- 28 juni 2011
IOA bulldozes land in Silwan
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) bulldozers leveled land in Wadi Al-Rababa in Silwan near to Bustan suburb south of the Aqsa Mosque.
The spokesman for the committee to defend Silwan town, Fakhri Abu Diyab, said that the IOA bulldozers have been working since Monday morning, noting that landmarks in the area along with old trees were all being wiped out in preparation for opening a Talmudic garden and Judaizing the entire area.
Abu Diyab said that a number of IOA municipality workers installed fake Jewish tombs to appear as old Jewish relics.
The spokesman appealed to concerned parties to swiftly act to abort the IOA scheme, which might end up in Judaizing the entire area before moving on to Judaize the Bustan suburb.
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Maria 30 juni 2011
April and May report
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) --
Israeli policies didn’t change in the town of Silwan in the months of April and May 2011,if compared to the previous months with a marked escalation of settlers and increased grip on the reins and control concerning decisions of the police, the municipality and the head of Israeli forces during the confrontations with the Palestinians.
Mada information center in Wadi hilwa – Silwan during the months of April and May the recorded the following:
Arrests and detention:
Information Center Registered 53 cases of arrest, and detention in addition to 33 cases of the interrogation among them for kids under 16 and scored 13 arrest of a failed attempts by the undercover unit. four young men from Silwan, ranging from five to ten years claiming the text of their illegal activities.
Confrontations and clashes:
There wasn’t any day went by during the months of April and May without confrontation or clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces and the most distinguished of all were on the the junction Street of Silwan Beer Ayoub-Wadi Rababa, Batn Al-Hawa, Ein al louzeh Wadi hilwa street which was named after the martyr Samer Sarhan All of these neighborhoods surround Al bustan district which is threatened by Jerusalem Municipality of being demolished and turned to the biblical garden. Instead.
The-settlers and their guards were armed heavily whom are paid through the Ministry of Housing of the Israeli taxpayer money.They tried in several cases to disperse Palestinian demonstrators and used live bullets, without any attempt of the army or the Israeli police to stop them .Moreover, the settlers and their children threw stones at Palestinian passers-by and homes sprayed them with water without being punished for these acts.. The Information Center has documented through photography breaches of the settlers as they stood side by side with Israeli forces
Israeli forces Used tear gas heavily recorded The information center Wadi Hilwa Silwan. 197 cases of chocked were processed on the ground or turned into a clinic nearby, or hospital and most of them were children and elderly people This was due to throwing large amounts of tear gas, which were expired and this is contrary to the instructions for use of the manufacturer which basicly emphasizes that the use of expired gas mean turning it into a deadly toxic gases.
The center also recorded daily violations of tear gas use through violating the instructions that the manufacturer forbid particularly the use in closed zones..
They used the tear gas in a random and dense as a collective punishment of the population of Silwan, without distinguishing between the whereabouts of the protesters and safe houses .They also used the gas in many cases, without having any clashes .The center also recorded that during the months of April and May, 15 cases of tear gas use inside shops, schools without any actual reason or clashes.
Burning houses and the refusal of fire stations to participate to put off fires:
The center Registered burning four houses of Palestinians in Silwan because of the heavy and indiscriminative use of tear gas and one fire vehicle rejected to put off the fire justifying that it was barred from entering the town of Silwan.
Homeowners couldn’t put off fire before spreading because of the gas density used by Israeli forces.
Targeting aid workers and journalists:
Programmed targeting of the Israeli forces to the journalists and aid workers was clearly observed. The information center has recorded two cases of rubber bullets to paramedics and at least 22 cases of severe chocking and prevent paramedics often from doing their duty and in one case they were threatened to be forced to leave the area of confrontation.
The center registered three cases that Journalists were targeted and injured by rubber bullets, and 25 cases of chocking.
The center’s own photographer For Silwanic site was woundsed directly by rubber bullet and was beaten in two separate incidents one of them was when he was sprayed with pepper gas directly into his face and his expulsion from the area of confrontation.
