18 jan 2016
US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro leveled fierce criticism at Israel during a speech at a security conference, accusing it of adhering to 'two standards of law' in the West Bank.
US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro directed harsh criticism at Israel during a speech he gave at an Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv on Monday.
In the aftermath of two terror attacks in as many days, Shapiro attacked Israel's policy towards the settlements and claimed that "too much vigilantism goes unchecked."
Shapiro said that the US is concerned by the ongoing building in the settlements and also criticized the Israeli authorities' investigation into Jewish terrorism in the West Bank.
"At times there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law (in the West Bank): one for Israelis and another for Palestinians," Shapiro said. Nonetheless, he also noted that "the indictments in the Duma murders are an important demonstration of Israel’s commitment to prosecute acts of terror."
Shapiro began his speech by addressing the current wave of terror. "Like so many Israelis, I have had to attend funerals, made shiva calls, and paid visits to hospitals.
"Like all Israelis, I have worried about friends and neighbors, colleagues and family members, against the backdrop of this latest wave of terrorism. Among the victims have been American citizens," Shapiro said.
"Yesterday, a young mother of six, Dafna Meir, may her memory be blessed, was brutally murdered in her home as she fought to protect her children from a Palestinian terrorist armed with a knife.
"And today, a young pregnant woman was viciously stabbed and badly wounded by another terrorist," Shapiro continued.
"The United States condemns unequivocally these barbaric acts of terrorism…We offer support and sympathy to the bereaved families and the wounded…and we are committed to do everything we can, and call on all others to do everything they can, to bring an end to the violence and help restore security and stability," he added.
Shapiro, who followed IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot's speech, also addressed the lifting of sanctions against Iran. "While the US and Israeli governments differed on the approach in this agreement, our objectives were – and remain – the same: to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. To us, that is part and parcel of our commitment to Israel’s security.
"Two-thirds of Iran’s 19,000 centrifuges, including the disconnection of every single nuclear enrichment centrifuge at the Fordow facility, have been removed," Shapiro continued. "Iran’s 'breakout' time has now been extended significantly, from two-to-three months, to well over a year."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that "the ambassador's words, on a day when a mother of six is buried and a day when a pregnant woman is stabbed, are unacceptable and incorrect. Israel enforces the law against Israelis and against Palestinians. It is the Palestinian Authority who is responsible for the political deadlock and which continues to incite and refuses to negotiate.
US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro directed harsh criticism at Israel during a speech he gave at an Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv on Monday.
In the aftermath of two terror attacks in as many days, Shapiro attacked Israel's policy towards the settlements and claimed that "too much vigilantism goes unchecked."
Shapiro said that the US is concerned by the ongoing building in the settlements and also criticized the Israeli authorities' investigation into Jewish terrorism in the West Bank.
"At times there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law (in the West Bank): one for Israelis and another for Palestinians," Shapiro said. Nonetheless, he also noted that "the indictments in the Duma murders are an important demonstration of Israel’s commitment to prosecute acts of terror."
Shapiro began his speech by addressing the current wave of terror. "Like so many Israelis, I have had to attend funerals, made shiva calls, and paid visits to hospitals.
"Like all Israelis, I have worried about friends and neighbors, colleagues and family members, against the backdrop of this latest wave of terrorism. Among the victims have been American citizens," Shapiro said.
"Yesterday, a young mother of six, Dafna Meir, may her memory be blessed, was brutally murdered in her home as she fought to protect her children from a Palestinian terrorist armed with a knife.
"And today, a young pregnant woman was viciously stabbed and badly wounded by another terrorist," Shapiro continued.
"The United States condemns unequivocally these barbaric acts of terrorism…We offer support and sympathy to the bereaved families and the wounded…and we are committed to do everything we can, and call on all others to do everything they can, to bring an end to the violence and help restore security and stability," he added.
Shapiro, who followed IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot's speech, also addressed the lifting of sanctions against Iran. "While the US and Israeli governments differed on the approach in this agreement, our objectives were – and remain – the same: to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. To us, that is part and parcel of our commitment to Israel’s security.
"Two-thirds of Iran’s 19,000 centrifuges, including the disconnection of every single nuclear enrichment centrifuge at the Fordow facility, have been removed," Shapiro continued. "Iran’s 'breakout' time has now been extended significantly, from two-to-three months, to well over a year."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that "the ambassador's words, on a day when a mother of six is buried and a day when a pregnant woman is stabbed, are unacceptable and incorrect. Israel enforces the law against Israelis and against Palestinians. It is the Palestinian Authority who is responsible for the political deadlock and which continues to incite and refuses to negotiate.
Etzion Brigade Commander Colonel Roman Gofman, on Monday, issued an order to immediately remove all Arab workers from the Gush Etzion settlement, including from stores and businesses, The Jewish Press said.
The Israeli military claimed that the order came in order to halt Palestinian stabbing operatives.
On Monday morning, according to the PNN, an Israeli settler was stabbed and sustained moderate injuries, while the alleged attacker, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and critically wounded.
On Sunday as well, an unknown attacker has stabbed an Israeli woman in her house in the illegal settlement of Otneil, causing her immediate death. The military claims that the suspect is Palestinian.
Both stabbings took place in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
This is not the first time Israeli forces has carried out such orders against Palestinian workers.
Following the Douma arson attack that killed three of the Dawabsha family, the army banned some workers from entering specific Israeli-occupied areas to avoid “revenge”.
Since the start of October, some 162 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, under the pretext of stabbing operatives or alleged attempts. At least 30 of the victims were children and seven of them were women.
Some 27 settlers and soldiers have been injured is such attacks.
The uprising came after the attack on the Dawabsha family, on July 31, and the repetitive Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to the continuous apartheid policies against Palestinians which include movement restrictions, home demolitions, administrative detentions and more.
