Surf's up on the Gaza Strip for the brave regardless of hardship
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Dec-13/280955-surfs-up-in-gaza-strip-for-the-brave-amid-hardship.ashx
GAZA CITY (AP 13 Dec by Fares Akram) As wintry winds battered the Gaza
Strip, sending many inside, two Palestinian men instead rushed for the
breaking waves of the Mediterranean Sea. Mohammad Abu Jayyab, 41, and his
friend Ahmad Abu Hasira, 35, are two of about two dozen surfers
catching waves in the blockaded strip, which has endured three devastating
wars with Israel in six years, the most recent this summer. The Gaza Surf
Club describes the sport as a way to "forget about the hardships of living
in Gaza." But that's not really the case as the two men splash into water
cold enough to take their breath away even in wetsuits. Raw or only
partially treated sewage now churns into the waves. "We take to the sea
engulfed with fears of infection. In the past, the water was better," said
Abu Jayyab, a father of five. The sewage in the Mediterranean stems from
long-standing electricity shortages linked to a border blockade enforced by
Israel and Egypt since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Rolling power
cuts disrupt pumps handling sewage for the strip's 1.8 million people ...
When Abu Jayyab started out as an amateur in the 1990s, he used homemade
wooden boards that injured him at least four times. Now, the clubs' boards
bears the logos of world organizations that donated them, including Surfing
4 Peace, founded by American surfer Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, who died in
November at age 93. "God bless his soul," Abu Jayyab said.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Dec-13/280955-surfs-up-in-gaza-strip-for-the-brave-amid-hardship.ashx
Friday 19 December 2014
Wednesday 17 December 2014
Coexistence struggles
JERUSALEM (AFP) 16 December -- Israeli police on Tuesday arrested 10 members of
extremist anti-Arab group Lehava which has been linked to an attack in November
on a Jewish-Arab school. The attack, which incited violence against
Arabs and equated them to a "cancer", sparked a wave of condemnation and
came amid months of rising tensions and unrest in Israel and the
Palestinian territories. "Ten suspects, members of the Lehava organisation,
have been arrested for questioning following incitement and calls for
racist acts of violence and terror," the police said in a statement. The
suspects were arrested at their homes in the Israeli towns of Petah Tikva
and Netivot, as well as in Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the occupied
West Bank. Police also seized computers belonging to the suspects. Among
those detained was Lehava leader Bentzi Gopstein, who lives in the
flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. Gopstein's lawyer said the arrests
were political. "The police are acting against Lehava even though it's a
legal organisation fighting against assimilation," Itamar Ben Gvir said,
accusing the "left" of pressuring the police into making arrests. Leftwing
MPs have demanded that Lehava be banned as a "terrorist organisation".
Three Lehava members were arrested last week on suspicion of torching a
classroom at the Hand-in-Hand school, a rare symbol of coexistence in
Jerusalem.
http://news.yahoo.com/israel-arrests-10-anti-arab-extremist-swoop-074639541.html;_ylt=A0LEVicCy5BUyTUAeqIPxQt.
extremist anti-Arab group Lehava which has been linked to an attack in November
on a Jewish-Arab school. The attack, which incited violence against
Arabs and equated them to a "cancer", sparked a wave of condemnation and
came amid months of rising tensions and unrest in Israel and the
Palestinian territories. "Ten suspects, members of the Lehava organisation,
have been arrested for questioning following incitement and calls for
racist acts of violence and terror," the police said in a statement. The
suspects were arrested at their homes in the Israeli towns of Petah Tikva
and Netivot, as well as in Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the occupied
West Bank. Police also seized computers belonging to the suspects. Among
those detained was Lehava leader Bentzi Gopstein, who lives in the
flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron. Gopstein's lawyer said the arrests
were political. "The police are acting against Lehava even though it's a
legal organisation fighting against assimilation," Itamar Ben Gvir said,
accusing the "left" of pressuring the police into making arrests. Leftwing
MPs have demanded that Lehava be banned as a "terrorist organisation".
Three Lehava members were arrested last week on suspicion of torching a
classroom at the Hand-in-Hand school, a rare symbol of coexistence in
Jerusalem.
http://news.yahoo.com/israel-arrests-10-anti-arab-extremist-swoop-074639541.html;_ylt=A0LEVicCy5BUyTUAeqIPxQt.
Sunday 14 December 2014
Army finishes 'biblical' punishment, Silwan
Israeli forces on Thursday searched the
demolished home of attack suspect Abd al-Rahman al-Shaludi in the Silwan
neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, family members said. Al-Shaludi's mother
told Ma'an Israeli forces searched the rubble of the house they demolished
in November in the al-Bustan area of Silwan, claiming the family had rebuilt
parts of the home. Israeli officers also raided the home of al-Shaludi's
uncle where his mother and family have been living temporarily. She said
that after searching each room, forces threatened to demolish the house as
well. Al-Shaludi was killed by Israeli police after he drove his vehicle
into a group of pedestrians at a light rail station in the Sheikh Jarrah
area of East Jerusalem. The attack left two dead and several injured.
Israeli forces demolished his family home in a punitive move on November 19.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=746581
demolished home of attack suspect Abd al-Rahman al-Shaludi in the Silwan
neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, family members said. Al-Shaludi's mother
told Ma'an Israeli forces searched the rubble of the house they demolished
in November in the al-Bustan area of Silwan, claiming the family had rebuilt
parts of the home. Israeli officers also raided the home of al-Shaludi's
uncle where his mother and family have been living temporarily. She said
that after searching each room, forces threatened to demolish the house as
well. Al-Shaludi was killed by Israeli police after he drove his vehicle
into a group of pedestrians at a light rail station in the Sheikh Jarrah
area of East Jerusalem. The attack left two dead and several injured.
Israeli forces demolished his family home in a punitive move on November 19.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=746581
Tuesday 9 December 2014
To A&E in handcuffs
JERUSALEM 7 December: A Palestinian man on Sunday succumbed to wounds
he sustained in a car attack on a light rail station in East Jerusalem, his
wife told Ma‘an News Service. Abd al-Karim Nafith Hamid, 60, was injured when a
Palestinian [Ibrahim al-Akkari, 47] slammed his car into the Sheikh Jarrah
tram station, killing a Druze officer in the Israeli border police and
injuring at least 13 other people, Hamid's wife Umm Ibrahim told Ma‘an. She
said her husband suffered multiple fractures in his spine and feet, and
subsequently had a heart attack. Hamid did not receive the necessary
medical treatment right away, Umm Ibrahim said. "After the Israeli forces
identified the injured people, they handcuffed my injured husband because
he is an Arab and didn't offer him the appropriate treatment. Neither did
they evacuate him to the hospital immediately." She said that according to
eyewitnesses, Hamid arrived at Shaare Zedek Medical Centre handcuffed. "He
has been in an intensive care room and he was given all the necessary
surgeries, but he was declared dead today," Umm Ibrahim said. Hamid left
behind 12 children and two widows. His body was taken to the al-Maqasid
hospital in Jerusalem and then to his home village of ‘Anata, east of
Jerusalem. He will be buried at Bab al-Sahira cemetery in the Old City of
Jerusalem.http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=745373
he sustained in a car attack on a light rail station in East Jerusalem, his
wife told Ma‘an News Service. Abd al-Karim Nafith Hamid, 60, was injured when a
Palestinian [Ibrahim al-Akkari, 47] slammed his car into the Sheikh Jarrah
tram station, killing a Druze officer in the Israeli border police and
injuring at least 13 other people, Hamid's wife Umm Ibrahim told Ma‘an. She
said her husband suffered multiple fractures in his spine and feet, and
subsequently had a heart attack. Hamid did not receive the necessary
medical treatment right away, Umm Ibrahim said. "After the Israeli forces
identified the injured people, they handcuffed my injured husband because
he is an Arab and didn't offer him the appropriate treatment. Neither did
they evacuate him to the hospital immediately." She said that according to
eyewitnesses, Hamid arrived at Shaare Zedek Medical Centre handcuffed. "He
has been in an intensive care room and he was given all the necessary
surgeries, but he was declared dead today," Umm Ibrahim said. Hamid left
behind 12 children and two widows. His body was taken to the al-Maqasid
hospital in Jerusalem and then to his home village of ‘Anata, east of
Jerusalem. He will be buried at Bab al-Sahira cemetery in the Old City of
Jerusalem.http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=745373
Sunday 30 November 2014
Israeli violence continues
This is part of a bulletin released by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on 27th November:
A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli troops in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Witnesses said Fadil Muhammad Halawah, 32, was hunting birds east of Jabaliya when Israeli soldiers shot him dead.
In the West Bank Israeli settlers continue their campaign to terrorise Palestinians living in the West Bank, in collaboration with the Israeli Forces. One family’s house was set alight by settlers, who scrawled racist graffiti on the home. For the first time, sound bombs and tear gas were used by the settlers in this attack.
In Jerusalem one Palestinian was shot in the head with a rubber bullet, and another was attacked by Israelis at his place of work. Another was beaten unconscious by settlers on Friday night. In Jerusalem, gangs of Israeli girls have been beating up Palestinians.
