6 mar 2017
Basel al-Araj
As usual, Palestinian martyrs refuse to leave before fighting their own battles. They work in silence all their lives and let their actions behind to speak for them when they leave.
Basel al-Araj, the founder of the ideas of "inherent resistance" and “disappearance”, was described as "theorist" and "deep thinker" who always wrote about "the individual battles" as a substitute for the absent mass uprisings.
The Palestinian pharmacist read about the armed popular resistance in the Galilee and the Triangle Area during the British Mandate in Palestine. He realized that the "guerrilla warfare" is the best tactic to exhaust the contemporary occupier.
On the popular level, Araj joined the mass demonstrations supporting the boycott of Israel including the protest organized against the visit of the former Israeli war minister Shaul Mofaz to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2012. Basel was beaten and injured by the PA security forces.
Basel, the brave, as his name mean in Arabic, was called by the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) "the leader of the armed wing of the youth movement". He managed to disappear for a long time, applying his own idea, and refused to hand himself over despite the fact that his family house was raided by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) dozens of times in search for him.
Academic excellence
Araj studied pharmacy at one of the most prestigious Egyptian universities. He could have been one of the best Palestinian academics, but the mentality he had made him in a constant search for a cure for the Palestinian situation.
The Palestinian young man, who fought a long battle with political arrests while being chased by the Israeli occupation at the same time, succeeded finally in passing a lesson of life and freedom to his people.
Araj lived in al-Walaja village in Bethlehem province, one of the most hot spots which embraces popular resistance in the West Bank, and was one of the main activists there against the wall, the settlement and the confiscation of lands.
Araj is known for his interest in all details related to the Palestinian resistance. He participated in preparing a study on the characteristics of the martyrs who had carried out car-ramming and stabbing attacks during the past two years. When Basel was asked about the martyrs of his study he said, "They have lived in me. Words cannot describe them."
The Palestinian activist worked in a project documenting the most important stages of the Palestinian revolution since the thirties of the last century against the British Mandate to the Israeli occupation by organizing field trips with youth groups to introduce these stages to them on the ground.
Among the most important topics that Araj has blogged about was the guerrilla warfare tactic, which he described as "brigandage based on a political project", in addition to the 1936 revolution, the Iraqi army battalion which fought in Palestine in 1948, the rural area of Jenin city as a resistance model in both the past and the present, as well as the modern resistance operations of 2002 in Wad al-Nasara in al-Khalil city.
A friend of Basel said, "It is true they managed to assassinate the initiator of the youth movement who did not belong to any faction, yet his spirit is still with us. Bodies fade away but ideas remain."
The disappearance of the six youths
On 31st March 2016, six Palestinian youths, including Basel al-Araj, disappeared in the city of Ramallah for a number of days in mysterious circumstances before they were arrested by the PA's Intelligence amid intensive search operations conducted by the IOF.
The PA's security forces arrested the six youths in Ramallah mountains. They were later accused by Israel of planning to carry out a joint operation against an Israeli settlement.
Araj was transferred along with his companions to the PA's Jericho prison where he was charged with planning for an armed attack. Protesting these charges, he and the other five youths went on hunger strike until they were able to get a court ruling stipulating their release.
The youths were released following a long hunger strike and a six-month detention. However, Basel remained chased by the IOF. On Monday, the IOF raided the house where he was hiding in Qaddura refugee camp in Ramallah. Araj refused to surrender. He started an armed clash to the last bullet and fell martyr after two hours of direct confrontation with the IOF.
Basel al-Araj fatally gunned down by Israeli army at his home
As usual, Palestinian martyrs refuse to leave before fighting their own battles. They work in silence all their lives and let their actions behind to speak for them when they leave.
Basel al-Araj, the founder of the ideas of "inherent resistance" and “disappearance”, was described as "theorist" and "deep thinker" who always wrote about "the individual battles" as a substitute for the absent mass uprisings.
The Palestinian pharmacist read about the armed popular resistance in the Galilee and the Triangle Area during the British Mandate in Palestine. He realized that the "guerrilla warfare" is the best tactic to exhaust the contemporary occupier.
On the popular level, Araj joined the mass demonstrations supporting the boycott of Israel including the protest organized against the visit of the former Israeli war minister Shaul Mofaz to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2012. Basel was beaten and injured by the PA security forces.
Basel, the brave, as his name mean in Arabic, was called by the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) "the leader of the armed wing of the youth movement". He managed to disappear for a long time, applying his own idea, and refused to hand himself over despite the fact that his family house was raided by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) dozens of times in search for him.