The Israeli military claimed that the order came in order to halt Palestinian stabbing operatives.
On Monday morning, according to the PNN, an Israeli settler was stabbed and sustained moderate injuries, while the alleged attacker, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and critically wounded.
On Sunday as well, an unknown attacker has stabbed an Israeli woman in her house in the illegal settlement of Otneil, causing her immediate death. The military claims that the suspect is Palestinian.
Both stabbings took place in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
This is not the first time Israeli forces has carried out such orders against Palestinian workers.
Following the Douma arson attack that killed three of the Dawabsha family, the army banned some workers from entering specific Israeli-occupied areas to avoid “revenge”.
Since the start of October, some 162 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, under the pretext of stabbing operatives or alleged attempts. At least 30 of the victims were children and seven of them were women.
Some 27 settlers and soldiers have been injured is such attacks.
The uprising came after the attack on the Dawabsha family, on July 31, and the repetitive Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to the continuous apartheid policies against Palestinians which include movement restrictions, home demolitions, administrative detentions and more.
The Israeli Minister of Finance, Moshe Kahlon, has revealed that a recent meeting was held between him and high-ranking officials of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to discuss means of ending the Palestinian intifada (uprising).
Kahlon said that he set conditions for providing the Palestinians with economic facilities in several spheres, but set the condition that the PA must denounce the operations carried out by Palestinians against Israelis.
Kahlon said in an interview on the Israeli Channel Two that he had met with Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara, and the Minister of Civil Affairs, Hussein al-Sheikh, in his office in occupied Jerusalem, and spoke at length about the procedures the PA should carry out in order to be provided with economic facilities. Kahlon claimed that "these procedures aim at maintaining the security of Israel and facilitating the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank."
Kahlon said that the two ministers requested several demands, including increasing work permits for Palestinian workers to reduce the unemployment rate in the West Bank, and the development of infrastructure in the Palestinian cities and villages, Kahlon in return asked the PA and its president Mahmoud Abbas to condemn the operations carried out by the Palestinians, and to stop “inciting” against Israelis.
The Israeli Channel said that these meetings take place with the knowledge and approval of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli official have repeatedly mentioned in recent remarks the possibility of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which observers see as direct and indirect steps the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is taking to push the PA to suppress the intifada.
For his part, the Israeli Minister of Immigrant Absorption and the member of the Israeli mini-security council, Ze'ev Elkin, said that PA President, Mahmoud Abbas, will leave his position soon, then chaos will take place "and we have to be alert for such a possibility”.
The Hebrew newspaper Maariv quoted Elkin on Sunday as saying that "the PA is about to collapse, and we have to understand that".
Elkin added: "The Palestinian people today see that Abbas is useless; this is what brought the Israeli security to a critical situation."
Palestinian security services took actual steps recently to stop the intifada, through the suppression of marches and demonstrations and preventing them from confronting the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at the flashpoints, especially at the Beit El area.
Furthermore, those servicers still maintain security coordination and exchange of information with the Israeli intelligence apparatuses about many activists and resistance cells which the Israeli occupation arrested then announced that the PA security agencies helped in the provision of information about them without any denial by those agencies.
The current Jerusalem intifada has erupted in the beginning of last October, and escalated significantly through the increase in the stabbing, run-over and shooting operations. The attacks resulted in the martyrdom of 161 Palestinians and the injury of thousands, in addition to the killing of 27 Israelis.
Kahlon said that he set conditions for providing the Palestinians with economic facilities in several spheres, but set the condition that the PA must denounce the operations carried out by Palestinians against Israelis.
Kahlon said in an interview on the Israeli Channel Two that he had met with Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara, and the Minister of Civil Affairs, Hussein al-Sheikh, in his office in occupied Jerusalem, and spoke at length about the procedures the PA should carry out in order to be provided with economic facilities. Kahlon claimed that "these procedures aim at maintaining the security of Israel and facilitating the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank."
Kahlon said that the two ministers requested several demands, including increasing work permits for Palestinian workers to reduce the unemployment rate in the West Bank, and the development of infrastructure in the Palestinian cities and villages, Kahlon in return asked the PA and its president Mahmoud Abbas to condemn the operations carried out by the Palestinians, and to stop “inciting” against Israelis.
The Israeli Channel said that these meetings take place with the knowledge and approval of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli official have repeatedly mentioned in recent remarks the possibility of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which observers see as direct and indirect steps the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is taking to push the PA to suppress the intifada.
For his part, the Israeli Minister of Immigrant Absorption and the member of the Israeli mini-security council, Ze'ev Elkin, said that PA President, Mahmoud Abbas, will leave his position soon, then chaos will take place "and we have to be alert for such a possibility”.
The Hebrew newspaper Maariv quoted Elkin on Sunday as saying that "the PA is about to collapse, and we have to understand that".
Elkin added: "The Palestinian people today see that Abbas is useless; this is what brought the Israeli security to a critical situation."
Palestinian security services took actual steps recently to stop the intifada, through the suppression of marches and demonstrations and preventing them from confronting the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at the flashpoints, especially at the Beit El area.
Furthermore, those servicers still maintain security coordination and exchange of information with the Israeli intelligence apparatuses about many activists and resistance cells which the Israeli occupation arrested then announced that the PA security agencies helped in the provision of information about them without any denial by those agencies.
The current Jerusalem intifada has erupted in the beginning of last October, and escalated significantly through the increase in the stabbing, run-over and shooting operations. The attacks resulted in the martyrdom of 161 Palestinians and the injury of thousands, in addition to the killing of 27 Israelis.
Hundreds of Palestinians marched Sunday evening in the funeral of Wissam Qasrawi, 21, who was shot and killed in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus.
Israeli forces shot and killed the Palestinian young man earlier on Sunday following an alleged attempted stabbing attack at Hawara checkpoint south of Nablus.
