| IDF makes hospital keep Palestinian teen in restraints
A 14-year-old Palestinian who was hospitalized in Israel after being shot in the leg by Israel Defense Forces soldiers has been held in arm and leg restraints since Friday, even though he is guarded 24 hours a day by two Military Police officers
B'Tselem's complaint leads DIP to recommend prosecution of policemen
In June 2004, B'Tselem wrote to attorney Herzl Svero, the head of the Department for the Investigation of Police, of the State Attorney's Office, demanding an investigation of an incident of severe maltreatment of a Palestinian in early April 2004.
Firing rubber bullets permissible to protect the main road
Judge Menachem Raniel, with the Haifa Magistrate's Court, issued an unprecedented ruling stating that firing rubber bullets when it is necessary to protect the main traffic routes “is reasonable.”
Two teenagers accused of cutting Palestinian grapevines
Yesterday, November 30, charges were filed against two 17-year-old boys suspected of cutting down 120 Palestinian grapevines near the Givat Hasharon settlement, near Hebron , about two weeks ago.
Housing Ministry pays for private guard for settlers in illegal building in East Jerusalem
The legal adviser to city of Jerusalem has told the Israel Police and the Housing Ministry in a letter that police and the ministry became “accessories to a crime” when they helped settlers from the Ateret Cohanim nonprofit organization* take possession of an illegally constructed building in East Jerusalem and paid for its protection.
Mofaz is breaking the law
“Welcome to the club of forgotten report-writers.” This is what Yehudit Karp, a former state prosecutor, told attorney Talia Sasson after the latter released her report on [illegal] settlement outposts. The report addresses the ways the outposts were established and maintained in the territories, as well as the impending dismantling of dozens of them.
Soldiers' voices
Sometimes you find letters in your mail box you can't ignore. Often letters I receive start with the sentence, “As a media figure with a voice in Israeli culture…” It may be [PR mogul] Ran Rahav inviting me to some opening or another, or it might be a young writer who composed a novel or a book of poetry and wants to reach the public.
Palestinian population registry did not “disengage” from computers in Israel
Next month, as is the case every October, the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza will begin issuing 16-year-olds their first identity cards. Each 16-year-old will bring photographs and documentation to his school, which will pass them on to the ministry.
You exist if the Israeli computer says so
Commentators in the media and elsewhere proclaimed after the disengagement from Gaza that “the frontier posts in the Strip are now international crossings,” and that “removing Israeli control of access to Gaza is in line with the national interest of ending the occupation.”
The damage outweighs the benefits
The Civil Torts (Liability of the State) Law gives Israel immunity against lawsuits for damages resulting from IDF military operations.
Once again the olive orchards will become closed military zones
Yesterday marked seven months since the cabinet decision approving the report prepared by attorney Talia Sasson on illegal outposts.
Daily occupation report: December 2, 2005
This evening the Israeli army killed Sayyid Abu Libda, 16, and injured Anwar Abu Libda, 17, and Zuhdi Shahin, 19, near the village of Absan in Khan Yunis.
Border Guard soldiers beat handcuffed Palestinian taxi driver
Yesterday (December 4) the Police Internal Affairs Bureau indicted three Border Guard police suspected of beating Palestinians on charges of aggravated assault.
15 complaints of settlers damaging orchards since April
Yesh Din (There Is Law) has submitted 15 complaints of settlers or other Israeli citizens damaging Palestinian orchards in the West Bank since April 2005, part of 84 complaints submitted about deaths, assaults, and various types of abuse. The police closed the files of five of the 15 cases.
Palestinians in Salem village accuse settlers of cutting down 200 olive trees
Settlers have cut down 200 olive trees in a grove belonging to Palestinians from the village of Salem, Palestinian sources charge.
Soldiers shot at a house without telling residents to get out, cause fire
On the evening of October 23, 2005, IDF soldiers shot and fired missiles at a residential building in the Nur al-Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.
Jews throw rocks at Palestinian homes in Hebron
Today, teenagers from the Jewish settlement in Hebron threw rocks at Palestinian cars and houses in Hebron, damaging one of the houses. The Hebron police stopped two teenagers for questioning.
The settlers are gone, the polluted water remains
On the eve of the evacuation of settlements from the Gaza Strip, two assumptions relating to water sources took wing among Palestinians.
A paradise for lawbreakers
For more than 10 years, a gas station established by a former senior official in the Civil Administration’s supervision unit has been operating between the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron. A Civil Administration* panel approved the request to build the gas station while he was still employed by the administration
Hot or cold weather, they spend hours on their way to school
The Palestinian Authority tried today to celebrate the first day of school for 1,050,000 students, but the festive mood was ruined by the separation wall.
Theft under cover of ideology
On page 220 of the latest State Comptroller’s Report, in the chapter on “Managing property of absentee Palestinians,” beneath the measured wording favored by comptrollers, there is, so those in the know claim, the tip of a scandalous iceberg, which lies hidden beneath a thick layer of ideology.
On the balcony with Mario Vargas Llosa
A summer sun flooded the balcony of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem last Saturday. In the concert hall of the YMCA, across the way, the Eighth Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival was taking place; in the hotel’s restaurant, a few Jewish tourists from the United States and France were dining.
On war crimes and loyalty
It is a well-known phenomenon. If a person discovers corruption on the part of someone in his workplace, he goes to the boss and informs him
With no documents proving her existence, Dunya Ismail is not a resident of or tourist in Gaza
Three weeks ago, Dunya Israel saw her mother for the first time in six years, although it was only a five-hour visit. Dunya lives in Gaza, where she was born in 1971.
If we want peace
If we want peace, we can only move towards it by bearing responsibility for our actions. Racism has come out of its hiding place. We want the Arabs to disappear before our eyes.
High Court of Justice ruling: Use of human shield unacceptable
The State Prosecutor’s Office asked the High Court of Justice to hold another hearing on the use of human shields. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced his intention to stand before the court to explain the importance of the issue.
Rajoub: “They treated me like I was Bin Laden”
Jibril Rajoub, National Security Advisor to Palestinian President Abu Mazen, said Saturday, November 19, that he was attacked by several IDF soldiers the day before yesterday in the Hebron area.
Btselem’s statistics for fatalities in clashes
Notes:
The data may change due to ongoing research, which produces new information about the events.
The figures do not include:
- Palestinians who died after medical treatment was delayed due to restrictions of movement.
Captain R., accused of confirming the kill, acquitted
A military tribunal in Southern Command acquitted Captain R., who was accused of killing 13-year-old Iman al-Hams in October 2004. Captain R. was charged with an illegal use of his weapon, obstructing justice, and exceeding his authority and thus endangering the lives of others
The atrocities of 2005
It ought to be mandatory in the school system: an annual field trip to Tel Rumeida. This is where every student in Israel—every citizen, in fact—should be brought.
The army siege prevents Palestinian cancer patients from receiving treatment in Israel
Palestinian medical circles, including the Palestinian Physicians’ Association, announced that since the army withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians with cancer and other serious illnesses have been prevented from entering Israel to receive urgent medical treatment.
The diary of the olive harvest in Bil’in
Yesterday an RHR [Rabbis for Human Rights] delegation helped harvest olives in Bil’in. Bilin is best known for its determined resistance to the route of the Separation Barrier.
I felt like I was in the crossfire
When we strip all the legal jargon and political interpretations from the High Court of Justice’s decision regarding the use of human shields, we will find the personal, private stories of Palestinians who were subject to the procedure.
Father of the victim: There is one law for Arabs and another for Jews
Angry and shocked, yesterday Samir al-Hams, the father of the child Iman al-Hams, responded to the acquittal of Captain R. “I’m a teacher,” he said. “
Palestinian injured after army fires at fishing boat north of Gaza
Yesterday, 20-year-old Khaled Abu Riyala suffered moderate injuries after an Israeli army boat shot at a Palestinian boat north of Gaza
“Israel gives drugs to Palestinian children”
The head of the anti-drug task force in the Palestinian Authority is accusing Israeli intelligence of supplying Palestinian teenagers thought the territories with drugs
Court releases settlers accused of beating Palestinian boy
Four men from the West Bank settlement of Kedumim accused of beating a 13-year-old Palestinian boy last week were released yesterday for the duration of their trial.
Eyewitness report from Belain on August 19
Leaving Tulkarm on Tuesday (August 16), I had to take a long, roundabout route to the village of Belain
They shoot blue sponges and red pellet
In early May, eyewitness reports began to arrive from the weekly combat arena at the construction site of the separation fence opposite the Palestinian village of Bil’in
CARE: Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza Suffering from Chronic Humanitarian Crisis
‘CARE’ Humanitarian Organization said thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from a chronic humanitarian crisis that is deepening during the disengagement period.
Palestinians killed in Tulkarm were unarmed
An investigation by Haaretz and the human rights group B’Tselem repudiates the army’s version of events concerning the August 24 operation in which five Palestinians were killed by Israel Defense Forces fire in the refugee camp of Tul Karm.
