- 1 aug 2012
Warnings against Israeli plan to raze Maghariba ramp and build military bridge
A galaxy of noted Palestinian figures highlighted in occupied Jerusalem the dangers threatening the Aqsa Mosque and the Israeli intention to build a huge military bridge in place of Al-Maghariba Gate ramp.
This came in a news conference held on Tuesday in occupied Jerusalem by the Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage.
The conference was attended by preacher of the Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, head of the Islamic Movement Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, head of the higher follow-up committee for Arabs Mohamed Zeidan, and director of Jerusalem affairs Hatem Abdulqader.
The speakers talked about the latest developments related to the Aqsa Mosque including the demolition of Al-Maghariba Gate, the Jewish break-ins at the Mosque, the rising Jewish calls for razing the Mosque, and the creation of Jewish premises for the alleged temple of Solomon around the Mosque.
Photos and video clips were also presented in the conference showing workmen embarking on demolishing Al-Maghariba Gate of the Aqsa Mosque.
According to the speakers, the Israeli occupation regime is planning to build a military bridge in place of Al-Maghariba Gate ramp and this bridge has many purposes including the launch of a future military attack on the Aqsa mosque with a large number of troops and bulldozers to demolish it.
http://fwd4.me/16yx 3 aug 2012, 09:33 , Respect -
Maria 2 aug 2012
Property Demolished for Illegal Settlement Expansion
The Har Homa settlement, less than one mile from Bethlehem, sits on what was once a protected forest
Israeli forces closed a road near Bethlehem in preparation for the demolition of Palestinian property.
The Israeli military frequently confiscates land in the West Bank near the illegal separation barrier. On Thursday morning Israeli bulldozers began demolishing structures on privately owned land in Beit Jala, a community near Bethlehem, reports Ma’an News.
Raji Zeidan, the Mayor of Beit Jala, stated months ago that Israeli forces had begun harassing residents of certain neighborhoods. Families living near valuable agricultural land or the illegal settlements are often targeted after Israelis demand room for expansion into the West Bank.
The Shaban family, whose property was occupied this morning by bulldozers and Israeli soldiers, lost their family home in what is now Israel decades ago. They have been living ‘temporarily’ in Dheisha refugee camp ever since but were able to purchase some land in the greater Bethlehem district. Now their land sits between a growing illegal settlement and the city of Beit Jala.
Israeli forces cannot confiscate the land if it is in permanent use. They must first drive landowners away by destroying structures that would otherwise shelter livestock, provide for irrigation, or provide housing for Palestinian residents. The Bethlehem district has already lost nearly 90 percent of its original land claim, which was maintained through the Ottoman and British occupations, the 1947 UN partition and the 1967 armistice line, according to the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64001
Israeli Forces Bulldoze Agricultural Road, Demolish Facilities
Israeli forces Thursday razed an agricultural road and demolished facilities of a restaurant and a house, west of Beit Jala, in the Bethlehem governorate, said local sources.
They said that a bulldozer accompanying large Israeli forces razed an agricultural road; the bulldozing process ended by closing the 500-meters road.
The soldiers raided al-Makhrur area and demolished a restaurant’s kitchen and a house‘s columns-- both were destroyed before and re-built-- that belongs to Palestinians.
It is not the first time the occupation army raid this area; it was raided last May, when the soldiers destroyed electricity poles, closed agricultural roads and demolished a restaurant and green houses.
This area is constantly targeted by settlers to its proximity to the settlements of Gilo, Betar Illit and Gush Atsion, south of Bethlehem, as well as the Apartheid Wall.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20389
Israeli Trucks Put Up Caravans in Ramallah-Area Town
Israeli trucks Thursday started moving caravans to an area near the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, according to mayor of Sinjil Ayyoub Sweid.
He told WAFA that construction activities have been recently spotted in the area as Israeli bulldozers have razed the land in preparation for putting up the caravans on the land, which has been confiscated by the Israeli authority in 2001 under the pretext of “being used for military purposes.”
Sweid noted the escalating settlers’ attacks, almost on a daily basis, targeting Palestinians and their property in Sinjil; the latest of which were an arson attempt of a Palestinian vehicle in the town and vandalism.
Sinjil is surrounded with four Israeli settlements and military points, said Sweid, adding that a large part of the town’s land has been confiscated by Israeli authorities or settlers.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20385 3 aug 2012, 10:43 , Respect -
Maria 3 aug 2012
Zahalka: Israeli planning to steal Golan oil
Jamal Zahalka, an Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, has charged the Israeli government with planning to steal the Syrian Golan Height’s oil and gas resources.
Zahalka, who was commenting on the news report that Israeli energy minister Uzi Landau ordered the start of oil exploration in the occupied Syrian territory, said that the decision is downright robbery.
He said that the Golan is a Syrian territory and Israel was exploiting its natural resources contrary to the international law.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights more than 30 years ago and allowed settlers to exploit its land for settlement, agricultural, and industrial purposes.
http://fwd4.me/176I
Israel demolishes Palestinian graveyard
(2:33) Israel demolishes Palestinian graveyard - Press TV News
A demonstration was held today in the historic Palestinian city of Jafa, which was occupied by Israel in 1948.
Al-Aqsa Foundation revealed that an Israeli company called “Solel Boneh, dug up the cemetery of Shekh Mons, in order to build apartments for the students of Tel Aviv University and a shopping mall.