The Palestinian civil affairs authority received the slain Palestinian’s body nearly two hours after his murder to be then moved to his hometown of Masliya south of Jenin.
Family sources told Quds Press that their son was on his way to work when he was shot dead at Hawara checkpoint.
Along the same line, Israeli forces stormed in large numbers Masliya town for several hours.
Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper quoted Israeli army spokesperson as saying that Qasrawi was shot and killed after attempting to attack and stab Israeli soldiers, adding that no Israelis were injured during the incident.
Palestinian medical sources said that Israeli forces barred Palestinian ambulances from reaching the injured man who bled to death.
IOF soldiers have then opened Hawara barrier after closing it for several hours in both directions.
The killing has brought the number of Palestinian victims who were killed by Israeli gunfire since Jerusalem Intifada started in early October to 162 including 30 children and seven women.
Israeli forces shot and killed the Palestinian young man earlier on Sunday following an alleged attempted stabbing attack at Hawara checkpoint south of Nablus.
The Palestinian civil affairs authority received the slain Palestinian’s body nearly two hours after his murder to be then moved to his hometown of Masliya south of Jenin.
Family sources told Quds Press that their son was on his way to work when he was shot dead at Hawara checkpoint.
Along the same line, Israeli forces stormed in large numbers Masliya town for several hours.
Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper quoted Israeli army spokesperson as saying that Qasrawi was shot and killed after attempting to attack and stab Israeli soldiers, adding that no Israelis were injured during the incident.
Palestinian medical sources said that Israeli forces barred Palestinian ambulances from reaching the injured man who bled to death.
IOF soldiers have then opened Hawara barrier after closing it for several hours in both directions.
The killing has brought the number of Palestinian victims who were killed by Israeli gunfire since Jerusalem Intifada started in early October to 162 including 30 children and seven women.
The Israeli occupation government is considering mobilizing MKs to propose a bid to outlaw anti-Israel campaigns on Facebook, Israeli Channel Two reported Monday.
A meeting was convened overnight Sunday by the occupation ministers to that very end.
According to Channel Two, the Israeli government has been seeking initiatives to quell anti-Israel activism on social media networks.
Instructions were given by the Israeli Interior Defense Minister Gilad Erdan, with the support of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, to discuss with other states, including Australia and the U.S., the possibility of activating the campaign overseas.
A lawsuit was filed against Facebook on behalf of some 20,000 Israeli signatories to stop anti-Israel activism.
Observers said the move comes as part of Israeli intents to quell the ongoing Jerusalem Intifada and crack down on anti-occupation activists.
A meeting was convened overnight Sunday by the occupation ministers to that very end.
According to Channel Two, the Israeli government has been seeking initiatives to quell anti-Israel activism on social media networks.
Instructions were given by the Israeli Interior Defense Minister Gilad Erdan, with the support of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, to discuss with other states, including Australia and the U.S., the possibility of activating the campaign overseas.
A lawsuit was filed against Facebook on behalf of some 20,000 Israeli signatories to stop anti-Israel activism.
Observers said the move comes as part of Israeli intents to quell the ongoing Jerusalem Intifada and crack down on anti-occupation activists.
16 jan 2016
Yisrael Beiteinu (right-wing Israeli political party) leader Avigdor Liberman on Friday called Israeli human rights organizations B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence traitors, stating that the “left-leaning groups” were funded by the same people who finance Hamas.
The right-wing party leader said in an Israeli Channel interview on Friday January 15, that:
“As far as I’m concerned these entities are not [exercising] freedom of expression, it’s greed. They aren’t any different from Ehud Adiv or Mordechai Vanunu — they’re complete traitors.”
Ehud Adiv was found guilty of treason in the 1970s for traveling to Damascus, in Syria, to meet with members of the PLO, while Mordechai Vanunu was found guilty of the same charge for disclosing nuclear secrets to the British press.
According to the Israeli media, Liberman’s remarks came amid a growing debate over a bil lproposed by Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of the far-right Jewish Home party requiring certain Israeli non-governmental organizations to publicly declare their foreign government funding.
The so-called NGO Law or Transparency Law would require all Israeli groups that receive half or more of their budget from foreign governments — which is true for many left-wing but few right-wing groups — to disclose their foreign benefactors.
“With all our desire to stay politically correct and be polite, there are things that need to be told as it is. There’s [cash] flow from the institutions most hostile to Israel. Not just the European Union, not just states. Also those same foundations that fund Hamas, they also fund B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence,” Liberman added.
Also, member of the Knesset earlier this week released a bill that seeks to turn the Breaking the Silence organization illegal. They described Breaking the Silence as “a subversive organization acting to change Israeli policy by non-democratic methods and by exerting international pressure that causes Israel damage.”
In the other hand, due to a lot of criticism from the Israeli media, former Israeli soldiers from Breaking the Silence said in recent weeks that they are only trying to expose the reality of IOF actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.The group added that its mission is essential to stopping violence in the region by helping to end the military occupation of the Palestinian territories. Members of the organization are trying to draw public attention to issues that are not covered by Israeli media and are not made public.
Last week, a fire broke out at B’Tselem’s office in Jerusalem. None of their staff were in the building, but people working on other floors had to be evacuated by the fire brigade.
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem, endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel.
According to its website, B’Tselem acts primarily to change Israeli policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and ensure that its government, which rules the Occupied Territories, protects the human rights of residents there and complies with its obligations under international law.
The right-wing party leader said in an Israeli Channel interview on Friday January 15, that:
“As far as I’m concerned these entities are not [exercising] freedom of expression, it’s greed. They aren’t any different from Ehud Adiv or Mordechai Vanunu — they’re complete traitors.”
Ehud Adiv was found guilty of treason in the 1970s for traveling to Damascus, in Syria, to meet with members of the PLO, while Mordechai Vanunu was found guilty of the same charge for disclosing nuclear secrets to the British press.