Academic excellence
Araj studied pharmacy at one of the most prestigious Egyptian universities. He could have been one of the best Palestinian academics, but the mentality he had made him in a constant search for a cure for the Palestinian situation.
The Palestinian young man, who fought a long battle with political arrests while being chased by the Israeli occupation at the same time, succeeded finally in passing a lesson of life and freedom to his people.
Araj lived in al-Walaja village in Bethlehem province, one of the most hot spots which embraces popular resistance in the West Bank, and was one of the main activists there against the wall, the settlement and the confiscation of lands.
Araj is known for his interest in all details related to the Palestinian resistance. He participated in preparing a study on the characteristics of the martyrs who had carried out car-ramming and stabbing attacks during the past two years. When Basel was asked about the martyrs of his study he said, "They have lived in me. Words cannot describe them."
The Palestinian activist worked in a project documenting the most important stages of the Palestinian revolution since the thirties of the last century against the British Mandate to the Israeli occupation by organizing field trips with youth groups to introduce these stages to them on the ground.
Among the most important topics that Araj has blogged about was the guerrilla warfare tactic, which he described as "brigandage based on a political project", in addition to the 1936 revolution, the Iraqi army battalion which fought in Palestine in 1948, the rural area of Jenin city as a resistance model in both the past and the present, as well as the modern resistance operations of 2002 in Wad al-Nasara in al-Khalil city.
A friend of Basel said, "It is true they managed to assassinate the initiator of the youth movement who did not belong to any faction, yet his spirit is still with us. Bodies fade away but ideas remain."
The disappearance of the six youths
On 31st March 2016, six Palestinian youths, including Basel al-Araj, disappeared in the city of Ramallah for a number of days in mysterious circumstances before they were arrested by the PA's Intelligence amid intensive search operations conducted by the IOF.
The PA's security forces arrested the six youths in Ramallah mountains. They were later accused by Israel of planning to carry out a joint operation against an Israeli settlement.
Araj was transferred along with his companions to the PA's Jericho prison where he was charged with planning for an armed attack. Protesting these charges, he and the other five youths went on hunger strike until they were able to get a court ruling stipulating their release.
The youths were released following a long hunger strike and a six-month detention. However, Basel remained chased by the IOF. On Monday, the IOF raided the house where he was hiding in Qaddura refugee camp in Ramallah. Araj refused to surrender. He started an armed clash to the last bullet and fell martyr after two hours of direct confrontation with the IOF.
Basel al-Araj fatally gunned down by Israeli army at his home
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) charged Israeli occupation authorities with hindering assistance to wounded Palestinians.
Israeli forces usually wait for 47 minutes on average before calling ambulances for the injured which puts their lives at real risk due to bleeding for a long time, it pointed out.
Moshe Steinmetz, Correspondent of the Walla Israeli news website, said that the report of the PHR listed eight cases of wounded Palestinians who were shot by Israeli soldiers, mostly in Qalandiya refugee camp near Occupied Jerusalem and two in the West Bank cities of al-Bireh and Bethlehem.
The report quoted the Palestinian emergency units as saying that Israeli forces hinder the arrival of their crews to the wounded. They do not allow available Palestinian medics to succor the injured. They wait, instead, for Israeli ambulances to reach the incidents scenes, it highlighted.
The report quoted lawyer Mohammad Abu Arisheh, the PHR official in 1948 Occupied Palestine, as calling Israeli policy a racist and violent in dealing with Palestinian medics and causing great harm to the health of the Palestinians wounded.
Israeli forces usually wait for 47 minutes on average before calling ambulances for the injured which puts their lives at real risk due to bleeding for a long time, it pointed out.
Moshe Steinmetz, Correspondent of the Walla Israeli news website, said that the report of the PHR listed eight cases of wounded Palestinians who were shot by Israeli soldiers, mostly in Qalandiya refugee camp near Occupied Jerusalem and two in the West Bank cities of al-Bireh and Bethlehem.
The report quoted the Palestinian emergency units as saying that Israeli forces hinder the arrival of their crews to the wounded. They do not allow available Palestinian medics to succor the injured. They wait, instead, for Israeli ambulances to reach the incidents scenes, it highlighted.
The report quoted lawyer Mohammad Abu Arisheh, the PHR official in 1948 Occupied Palestine, as calling Israeli policy a racist and violent in dealing with Palestinian medics and causing great harm to the health of the Palestinians wounded.
