handsome young Fadi Alon was not attacking Israelis, but that he was attacked by settlers and then shot by seven bullets.
“Israeli police killed my son while he was peacefully walking, with their alleged charge of stabbing Israeli settlers, where is the knife! We want to see the surveillance camera tape that separates every corner of the streets,” Alon’s father stated, accusing Israeli police of killing his son.
What happened with Alon is one of dozens of stories of Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Most Palestinians killed publicly are aged between 11 and 20 years of age, according to The Independent Commission for Human Rights.
Farid Atrash, a lawyer at the ICHR told Donia Al-Watan that this is a deliberate execution and violates all the international law, Rome, and Geneva conventions. “They are war crimes, the executions of the child Abdulrahman Obidallah and Ahmed Sharaka prove that.”
The ICHR documents the Palestinian killed under the execution policy: Ahmed Abdullah Sharaka (13 years); Amjad Joundi (17 years); Mohammed Al-Jabari (19 years); Obaidullah Abdul Rahman (11 years); Hudhaifah Solomon (18 years); Ibrahim Ahmed Mustafa Awad (28 years); Fadi Alon (19 years); Thaer Abu Ghazaleh (19 years); Sam Mansi (20 years); Isaac Badran (16 years); Ahmed Salah (20 years).
Hadeel’s execution as she refused to take her veil off
This is not a different story to Alon as she was executed in Hebron the second day of Al-Adha Eid, on September 22, 2015.
Fawaz Abu Eisha, an eyewitness to the incident, said that Hadeel tried to pass as others through Checkpoint 56. As she was wearing a veil, the soldiers asked her in Hebrew to leave the barrier immediately but she didn’t understand the soldiers, she stood not responding. Fawaz Abu Eisha, a Palestinian municipal worker, tried to translate the soldiers’ words to her.
Hadeel performed the soldiers’ order but they ordered her to stop again, firing a shot where she stood and firing another shot at her left leg then another at the right one until she fell to the ground.
A Palestinian ambulance arrived but Israel prevented them from evacuating Hadeel in order to give her medical treatment. Omar Ja’ara, a specialist in the Israeli issue pointed out that Israel claims that it directly kills Palestinian people in order to deter persons from stabbing Israeli soldiers, however Israel is executing Palestinians as a deterrence preemptively, rather than provoked by the Palestinians. Ja’ara pointed out that Israel has surveillance cameras so why hasn’t this been sent to the media? Palestinian journalist Sawsan Shaheen declared that the Israeli attack on Palestinians comes in a calculated way by putting sharp tools near a Palestinian who is wounded or killed to send the international media a version about what happened: that Palestinians are terrorists.
Presidency Stance
The presidency spokesperson said in a statement released by the official media news Wafa that if the Israeli executions continue, the area will be considered to be an uncontrolled situation and everyone will pay the price.
Legislative Council Stance
The legislative council condemned these publicly committed Israeli crimes and that the world does not raise a finger against Israel, suggesting that the world continues to consider Israel above the law.
Negativity of Local Media
Palestinian local media deals with this policy very passively. Israel succeeds in passing on its poison as most journalists and activists spread any killing as a stabbing attack by Palestinians. Issa Abdullah, a journalist at the official newspaper Al-Ayam said that journalists are approaching the news in this way due to their incomprehension of the Israelis, in a call-out to all activists and journalist to be sure about news they’re publishing especially the execution cases.
Finally, we remind the reader of the video of the Palestinian child Ahmed Manasra, who was lying down, surrounded by many settlers calling him dirty words and saying “die son of *****!” Since the beginning of October, killings have increased to reach 24 Palestinians and more than 1000 wounded [ISM Ed note: this number has increased significantly since this article was written]. The videos prove that Israelis shot Palestinians without being a threat. After all this evidence, who will draw an end to public executions?
– Hamza Khalil Abu Eltarabish
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu denied he made a commitment to the US to stop sanctioning new settlement projects in the West Bank.
"In contrast to Palestinian claims, Israel has made no commitment not to approve new building plans in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," Netanyahu tweeted on Saturday.
However, the website of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted chief negotiator of the Palestinian Authority Saeb Erekat as saying that US secretary of state John Kerry relayed Netanyahu's pledge to freeze settlement expansion activities in the occupied lands.
"In contrast to Palestinian claims, Israel has made no commitment not to approve new building plans in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," Netanyahu tweeted on Saturday.
However, the website of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted chief negotiator of the Palestinian Authority Saeb Erekat as saying that US secretary of state John Kerry relayed Netanyahu's pledge to freeze settlement expansion activities in the occupied lands.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum has said that the Palestinian people do not need a permission from Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to pray in their Aqsa Mosque.
"[US secretary of state John] Kerry's remarks that 'Netanyahu is committed to allowing the Muslims to pray in the Aqsa Mosque' were ludicrous and meaningless," spokesman Barhoum stated on Saturday.
The spokesman expressed his belief that Kerry was trying to re-embellish Israel's Judaization plans in Jerusalem and find a way out for Netanyahu to escape the crisis his extremist and racist policies had caused.
"The Aqsa Mosque will remain for the Muslims and the Palestinians, and we do not need a permission from Netanyahu in order to pray in our Mosque because this is our sacred right and we will defend it regardless of the cost," he underscored.
"[US secretary of state John] Kerry's remarks that 'Netanyahu is committed to allowing the Muslims to pray in the Aqsa Mosque' were ludicrous and meaningless," spokesman Barhoum stated on Saturday.