According to the Israeli media, Liberman’s remarks came amid a growing debate over a bil lproposed by Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of the far-right Jewish Home party requiring certain Israeli non-governmental organizations to publicly declare their foreign government funding.
The so-called NGO Law or Transparency Law would require all Israeli groups that receive half or more of their budget from foreign governments — which is true for many left-wing but few right-wing groups — to disclose their foreign benefactors.
“With all our desire to stay politically correct and be polite, there are things that need to be told as it is. There’s [cash] flow from the institutions most hostile to Israel. Not just the European Union, not just states. Also those same foundations that fund Hamas, they also fund B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence,” Liberman added.
Also, member of the Knesset earlier this week released a bill that seeks to turn the Breaking the Silence organization illegal. They described Breaking the Silence as “a subversive organization acting to change Israeli policy by non-democratic methods and by exerting international pressure that causes Israel damage.”
In the other hand, due to a lot of criticism from the Israeli media, former Israeli soldiers from Breaking the Silence said in recent weeks that they are only trying to expose the reality of IOF actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.The group added that its mission is essential to stopping violence in the region by helping to end the military occupation of the Palestinian territories. Members of the organization are trying to draw public attention to issues that are not covered by Israeli media and are not made public.
Last week, a fire broke out at B’Tselem’s office in Jerusalem. None of their staff were in the building, but people working on other floors had to be evacuated by the fire brigade.
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem, endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel.
According to its website, B’Tselem acts primarily to change Israeli policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and ensure that its government, which rules the Occupied Territories, protects the human rights of residents there and complies with its obligations under international law.
15 jan 2016
A walk through the olive groves of Ni’lin village, down the dirt road between stone walls and cacti and past the scattered remnants of spent tear gas canisters, grenades and bullet casings reveals a striking vista: the Israeli-constructed, illegal Apartheid Wall cuts sharply across the fields, the 8-meter-high concrete slabs marked in some places by activist slogans and in others blackened by years of smoke from clashes with Israeli forces.
The Wall, completed in 2009 despite a strong campaign of resistance from the villagers, renders completely inaccessible hundreds of dunums of what was once Ni’lin’s farmland and cuts off travel west from the village, which lies close enough to Tel Aviv for its skyline to be clearly visible from a third floor window. Behind the wall lies the illegal Israeli settlement of Hashmonaim, the large, neatly arrayed houses and orange roofs a constant reminder of the continuing colonization of Palestinian land in the West Bank. Every Friday Palestinian activists from Ni’lin, often accompanied by Israeli and international supporters, attempt to reach the Apartheid Wall in demonstrations against the theft of their land, against the Wall, against the Israeli occupation which has made life in the village so difficult and has in recent months claimed so many lives across Palestine.
Ni’lin residents gathered on January 1st and January 8th, as they do every Friday, in the olive groves between the village homes, school and mosque and the wall and illegal settlements. Israeli forces, as always, were waiting for the demonstrators and quickly attacked with tear gas, rubber-coated metal bullets, and foam-tipped bullets. On January 8th, despite the hundreds of rounds of tear gas fired from the ‘venom’ devices mounted on Israeli military jeeps, protesters managed to advance all the way to the Apartheid Wall itself. Many Palestinian youths climbed the wall in a daring display of resistance.
Fortunately no one in Ni’lin on the 1st or the 8th of January needed extensive treatment or hospitalization. On New Year’s Day the weather was stormy enough that the demonstration ended quickly, with the only reported injury being one ISM activist hit with a foam bullet for attempting to take photos near the soldiers. On Friday the 8th of January Palestinian Red Crescent medics reported treating seven people for excessive tear gas inhalation, and at least two were hit with rubber-coated metal or foam-tipped bullets fired by Israeli forces.
The ISM activist who was hit with a foam bullet recalled the experience:
We were walking slowly toward the soldiers, watching the ones who had gone off the road to hide among the olive groves and rocks. In Ni’lin’s extensive fields and olive groves it is always important to watch for ambushes; Israeli military forces might lay low out of obvious sight and attempt to attack or arrest Palestinian youths. As we approached, I was photographing the soldiers in the trees, not even aiming my camera at those standing directly ahead of us in the road, arrayed beside their military jeep.
As we got closer I followed my friend’s lead, holding my camera in one hand and my other hand open, in sight of the soldiers, to make it clear I was not a threat and had no weapons. Both of us obviously held cameras, he a video camera and I a DSLR – even if the Israeli forces could conceivably have mistaken them for something else or not been able to see them clearly, one soldier had binoculars and had been aiming them at us earlier. Though neither of us wore reflective vests and my face was partly covered to guard against the rain and wind, there is no way the heavily armed Israeli military forces could have viewed us as anything other than civilians documenting the demonstration and the actions of the army. They never shouted or warned us away; one second we were walking toward them and the next we heard the loud pop of the bullet being fired and, before I could react, I felt a sudden, sharp blow to my upper thigh and saw the bullet bouncing away. We turned and fled, feet pounding the mud, hoping that none of the soldiers would feel inclined to fire at our retreating backs. Earlier as the demonstration began, Israeli forces had fired several foam baton rounds down the road, mainly in the direction of activists holding cameras. My friend had warned me to be prepared to run fast if they fired, but I never though they would aim to hit on the first shot.
Palestinian photographer holds one of the foam bullets Israeli forces aimed at people filming in Ni’lin When they shot at us, we were nearer the soldiers (within 10 meters) than anyone else participating in the demonstration. No one nearby was throwing stones; far back down the road the ambulance had parked and Palestinian medics were standing outside, but other than them the area was nearly deserted. Fortunately, the foam bullet hit the large muscle at the top of my leg and did not penetrate my clothing. It could be treated with an ice pack and within half an hour I could barely feel where the bullet had impacted; even as it happened, I was more startled than anything else. Palestinian medics, however, have documented cases of significant injuries from foam baton rounds (especially from the black, longer range type) when they hit sensitive areas such as the face or are fired from close range.