Keeping hostages:
The center also recorded one case at least of arresting a child as a hostage until his child brother handed over himself into police on the grounds that it involved the clashes in Silwan Twon
Deportation:
Deportation order was renewed for Adnan Ghaith secretary of Fatah in the Silwan and the member of Al-Bustan for four more months on 5/12/2011 by order of the Israeli army command by the Emergency Law, which was the practice since the British Mandate. Five other people were deported from their homes with house arrest in other areas including 4 minors.
Heavily Military and Intelligence presence were recorded and installing new.
This heavily presence was witnessed in particular in the restoration and settlements in Wadi hilwa.
The Barriers and tax collection campaigns : were placed at the entrances to the town of Silwan throughout April and May.It was for the humiliation of residents of Silwan as collective punishment.On the barriers, painful taxes were collected.And the town was invaded several times with participation of the Jerusalem Municipality which are violations to the owners of Authority “offenders” an employee of the authority of taxes “levying “said to Some traders “We will continue this policy as long as your children throw stones”
House searches:
The Israeli forces Continued to break into the houses in Silwan and searched in a humiliating way and kept Assaulting the house owners
Suppression of marches and festivals:
The people of Silwan kept organizing demonstrations and and peaceful marches against the policy of settlements and the demolition of houses the Israeli forces targeted the closing ceremony of the International Literary Festival which was held in the-Bustan tent site and neighborhood, which caused the ceremony delay for several hours .
http://silwanic.net/?p=18449 15 jan 2012, 21:14 , Respect -
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Maria 8 juli 2011
IOF arrest 3 Jerusalem Palestinians, try 3 others
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- IOF troops arrested on Thursday night three young men from the Jerusalem suburb of Silwan after raiding the suburb and mounting raids on a number of Palestinian homes there.
Eyewitnesses said that local youth clashed with the invading occupation troops and that the clashes lasted till late at night.
Meanwhile, a Zionist occupation court sentenced Nitham Abu Romoz (29 Years) and Wael al-Rajabi (30 years) to four years and four months prison terms, and sentenced Ahmad Salymeh (23 years) to three years and four months prison term.
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Maria 11 juli 2011
IOA endorses new road in Silwan, serves demolition notice in same village
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) authorized the construction of a new four-meter wide road in Silwan town, south of the Aqsa Mosque, on Sunday to serve settlement outposts in occupied Jerusalem.
The IOA-controlled Jerusalem municipality approved the construction of the road starting from Ras Al-Amud suburb to Al-Bustan street.
The new road, which would be completed by the end of the year, passes through densely populated neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, the municipality served a new demolition notice to an old woman in the same town of Silwan on Sunday.
Khadija Abdul Razek lives in the 110 square meters house with her ten-member family and grand children. Her son Hamouda Siyam said that municipality staffers glued the order on the house and told them to report to the municipality’s inspection sector.
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Maria 13 juli 2011
Silwan: 11 youths arrested for throwing stones
Eleven juveniles aged 14-17 were arrested on suspicion of throwing stones and firebombs at Beit Yehonatan in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
In addition to their arrests, Jerusalem Police also detained the owner of a store at which they bought flammable and explosive materials used to produce the firebombs. Indictments are to be filed in the coming days.
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Maria 15 juli 2011
Report: Israeli opposition leader Livni visits Silwan
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni visited the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan Friday, in an action deemed provocative by local residents.
Israeli forces initiated unprecedented closures in the area, blocking streets and entrances across the neighborhood, and maintaining a visible presence, locals told Ma'an.
Tzipi Livni was reportedly visiting the 'City of David' before heading to a settlement outpost in the AL-Bustan district.
According to witnesses Livni was guided around by a member of the Elad association, an organization actively involved in settlement projects in the Silwan neighborhood.
Silwan is a frequent flashpoint for confrontations due to the presence of Israeli settlers who have displaced Palestinian Jerusalemites from their homes.
East Jerusalem has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=405479 15 jan 2012, 21:17 , Respect -
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Maria 18 juli 2011
Police question youths at Jerusalem summer camp
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli police stormed a summer camp for children in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied east Jerusalem on Monday and interrogated campers, a Fatah official said.
Munir Al-Jaghoub, spokesman for Fatah recruitment, says the camp is run by the Sheikh Jarrah Women's Forum. About 50 children aged 12-17 joined the camp, called “Sheikh Jarrah will remain steadfast,” he added.
