5 oct 2017
Last month, members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine (DPAL) called upon the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel after visiting the occupied West Bank and witnessing the human rights violations inflicted upon Palestinians. One minor yet influential departure from the usual generic statements is the delegation’s experience of a sliver of the colonial violence meted out daily by Israel.
In their statement, published by the Wafa news agency, the delegation describes being “forced to take cover in a Palestinian shop as the Israeli army moved with lethal force against Palestinian residents using tear gas, stun grenades and live fire.” This episode occurred in Hebron, which the delegation described as “a microcosm of how the Israeli occupation manifests in practice, with a minority of settlers holding hostage a majority of Palestinians.”
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in 2000, which the delegation has urged the EU to suspend, facilitates and prioritises Israel’s trade and research participation, subject to a clause which is routinely ignored. Article 2 of the Association Agreement states that: “Relations between the Parties, as well as the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this agreement.”
Obligations on both sides have been neglected. The refusal to suspend Israel’s participation is a reflection of the diplomacy at an international level which is prioritised over the protection of human rights. Israel has not honoured Article 2 of the agreement, while the EU has continued to turn a blind eye when it comes to the settler-colonial state’s violation of human rights and of its own stipulated clauses.
In their statement the MEPs have managed to impart the political and humanitarian impact of Israel’s violations upon the Palestinian people, particularly in their descriptions of forced displacement and settlement construction as “war crimes under international law”. The statement imparts an awareness of swift decline in the erasure of Palestine and Palestinians, however there is no departure from the two-state rhetoric which is the foundation upon which the EU has based its diplomacy with Israel and which continues to influence the institution’s reticence to define Israel’s colonial character.
The DPAL delegation stressed:
The two-state solution will only be achieved when Israel starts feeling the consequences for their illegal action.
While the statement is partly true as regards facing accountability, it is also important to note that the two-state compromise seeks to maintain the earlier colonisation efforts by providing a purported solution which absolves Israel of its 1948 crimes, in particular the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population. Commitment to the two-state solution in the current scenario is also an affirmation of acquiescence with the concept of Israel as an inherently violent state.
Even if, hypothetically, the two-state scenario materialises, both DPAL and the EU should recognise that the imposition does not take into account the illegal means by which Israel came into existence and how this existence is the source of rupture when it comes to the Palestinian right of return. Hence, suspension of the agreement should be the first step in upholding accountability both ways – Israel should face accountability for its violations emanating from its existence while the EU’s introspection should include a thorough opposition to facilitating the colonial enterprise at the expense of the Palestinian population.
In their statement, published by the Wafa news agency, the delegation describes being “forced to take cover in a Palestinian shop as the Israeli army moved with lethal force against Palestinian residents using tear gas, stun grenades and live fire.” This episode occurred in Hebron, which the delegation described as “a microcosm of how the Israeli occupation manifests in practice, with a minority of settlers holding hostage a majority of Palestinians.”
The EU-Israel Association Agreement, which came into force in 2000, which the delegation has urged the EU to suspend, facilitates and prioritises Israel’s trade and research participation, subject to a clause which is routinely ignored. Article 2 of the Association Agreement states that: “Relations between the Parties, as well as the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this agreement.”
Obligations on both sides have been neglected. The refusal to suspend Israel’s participation is a reflection of the diplomacy at an international level which is prioritised over the protection of human rights. Israel has not honoured Article 2 of the agreement, while the EU has continued to turn a blind eye when it comes to the settler-colonial state’s violation of human rights and of its own stipulated clauses.
In their statement the MEPs have managed to impart the political and humanitarian impact of Israel’s violations upon the Palestinian people, particularly in their descriptions of forced displacement and settlement construction as “war crimes under international law”. The statement imparts an awareness of swift decline in the erasure of Palestine and Palestinians, however there is no departure from the two-state rhetoric which is the foundation upon which the EU has based its diplomacy with Israel and which continues to influence the institution’s reticence to define Israel’s colonial character.
The DPAL delegation stressed:
The two-state solution will only be achieved when Israel starts feeling the consequences for their illegal action.
While the statement is partly true as regards facing accountability, it is also important to note that the two-state compromise seeks to maintain the earlier colonisation efforts by providing a purported solution which absolves Israel of its 1948 crimes, in particular the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population. Commitment to the two-state solution in the current scenario is also an affirmation of acquiescence with the concept of Israel as an inherently violent state.
Even if, hypothetically, the two-state scenario materialises, both DPAL and the EU should recognise that the imposition does not take into account the illegal means by which Israel came into existence and how this existence is the source of rupture when it comes to the Palestinian right of return. Hence, suspension of the agreement should be the first step in upholding accountability both ways – Israel should face accountability for its violations emanating from its existence while the EU’s introspection should include a thorough opposition to facilitating the colonial enterprise at the expense of the Palestinian population.
The Palestinian Center for Detainees’ Studies has reported that Israeli soldiers have abducted more than 400 Palestinians, including 55 children and eight women, in September.
Researcher Riyad al-Ashqar said the soldiers, and navy, have abducted seven fishermen close to the shore in the Gaza Strip, in addition to abducting Ramzi ‘Abed, who teaches at the Islamic University in Gaza, when he tried to cross Erez Terminal on his way to a conference in Italy.