The ‘foam baton’ ammunition Israeli border police fired in Ni’lin was, in previous years, used mainly in Jerusalem by the Yasam (Israeli ‘riot cops’), but incidents like this show that the military has expanded their use in recent months, with Israeli forces aiming them at demonstrators in areas well inside the West Bank.
When I came back toward the ambulance, one of the medics explained that the Israeli border police who shot me probably thought I was Palestinian. It was raining, and I had a kuffiyeh covering part of my face; on that day no other internationals or Israeli activists had come to the demonstration. I do not know if they would have shot me if they knew I was from the United States instead of just another Palestinian from Ni’lin attempting to record what was happening. Perhaps they would have shot the young man beside me instead, for nothing more than crossing some invisible line, stepping too close to Israeli forces while filming a clash that at that point the storm had already rendered nearly nonexistent. After we had run far enough from the soldiers to be able to speak to each other, he told me that in his past participation at protests Israeli forces had already shot him with live, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas rounds. As it was, I got a tiny taste of the casual violence the Israeli military occupation inflicts on Palestinians every day, no matter what method of resistance they choose.
On December 25th Ni’lin residents did not escape so relatively unscathed; as many in Palestine celebrated Christmas, Israeli forces not only violently repressed Ni’lin’s demonstration against the occupation but also invaded the village and ran over Ayoub Srour, a 44-year-old father of four, with a military jeep. On Friday the 8th of January, a Palestinian Red Crescent medic reported that Ayoub was still in hospital suffering from multiple fractures in his foot.
Ni’lin village is no stranger to collective punishment. Since the start of October, Israeli occupation forces have also constructed an addition at Ni’lin’s entrance: a sturdy gate, yellow metal bars mounted on concrete, which Israeli forces can use to close off the main road leading into the village. The village has suffered a heavy toll for it’s persistent resistance against the Israeli occupation; from 2008-2009 five Palestinian from the village, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli forces.
On New Year’s day protesters braved not only the Israeli military jeeps but also rain, wind and sleet to protest. As the rain rendered tear gas less effective, Israeli forces aimed foam-tipped bullets at demonstrators, often aiming toward Palestinian activists holding cameras. The practice of targeting journalists is common at protests, whether with tear gas, stun grenades, “less lethal” ammunition or even live bullets. Many Palestinian journalists have similar stories: they were clearly holding their cameras and showing that they were unarmed, some wore press vests or shouted that they were journalists, and the Israeli military attacked them in a clear effort to force them to move and to render them unable to carry out their work of witnessing and documenting military violence against Palestinian protesters.
The following Friday was dusty and windy, but without the rain that had impeded both impact of the tear gas and the enthusiasm of protesters the week before. Familiar clouds of tear gas billowed through Ni’lin’s olive trees, shot close enough for the canisters to hit fleeing protesters as they ran.
Palestinian youths managed to aim some of the tear gas back at the Israeli forces, most also using slings to hurl stones at the military jeeps and soldiers invading their land.
Israeli forces continued to fire tear gas as the demonstration spread out across the fields and continued to advance toward the wall, at one point targeting a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators who had simply been attempting to walk through a field near the wall armed with nothing more than a cameras and a Palestinian flag.
Eventually the jeeps retreated back through the gate in the wall after firing a few final rounds of tear gas, and Israeli forces positioned themselves inside military towers atop the wall as many protesters attempted to take cover while still approaching the length of wall farther from the snipers.
As the first Palestinian protester climbed the far edge of the Apartheid Wall, Israeli forces aimed what looked to the international activist present like either rubber-coated metal bullets or black foam-tipped rounds (possibly both) at demonstrators in the field above the wall. One twelve-year-old Palestinian boy was shot in his ankle by the snipers on the wall. Undaunted, he took cover behind an olive tree and briefly applied an ice pack offered to him before returning to the clash and joining young protesters gathered where the far end of the wall merges into a fence guarding the illegal Israeli settlement road.
Palestinian youths scaled the wall, constantly on the alert for assaults from Israeli military forces still lying in wait behind it, and aimed a few stones over the wall and fence that had stolen both their land and freedom of movement. One youth was hit by Israeli forces with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the hand as he looked out around the wall.
Despite the constant threat of attack and the sobering symbols of oppression the protesters had gathered to oppose, Ni’lin’s youths smiled at each other as they gathered beside the wall near the end of the demonstration. One teenaged Palestinian played a recently popular song on his phone calling for an uprising against the occupation as others helped each other onto the wall, striking poses for the cameras and defying the Israeli forces on the Apartheid Wall’s far side.
Palestinian youth makes victory sign on the wall – behind him lies the illegal settlement of Hashmonaim Even with the constant the setbacks, dangers, and collective punishment imposed on Ni’lin by the Israeli forces, Palestinians from the village will continue to protest. Every Friday, they make clear their resistance to the injustice of the Israeli occupation.
The Wall, completed in 2009 despite a strong campaign of resistance from the villagers, renders completely inaccessible hundreds of dunums of what was once Ni’lin’s farmland and cuts off travel west from the village, which lies close enough to Tel Aviv for its skyline to be clearly visible from a third floor window. Behind the wall lies the illegal Israeli settlement of Hashmonaim, the large, neatly arrayed houses and orange roofs a constant reminder of the continuing colonization of Palestinian land in the West Bank. Every Friday Palestinian activists from Ni’lin, often accompanied by Israeli and international supporters, attempt to reach the Apartheid Wall in demonstrations against the theft of their land, against the Wall, against the Israeli occupation which has made life in the village so difficult and has in recent months claimed so many lives across Palestine.