IDF kills Palestinian in the Gaza Strip
Palestinian sources reported that a Palestinian teenager, 18, was killed tonight, and two others were injured when IDF soldiers shot at them in the Rafah area
10,000 students on strike from school due to shortage of classrooms in East Jerusalem
Since the beginning of the new school year, more than 10,000 students in the Mt. Mukabber and Silwan neighborhoods of East Jerusalem have not gone to school following a strike declared by parents’ councils to protest classroom shortages and unbearable overcrowding.
UN: Delays at checkpoints cause infant deaths
A report issued by the World Health Organization today states that 61 women have given birth at Israeli checkpoints from September 2000 to December 2004; as a result, 36 of their babies died.
UN report: Israel violates basic rights
Despite Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, major violations of human rights continue to result from its occupation of Palestinian territories, construction of barriers, and expansion of settlements
The army confiscates 300 dunams in Hebron
Residents of the villages of Dura, al-Zahiriya, and Arab Ramadin found notices left by IDF soldiers informing them that their lands would be confiscated for the construction of the separation wall.
The soldier told detainees “I’m here to kill you” and started to beat them
A serious indictment prepared by the Military Prosecutor’s Office charges Israeli soldiers with beating handcuffed Palestinians detained at the Qalandiya checkpoint; when the first soldier finished, his friend took over
The Military Prosecutor’s Office charged two soldiers with abusing three Palestinian detainees at the Qalandiya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem
Elevating the status of the Modi’in Illit settlement will intensify the land grab
B’Tselem today urged Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz not to change the status of the Modi’in Illit settlement from a local council to a municipality
Water shortage in Yatta, Hebron district, summer 2005
I live in Yatta and have been in charge of the municipality’s water system since 1974. I maintain the water system and am responsible for the distribution of water to the various sections of town and to the neighboring communities
Company commander accused of killing 13-year-old child testifies: I thought she was a terrorist
Yesterday, Capt. R., a company commander in the Givati Brigade accused of killing Iman al-Hams, testified before the court. R. described the series of events that led to the death of the 13-year-old girl from Rafah in October of last year
There is no incitement without consequences
Luck did not smile on Amnon Dankner, Maariv’s editor-in-chief, and he experienced every journalist’s worst nightmare. After the Saturday magazine was already printed, disaster struck to cancel out everything he had written and he could not take back his words
The court: Border Guard soldier lied when he testified that demonstrators tried to strangle him
Last week, a military appeals court confirmed that the claim of a Border Guard soldier was false. The soldier said that detainee Abdullah Abu Rahma tried to strangle him during a demonstration organized by residents of Belain village last month to protest the construction of the separation wall in the area
Israeli youth trash Palestinian gas station near Sa-Nur settlement
A group of Israeli youths vandalized the gas station at the entrance to the northern West Bank settlement of Sa-Nur yesterday at noon. The station is owned by Camil Gerard, a native of the adjacent village of Jebaa who is a Canadian citizen.
They all died for no reason
The settlers make empty threats. They promised to stay until the last drop of blood, swore that the Kfar Darom settlement would not fall again, chanted “Never again,” and threatened to plant mines on the roads, blow themselves up, and set the whole country ablaze
Land expropriation and settlements
Since 1967, Israel has established in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip 152 settlements that have been recognized by the Interior Ministry
“The IDF specializes in killing children”
Al-Khatib was injured during an IDF operation the day before yesterday (November 2) in the Jenin refugee camp. Palestinian sources reported that the injuries were incurred as heavy fire was being exchanged between some of the camp’s residents and IDF soldiers.
Lift the siege of Gaza
Supporters of disengagement in Israel and around the world feel cheated. After the determined and sensitive withdrawal from the Gush Katif settlements, the government of Israel is avoiding the necessary follow-up steps, and is imposing a choking air, sea and land blockade against the Gaza Strip’s residents.
Swimming at the Gaza beach
Dozens of Palestinians took advantage of the summer weather at the end of the week and crowded on the Gaza beach to swim and socialize. Next summer the scene will be repeated on the beaches of Gush Katif as well.
Going to school by donkey
While we focus all our attention on disengagement, the number of settlements in the West Bank continues to increase, while no one attempts to stop them
No compensation for Palestinian workers losing their jobs in the settlements’ greenhouses
Today is Omar’s last day of work for his employer in one of the religious settlements of Gush Katif. He will finish what he began a week ago: packing up the contents of the house and dismantling whatever can be dismantled
Why do we fight the wall?
Many people are surprised by Israelis who participate in the Palestinian struggle against the separation wall (see Roi Sharon’s July 15, 2005 article, “They Are Not Anarchists”).
Oh children, where has the IDF gone?
There are many ways to react to the death of a loved one, including grief and a sense of loss. Last week, three young boys from the settlements of Karmel and Maon, south of the Mt. of Hebron, were killed
Wolfensohn: Israel wants to end World Bank study on Gaza-West Bank road link
Israel has asked the World Bank and the U.S. government’s development agency, USAID, to stop a study aimed at determining the best method of creating a transportation link between the Gaza Strip and West Bank, according to James Wolfensohn, the Quartet’s envoy for the disengagement.
IDF kills 16-year-old Palestinian near Bethlehem
IDF forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian yesterday named Akram Zaur, who was walking on the ring road around Hussan, near Bethlehem .
Public Defender's Office criticizes courts' performance in trying juveniles arrested during the disengagement plan
An internal document prepared by the Public Defender's Office criticizes the performance of the courts, the prosecutor, and the police in trying juveniles arrested during the implementation of the disengagement plan.
Criminal investigation two years after Palestinian woman shot and killed by IDF forces in Rafah and her husband and his two brothers injured The military prosecution agreed to complete its investigation two years after the painful event following a complaint submitted by Hamoked* (the Center for the Defense of the Individual), but, as expected, it decided not to launched a military criminal investigation. A petition submitted by Hamoked contesting the decision has been accepted.
Jerusalem municipality demolishes eight houses in East Jerusalem
The municipality of the city of Jerusalem demolished eight houses and a gas station in East Jerusalem yesterday, claiming that they were built without a permit. In addition, sources from the municipality and the Ministry of Interior said that the houses were demolished because they had been built in “areas earmarked as green spaces.”
Israel denies emergency medical assistance to Palestinians in Israel, including infants
A Palestinian medical source reported that last Friday the Israeli authorities refused to allow a Palestinian infant to be taken to an Israeli hospital.
The checkpoints destroy our economy
Deir Ballut villagers were joined today by 30 International and Israeli activists in a demonstration against the military check point blocking the entrance to their village. Deir Ballut, southwest of Salfit, and its neighboring villages Rafat and Zawiya, are projected to be imprisoned by the Apartheid Wall and have been living under continuous closures.
A truly painful uprooting
Israel cannot be considered a state ruled by law, or a democracy, as long as the pogroms continue in Hebron. A state is judged by what takes place in its own backyard, and in the case of the “City of the Patriarchs” this is a particularly dark yard. What is involved here is not a political-diplomatic issue touching upon the existence or nonexistence of a particular settlement, but rather the character of the regime in Israel.
MK Makhoul: Planting informers in Belain is like using human shields, banned by the High Court
MK Issam Makhoul (Hadash) sent a letter to Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz protesting the IDF’s provocative behavior in Belain and their use of undercover informers planted among demonstrators protesting the construction of the separation wall on village lands.
Apartheid roads
In the wake of the abominable shooting attack at the Gush Etzion intersection, we were informed that by decision of the defense minister, the IDF is expanding the implementation of the “separation plan” on the roads of the West Bank, a plan which will prevent friction between Israelis and Palestinians, by setting up two separate road systems
Military escorts to protect Palestinian students cancelled
Haaretz has learned that the IDF’s Central Command decided yesterday to end military escorts for Palestinian children on their way to school in southern Mt. Hebron. About a year ago, the IDF pledged to accompany the children to protect them from the repeated attacks by settlers from Maon and Havat Maon
IDF kills three Palestinians near border with Gaza
Three Palestinians, including a 15-year-old youth, were shot dead by IDF soldiers near the Gaza Strip border on Sunday night. The three were unarmed.
Olive harvest begins in the shadow of IDF-imposed restrictions
This year’s olive harvest season in the West Bank has begun. The harvest comes in the wake of extensive damage to the groves during the construction of the Separation Barrier, and strict restrictions on movement imposed on Palestinian farmers trying to access their land west of the Barrier
A catchy disease
Avian flu is not the only epidemic threatening us. While there are no indications that this particular scourge has reached Israel, there are a couple of other contagious diseases that have already come our way
Ironi A.: War movies
At the Cinematique in Tel Aviv last night, graduating seniors at the Ironi A Art School screened their graduation projects. The films were produced over the last year and count for two high-school courses
Qalandiyah crossing, Sunday afternoon
On Sunday at noon it was crowded at the Qalandiyah crossing point in northeast Jerusalem. The honking horns were deafening
Petition to High Court: The regulations harm patients
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel filed a petition today to the Israeli High Court regarding the Israeli army’s regulations for Palestinian patients to leave the Occupied Territories for medical treatment
Two compensation suits for the abuse of Palestinian truck drivers near Hebron
One lawsuit filed by the Center for the Defense of the Individual (Hamoked) describes a serious incident in which soldiers abused two Palestinian brothers, both truck drivers, who were traveling on Route 60 to Hebron
That’s not the way it works in Tel Aviv
As preparations for the big demonstration organized by disengagement opponents get underway, those concerned with human rights and democracy are again asking fundamental questions: Can a siege be imposed on certain areas? Can restrictions be placed on movement? Do the police have the right to stop buses carrying people to the demonstration? Most citizens are surprised at the measures taken by the police; we’ve never the likes of them before
Our terrorism
The Israeli-Arab conflict has exposed more than once the extremist terrorists who live among us. These are the people who are ready to bear arms and fire on innocents as revenge for similar acts by Palestinian terrorists.