Amongst the protesters was Sheikh Raed Salah, a Palestinian religious and political leader who recently won a court case in Britain against his deportation.
These excavations were discovered by a delegation from Al-Aqsa Foundation, headed by Abdel Majeed Mohammed. Amongst the wreckage they discovered remnants of gravestones and parts of skeletons.
When al-Aqsa foundation took the case to court, Tel Aviv University was ordered by the court to give a response by the 6th August. However Tel Aviv University ignored this order and continued with the excavations.
Palestinians living in Jaffa are now creating a campaign to save both the historical ruins and the Muslim graveyard which was partly destroyed in 1948 and only 10 percent of the graveyard now remains.
The al-Aqsa foundation has strongly condemned the action of the Israelis and considered it a violation of the dead people sanctity. However, Israel is continuing its crimes through digging the graves which is prohibited by all religions and international laws.
http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/254146.html
Israeli Military Destroys Property, Closes Road in Beit Jala
Israeli forces closed a rural road and bulldozed private property in the al-Makhrour area of Beit Jala near Bethlehem on Thursday.
The bulldozers razed 500 meters of agricultural land belonging to the Shaban family from the Deheishe refugee camp and closed an agricultural road. The Israeli military also demolished part of a local restaurant and a Palestinian home in the area according to reports from Ma’an and WAFA News.
Last October, the Israeli military issued an order confiscating 37,000 square meters of private land near the Cremisan Monastery.
Several structures have been previously demolished in the area under the pretext of a lack of building permits. However, the Israeli government refuses to grant building permits to Palestinians.
In May, the same area was targeted by occupation forces when soldiers destroyed electricity poles, closed agricultural roads, and demolished structures.
Beit Jala Mayor, Raji Zeidan said that this is all part of an effort to pressure residents to leave their land so that Israelis can expand settlements in the area. The area is near Gilo, Betar Illit and Gush Etzion settlements as well as the Separation Wall.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64006
IOA demolishes two buildings in Bethlehem village
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) sent its demolition teams to Beit Jala village in Bethlehem and destroyed a house under construction and part of a restaurant on Thursday.
Local sources said that the 100-meter square house was owned by George Khaliliya.
They added that the IOA teams razed a kitchen and toilets in a restaurant owned by Ramzi Qaisiya, which were destroyed last April but Qaisiya rebuilt them.
Qaisiya charged that the demolition was illegal since the building was built before Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.
http://fwd4.me/176O
Israel's Attack on South Hebron Hills Communities with Ahmad Jaradat
AICafè, Saturday, 4th August 2012, 8:00 PM
Discussion about Israel's attack on South Hebron Hills communities and what we can do.
With AIC field researcher Ahmad Jaradat.
The Israeli government recently announced plans to demolish eight Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills area to create space for military training. The targeted villages - Majaz, Tabban, Sfaye, Fah'it, Halawa, Al Marqaz, Jinba and Haruba – are home to some 1,500 residents.
This planned demolition of eight villages is but the latest in a long Israeli campaign targeting the South Hebron Hills area, which Israel wishes to ethnically cleanse in order to extend its settlement project throughout the entire area through to the Naqab (Negev) desert. In addition to official Israeli government and military attacks, settlers in the area have a long history of violence toward Palestinians and their property.
Local residents of South Hebron Hills, however, are resisting these concerted Israeli efforts to drive them from their homes and land.
How is Israel targeting the Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills area and why? What are the characteristics of Palestinian communities in this area? How are local communities resisting? And what can we, as Palestinian, Israeli and international activists, do to support this Palestinian resistance.
All of these questions and more will be discussed by Ahmad Jaradat, field researcher of the Alternative Information Center who specializes in both settler violence and the southern West Bank/Hebron area, of which he is a resident himself.
Please join for this important event!
The AIC is a joint Palestinian-Israeli activist organization engaged in dissemination of information, political advocacy and grassroots activism. The AICafè is a political and cultural café open on Tuesday and Saturday night from 7pm until 10.30 pm. Every Thursday at 8 PM, the AICinema screens films from the Arab World and beyond.The AIC is located in the Alternative Information Center in Beit Sahour, close to Suq Sha'ab (follow the sign to Jadal Center). We have a small library with novels, political books and magazines. We also have a number of Films in DVD copies and the AIC publications which are aimed to critically analyze both Palestinian and Israeli societies, as well as the conflict itself.
http://fwd4.me/173H 6 aug 2012, 00:26 , Respect -
Maria 5 aug 2012
Witnesses: Israeli forces move military checkpoint, annex land
Israeli forces moved part a military checkpoint on Sunday near the Bethlehem village of al-Khader, witnesses said.
Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that a checkpoint at the entrance to Newe Daniyyel settlement, built on private Palestinian land, was moved around 400 meters, effectively annexing around 300 dunams of land.
Farmers will no longer be able access their fields, an area equivalent to 3,000 sq. meters.
An Israeli army spokesman was unfamiliar with the incident.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=510050 6 aug 2012, 13:18 , Respect -
Maria 6 aug 2012
Aqsa Foundation warns against Israeli plan to take over Al-Aqsa
The Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage (AFEH) has warned against the Likud MK and coalition chairman Ze'ev Elkin's statements that called for preventing Muslims from accessing the Aqsa mosque in Jewish holidays similar to the Ibrahimi Mosque.