The impunity continues. Due to the fact that DCI Palestine collated and analysed incontrovertible video evidence that Nadim Nuwara, was shot in cold blood, when he posed no risk, an Israeli policeman now faces charges. But he is being charged with manslaughter instead of murder. As the boy’s father said: “A Palestinian arrested under these circumstances would be facing murder charges, with the possibility of life imprisonment, and his family’s home would be demolished.”
Meanwhile, racist attacks against Palestinian citizens are on the increase. The Israeli mayor of Ashkelon announced that Palestinian citizens of Israel are banned from working on construction projects in bomb shelters at local kindergartens during school hours. This comes amid a new wave of Israeli popular racism calling for Arabs to be fired. Likud leader Yariv Levin has advocated draconian proposals including that people waving an ‘enemy flag’, including the Palestinian flag, during protests, will be arrested and held in remand until the completion of legal procedures against them, with anyone convicted losing social welfare benefits and their driving licence for 10 years. As Ben White points out, the furore over new Jewish State law misses the point – Israel already discriminates.
Saturday 15 November 2014
Palestine: What Hope Peace
Bristol has been treated to the premiere of this riveting documentary, made by one strong-willed woman, Kerry-Anne Mendoza, before she took it on a tour of the UK. She has managed to take a catalogue of misbehaviour and injustice and present it as more than just another list; the constant cutting among Palestinians at home, in the street, under fire, reflecting on the way things are in general, plus talkers at a major public meeting on the subject, the director talking to camera, her driver and, importantly, a Jewish voice, ensures that the pace never drops - while doing justice to the fact that film is fundamentally a visual medium. Incidentally, you may come away from this as this blogger did, a good deal wiser. For instance, revealed was the fact that Israel's determination to import as many Jews as possible is undermined by the regime's racism extending to that old skin thing - so that immigrant Ethiopian Jewish women found they were being forceably sterilised. Mendoza was right in the middle of things; absolutely no distancing herself in time or place, and her voice-over at one point became a stirring call to action - no surprise as she was standing in the ruins of Gaza City at the time.
Well worth a second look.
Well worth a second look.
Tuesday 11 November 2014
East Jerusalem: 'not news'
This is the current hard truth about East Jerusalem, hardly ever alluded to by the conventional news media partly because it is nothing new. It was put together by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and it is worth quoting in full:
Palestinians in East Jerusalem live their daily lives under the brutality of Israeli occupation. However, their suffering is ignored by most of the western media.
Last week, western journalists turned their focus on Jerusalem only because an Israeli settler, Yehuda Glick, was shot and injured near the Old City on October 29th.
However, violence against Palestinians is a constant feature of life in East Jerusalem and it goes unreported by our media.
Palestinians in East Jerusalem face expulsion from the city, home demolitions, freedom of movement restrictions, surveillance, and violence from settlers and soldiers. This is in addition to illegal settlement building on their land.
It is through measures such as these – all violations of international law – that Israel is attempting to ethnically cleanse East Jerusalem of its Palestinian population. Israel’s stated goal is to establish and maintain the whole of Jerusalem as its capital.
On October 23rd, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement reiterating this, saying: ‘United Jerusalem, was, and will always remain, the capital of Israel.’ He called for Israeli sovereignty to be enforced in all parts of Jerusalem through the deployment of extra troops.
Below is a short guide to what life is like for East Jerusalem Palestinians, which aims to fill in the gaps left by media reporting:
Background
Before 1947, all of Jerusalem was Palestinian. Following the UN partition of Palestine that year, the UN designated Jerusalem as an international zone. Israel overran West Jerusalem and established a de facto border known as the Green Line, expelling tens of thousands of Palestinians from that part of the city. In 1967, Israel occupied and then annexed East Jerusalem. Israel’s occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem is illegal in international law.
Residency permits
Israel has annexed East Jerusalem and claims that it is part of Israel. However, Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, while paying taxes to Israel, do not have Israeli citizenship. They have to apply for residency permits, which need to be frequently renewed.
In order to have a permit renewed, Palestinians have to prove to the Israeli authorities that East Jerusalem is their ‘centre of life’. This requires the provision of extensive documents, including health insurance and bills going back several years, which many Palestinians do not have.
As a result, many Palestinians who have never lived anywhere but East Jerusalem have lost their residency permits. Once deported, they are not allowed to return.
Those who have lived away for more than seven years will also have their residency revoked and are not permitted to return.
These are incidents in October alone: Israeli soldiers and settlers invaded the yards of the mosque, attacking and injuring worshippers, with gas bombs being thrown by the soldiers (Oct 9th); hundreds of Israeli police raided the compound firing stun grenades, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets (Oct 13th); the Israeli army invaded the mosque, firing tear gas and blockading unarmed Palestinians inside. This video shows the attack (Oct 14th).
Palestinians in East Jerusalem live their daily lives under the brutality of Israeli occupation. However, their suffering is ignored by most of the western media.
Last week, western journalists turned their focus on Jerusalem only because an Israeli settler, Yehuda Glick, was shot and injured near the Old City on October 29th.
However, violence against Palestinians is a constant feature of life in East Jerusalem and it goes unreported by our media.
Palestinians in East Jerusalem face expulsion from the city, home demolitions, freedom of movement restrictions, surveillance, and violence from settlers and soldiers. This is in addition to illegal settlement building on their land.
It is through measures such as these – all violations of international law – that Israel is attempting to ethnically cleanse East Jerusalem of its Palestinian population. Israel’s stated goal is to establish and maintain the whole of Jerusalem as its capital.
On October 23rd, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement reiterating this, saying: ‘United Jerusalem, was, and will always remain, the capital of Israel.’ He called for Israeli sovereignty to be enforced in all parts of Jerusalem through the deployment of extra troops.
Below is a short guide to what life is like for East Jerusalem Palestinians, which aims to fill in the gaps left by media reporting:
Background
Before 1947, all of Jerusalem was Palestinian. Following the UN partition of Palestine that year, the UN designated Jerusalem as an international zone. Israel overran West Jerusalem and established a de facto border known as the Green Line, expelling tens of thousands of Palestinians from that part of the city. In 1967, Israel occupied and then annexed East Jerusalem. Israel’s occupation and annexation of East Jerusalem is illegal in international law.
Israel has annexed East Jerusalem and claims that it is part of Israel. However, Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, while paying taxes to Israel, do not have Israeli citizenship. They have to apply for residency permits, which need to be frequently renewed.
In order to have a permit renewed, Palestinians have to prove to the Israeli authorities that East Jerusalem is their ‘centre of life’. This requires the provision of extensive documents, including health insurance and bills going back several years, which many Palestinians do not have.
As a result, many Palestinians who have never lived anywhere but East Jerusalem have lost their residency permits. Once deported, they are not allowed to return.
Those who have lived away for more than seven years will also have their residency revoked and are not permitted to return.
The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law bans the entry of Palestinians from the West Bank, Gaza and other designated countries into Israel and East Jerusalem for the purpose of family reunification. This has resulted in spouses being separated from each other and children from their parents. Since 2005, two years after the law was passed, more than 125,000 reunification applications have gone unprocessed.
Palestinians living in East Jerusalem who have a child must apply to the Ministry of the Interior for a residency permit for that child. Israel issues the child with a temporary permit that lasts for only two years, and must then be renewed regularly. There are currently around 10,000 Palestinian children living without permits in East Jerusalem, who are consequently denied access to services including education and healthcare.
Since 1967, Israel has revoked the residency permits of more than 14,000 East Jerusalem Palestinians. 11,000 of these were revoked between 1995 and 2013.
House demolitions
On November 4th, Israeli forces raided the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan and demolished two family homes. They claimed the houses did not have proper construction permits.
Palestinian families live in constant fear of having their homes torn down. Israel has demolished more than 27,000 Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza since occupying those territories in 1967. There are outstanding demolition orders hanging over tens of thousands more homes.
In Silwan, Palestinian homes are being destroyed to make way for an Israeli tourist centre and national park. More than 1,000 Palestinians face losing their homes in Silwan alone.
It is almost impossible for Palestinians to receive construction permits from the Israeli authorities. Nearly all applications, which cost £5,000 to register, are refused.
But Palestinian families, with no new homes being built for decades in East Jerusalem, need to expand their living space. In desperation, they expand without receiving a permit and then have to live with the stress of hoping their house won’t be torn down.
A demolition order, if received, comes with a fine. Israeli police and army accompany the bulldozers, and families are given 15 minutes to get out of their home with as many belongings as possible. They have to pay the cost of the demolition, which runs into thousands of pounds. Those unable to afford the cost can face prison. With 70% of Palestinians in East Jerusalem living below the poverty line, some are forced to demolish their homes themselves.
House demolitions lead to families being split up, illness and psychological trauma, especially amongst children. Aid organisations provide tents as temporary accommodation for families who have lost their homes, and the living conditions are harsh.