“Killing is fun”
An Israeli documentary film has recently sparked an uproar in Finland by portraying Israeli army snipers as men who kill without conscience
Officer accused of cuffing Palestinian and forcing him to walk
Punishment for the incendiary imam: a mini-marathon. An officer is accused of independently punishing a Palestinian imam by forcing to him walk 15 kilometers
Squadron commander accused of assaulting Palestinian promoted
Lt. Col. David, who became known after he punched a Palestinian in the stomach while on foot patrol, was recently promoted from squadron commander to deputy brigade commander in the Judea and Samaria division.
When the army’s situation deteriorates the court interferes
If we want to find out whether using Palestinians as human shields is ethical or unethical, why must we wait for a panel of three venerable justices on the High Court? All we need to do is turn to a new recruit, enthusiastic and fresh out of a lesson by his squadron commander on the purity of arms
Undercover agents infiltrate ranks of demonstrators in Belain and throw stones
Today, clashes resumed between IDF soldiers and Israeli and Palestinian demonstrators protesting the separation wall in the village of Belain, west of Ramallah. Radio Israel reported that 15 demonstrators were arrested.
Those who threw stones at a Palestinian in al-Muwasi not detained
Three days after photos were published of the brutal assault on Palestinian Hilal Mejeida in al-Muwasi [in the Gaza Strip], the police announced for the first time this morning that the three suspects filmed throwing stones at him have not yet been arrested
Palestinian youth shot by guard
The demonstration against the wall ended in death yesterday afternoon when a Palestinian youth was shot and killed after throwing stones at Israeli guards near the separation wall in Ramallah.
Guard accused of killing Palestinian boy released
A guard at the separation wall shot and killed Mahoub Asi, 15, from the village of Beit Laqiya yesterday. According to the guard, Asi, along with four other boys, threw rocks at the Benjamin parking lot near Beit Horon, where some of the construction equipment used in for the wall is kept.
A Jewish crowd in Jerusalem threatens to massacre a group of demonstrators protesting the death of a Palestinian boy from the town of Beit Laqiya
Yesterday, July 10, a protest was organized in Zion Square in Jerusalem, after the horrific murder which took the life of Mahoub Ahmed Nimr Asi, 15, from Beit Laqiya
Btselem worried about increase in number killed in clashes
Today, B’Tselem’s Website is publishing its figures on the number of persons killed in July in the Occupied Territories and in Israel.
Fifth amendment to the civil compensation law is disgraceful and unconstitutional
On July 25, 2005, the Knesset Legislative Committee approved the fifth amendment to the civil compensation law, which virtually strips Palestinians harmed by security forces of the right to file civil suits for damages
Shulamit Aloni: Israeli terrorism is worse than Palestinian terroris
“A murderer can become minister of defense only in Israel.” “Israel is committing war crimes.” “Sharon must be tried.” “Israel is following in Mussolini’s footsteps.” “Some soldiers act like animals.”
Soldiers beat Palestinian while female soldiers egged them on
Four soldiers severely beat and injured a Palestinian man from Burin at the Hawara checkpoint on Tuesday (October 4) while their female colleagues egged them on, according to Dafna Banai, a female activist with Machsom Watch who witnessed the incident. Median Amran, 28, from the village of Burin, was hospitalized and spent a day there
Course of the separation wall in Jerusalem adds land to Jewish neighborhoods
The separation wall and other walls currently surrounding Jerusalem have taken lands not only from the Palestinian population, but from nearby Jewish neighborhoods and settlements as well
Nothing to prevent detaining “Gaza prisoners”
Responding yesterday to a petition submitted by MK Ahmad Tibi before the High Court of Justice, the Israeli state prosecution argued that international law does not obligate Israel to release the 600 Gaza residents currently being held in Israeli prisons or to hand them over to the Palestinian Authority
I saw children with murder in their eyes; I saw a doctor walk away from a wounded man
I had never seen an attempted murder, but that’s exactly what a group of children and teenagers from the Tal Yam settlement outpost tried to do yesterday to Hilal Mejeida.
First petition since Sasson’s report: Despite demolition orders, homes in illegal settlement outposts were not demolished
Nine new villages are on the verge of completion in the Emunah illegal settlement outpost, located near the Ofra settlement. Soon, the fine houses with their enticing view will be inhabited, even though they were built without a license, as is the case with all the homes in this illegal outpost
Soldiers: It’s all Israel
Listen to the soldier in the field. He says what his commanders were trained to cover up and embellish. Listen to the red-headed soldier, who prevented residents of Qafin from passing through the gate in the separation fence last month to get to their lands
On the slope of Jewish democracy
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not dividing Jerusalem. Neither is Minister Haim Ramon. They have simply found a faster and more efficient way than those tried before to get rid of tens of thousands of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem—after the process of robbing them of their lands for the benefit of the Jewish residents has been exhausted
The project that will inflame Jerusalem
Jerusalem’s Planning and Construction Committee approved yesterday a plan to build a Jewish neighborhood in the Islamic Quarter of the Old City. The project requires the approval of the national committee, but anger is already visible in the city.
Final decision: Transfer will be taught in schools
Soon transfer will be taught to students in schools: Today in the second and third readings, the Knesset approved a law to commemorate the legacy of the late Rehavam Zeevi. The bill was supported by 43 MKs and opposed by 15.
“I will sue the army for taking my son from me”
Khaled Tantawi, the father of 13-year-old Uday, who was killed yesterday by IDF gunfire in the Askar refugee camp, near Nablus, told Ynet, “No religion, no morals, no law in the world can justify what happened.”
Nearly one third of those killed in IDF operations are civilians
The most prominent of these cases involved six unarmed Palestinians killed in two incidents in the Tulkarm refugee camp in August. At least four of them were under the age of 18
“The soldiers desecrated a Palestinian corpse”
The London-based al-Hayat reported this morning that the body of a Palestinian woman killed yesterday by IDF fire at the Hawara checkpoint was turned over to the Palestinians with signs of violence and severe bruising
Holy madness
It’s no secret the settlements were born in sin, outside the jurisdiction of the State of Israel, where the occupier has no right to establish colonies.
With the passage of time, the settlements built up strength and courage and collected capital and assets—illegally
Now there are no commercial breaks
Alongside the embarrassing pictures broadcast last week from the Muasi region in Gaza, it was the voices and rhetoric of the Israeli media that succeeded in recording for posterity the way in which Israeli society as a whole has overlooked the crude discrimination by the Israel Defense Forces between Jew and Arab
Israel’s wonderful youth
They received the best education that the State of Israel can offer its choice students during the tenure of the present government, in spite of the budget cuts.
So what did we learn in August?
First, the difference between one sort of checkpoint and another—During August, checkpoints operated at the entrance to Gush Katif, to prevent Israelis from infiltrating the region. Complaints were widespread
Urgent: Another arrest warrant in London against Chief of Staff Dan Halutz
General Doron is not the only one in trouble: Palestinian human rights groups in London filed complaints against eight senior Israeli officers for assassinations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Border Guard soldiers shot at man in wheelchair, injuring him lightly
The weekly demonstration against the separation wall held near the village of Belain devolved into violence this time. Israeli army forces and Border Guard soldiers entered the village in response to stone-throwing and fired rubber bullets and sponge bullets at villagers. The firing lightly injured a man in a wheelchair in the shoulder.
Despite the press photos, those involved in the brutal attack were not arrested
Yesterday the southern district police continued the investigation into the brutal attack on Hilal Mejeida, a Palestinian from al-Muwasi who was assaulted by residents of the Tal Yam settlement outpost.
We are witnessing Jewish fascism
Commenting on the evacuation of the Moaz Hayam hotel yesterday afternoon and the settlers’ attempted murder of a Palestinian the day before, MK Yosef “Tommy” Lapid, head of the Shinui Party, said, “We are witnessing an upsurge of Jewish fascism.”
Arik’s horror show
All the world saw the horror on TV: a Palestinian boy lying on the ground, unconscious. An Israeli soldier bending over him, not knowing what to do
Palestinians: Six injured in demonstration against the wall in Belain
Hundreds of villagers from Belain, located between the settlement of Modein and Ramallah, participated in a demonstration against the separation wall today that ended with the injury of six people, two of them seriously.
He screamed: No one who calls out lives
“A common mistake made by leftists who argue with me is that they think they’re in the same camp as me,” says director Avi Mograbi.