Also Monday, an Israeli court fined a family in the Bustan area of the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan more than $10,000 for building a house without a permit, the official Palestinian news agency said.
Wafa said the court also gave the owner, Widad Tawil, a mother of eight, until October to obtain a building permit from the Israeli municipality; otherwise, the house will be demolished.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=406204 15 jan 2012, 21:17 , Respect -
Maria 19 juli 2011
Teenagers kidnapped by Israeli police in Wadi Hilweh
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- Israeli forces kidnapped two children in Wadi Hilweh district of Silwan yesterday afternoon. Two police cars were sighted approaching Mohammed Qaq and Hamza Samreen, both aged 15, at high speed, then making the arrests.
Details of the arrests remain unknown. A third boy, Hamza Siyam, 17, was also arrested for a brief period before being released.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18571
Madaa Center launches fifth annual Summer Games in Silwan
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) --
The Madaa Creative Center “Summer Games” program was launched yesterday in Wadi Hilweh district of Silwan. The Games features a wide range of activities for children during one week of the summer holiday period, including games, educational activities and entertainment. The week will be concluded with a colorful street rally in Wadi Hilweh, a tradition since 2008 when the first rally was staged as a community gathering and protest against settlement policy in Silwan.
2011 marks the fifth consecutive Summer Games event, under the “I Love You Silwan” banner. The Games seek to inspire pride amongst Silwan’s young residents in their community. Silwan is inhabited by 55,000 Palestinians and 300 Israeli settlers. Over 70% of Palestinian residents live below the poverty line, and all must pay taxes to the Israeli state, which does not provide municipal services in return.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18574 15 jan 2012, 21:18 , Respect -
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Maria 21 juli 2011
Brother of Sarhan martyr arrested at Bir Ayyub checkpoint
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- Residents of Bir Ayyub district of Silwan were targeted by Israeli forces on the pretext of traffic control yesterday. Palestinian drivers were stopped and searched at a Bir Ayyub checkpoint, with Samah Sarhan, 17, arrested from inside his vehicle.
Sarhan is the younger brother of martyred Samer Sarhan, who was killed last year by an Israeli settler guard amidst intense riots.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18601
- 11 juni 2011
Israeli troops storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Israeli forces stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque yesterday, Friday 10 June, after the midday prayer. Troops entered from Dung Gate, firing sound bombs in the mosque courtyard. Muslim youth responded with stones in an effort to repel the attack. Three youth were arrested by Israeli forces on suspicion of stone-throwing. A police campaign of arrest is expected to continue throughout coming days.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18064 15 jan 2012, 21:03 , Respect -
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Maria 13 juni 2011
Seven year old boy summoned for police investigation
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- A 7-year old boy has been summoned by Israeli police for investigation, Silwanic has learnt. Saed Rajaby from Silwan was summoned by telephone to the police station for interrogation. Police offered no reason as to his summoning. The act comes in direct contradiction to international conventions on child protection.Seven year old boy summoned for police investigation A 7-year old boy has been summoned by Israeli police for investigation, Silwanic has learnt.
Saed Rajaby from Silwan was summoned by telephone to the police station for interrogation. Police offered no reason as to his summoning. The act comes in direct contradiction to international conventions on child protection.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18137
Detention of Rajabi men extended
Zuhair
The detention of Silwan natives Zuhair Rajabi, Fwad Rajabi and Fares Rajabi was extended by the Israeli Magistrates Court on sunday 12-6-2011 ,Zuhair (36), Fwad (30) and Fares (23) of Baten al-Hawa district face legal action for attempting to block the Israeli raid on their family home on Friday 3-6-2011 ,Authorities claim that the three men’s actions threatened the lives of Israeli troops.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18141
Paramedic arrested and accused of stone-throwing
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- Twenty-three year old paramedic Walid Farawy was arrested yesterday, June 11 by Israeli forces in Bab al-Majlis. He was then subjected to interrogation and accused to stone-throwing during the Israeli raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday.