Palestinians in East Jerusalem neighbourhoods such as Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah protest peacefully every week against the threats to their communities, but these non-violent protests are mostly ignored in western media reporting.
Settlement building
While Israeli authorities refuse planning permits to Palestinians to extend their homes, every Israeli government since 1967 has engaged in illegal settlement building in East Jerusalem.
On October 27th, Netanyahu announced that 1,000 new settlement homes would be built in the occupied city.
Around 350,000 Israeli settlers live in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem. Palestinians are banned from living on the settlements which have been built on the land where their neighbourhoods once stood.
The strategic construction of the settlements has resulted in East Jerusalem being physically cut off from the rest of the West Bank.
Violence
Palestinians living in East Jerusalem face ferocious and suffocating violence from the Israeli army, police and settlers.
Settler violence, which includes attacks on property as well as people, usually goes unpunished. More often than not, it will be overseen by Israeli police or army members.
The settlers’ illegal activities take many forms. On September 30th, for example, settlers took over seven Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem during the night, evicting the families living there. The settlers were accompanied by Israeli police officers.
Right-wing lynch mobs took to the streets of Jerusalem during the summer, not for the first time, looking for Palestinians to attack. Some Palestinian victims were beaten unconscious, with Israeli police either being slow to respond or ignoring the attacks altogether.
Palestinians in East Jerusalem face police and army harassment and violence during the course of their daily lives, including at the checkpoints spanning the Apartheid Wall.
Arrest and detention without charge is common, and, in the last four months, Israel has stepped up a campaign of mass arrests against East Jerusalem Palestinians. Since July, Israeli police have arrested more than 900 Palestinians across East Jerusalem, including children.
The use of tear gas, skunk water (which smells of rotting flesh), drones and low-flying helicopters against East Jerusalem Palestinians has all been increased in recent months.
This week, the situation facing Palestinians in East Jerusalem was described as ‘a struggle for survival’.
Al Aqsa
On 4th November, Israel’s Housing Minister, Uri Ariel, who is a settler, told an Israeli radio station that he hopes to see a Jewish temple built in place of the Al Aqsa Mosque.
He is not alone.
Moshe Feiglin, a Likud member of Parliament and also a settler, has repeatedly called for the destruction of the Al Aqsa mosque and the construction of a ‘Third Temple’ in its place. Feiglin enters the Al Aqsa compound every month, accompanied by other settlers and armed police who keep Palestinians out and prevent them from praying.
Many of the settlers are US-born and openly call for extreme violence against Palestinians, including shooting dead Palestinian children.
Yehuda Glick, the extremist rabbi who was shot earlier this month, also belongs to a group which advocates for the destruction of the mosque and its replacement with a ‘Third Temple’.
Glick and his followers regularly storm the mosque compound and roam its courtyards, often guarded by armed police. In 2014 alone, Glick and his group of settlers entered the compound in January, February, twice in June, July and August. Palestinians who attempt to stop the break-ins face arrest.
Israeli provocation and violence in relation to Al Aqsa, and the restrictions placed on Palestinians worshipping there, are too frequent and, consequently, too numerous to detail here, but can be found here.
These are incidents in October alone: Israeli soldiers and settlers invaded the yards of the mosque, attacking and injuring worshippers, with gas bombs being thrown by the soldiers (Oct 9th); hundreds of Israeli police raided the compound firing stun grenades, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets (Oct 13th); the Israeli army invaded the mosque, firing tear gas and blockading unarmed Palestinians inside. This video shows the attack (Oct 14th).
In the preceding weeks, Israeli forces had barred Palestinians from entering the mosque compound and facilitated the entry of right-wing Israeli extremists.
And, on 5th November, 300 Israeli soldiers stormed the interior of the mosque, as Palestinians prayed. They were followed by hundreds of Israeli settlers who invaded the compound.
These are not isolated incidents, but are just recent examples of the provocations and violence faced by Palestinians in relation to Al Aqsa which go unreported in the media here. Journalists ignore these attacks, not just when they happen, but have also failed to mention them when reporting on the shooting of Glick, leaving their reports devoid of context and background.
Compounded with their inability to provide information about the daily grind of occupation faced by East Jerusalem Palestinians, and the attempts by Israel to force them from the city, their reports can only be described as fundamentally misleading.
Sunday 26 October 2014
Village shooting, West Bank
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 24 Oct - Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian
teenager late Friday during clashes in Silwad village near Ramallah in
the occupied West Bank, medical officials said. Orwa Abd al-Wahhab Hammad,
14, had multiple bullet wounds. He was taken to Palestine
Medical Complex where he was pronounced dead. An Israeli army spokeswoman
said that soldiers fired at a Palestinian adult who was allegedly hurling a Molotov
cocktail at forces in the area. Witnesses said Hammad was hit by an Israeli
sniper from close range, insisting the soldier shot to kill. Orwa was a US
national. His uncle was killed during the First Intifada. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=735085
teenager late Friday during clashes in Silwad village near Ramallah in
the occupied West Bank, medical officials said. Orwa Abd al-Wahhab Hammad,
14, had multiple bullet wounds. He was taken to Palestine
Medical Complex where he was pronounced dead. An Israeli army spokeswoman
said that soldiers fired at a Palestinian adult who was allegedly hurling a Molotov
cocktail at forces in the area. Witnesses said Hammad was hit by an Israeli
sniper from close range, insisting the soldier shot to kill. Orwa was a US
national. His uncle was killed during the First Intifada. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=735085
Tuesday 14 October 2014
Westminster 'recognises' Palestinian state
MPs have voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a state alongside Israel, although the government is not bound to do anything as a result of the vote, which is widely held to be 'symbolic'.The House of Commons backed the move "as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution" - although less than half of MPs took part in the vote.
The result, 274 to 12, may be symbolic but it could have international implications, as the UK played such a major role in the creation of Israel and the subsequent Nakba.
Government ministers abstained on the vote, on a motion put forward by Labour MP Grahame Morris and amended by former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who has a record of equivocation.
Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood said Britain reserved the right to recognise Palestine when it is ‘appropriate for the peace process’; but any delay in following this decision with any action, at least the ending of arms trade with the Israeli regime and a public declaration ofwillingness to open diplomatic relations with Palestine, might encourage a short-term increase in illegal Israeli colonisation and ‘settler’ aggression as a defence reaction.
In 2012 the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade the Palestinians' status to that of "non-member observer state".
The assembly voted 138 to nine in favour, with 41 nations - including the UK - abstaining.
Mr Morris told MPs that recognising Palestine as a state would be a ‘symbolically important’ step towards peace, saying relations between Israelis and Palestinians were "stuck at an impasse’.
Current UK government policy, as set out by former Foreign Secretary William Hague, is that it ‘reserves the right to recognise a Palestinian state bilaterally at the moment of our choosing and when it can best help bring about peace’.
The full motion stated: ‘That this House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution.’
Saturday 27 September 2014
Gaza for rebuild
Cabinet approves $5 billion plan for Gaza rehabilitation
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 20 September: In the face of continuing Israeli aggression; both in Gaza and the shooting in Gaza and in the West Bank, the Palestinian cabinet has approved a $5 billion plan for economic revival and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Israeli assault, a senior official said Saturday. "We will seek to collect international donations in order to materialize our ambitious vision of rebuilding Gaza during the donor countries conference scheduled to be held in Cairo on Oct. 12," Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa said in a statement Saturday. The rehabilitation of infrastructure in Gaza will cost $1.9 billion, while reconstruction and rehabilitation of houses will cost another billion. Some $700 million will be needed for humanitarian, social, health, and education aid for Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom lost homes and family members and some of whom became disabled as a result of the war, the statement added.
www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=728706
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 20 September: In the face of continuing Israeli aggression; both in Gaza and the shooting in Gaza and in the West Bank, the Palestinian cabinet has approved a $5 billion plan for economic revival and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Israeli assault, a senior official said Saturday. "We will seek to collect international donations in order to materialize our ambitious vision of rebuilding Gaza during the donor countries conference scheduled to be held in Cairo on Oct. 12," Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa said in a statement Saturday. The rehabilitation of infrastructure in Gaza will cost $1.9 billion, while reconstruction and rehabilitation of houses will cost another billion. Some $700 million will be needed for humanitarian, social, health, and education aid for Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom lost homes and family members and some of whom became disabled as a result of the war, the statement added.