In addition, the soldiers abducted a patient, identified as Fadel Mazen Abu Haseera, 27, also at Eretz Terminal, as he was in his way to receive treatment in the al-Makassed hospital, in Jerusalem, even though Israel granted him an entry permit.
Three more Palestinians were abducted by the soldiers while trying to breach the border fence, in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, in search for work in Israel due to extreme poverty rates in the besieged coastal region.
In the West Bank, the soldiers invaded the home of legislator Abdul-Rahman Zaiden, in Deir al-Ghusun village, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, and ransacked it for several hours.
The legislator was interrogated for several hours at a military base, before the soldiers eventually released him.
Al-Ashqar added that September also witnessed a serious escalation in the abduction of women and children, as the army detained 55 children, including Mohammad as-Sa’ou, only 10 years of age, who was taken prisoner from his home, in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem.
The soldiers also abducted eight women, including a child identified as Sally Mohammad Shawwa, 14 years of age, from Jerusalem, and released her later after imposing a high fine.
In addition, the soldiers abducted three girls, identified as We’am Hamada, Hadeel Sob Laban and Hiba al-Joulani, from Jerusalem, and released them later under the condition of not entering the Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for fifteen days.
Al-Ashqar added that the army also issued 100 arbitrary Administrative Detention orders, holding the detainees captive without charges or trial. 33 of these orders were issued against the detainees for the first time, and 67 others were renewals of existing orders.
The Administrative Detention orders that were issued in September vary between two and six months, and one of these orders was against Professor Essam Al-Ashqar of the Najah National University in Nablus.
The army also escalated its violations against the detainees, including repeated invasions and violent searches of their rooms, arbitrary transfers to various prisons, in addition to forcing many detainees into solitary confinement.
Researcher Riyad al-Ashqar said the soldiers, and navy, have abducted seven fishermen close to the shore in the Gaza Strip, in addition to abducting Ramzi ‘Abed, who teaches at the Islamic University in Gaza, when he tried to cross Erez Terminal on his way to a conference in Italy.
In addition, the soldiers abducted a patient, identified as Fadel Mazen Abu Haseera, 27, also at Eretz Terminal, as he was in his way to receive treatment in the al-Makassed hospital, in Jerusalem, even though Israel granted him an entry permit.
Three more Palestinians were abducted by the soldiers while trying to breach the border fence, in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, in search for work in Israel due to extreme poverty rates in the besieged coastal region.
In the West Bank, the soldiers invaded the home of legislator Abdul-Rahman Zaiden, in Deir al-Ghusun village, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem, and ransacked it for several hours.
The legislator was interrogated for several hours at a military base, before the soldiers eventually released him.
Al-Ashqar added that September also witnessed a serious escalation in the abduction of women and children, as the army detained 55 children, including Mohammad as-Sa’ou, only 10 years of age, who was taken prisoner from his home, in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem.
The soldiers also abducted eight women, including a child identified as Sally Mohammad Shawwa, 14 years of age, from Jerusalem, and released her later after imposing a high fine.
In addition, the soldiers abducted three girls, identified as We’am Hamada, Hadeel Sob Laban and Hiba al-Joulani, from Jerusalem, and released them later under the condition of not entering the Old City and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for fifteen days.
Al-Ashqar added that the army also issued 100 arbitrary Administrative Detention orders, holding the detainees captive without charges or trial. 33 of these orders were issued against the detainees for the first time, and 67 others were renewals of existing orders.
The Administrative Detention orders that were issued in September vary between two and six months, and one of these orders was against Professor Essam Al-Ashqar of the Najah National University in Nablus.
The army also escalated its violations against the detainees, including repeated invasions and violent searches of their rooms, arbitrary transfers to various prisons, in addition to forcing many detainees into solitary confinement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged his support for the so-called “Greater Jerusalem” bill, which is tantamount to the annexation of 19 illegal settlements in the Jerusalem area, including Maaleh Adumim, where between 125,000 and 150,000 Israeli settlers live.
Maale Adumim is the third largest settlement in population size, encompassing a large swath of land deep inside the occupied West Bank’s Jerusalem district. Many Israelis consider it an Israeli suburban city of Jerusalem, despite it being located on occupied Palestinian territory in contravention of international law.
“Maaleh Adumim will always be part of Israel and, in addition, I support the Greater Jerusalem bill,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying during a visit to the illegal settlement Tuesday. “I am also weighing placing Maaleh Adumim within the boundaries of Greater Jerusalem within the context of the Greater Jerusalem bill,” he said.
The legislation, Ma’an further reports, was authored by Likud minister Yisrael Katz who is reportedly expected to bring the bill to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the upcoming Knesset session. It would place 19 settlements, including those of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and Givat Zeev within Israel’s municipal boundaries for Jerusalem.
The Israeli state annexed occupied East Jerusalem in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the bill would allow the settlers to retain their autonomy but afford them voting rights in the city’s mayoral race. It would meanwhile create “independent municipalities” for some 100,000 Palestinian citizens or residents of Israel who live within Israel’s Jerusalem municipality borders, but are located on the other side of Israel’s illegal separation wall.