The Magistrates Court extended Farawy’s arrest until today, 12 June, allowing the prosecution more time to build their case against him.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18097
Clashes break out around Silwan
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- Clashes have occured sporadically throughout several districts of Silwan tonight between Israeli forces and Palestinian residents. Witnesses state that Israeli forces have fired tear gas in the streets, while local youth throw stones at Israeli troops and settler guards.
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Maria 16 juni 2011
Silwan inhabitants fear confiscation of their land in court ruling
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Silwan town committee has called for a sit-in before the Jerusalem court of construction and planning on Thursday which is supposed to issue a ruling on confiscation of 550 dunums of land in Silwan, Jabl Mukabir, and Wad Yasul in occupied Jerusalem.
The committee described the scheme as the most serious over the past few years as it covers vast area of land and is close to the Old City gates.
It said in a statement that the land might be lost forever in light of the current situation in the holy city, pointing to the Israeli government’s decision to allocate 100 million dollars for the purpose of confiscation of land and demolition of Palestinian houses.
http://fwd4.me/041X 15 jan 2012, 21:05 , Respect -
Maria 17 juni 2011
Silwan children abducted from their bedrooms
Palestinian children are increasingly targeted in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
SILWAN, occupied East Jerusalem (IPS) - “Father please help me! Don’t let them take me away,” screamed 12-year-old Ahmed Siyam as approximately fifty heavily armed Israeli soldiers and police dragged the handcuffed and blindfolded boy away.
Last month Ahmed was pulled out of his bed at 4am by Israeli security forces led by Shin Bet agents http://fwd4.me/04Gd from Israel’s domestic intelligence agency. He was taken to the Russian Compound police station in West Jerusalem where he was accused of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers and police during clashes with Palestinian youth in the volatile neighborhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem.
Silwan has become a regular point of friction and violent confrontation between illegal Israeli settlers http://fwd4.me/04Gc , the Israeli soldiers and police who protect them, and Palestinian youngsters.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been driven out of their homes in East Jerusalem to make way for the Israeli settlers. Many Palestinian homes have been destroyed, and dozens more are under threat, as the Israeli authorities move Israeli settlers in — all illegal under international law.
Dragging children from their bedrooms
When the soldiers first arrived Ahmed’s father Daoud at first refused to open the door and demanded that the police produce a search or arrest warrant.
“But they threatened to break the door down if I didn’t open it. They asked me where Ahmed was and I asked them why they wanted him. They told me to shut up and assaulted me,” Daoud told IPS.
“They then went to Ahmed’s bedroom and dragged him out and into a police vehicle outside. They would not tell me where they were taking him and physically prevented me from accompanying Ahmed.
“The next morning after many frantic telephone enquiries I found out Ahmed was being held at the Russian Compound. When I went there they wouldn’t let me see my son and denied he was even there. Eventually after I called my lawyer I was able to see him several hours later. He looked very traumatized and was crying,” recalls Daoud.
“I was scared. I couldn’t see where we were going and my hands were handcuffed very tightly behind my back. At the police station they refused to give me water when I told them I was thirsty and when I asked to go to the toilet they kicked me. They questioned me for hours and accused me of throwing stones which I denied,” Ahmed told IPS.
Two weeks ago Ahmed’s cousin, Ali Siyam, 7, was arrested under similar circumstances and also accused of stone throwing. When his father Muhammad tried to stop the dozens of Israeli security men from dragging his son away, he was beaten with the backs of guns on his head and subsequently required hospital treatment.
Ali’s aunt was shot in the leg with a rubber-coated steel bullet when she tried to intervene and she too required hospital treatment. Ali’s parents were forbidden from accompanying their son to the police station and when they went to the Russian Compound the police denied that Ali was in their custody.
When Ali’s Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel tried to visit her young client in jail the security guards refused to allow her in. When she tried to walk past the guards she was detained. Following an argument she was granted access to the boy. Ali was released several hours later.
Meanwhile, Ahmed was initially ordered to a month’s house arrest and forbidden from attending school as the police investigation continued. He is due to appear in court next month on charges of stone throwing. Whether he is guilty or not remains questionable as does Israel’s interrogation techniques of young Palestinian children.