Ni’lin residents gathered on January 1st and January 8th, as they do every Friday, in the olive groves between the village homes, school and mosque and the wall and illegal settlements. Israeli forces, as always, were waiting for the demonstrators and quickly attacked with tear gas, rubber-coated metal bullets, and foam-tipped bullets. On January 8th, despite the hundreds of rounds of tear gas fired from the ‘venom’ devices mounted on Israeli military jeeps, protesters managed to advance all the way to the Apartheid Wall itself. Many Palestinian youths climbed the wall in a daring display of resistance.
Fortunately no one in Ni’lin on the 1st or the 8th of January needed extensive treatment or hospitalization. On New Year’s Day the weather was stormy enough that the demonstration ended quickly, with the only reported injury being one ISM activist hit with a foam bullet for attempting to take photos near the soldiers. On Friday the 8th of January Palestinian Red Crescent medics reported treating seven people for excessive tear gas inhalation, and at least two were hit with rubber-coated metal or foam-tipped bullets fired by Israeli forces.
The ISM activist who was hit with a foam bullet recalled the experience:
We were walking slowly toward the soldiers, watching the ones who had gone off the road to hide among the olive groves and rocks. In Ni’lin’s extensive fields and olive groves it is always important to watch for ambushes; Israeli military forces might lay low out of obvious sight and attempt to attack or arrest Palestinian youths. As we approached, I was photographing the soldiers in the trees, not even aiming my camera at those standing directly ahead of us in the road, arrayed beside their military jeep.
As we got closer I followed my friend’s lead, holding my camera in one hand and my other hand open, in sight of the soldiers, to make it clear I was not a threat and had no weapons. Both of us obviously held cameras, he a video camera and I a DSLR – even if the Israeli forces could conceivably have mistaken them for something else or not been able to see them clearly, one soldier had binoculars and had been aiming them at us earlier. Though neither of us wore reflective vests and my face was partly covered to guard against the rain and wind, there is no way the heavily armed Israeli military forces could have viewed us as anything other than civilians documenting the demonstration and the actions of the army. They never shouted or warned us away; one second we were walking toward them and the next we heard the loud pop of the bullet being fired and, before I could react, I felt a sudden, sharp blow to my upper thigh and saw the bullet bouncing away. We turned and fled, feet pounding the mud, hoping that none of the soldiers would feel inclined to fire at our retreating backs. Earlier as the demonstration began, Israeli forces had fired several foam baton rounds down the road, mainly in the direction of activists holding cameras. My friend had warned me to be prepared to run fast if they fired, but I never though they would aim to hit on the first shot.
Palestinian photographer holds one of the foam bullets Israeli forces aimed at people filming in Ni’lin When they shot at us, we were nearer the soldiers (within 10 meters) than anyone else participating in the demonstration. No one nearby was throwing stones; far back down the road the ambulance had parked and Palestinian medics were standing outside, but other than them the area was nearly deserted. Fortunately, the foam bullet hit the large muscle at the top of my leg and did not penetrate my clothing. It could be treated with an ice pack and within half an hour I could barely feel where the bullet had impacted; even as it happened, I was more startled than anything else. Palestinian medics, however, have documented cases of significant injuries from foam baton rounds (especially from the black, longer range type) when they hit sensitive areas such as the face or are fired from close range.
The ‘foam baton’ ammunition Israeli border police fired in Ni’lin was, in previous years, used mainly in Jerusalem by the Yasam (Israeli ‘riot cops’), but incidents like this show that the military has expanded their use in recent months, with Israeli forces aiming them at demonstrators in areas well inside the West Bank.
When I came back toward the ambulance, one of the medics explained that the Israeli border police who shot me probably thought I was Palestinian. It was raining, and I had a kuffiyeh covering part of my face; on that day no other internationals or Israeli activists had come to the demonstration. I do not know if they would have shot me if they knew I was from the United States instead of just another Palestinian from Ni’lin attempting to record what was happening. Perhaps they would have shot the young man beside me instead, for nothing more than crossing some invisible line, stepping too close to Israeli forces while filming a clash that at that point the storm had already rendered nearly nonexistent. After we had run far enough from the soldiers to be able to speak to each other, he told me that in his past participation at protests Israeli forces had already shot him with live, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas rounds. As it was, I got a tiny taste of the casual violence the Israeli military occupation inflicts on Palestinians every day, no matter what method of resistance they choose.
On December 25th Ni’lin residents did not escape so relatively unscathed; as many in Palestine celebrated Christmas, Israeli forces not only violently repressed Ni’lin’s demonstration against the occupation but also invaded the village and ran over Ayoub Srour, a 44-year-old father of four, with a military jeep. On Friday the 8th of January, a Palestinian Red Crescent medic reported that Ayoub was still in hospital suffering from multiple fractures in his foot.
Ni’lin village is no stranger to collective punishment. Since the start of October, Israeli occupation forces have also constructed an addition at Ni’lin’s entrance: a sturdy gate, yellow metal bars mounted on concrete, which Israeli forces can use to close off the main road leading into the village. The village has suffered a heavy toll for it’s persistent resistance against the Israeli occupation; from 2008-2009 five Palestinian from the village, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli forces.
On New Year’s day protesters braved not only the Israeli military jeeps but also rain, wind and sleet to protest. As the rain rendered tear gas less effective, Israeli forces aimed foam-tipped bullets at demonstrators, often aiming toward Palestinian activists holding cameras. The practice of targeting journalists is common at protests, whether with tear gas, stun grenades, “less lethal” ammunition or even live bullets. Many Palestinian journalists have similar stories: they were clearly holding their cameras and showing that they were unarmed, some wore press vests or shouted that they were journalists, and the Israeli military attacked them in a clear effort to force them to move and to render them unable to carry out their work of witnessing and documenting military violence against Palestinian protesters.