These neighborhoods, which have been referred to as a “no man’s land,” have not received proper municipal services since the wall’s construction. While most residents hold Jerusalem residency status and continue to pay taxes to the Israeli government, they are left severely neglected by Israeli authorities, as their neighborhoods are now located on the “West Bank side” of the separation barrier.
Residents now must pass through congested Israeli-controlled checkpoints to reach Jerusalem, while these neighborhoods face increasing problems from an absence of sewage infrastructure and other basic services traditionally provided by the Jerusalem municipality, including waste collection services, healthcare, and education assistance.
“We will intensify the momentum to develop Maaleh Adumim. We will build thousands of housing units here. We will add the necessary industrial areas and the expansion necessary to enable the accelerated development of this place. This place will be part of the State of Israel, ” Netanyahu continued in his remarks.
The Israeli premier further stated that he would advance plans for 4,000 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank after the Jewish holidays.
During the visit to Maaleh Adumin, Netanyahu also took the opportunity to address the reactivation of the Palestinian National Consensus Government and ongoing reconciliation talks with rival factions Fateh and Hamas.
“We expect everyone who talks about a peace process to recognize the State of Israel and, of course, to recognize a Jewish state and we are not prepared to accept bogus reconciliations in which the Palestinian side apparently reconciles at the expense of our existence.
“Whoever wants to make such a reconciliation, our understanding is very clear: Recognize the State of Israel, disband the Hamas military arm, sever the connection with Iran, which calls for our destruction, and so on and so forth. Even these very clear things must be clearly stated,” he said.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a statement Wednesday saying that now that Palestinian political reconciliation was underway, it was “time for Israel to abide by international law and to recognize the right of the State of Palestine to exist,” noting that the Palestine National Council has recognized the State of Israel.
“Some in Israel and the United States have called on Hamas to recognize Israel. Instead, Israel and the United States should recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is the way to achieve the ultimate deal with the State of Israel to live side by side the State of Palestine in peace and security,” Erekat said.
Observers have attributed a increase in visits by Netanyahu to illegal settlements since Donald Trump was sworn in as US president in January.
Since Trump took office — and despite requests by the US president to hold back on settlement building — an emboldened Netanyahu government has pushed forward with a steady stream of announcements on settlement building.
In a recent interview with Israeli media, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman — who has been vocal in his support for Israeli settlements and his unflinching support for the Israeli government — referred to Israel’s presence in the West Bank as an “alleged occupation,” and said that settlements are “only occupying 2 percent of the West Bank” and that he considers them part of Israel.
Palestinian officials were quick to condemn Friedman for the remarks as disconnected from reality, with Erekat describing the assertions as “not only false and misleading but contradict international law, United Nations resolutions and also the historical US position.
“Israel is internationally recognized as the occupying power over 100 percent of Palestine, including in and around Occupied East Jerusalem. Such positions undermine ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine on the 1967 border,” he said.
PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi also slammed the US ambassador for his “blatant bias” toward Israel.
“The US Ambassador to Israel has proved once again that he is completely removed from reality. In addition to his long-standing support for Israeli settlements, and after referring to the ‘alleged occupation’ of Palestinian land, he has the audacity to maintain that Israel occupies only 2 percent of the West Bank and that illegal settlements that carve, annex, and steal Palestinian land are part of Israel,” she said.
Ashrawi said Friedman’s positions “are a mirror reflection of the settlers’ ideology in Israel’s right-wing coalition government rather than that of successive Administrations that have claimed to be invested in peace,” affirming that, “The occupation exists. Settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. These facts and realities are not in question.”
The proposed Greater Jerusalem bill also comes as the Israeli government has advanced a plan to forcibly expel the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, under threat of relocation for being located in the contentious “E1 corridor” set up by the Israeli government to link annexed East Jerusalem with Maale Adumim.
Israeli rights group B’Tselem slammed the Israeli government for the plan in a letter to Netanyahu, saying that such a move would constitute a “war crime.”
Maale Adumim is the third largest settlement in population size, encompassing a large swath of land deep inside the occupied West Bank’s Jerusalem district. Many Israelis consider it an Israeli suburban city of Jerusalem, despite it being located on occupied Palestinian territory in contravention of international law.
“Maaleh Adumim will always be part of Israel and, in addition, I support the Greater Jerusalem bill,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying during a visit to the illegal settlement Tuesday. “I am also weighing placing Maaleh Adumim within the boundaries of Greater Jerusalem within the context of the Greater Jerusalem bill,” he said.
The legislation, Ma’an further reports, was authored by Likud minister Yisrael Katz who is reportedly expected to bring the bill to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the upcoming Knesset session. It would place 19 settlements, including those of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and Givat Zeev within Israel’s municipal boundaries for Jerusalem.
The Israeli state annexed occupied East Jerusalem in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the bill would allow the settlers to retain their autonomy but afford them voting rights in the city’s mayoral race. It would meanwhile create “independent municipalities” for some 100,000 Palestinian citizens or residents of Israel who live within Israel’s Jerusalem municipality borders, but are located on the other side of Israel’s illegal separation wall.
These neighborhoods, which have been referred to as a “no man’s land,” have not received proper municipal services since the wall’s construction. While most residents hold Jerusalem residency status and continue to pay taxes to the Israeli government, they are left severely neglected by Israeli authorities, as their neighborhoods are now located on the “West Bank side” of the separation barrier.