www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=728706
Israelis shoot fisherman on shore, Gaza
< http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=728235
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 18 Sept -- Israeli naval forces opened fire off the coast
of northern Gaza late Wednesday, injuring a Palestinian fisherman on a
beach, locals said. Yousef Zayif, 70, was hit by live fire while waiting
for his sons on the shore near al-Sudaniya. Medics said he was moderately
wounded. An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was "looking into the
incident". On Sunday, an Israeli warship opened fire at Palestinian
fishermen off the coast of Gaza City's al-Shati refugee camp, the speaker
of the Union of Gaza Fishermen said. Nizar Ayyash told Ma‘an that Israeli
gunboats "have been firing at fishermen every day since the ceasefire
agreement was signed." He also said that Israeli naval forces have detained
six Palestinian fishermen since the ceasefire agreement in late August.http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=728235
Sunday 7 September 2014
Teen shot by Israeli police "clinically dead"
Palestinian teenager shot by Israeli police declared clinically dead
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.614245
Haaretz 5 Sept by Nir Hasson -- A Palestinian teenager who was critically wounded earlier this week during a protest in East Jerusalem, is clinically dead, doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem told the family on Thursday 4th September. The 16-year old’s relatives said an Israeli soldier shot him at close range in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet. Jerusalem police sources said the boy, Muhammad Abd Al-Majid Sunuqrut, had been shot in the leg with a sponge-tipped bullet in Wadi Joz, fell and hurt his head. Sunuqrut is the
first person to be seriously hurt in the wave of violence washing over East Jerusalem since the beginning of July. If he dies and is declared a shaheed (an Islamic martyr), it could trigger more violence in the city, Palestinian officials said. The teen’s uncle, Motabi Sunuqrut, said the boy had not even taken part in the demonstrations on August 31 and the area was quiet at the time of the incident. “Ten minutes earlier I returned home and nothing was happening. He left home and was talking to his aunt on the phone, when suddenly he was shot at close range. After he fell the soldiers went on beating him and wouldn’t let anyone come near him to treat him.”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.614245
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.614245
Haaretz 5 Sept by Nir Hasson -- A Palestinian teenager who was critically wounded earlier this week during a protest in East Jerusalem, is clinically dead, doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem told the family on Thursday 4th September. The 16-year old’s relatives said an Israeli soldier shot him at close range in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet. Jerusalem police sources said the boy, Muhammad Abd Al-Majid Sunuqrut, had been shot in the leg with a sponge-tipped bullet in Wadi Joz, fell and hurt his head. Sunuqrut is the
first person to be seriously hurt in the wave of violence washing over East Jerusalem since the beginning of July. If he dies and is declared a shaheed (an Islamic martyr), it could trigger more violence in the city, Palestinian officials said. The teen’s uncle, Motabi Sunuqrut, said the boy had not even taken part in the demonstrations on August 31 and the area was quiet at the time of the incident. “Ten minutes earlier I returned home and nothing was happening. He left home and was talking to his aunt on the phone, when suddenly he was shot at close range. After he fell the soldiers went on beating him and wouldn’t let anyone come near him to treat him.”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.614245
Tuesday 19 August 2014
West bank: Palestinian prisoner suffers breakdown
NABLUS (Ma‘an) 16 Aug -- On July 18, 30-year-old Muath Dureidi crossed the
Allenby Bridge into the West Bank, excited to take a job in his native
Palestine after receiving word that a local company had accepted his
application. His excitement turned to horror, however, after Israeli forces
detained him and kept him isolated from the outside world for the next 28
days. By the end of his ordeal, Dureidi had suffered a complete mental
breakdown, and today sits completely mute in the Arab Specialized Hospital
in Nablus. It was not supposed to turn out this way for Dureidi, a native
of the Tulkarem-area village of Beit Lid in the northern West Bank. His
father Nasr told Ma‘an that before his arrest, Muath had travelled to the
United Arab Emirates in his quest for a job, completing in-person
interviews with a number of companies in the wealthy Persian Gulf state.
Shortly after arriving in the UAE, however, Muath received word from a West
Bank company he had previously applied to that he had been accepted. He
subsequently flew back to Jordan in order to return to his homeland, since
Palestinians are forbidden by Israel from using the more direct route
through Ben Gurion Airport. After disembarking at the airport near the
Jordanian capital Amman and making his way to the Allenby Bridge over the
Jordan River, his father said Muath made a short call home in which he said
Israeli intelligence services had detained him....
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=720921
Tuesday 12 August 2014
Meanwhile. back at the ranch...
While the world's attention is focussed on Gaza, Zionist expansion and violence continue as ever on the West Bank.
Israeli soldiers kill a Palestinian man in Hebron
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68801
IMEMC/Agencies 9 Aug by Saed Bannoura -- Palestinian medical sources in
Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, have reported that
a Palestinian man died Saturday, at dawn, of a serious injury suffered
Friday, after Israeli soldiers opened fire at local protesters in the city.
The slain Palestinian, Nader Mohammad Edrees, 40, was shot by a bullet
to the heart. The sources said the soldiers fired rounds of 'live
ammunition' (e.g. not rubber bullets), gas bombs and concussion grenades at scores of protesters in the Bab az-Zaweya area, in the centre of the city, causing dozens of
injuries, including 25 shot and injured by more shooting.
Doctors at the al-Mezan Medical Centre in Hebron, performed a heart surgery
in an attempt to save the live of Edrees, and administered 40 units of
blood, but he succumbed to his serious wounds around 2 after midnight.
Prayers and the burial ceremony will be held Saturday, in Hebron.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68801
Israeli forces kill Palestinian during protest near Ramallah
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719146
8 August (report by Maan) -- A Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces on
Friday afternoon during clashes at *Jabal al-Tawil east of el-Bireh near
Ramallah, following a protest close to the nearby Jewish settlement of
*Psagot*. Medical sources told Ma‘an that Ahmad Mohammad al-Qatari of
al-Am‘ari refugee camp was shot in the chest, before being taken to the
Palestine Medical Complex where he was pronounced dead. Masked gunmen had
opened fire at Psagot settlement earlier, without any injuries being
reported. An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return calls
seeking comment.
Al-Qatari was at least the 16th Palestinian to be killed by Israelis in the
West Bank in the last month, as forces have repeatedly attacked tens of
thousands partaking in protests in solidarity with the Gaza Strip. Also on
Friday, Israeli forces injured at least 50 Palestinians in protests across
the West Bank, including 40 in *Hebron* alone, where hundreds marched
through the Bab al-Zawiya neighborhood in the city center in solidarity
with Gaza. Israeli forces used live bullets and rubber-coated steel bullets
to disperse Palestinian demonstrators in *Safa, near Ramallah, as well as
in *‘Azzun, near Qalqiliya.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719146
*Palestinian killed by army fire near Ramallah
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68799
IMEMC/Agencies 9 Aug by Saed Bannoura -- Palestinian medical sources
reported Friday that a young Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli
army fire near the *Psagot* illegitimate Israeli settlement, built on
Palestinian lands belonging to residents of *al-Bireh* City, near the
central West Bank city of Ramallah. The sources said *Mohammad Ahmad
al-Qatari*, age 20, from al-Am‘ari refugee camp, was killed by an Israeli
live round to the chest. The army held his body for a few hours, and later
handed it over to Palestinian medics. Eyewitnesses said clashes took place
near the western entrance of the town, and that the army fired rounds of
live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets and gas bombs. One Palestinian
was also shot by a live round in his thigh, three were injured by
rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens were treated for the effects of
tear gas inhalation.
On Friday evening, a Palestinian child was injured in the al-Lubban
ash-Sharqiyya* town, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, after
being struck by a speeding settler’s vehicle at the main junction of the
town. Medical sources said *Shahad ‘Oweis, 9, suffered a moderate injury,
and was moved to the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68799
*4 Palestinians injured by live fire in Qalqiliya clashes
< http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719093
QALQILIYA (Ma‘an) 8 Aug -- Four Palestinians were injured with live fire on
Friday during clashes with Israeli forces in the Qalqiliya villages of
*‘Azzun* and *Kafr Qaddum*. *Younis Muhammad Salah Adwan, 19, was shot in
the waist in ‘Azzun and critically injured, medics said. He was taken to a
nearby hospital for treatment. In Kafr Qaddum, *Asaad Shteiwi* was shot in
the back, *Ahmad Aqel* was shot in the leg, and Adulrahman Shteiwi* was
hit in his thigh during a weekly demonstration. The victims were taken for
treatment by Red Crescent ambulances at the scene.
*Child seriously injured after being struck by 'settler' car in Hebron
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68781
IMEMC/Agencies 7 Aug -- Palestinian medical sources have reported that a
child was seriously injured after being rammed by an Israeli settler’s
vehicle, in the Old City of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.
The sources said *Rosy Talab Jaber,* 8 years of age, suffered a serious
injury, and was moved to the Hebron Governmental Hospital. The Raya News
Agency said the child was deliberately attacked while walking near the main
street of the Old City of Hebron. There have been dozens of similar
incidents in Hebron, and in different parts of the occupied West Bank, some
leading to fatalities among the Palestinians, including children, and
scores of similar incidents causing very serious injuries.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68781
*Settlers smash doors of Palestinian stores in Hebron's Old City
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68767
IMEMC/Agencies 6 Aug by Saed Bannoura -- A number of fanatic Israeli
'settlers' invaded, on Wednesday at noon, the “Gold Market” area, under full
Israeli security and military control, in the Old City of the southern West
Bank city of Hebron, smashed and removed the doors of various stores. The
'settlers' came from the illegal colonies.
Israeli soldiers kill a Palestinian man in Hebron
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68801
IMEMC/Agencies 9 Aug by Saed Bannoura -- Palestinian medical sources in
Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, have reported that
a Palestinian man died Saturday, at dawn, of a serious injury suffered
Friday, after Israeli soldiers opened fire at local protesters in the city.