Palestinian human rights institutions reveled, in a statement on Monday, that Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested last February 498 Palestinians including 108 minors, 19 women and a journalist. Furthermore, the Palestinian prisoner Mohammad al-Jallad died in custody after being shot by Israeli soldiers.
The statement pointed out that 161 of the arrested were from Occupied Jerusalem, 90 from al-Khalil, 55 from Bethlehem, 43 from Ramallah and al-Bireh, 39 from Nablus, 32 from Qalqilya, 25 from Jenin, 22 from Tulkarem, 10 from Tubas, 9 from Gaza Strip, 7 from Jericho and 5 from Salfit.
Israeli Occupation Authority (IOA) issued 99 orders of the illegal administrative detention with no charge or trial including 25 new orders in February, the statement added.
According to the report, which was issued by four human rights institutions, the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails jumped to 7,000 including 61 female captives with 12 minors. The number of detained children reached 300; while the number administrative captives was 516 and the number of detained journalists jumped to 23.
The report warned of the serious conditions inside Israeli prisons due to the punitive measures. It called for exerting more efforts by Arab and international organizations in order to pressure for halting Israeli offensive practices against Palestinian prisoners and liberating them from Israeli jails.
The statement pointed out that 161 of the arrested were from Occupied Jerusalem, 90 from al-Khalil, 55 from Bethlehem, 43 from Ramallah and al-Bireh, 39 from Nablus, 32 from Qalqilya, 25 from Jenin, 22 from Tulkarem, 10 from Tubas, 9 from Gaza Strip, 7 from Jericho and 5 from Salfit.
Israeli Occupation Authority (IOA) issued 99 orders of the illegal administrative detention with no charge or trial including 25 new orders in February, the statement added.
According to the report, which was issued by four human rights institutions, the number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails jumped to 7,000 including 61 female captives with 12 minors. The number of detained children reached 300; while the number administrative captives was 516 and the number of detained journalists jumped to 23.
The report warned of the serious conditions inside Israeli prisons due to the punitive measures. It called for exerting more efforts by Arab and international organizations in order to pressure for halting Israeli offensive practices against Palestinian prisoners and liberating them from Israeli jails.
5 mar 2017
The Israeli occupation army on Sunday evening intensified their presence on the main access road to Kafl Haris, north of Salfit, paving the way for a mass settler break-in into the area.
Local sources said hundreds of Israeli settlers, escorted by army patrols, are expected to storm Kafl Haris to perform sacrilegious rituals, in a barefaced provocation to the village’s Muslim population.
According to eye-witnesses, Israeli military squads have been scattered at Kafl Haris crossroads, near Ariel illegal settlement outpost.
Israeli fanatic settlers frequently storm the area on claims that it is home to Jewish shrines.
Local sources said hundreds of Israeli settlers, escorted by army patrols, are expected to storm Kafl Haris to perform sacrilegious rituals, in a barefaced provocation to the village’s Muslim population.
According to eye-witnesses, Israeli military squads have been scattered at Kafl Haris crossroads, near Ariel illegal settlement outpost.
Israeli fanatic settlers frequently storm the area on claims that it is home to Jewish shrines.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) banned Palestinian workers and traders of the family of martyr Qaisiya from entering 1948 Occupied Palestine. They had to return back from al-Thaheriya military checkpoint in southern al-Khalil despite having work permits. The IOF soldiers threatened them to take the permits back.
Quds Press quoted head of the Chamber of Commerce Jalal Makharzeh as saying that this measure comes in line with Israeli collective punishment policy against Palestinians.
He revealed that Israeli authorities over the past few months withdrew hundreds of work permits from Palestinian trade men in al-Khalil while passing through al-Thaheriya barrier.
Israeli forces killed last Wednesday the Palestinian 24-year-old Saad Qaisiya, from al-Thaheriya town in southern al-Khalil, after alleged anti-occupation stabbing attack resulting in a light injury of an Israeli settler.
Quds Press quoted head of the Chamber of Commerce Jalal Makharzeh as saying that this measure comes in line with Israeli collective punishment policy against Palestinians.
He revealed that Israeli authorities over the past few months withdrew hundreds of work permits from Palestinian trade men in al-Khalil while passing through al-Thaheriya barrier.
Israeli forces killed last Wednesday the Palestinian 24-year-old Saad Qaisiya, from al-Thaheriya town in southern al-Khalil, after alleged anti-occupation stabbing attack resulting in a light injury of an Israeli settler.