More than 1,200 children treated as criminals
(6:33) Palestinian child prisoners
Defence for Children International - Palestine Section (DCI) http://fwd4.me/04Ge reports that Israeli police opened 1,267 criminal cases against Palestinian children between November 2009 and October 2010 for stone throwing in East Jerusalem. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem http://fwd4.me/04Gg reports 31 of those children were from Silwan.
“Fifty percent of the children were interrogated without their parents or a lawyer present and many were threatened and assaulted,” Gerard Horton, a lawyer from DCI, told IPS.
“Many of the children were screamed at, slapped and shoved, sometimes kicked and punched, during questioning and coerced into making statements of disputable accuracy. Some were threatened with further violence,” said Horton.
“These kids had been taken from their homes in the middle of the night, many handcuffed and blindfolded,” Horton said. “They were then interrogated hours later and by this time they were traumatized and disoriented, and not able to withstand the pressure.”
The situation of Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank is even worse where they are subject to military law. Minors can be held for up to eight days before they are brought before a military judge.
“We had one case where three kids were tasered while their hands were tied behind their backs by Israeli police during questioning on one of the settlements. Others were threatened with having their homes blown up, and several threatened with rape,” Horton told IPS.
More than 25 Palestinian children have been arrested in Silwan during the last few weeks.
Milad Ayyash, 17, was shot dead in May by an Israeli settler security guard who claimed the boy had been involved in clashes.
Last year a video showing an Israeli settler from Silwan deliberately veering towards, and driving into a young Palestinian boy, who was allegedly throwing stones, caused outrage when an Israeli motor company used the video in an advertisement to promote the car’s endurance. The boy was hospitalized for fractures and subsequently arrested. No charges were brought against the driver.
http://fwd4.me/04Gi 15 jan 2012, 21:06 , Respect -
Maria 18 juni 2011
Beaten child transferred to hospital
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- A child attacked by Israeli forces in Issawiya, north Jerusalem has been transferred to Hadassah Hospital. Ahmed Dahoud Siyam was beaten severely by Israeli security and undercover forces and was found by doctors to have broken his right hand.
Dahoud told Silwanic that “they beat me all over… I felt nauseous. They punched me in the back every time the police car stopped. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, as though I was about to die. Once in the police station an officer threatened and cursed me.”
Dahoud’s father stated that a police officer informed him he would not see his son again. His son was accused of stone-throwing next to Silwan spring, a claim his father suspects is untrue due to the spring’s distant location from their home. There were also no clashes in the village at the time.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18269
Teenage boy targeted as part of Israeli campaign against local family
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- A 14-year old boy was abducted by Israeli undercover forces from Bir Ayyub this morning. Ahmed Siyam was taken by an undercover unit from outside his uncle’s shop in Bir Ayyub and transferred to Salah al-Din police station. Police claimed that the boy “constitutes a danger to society.”
Siyam was targeted for arrest by Israeli forces only yesterday, after attending the weekly prayer in the Al-Bustan protest tent. A relative of Siyam told Silwanic that it is likely he was targeted as part of a campaign against the Siyam family, after his father made statements to the press recently regarding the murder of local resident Milad Ayyash several weeks previously.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18275 15 jan 2012, 21:06 , Respect -
Maria 19 juni 2011
Molotov cocktails thrown at settler guard jeep
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- Molotov cocktails were thrown at a settler guard’s armoured jeep in Bir Ayyub district of Silwan last night, say eyewitnesses. The cocktails were reportedly thrown at the jeep as it drove from Baten al-Hawa to Wadi Hilweh through Bir Ayyub, setting the vehicle alight. The guards stopped the jeep and extinguished the fire, and no injuries were reported.
The guards, whose salaries are paid by taxpayers through the Israeli Ministry of Housing have a reputation for violence in the village. Thirty-four year old Silwan resident Samer Sarhan was shot dead by a settler guard last September, and 17-year old Milad Ayyash of Baten al-Hawa district was reportedly shot by a settler guard several weeks ago during clashes.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18301
Live ammunition in Baten al-Hawa
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- Live ammunition was fired by Israeli troops in Baten al-Hawa district of Silwan last night, say eyewitnesses. Live fire was reported to be coming from the military occupied-roof of a Palestinian home. Fireworks were said to have been let off by local Palestinian youth. No injuries were reported, but a state of tension pervaded the neighborhood. The home was occupied under an Israeli military order. Troops use it as a strategic point to monitor movements of locals near Beit Yonatan settlement.