The slain Palestinian, Nader Mohammad Edrees, 40, was shot by a bullet
to the heart. The sources said the soldiers fired rounds of 'live
ammunition' (e.g. not rubber bullets), gas bombs and concussion grenades at scores of protesters in the Bab az-Zaweya area, in the centre of the city, causing dozens of
injuries, including 25 shot and injured by more shooting.
Doctors at the al-Mezan Medical Centre in Hebron, performed a heart surgery
in an attempt to save the live of Edrees, and administered 40 units of
blood, but he succumbed to his serious wounds around 2 after midnight.
Prayers and the burial ceremony will be held Saturday, in Hebron.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68801
Israeli forces kill Palestinian during protest near Ramallah
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719146
8 August (report by Maan) -- A Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces on
Friday afternoon during clashes at *Jabal al-Tawil east of el-Bireh near
Ramallah, following a protest close to the nearby Jewish settlement of
*Psagot*. Medical sources told Ma‘an that Ahmad Mohammad al-Qatari of
al-Am‘ari refugee camp was shot in the chest, before being taken to the
Palestine Medical Complex where he was pronounced dead. Masked gunmen had
opened fire at Psagot settlement earlier, without any injuries being
reported. An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return calls
seeking comment.
Al-Qatari was at least the 16th Palestinian to be killed by Israelis in the
West Bank in the last month, as forces have repeatedly attacked tens of
thousands partaking in protests in solidarity with the Gaza Strip. Also on
Friday, Israeli forces injured at least 50 Palestinians in protests across
the West Bank, including 40 in *Hebron* alone, where hundreds marched
through the Bab al-Zawiya neighborhood in the city center in solidarity
with Gaza. Israeli forces used live bullets and rubber-coated steel bullets
to disperse Palestinian demonstrators in *Safa, near Ramallah, as well as
in *‘Azzun, near Qalqiliya.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719146
*Palestinian killed by army fire near Ramallah
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68799
IMEMC/Agencies 9 Aug by Saed Bannoura -- Palestinian medical sources
reported Friday that a young Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli
army fire near the *Psagot* illegitimate Israeli settlement, built on
Palestinian lands belonging to residents of *al-Bireh* City, near the
central West Bank city of Ramallah. The sources said *Mohammad Ahmad
al-Qatari*, age 20, from al-Am‘ari refugee camp, was killed by an Israeli
live round to the chest. The army held his body for a few hours, and later
handed it over to Palestinian medics. Eyewitnesses said clashes took place
near the western entrance of the town, and that the army fired rounds of
live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets and gas bombs. One Palestinian
was also shot by a live round in his thigh, three were injured by
rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens were treated for the effects of
tear gas inhalation.
On Friday evening, a Palestinian child was injured in the al-Lubban
ash-Sharqiyya* town, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, after
being struck by a speeding settler’s vehicle at the main junction of the
town. Medical sources said *Shahad ‘Oweis, 9, suffered a moderate injury,
and was moved to the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68799
*4 Palestinians injured by live fire in Qalqiliya clashes
< http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=719093
QALQILIYA (Ma‘an) 8 Aug -- Four Palestinians were injured with live fire on
Friday during clashes with Israeli forces in the Qalqiliya villages of
*‘Azzun* and *Kafr Qaddum*. *Younis Muhammad Salah Adwan, 19, was shot in
the waist in ‘Azzun and critically injured, medics said. He was taken to a
nearby hospital for treatment. In Kafr Qaddum, *Asaad Shteiwi* was shot in
the back, *Ahmad Aqel* was shot in the leg, and Adulrahman Shteiwi* was
hit in his thigh during a weekly demonstration. The victims were taken for
treatment by Red Crescent ambulances at the scene.
*Child seriously injured after being struck by 'settler' car in Hebron
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68781
IMEMC/Agencies 7 Aug -- Palestinian medical sources have reported that a
child was seriously injured after being rammed by an Israeli settler’s
vehicle, in the Old City of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.
The sources said *Rosy Talab Jaber,* 8 years of age, suffered a serious
injury, and was moved to the Hebron Governmental Hospital. The Raya News
Agency said the child was deliberately attacked while walking near the main
street of the Old City of Hebron. There have been dozens of similar
incidents in Hebron, and in different parts of the occupied West Bank, some
leading to fatalities among the Palestinians, including children, and
scores of similar incidents causing very serious injuries.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68781
*Settlers smash doors of Palestinian stores in Hebron's Old City
< http://www.imemc.org/article/68767
IMEMC/Agencies 6 Aug by Saed Bannoura -- A number of fanatic Israeli
'settlers' invaded, on Wednesday at noon, the “Gold Market” area, under full
Israeli security and military control, in the Old City of the southern West
Bank city of Hebron, smashed and removed the doors of various stores. The
'settlers' came from the illegal colonies.
Monday 4 August 2014
Another cease-fire over Gaza
According to israelnationalnews.com a new date for cease-fire has been agreed.
Israel and the Palestinians have agreed a new 72-hour Gaza ceasefire that would start at 0500 GMT (8:00 a.m. Israeli time) Tuesday, said a senior official in Egypt, which is hosting truce talks.
"Egypt's contacts with relevant parties have achieved a commitment for a 72-hour truce in Gaza starting from 0500 GMT tomorrow morning, and an agreement for the rest of the relevant delegations to come to Cairo to conduct further negotiations," the official told AFP.
A Palestinian delegation, including Hamas representatives, has been holding talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators for a durable truce in Gaza, but Israel has not yet sent any negotiators to the Egyptian capitol, which is what its representatives have stated several times was the immediate plan.
"The Palestinians have agreed to a ceasefire proposed by Egypt," Azzam al-Ahmed, leader of the Palestinian delegation, told reporters in Cairo.
There was no comment as yet from Israel.
Israel and the Palestinians have agreed a new 72-hour Gaza ceasefire that would start at 0500 GMT (8:00 a.m. Israeli time) Tuesday, said a senior official in Egypt, which is hosting truce talks.
"Egypt's contacts with relevant parties have achieved a commitment for a 72-hour truce in Gaza starting from 0500 GMT tomorrow morning, and an agreement for the rest of the relevant delegations to come to Cairo to conduct further negotiations," the official told AFP.
A Palestinian delegation, including Hamas representatives, has been holding talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators for a durable truce in Gaza, but Israel has not yet sent any negotiators to the Egyptian capitol, which is what its representatives have stated several times was the immediate plan.
"The Palestinians have agreed to a ceasefire proposed by Egypt," Azzam al-Ahmed, leader of the Palestinian delegation, told reporters in Cairo.
There was no comment as yet from Israel.
Sunday 27 July 2014
Jeremy Bowen (BBC) from Gaza
Jeremy Bowen's Gaza notebook: I saw no evidence of Hamas using Palestinians as human shields
22 July -- The BBC's Middle East editor reports from Gaza : I saw Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, giving an interview to the BBC after Israel had killed more than 60 people in the Gaza district of Sheja‘iya. He said he regretted the civilian casualties in Gaza but they were the fault of Hamas. Netanyahu said Israel had warned people to get out. Some had taken the advice; others had been prevented from leaving by Hamas. I was back in London for my son’s 11th birthday party by the time all those people were killed in Sheja‘iya. But my impression of Hamas is different from Netanyahu’s. I saw no evidence during my week in Gaza of Israel’s accusation that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields. I saw men from Hamas on street corners, keeping an eye on what was happening. They were local people and everyone knew them, even the young boys. Raji Sourani, the director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, told me that Hamas, whatever you think of it, is part of the Palestinian DNA. I met Sourani first when he was condemning abuses by Yasser Arafat’s men. He has taken an equally tough stance on Hamas. Now he says Israel is violating the laws of war by ignoring its legal duty to treat Palestinian civilians as protected non-combatants. Hamas, human rights groups say,also violates the laws of war by firing missiles at civilians ... But it is wrong to suggest that Israeli civilians near Gaza suffer as much as Palestinians. It is much, much worse in Gaza. I defy anyone with an ounce of human feeling not to feel the same after ten minutes in Gaza’s Shifa Hospital with wounded and dying civilians. In the mortuary, it’s so overcrowded that the bodies of two children are crammed on to a single shelf. One day, they had only found enough of the remains of six women and children to fill a single stretcher.