Residents now must pass through congested Israeli-controlled checkpoints to reach Jerusalem, while these neighborhoods face increasing problems from an absence of sewage infrastructure and other basic services traditionally provided by the Jerusalem municipality, including waste collection services, healthcare, and education assistance.
“We will intensify the momentum to develop Maaleh Adumim. We will build thousands of housing units here. We will add the necessary industrial areas and the expansion necessary to enable the accelerated development of this place. This place will be part of the State of Israel, ” Netanyahu continued in his remarks.
The Israeli premier further stated that he would advance plans for 4,000 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank after the Jewish holidays.
During the visit to Maaleh Adumin, Netanyahu also took the opportunity to address the reactivation of the Palestinian National Consensus Government and ongoing reconciliation talks with rival factions Fateh and Hamas.
“We expect everyone who talks about a peace process to recognize the State of Israel and, of course, to recognize a Jewish state and we are not prepared to accept bogus reconciliations in which the Palestinian side apparently reconciles at the expense of our existence.
“Whoever wants to make such a reconciliation, our understanding is very clear: Recognize the State of Israel, disband the Hamas military arm, sever the connection with Iran, which calls for our destruction, and so on and so forth. Even these very clear things must be clearly stated,” he said.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a statement Wednesday saying that now that Palestinian political reconciliation was underway, it was “time for Israel to abide by international law and to recognize the right of the State of Palestine to exist,” noting that the Palestine National Council has recognized the State of Israel.
“Some in Israel and the United States have called on Hamas to recognize Israel. Instead, Israel and the United States should recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is the way to achieve the ultimate deal with the State of Israel to live side by side the State of Palestine in peace and security,” Erekat said.
Observers have attributed a increase in visits by Netanyahu to illegal settlements since Donald Trump was sworn in as US president in January.
Since Trump took office — and despite requests by the US president to hold back on settlement building — an emboldened Netanyahu government has pushed forward with a steady stream of announcements on settlement building.
In a recent interview with Israeli media, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman — who has been vocal in his support for Israeli settlements and his unflinching support for the Israeli government — referred to Israel’s presence in the West Bank as an “alleged occupation,” and said that settlements are “only occupying 2 percent of the West Bank” and that he considers them part of Israel.
Palestinian officials were quick to condemn Friedman for the remarks as disconnected from reality, with Erekat describing the assertions as “not only false and misleading but contradict international law, United Nations resolutions and also the historical US position.
“Israel is internationally recognized as the occupying power over 100 percent of Palestine, including in and around Occupied East Jerusalem. Such positions undermine ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine on the 1967 border,” he said.
PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi also slammed the US ambassador for his “blatant bias” toward Israel.
“The US Ambassador to Israel has proved once again that he is completely removed from reality. In addition to his long-standing support for Israeli settlements, and after referring to the ‘alleged occupation’ of Palestinian land, he has the audacity to maintain that Israel occupies only 2 percent of the West Bank and that illegal settlements that carve, annex, and steal Palestinian land are part of Israel,” she said.
Ashrawi said Friedman’s positions “are a mirror reflection of the settlers’ ideology in Israel’s right-wing coalition government rather than that of successive Administrations that have claimed to be invested in peace,” affirming that, “The occupation exists. Settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. These facts and realities are not in question.”
The proposed Greater Jerusalem bill also comes as the Israeli government has advanced a plan to forcibly expel the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, under threat of relocation for being located in the contentious “E1 corridor” set up by the Israeli government to link annexed East Jerusalem with Maale Adumim.
Israeli rights group B’Tselem slammed the Israeli government for the plan in a letter to Netanyahu, saying that such a move would constitute a “war crime.”
4 oct 2017
Israeli occupation authorities have prohibiting Muslim children from playing in the courtyards surrounding Al-Aqsa Mosque.
A report by the Israeli TV Channel 7 said that orders were issued to police units at Al-Aqsa in occupied Jerusalem not to allow children to play with balls in the courtyards.
It also reported, according to Days of Palestine, that the Israeli Supreme Court issued an order banning Jerusalemite children from playing in Al-Aqsa courtyards.
The order was issued after complaints filed, about a month ago, by settlers who stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and claimed to have seen children playing football around the schools.
According to the Supreme Court ruling, “ball games on Temple Mount [Al-Aqsa Mosque] are prohibited as it violates its sanctity.”
According to the Israeli police, the order is aimed primarily at the areas adjacent to the Islamic schools located in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Jewish organisations have demanded that such practices be banned and that those found doing so be prosecuted or at least have their balls confiscated.
They claim that playing football “is a violation of the law regarding holy areas. The maximum punishment for this is seven years of imprisonment.”
They also claimed that such practices are considered “a desecration of a holy site and cause emotional distress” to the Jews storming the mosque.
A report by the Israeli TV Channel 7 said that orders were issued to police units at Al-Aqsa in occupied Jerusalem not to allow children to play with balls in the courtyards.
It also reported, according to Days of Palestine, that the Israeli Supreme Court issued an order banning Jerusalemite children from playing in Al-Aqsa courtyards.
The order was issued after complaints filed, about a month ago, by settlers who stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque and claimed to have seen children playing football around the schools.