The spokesman expressed his belief that Kerry was trying to re-embellish Israel's Judaization plans in Jerusalem and find a way out for Netanyahu to escape the crisis his extremist and racist policies had caused.
"The Aqsa Mosque will remain for the Muslims and the Palestinians, and we do not need a permission from Netanyahu in order to pray in our Mosque because this is our sacred right and we will defend it regardless of the cost," he underscored.
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, deemed on Saturday remarks by the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, an attempt to quell the ongoing Palestinian intifada and consolidate Israeli domination over the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Hamas slammed Kerry’s remarks in which he signaled Netanyahu’s commitment to allow Muslims to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque while granting non-Muslims the right to visit the holy site.
The group said Kerry’s remarks come as an attempt on part of the United States to help the Israeli occupation find a way out of the crisis it faces as a result of the Palestinian uprising.
The Movement noted that the declaration equates Muslim prayer rights with visitation rights for non-Muslims and could be used to justify provocative and sacrilegious break-ins by Israeli extremist settlers.
Hamas added that the vague language of the declaration gives Netanyahu the opportunity to maneuver and renege on any commitments in an attempt to pave the way for grabbing hold of the holy Mosque.
Hamas urged the PA president Mahmoud Abbas and the Jordanian authorities to turn down any compromise that gives the occupation the opportunity to violate Palestinian rights at Al-Aqsa or that limits Palestinians’ ability to protect the Mosque.
Hamas called on all Palestinians to watch out for attempts to abort the Jerusalem Intifada and to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque no matter the prices that might have to be paid.
Hamas slammed Kerry’s remarks in which he signaled Netanyahu’s commitment to allow Muslims to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque while granting non-Muslims the right to visit the holy site.
The group said Kerry’s remarks come as an attempt on part of the United States to help the Israeli occupation find a way out of the crisis it faces as a result of the Palestinian uprising.
The Movement noted that the declaration equates Muslim prayer rights with visitation rights for non-Muslims and could be used to justify provocative and sacrilegious break-ins by Israeli extremist settlers.
Hamas added that the vague language of the declaration gives Netanyahu the opportunity to maneuver and renege on any commitments in an attempt to pave the way for grabbing hold of the holy Mosque.
Hamas urged the PA president Mahmoud Abbas and the Jordanian authorities to turn down any compromise that gives the occupation the opportunity to violate Palestinian rights at Al-Aqsa or that limits Palestinians’ ability to protect the Mosque.
Hamas called on all Palestinians to watch out for attempts to abort the Jerusalem Intifada and to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque no matter the prices that might have to be paid.
EuroPal Forum held talks with European MPs to explain latest developments in the Palestinian occupied territories and to urge for working more effectively to put an end to the Israeli escalating violence against Palestinians.
Members of the EuroPal Forum headed by Zaher al-Birawi met separately with British deputies on Labor and Conservative parties in the British House of Commons in London.
Other talks were held as well in a Palestinian youth conference last week in Copenhagen.
In the same context, Dr. Mohammad Hanoun, representative of EuroPal Forum in Italy met with two MPs in the Italian Parliament along with a number of cadres and Italian party leaders. The talks were held in a conference organized by the Italian Social Democratic Party in Sardinia on the role of left-wing party in the issue of refugees.
Dr. Hanoun called on the Italian MPs to exert efforts with the Italian government to pressure Israel for ending the suffering of the Palestinian people especially in Occupied Jerusalem.
EuroPal Forum is an organization concerned with the European Palestinian relations and aims at building communication bridges between both Palestinian and European communities. It also aims at exposing the Israeli illegal racist practices against Palestinians.
Members of the EuroPal Forum headed by Zaher al-Birawi met separately with British deputies on Labor and Conservative parties in the British House of Commons in London.
Other talks were held as well in a Palestinian youth conference last week in Copenhagen.
In the same context, Dr. Mohammad Hanoun, representative of EuroPal Forum in Italy met with two MPs in the Italian Parliament along with a number of cadres and Italian party leaders. The talks were held in a conference organized by the Italian Social Democratic Party in Sardinia on the role of left-wing party in the issue of refugees.
Dr. Hanoun called on the Italian MPs to exert efforts with the Italian government to pressure Israel for ending the suffering of the Palestinian people especially in Occupied Jerusalem.
EuroPal Forum is an organization concerned with the European Palestinian relations and aims at building communication bridges between both Palestinian and European communities. It also aims at exposing the Israeli illegal racist practices against Palestinians.
Names of all 57 dead
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported, Saturday, that 57 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, since the beginning of this month, including 13 children and a pregnant woman, and that more than 2000 Palestinians have been injured.
Those killed this month include 39 who were killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 17 who were killed in the Gaza Strip. In addition to one Palestinian was shot dead in Houra town, in the Negev.
The Ministry stated that at least 2000 Palestinians have been injured this month, most of them with live rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets, and many others were beaten or suffered burns due to Israeli gas bombs and concussion grenades.
Among the wounded are 450 children and women, while the approximate number of Palestinians who suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation is more than 4000.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported, Saturday, that 57 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, since the beginning of this month, including 13 children and a pregnant woman, and that more than 2000 Palestinians have been injured.
Those killed this month include 39 who were killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 17 who were killed in the Gaza Strip. In addition to one Palestinian was shot dead in Houra town, in the Negev.
The Ministry stated that at least 2000 Palestinians have been injured this month, most of them with live rounds and rubber-coated steel bullets, and many others were beaten or suffered burns due to Israeli gas bombs and concussion grenades.
Among the wounded are 450 children and women, while the approximate number of Palestinians who suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation is more than 4000.