22 July -- The BBC's Middle East editor reports from Gaza : I saw Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, giving an interview to the BBC after Israel had killed more than 60 people in the Gaza district of Sheja‘iya. He said he regretted the civilian casualties in Gaza but they were the fault of Hamas. Netanyahu said Israel had warned people to get out. Some had taken the advice; others had been prevented from leaving by Hamas. I was back in London for my son’s 11th birthday party by the time all those people were killed in Sheja‘iya. But my impression of Hamas is different from Netanyahu’s. I saw no evidence during my week in Gaza of Israel’s accusation that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields. I saw men from Hamas on street corners, keeping an eye on what was happening. They were local people and everyone knew them, even the young boys. Raji Sourani, the director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, told me that Hamas, whatever you think of it, is part of the Palestinian DNA. I met Sourani first when he was condemning abuses by Yasser Arafat’s men. He has taken an equally tough stance on Hamas. Now he says Israel is violating the laws of war by ignoring its legal duty to treat Palestinian civilians as protected non-combatants. Hamas, human rights groups say,also violates the laws of war by firing missiles at civilians ... But it is wrong to suggest that Israeli civilians near Gaza suffer as much as Palestinians. It is much, much worse in Gaza. I defy anyone with an ounce of human feeling not to feel the same after ten minutes in Gaza’s Shifa Hospital with wounded and dying civilians. In the mortuary, it’s so overcrowded that the bodies of two children are crammed on to a single shelf. One day, they had only found enough of the remains of six women and children to fill a single stretcher.
Thursday 17 July 2014
As Israeli violence continues - responses
 |
| Outside the BBC, Bristol |
"This isn’t about rockets from Gaza. It’s about Israel fighting to maintain its control over Palestinian lives, and Palestinian land. It’s about Israel feeling able to commit war crimes with complete impunity."
Street protests against Israeli actions and the BBC's bias in its reporting of the crisis took place all over the UK.
Tuesday 8 July 2014
From Jonathan Cook, Nazareth
http://www.jonathan-cook.net/
Clashes put Jewish-Arab relations in Israel to the test 7 July 2014
Black, pungent smoke from burning tyres mixed with white, even more acrid plumes of tear gas to create an ugly grey smog eclipsing Nazareth’s most famous landmark, the imposing spire of the Basilica of the Annunciation. Clashes over the weekend between youths and police in Israel’s largest Palestinian city have not been seen on this scale since the outbreak of the second intifada in late 2000. You can’t force-feed occupation to those who crave freedom 23 June 2014 Israelis have been lulled into a false sense of security by the promise of endless and simple technical solutions. Palestinians are confined to ever smaller spaces: the prison of Gaza, the city under lockdown, the torture cell, or the doctor’s surgery where a feeding tube can be inserted. But the craving for self-determination and dignity are more than technical problems. You cannot force-feed a people to still their hunger for freedom.
Israelis close their ears to reasons for kidnap 20 June 2014
The apparent abduction of three teenagers has provoked a wave of revulsion in Israel but no readiness to examine the causes of the incident or the appropriateness of Israel’s response. Haneen Zoabi, a Palestinian member of the parliament, discovered the cost of not joining the chorus of outrage: she was assigned a bodyguard after receiving a flood of death threats, and is being investigated for incitement. - See more at: http://www.jonathan-cook.net/#sthash.fxWDMogC.dpuf
Clashes put Jewish-Arab relations in Israel to the test 7 July 2014
Black, pungent smoke from burning tyres mixed with white, even more acrid plumes of tear gas to create an ugly grey smog eclipsing Nazareth’s most famous landmark, the imposing spire of the Basilica of the Annunciation. Clashes over the weekend between youths and police in Israel’s largest Palestinian city have not been seen on this scale since the outbreak of the second intifada in late 2000. You can’t force-feed occupation to those who crave freedom 23 June 2014 Israelis have been lulled into a false sense of security by the promise of endless and simple technical solutions. Palestinians are confined to ever smaller spaces: the prison of Gaza, the city under lockdown, the torture cell, or the doctor’s surgery where a feeding tube can be inserted. But the craving for self-determination and dignity are more than technical problems. You cannot force-feed a people to still their hunger for freedom.
Israelis close their ears to reasons for kidnap 20 June 2014
The apparent abduction of three teenagers has provoked a wave of revulsion in Israel but no readiness to examine the causes of the incident or the appropriateness of Israel’s response. Haneen Zoabi, a Palestinian member of the parliament, discovered the cost of not joining the chorus of outrage: she was assigned a bodyguard after receiving a flood of death threats, and is being investigated for incitement. - See more at: http://www.jonathan-cook.net/#sthash.fxWDMogC.dpuf
Friday 4 July 2014
Website of the moment - closing the gap
It can't be restated too often: just as the first anti-Nazis were Germans, so the first anti-Zionists were Jews. They are still on the front line: http://ijsn.net/ - All the better for a visit as the occupation could edge towards civil war in the West Bank, pushing the imposition of the rule of law further from the table.
Thursday 3 July 2014
Monday 16 June 2014
army attacks in West Bank -'collective punishment' denied
Following the disappearance of two Israeli teenagers, Israeli troops have been causing upset near Hebron in the West Bank including at least one death, (in a Ramallah refugee camp) although the disappearance has been blamed on the Gaza-based Hamas, who have offered no evidence to support this as yet. Concurrently, military exercises have greatly increased homelessness and danger to life for citizens near Yatta and other parts of occupied West Bank. An Israeli spokesman denied on the BBC that the incursions were collective punishment, claiming that they were justified as the West Bank was now linked to Gaza (and therefore to Hamas) through the new Hamas/PA coalition.
Israeli military training causes widespread disruption:
< http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=704481>
[with photos] BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 13 June -- Hundreds of Israeli soldiers
have been undertaking military training exercises in the south Hebron hills
for the past five days, causing widespread restrictions and disruptions for
local Palestinian residents. Operation Dove, a peace group which works in
the area, said Thursday that hundreds of soldiers have deployed by military
bases near the villages of *Jinba* and *Mirkez.* The Israeli soldiers have
set up tents to sleep in and store military equipment and are deploying in
groups within nearby villages to carry out training exercises. Local
Palestinians have suffered restrictions on their freedom of movement during
the training, with several agricultural fields damaged by the troops.
Shepherds reported being chased away with their flocks by Israeli soldiers,
while others say they were assaulted, Operation Dove said. During the
night, local villagers say the Israeli soldiers have been using explosives
and have even entered the villages, frightening residents. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=704481
Defense Ministry: Army to keep expelling Palestinians from firing zones
< http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.598265>
Haaretz 12 June by Jonathan Lis -- The army plans to continue expelling
Palestinians from military firing zones in Area C of the West Bank, which
is under total Israeli control, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon told
the Knesset on Wednesday. “It’s not pleasant to remove people from their
homes, but what can we do when these are designated firing zones?” he said.
“Whoever is in an area that doesn’t belong to him that has been declared a
firing zone will have to be evacuated from there, and yes, we plan to
remove more people.” Danon was responding to an urgent parliamentary query
by MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) following a Haaretz report that an Israel
Defense Forces official acknowledged the IDF uses training zones in the
West Bank to displace Palestinians. Zandberg addressed her query to the
Defense Ministry, asking how the officials' admission was congruent with
the state’s argument that live-fire zones are designated solely for
military purposes. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.598265
Israeli military training causes widespread disruption:
< http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=704481>
[with photos] BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 13 June -- Hundreds of Israeli soldiers
have been undertaking military training exercises in the south Hebron hills
for the past five days, causing widespread restrictions and disruptions for
local Palestinian residents. Operation Dove, a peace group which works in
the area, said Thursday that hundreds of soldiers have deployed by military
bases near the villages of *Jinba* and *Mirkez.* The Israeli soldiers have
set up tents to sleep in and store military equipment and are deploying in
groups within nearby villages to carry out training exercises. Local
Palestinians have suffered restrictions on their freedom of movement during
the training, with several agricultural fields damaged by the troops.
Shepherds reported being chased away with their flocks by Israeli soldiers,
while others say they were assaulted, Operation Dove said. During the
night, local villagers say the Israeli soldiers have been using explosives
and have even entered the villages, frightening residents. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=704481
Defense Ministry: Army to keep expelling Palestinians from firing zones
< http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.598265>
Haaretz 12 June by Jonathan Lis -- The army plans to continue expelling
Palestinians from military firing zones in Area C of the West Bank, which
is under total Israeli control, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon told
the Knesset on Wednesday. “It’s not pleasant to remove people from their
homes, but what can we do when these are designated firing zones?” he said.