4 mar 2017
A US Congressional delegation arrived on Friday in Tel Aviv to discuss moving the US Embassy to occupied Jerusalem, Radio Israel said.
For his part, Yehuda Glick, a Knesset member, posted on his Facebook page that the delegates will meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others during their 24-hour visit to discuss transferring the embassy from the practical and political perspectives.
The new US president Donald Trump, who is known for his pro-Israel stands, has declared many times that he intends to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv city to occupied Jerusalem "to emphasize that Jerusalem is the capital of the Israeli state" as he put it.
However, Trump told an Israeli newspaper in February about the issue, "I'm still considering it, and we will see what will happen. The decision is not easy and it has been discussed over years."
Trump's position is opposed by the international community and the UN resolutions which deal with East Jerusalem as an occupied territory and do not recognize the Israeli decisions considering Jerusalem as a capital of the Israeli state. These resolutions also reject the settlement activity in occupied Jerusalem and regard it contrary to the international law.
The majority of the embassies of foreign countries, including the European ones, which maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, are located in Tel Aviv since the international community refuses the annexation of Jerusalem to Israel and deems it illegal.
The Palestine Liberation organization threatened that it will abolish its recognition of Israel once the US embassy is moved to Jerusalem.
For his part, Yehuda Glick, a Knesset member, posted on his Facebook page that the delegates will meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others during their 24-hour visit to discuss transferring the embassy from the practical and political perspectives.
The new US president Donald Trump, who is known for his pro-Israel stands, has declared many times that he intends to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv city to occupied Jerusalem "to emphasize that Jerusalem is the capital of the Israeli state" as he put it.
However, Trump told an Israeli newspaper in February about the issue, "I'm still considering it, and we will see what will happen. The decision is not easy and it has been discussed over years."
Trump's position is opposed by the international community and the UN resolutions which deal with East Jerusalem as an occupied territory and do not recognize the Israeli decisions considering Jerusalem as a capital of the Israeli state. These resolutions also reject the settlement activity in occupied Jerusalem and regard it contrary to the international law.
The majority of the embassies of foreign countries, including the European ones, which maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, are located in Tel Aviv since the international community refuses the annexation of Jerusalem to Israel and deems it illegal.
The Palestine Liberation organization threatened that it will abolish its recognition of Israel once the US embassy is moved to Jerusalem.
3 mar 2017
United States senators re-introduced a bill which calls for cutting funds provided to the Palestinians Authority (PA) as it still supports “terrorism”.
The bill, according to Haaretz, was reintroduced by Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, in addition to two other senators, demanding a cut on US funding to the PA if it continues to provide monetary support to the families of those who commit acts of terror against Israelis and others.
“If a young Palestinian is convicted in a court in Israel of being a terrorist, the longer they’re in jail, the more their family receives from the Palestinian Authority,” Graham said.
He added that the aim of the new bill is not to destroy the PA rather than forcing it to change its policies.
He claimed that he supports peace between Israelis and Palestinians and to achieve peace PA must stop paying money for attackers who harm Israelis.
Al Ray further reports that the bill was named the “Taylor Force Act” after a US army veteran who was killed during an incident in Jaffa, last year.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the bill would necessitate that the PA follow certain conditions in order to receive funds from the US government, including taking “credible steps” to end violence by its citizens under its “jurisdictional control”, publicly condemning and punishing Palestinians who have committed acts of violence against Israelis, and “terminating payments” to individuals and their families who have been killed after carrying out attacks.
Rights groups have claimed that Israelis use prison and detention raids – which often erupt into violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces – as a tool to disrupt Palestinian life in the occupied territory, as many families suffer financially when Israeli forces kill, wound, or imprison Palestinians.
The bill, according to Haaretz, was reintroduced by Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, in addition to two other senators, demanding a cut on US funding to the PA if it continues to provide monetary support to the families of those who commit acts of terror against Israelis and others.
“If a young Palestinian is convicted in a court in Israel of being a terrorist, the longer they’re in jail, the more their family receives from the Palestinian Authority,” Graham said.
He added that the aim of the new bill is not to destroy the PA rather than forcing it to change its policies.
He claimed that he supports peace between Israelis and Palestinians and to achieve peace PA must stop paying money for attackers who harm Israelis.