The following Friday was dusty and windy, but without the rain that had impeded both impact of the tear gas and the enthusiasm of protesters the week before. Familiar clouds of tear gas billowed through Ni’lin’s olive trees, shot close enough for the canisters to hit fleeing protesters as they ran.
Palestinian youths managed to aim some of the tear gas back at the Israeli forces, most also using slings to hurl stones at the military jeeps and soldiers invading their land.
Israeli forces continued to fire tear gas as the demonstration spread out across the fields and continued to advance toward the wall, at one point targeting a group of Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators who had simply been attempting to walk through a field near the wall armed with nothing more than a cameras and a Palestinian flag.
Eventually the jeeps retreated back through the gate in the wall after firing a few final rounds of tear gas, and Israeli forces positioned themselves inside military towers atop the wall as many protesters attempted to take cover while still approaching the length of wall farther from the snipers.
As the first Palestinian protester climbed the far edge of the Apartheid Wall, Israeli forces aimed what looked to the international activist present like either rubber-coated metal bullets or black foam-tipped rounds (possibly both) at demonstrators in the field above the wall. One twelve-year-old Palestinian boy was shot in his ankle by the snipers on the wall. Undaunted, he took cover behind an olive tree and briefly applied an ice pack offered to him before returning to the clash and joining young protesters gathered where the far end of the wall merges into a fence guarding the illegal Israeli settlement road.
Palestinian youths scaled the wall, constantly on the alert for assaults from Israeli military forces still lying in wait behind it, and aimed a few stones over the wall and fence that had stolen both their land and freedom of movement. One youth was hit by Israeli forces with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the hand as he looked out around the wall.
Despite the constant threat of attack and the sobering symbols of oppression the protesters had gathered to oppose, Ni’lin’s youths smiled at each other as they gathered beside the wall near the end of the demonstration. One teenaged Palestinian played a recently popular song on his phone calling for an uprising against the occupation as others helped each other onto the wall, striking poses for the cameras and defying the Israeli forces on the Apartheid Wall’s far side.
Palestinian youth makes victory sign on the wall – behind him lies the illegal settlement of Hashmonaim Even with the constant the setbacks, dangers, and collective punishment imposed on Ni’lin by the Israeli forces, Palestinians from the village will continue to protest. Every Friday, they make clear their resistance to the injustice of the Israeli occupation.
Swedish Ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser.
The Israeli government has summoned Swedish ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser over Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström’s call for a probe into Israeli “extrajudicial executions” of Palestinians.
According to Israeli news outlet Ynet News, on Wednesday this week, Mr. Nesser was urgently summoned to the offices of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was rebuked by Deputy Director-General for European affairs Aviv Shir-On.
Shir-On expressed the Israeli government’s anger at what he called Wallström’s "twisted presentation of reality", and her "biased, even hostile treatment of Israel."
He added that, due to these comments, by the Swedish minister, Sweden should expect to be excluded from any role that pertains to Israeli-Palestinian relations.
According to the PNN, the real meaning of this statement was that the Israeli government will no longer allow Sweden to promote any projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.
On Tuesday Margot Wallström required examination of whether the Israeli killings of Palestinians, that have taken place in the recent months of unrest between Israelis and Palestinians, were extra-judicial and without trial.
“It is important to have thorough credible investigations into these deaths, in order to clarify and establish responsibility,” said Margot Wallström during a parliamentary debate, according to Swedish news agency TT.
Her comments were denounced, Tuesday, by former Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Liberman, as well as Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog and Chief negotiator Tzipi Livni.
Lieberman wrote on Twitter that:
“The only thing the foreign minister of Sweden hasn’t done is physically join the Palestinian terrorists and stab Jews.”
Also condemning the Swedish Minister’s allegations, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, on Wednesday, referred to Wallström’s remarks as “a mix of blindness and political stupidity,” calling for a halt to official Swedish visits to Israel.
This is the second time in less than two months that the Swedish ambassador has been summoned to the Israeli Foreign Ministry for rebuke.
The last time was in mid-November 2015, when Minister Wallström made statements that connected the ISIS attack in Paris to the frustration of the Palestinian people.
Relations between Sweden and Israel have worsened after Sweden in 2014 – shortly after Wallström came into office – recognized Palestine as an independent state, and blasted continuous Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
Confrontations between the Palestinian youth and the Israeli occupation forces have been running high all across the occupied West Bank since Israel’s imposition of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem last year.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.
The restrictions have enraged Palestinians, who are also angry at increasing violence by Israeli illegal settlers frequently storming the al-Aqsa Mosque.
More than 155 Palestinians, including 28 children and 7 women, were killed by Israeli forces or by illegal settlers since the beginning of October 2015.
The Israeli government has summoned Swedish ambassador Carl Magnus Nesser over Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström’s call for a probe into Israeli “extrajudicial executions” of Palestinians.
According to Israeli news outlet Ynet News, on Wednesday this week, Mr. Nesser was urgently summoned to the offices of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was rebuked by Deputy Director-General for European affairs Aviv Shir-On.
Shir-On expressed the Israeli government’s anger at what he called Wallström’s "twisted presentation of reality", and her "biased, even hostile treatment of Israel."
He added that, due to these comments, by the Swedish minister, Sweden should expect to be excluded from any role that pertains to Israeli-Palestinian relations.
According to the PNN, the real meaning of this statement was that the Israeli government will no longer allow Sweden to promote any projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.
On Tuesday Margot Wallström required examination of whether the Israeli killings of Palestinians, that have taken place in the recent months of unrest between Israelis and Palestinians, were extra-judicial and without trial.
“It is important to have thorough credible investigations into these deaths, in order to clarify and establish responsibility,” said Margot Wallström during a parliamentary debate, according to Swedish news agency TT.
Her comments were denounced, Tuesday, by former Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Liberman, as well as Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog and Chief negotiator Tzipi Livni.
Lieberman wrote on Twitter that:
“The only thing the foreign minister of Sweden hasn’t done is physically join the Palestinian terrorists and stab Jews.”