According to the Supreme Court ruling, “ball games on Temple Mount [Al-Aqsa Mosque] are prohibited as it violates its sanctity.”
According to the Israeli police, the order is aimed primarily at the areas adjacent to the Islamic schools located in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Jewish organisations have demanded that such practices be banned and that those found doing so be prosecuted or at least have their balls confiscated.
They claim that playing football “is a violation of the law regarding holy areas. The maximum punishment for this is seven years of imprisonment.”
They also claimed that such practices are considered “a desecration of a holy site and cause emotional distress” to the Jews storming the mosque.
1 oct 2017
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested some 14,000 Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories over the last two years, according to a rights group.
Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies said that 14,000 Palestinians were detained since the start of Jerusalem Intifada on Oct.1, 2015 including 3100 minors, 437 women, and 450 online activists.
Almost all the detainees were subjected to psychological or physical torture in Israeli detention and investigation centers in total violation to international laws and conventions, the center added.
The rise in Israeli arrests has been intensified after the Jerusalem Intifada, according to the source.
2860 administrative detention orders was issued over the reported period, 17 of which were issued against female detainees while 42 others targeted minor detainees.
65 young girls were among the female detainees, six of them suffered live shot injuries during their arrest.
16 Palestinian MPs were also detained over the reported period, ten of them are still being held in Israeli jails.
The figures also documented the arrest of 150 elderly people, 39 academics, 240 patients and disabled people, and 115 journalists.
Over the past two years, six prisoners died, rising the number of Palestinian detainees who lost their lives behind Israeli bars to 212.
Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies said that 14,000 Palestinians were detained since the start of Jerusalem Intifada on Oct.1, 2015 including 3100 minors, 437 women, and 450 online activists.
Almost all the detainees were subjected to psychological or physical torture in Israeli detention and investigation centers in total violation to international laws and conventions, the center added.
The rise in Israeli arrests has been intensified after the Jerusalem Intifada, according to the source.
2860 administrative detention orders was issued over the reported period, 17 of which were issued against female detainees while 42 others targeted minor detainees.
65 young girls were among the female detainees, six of them suffered live shot injuries during their arrest.
16 Palestinian MPs were also detained over the reported period, ten of them are still being held in Israeli jails.
The figures also documented the arrest of 150 elderly people, 39 academics, 240 patients and disabled people, and 115 journalists.
Over the past two years, six prisoners died, rising the number of Palestinian detainees who lost their lives behind Israeli bars to 212.
30 sept 2017
The Palestinians marked on Thursday 28/9/2017 the 17th anniversary of the outbreak of the Aqsa Intifada in 2000, which was a turning point in the Palestinian cause, and which changed many equations and established a new stage of liberation.
The intifada was triggered by the provocative visit to the Aqsa Mosque by the then-Likud leader Sharon and six Knesset members loyal to him, in addition to dozens of settlers and nearly 2,000 soldiers. This visit provoked the feelings of Palestinians and Muslims, causing the outbreak of the uprising and making the screams of Palestinians at the Aqsa heard in every single corner in Palestine.
The Aqsa Intifada, or the Second Intifada, was characterized by the frequent armed confrontations and escalating military actions between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation, in which 4,412 Palestinians were killed, 48,322 were wounded, and more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed, and 5,000 others were wounded.
Resistance development during the Intifada
The Palestinian resistance has gone through many stages of development during the Aqsa Intifada. It started with a great popularity that swept through the Palestinian cities and towns. The Palestinian people actively participated in it, and the clashes between young Palestinians and the occupation soldiers started gradually at the entrances of towns and cities, where the scenes of Palestinians throwing stones at the occupation army was screened all over the world. However, many Palestinians were killed or injured due to the excessive Israeli use of firearms to quell the peaceful demonstrations and marches.
The military stage then gradually followed starting with armed clashes between the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and individual resistance fighters. Later on, some armed groups were formed by the Palestinian factions and clashes erupted between these groups and the occupation forces.
As the clashes increased, and as dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured, and as the occupation continued its violations against the Palestinians, the Palestinian response began to widen, and the circle of engagement reached the occupation soldiers and settlers at the main roadblocks and streets, as well as storming Jewish-only settlements and carrying out military operations, which led to the spread of fear among the ranks of settlers.
The resistance gradually developed as the Intifada went on. The Palestinian factions were able to form armed groups in most Palestinian cities. Their performance developed and a new phase began in the conflict. This was the stage of the human bombings that constituted the greatest source of fear to the occupation. The scenes of destroyed buses and restaurants, the scenes of dead Israelis and the big number of casualties were the most prominent feature at that stage.
The stage of human bombings extended during the Intifada years, when another stage began to emerge. It was of the rockets and mortars. The first Qassam home-made rocket was launched from Gaza towards an Israeli settlement was on 26 October 2001. Rockets now are the most disturbing problem for the occupation.
Resistance characteristics
During the Aqsa Intifada, the Palestinian resistance was characterized by several features imposed by the facts on the ground, perhaps the most prominent of which was the grassroots leadership, which led the battle against the occupation. In addition to this was the Palestinian consensus on the resistance approach. The Palestinian factions and their leaders were present and worked on the ground. The Palestinian unity and the consensus on the resistance were the most prominent features among the Palestinians.