Al Ray further reports that the bill was named the “Taylor Force Act” after a US army veteran who was killed during an incident in Jaffa, last year.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the bill would necessitate that the PA follow certain conditions in order to receive funds from the US government, including taking “credible steps” to end violence by its citizens under its “jurisdictional control”, publicly condemning and punishing Palestinians who have committed acts of violence against Israelis, and “terminating payments” to individuals and their families who have been killed after carrying out attacks.
Rights groups have claimed that Israelis use prison and detention raids – which often erupt into violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces – as a tool to disrupt Palestinian life in the occupied territory, as many families suffer financially when Israeli forces kill, wound, or imprison Palestinians.
1 mar 2017
The death of a Palestinian youth on Wednesday has brought the number of Palestinians killed since the outbreak of the anti-occupation Jerusalem Intifada to 284.
A study by the Jerusalem Center for Palestinian-Israeli Studies shows that following the death of 20-year-old Saad Mohamed Kaissiya, from al-Khalil, the death toll of the Jerusalem Intifada among the Palestinians has hit 284.
Youngster Kaissiya was killed by the Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday on claims that he attempted to carry out an anti-occupation stabbing attack.
13 Palestinians were killed since the start of 2017, including four from the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Al-Khalil province topped the list with 79 casualties, followed by 62 from Occupied Jerusalem, 26 from Ramallah, 22 from Jenin, and 20 from Nablus.
The study documented the murder of 38 Palestinians from the blockaded Gaza Strip.
As for the casualties’ ages, the list included 97 children below the age of 18. The youngest casualty was identified as three-month-old toddler Ramadan Mohamed Thawabteh, who choked to death after the Israeli forces showered Bethlehem’s town of Beit Fajjar with teargas.
The number of female victims has been estimated at 24, among whom 12 girls below the age of 18. The list included two-year-old Rahaf Hassan, killed in an Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
The bodies of at least six Palestinians are still withheld by the Israeli occupation authorities, including the body of Fadi Kunbur.
The study identified a victim as a Sudanese national and another as a Jordanian.
A study by the Jerusalem Center for Palestinian-Israeli Studies shows that following the death of 20-year-old Saad Mohamed Kaissiya, from al-Khalil, the death toll of the Jerusalem Intifada among the Palestinians has hit 284.
Youngster Kaissiya was killed by the Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday on claims that he attempted to carry out an anti-occupation stabbing attack.
13 Palestinians were killed since the start of 2017, including four from the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Al-Khalil province topped the list with 79 casualties, followed by 62 from Occupied Jerusalem, 26 from Ramallah, 22 from Jenin, and 20 from Nablus.
The study documented the murder of 38 Palestinians from the blockaded Gaza Strip.
As for the casualties’ ages, the list included 97 children below the age of 18. The youngest casualty was identified as three-month-old toddler Ramadan Mohamed Thawabteh, who choked to death after the Israeli forces showered Bethlehem’s town of Beit Fajjar with teargas.
The number of female victims has been estimated at 24, among whom 12 girls below the age of 18. The list included two-year-old Rahaf Hassan, killed in an Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
The bodies of at least six Palestinians are still withheld by the Israeli occupation authorities, including the body of Fadi Kunbur.
The study identified a victim as a Sudanese national and another as a Jordanian.
The Israeli MK Robert Ilatov is scheduled to submit Wednesday a revised version of Adhan ban bill, which imposes further restrictions on the Muslim call to prayer within the Green Line and occupied Jerusalem, for vote in the Knesset.
The revised version was suggested after a meeting held between MK Ilatov (Yisrael Beitenu) and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
The revised version was approved for vote in the Knesset by Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation after the ultra-Orthodox Israeli Minister of Health, Yaakov Litzman, rejected the original draft bill for fear of a possible effect on the use of the weekly Jewish call for Shabbat.
The bill was modified to prevent the use of loudspeakers by mosques only between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. along with an additional fine of 2,670 USD that, according to the Times of Israel, violators have to pay.
The bill has to pass through three rounds of votes before it can be decreed.
The revised version was suggested after a meeting held between MK Ilatov (Yisrael Beitenu) and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
The revised version was approved for vote in the Knesset by Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation after the ultra-Orthodox Israeli Minister of Health, Yaakov Litzman, rejected the original draft bill for fear of a possible effect on the use of the weekly Jewish call for Shabbat.
The bill was modified to prevent the use of loudspeakers by mosques only between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. along with an additional fine of 2,670 USD that, according to the Times of Israel, violators have to pay.
The bill has to pass through three rounds of votes before it can be decreed.