The Foundation said that the Israeli occupation authority aims at implementing this scheme in mid-September in conjunction with the Jewish New Year festival.
AFEH called on the Arab and Muslim world to intervene immediately to stop the implementation of such serious scheme, demanding the Jerusalemite and West Bank people to intensify their presence in the Aqsa Mosque.
The Foundation pointed out that it has long warned against the Israeli schemes to split the Aqsa mosque between Muslims and Jews, considering the settlers' repeated storming of the mosque as a prelude to further escalation.
Meanwhile, the Foundation stated in a separate statement that a palm tree planted near the Aqsa mosque suddenly fell on Sunday evening.
The Foundation said that Israeli excavations under the Aqsa mosque or spraying unknown substances on trees are the reason for the fall of that tree, adding that it has monitored the loss of several trees in the area in recent months.
AFEH said that Israeli forces and settlers have in the past sprayed unknown substances on trees, which resulted in their loss. Israel has placed a substantial number of security cameras on the roof of the western wall of the Aqsa mosque and the trees could be an impediment before those cameras, it added.
The Foundation has proposed formation of a committee of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim engineers and agronomists to examine professionally and scientifically such cases.
http://fwd4.me/17CX
Expansion of settlement south of Bethlehem
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) expanded the boundaries of Nevi Daniel settlement built on land of El-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, where they confiscated new Palestinian land and blocked access before its owners.
The coordinator of the Counter-Segregation Wall Committee, Ahmed Salah, said that a military barricade erected on Daniel's settlement has been moved 400 meters deep into Palestinian lands while a security control room was built on the new entrance.
At least 300 acres of Palestinian lands have been annexed as a result of this procedure which means that Palestinian landlords cannot have access to their land unless they obtain Israeli entry permits, he explained.
He added that these procedures come as part of occupation plans aimed at the construction of a large tourism project in the district including construction of hotels and parks.
http://fwd4.me/17CC
Israeli Military Confiscates Palestinian Land Near Bethlehem
Israeli Occupation Forces moved a military checkpoint near al-Khader south of Bethlehem on Sunday, annexing 3,000 square meters of Palestinian land.
According to Ma’an and WAFA news, the checkpoint at the entrance to Navi Daniel settlement was moved 400 meters, and Palestinian farmers will now need a permit to access their own farmland. This means that effectively, Israel has confiscated the productive farmland just before Palestinians were set to begin the harvest.
Illegal Israeli settlers have recently increased attacks on the village of al-Khader confiscating property, razing land and destroying water wells and cisterns.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64015 8 aug 2012, 11:45 , Respect -
Maria 8 aug 2012
Israel orders demolition of six Palestinian homes in Beit Awa town
The municipal council of Beit Awa town in Al-Khalil city said the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) delivered on Wednesday demolition orders against six houses in the town.
An official from the council told the Palestinian information center (PIC) that the IOF told six Palestinian owners that their homes would be demolished at the pretext they exist in an area under Israel's rule and near the segregation wall.
During the past few weeks, the IOF informed many Palestinians in Beit Awa and other nearby villages of their intention to raze their homes, claiming they were either built without license or in military zones.
In another incident, Haaretz newspaper reported that two Israeli military helicopters landed special forces last Monday morning in Jenba village, one of eight Palestinian villages south of Al-Khalil, which the Israeli war minister Ehud Barak had declared his intention to remove and turn them into zones for military drills.
According to the Palestinian natives in the village, the Israeli troops went on the rampage through the village, ransacked their homes and property and caused damage to some of their belongings and food supplies.
http://fwd4.me/17Kd
IOA escalates demolitions and confiscations in Yatta
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) escalated its repressive and abusive procedures against the residents of the eastern part in Yatta south of the city of Al-Khalil.
These procedures come in implementation of the IOA decision to raze eight Palestinian villages, east of Yatta, and the establishment of a military buffer zone to be used by the army for military purposes.
The Union of Agricultural Work Committees in Yatta stated that the IOA has been always interested in this region for being located at the border with areas of the Green Line.
Tariq Ziad Makhamra, 24, told the PIC, "The pace of harassment against the population of the eastern regions has been significantly increasing as the occupation served more than 77 demolition notices about a week ago."
He added that the Israeli occupation soldiers confiscated the agricultural tractors and harvesters, burned the crops, displaced the residents, and cut off the main road linking the villages of that region.
http://fwd4.me/17K0 9 aug 2012, 15:25 , Respect -
Maria 9 aug 2012
IOA decides to demolish two houses in Jerusalem
Jerusalem municipality decided to demolish two mobile houses placed by the UN to provide shelter for Palestinian families displaced by the Israeli occupation authority at the pretext of being illegally established.
Jerusalem Post newspaper said on Thursday that the UN Humanitarian Fund placed mobile houses in place of two Arab homes the municipality had demolished in east Jerusalem’s Beit Hanina neighborhood.
It was the first time that the UN had placed illegal caravans in the city to house Arabs whose homes had been demolished by the municipality, Jerusalem Councilman Meir Margalit (Meretz) said.
The UN is a well-known critic of the city’s policy of demolishing illegal Palestinian structures, said Margalit, who is the founder of the Israeli Coalition against Housing Demolitions.