Is this a human rights violation? It’s certainly a human rights violation for the Palestinians
Yair Sheleg wrote that Israel decided to sacrifice the rights of the settlers in the Gaza Strip at the altar of Israel’s national interests (see “Between National Interests and Individual Rights, Haaretz, September 5)
Itamar settler convicted of killing Palestinian on the road
The Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday convicted West Bank settler Yehoshua Elitzur of manslaughter for the roadside killing of a Palestinian man last year.
Teachers accompany Palestinians to school
Yesterday morning (September 3), about 100 Israeli peace activists, including 30 professors from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, headed to the village of Numan, near Mt. Abu Ghunaym, to accompany the village children to school in a show of protest against the construction of the separation wall, which separates the village from the school
The Sharon and Netanyahu governments gave NIS 70 million to illegal settlements outposts in the West Bank
The Housing Ministry allocated at least NIS 70 million to build infrastructure and erect public structures in 82 illegal outposts in the West Bank during the prime ministerial terms of Benjamin Netanyahu (1996-1999) and Ariel Sharon (2001-2004), Haaretz has learned from an appendix to attorney Talia Sasson’s report on the outposts.
The return
Only rarely do columnists become the subjects of their own column. That was the case, for example, when Israel Defense Forces soldiers fired at our car in August, 2002. For a moment we became the subjects of our column, against our will. This week it happened again, under entirely different circumstances.
PA: Israel is distributing carcinogenic juice in our territory
Depleted uranium, in the form of juice: The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of spreading cancer among Palestinian children.
A statement to the fascists in orange
The opponents of disengagement—those who burn tires, glue locks, throw garbage in the streets, and slow down the internet—have announced that they will continue to ruin the peaceful lives of citizens until the government retreats from its erroneous ways
This coming Friday—9.9.05—a big demonstration in Bil’in
Last Friday, as many of you know, the army tried to crack down on the resistance at Bil’in by brute force. One hour before the beginning of the weekly demonstration, a squad of roughly 100 soldiers invaded the village and proceeded to take over
Mofaz: Show no mercy to the Palestinians at the checkpoints
The Minister of Defense asked for stricter supervision of West Bank crossings. “Even if there are traffic jams and people get angry, we cannot be lenient,” he said. He also issued instructions to show no patience with any violations of the law by settlers, but he stressed dialogue.
Large population in the settlements in Judea and Samaria
In addition to the huge financial and human cost of evacuating thousands of settlers from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria, the state of Israel continued to support the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria. According to statistics from the Interior Ministry, there was a sharp increase in the number of Israelis living in the territories—up 12,683 from last year
Children in the village of Numan walk two kilometers to school because of the separation wall
Yesterday about 40 children from the village of Numan started the new school year by walking about two kilometers to and from school because of preparations for construction on the separation wall
Israeli soldiers fire rubber bullets at another peaceful demonstration
Israeli soldiers today fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and sound grenades at a peaceful demonstration organized in the village of Belain , in Palestine .
This is our land
You lose your patience and your heart constricts in anger—this is the only human reaction to “The Land of the Settlers.”
East Jerusalem residents: The post office has stopped delivering our mail
It's been four years since the residents of the Akeb and Semiramis villages, located within the municipal borders of Jerusalem but beyond the Qalandiyah checkpoint, last received their mail
The Supreme Court orders the army to draft alternative procedures to investigate the deaths of Palestinian civilians
Supreme Court justices allocated the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) three months to develop an alternative procedure for transferring information related to the killing of Palestinian civilians who took no part in hostilities
Military Police investigation during the al-Aqsa intifada
At the beginning of the al-Aqsa intifada, the Judge Advocate General's office changed its policy on opening Military Police investigations in cases in which IDF soldiers killed Palestinian civilians.
I realized I was evil like them
From the windows of the houses of Karnei Shomron, you can see the villages of Laqef and Azun. On a clear day, you can even see Nablus and Qalqiliya
Crossing the desert is easier
For the past two months and more, 7,500 olive saplings ready for planting have lain scattered about the village of Qafin, in the northwest area of the West Bank
230 Israelis and 2,600 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip since its occupation
According to Shuvi, 38 Israelis were killed in terrorist attacks in the Strip from 1967 to 1987. From December 1987 and through the six years of the first intifada, 29 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, were killed in Gaza
Suddenly, there is discipline
We weren't used to seeing such scenes of tears and embraces that accompanied the evacuation, especially not from the army and security forces, who have missed no opportunity to remind us—we, peace activists and Arabs—that the way they treat us is entirely different from their treatment of settlers
Comparing the evacuation of settlements to the Palestinian catastrophe is an insult to the Palestinians
Historian Teddy Katz—a member of Gush Shalom—is opposed to any comparisons made between the Israeli evacuation of Gaza and the Palestinian catastrophe of 1948.
Where is the sensitivity in dealing Palestinians?
There are people around me who say, “We can't remain indifferent to such scenes. Seeing soldiers forcing people out of their homes is heartbreaking
The elephant and the problem of the territories
George Orwell gained renown for his books 1984 and Animal Farm , but many high school students in Israel heard the name for the first time when, in English class, they studied Orwell's short story, “Shooting an Elephant.”
Israel expands settlements east of Nablus
Israel recently began intensive work to expand settlements in the occupied territories east of Nablus . Palestinian residents of the villages of Deir al-Hatab, Salem, and Azmut* said that Israel bulldozers
Settlers attack a 70-year-old farm and run towards Alon Moreh
Every day, I go to work in my section of the olive grove. My land stretches over four dunams, and there are 150 olive trees on it
Thank you, Jewish fascism
In the end, Jewish fascism just might save us. In the past, it only brought us ruin. The zealots who care nothing for Gentiles
Wall route not determined solely by security considerations
For the first time, the state has acknowledged that the route of the separation wall is not determined solely by security considerations, but involves other considerations as well
Reeducation
Sending young boys and girls to close roads is a crime no less serious than using them to establish illegal settlements, but the police and the courts are also committing a crime when they order the extension of the remand of juveniles who closed roads.
JAG: Death of eight people in Rafah will not be investigated
Palestinian demonstrators killed: Judge Advocate General Avihai Mandelblit recently decided that the military police would not conduct an investigation into the killing of eight Palestinian protestors in Rafah in May 2004.
Remand of Shiloh settlement terrorist extended
This morning the remand of Asher Weisgan was extended. Weisgan is the Jewish terrorist who killed four Palestinians yesterdays in Shiloh .
The murderer told the Palestinians that he was fed up with life and shot them from a meter away
“I'll think a hundred times before going back to the factory. I can no longer trust those around me,” Ruhi Kassab, 44, told Haaretz .
Attempt to organize a protest for the disabled ends in threats to impose a curfew on the village
The popular committee in Belain had planned to organize a protest for the disabled today, with the participation of around ten wheelchair-bound people and several blind persons.
“Kill any Palestinian policeman you see”
This week, all the major media outlets, including The New York Times , The Washington Post, The Guardian, and CNN, along with all other big TV networks, covered a story published by Maariv in its last issue (June 3, 2005), entitled “Assassinations.” The story investigated a revenge attack carried out by IDF special forces against Palestinian policemen on the night of February 19-20, 2002
Professor Pappe: We must admit to ethnic cleansing
In a conference held in London to support the right of return, the leftist professor, Ilan Pappe, said that Israel does not recognize the right of return because it is not prepared to admit that it perpetrated ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in 1948.
Tents for homes
GAZA —On the highway linking Khan Yunis City to Central Gaza , five Palestinian families found no other way but to erect tents after Israeli occupation forces pulled down their houses in two occasions during Al-Aqsa Intifada that erupted in September, 2000.
Israel prevents organization of international festival in Ramallah
Palestinian Authority officials are saying that the Civil Administration is undermining the Palestinian International Art Festival in Ramallah.
Gen. Zakai not to be punished for demolishing houses in the Gaza Strip without authorization
Adopting the recommendations of an investigative committee, headed by Gen. (res.) Zeev Livni, examining house demolitions in the Gaza Strip, Chief of Staff Dan Halutz ordered on Sunday (August 21) that Gen.
Palestinians living near Tapuah request protection from settlers
Palestinians living in villages near settlements like Tapuah suffer from repeated violent attacks by settlers, which is why police forces and security teams should be stationed in those areas.
Military confiscates 1,200 dunams of the land from Qaryut, near Nablus
The IDF is working on confiscating 1,200 dunams of land from the village of Qaryut , located southeast of Nablus . This morning, the soldiers distributed military orders to village residents informing them of the confiscation of land near the village's Mt. al-Qalaa al-Hamra.
