7 june 2016
Secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Dr. Saeb Erekat, denounced Tuesday the visit of Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin to illegal colonies, built on Palestinian lands, east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and said the visit constitutes a direct support to apartheid, and a violation of every related international agreement.
“Rivlin knows very well that settlements are not only illegal, but constitute war crimes,” Erekat said, “The visit is yet another proof that Israel, and its government are interested in keeping and strengthening their apartheid regime, instead of seeking real peace.”
He also called on international community to hold Israel accountable for its constant and escalating violations, instead of allowing it to remain above all laws, committing crimes with impunity.
The official added that this visit, the first of a sitting Israeli president to colonies in the occupied West Bank, comes as a deadly strike to the French peace initiative, and all international efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement.
Israeli media sources said Rivlin visited the Benjamin Regional Council of Settlements after he was invited by its head Avi Roeh, who also chairs the Regional Council of Settlements in the occupied West Bank.
After being welcomed by various officials, especially heads of Israel’s illegal colonies who confirmed the strong ties with him, Rivlin said that all of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are part of the “Land of Israel,” and called on all Israelis to visit the settlements.
Rivlin is a member of the Likud Party headed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Rivlin knows very well that settlements are not only illegal, but constitute war crimes,” Erekat said, “The visit is yet another proof that Israel, and its government are interested in keeping and strengthening their apartheid regime, instead of seeking real peace.”
He also called on international community to hold Israel accountable for its constant and escalating violations, instead of allowing it to remain above all laws, committing crimes with impunity.
The official added that this visit, the first of a sitting Israeli president to colonies in the occupied West Bank, comes as a deadly strike to the French peace initiative, and all international efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement.
Israeli media sources said Rivlin visited the Benjamin Regional Council of Settlements after he was invited by its head Avi Roeh, who also chairs the Regional Council of Settlements in the occupied West Bank.
After being welcomed by various officials, especially heads of Israel’s illegal colonies who confirmed the strong ties with him, Rivlin said that all of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are part of the “Land of Israel,” and called on all Israelis to visit the settlements.
Rivlin is a member of the Likud Party headed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As the army removed the closure, a B’Tselem employee was able to interview the two eyewitnesses who are claiming al-Qasrawi was executed.
The Tel Rumeida neighborhood is under surveillance by security cameras, meaning this accusation could be easy to prove or disprove.
B’Tselem made clear to the witnesses that the Israeli army probably had footage of the entire incident on it security cameras located in the area, and that this footage could corroborate or disprove their accounts.
Both witnesses repeated their testimony and said they were ready to testify before any official body if summoned.
Israeli human rights organization says evidence of second execution in March incident
The Israeli Information Center on Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem, issued a press release Monday stating that a second Palestinian was executed in Hebron on March 24th, in addition to Abdul-Fattah Sharif.
Sharif’s case made international headlines because video of his execution, while he was lying wounded on the ground, was captured by a local resident and B’Tselem volunteer. The video was released publicly by B’Tselem, which led to charges being filed against the Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot.
The release of the video also led to harassment, interrogation and death threats against the Palestinian who filmed it.
Now, two more Palestinian residents of the neighborhood have come forward with their own video footage and testimony that the second Palestinian killed by Israeli troops in Hebron on March 24th, Ramzi al-Qasrawi, was also executed.
The press release from B’Tselem follows, along with portions of the newly-released videos:
Testimonies: Prior to incident for which Elor Azaria is facing charges, Ramzi al-Qasrawi was also executed
On 24 March 2016, ‘Abd al-Fatah a-Sharif and Ramzi al-Qasrawi were killed by soldiers’ gunfire in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron. They were shot after they stabbed a soldier who, according to media reports, sustained light injuries. The incident was widely covered by the media thanks to video footage shot by B’Tselem volunteer ‘Imad Abu Shamsiyeh, in which a soldier can be seen executing the injured a-Sharif, shooting him in the head. The shooter, Elor Azaria, is currently on trial for manslaughter for his actions.
The footage of the incident that B’Tselem released in March began at a point in time in which the second assailant, Ramzi al-Qasrawi was already dead. The military has recently lifted the strict travel restrictions imposed on Tel Rumeida, so for the first time since the incident, B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bri was able to get into the neighborhood and collect testimonies from its residents. The testimonies of two of residents, Nur Abu ‘Eishah and Amani Abu ‘Eishah, raise concerns that al-Qasrawi was also executed with a shot to the head, as he lay injured on the ground after having been hit by gunfire elsewhere in his body.