“This time, [the UN] decided not just to speak, but also to act,” Margalit said.
http://fwd4.me/17Oi
EU Warns Israeli High Court against Forced Transfer of Palestinians
European Union heads of mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah Wednesday warned the Israeli High Court that a decision in favor of declaring a particular West Bank area as firing zone is tantamount to forced transfer of population under occupation, which is contrary to international law.
A statement issued by the EU heads of mission following a visit to eight communities facing the threat of demolition and displacement in the Southern Hebron Hills said if the High Court upholds an Israeli defense ministry decision to destroy the eight communities, then that entails the forced transfer of up to 1800 people from their communities.
The objective of the visit “was to gain a first-hand impression of developments in the area, to demonstrate concern at the humanitarian impact of any house demolitions and forced transfer of population, and to express the EU’s commitment to a sustainable future for the Palestinian communities in Area C,” said the statement.
The group, who also met with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at Mufaqara village and who briefed them about the Palestinian Authority efforts and work to support the people of this area, started its visit at Jinba community where it met representatives from several communities in Area C and were briefed on recent developments in the Southern Hebron Hills, including the proceedings in the Israeli High Court with regard to communities situated in the designated Firing Zone 918.
“The intention by the Israeli Ministry of Defense to prohibit permanent residence in the firing zone and thus to evacuate 8 communities (al-Majaz, a-Tabban, a-Sfay, al-Fakhit, al-Halaweh, al-Mirkez, Jinba, and al-Kharuba, all of which have been in existence from before the Firing Zone was declared) would – if upheld by the High Court of Justice – entail the forced transfer of up to 1800 people, contrary to Israel’s obligations as the Occupying Power,” said the EU officials.
“The designation of the area as a live firing zone would thus reduce further the opportunities for Palestinian communities to live and work in Area C and reduce further any potential of economic and social development for the Palestinians in this area of the occupied Palestinian territory,” they said.
During their meeting with Fayyad, the group reaffirmed “the strong commitment of the EU for the well being of the Palestinian people in Area C, and particularly those communities under the threat of demolition in the South Hebron Hills.”
Fayyad had also warned during the tour of the eight communities that the Israeli decision would destroy the two-state solution and will be in violation of international and humanitarian law.
“Forced transfer of population is clear and obvious violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention,” he said, promising the area residents to do what he can to help them defeat the Israeli intentions aimed at emptying that entire area of its Palestinian inhabitants.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20439
Israeli Mayor Signs Demolition Orders for UN-Funded Trailer Homes
Mayor of West Jerusalem Nir Barkat signed demolition orders for UN-funded trailer homes used to house Palestinians whose homes have been demolished by the Israeli authorities in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, Thursday reported the Israeli newspaper Haartez.
The trailer homes were funded by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and seven other donor countries, including Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Spain, Netherlands and Ireland.
Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wednesday accused OCHA of repeatedly violating accepted protocols, regarding the operation of international organizations, said Haartez.
OCHA officials said that no permits are needed to be obtained from the municipality because the trailer homes are not connected to the city’s utility system, added the paper.
“Municipal officials said the flags were a ploy to embroil Israel in embarrassing pictures of destroying trailer homes donated by friendly states,” said Haartez.
The municipality gave the families, whom the city refused to grant permits, 30 days to file an objection.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20433 13 aug 2012, 11:53 , Respect -
Maria 11 aug 2012
Supreme Court Of Israel Supports The Demolition Of 8 Villages South Of Hebron
The supreme Court of Israel have supported the government's decision to demolish 8 villages south of Hebron on the pretext that they are located in shooting and training area of the Israeli army.
On Thursday, the court published its decision after its refusal to the petition presented by the Association of Civil Rights in Israel behalf of the villages. According to the Jerusalem Post Newspaper.
The court's decision says :"the residents can stay at their homes until the next November"
On the other hand, the association of civil rights declared that it would present another petition.
The Israeli government said that it's not allowed to the Palestinians to access to the region during the army training.
Moreover, the leaders of 15 European missions visited these villages to take more information about this issue and after their visit, they published a statement behalf of the European Union by which they call on Israel to not demolish the villages and to exert more efforts in order to protect and encourage the Palestinian development in the C region.
http://fwd4.me/17XW 13 aug 2012, 12:59 , Respect -
Maria 13 aug 2012
Committee: Israeli forces uproot land in Bethlehem village
Israeli bulldozers uprooted agricultural land in the Bethlehem village of al-Khader on Monday, a local committee said.
Ahmad Salah, spokesman for the local committee against the wall and settlements, told Ma'an that five dunams of private Palestinian land were leveled in al-Absiyya, near the settlement of Elazar.
Olive trees and a well belonging to Riziq Muhammad Hussein Salah were also destroyed.
Settlers led by a female leader then stole several uprooted olive trees and took them away in trucks, Salah said.
"Her name is Nadia Matar the founder of the settler group known as women in green. This group maintains that all hills in the Etzion area must be under settler control to build religious schools and parks," he added.
Last week, Israeli forces moved part of a military checkpoint near al-Khader, witnesses said.
Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that a checkpoint at the entrance to Newe Daniyyel settlement, built on private Palestinian land, was moved around 400 meters, effectively annexing around 300 dunams of land.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=512246
Israeli Occupation Razes Agricultural Lands, Demolishes Water Well in Al-Khader
On Monday 13th August, Israeli bulldozers razed agricultural lands and demolished water well used to irrigate crops in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, Ahmad Salah, said that the razing process included five acres belonged to Riziq Mohammad Salah in al-Abasiyeh area, adjacent to Eliezer settlement.