Palestinian boy: The soldiers shot me because I refused to inform on my friends
The family of Ahmed Salah—the boy who was seriously injured in the chest and back after he was shot early this week in the village of al-Khudr, near Bethlehem—claims that the soldiers shot the 14-year-old boy in the back because he would not inform on his friends who had been throwing stones The dead of Beit Laqiya: The real story Today, Ofra Katz and I, accompanied by Meron Rappaport, went to collect testimonies and find out the truth of what happened in Beit Laqiya. The government continues to apply the Absentee Property Law in East Jerusalem Despite instructions from Attorney General Mani Mazuz ordering the Finance Minister to immediately stop applying the Absentee Property Law* to property in East Jerusalem owned by residents of the West Bank, the government continues to apply the law and confiscate the property of Palestinians it describes as “absentee.” Shin Bet: Patient in a coma is a security threat Can a person in a coma be a “security threat”? Two months ago, Khamis Abu Asr was severely injured by a heavy object which fell from the crane he was operating in Gaza Revenge The mission was to kill. A few hours after Palestinian terrorists made their way into the Ein Arik military outpost in February 2002, killing six soldiers with the engineer corps, the Israeli army went out on a retaliatory mission to kill Palestinian policemen at several checkpoints in the territories Racism is here Noam Livne, who was raised in South Africa , notices clear similarities between human rights violations in the two countries. Is Israel really the only democracy in the Middle East ? Evacuation compensation for Jews only
Hedva Isachar* published a small news item carrying the good news for Haaretz readers, entitled “Peres: An Agreement to Turn over Greenhouses to the Palestinians. Settlers declare the establishment of an “independent Jewish authority” in Gaza In a celebration yesterday evening (August 14) at the Shirat Hayam settlement,* “an independent Jewish authority in the Gaza Strip” was declared. Arieh Yitzhaki, who describes himself as the interim chairman of the authority, said the move would thwart disengagement. Civil Administration demolishes hut of al-Moher family on grounds that it was built without a permit, near Zububa Village , Jenin District I was born in Jaffa sixty-eight years ago. Following the 1948 war, my family moved from one town or village to another until we settled in ‘Azzun, in Qalqiliya District. Settlers' daily attacks on Abu ‘Ayesha family prohibit them from living normal lives, Hebron, Tel Rumeida I was born in the same house that I live in today. My grandfather built the house forty-five years ago. It is located in Tel Rumeida, in the middle of a settlement named “Yishai's Lands,” across from the big structure that the settlers have been building over the past few years The General Security Service pressures Muhammad Abu Hashish, who applied for a work permit, to collaborate Through the year 2000, I worked in agriculture within the Green Line. At the end of 2000, my work permit and magnetic card expired, so I went to Erez industrial zone to extend them. Tel al-Rumeida settlers escalate violence: Palestinian families in crisis Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Hebron help arrange visits by Israeli families to Palestinian families in Hebron . Palestinian families who live near the Tel al-Rumeida are suffering from increased settler attacks Light sentences for soldiers who tortured two Palestinians The price of abuse: The Jerusalem District Court issued a lenient prison sentence of just four to eight months for three of the five Border Guard soldiers charged with attacking and torturing two Palestinians in Abu Dis eight months ago. Sarajevo : The tragedy of Khan Yunis Only in Sarajevo have I seen such destruction. In Sarajevo and in Rafah. Neighborhood upon neighborhood without a single home that has not been damaged, a single apartment that has not been torn up, a single wall that has not been pockmarked The IDF is planning to build a separation wall in Hebron Confidential security sources told the Associated Press that Israel is considering building a separation wall in Hebron to limit confrontations between Jews and Arabs in the city. Report: Embellishments to reports about injured Palestinians A report on media coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Palestinian and Israeli media indicates strong discrepancies between the reports that reach media-users on both sides. Disengaging from responsibility With practically no echoes in the media, the Knesset last week passed one of the most despicable laws ever. Despite its innocent sounding name “The Civil Damages Law (State Responsibility), Amendment 7,” this law sweepingly denies any Palestinian residents living in areas defined by the defense minister as confrontation zones of the right to compensation The settlers vs. Haim Yavin Haim Yavin's documentary, “The Land of the Settlers,” continues to create an uproar. Telad, Channel 2's franchiser, will air the documentary tonight. Dozens of buildings erected in settlement outposts in last three months since the Sasson report Yesterday attorney Talia Sasson, who prepared the special report on illegal settlement outposts presented to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said that three months after the report, nothing has changed Applying the Jaffa model to Jerusalem After the celebration of Jerusalem Day, it is time to review some the facts and figures about the capital. The course of the separation wall has sectioned it up An 83% increase in new construction in Judea, Samaria , and the Gaza Strip in the first quarter of this year There has been an increase in new apartment construction in Judea, Samaria , and the Gaza Strip: In the first quarter of this year, construction has begun on about 650 units in Judea, Samaria , and the Gaza Strip, an increase of 83% over the same period last year. A story about settlers attacking women from Machsom Watch in Hebron 's Jewish neighborhood On our way to Hebron via the highway to Kiryat Arba we passed by the Sansana checkpoint at the Dura al-Fawwar junction. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary; there were only some cars and pedestrians Officer reprimanded due to involvement in the death of a Palestinian youth promoted Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz yesterday approved the promotion of a senior officer who was reprimanded recently for his role in an incident in which a Palestinian teenager was killed near the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip some two years ago. Testimonies: Attack on Deir Nitham shepherds by Halamish settlers On Friday, May 6, at about 10 a.m. I went with my son Mohammed Ismail Abdul Hafiz Tamimi, 17, and my nephew, Ahmed Hassan Abdul Hafiz Tamimi, 13, to graze my herd of sheep in the plot that belongs to me and is located opposite the settlement of Halamish Soldiers who shot at a Palestinian fixing an aerial convicted The Southern Command's military court convicted a combat soldier with the Bedouin Reconnaissance Brigade on charges of intentional injury today, after he shot at an unarmed Palestinian who was trying to fix his aerial in Rafah in October 2003 IDF soldier fires live ammunition at stone-throwing youths in Beit Liqya, killing two of them, May 2005 Yesterday (4 May 2005), at around 2:30 P.M., I was at home. Our house is located at the edge of Beit Liqya. I heard the sound of rubber bullets being fired Battalion commander reprimanded for death of Palestinian A former battalion commander of the Givati Brigade received a severe reprimand at a disciplinary hearing following the shooting death of a Palestinian youth near Rafah. Poll: Most secular settlers oppose continued construction in the West Bank A new opinion poll conducted by Market Watch among West Bank settlers who will not yet be evacuated reveals that the conflict over the settlements and disengagement goes beyond the Green Line, pitting the secular against the religious Proposed law would limit Palestinians' ability to sue the state The Knesset Legislative Committee approved yesterday amendments to the Intifada Law, which would limit the ability of Palestinians harmed during the intifada from suing the state for compensation A Palestinian? We won't admit him The Hebrew Physicians' Oath, based on the Hippocratic Oath, requires doctors to help any person in need. The Hebrew text, sworn by all medical students at the end of their studies, states, “To help the patient whoever he may be, Jew or non-Jew, poor or rich A public, participatory administration The construction of the security wall around Jerusalem (“the Jerusalem envelope”) will isolate Arab villages from service centers, exacerbating their problems and increasing the suffering of their residents Palestinian detainee denied the right to healthcare and a fair trial On Thursday, April 21, Jabar Dalana was on their way home to Kiri village from Al Watani Hospital in Nablus, where he had been hospitalized for five days due to viral meningitis In the occupied territories, treatment is conditional on cooperation with the Shin Bet Thirty-eight-year-old Mohammed Raddad—a father of five with a heart condition—discovered that the road to medical treatment goes through the Shin Bet. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) succeeded in helping MK Ahmad Tibi revoke the Shin Bet conditions, and Raddad was able to travel to Jordan for treatment in Jordan Three-year-old boy killed at the checkpoint; the officers sentenced to service The Northern Command's military court sentenced an artillery officer involved in the death of a three-year-old Palestinian boy at a checkpoint in Samaria to four months of military labor after it refused to accept the sentencing plea agreement. The other officer on trial was sentenced to a month of military labor. Demonstration in Tel Aviv today to protest the death of two Palestinian boys Yesterday, the army killed two Palestinian boys in the village of Beit Laqiya, west of Ramallah, while they were playing soccer. 