The resistance was characterized by its durability over the years of the Intifada, and with being self-dependent, using whatever means available to invent new resistance tools.
The direct and strong response of the resistance to any Israeli violation and aggression was a prominent feature of the resistance approach, and it created a certain level of deterrence to the occupation and its arrogance.
Implications
With the development of human bombings and hitting the depth of the occupation, Israel began in 2002 the construction of a separation wall, to limit these operations and to check the infiltration of Palestinians to Jerusalem and the occupied territories.
The Intifada was also marked by the assassination of several prominent Palestinian leaders, headed by the founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the leader of the Movement in Gaza Abdel Aziz Rantisi, in addition to the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Abu Ali Mustafa, and the leader of the armed wing of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) Raed Al Karmi.
During the intifada, the occupation destroyed the Palestinian infrastructure in the West Bank, while suffering from heavy losses itself, the most striking of which was the tourism sector and the economy of Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank and for years. Other effects were the collapse of the myth of the invincible army and the spread of insecurity and instability in all areas of the occupied Palestinian land.
The intifada was triggered by the provocative visit to the Aqsa Mosque by the then-Likud leader Sharon and six Knesset members loyal to him, in addition to dozens of settlers and nearly 2,000 soldiers. This visit provoked the feelings of Palestinians and Muslims, causing the outbreak of the uprising and making the screams of Palestinians at the Aqsa heard in every single corner in Palestine.
The Aqsa Intifada, or the Second Intifada, was characterized by the frequent armed confrontations and escalating military actions between the Palestinian resistance and the occupation, in which 4,412 Palestinians were killed, 48,322 were wounded, and more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed, and 5,000 others were wounded.
Resistance development during the Intifada
The Palestinian resistance has gone through many stages of development during the Aqsa Intifada. It started with a great popularity that swept through the Palestinian cities and towns. The Palestinian people actively participated in it, and the clashes between young Palestinians and the occupation soldiers started gradually at the entrances of towns and cities, where the scenes of Palestinians throwing stones at the occupation army was screened all over the world. However, many Palestinians were killed or injured due to the excessive Israeli use of firearms to quell the peaceful demonstrations and marches.
The military stage then gradually followed starting with armed clashes between the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and individual resistance fighters. Later on, some armed groups were formed by the Palestinian factions and clashes erupted between these groups and the occupation forces.
As the clashes increased, and as dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured, and as the occupation continued its violations against the Palestinians, the Palestinian response began to widen, and the circle of engagement reached the occupation soldiers and settlers at the main roadblocks and streets, as well as storming Jewish-only settlements and carrying out military operations, which led to the spread of fear among the ranks of settlers.
The resistance gradually developed as the Intifada went on. The Palestinian factions were able to form armed groups in most Palestinian cities. Their performance developed and a new phase began in the conflict. This was the stage of the human bombings that constituted the greatest source of fear to the occupation. The scenes of destroyed buses and restaurants, the scenes of dead Israelis and the big number of casualties were the most prominent feature at that stage.
The stage of human bombings extended during the Intifada years, when another stage began to emerge. It was of the rockets and mortars. The first Qassam home-made rocket was launched from Gaza towards an Israeli settlement was on 26 October 2001. Rockets now are the most disturbing problem for the occupation.
Resistance characteristics
During the Aqsa Intifada, the Palestinian resistance was characterized by several features imposed by the facts on the ground, perhaps the most prominent of which was the grassroots leadership, which led the battle against the occupation. In addition to this was the Palestinian consensus on the resistance approach. The Palestinian factions and their leaders were present and worked on the ground. The Palestinian unity and the consensus on the resistance were the most prominent features among the Palestinians.
The resistance was characterized by its durability over the years of the Intifada, and with being self-dependent, using whatever means available to invent new resistance tools.
The direct and strong response of the resistance to any Israeli violation and aggression was a prominent feature of the resistance approach, and it created a certain level of deterrence to the occupation and its arrogance.
Implications
With the development of human bombings and hitting the depth of the occupation, Israel began in 2002 the construction of a separation wall, to limit these operations and to check the infiltration of Palestinians to Jerusalem and the occupied territories.
The Intifada was also marked by the assassination of several prominent Palestinian leaders, headed by the founder of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the leader of the Movement in Gaza Abdel Aziz Rantisi, in addition to the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Abu Ali Mustafa, and the leader of the armed wing of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) Raed Al Karmi.
During the intifada, the occupation destroyed the Palestinian infrastructure in the West Bank, while suffering from heavy losses itself, the most striking of which was the tourism sector and the economy of Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank and for years. Other effects were the collapse of the myth of the invincible army and the spread of insecurity and instability in all areas of the occupied Palestinian land.
29 sept 2017
Al-Quds Foundation Malaysia has warned of the Israeli escalating penal measures against the leaders of the popular movement that foiled its scheme at the holy Aqsa Mosque in Occupied Jerusalem.
In a statement on Thursday, the Foundation said that after the great victory that was achieved against the Israeli occupation by the uncompromising will of the masses of al-Quds last July at the Aqsa Mosque where they forced the occupation to uproot the metal detectors alongside all the accompanying measures and restrictions that were aimed to impose Israeli sovereignty on the Aqsa Mosque, Israel has launched a “retaliatory campaign against leaders of the Murabitin”.