The two stated that, on the day of the incident, they began following events after they heard gunshots from the street. They said that after both a-Sharif and al-Qasrawi were lying injured on the road, clearly posing no danger to anyone, and even before additional troops and the paramedics arrived on the scene, a soldier (or officer) went up to al-Qasrawi and shot him twice in the neck or head from several meters away. Later on in this incident, both saw Azaria shooting a-Sharif in the head, an action that was captured on ‘Imad Abu Shamsiyeh’s camera.
The two eyewitnesses, both B’Tselem volunteers, documented parts of the incident with their cameras, but not the moment al-Qasrawi was shot. They both circulated the footage on social media immediately after the incident, and Nur Abu ‘Eishah was even interviewed shortly thereafter in the Palestinian press. Given how long it’s been since the incident and the gravity of the allegations, B’Tselem made clear to Nur Abu ‘Eishah and Amani Abu ‘Eishah that the military probably had footage of the entire incident on it security cameras located in the area, and that this footage could corroborate or disprove their accounts. Both witnesses repeated their testimony and said they were prepared to testify before any official body if summoned.
Since the most recent wave of violence began in October 2015, a good number of instances were caught on video showing executions of Palestinians who stabbed or were suspected of stabbing Israeli security personnel or civilians. (For more on this subject see B’Tselem’s report of December 2015). In other cases, executions were alleged, but since there was no video footage, B’Tselem was unable to confirm the allegations. Many of these cases were captured on the military’s security cameras which are permanently installed in various locations throughout the West Bank, such as checkpoints or downtown Hebron. B’Tselem has no access to this footage, but it is available to the military, which for the most part takes pains not to make it public.
This material is also available to the military’s investigating authorities, which as a rule choose to ignore it. There have been many reports since October of a policy permitting shoot-to-kill in incidents in which Palestinians harmed, or attempted to harm, Israeli security personnel or civilians, even when there is no clear and immediate mortal danger or if the danger can be overcome without resorting to a lethal outcome. Nevertheless, to date, these cases are hardly ever investigated, and no civilian or member of the security forces has faced charged for implementing his policy. The case of Sgt. Azaria, whose trial is still underway, is the one exception. But what is far more grave is that this open-fire policy has the full backing of senior civil and military officials. Israeli law enforcement authorities, both military and civilian, prefer not to deal with these cases, instead, shutting their eyes to this reality, thereby granting it legitimacy and enabling it to carry on.
The Tel Rumeida neighborhood is under surveillance by security cameras, meaning this accusation could be easy to prove or disprove.
B’Tselem made clear to the witnesses that the Israeli army probably had footage of the entire incident on it security cameras located in the area, and that this footage could corroborate or disprove their accounts.
Both witnesses repeated their testimony and said they were ready to testify before any official body if summoned.
Israeli human rights organization says evidence of second execution in March incident
The Israeli Information Center on Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem, issued a press release Monday stating that a second Palestinian was executed in Hebron on March 24th, in addition to Abdul-Fattah Sharif.
Sharif’s case made international headlines because video of his execution, while he was lying wounded on the ground, was captured by a local resident and B’Tselem volunteer. The video was released publicly by B’Tselem, which led to charges being filed against the Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot.
The release of the video also led to harassment, interrogation and death threats against the Palestinian who filmed it.
Now, two more Palestinian residents of the neighborhood have come forward with their own video footage and testimony that the second Palestinian killed by Israeli troops in Hebron on March 24th, Ramzi al-Qasrawi, was also executed.
The press release from B’Tselem follows, along with portions of the newly-released videos:
Testimonies: Prior to incident for which Elor Azaria is facing charges, Ramzi al-Qasrawi was also executed
On 24 March 2016, ‘Abd al-Fatah a-Sharif and Ramzi al-Qasrawi were killed by soldiers’ gunfire in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron. They were shot after they stabbed a soldier who, according to media reports, sustained light injuries. The incident was widely covered by the media thanks to video footage shot by B’Tselem volunteer ‘Imad Abu Shamsiyeh, in which a soldier can be seen executing the injured a-Sharif, shooting him in the head. The shooter, Elor Azaria, is currently on trial for manslaughter for his actions.