The Israeli soldiers took the olive trees that were uprooted in the lands, and demolished the well built to collect rain water.
Salah said that the Israeli settlement policy against the agricultural lands of al-Khader village aims to confiscate the Palestinians’ lands and construct public parks and gardens for Israelis, as it was revealed in the last settlement plan.
http://fwd4.me/17XX
Warnings against Israeli scheme to control the Aqsa
The National Bureau for the defense of land has warned against a serious Israeli scheme to control the Aqsa mosque.
The National Bureau, in its weekly report issued on Sunday, pointed to the Israeli attempt to impose new de facto conditions on the ground, where the extremist MK Aryeh Eldad suggested a draft bill to split worship times between Jews and Muslims at the Aqsa Mosque.
The report noted that the bill coincided with the Israeli right-wing proposal to divide the Aqsa mosque between Muslims and Jews in a similar attempt to the arrangement at the Ibrahimi mosque in Al-Khalil.
The scheme was also evident in the Israeli authorities' decision to turn the Aqsa yards into public parks in a prelude to turn them to Israeli tourist sites and then Jewish worship places to establish the alleged temple, the report said.
The report noted that the Knesset Finance Committee approved millions of shekels to the settlements. In addition, it pointed out that the Islamic Waqf documents and the civil administration maps confirmed that thousands of acres seized by settlers in the Jordan Valley belong to the Islamic Waqf.
http://fwd4.me/17Y6 15 aug 2012, 11:19 , Respect -
Maria 15 aug 2012
Hamas and Aqsa foundation slam Israeli violations against Munis graveyard
The Hamas Movement and the Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage strongly denounced on Tuesday the persistent Israeli violations against the Muslim graveyard of Sheikh Munis in occupied Jerusalem.
"We strongly condemn these acts and excavations that violate the sanctity of the dead and Islamic graves and antiquities dating back to the Mamluk and Ottoman eras," Hamas stated in a separate press release.
Hamas also described the demolition of this historical Islamic graveyard as a blatant infringement on human values and international norms.
Hamas appealed to the conferees at the Islamic summit in Makka to take active decisions to protect the Palestinian Islamic and Christian holy sites and antiquities in Jerusalem.
For its part, the Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage warned that what remained of the historical graveyard of Sheikh Munis is vulnerable to destruction.
The foundation stated that the Israeli university of Tel Aviv resumed the desecration of dozens of Muslim graves and started to remove the remains of the dead.
Tel Aviv university intends to build apartment buildings for its students in place of the Muslim graveyard, according to the Aqsa foundation.
It noted that it had submitted to the Israeli higher court a petition to issue a verdict halting the excavation and building activities in the graveyard, but the court was biased in favor of the university and turned down on Monday its objection.
http://fwd4.me/17gC
Israel Protests in front of EU for Not Providing Customs Facilities for its Settlements
Israel protested yesterday night, in front of the European Union headquarters on its decision not to provide customs facilities for 'Modi'in' Israeli settlement and another nearby settlements, claiming that these settlements are located outside territories occupied in 1948.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Modi'in settlement and the two nearby settlements in Modi'in Maccabim-Re'ut, a city in the Centre District of Israel, were constructed in an area considered an integral part of Israeli territory and there is no doubt about its future.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the EU for cutting negotiations with Israel regarding the customs facilities, and for publishing a list of the boycotted Israeli cities and villages on the internet.
http://fwd4.me/17fj
Israel protests EU expansion of Green Line boycott
The European Union has added the town of Modiin-Maccabim Reut near Ben-Gurion International Airport to its list of settlements whose export products are ineligible for tax breaks.
Its inclusion stretches the EU’s boycott area westward and cuts into Israel’s narrow coastal strip.
Israel says the EU’s unilateral definition of “the State of Israel” is in breach of signed trade contracts and in any case unacceptable.
The town of Modiin was established on a strip of land designated “no-man’s land” in the post-1948 Arab-Israel war armistice.
http://www.debka.com/newsupdate/1986/
Settlers Empty Palestinian Well, Flood Farmlands
A group of extremist Israeli settlers used electric pumps to empty a Palestinian irrigation well and flooded Palestinian farmlands in as-Seer area, east of Sa’ir town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Resident Yassin Mohammad ash-Shalalda, told the Land Research Center that settlers of Esfir and Mitzad settlements carried out their attack on Tuesday at night. The settlers reportedly used a motor pump to empty the well and flooded the nearby Palestinian farmlands.
He added that several hundred cubic meters of land were wasted in the attack, and that the residents use this water for both irrigation and as a source of drinking water for their livestock.
Ash-Shalalda further stated that the residents filed a complaint to the Israeli police in Keryat Arba’ settlement in Hebron, but are not hopeful that there will be any affirmative action by the police due to the fact that numerous previous assaults, carried out by the settlers, were never investigated
The area in question is subject to frequent attacks especially since the settlers of both the illegal settlements of Mitzad and Esfir have been trying to expand their colonies at the expense of privately-owned Palestinian lands. The two outposts were also built on privately-owned Palestinian land.
Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory.
Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are turning Palestinian cities, towns and villages into isolated ghettoes, while Israel and the extremist settlers continue to focus on fertile Palestinian lands, mainly in the Jordan Valley. Most Israeli settlements and outposts are also built on hilltops surrounding different parts of the occupied West Bank.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64070
IOF fills up wells and arrests citizens in Jenin
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished on Wednesday three artesian wells, east of Jenin, and launched extensive sweeps searching for water wells in the area.
Eyewitnesses told PIC's reporter that an army bulldozer filled up three wells belonging to citizens Khalid Omar Yassin, Abdel-Moneim Daraghmeh, and Yasser Abu Zahra.
IOF also interrogated farmers who were in the area about other wells' locations, warning that they will fill up all the wells, which they called "unauthorized".
Citizens have been forced to dig artesian wells, drilling each of which costs about 50 thousand dollars, in order to find water for irrigation and drinking.
Meanwhile, local sources said that IOF arrested last night a youth from Jenin while passing through the Shafi Shomron checkpoint, near Nablus, and transferred him to an unknown destination.
They had also stormed a village in the west of Jenin and arrested Rafat Nassar, 19, and transferred him to the neighboring Salem military camp.
http://fwd4.me/17gT 17 aug 2012, 09:21 , Respect -
Maria 16 aug 2012
The ABCs of Israeli demolitions in the West Bank
A cat walks behind Palestinian children in al-Mufaqara, near Hebron on Aug. 8
Rasmiyye Hamande has lived in a cave in the West Bank for most of her life, which may have been a blessing in disguise. "This cave," she says, "can't be demolished so easily."
Other places in the village of Al-Mufaqara, in Area C -- the 60 percent of the West Bank under Israeli military control -- are more easily destroyed.
Some 622 structures were demolished by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2011, a 42 percent increase from 2010. The figures for 2012 could well surpass last year's numbers, as by the end of July, some 395 demolished structures in the West Bank were registered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Al-Mufaqara is one of 12 villages in an area recently declared "firing zone 918" by Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Defense wants to demolish eight of these villages and evacuate their residents to make way for a military training. About 1,500 Palestinians are expected to be forcibly displaced if this demolition is carried out.
The army says the training exercises in firing zone 918 are necessary to deal with shortcomings exposed during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, and the Ministry of Defense has indicated that the villagers will still be allowed to use the land on weekends and Jewish holidays.
Firing zones like this one, all officially intended for military training, make up about 18 percent of the West Bank; 45 percent of all demolitions in the Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank since 2010 have taken place in firing zones.
IRIN takes a look at the circumstances surrounding these demolition orders.
When and why are Palestinian structures in Area C considered illegal by Israel?
All structures need government-approved permits; those without can be demolished. But acquiring a permit from the Israeli Civil Administration - a military body tasked with overseeing occupied Palestinian territory -- for Palestinian construction in Area C is close to impossible.
According to OCHA, the Civil Administration rejected 94 percent of Palestinians' building permit applications in Area C between 2000 and 2007. In 2010, only four out of 444 building permit applications in Area C were approved. The Civil Administration told IRIN that there is no set time period for the review of requested building permits, and that every applications is examined differently.
In villages outside firing zones, the main problem is restrictive Israeli planning. Requested building permits must fit into spatial plans that have not changed since they were drawn up in the 1930s, when the area was under British administration.
Inside closed military zones, access is prohibited without a special permit, unless one is a permanent resident. Permits for construction are only available if the Israeli commander in charge issues a special order.
Structures are also prohibited on land considered by Israel to be archeological sites. This is the case in Susiya, in the south Hebron hills; 70 percent of the existing structures in the community have pending demolition orders.
All told, 70 percent of Area C is off-limits for Palestinian construction and another 29 percent is heavily restricted.
Demolition orders can target solid houses, tents or other structures including school, water wells, solar panels, electricity grids and animal shelters. Out of the 622 structures destroyed by Israeli forces, 222 were homes, 170 were animal shelters, two were classrooms and two were mosques.
What can affected communities do against demolition orders?
The Civil Administration first issues a so-called "stop-work order" to the owner of the structure. In the order, the date and place of the hearing and the relevant sub-committee of the Civil Administration is noted. Those affected may raise their objections to the order during the sub-committee hearing, with the theoretical option to acquire a permit retroactively.
After the hearing, the Civil Administration usually issues a final demolition order, against which a new petition is possible. If the court rules in favor of the affected communities, or suggests modifications, the demolition is suspended. Once the court legally backs the demolition, it can be executed.
Guy Inbar, spokesman for the Civil Administration, told IRIN that in the cases of the Susiya community and firing zone 918, the court suspended the demolition orders. But it also found that the Palestinian buildings in these areas were illegal, citing a previous court ruling that had prohibited any construction in those areas.
Are the demolitions legal under international law?
Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that "any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations."
Article 46 of the Hague Convention states that "the lives of persons, and private property, as well as religious convictions and practice, must be respected."
The Israeli government holds the view that the West Bank is not under occupation, but has the status of "disputed territory", which limits the applicability of the provisions of International Humanitarian Law.
What responsibility does Israel have towards Palestinians living in structures set to be demolished?
Ramesh Rajasingham, local head of OCHA, said that Israel as an "occupying power has an obligation to protect Palestinian civilians and to administer the territory in a manner that ensures their welfare and basic needs. The ongoing destruction of civilian homes does not meet that obligation."