The statement said, “Since August 14, 2017, the occupation has been detaining “Sheikh Al-Aqsa”, Sheikh Raed Salah and purposefully delaying his trial until they mobilize the largest amount of charges against him; such as reciting verses from the Quran that glorify martyrs and sympathizing with al-Murabitin; in order to sentence him to the longest possible imprisonment.”
Furthermore, the Israeli occupation has been deliberately degrading and harassing the Sheikh, and violating his rights. In his trial on 28/8/2017, Sheikh Salah stated that the conditions of his detention were extremely poor and that he was being held in the prison’s toilet where he slept and prayed under Israeli camera surveillance around the clock, stressing that his place of detention was not even suitable for sheltering animals. In his last trial, he spoke about how his hands and feet were chained in a medieval, harsh, painful way.
The statement further read:
“During this month, the occupation arrested three women from al-Quds under false pretenses, such as incitement on Facebook and performing Ribat in Masjid al-Aqsa. The Murabitat were; Sahar al-Natsheh, a housewife and a mother of seven children, besides Hanadi Halwani and Khadija Khowis; both are teachers of the Quran in Masjid al-Aqsa. Their arrest was evidently in revenge for their role in the battle to re-open the gates of al-Aqsa (al-Asbaat Rise), and the occupation has been actively humiliating and violating the beliefs of those three detainees. For instance, Khadija Khowis is detained in a narrow cell where wastewater pours down on the floor, preventing her from prostrating in her prayers and forcing her to pray standing. Moreover, on 17/9/2017 the prison administration confiscated her garment and veil in defiance and insult to the Islamic Ummah on the one hand, and to intimidate the Murabitin who defend Masjid al-Aqsa on the other.
A few days ago the Israeli occupation forces expelled a number of scholars from al-Aqsa, such as Sheikh Khalid al-Maghrabi, who had been banned from entering the Masjid for 15 days. The occupation forces also summoned Dr. Najih Bkirat, director of the Shari’a and qualifying education program at Masjid al-Aqsa for investigation and handed him a decision of banishment from the Masjid al-Aqsa for three months.
These punitive measures against Muslim symbols coincide with other practices of administrative detention of active youth in al-Quds, in addition to the accelerating process of Judaization in the city, manifested in the increased demolition of houses and confiscation of land, besides the intensification of incursions against al-Aqsa, and most notably, the Zionist Court’s decision of to close offices of al-Awqaf inside the Masjid al-Aqsa.
Al-Quds Foundation Malaysia, presents this message to emphasize that the fierce onslaught of the occupation against the symbols of al-Quds and al-Aqsa necessitates upon all of us, individuals, governments and international and human rights organizations to act persistently in parallel with the sacrifices of those people, in order to uproot the injustices and oppression that they suffer from.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Foundation said that after the great victory that was achieved against the Israeli occupation by the uncompromising will of the masses of al-Quds last July at the Aqsa Mosque where they forced the occupation to uproot the metal detectors alongside all the accompanying measures and restrictions that were aimed to impose Israeli sovereignty on the Aqsa Mosque, Israel has launched a “retaliatory campaign against leaders of the Murabitin”.
The statement said, “Since August 14, 2017, the occupation has been detaining “Sheikh Al-Aqsa”, Sheikh Raed Salah and purposefully delaying his trial until they mobilize the largest amount of charges against him; such as reciting verses from the Quran that glorify martyrs and sympathizing with al-Murabitin; in order to sentence him to the longest possible imprisonment.”
Furthermore, the Israeli occupation has been deliberately degrading and harassing the Sheikh, and violating his rights. In his trial on 28/8/2017, Sheikh Salah stated that the conditions of his detention were extremely poor and that he was being held in the prison’s toilet where he slept and prayed under Israeli camera surveillance around the clock, stressing that his place of detention was not even suitable for sheltering animals. In his last trial, he spoke about how his hands and feet were chained in a medieval, harsh, painful way.
The statement further read:
“During this month, the occupation arrested three women from al-Quds under false pretenses, such as incitement on Facebook and performing Ribat in Masjid al-Aqsa. The Murabitat were; Sahar al-Natsheh, a housewife and a mother of seven children, besides Hanadi Halwani and Khadija Khowis; both are teachers of the Quran in Masjid al-Aqsa. Their arrest was evidently in revenge for their role in the battle to re-open the gates of al-Aqsa (al-Asbaat Rise), and the occupation has been actively humiliating and violating the beliefs of those three detainees. For instance, Khadija Khowis is detained in a narrow cell where wastewater pours down on the floor, preventing her from prostrating in her prayers and forcing her to pray standing. Moreover, on 17/9/2017 the prison administration confiscated her garment and veil in defiance and insult to the Islamic Ummah on the one hand, and to intimidate the Murabitin who defend Masjid al-Aqsa on the other.
A few days ago the Israeli occupation forces expelled a number of scholars from al-Aqsa, such as Sheikh Khalid al-Maghrabi, who had been banned from entering the Masjid for 15 days. The occupation forces also summoned Dr. Najih Bkirat, director of the Shari’a and qualifying education program at Masjid al-Aqsa for investigation and handed him a decision of banishment from the Masjid al-Aqsa for three months.