“Whoever is in an area that doesn’t belong to him that has been declared a
firing zone will have to be evacuated from there, and yes, we plan to
remove more people.” Danon was responding to an urgent parliamentary query
by MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) following a Haaretz report that an Israel
Defense Forces official acknowledged the IDF uses training zones in the
West Bank to displace Palestinians. Zandberg addressed her query to the
Defense Ministry, asking how the officials' admission was congruent with
the state’s argument that live-fire zones are designated solely for
military purposes. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.598265
Monday 9 June 2014
Israel gets totalitarian - live
IMEMC/Agencies 7 June -- The Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC)
strongly denounced the Israeli military invasion against its Jerusalem
branch, during live broadcast, and the detention of two employees and a
guest speaker. It said 'the attack is yet another example of Israeli
assaults against the Palestinians, and their media departments.' The army
and police claimed the broadcast is not licensed by Israel, 'therefore
illegal and must be stopped', while the PBC stated that it is legally
operating in occupied East Jerusalem, and obtained all permits similar to
all Arab and foreign agencies operating in Jerusalem. It added that, on
Friday morning, the Police told the director of Good Morning
Jerusalem, Ibrahim Qleibo, and the program host, to stop the show . The
Police broke into the Pal Media office in occupied Jerusalem, and kidnapped
show director Nader Bebers, Pal Media Coordinator Ashfar Shweiki, in
addition to Ala’ al-Haddad, member of a detainees’ committee in occupied
Jerusalem. Show host Mona Abu ‘Assab was forced to end her live show
under gunpoint, after the police and the army invaded the offices and the
studio ... Israeli police spokesperson, Luba Samri, said the attack was
part of what she called 'an investigation into the contents of the show',
according to Ma'an News Agency. Samri confirmed three were kidnapped
during the raid, and that they were released later on, and alleged 'no
programs were interrupted during the attack'. The three were interrogated
for several hours, and were denied legal representation.
http://www.imemc.org/article/68032
Tuesday 3 June 2014
Israelis celebrate apartheid Jerusalem
 |
| Young Israelis march into Damascus Gate waving Israeli flags and chanting nationalist slogans on Jerusalem Day. (MaanImages/Charlie Hoyle) |
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- As thousands of Israelis march through East Jerusalem on Wednesday to celebrate its capture in 1967, the Palestinian community continues its struggle to survive in a city marked by systematic political, economic, and social divides.
Every year, thousands of right-wing Israelis march through East Jerusalem neighbourhoods and the Old City in a national holiday described by Israel's Ministry of Tourism as marking the "liberation" and "reunification" of the city.
But for Palestinians, who make up 40 percent of the population, the day is a reminder of their historic dispossession and compounds their ongoing marginalization from a city which was once the political, economic, and cultural centre of Palestinian life.
Over 75 percent of Palestinians, and 82 percent of children, live below the poverty line in East Jerusalem, according to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
There are huge discrepancies between East and West Jerusalem in terms of education, health, water access, and planning, while Israel has also revoked the residency of 14,309 Palestinians since occupying the city in 1967, with 106 in 2013 alone.
Palestinians in Jerusalem are granted "permanent resident" status, similar to foreign, non-Jewish citizens who choose to live in Israel, and are not Israeli citizens.
Despite forming nearly half of the city's population, Palestinians receive only 10 percent of Jerusalem's municipal budget.
"It's increasingly obvious that Israel is doing anything it can within its own legal structures to push young Palestinian families and couples out of town," Micha Kurz from Grassroots Jerusalem, an NGO in East Jerusalem, told Ma'an.
"Not only are living conditions very poor, but healthcare is inaccessible. People can't find jobs, and no new Palestinian neighbourhoods have been built (since 1967) while Israel has been building 'settlements' on Palestinian land."
Only 14 percent of East Jerusalem is zoned for Palestinian residential construction, ACRI says, while one-third of Palestinian land has been confiscated since 1967 to build illegal Jewish-only settlements.
The construction of the separation wall has also cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank and forced nearly 100,000 Palestinians in areas such as Ras Khamis, Ras Shahada, and the Shuafat refugee camp to live in "abject neglect" on the outskirts of the city.
Between 60,000-80,000 Palestinians in those neighbourhoods have been cut off from a regular water supply for over three months.
Jerusalem Day is a celebration of the Zionist narrative, Kurz says, and is designed in such a way that Israelis ignore the fact that Palestinians have no right to vote nationally, have few economic prospects, and enjoy none of the public services afforded to Jewish residents.
"Thousands of Israelis will be marching through Palestinian neighbourhoods shouting: 'It's time you leave this town.' This is what the celebration is about; it's systematic.
"Within the next 10 or 20 years Palestinians will be cleansed out of Jerusalem, politically and economically, but also culturally and religiously. Give it another generation or two."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=700344
Every year, thousands of right-wing Israelis march through East Jerusalem neighbourhoods and the Old City in a national holiday described by Israel's Ministry of Tourism as marking the "liberation" and "reunification" of the city.
But for Palestinians, who make up 40 percent of the population, the day is a reminder of their historic dispossession and compounds their ongoing marginalization from a city which was once the political, economic, and cultural centre of Palestinian life.
Over 75 percent of Palestinians, and 82 percent of children, live below the poverty line in East Jerusalem, according to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
There are huge discrepancies between East and West Jerusalem in terms of education, health, water access, and planning, while Israel has also revoked the residency of 14,309 Palestinians since occupying the city in 1967, with 106 in 2013 alone.
Palestinians in Jerusalem are granted "permanent resident" status, similar to foreign, non-Jewish citizens who choose to live in Israel, and are not Israeli citizens.
Despite forming nearly half of the city's population, Palestinians receive only 10 percent of Jerusalem's municipal budget.
"It's increasingly obvious that Israel is doing anything it can within its own legal structures to push young Palestinian families and couples out of town," Micha Kurz from Grassroots Jerusalem, an NGO in East Jerusalem, told Ma'an.
"Not only are living conditions very poor, but healthcare is inaccessible. People can't find jobs, and no new Palestinian neighbourhoods have been built (since 1967) while Israel has been building 'settlements' on Palestinian land."
Only 14 percent of East Jerusalem is zoned for Palestinian residential construction, ACRI says, while one-third of Palestinian land has been confiscated since 1967 to build illegal Jewish-only settlements.
The construction of the separation wall has also cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank and forced nearly 100,000 Palestinians in areas such as Ras Khamis, Ras Shahada, and the Shuafat refugee camp to live in "abject neglect" on the outskirts of the city.
Between 60,000-80,000 Palestinians in those neighbourhoods have been cut off from a regular water supply for over three months.
Jerusalem Day is a celebration of the Zionist narrative, Kurz says, and is designed in such a way that Israelis ignore the fact that Palestinians have no right to vote nationally, have few economic prospects, and enjoy none of the public services afforded to Jewish residents.
"Thousands of Israelis will be marching through Palestinian neighbourhoods shouting: 'It's time you leave this town.' This is what the celebration is about; it's systematic.
"Within the next 10 or 20 years Palestinians will be cleansed out of Jerusalem, politically and economically, but also culturally and religiously. Give it another generation or two."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=700344
Thursday 22 May 2014
The children of Gaza are not forgotten
As an anniversary of the attack on the aid ship Mavi Marmara has just passed, Bristol will be making sure that those still in need, the children of the beleaguered Gaza, are not forgotten, with a daytime event on Saturday 31st May, at the Palestine Museum Centre, Broad Street.
And the timetable?:
from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
3pm: Operation Cast Lead
3pm: Introduction to Gaza
Short talk by an activist from Gaza (to be confirmed as this goes to press )
Film: The children of Operation Cast Lead...
Live Skype hook-up to Gaza
Candle commemoration for the Children of Operation cast Lead
4pm: Operation Sea Breeze
Introduction to the Freedom Flotilla and the Mavi Marmara
Talk by Cliff Hanley from the MMFilm: The aid volunteers of Operation Sea Breeze
Candle commemoration for the victims of Operation Sea Breeze
5pm: Introduction: British and US support for crime against humanity
Film: Propaganda and the murders on the Mavi Marmara
Book presentation
Conclusion: The children of Gaza will not be forgotten, and the truth will be told.
6pm: Palestinian food in the Arc Café and opportunity to buy the Zaytoun CIC Products Olive oil Date, Za`atar, Mafoutol , soap Kuffiyas and more.
3pm: Introduction to Gaza
Short talk by an activist from Gaza (to be confirmed as this goes to press )
Film: The children of Operation Cast Lead...
Live Skype hook-up to Gaza
Candle commemoration for the Children of Operation cast Lead
4pm: Operation Sea Breeze
Introduction to the Freedom Flotilla and the Mavi Marmara
Talk by Cliff Hanley from the MMFilm: The aid volunteers of Operation Sea Breeze
Candle commemoration for the victims of Operation Sea Breeze
5pm: Introduction: British and US support for crime against humanity
Film: Propaganda and the murders on the Mavi Marmara
Book presentation
Conclusion: The children of Gaza will not be forgotten, and the truth will be told.
6pm: Palestinian food in the Arc Café and opportunity to buy the Zaytoun CIC Products Olive oil Date, Za`atar, Mafoutol , soap Kuffiyas and more.
Monday 5 May 2014
bringing it all back...