The footage of the incident that B’Tselem released in March began at a point in time in which the second assailant, Ramzi al-Qasrawi was already dead. The military has recently lifted the strict travel restrictions imposed on Tel Rumeida, so for the first time since the incident, B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bri was able to get into the neighborhood and collect testimonies from its residents. The testimonies of two of residents, Nur Abu ‘Eishah and Amani Abu ‘Eishah, raise concerns that al-Qasrawi was also executed with a shot to the head, as he lay injured on the ground after having been hit by gunfire elsewhere in his body.
The two stated that, on the day of the incident, they began following events after they heard gunshots from the street. They said that after both a-Sharif and al-Qasrawi were lying injured on the road, clearly posing no danger to anyone, and even before additional troops and the paramedics arrived on the scene, a soldier (or officer) went up to al-Qasrawi and shot him twice in the neck or head from several meters away. Later on in this incident, both saw Azaria shooting a-Sharif in the head, an action that was captured on ‘Imad Abu Shamsiyeh’s camera.
The two eyewitnesses, both B’Tselem volunteers, documented parts of the incident with their cameras, but not the moment al-Qasrawi was shot. They both circulated the footage on social media immediately after the incident, and Nur Abu ‘Eishah was even interviewed shortly thereafter in the Palestinian press. Given how long it’s been since the incident and the gravity of the allegations, B’Tselem made clear to Nur Abu ‘Eishah and Amani Abu ‘Eishah that the military probably had footage of the entire incident on it security cameras located in the area, and that this footage could corroborate or disprove their accounts. Both witnesses repeated their testimony and said they were prepared to testify before any official body if summoned.
Since the most recent wave of violence began in October 2015, a good number of instances were caught on video showing executions of Palestinians who stabbed or were suspected of stabbing Israeli security personnel or civilians. (For more on this subject see B’Tselem’s report of December 2015). In other cases, executions were alleged, but since there was no video footage, B’Tselem was unable to confirm the allegations. Many of these cases were captured on the military’s security cameras which are permanently installed in various locations throughout the West Bank, such as checkpoints or downtown Hebron. B’Tselem has no access to this footage, but it is available to the military, which for the most part takes pains not to make it public.
This material is also available to the military’s investigating authorities, which as a rule choose to ignore it. There have been many reports since October of a policy permitting shoot-to-kill in incidents in which Palestinians harmed, or attempted to harm, Israeli security personnel or civilians, even when there is no clear and immediate mortal danger or if the danger can be overcome without resorting to a lethal outcome. Nevertheless, to date, these cases are hardly ever investigated, and no civilian or member of the security forces has faced charged for implementing his policy. The case of Sgt. Azaria, whose trial is still underway, is the one exception. But what is far more grave is that this open-fire policy has the full backing of senior civil and military officials. Israeli law enforcement authorities, both military and civilian, prefer not to deal with these cases, instead, shutting their eyes to this reality, thereby granting it legitimacy and enabling it to carry on.
6 june 2016
The Israeli High Court in Jerusalem, on Sunday, has rejected a petition demanding that the Zionist “Jerusalem Day” march, which celebrates the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, be barred from the Muslim Quarter in the old city of Jerusalem.
The annual march, which will be held by Zionist religious youth, this year, coincides with the beginning of Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, which will be confirmed by Saudi Arabia at around 7:43.
Last year’s march saw violent clashes, according to the PNN, where “racist insults were hurled by marchers at Arabs, as well as cases of vandalism.”
According to Haaretz, the court approved an agreement, between the state and the parade’s organizers, that the march would start 15 minutes earlier, so that “no Jewish marchers will be present at the Muslim Quarter if Ramadan begins Sunday.”
Haaretz also reported that the court’s ruling says that that the last of the marchers will be allowed to enter the Muslim Quarter through Damascus Gate at 6:15 P.M., adding that by 7 P.M. the Quarter’s main street will be clear.
The judges ordered police to make sure there will be “minimal friction with the Muslim residents” and reiterated an instruction from last year to show “zero tolerance to verbal and physical violence.”
On Thursday, an urgent petition was filed with the High Court by the Ir Amim non-profit group and Amir Cheshin, a former Arab affairs adviser to Jerusalem’s mayor. The petitioners demanded that the court instruct the police to ban the march from the Muslim Quarter.
The Israeli “Jerusalem Day” holiday commemorates the day when Israel took hold of the West Bank and Gaza following the Six Day War in 1967.
The annual march, which will be held by Zionist religious youth, this year, coincides with the beginning of Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, which will be confirmed by Saudi Arabia at around 7:43.