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Maria 21 juni 2011
Heavy shooting in the neigbourhood of Ein Allouzeh
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- A short time ago, shooting was heard from the area of Ein Allouzeh in Silwan. The shooting originated from militia forces guarding Jewish settlers who were passing through the neighborhood. One witness stated that a Palestinian youth threw a Molotov Cocktail at the militia and army Jeeps. As a result, the settler’s militia immediately opened fire and shot several live bullets towards the teen. No injuries were reported.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18358
Outbreak of clashes in beir Ayub, and a large force of soldiers is surrounding the protest tent
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) --
As a result of the live shooting in the neighborhood of Ein al louzeh , confrontations are now taking place between Palestinian youths and Israeli troops in the neighborhood of Bir Ayyub. Our correspondent reported that a large force of Israeli soldiers are stationed closely to the center of the densely populated neighborhood of Al Bustan, there, Israeli forces used massive amounts of rubber bullets’ stun grenades, and tear gas.
Recently, Sillwan residents have been trying to keep the peace in the neighborhood; however, the settlers and the militia forces that roam the neighborhoods of Silwan escorted by the Israeli military forces continue their provocative actions that cause the outbreak of fighting.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18352 15 jan 2012, 21:10 , Respect -
Maria 22 juni 2011
Night clashes in Silwan
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces fired rubber bullets and gas canisters at Palestinian young men in Silwan town, south of the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, who responded throwing stones at the soldiers.
The clashes on Tuesday night started when an Israeli patrol got near to the sit-in tent in the Bustan suburb and the young men threw stones and empty bottles on it, local sources said, adding that the soldiers summoned reinforcements and fired stun grenades and gas bombs at the youth.
The sources said that an Israeli special unit tried to sneak into the Bustan suburb through the northern entrance but was forced to retreat because of the violent confrontations.
They said that a number of citizens were treated for breathing problems as a result of the extensive use of teargas on the part of the Israeli soldiers.
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Maria 24 juni 2011
Silwan: 1 arrested after hit by Israeli jeep
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces detained a young Palestinian from Silwan after hitting him with a military Jeep.
Local witnesses said the Israeli military detained Ali Sabri Abu Diab, 15, from Silwan, for unknown reasons.
Israeli forces also raided a solidarity sit-in tent in Silwan after Friday afternoon prayers which lead to confrontations between the police and citizens, locals said.
No Israeli spokesperson was available for comment.
The tent is part of the popular struggle against house demolitions and forced displacement in East Jerusalem.
Silwan is a frequent flashpoint for confrontations due to the presence of Israeli settlers who have displaced Palestinian Jerusalemites from their homes.
East Jerusalem has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=399532
Politics get mixed up with archaeology in dispute over Solomon's Silwan wall
The excavations near the Temple Mount's eastern wall in an area known as the Ophel continued on and off for decades.
An archaeological site dedicated in Jerusalem this week consists of a section of an ancient wall built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C.E., says the archaeologist who dug up the wall. Other archaeologists, however, disagree with the date and implications and object to what they call the political use of archaeology.
Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who dug up the site, hopes opening it to the public will be a turning point in the debate about whether David and Solomon's Kingdom of Israel existed or not.
The excavations near the Temple Mount's eastern wall in an area known as the Ophel continued on and off for decades. Mazar's grandfather, Prof. Benjamin Mazar, began the dig. Work on the site was completed with the addition of passages and handrails to give visitors access to the findings.
The wall consists of 70 meters of fortifications, a tower and gatehouse similar to structures from that period found in Meggido, Be'er Sheva and Ashdod.
Mazar dates the findings on the basis of shards found in the digs going back to the 10th century B.C.E. - the Kingdom of Israel under David and Solomon. Near the gate Mazar found a large structure that had been ravaged by fire. She suggests it was destroyed by the Babylonians during the destruction of the First Temple.