40% of settlers in Judea, Samaria , and Gaza support the evacuation of isolated settlements More than 40% of settlers believe Israel should evacuate isolated Jewish settlements in order to maintain larger settlement blocs, a Haifa University poll found Settler charged with attempted murder of Palestinian On Thursday, the Southern District Police submitted to the Beersheba Magistrate's Court indictments against two men suspected of taking part in the brutal assault on 18-year-old Palestinian Hilal Mejeida, which took place in the Muwasi area two weeks ago A Palestinian family leaves their home in al-Muwasi fearing assaults by settlers The Palestinian al-Astal family left their home fearing attacks by youths and the Israeli army. The family has clashed with far right activists over the last few weeks in al-Muwasi. Meanwhile, this morning, indictments will be submitted against two men accused of brutally assaulting a Palestinian youth in al-Muwasi about two weeks ago Settlement rabbis refuse to condemn the attack on Palestinian in al-Muwasi The rabbis of the Settlers' Council refused to condemn last week's incident in the Muwasi area in southern Gaza , in which a Palestinian youth was attacked Pink Floyd: We will reunite for a concert for Palestine Nick Mason, one of the members of Pink Floyd, told Israeli journalist Sharon Moldovi yesterday that the band is prepared to reunite one more time to organize a concert in support of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians Border Guard soldiers convicted of abuse jailed This morning the trial of Border Guard soldiers who forced Palestinians to lick sand and kiss their boots ended when the Jerusalem District Court handed down six-month to ten-month prison terms to the three defendants. The separation wall, inside of a wall Sharon went to the US as a hero of peace, as if he had already evacuated Gaza and nothing was left but the disagreements over the next step Judaicizing East Jerusalem : a multiphase Israeli plan funded by world Jewry Trying to describe aspirations by Jewish groups to gain control of Palestinian land and real estate in East Jerusalem, Palestinian cartographer Mikhail Yunan tells Mahsom, “ East Jerusalem was and remains the most important target chosen by Zionist and Jewish organizations even before 1948 Nimr Shaaban jailed for 17 years with no ‘blood on his hands,' no luck On January 26, 2005, Nimr Shaaban, 37, began his 17th year in prison. Shaaban, 37, is serving a 21-year sentence for 25 counts of throwing stones (as a minor), throwing Molotov cocktails at vehicles, and torching cars and a number of buildings Soldier assaults cuffed Palestinian It also happens in the best special forces units: A soldier in a paratrooper reconnaissance unit was sentenced to 28 days in prison after kicking a cuffed Palestinian in the face and injuring him in front of his colleagues. All the workers of the world The Israeli army maintains order well. What is this order? Order is when bulldozers plow under the orchards and fields of the Palestinian farmers who have owned them for generations, virtually their only source of livelihood Man accused of brutal assault in al-Mawasi detained for a week Yesterday, Shimshon Sitrin, an 18-year-old resident of Samaria was brought before the Beersheba Magistrates' Court for a renewal of his remand Border Policemen get 10 months in jail for attacking Palestinians The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced three conscript Border Policemen to 10 months of jail time Thursday after they were found guilty of abusing and robbing eight Palestinians in Lod about a year ago Violating the basic rights of Palestinians In an attempt to show that settlement in the territories is legal and moral, Haim Rosenberg uses the British Mandate declaration issued in 1922 Injunction in the petition filed to allow a Palestinian to enter Israel for medical exam as part of a compensation case The High Court of Justice ordered the state to explain its refusal to allow a Palestinian boy entry to Israel . The boy was shot by soldiers in his school's playground when he was 14 years old Green organizations for Arabs Green Action, which presents itself as an environmental organization, is exerting great efforts to support fair trade. “Fair trade reminds us that foodstuffs and clothes were not born on the shelves of supermarkets and malls, but were produced by people who live on this planet and affect it,” they say An imprisoned medical future Representatives from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) met last month with Major General Yosef Mishlav, the coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories What horror The two Ammar brothers will forever carry the scars of their injury. Two birds hit with one stone: One of them fell into a coma, and the other tried to save his brother and get him to a hospital quickly The High Court of Justice: Arab stores are a danger to Jews The High Court of Justice agreed with the opinion of the IDF commander in Judea and Samaria , Brigadier-General Gadi Eisenkot, that opening Arab stores in the area surrounding Beit Hadassah in Hebron could constitute a danger to the Jews living there Increased support among Jews for the evacuation of Judea and Samaria A withdrawal from the territories enjoys the support of a Jewish majority: A new opinion poll conducted by Haifa University found increased support among the Jewish public for an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria when compared to last year. Squatting settlers attack Palestinians again A week after the violent incident in which 15 right-wing activists squatting in the Maoz Hayam Hotel in Neve Dekalim allegedly attacked Palestinians who were swimming on the neighboring beach, the calm has ended Settlers suspected of attacking Palestinians in Hebron Shots were fired in a Palestinian shopping center near Jarus Square , not far from the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron . Another Palestinian said that he was attacked in the area near the Tomb of the Patriarchs Arrest of man suspected of shooting Palestinian during a fight in Gush Katif Yesterday the Samaria police arrested the main suspect in a shooting incident that occurred late last week in Gush Katif. During the incident a Palestinian was moderately injured in the foot State to the High Court: The separation wall in Jerusalem has political significance The section of the West Bank separation fence located within the Jerusalem municipal boundaries has political, not just security, significance, the State Prosecution told the High Court of Justice yesterday We look at the burns and are silent “It has to be something cooked up by the Shin Bet security services.” That was the reaction of several people when the Israeli media reported on a young woman from the Jabaliya refugee camp who was seized on Monday at the Erez checkpoint carrying 10 kilograms of explosives on her body, which she had intended to detonate in a hospital. Ministry of Interior has refused to grant an identity card to Basama for ten years, even though her entire family lives in Jerusalem Twenty-eight-year-old Basama Bourkan doesn't dare move beyond a radius of five kilometers inside Jerusalem , between her home in Abu Tor, the private school in the Old City where she works as a social worker and the private medical center where she undergoes physiotherapy following an accident Occupation diaries, April 13: The IDF shoots 15-year-old Mohammed Hajj Yehya, injuring him in the head, while he stood on the roof of his house in north Tulkarm For the second day in a row, the Israeli army continued its attack on the city of Nablus . In the early morning, army forces raid the Balata refugee camp. In the midst of gunfire, they broke into residents' homes and arrested three Palestinians. “The settlers are poisoning our sheep” “The settlers are waging a chemical and environmental war against us with the aim of expelling us from our land, and Israel does nothing.” Sharon freezes tender announcements in settlement blocs, but thousands of housing units are being constructed using old permits For about eight months, the state has not sold lots or issued construction tenders in the large settlement blocs, most of which are inside the separation wall to the southwest Human Rights Watch: The IDF denies responsibility for the death of Palestinians In a report released today, Human Rights Watch said that Israel is refraining from investigating the illegal killing of Palestinians by IDF soldiers Settler who attacked Palestinians and shot their dogs charged Over the weekend the Shai police filed charges against Yishai Bar-Nur, a resident of the Alon Moreh settlement, east of Nablus . He is charged with assault, threat, and the illegal use of a firearm. Proposed law would prohibit compensations for Palestinians A new proposed law would exempt the state from paying compensations to Palestinians. The bill states, “The state is not responsible for damages inflicted on nationals of a hostile state or a member of a terrorist organization or someone harmed while helping one of these.” Course of separation wall is a flagrant violation of international law The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) submitted a detailed brief today to the High Court of Justice in response to the state's position on the separation wall in preparation for the hearing to be held on Monday on the case before an expanded judicial panel of nine justices Are we occupiers? After Kennedy's assassination, black leader Malcolm X, said that the arrow would find its way back to the archer's chest. He meant that the violence practiced by US society against its black citizens and the world in general would come back to haunt it Amnesty: Israel must stop settlers from poisoning Palestinian livestock Today Amnesty International called on Israel to prevent settlers from poisoning sheep and other livestock in Palestinian fields south of Hebron 69 Palestinian women have given birth at the checkpoints since 2000 Statistics published in the fourth edition of the Israeli-Palestinian public health magazine Bridges , which is published under the guidance of the World Health Organization, revealed clear inequalities in medical treatment for Palestinian women when compared to Jewish and Arab Israeli women At the mercy of the checkpoint The reverberations of the documentary series on the personal journey of newscaster Haim Yavin—“Land of the Settlers”—has brought the problem of the occupation in the era of disengagement back to the center of public discourse. The series challenges the quiet and the illusion that the disengagement will solve the struggle between us and the Palestinians. Occupation Magazine: Life under occupation
News flashes from the occupied Palestinian territories, the eve of Shavuot, June 12, 2005 As usual, when Jews are on holiday, Palestinians are under closure. The army imposed a full closure on the territories, to go into effect from dawn today until the end of Shavuot, which will begin tomorrow. The International Labor Organization: One in every four Palestinians is unemployed A special report published by the International Labor Organization for its international conference in two weeks in Geneva said that one in every four Palestinian workers is unemployed Joint statement: Israel is violating international law The largest caucus of countries in the United Nations, the Group of 77, which includes 132 developing nations, has completed the closing statement for their second conference, which will begin today in Doha , Qatar . Dream of praying in al-Aqsa Mosque ends in hospital The dream that turned into a nightmare: Jealousy possessed 28-year-old Manal Moussa Salem—a mother of four from the village of Karyut near Nablus —when she found out that the women of her village had visited the Aqsa Mosque last week and prayed there. Last Friday, she decided to make her dream a reality by going and praying in Jerusalem They shot my daughter, admitted to it, and then asked me to pay the hospital bills “The Israelis shot my daughter, and even though they admitted to it, they are asking me to pay the hospital bills.” This is what Jaafar Tibi—a resident of Tulkarm whose daughter was seriously injured by Israeli Army fire—told Ynet. Even the traffic lights stay green longer for Jews The Palestinian public and leadership have no doubt that Israel and the Palestinian Authority are now engaged in a defining battle on Jerusalem The separation wall caused the death of Fatima Jadu This story began before noon on Sunday, April 3, when Fatima Jadu—a Palestinian woman over 70 years old who had heart problems—started to feel a great deal of pain The Israeli army's terrible scenario: Jewish terrorism in the Gaza Strip The leadership of the Southern Command is saying that the major threat which might pose an irremediable obstacle to the disengagement plan is if armed settler forces from the West Bank entered Palestinian cities in the Gaza Strip Land was stolen from Palestinians, but it will remain the property of the JNF True, the police have gathered conclusive evidence that Palestinian lands in the territories were stolen, as reported about a month ago, and indictments will