In the case of the Palestinian village of Zanuta, which is built on an Israeli archeological site, the court asked the state to provide alternatives for those living in homes set to be demolished.
According to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, "The state representative responded saying that it was not the responsibility of the military authority to find a solution."
What happens after a demolition is carried out?
Humanitarian organizations like OCHA often provide emergency shelters for Palestinians whose homes have been destroyed. But even these emergency shelters, if built without permits in Area C, may be considered illegal by the Israeli Civil Administration.
In many cases, such as in firing zone 918, Palestinians reconstruct their homes after demolition. Others might live with family members until finding a new home. A minority among them also have second homes in Areas A or B, the 40 percent of the West Bank under full or partial administration of the Palestinian Authority.
For the residents of the eight villages still designated for demolition in firing zone 918, expulsion is still hard to imagine.
Khalid Jabareen, from one of the villages, told IRIN: "We see in the media how the world lives, how Israelis live. Compared to this, I can say that we don't live."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=513058
(What the author fails to mention is the fact that Israeli settlers in the same "military areas" or "firing zones" don't seem to have any trouble obtaining permits and are almost never demolished. The author also fails to mention the common-place situation in which Palestinians are forcibly removed and their structures demolished in said "closed military areas", and then once the cleansing has been done, Israeli settlers are given permits to build on the same land stolen from the Palestinians.)
17 aug 2012, 11:30 , Respect -
Maria 17 aug 2012
IOF refuses to return confiscated tractors, water tanks
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have refused to return two tractors and twelve water tanks confiscated from Palestinian citizens in the Jordan Valley over a month ago.
The municipal council of Wadi Al-Malih and Bedouin tribes said in a statement on Thursday that all efforts by human right groups in this direction were in vain.
It said that the water tanks have been confiscated over a month ago while the tractors were seized almost three weeks ago.
The council said that all IOF pretexts for appropriating the tractors and tanks were trivial, charging that the IOF was constantly pressuring the Bedouins in this area to force them to abandon their land to make way for the construction of new Jewish settlements.
Olive grove destroyed in south Hebron
Palestinians found 30 olive trees in al-Hamra valley destroyed on Thursday
Israeli settlers destroyed 30 olive trees in a Palestinian grove in the south Hebron hills on Thursday, a local official said.
The trees in al-Hamra valley, neighboring the Havat Maon settler outpost, are owned by the al-Rabee family, popular committee coordinator Rateb al-Jabour said.
Al-Jabour condemned aggression by settlers in the area, and said the attitude of the Israeli authorities gives permission to the settlers to conduct such acts.
Italian peace group Operation Dove said 97 Palestinian trees have been destroyed since January, and the largest amount has taken place in the Humra valley.
Also on Thursday, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory visited the south Hebron hills village Jinba, one of eight slated for demolition by Israeli authorities to make way for a military training zone.
Maxwell Gaylard said: "These are already some of the most vulnerable families in the West Bank -- forcibly displacing them from their homes and lands would have a serious immediate and long-term impact on their physical, socio-economic and emotional welfare."
20 aug 2012, 07:50 , Respect -
Maria 20 aug 2012
Palestinians fined for confiscation of their own equipment
Israeli authorities are fining Palestinians in the Jordan Valley for confiscation of the Palestinians’ own equipment.
According to Jordan Valley Solidarity, these fines are imposed for the confiscation and holding of tractors, agricultural equipment and even for detention of the Palestinians themselves.
Examples cited by Jordan Valley Solidarity include a NIS 7,500 fine for Ibrahim Mohammed Abu Mohsen following the confiscation of his tractor and water tank for one month; NIS 15,000 fine for Sati Zamel for confiscation of his cows; and NIS 5,000 fine for Hussein Makhoul for confiscation of his tractor for one month.
22 aug 2012, 10:19 , Respect -
Maria 21 aug 2012
Soldiers destroy Palestinian Car in Hebron
Palestinian sources reported that Israeli soldiers smashed, Sunday, the windshield of a Palestinian car that was parked in the center of Hebron city, in the southern part of the West Bank, and used a metal barrier to smash its doors.
The car was parked at the entrance of the Old City of Hebron; Israeli soldiers smashed its windshield after claiming that “the car was parked near a settler’s outpost” in Ash-Shuhada Street.
The soldiers further used a metal barrier in smashing the doors and trunk of the car before forcing its owner to move it to a different location, away from the illegal settler outpost.
The Hebron district is the largest Palestinian district in the occupied West Bank with more than 600.000 Palestinians living there. The district lost approximately %51 of its land to settlements and outposts since it fell under Israeli occupation in 1967.
The district has been largely impacted by the Israeli Annexation Wall that led to the isolation of more than %60 of Palestinian orchards and farmlands.
Approximately 350-400 Israeli settlers, in addition to more than 200 Yeshiva students, live in the heart of the City of Hebron. More than 6000 settlers living in the Keryat Arba’ settlement in Hebron; there are more than 27 Israeli settlements and 17 settlement outposts in the Hebron district.
Hebron, one of the largest Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, is home to 250.000 Palestinians, and was supposed, under the Oslo Peace agreements, to be gradually handed to the Palestinians.
In 1997, the city was divided into two main parts; H1, under the “control” of the Palestinian Authority, and H2 under full Israeli control.