A number of shards are inscribed with words and parts of words. A small clay slate inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform is believed to be part of a letter from the king of Jerusalem to the ruler of Egypt, and was kept in an archive. The slate, bearing the most ancient writing ever found in Jerusalem, will be exhibited in the Davidson Archaeological Center near the Western Wall plaza.
However, dating the findings to the 10th century B.C.E. and the assumption that they come from a great, powerful kingdom, have raised a raging controversy.
Many archaeologists object to Mazar's conclusion that Jerusalem was a grand capital in the 10th century B.C.E. and say this is an invention of biblical scribes hundreds of years later.
"It was very easy to ignore the findings because the area was covered, and they could not be seen," says Mazar. "When we have a ceramic finding dating back to the 10th or 9th century - it doesn't fit the theories of those claiming all of Jerusalem's glory and grandeur were a seventh century invention," she says.
Mazar cites Kings 1, chapter 9 to show that the Ophel fortifications are mentioned in the Bible: "...to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem." (verse 15 )
But a large number of Israeli archaeologists say the link between the biblical text and political conclusions is forced. The main debate is on the dating of the findings.
Professor Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University, one of the leading archaeologists who downplay the Bible's importance in understanding archaeology, says Mazar erred in dating the findings.
"As far as I understand, if indeed this is a fortification, the findings indicate it was built in a later stage of the kingdom - after Solomon's era," says Finkelstein.
Others doubt the structures' classification as royal.
Archaeologist Yoni Mizrachi of Emek Shaveh (Common Ground ) - a nonprofit opposing the political use of archaeology - blasts the project.
"The Ophel excavations revealed a site whose many layers represent almost every period. Regrettably, again the emphasis is placed on a certain period of biblical Jerusalem. It's a pity that instead of exhibiting a multilayered site that tells the story of the various cultures comprising the city's past and present, they are once again focusing on the Israeli angle," says Mizrachi.
Mazar says her discovery establishes that Jews possessed the city in the 10th century B.C.E., as described in the Bible.
However, other experts maintain that biblical references regarding the existence of an Israelite monarchy in Jerusalem in that period is largely romantic imagining.
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Maria 26 juni 2011
Heavy fire in Baten el Awa burning a section of the settlers building, Beit Yonatan
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- We can still hear the sounds of live bullets being fired from Baten el Awa neighborhood by the militia of the settlers.
The private security guards and police officers are working to ensure the protection of the inhabitant of a settlement called Beit Yonatan, as well as soldiers from the military barrack erected on the roof of a Palestinian housing building.
Clashes erupted earlier this evening and Beit Yonatan have been the target of some Molotov cocktails causing the fire of an external part of the building.
Residents have described the atmosphere in the neighborhood as very tense but no injuries have been reported so far.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18442
IOA imposes heavy fine on Jerusalemite for unlicensed building
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) imposed 150,000 dollars fine on the Jerusalemite citizen Fayez Abu Diyab for building without permit in Silwan town, south of the Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
Abu Diyab said that the house was built back in 1997 and since then the family has been trying to obtain a license but was always faced with fresh demands despite meeting all requirements.
He said that after the municipality exhausted all means to delay approval asked the so-called local affairs court to rule on the issue and it decided to impose the heavy fine that should be paid in installments, each month 1500 dollars.
The man’s wife feared worse demands in the future in light of the IOA practices.
She said, “They don’t allow us to build and if we apply for a construction permit they reject it. We know that they want to evict all Arabs from Jerusalem especially in Silwan and its Bustan suburb in particular. But we will remain in our homes despite all arbitrary measures and despite the heavy fine.”
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Abduction of minors from Issawiya taken to an unknown destination
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) --
This evening a large troop of undercover police kidnapped some minors from the town of Issawiya and took them away to an unknown destination for hours without reporting advising the parents of where their children were taken.
After conducting some recherche, the relatives of one witness discovered that they had been taken to a police station called Mekpalan. As the troops who kidnapped the two minors had covered their faces, the witnesses could not recognized them and therefor can not be investigate about their actions.
The two minors are from the neighborhood of Abu Ghosh: Ahmed Muheisen 15 years and Ali, 16 years old.
http://silwanic.net/?p=18440