Last year’s march saw violent clashes, according to the PNN, where “racist insults were hurled by marchers at Arabs, as well as cases of vandalism.”
According to Haaretz, the court approved an agreement, between the state and the parade’s organizers, that the march would start 15 minutes earlier, so that “no Jewish marchers will be present at the Muslim Quarter if Ramadan begins Sunday.”
Haaretz also reported that the court’s ruling says that that the last of the marchers will be allowed to enter the Muslim Quarter through Damascus Gate at 6:15 P.M., adding that by 7 P.M. the Quarter’s main street will be clear.
The judges ordered police to make sure there will be “minimal friction with the Muslim residents” and reiterated an instruction from last year to show “zero tolerance to verbal and physical violence.”
On Thursday, an urgent petition was filed with the High Court by the Ir Amim non-profit group and Amir Cheshin, a former Arab affairs adviser to Jerusalem’s mayor. The petitioners demanded that the court instruct the police to ban the march from the Muslim Quarter.
The Israeli “Jerusalem Day” holiday commemorates the day when Israel took hold of the West Bank and Gaza following the Six Day War in 1967.
5 june 2016
At ceremony marking 49th year since the city's unification Netanyahu states that placing Israeli flag above Western Wall was 2nd most important moment after declaration of independence; President Rivlin: Prophetic vision became reality, Jerusalem returned to its children.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Jerusalem will never be redivided in a ceremony marking 49 years since the unification of Jerusalem on Sunday.
"49 years ago, Jerusalem was released from its shackles. We will not return to a reality whereby the city is torn, divided, and wounded," Netanyahu said.
President Reuven Rivlin also spoke at the ceremony, and called on the government not to empty the city of its symbols, touching upon the issue whereby government ministries are moving out of Jerusalem.
The ceremony took place on Mt. Herzl and was attended by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, Police Comissioner Roni Alsheikh, and various government ministers and mayors.
The ceremony began with torches being lit by various representatives of the IDF regional commands to remember those who fell trying to liberate the city from the Jordanians. Netanyahu also shared his memories of Jerusalem and said that the current, magical reality was at one time very different.
"It was a reality of huge concrete walls with snipers on top, no mans lands and minefields," Netanyahu said.
He continued saying, "The veterans here remember what the soldiers wrote on the military vehicles – 'there will not be a second Auschwitz, and there will not be a second Masada.' I remember the feeling of threatening danger and adrenaline and the spirit of our fighters, which thanks to them, our situation changed from one side to the other. This was proven once again – that the only way to guarantee our existence is our presence and ability to defend ourselves and to protect the security of the state of Israel."
Netanyahu, who is flying on to Moscow on Monday, said that "placing the Israeli flag on the Western Wall was the second most important moment after the declaration of the State of Israel. This spiritual ascendance encompassed the entire nation, both in Israel and in the Diaspora. It was at that moment that a national consciousness was launched amongst Jews in the former Soviet Union."
"Tomorrow, I'm flying to Moscow to mark 25 years of relations between Russia and Israel. But on the eve of the Six Day War, the armies which surrounded us were all armed and funded by the USSR. Russia is a global power, and our relations are getting stronger. The strengthening of this relationship strengthens our national security and prevents unnecessary friction on our northern border."
The prime minister also referred to the peace process and said that nobody would force upon Israel international dictates. "Peace is achieved through direct and free negotiations between the parties. We've seen it with peace with Egypt and Jordan. It was not achieved by international dictates. In the period after the Six Day War, when the military campaign was over, the political campaign began," said Netanyahu.
"The same players in the international arena who did not lift a finger to help us when the threat of destruction hovered over us were those who tried to impose a political settlement on us. It did not work then and will not work today. Any international dictate hardens the Palestinians’ positions.
Anyone who denies our connection to Jerusalem, transforms the Temple Mount into a center of religious incitement, who does not renounce terrorism - still has a long way to peace. "
President Rivlin said at the ceremony: "Our eyes were raised towards you Jerusalem. 49 years ago our prayers were answered. The city opened its closed heart to her lovers who were knocking at her gates. Prophetic vision became reality. Jerusalem returned to its children. Here, on this heroic hill, one of the symbols of the heroism of the State of Israel , a blood-soaked battle took place in which more than 180 fighters, within whom the fire of Jerusalem burned, were killed… We sacrificed ourselves for Jerusalem because we knew that one must insist when it comes to her.”