soon be issued. But apparently it will be some time before these lands are returned to their rightful owners. Deputy Interior Minister welcomes plan to raze 90 homes in East Jerusalem The demolition of homes in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem could lead to unrest among residents of the area, but the government has no intentions of “capitulating to law-breakers,” Deputy Housing Minister Ruhama Avraham told the Knesset yesterday. Knesset to discuss intent to demolish the homes of 1,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem The Knesset will Wednesday debate an urgent motion for the agenda filed by MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) about the plan to destroy some 90 houses of Palestinian residents in Jerusalem 's Silwan quarter. Occupation magazine: Life under the occupation Next week will mark 38 years of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Our Palestinian partners are planning to mark the occasion, and the struggle against the separation fences and walls will be at the center of the occasion. For death of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy, the officer faces a disciplinary trial The former commander of a Givati Brigade squadron—a sergeant—is to face a disciplinary trial, not a criminal trial, for his involvement in an incident in March of last year in which 15-year-old Palestinian Khaled Madi was killed while he was working in a field close to his home in the Gaza Strip. This is due to the complications faced during the investigation. Attention: Dan Halutz The driver of a speeding train notices five people on the tracks. He cannot stop the train, but he can divert it to a different track, on which only one man is standing. The prison of Gaza : Freedom of movement in the Gaza Strip on the eve of disengagement Over the last four and half years, Israel has imposed severe restrictions on freedom of movement to and from the Gaza Strip. IDF spokesman: I thought of resigning after Dan Halutz gave me false information In a lecture given on Sunday (March 6) in the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center , Gen. Ruth Yaron, the IDF spokeswoman, said that she had considered resigning her post several times The Kaffa family lives in poverty since the father cannot renew his work permit, From 1985 to 2004, I worked picking oranges inside Israel . I could not work on a regular basis, since I could only get there when I had a work permit and when the Erez checkpoint was open Here lies the dog In the introduction to Franz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth , which has not been translated into Hebrew, the French philosopher Sartre says describing the French colonialists in Algeria , “Our soldiers across the sea reject the principle of human equality. Settler shoots, lightly wounds Palestinian man in West Bank A West Bank settler shot and wounded a Palestinian man Tuesday evening near the settlement of Itamar located to the south of Nablus . The truth behind official statistics: house demolitions in the West Bank during 2004 The number of houses in the territories demolished by the state rose to record numbers after the start of the second intifada at the end of 2000. The number of houses demolished in the Gaza Strip, especially in Rafah, is unprecedented: 2,897 houses, as professionally and accurately documented by UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees) Palestinians: The IDF uses boy as human shield Israeli Channel Ten reported this evening that Palestinians in the village of Dura , near Hebron , say that Israeli soldiers used a Palestinian boy as a human shield to prevent being pelted with stones. IDF officials denied it. The High Court of Justice orders the state to justify restrictions limiting Palestinian farmers' access to their lands The High Court of Justice criticized the Israeli army yesterday and ordered the state to submit, within 45 days, its justification for not allowing Palestinian farmers free and secure access to their own lands all year round, especially during the olive harvest season.
Confirming the kill is a procedure that every soldier in the Israeli army is trained for. Despite the denial and the contradictory stories, every soldier knows that when attacking a target he is “expected” to shoot in the head, at very close range.
The Defense Ministry is blaming an army dog for the death of an innocent Palestinian, who was shot by Israel Defense Forces troops 10 months ago.
This afternoon, more than 1,000 Palestinians, and Israeli and foreign peace activists participated in a peaceful demonstration against the separation wall in the village of Belain, west of Ramallah. Israeli soldier: If a Palestinian had died instead of an ISM volunteer, the case against me would've been closed Sgt. Wahid Taysir, the former sniper with the Bedouin reconnaissance unit accused of shooting a British activist with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the head in April 2003, says that his indictment is prompted by racism. Lt. Col. in Civil Administration to be indicted; no indictment expected for the chair of the JNF subsidiary It appears that no indictment will be filed against Haim Cohen, who until two months ago was the director of Himnuta, a subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
It is interesting to consider why Ariel Sharon decided on sheep of all the forms of livestock he might have chosen to raise. The reports that he has requested from Talia Sasson (on the outposts) and Baruch Spiegel (on the settlements) show he's second to none in raising goats.
The Israeli army entered the village of Budrus for the second time this week. Budrus is one village struggling against the separation wall, and for some time the IDF has been trying to strike the local organization there.
Yesterday the army fired live ammunition and tear gas at people participating in a funeral in Budrus. Soldiers violently attacked participants and chased them to the reception hall set aside for the funeral.
Extreme leftist attorney Shamai Leibowitz—a member of the defense team for murderer Marwan al-Barghouti, the leader of the Tanzim—called Americans to an economic and legal battle against Israel to end the Israeli “occupation” in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Professor Jeff Halper, head of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, spoke today at a rally held in Milford , US , to commemorate the memory of Rachel Corrie, the peace activist with the International Solidarity Movement who was killed by a D-9 military bulldozer two years ago in Khan Yunis. Soldier who fired at unarmed Palestinian sentenced to 20 months in prison A military court on Wednesday sentenced an Israel Defense Forces soldier, convicted of shooting an unarmed Palestinian in the Gaza Strip and obstruction of justice, to twenty months in prison. This is the harshest punishment imposed on an IDF soldier in the four and a half years of fighting in the territories. “Let's bring back all the settlers, dead or alive”
A British journalist for the music magazine Q wrote an article after accompanying two members of the Scottish band Belle and Sebastian, Stuart Murdoch and Chris Geddes, on their travels. The article contains even more pro-Palestinian statements from musician Aviv Geffen. A JNF-affiliated company suspected of trading in stolen Palestinian land Police are investigating suspicions that the former CEO of Himnuta, a subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund, purchased stolen Palestinian lands in exchange for bribes.
Police arrest eight people suspected of forging ownership to Palestinian lands and turning them over to a company affiliated with the Jewish National Fund (JNF). “The soldiers burnt my crops” Mohammed Assi, a resident of the Palestinian village of Beit Laqiya in the Modein area whose orchard went up in flames yesterday (May 13), destroying most of his crops, said, “Two soldiers burned my orchard and the Border Guard police who were on the scene did not help put out the fire.” An honest letter to the Minister of Defense A peaceful demonstration was organized in the village of Balin on Thursday, April 28, 2005. Israeli peace activists along with Palestinians organized a protest against the confiscation of the land of residents of the village of Balin in order to build the separation wall. IDF prevents villagers from Jayyous from returning to their homes Human rights organizations report that the Israeli army has prevented 60 Palestinian farmers from Jayyous from returning to their homes at the end of the workday, leaving them stranded behind the wall since yesterday afternoon. Adalah appeal to the prosecution: Decision by Ministry of Justice's Police Investigation Unit to close file against Border Guard police who killed Moursi Jabali and injured Shihab Jaber must be cancelled On 2 May 2005, Adalah filed an appeal to Iran Shindar, the Head of the Ministry of Justice Police Investigation Unit (“Mahash”), demanding the cancellation of its decision to close the investigation file against Border Police officers who opened fire on and killed 28 year-old Moursi Jabali on 22 July 2003, and shot and injured his companion, Mr. Shihab Jaber Anarchists commemorate Palestinian dead With the approach of Israeli Veteran's Day, activists with the Anarchists' Committee to Remember the Forgotten have hung thousands of posters in the streets of Tel Aviv Half of the JNF's lands were confiscated from 1948 refugees Against the background of the recent public dispute surrounding the connection between the government and the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet LeYisrael), the subject of the historic land transactions, termed “the transactions of millions,” is once again on the public agenda Walaja: An encapsulation of the history of Zionist settlement Security forces and inspectors with the Interior Ministry and the Jerusalem municipality raided the village of Walaja at dawn on Tuesday, January 18, declaring it a closed military zone 182 Minors Killed in 2004 in the Intifada From 1 January through 27 December 2004, a total of 915 people were killed in Israel and the Occupied Territories in the intifada. This year 915 people killed during the intifada Btselem's 2004 year-end report sates that 182 children were killed in the intifada during 2004. The organization says that since the beginning of the year through December 27,915 people in Israel and the territories were killed during combat and terrorist attacks. An elderly Palestinian man: “Settlers threw rocks at me” A 70-year-old Palestinian shepherd claims that yesterday (April 24) he was severely beaten by residents of the Alon Moreh settlement near Nablus . The man, Aziz Hanini from the village of Beit Dajan , says that five settlers attacked him. The American spirituality movement: Israel murders and practices terrorism On Saturday (May 7), a New York newspaper published an article to mark Mother's Day, in which Sandy Wold—a yoga instructor and a leader of the spirituality movement on the rise in the US —accused Israel of terrorism and of trying to annihilate the Palestinians. The IDF injures five Palestinians in Dora village near Hebron Yesterday, the IDF raided the village of Dora near Hebron , in the southern West Bank , wounding five Palestinians. Palestinian sources reported that the IDF stormed the city, shooting and launching tear gas bombs at residents and houses, and soldiers arrested several of the village's teenagers and raided their homes A harsh punishment The policy of demolishing the homes of Palestinian terrorists and their relatives is one harsh method of punishment used by the Israeli army against civilians.