Approximately 25.000 Palestinians live in H2 area, in addition to around 350-400 settlers and 200 Yeshiva students; more than 1.000 Israeli soldiers are also deployed in the area.
Illegal Israeli measures in Hebron led to the closure of 1829 Palestinian businesses; 1141 were closed during the second Intifada, and 440 of them were closed under direct Israeli military orders; the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) reported.
Palestinians living in the Old City of Hebron are subject to frequent attack by extremist settlers living in illegal outposts.
Israel’s settlements in the occupied Palestinians territories, including East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory.
http://www.imemc.org/article/64089 22 aug 2012, 10:19 , Respect -
Maria 22 aug 2012
Israel to Demolish Two Houses in Beit Ummar
Israeli civil administration officials, accompanied by soldiers, issued the orders to Younis Zaqeq and Jawad Awad.
Israeli forces Wednesday handed two Palestinians demolition notices of their houses in Beit Ummar, a town north of Hebron, said the coordinator of the popular committee against settlements and the Apartheid Wall, Mohammad Awad.
Officials of the Israeli Civic Administration, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, stormed an area in the town adjacent to Karmi Tsur settlement, built illegally on Beit Ummar land, and handed Younis Z’aqeq and Jawad Awad demolition notices.
Z’aqeq’s house is under construction and the owner has all legal documents that prove his ownership of the land, said Awad, adding that Jawad Awad received a demolition notice of his house two months ago.
The area in Beit Ummar town has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli authorities that issued demolition notices of 40 other houses for settlement expansion.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20495
Israel issues demolition orders to Beit Ummar homes
Israeli civil administration officials, accompanied by soldiers, issued the orders to Younis Zaqeq and Jawad Awad.
Israeli forces issued demolition orders to two homes in Beit Ummar, Hebron on Wednesday, official news agency Wafa reported.
Israeli civil administration officials, accompanied by soldiers, issued the orders to Younis Zaqeq and Jawad Awad, Wafa quoted popular committee member Muhammad Awad as saying.
Their homes are located near the Karmi Zur settlement.
Zaqeq has legal documents proving ownership of his land, Awad said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=513752
Israel to Seize 3000 Dunums near Jericho
Israeli authorities Wednesday handed several Palestinian farmers in Deir Hajla and al-Zour locales, in east of Jericho, eviction notices and other notices to seize 3000 dunums of land belonging to a religious endowment (Waqf), reported local sources.
They said Israeli authorities demanded the farmers to bring back the land to original state and evacuate it within 45 days of the notice.
Head of the agriculture department in Jericho, Ahmad al-Fares, condemned the Israeli attacks targeting Palestinian farmers in an attempt to deport them of the land.
Al-Fares said the land threatened with the Israeli notices belongs to Waqf and have been leased to Palestinian farmers for tens of years.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20493
Report: Israel to evict Jericho farmers
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities on Wednesday handed out eviction orders to farmers near Jericho in the central West Bank, the PA's official news site reported.
Farmers in Deir Hajla and al-Zour were ordered to evacuate 3,000 dunums of land within 45 days, Wafa reported.
Ahmad al-Fares, head of the agriculture department in Jericho, said the land belonged to Waqf, the Muslim religious trust, and had been leased to farmers for decades.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=513758
Israeli Forces Seize Tractors in Jordan Valley
BARDALA, JORDAN VALLEY, (WAFA) – Israeli forces Wednesday seized three farming tractors used by residents of the northern areas of the Jordan Valley, according to witnesses.
They said a large military force stormed Bardala, a village in the northern Jordan Valley, chased away local farmers and seized three tractors used to plough their land.
Israeli police who accompanied the military force imposed heavy fines on the owners of the tractors.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20485
Israeli Court Approves Well Destruction In Bethlehem
Bulldozer Destroying Palestinian Property
An Israeli military court approved, Tuesday, an order issued by the Israeli military demanding a Palestinian farmer from Al-Khader town, near Bethlehem, to demolish an irrigation well under the pretext that it is “close to the Annexation Wall”.
Ahmad Salah, coordinator of the National Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Al-Khader, stated that the Beit El military court, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, rejected an appeal filed by the well’s owner, Mahmoud Sbeih.
The well was dug by the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee, and was financed by Holland as part of a project to support Palestinian farmers in the area.
The Israeli court granted Sbeih two weeks to demolish his well; otherwise, the army will demolish it and send the hyped bill to the farmer.
Israel’s illegal Annexation Wall was built in a manner that allows easy settlement construction and expansion at the expense of privately-owned Palestinian lands and orchards.
In July 2004, 14 of the 15 Hague judges of the International Court ruled that the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank violated international law and "constituted illegal annexation."
The court said Israel should stop the construction immediately, dismantle existing sections and compensate Palestinians harmed by its construction.
Israel ignored the ruling, considered it “irrelevant”, and went on to issue a 170-page response to the ruling protesting it, and claiming that “the court was looking at the wrong, outdated route”.
The Annexation Wall extends on more than 810 kilometers leading to the illegal annexation of thousands of Dunams of Palestinian lands, and isolates thousands of Dunams.
The route of the Wall is planned and implemented in a way that totally isolates several Palestinian villages, and enables the expansion of Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank, and in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Annexation Wall – Fact-sheet
http://www.imemc.org/article/64098