Rivlin also spoke about the planned move of the Public Broadcasting Authority from Jerusalem and expressed his joy that the Prime Minister decided to stop the process. "I hope this is so. This is because it is not possible that 80 years to the day after the first Hebrew broadcast, from the “Voice of Jerusalem” radio station, public broadcasting from Jerusalem will cease, "said the president. "One does not give up on symbols. We must not empty Jerusalem of its symbols. Jerusalem is not just a strip of land, it is a spiritual legacy, the spirit of the Jewish people.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Jerusalem will never be redivided in a ceremony marking 49 years since the unification of Jerusalem on Sunday.
"49 years ago, Jerusalem was released from its shackles. We will not return to a reality whereby the city is torn, divided, and wounded," Netanyahu said.
President Reuven Rivlin also spoke at the ceremony, and called on the government not to empty the city of its symbols, touching upon the issue whereby government ministries are moving out of Jerusalem.
The ceremony took place on Mt. Herzl and was attended by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, Police Comissioner Roni Alsheikh, and various government ministers and mayors.
The ceremony began with torches being lit by various representatives of the IDF regional commands to remember those who fell trying to liberate the city from the Jordanians. Netanyahu also shared his memories of Jerusalem and said that the current, magical reality was at one time very different.
"It was a reality of huge concrete walls with snipers on top, no mans lands and minefields," Netanyahu said.
He continued saying, "The veterans here remember what the soldiers wrote on the military vehicles – 'there will not be a second Auschwitz, and there will not be a second Masada.' I remember the feeling of threatening danger and adrenaline and the spirit of our fighters, which thanks to them, our situation changed from one side to the other. This was proven once again – that the only way to guarantee our existence is our presence and ability to defend ourselves and to protect the security of the state of Israel."
Netanyahu, who is flying on to Moscow on Monday, said that "placing the Israeli flag on the Western Wall was the second most important moment after the declaration of the State of Israel. This spiritual ascendance encompassed the entire nation, both in Israel and in the Diaspora. It was at that moment that a national consciousness was launched amongst Jews in the former Soviet Union."
"Tomorrow, I'm flying to Moscow to mark 25 years of relations between Russia and Israel. But on the eve of the Six Day War, the armies which surrounded us were all armed and funded by the USSR. Russia is a global power, and our relations are getting stronger. The strengthening of this relationship strengthens our national security and prevents unnecessary friction on our northern border."
The prime minister also referred to the peace process and said that nobody would force upon Israel international dictates. "Peace is achieved through direct and free negotiations between the parties. We've seen it with peace with Egypt and Jordan. It was not achieved by international dictates. In the period after the Six Day War, when the military campaign was over, the political campaign began," said Netanyahu.
"The same players in the international arena who did not lift a finger to help us when the threat of destruction hovered over us were those who tried to impose a political settlement on us. It did not work then and will not work today. Any international dictate hardens the Palestinians’ positions.
Anyone who denies our connection to Jerusalem, transforms the Temple Mount into a center of religious incitement, who does not renounce terrorism - still has a long way to peace. "
President Rivlin said at the ceremony: "Our eyes were raised towards you Jerusalem. 49 years ago our prayers were answered. The city opened its closed heart to her lovers who were knocking at her gates. Prophetic vision became reality. Jerusalem returned to its children. Here, on this heroic hill, one of the symbols of the heroism of the State of Israel , a blood-soaked battle took place in which more than 180 fighters, within whom the fire of Jerusalem burned, were killed… We sacrificed ourselves for Jerusalem because we knew that one must insist when it comes to her.”
Rivlin also spoke about the planned move of the Public Broadcasting Authority from Jerusalem and expressed his joy that the Prime Minister decided to stop the process. "I hope this is so. This is because it is not possible that 80 years to the day after the first Hebrew broadcast, from the “Voice of Jerusalem” radio station, public broadcasting from Jerusalem will cease, "said the president. "One does not give up on symbols. We must not empty Jerusalem of its symbols. Jerusalem is not just a strip of land, it is a spiritual legacy, the spirit of the Jewish people.”
A report raised on Saturday alarm bells over the swift pace in Israeli illegal settlement projects across the occupied Palestinian territories as part of larger scheme of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians.
The National Office for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlement said Israeli illegal settlement activity has hit the peak with the advent of the commemoration of the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 marked by Israelis on June 5.
According to the report, a meeting is to be held by the Israeli government on Sunday evening to mark the occupation of Jerusalem.