Also condemning the Swedish Minister’s allegations, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, on Wednesday, referred to Wallström’s remarks as “a mix of blindness and political stupidity,” calling for a halt to official Swedish visits to Israel.
This is the second time in less than two months that the Swedish ambassador has been summoned to the Israeli Foreign Ministry for rebuke.
The last time was in mid-November 2015, when Minister Wallström made statements that connected the ISIS attack in Paris to the frustration of the Palestinian people.
Relations between Sweden and Israel have worsened after Sweden in 2014 – shortly after Wallström came into office – recognized Palestine as an independent state, and blasted continuous Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
Confrontations between the Palestinian youth and the Israeli occupation forces have been running high all across the occupied West Bank since Israel’s imposition of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem last year.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.
The restrictions have enraged Palestinians, who are also angry at increasing violence by Israeli illegal settlers frequently storming the al-Aqsa Mosque.
More than 155 Palestinians, including 28 children and 7 women, were killed by Israeli forces or by illegal settlers since the beginning of October 2015.
Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu said that Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) violates Israel’s interior laws as it causes “unbearable noise.”
During a meeting with the Likud bloc in the Knesset, Netanyahu claimed that “Arab towns must abide by the law of the land and fulfill their obligations to the state and society.”
This includes, Netanyahu continued, refraining from polygamy, which is practiced by Muslim-Arabs, stopping the noise caused by the Adhan, voiced five times a day by Muslim-Arab mosques, and halting construction without permit.
“I am not prepared to accept two States of Israel, a state of law for most of its citizens and a state within a state for some of them, in enclaves in which there is no law enforcement.”
There is no religious text that allows disturbing people by loudspeakers, according to his claims.
He also pointed to polygamy in Arab towns, claiming that “women’s rights organizations remain silent over this practice.”
During a meeting with the Likud bloc in the Knesset, Netanyahu claimed that “Arab towns must abide by the law of the land and fulfill their obligations to the state and society.”
This includes, Netanyahu continued, refraining from polygamy, which is practiced by Muslim-Arabs, stopping the noise caused by the Adhan, voiced five times a day by Muslim-Arab mosques, and halting construction without permit.
“I am not prepared to accept two States of Israel, a state of law for most of its citizens and a state within a state for some of them, in enclaves in which there is no law enforcement.”
There is no religious text that allows disturbing people by loudspeakers, according to his claims.
He also pointed to polygamy in Arab towns, claiming that “women’s rights organizations remain silent over this practice.”
Israeli authorities banned late Thursday the travel of Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement within the Green Line, and his deputy Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib.
Israeli radio said that Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued Thursday an order banning the travel of Sheikh Salah and his deputy, in addition to a number of leaders in the Movement for a whole month starting from the next few days.
Speaking to Anatolia News Agency, Sheikh al-Khatib affirmed that Israel’s Interior Ministry extended its ban on his travel for a whole month for the third time in a row.
The travel ban order could also be extended for six months, he pointed out.
“Over the past year, Israeli authorities had twice banned my travel along with Sheikh Salah and Yousef Awawdeh, head of the Movement's public relations office.”
Israel’s unjust policies will not succeed to prevent our ongoing efforts and activities against its Judaization schemes in al-Aqsa Mosque, al-Khatib said.
On Nov. 16, 2015, the Israeli security cabinet outlawed the Islamic Movement in Israel headed by Sheikh Raed Salah, accusing it of inciting violence. The Islamic Movement rejects this claim and challenged the government to prove its claim.
The ban was an arbitrary, unjust and oppressive measure that affects every one of the 1.8 million Palestinians living in the areas occupied in 1948 and Jerusalem. This includes not only the members of the movement, its leaders and employees, but also those benefiting from its services, supporting its approach, or partners in its political struggle and national aspirations.
Israeli radio said that Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued Thursday an order banning the travel of Sheikh Salah and his deputy, in addition to a number of leaders in the Movement for a whole month starting from the next few days.
Speaking to Anatolia News Agency, Sheikh al-Khatib affirmed that Israel’s Interior Ministry extended its ban on his travel for a whole month for the third time in a row.
The travel ban order could also be extended for six months, he pointed out.
“Over the past year, Israeli authorities had twice banned my travel along with Sheikh Salah and Yousef Awawdeh, head of the Movement's public relations office.”
Israel’s unjust policies will not succeed to prevent our ongoing efforts and activities against its Judaization schemes in al-Aqsa Mosque, al-Khatib said.
On Nov. 16, 2015, the Israeli security cabinet outlawed the Islamic Movement in Israel headed by Sheikh Raed Salah, accusing it of inciting violence. The Islamic Movement rejects this claim and challenged the government to prove its claim.
The ban was an arbitrary, unjust and oppressive measure that affects every one of the 1.8 million Palestinians living in the areas occupied in 1948 and Jerusalem. This includes not only the members of the movement, its leaders and employees, but also those benefiting from its services, supporting its approach, or partners in its political struggle and national aspirations.
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Thursday stormed Yabad town, south of Jenin town, and put up a notice threatening to kill anyone throwing stones at soldiers and settlers in the town.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that Israeli troops entered al-Qibliya neighborhood in Yabad and glued a notice onto a pole reading, "Everyone throwing one stone on the street, we will kill him, and your day is coming."
The sources added that the Israeli occupation army uses different repressive ways to pressure the residents of the town at the pretext that its soldiers and Mevo Dotan settlers are attacked with stones by local young men.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that Israeli troops entered al-Qibliya neighborhood in Yabad and glued a notice onto a pole reading, "Everyone throwing one stone on the street, we will kill him, and your day is coming."
The sources added that the Israeli occupation army uses different repressive ways to pressure the residents of the town at the pretext that its soldiers and Mevo Dotan settlers are attacked with stones by local young men.