…A bleak picture has emerged for the members of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel who are researching the state of the health system in Gaza.
Since 1967, Israel has established in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip 152 settlements that have been recognized by the Interior Ministry. Squadron commander who shot and killed two Palestinians suspended The IDF admits there are shortcomings: This morning, the head of Central Command, Gen. Yair Naveh, suspended the deputy commander of an engineering squadron that led an IDF force in the village of Beit Laqiya yesterday, when two Palestinian boys, ages 14 and 15, were shot and killed Optimism is one thing, bulldozers another Until the mortar shelling on Gush Katif yesterday and Monday, optimism in Israel was on the rise. Sharon talked about a historic breakthrough in relations with the Palestinians; Palestinian policemen once again deployed in the Gaza Strip with their weapons; Qassams didn't land in Sderot 73 soldiers convicted of crimes against Palestinians in the second intifada On Thursday, the Knesset Legislative Committee listened to the report of Judge Advocate (JAG) General Avi Mandelblit, which contained statistics on the number of investigations and indictments in the IDF since September 2000 when the second intifada began. IDF officer shoots a Palestinian in the leg at the Beit Iba checkpoint Machsom Watch has received the testimony of a Palestinian who was an eyewitness to the incident. The witness says that an Israeli officer shot a Palestinian three times in the leg Palestinians again suffer because of Israeli holidays Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that starting yesterday evening, a siege would be imposed on the Palestinian territories until next Sunday because of Passover. The siege will be reconsidered on Sunday. Uri Avnery vs. Bar-Ilan University : The college in Ariel is an accomplice The decision by the British Association of University Teachers to impose a boycott on Bar-Ilan University and Haifa University is still sparking reactions. Former MK and Gush Shalom activist Uri Avnery recently sent a letter to the president of Bar-Ilan University , describing the university as an accomplice. Gush Shalom: The occupation army ordered the expulsion of 27 residents of al-Aqaba village, east of Jenin Gush Shalom released a statement yesterday saying that representatives of the Civil Administration came to the small village of al-Aqaba northeast of Nablus to submit an expulsion order for 27 village residents The phases of the plan Behind this smokescreen, Sharon is acting to expand large settlement blocs in the western West Bank . This annexation is the second phase of his plan. My hands, too, were virtually stained with Jewish blood In my youth I was a member of the Stern Gang. One day they sent me to participate in an assassination and terrorism training session Despite statements, the Jewish National Fund bought tens of thousands of dunams in the territories Since 1967, tens of thousands of dunams of land have been purchased by the Jewish National Fund in areas of strategic importance in Judea and Samaria Education is not a question of “humanity” One can see it as a private problem of four Gazan students—Bashar Abu Shahla, Walid Mahna, Mohammed Matar and Bashar Abu Salim Palestinians complain of settler attacks on them in the West Bank Yesterday ( February 18, 2005 ), some Palestinians complained that they were attacked by settlers in the West Bank in several separate incidents. Work on separation wall near Ariel stopped according to High Court of Justice injunction Injunctions issued by the High Court of Justice in response to petitions against the construction of the separation fence near Ariel have brought work in that area to a complete halt The investigation into the three teenagers killed in Rafah revealed that soldiers aimed to kill The soldiers who killed three Palestinian youths in Rafah nine days ago shot to kill and did not aim their weapons at the lower parts of the victims' bodies as military sources originally claimed, according to the findings of a probe conducted by the Israel Defense Forces Machsom Watch Report, December 2004: Crossing prohibited… let them stay at home The checkpoints and barriers constitute the principal means used by Israel 's state authorities to restrict the Palestinians' freedom of movement—a basic human right. Behind the scenes at the checkpoint are the Coordination and Liaison Offices (the DCOs—District Coordination Offices) His dignity and freedom? Anyone who has read about, or lived through, those times, knows how effective fascist and communist officials were at pinning crimes on innocent men and women, how effective they were at trumping up charges, conducting show trials and making administrative detentions Israel 's policy: Isolate East Jerusalem from the territories Prior to the 1967 war, East Jerusalem was a link in the residential bloc of the Jerusalem municipality and an important component in a network of social, economic, educational, and cultural ties that included Hebron and Bethlehem to the south, and Ramallah to the north That same old lie The lie that led to Captain R. being accused might also silence criticism of Israeli Army operations in the territories. The murder investigation involving Captain R. has changed the face of the Israeli media Settlers throw stones at Palestinian cars in a demonstration at Gush Katif and confront the Israeli Army at Itamar The day before yesterday (Friday, February 11, 2005) two incidents took place involving settlers and members of the security forces that point to escalating tensions before the disengagement plan comes into effect 40% of Palestinians suffer from malnutrition, while Israelis are getting more obese The World Health Organization has published a report in the Israeli-Palestinian health journal Bridges , which reveals that malnutrition among Palestinians in the occupied territories reached frightening levels in 2002, with 40% of Palestinian families in Gaza suffering from malnutrition. Palestinians and leftist activists dealt a crushing blow: Caterpillar will continue selling bulldozers to Israel Extremist left-wing activists in Israel and around the world were dealt a crushing blow on Thursday (April 14) when the majority of shareholders for the Caterpillar Corporation, which manufactures heavy machinery, voted against a proposal to stop selling bulldozers to the Israeli Army at their annual meeting. The American public supports Israel despite the cost Sixty-seven percent of Americans are convinced that the decision to withdraw unilaterally from the Gaza Strip without a peace agreement is a bold step that will advance the cause of peace, according to a poll commissioned by the Anti- Defamation League. The IDF kills three Palestinian children Today, three Palestinian children—Ashraf Moussa, Khalid Ranam, and Ahmed al-Jazar—were killed by IDF fire in Rafah. According to eyewitnesses, the three children from the Rafah refugee camp were playing football on the outskirts of the camp. The children are the first three victims to die in Gaza in a month. Discrimination in Jerusalem : The municipality allocated three times the number of computers to educational institutions in West Jerusalem than it did in East Jerusalem The local council for Jerusalem has allocated three times the number of computers to educational institutions in West Jerusalem than it allocated to the educational institutions in East Jerusalem A demand to enforce the Absentee Property Law in East Jerusalem In response to a written appeal by ACRI's Chief Legal Counsel Dan Yakir for an immediate repeal of the unpublished government decision to extend the Absentee Property Law to East Jerusalem and the surrounding villages, Mr. Mazuz made clear that he had no knowledge of the decision and had never been informed of its existence This is the village of Lifta , and not Mei Nafoah In the coming days the Municipal Committee on Planning and Construction in Jerusalem will be presenting its recommendations for the Lifta neighborhood to the District Committee on Planning and Construction The policy of fabricating lies According to Btselem data, IDF soldiers have killed no less than 1, 649 Palestinian civilians during the period from the beginning of the intifada and until the end of December 2004 Border guard soldiers imprisoned for torturing two Palestinians On Tuesday, April 5, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced three border guard soldiers, who were charged with torturing and beating two Palestinians, to prison for a period of 6 to 10 months. The three border guards who were sentenced are Itay Briar, Lior Klaberis, and Arik Gladati. The soldier said to Palestinian girl through a loudspeaker: “Marry me!” Speaking to the Yediot Aharonot website “R” a young Palestinian woman from the village of Taluza next to Nablus , said, “It was a really embarrassing situation Come and help Jayyous! New settlements are being built all around us, like the expansion of the Tzofin settlement in front of Jayyousm, which has lost almost all its land as a result of the separation wall Settler runs over a Palestinian's sheep A 16 year-old resident of the Kedumim settlement was arrested yesterday after running over and killing sheep belonging to a Palestinian shepherd. Residents of East Jerusalem need permits in order to visit Ramallah Starting in July, East Jerusalem Palestinians will be denied freedom of movement into Ramallah, Binyamin region brigade commander Col. Mickey Edelstein has confirmed to Machsom Watch, a voluntary women's group that monitors checkpoints. Palestinians: Rulings have been issued to demolish our houses until we withdraw the petition against the fence Supreme Court President Justice Aharon Barak has issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the Civil Administration in the West Bank from demolishing homes in the village of Wadi al-Rasha, near Qalqiliya. Netanyahu: Confiscating land is the proper Zionist decision Today (Wednesday, 2/2/2005), Finance Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said that applying the Absentee Property law to land in East Jerusalem was “a sound Zionist decision, supported by all laws and the principle of state sovereignty Negligence in the transcription of Captain R's testimony | 