Among the files expected to be discussed during the meeting is a five-year plan to stimulate Jerusalem’s economic growth in an attempt to pave the way for asserting the city as "the capital of the Jewish State".
A development budget of NIS 850 million (about $220 million) will be invested in five areas aimed at boosting the city´s tourism, advanced industry, academia, business development, and quality of life for settlers.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli Ministry of Education announced the launch of the Judaization of Jerusalem Week at all schools. The event is set to be concluded on June 8.
The Israeli planning and construction committee in Occupied Jerusalem also approved settlers’ confiscation of Palestinians’ demolished homes in Silwan.
Speaking ahead of the annual Jerusalem Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “I support all efforts to maintain and strengthen a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”
Netanyahu’s claims come at a time when Israeli fanatic organizations have been inciting for mass break-ins at Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque on June 5 to mark the occupation of the holy city of Jerusalem.
The National Office for Defending the Land and Resisting Settlement said Israeli illegal settlement activity has hit the peak with the advent of the commemoration of the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967 marked by Israelis on June 5.
According to the report, a meeting is to be held by the Israeli government on Sunday evening to mark the occupation of Jerusalem.
Among the files expected to be discussed during the meeting is a five-year plan to stimulate Jerusalem’s economic growth in an attempt to pave the way for asserting the city as "the capital of the Jewish State".
A development budget of NIS 850 million (about $220 million) will be invested in five areas aimed at boosting the city´s tourism, advanced industry, academia, business development, and quality of life for settlers.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli Ministry of Education announced the launch of the Judaization of Jerusalem Week at all schools. The event is set to be concluded on June 8.
The Israeli planning and construction committee in Occupied Jerusalem also approved settlers’ confiscation of Palestinians’ demolished homes in Silwan.
Speaking ahead of the annual Jerusalem Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “I support all efforts to maintain and strengthen a united Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.”
Netanyahu’s claims come at a time when Israeli fanatic organizations have been inciting for mass break-ins at Muslims’ the holy al-Aqsa Mosque on June 5 to mark the occupation of the holy city of Jerusalem.
4 june 2016
West Bank and Gaza residents will be able to visit first-degree relatives in Israel and in the territories and pray at al-Aqsa during Fridays, Laylat al-Qadr and Eid al-Fitr.
Newly-appointed Defense Minister Avidgor Lieberman has issued an order easing some restrictions imposed on the Palestinians ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Monday.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT) said Friday that the easing of restrictions was approved based on the recommendation of IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
The measures include allowing Palestinian residents of the West Bank to visit their families in Israel during the month-long holiday, while those who wish to visit family in the Gaza Strip could do so if they're first-degree relatives.
In addition, Israel will allow Muslim worshipers from the West Bank to enter the al-Aqsa mosque complex on the Temple Mount to pray on Fridays and during Laylat al-Qadr (the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Muhammad, according to Islamic belief).
Residents of the Gaza Strip could also visit family in Israel and in the West Bank during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr (the holiday marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan), so long as they're first-degree relatives.
Gazans will also be able to enter the al-Aqsa mosque compound and pray there on Fridays, during Laylat al-Qadr and during Eid al-Fitr.
To facilitate those measures, Israel will extend hours of operations at the border crossings.
COGAT dubbed the moves "gestures of goodwill," saying they're done to promote the freedom of religion and worship. These are gestures Israel makes every year for Ramadan.
Newly-appointed Defense Minister Avidgor Lieberman has issued an order easing some restrictions imposed on the Palestinians ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which begins on Monday.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT) said Friday that the easing of restrictions was approved based on the recommendation of IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
The measures include allowing Palestinian residents of the West Bank to visit their families in Israel during the month-long holiday, while those who wish to visit family in the Gaza Strip could do so if they're first-degree relatives.
In addition, Israel will allow Muslim worshipers from the West Bank to enter the al-Aqsa mosque complex on the Temple Mount to pray on Fridays and during Laylat al-Qadr (the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Muhammad, according to Islamic belief).
Residents of the Gaza Strip could also visit family in Israel and in the West Bank during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr (the holiday marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan), so long as they're first-degree relatives.
Gazans will also be able to enter the al-Aqsa mosque compound and pray there on Fridays, during Laylat al-Qadr and during Eid al-Fitr.
To facilitate those measures, Israel will extend hours of operations at the border crossings.
COGAT dubbed the moves "gestures of goodwill," saying they're done to promote the freedom of religion and worship. These are gestures Israel makes every year for Ramadan.