These punitive measures against Muslim symbols coincide with other practices of administrative detention of active youth in al-Quds, in addition to the accelerating process of Judaization in the city, manifested in the increased demolition of houses and confiscation of land, besides the intensification of incursions against al-Aqsa, and most notably, the Zionist Court’s decision of to close offices of al-Awqaf inside the Masjid al-Aqsa.
Al-Quds Foundation Malaysia, presents this message to emphasize that the fierce onslaught of the occupation against the symbols of al-Quds and al-Aqsa necessitates upon all of us, individuals, governments and international and human rights organizations to act persistently in parallel with the sacrifices of those people, in order to uproot the injustices and oppression that they suffer from.”
25 sept 2017
Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded, on Monday before noon, the al-Matar neighborhood, near Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem, and photographed residential buildings and a mosque, in preparation for demolishing them.
The threatened buildings, including vacant and occupied flats, and the mosque, are facing demolition by the Israeli army under the pretext of being built without permits.
The City Council in occupied Jerusalem is also planning to pave a road parallel to the Annexation Wall in the area, an issue that placed the building under direct threats of demolition.
The issue is still being discussed in Israeli courts, and the demolition notices have been served even though, so far, no final verdict has been reached.
The threatened buildings, including vacant and occupied flats, and the mosque, are facing demolition by the Israeli army under the pretext of being built without permits.
The City Council in occupied Jerusalem is also planning to pave a road parallel to the Annexation Wall in the area, an issue that placed the building under direct threats of demolition.
The issue is still being discussed in Israeli courts, and the demolition notices have been served even though, so far, no final verdict has been reached.
Israeli authorities dug up Muslim graves in Maman Allah cemetery west of Occupied Jerusalem to pave the way for establishing settlement projects aimed at Judaizing and changing the status quo in the holy city.
Mustafa Abu Zahra, Chairman of the Committee for the Care of Islamic Cemeteries in Jerusalem, said that a huge grave, including 8 skulls and skeletons that belong to Muslims who were buried in the cemetery many years ago, was exposed as a result of the excavations.
He told Quds Press that Israeli settlement projects have ate 70 per cent of the graveyard’s area which was estimated at 200 dunums. He called on competent authorities to intervene in order to halt such Israeli violations.
Mustafa Abu Zahra, Chairman of the Committee for the Care of Islamic Cemeteries in Jerusalem, said that a huge grave, including 8 skulls and skeletons that belong to Muslims who were buried in the cemetery many years ago, was exposed as a result of the excavations.
He told Quds Press that Israeli settlement projects have ate 70 per cent of the graveyard’s area which was estimated at 200 dunums. He called on competent authorities to intervene in order to halt such Israeli violations.
24 sept 2017
Nearly 53 mosques and churches in the occupied Palestinian territories have been vandalized by unknown perpetrators, who are believed to be extremist settlers, since 2009, according to Israeli data.
The latest of these attacks was on Wednesday and it targeted St. Stephanos Church in Beit Jamal Monastery near Beit Shemesh for the third time in five years, Haaretz newspaper reported.
The paper pointed out that many items were broken in the attack including the windows, some furniture, and a statue of the Virgin Mary.
In 2013, a firebomb was thrown at the church and hateful slogans were written on the walls, and in 2016, gravestones were vandalized in the monastery's cemetery. No suspects were arrested in the two incidents and no indictments were filed.
Haaretz said that between 2009 and July 2017, over 53 churches and mosques in the West Bank and the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories were vandalized based on data given by Israel's Ministry of Public Security.
The data show that seven people, whom identities and motives remained unknown, were convicted, while only nine indictments were filed. Around 45 cases were closed, and it is claimed that investigations in the other cases are still ongoing.
The Ministry did not present further details about the perpetrators and whether indictments were filed in each given case. However, it is likely that some extremist Jewish groups are behind these racist attacks.
According to the Hebrew newspaper, nine Christian and Islamic holy sites were vandalized in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, three similar attacks were recorded, but there were four in the first half of 2017.
01/04/16 Lehava Leader Again Calls for Torching Jerusalem Churches
The latest of these attacks was on Wednesday and it targeted St. Stephanos Church in Beit Jamal Monastery near Beit Shemesh for the third time in five years, Haaretz newspaper reported.
The paper pointed out that many items were broken in the attack including the windows, some furniture, and a statue of the Virgin Mary.
In 2013, a firebomb was thrown at the church and hateful slogans were written on the walls, and in 2016, gravestones were vandalized in the monastery's cemetery. No suspects were arrested in the two incidents and no indictments were filed.
Haaretz said that between 2009 and July 2017, over 53 churches and mosques in the West Bank and the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories were vandalized based on data given by Israel's Ministry of Public Security.
The data show that seven people, whom identities and motives remained unknown, were convicted, while only nine indictments were filed. Around 45 cases were closed, and it is claimed that investigations in the other cases are still ongoing.
The Ministry did not present further details about the perpetrators and whether indictments were filed in each given case. However, it is likely that some extremist Jewish groups are behind these racist attacks.
According to the Hebrew newspaper, nine Christian and Islamic holy sites were vandalized in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, three similar attacks were recorded, but there were four in the first half of 2017.
01/04/16 Lehava Leader Again Calls for Torching Jerusalem Churches