Activists on both sides of the divide have come together to reverse the burying of Palestine's history, using high-tech methods.A predominantly Israeli organisation called
Zochrot produced a smartphone app and is running tours to highlight the issue of Arab
villages lost in 1948. The Guardian has produced an
interactive map highlighting this issue :
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/nakba-israel-palestine-zochrot-history
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/nakba-israel-palestine-zochrot-history
Sunday 4 May 2014
US diplomatic shift against Israeli / Zionist violence
In ordinary conversational language it doesn't sound so impressive, but the latest statement from Washington on the continuing violence and threats against non-Jewish Palestinians and their properties, which the state effectively supports by its inaction, represents a major diplomatic shift for the USA. For the first time, the State Department's 2013
Country Reports on Terrorism, published on 22nd April, included a reference
to a growing wave of racist anti-Palestinian vandalism, euphemistically called "price tag" attacks. The report, citing citing UN and NGO data, said, "Attacks by extremist Israeli settlers
against Palestinian residents, property, and places of worship in the
West Bank continued and were largely unprosecuted." But Israel police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said
the incidents were far from the global terrorist threats mentioned in the
report. "There's no comparison whatsoever between criminal incidents
with nationalistic motives and terrorist-related incidents,"Hate crime culprits are terrorists, says public security
minister<http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.588496>
minister<http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.588496>
Monday 21 April 2014
Jerusalem: No room for the prophet
In Jerusalem's Old City on Saturday 19th April, Israeli troops and police blocked all entrances to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to journalists and foreign pilgrims, preventing thousands of Christians from participating in the annual ceremonies
 |
| MaanImages/Alex Shams |
In recent years, Christian celebrations in Jerusalem have been subject to intense Israeli restrictions, as extra checkpoints have been erected through the Old City and worshipers have been subjected to police brutality during their gatherings.
In 2013, Israel even issued an official apology to Egypt after video footage captured a Coptic priest being attacked by Israeli police.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=691301
Thursday 17 April 2014
Deir Yassin Remembered
 |
| Palestine Museum, Bristol |
Thursday 10 April 2014
Extremist Israelis versus Israel's own army
Rioting settlers, Israeli soldiers clash in West
Bank <http://www.jta.org/2014/04/08/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/settlers-attack-israeli-security-forces-in-yitzhar>
JERUSALEM (JTA) 8 Apr -- Six Israeli Border Police officers were hurt in
clashes between Israeli security forces and settlers in the West Bank Jewish settlement of *Yitzhar*. Hundreds of supporters of the settlement located deep in the West Bank near Nablus rallied to the settlement late on Tuesday night after Israeli security forces arrived to demolish several "illegal" structures. People were living in two of the structures; at least two other structures were under construction. One structure was removed. The settlers threw stones, burned tires and blocked roads, according to the Israel Defense Forces. They also attacked a nearby IDF guard post responsible for the security of the 'settlement'. Two settlers were injured and eight arrested. About 200 families live in Yitzhar.
On Sunday, the tires of the IDF commander of the Samaria Brigade, Col. Yoav Yarom, were slashed while he was visiting Yitzhar. A teenage resident of Yitzhar was arrested for the crime. On Monday, the tires of a jeep on routine IDF patrol in Yitzhar also were slashed. There have been increasing numbers of attacks on security forces in the West Bank by
settlers in recent weeks, according to the IDF.
Bank <http://www.jta.org/2014/04/08/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/settlers-attack-israeli-security-forces-in-yitzhar>
JERUSALEM (JTA) 8 Apr -- Six Israeli Border Police officers were hurt in
clashes between Israeli security forces and settlers in the West Bank Jewish settlement of *Yitzhar*. Hundreds of supporters of the settlement located deep in the West Bank near Nablus rallied to the settlement late on Tuesday night after Israeli security forces arrived to demolish several "illegal" structures. People were living in two of the structures; at least two other structures were under construction. One structure was removed. The settlers threw stones, burned tires and blocked roads, according to the Israel Defense Forces. They also attacked a nearby IDF guard post responsible for the security of the 'settlement'. Two settlers were injured and eight arrested. About 200 families live in Yitzhar.
On Sunday, the tires of the IDF commander of the Samaria Brigade, Col. Yoav Yarom, were slashed while he was visiting Yitzhar. A teenage resident of Yitzhar was arrested for the crime. On Monday, the tires of a jeep on routine IDF patrol in Yitzhar also were slashed. There have been increasing numbers of attacks on security forces in the West Bank by
settlers in recent weeks, according to the IDF.
Sunday 6 April 2014
Archaeology and tourism - the twin horsemen
Israel has given the go-ahead to a controversial archaeological project in annexed east Jerusalem,
project<http://news.yahoo.com/israel-okays-disputed-e-jerusalem-archaeology-project-092655792.html>
Jerusalem (AFP) Fri 4 Apr - the interior ministry said on Friday, in a move likely to spoil peace talks with the Palestinians. The ministry "heard objections" from the Palestinians and from residents to the plans to build a visitor centre just outside Jerusalem's Old City walls in the Arab neighbourhood of Silwan, a statement said. It approved the project on the grounds that it will show important archaeological discoveries to the public. "As a tourist attraction, this will contribute to the development of the city of Jerusalem," the ministry added. Sami Ershid, a lawyer representing Silwan residents, accused Israel of trying to void Silwan of its Palestinian population by denying them construction permits. He told AFP the new complex would be a multi-level building of some 16,000 square metres (172,160 square feet). The decision came as Israel looked for ways to punish the Palestinians for applying to adhere to 15 international treaties after the Jewish state reneged on its agreement to release Palestinian prisoners.The so-called Kedem complex is to be built on a plot of land currently being used as a car park opposite the Dung Gate, the main entrance to the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. It would be managed by Elad, a hardline "settler" organisation which seeks to increase Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem and which runs the nearby City of David archaeological site. The Silwan neighbourhood is already home to dozens of Jewish insurgent families who live under heavy guard among their Arab neighbours.
http://news.yahoo.com/israel-okays-disputed-e-jerusalem-archaeology-project-092655792.html
project<http://news.yahoo.com/israel-okays-disputed-e-jerusalem-archaeology-project-092655792.html>
Jerusalem (AFP) Fri 4 Apr - the interior ministry said on Friday, in a move likely to spoil peace talks with the Palestinians. The ministry "heard objections" from the Palestinians and from residents to the plans to build a visitor centre just outside Jerusalem's Old City walls in the Arab neighbourhood of Silwan, a statement said. It approved the project on the grounds that it will show important archaeological discoveries to the public. "As a tourist attraction, this will contribute to the development of the city of Jerusalem," the ministry added. Sami Ershid, a lawyer representing Silwan residents, accused Israel of trying to void Silwan of its Palestinian population by denying them construction permits. He told AFP the new complex would be a multi-level building of some 16,000 square metres (172,160 square feet). The decision came as Israel looked for ways to punish the Palestinians for applying to adhere to 15 international treaties after the Jewish state reneged on its agreement to release Palestinian prisoners.The so-called Kedem complex is to be built on a plot of land currently being used as a car park opposite the Dung Gate, the main entrance to the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. It would be managed by Elad, a hardline "settler" organisation which seeks to increase Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem and which runs the nearby City of David archaeological site. The Silwan neighbourhood is already home to dozens of Jewish insurgent families who live under heavy guard among their Arab neighbours.
http://news.yahoo.com/israel-okays-disputed-e-jerusalem-archaeology-project-092655792.html
Friday 28 February 2014
West bank tourism takeover continues; more Gaza fundamentalism
Yet more Palestinian homes and property are being destroyed to make room for a planned increase in tourism by the Israeli regime:http://www.imemc.org/article/67098
Meanwhile in Gaza, there are signs that fundamentalism is on the increase with the apparent 'honour killing' of two teenage girls:
http://news.yahoo.com/relatives-arrested-over-suspected-39-honour-39-killing-140027191.html
Meanwhile in Gaza, there are signs that fundamentalism is on the increase with the apparent 'honour killing' of two teenage girls:
http://news.yahoo.com/relatives-arrested-over-suspected-39-honour-39-killing-140027191.html
Sunday 16 February 2014
Israelis push for West Bank splice
Rightists march at Maale Adumim pushing for new settlements
<http://www.maannews
MAALE ADUMIM (AFP) 14 Feb -- Thousands of young Zionist hardliners marched on Thursday to demand the government build new "settler" homes in E1, a highly sensitive strip of West Bank land near Jerusalem. Police said more than 6,000 people, including major Israeli political figures but mostly teenagers, joined the march which began in the Maale Adumim colony in the occupied West Bank and ended at E1 -- an undeveloped stretch of land just to the west, which borders the already stolen East Jerusalem territory. "Kerry = persona non grata," read one of the signs, referring to US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been trying to coax the Israelis and Palestinians towards a peace agreement. The Israelis have been planning construction in E1 since the early 1990s but nothing has ever been built there due to heavy international pressure. Plans for building 1,200 units unveiled in December 2012 were quickly put on hold after the announcement triggered a major diplomatic backlash. The Palestinians say construction in E1 would effectively cut the West Bank in two and prevent the restoration of a contiguous Palestinian state. "We will keep (the) promise to build in E1," Housing Minister Uri Ariel told a crowd consisting almost entirely of high-schoolers. The demonstration came hours after a Palestinian protest on the site in opposition to Israeli settlement construction in E1. That protest was held in anticipation of the Israeli right wing protest, and Israeli forces detained one activist during the demonstration.
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Justice in the West Bank is a shifting concept, where the colonisers, or "settlers" claim ownership of 62% of the land, and the Israeli army is able to attack the relatives of mere suspects with impunity. This behaviour was common before the recent murder of Israeli teenagers. That murder, which ideally would be dealt with by legal enforcement, has only served to refocus the world's attention on Palestine/Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-peace-conference/1.601479