Category: Gaza - Page 21 - International Solidarity Movement

Statement from the family of Rachel Corrie on the 12th anniversary of Rachel’s stand in Gaza

16th March 2015 |Rachel Corrie Foundation |

Today, the twelfth anniversary of our daughter and sister Rachel’s stand and death in Gaza, we find ourselves back where our journey for accountability in her case began – in Washington DC. We have come for meetings at the Department of State and in Congress and, also, to join our colleagues in pursuit of a just peace in Israel/Palestine at the national meeting of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Rachel was crushed to death March 16, 2003, by an Israeli military, US-funded, Caterpillar D9R bulldozer in Rafah, Gaza, while nonviolently protesting the impending demolition of the home of a Palestinian family. This was one of thousands of homes eventually destroyed in Gaza in clearing demolitions, described in the 2004 Human Rights Watch Report, Razing Rafah.

The U.S. Department of State reported that on March 17, 2003, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised President Bush that the Israeli Government would undertake a “thorough, credible, and transparent” investigation into Rachel’s killing and report the results to the United States. On March 19, 2003, in a U.S. Department of State press briefing, Richard Boucher said in reference to Rachel, “When we have the death of an American citizen, we want to see it fully investigated. That is one of our key responsibilities overseas, is to look after the welfare of American citizens and to find out what happened in situations like these.”

Through tenures of both the Bush and Obama administrations, high level Department of State officials have continued to call for Israeli investigation in Rachel’s case. During our twelve year journey for accountability, we met with Lawrence B. Wilkerson (Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell), William Burns (then Under Secretary of State) and Antony Blinken (then Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to Vice President Biden) – all who have acknowledged lack of an adequate response from the Israeli Government in Rachel’s case.

In a letter to our family in 2008, Michelle Bernier-Toth, U.S. Department of State’s Managing Director of Overseas Citizens Services, wrote, “We have consistently requested that the Government of Israel conduct a full and transparent investigation into Rachel’s death. Our requests have gone unanswered or ignored.”

In March 2005, at the suggestion of the Department of State and to preserve our legal options, our family initiated a civil lawsuit against the State of Israel and Ministry of Defense. After a lengthy Israeli court process, in February of this year, the Israeli Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that said Rachel was killed in a “war activity” for which the state bears no liability under Israeli law. In response, Human Rights Watch wrote,

“The ruling flies in the face of the laws of armed conflict…The ruling grants immunity in civil law to Israeli forces for harming civilians based merely on the determination that the forces were engaged in ‘wartime activity,’ without assessing whether that activity violated the laws of armed conflict, which require parties to the conflict at all times to take all feasible precautions to spare civilian life.”

Our family’s legal options in Israel are nearly exhausted, but our search for justice for Rachel goes forward. Back in Washington DC, we have come full circle. We ask again that U.S. officials address their responsibility to U.S. citizens and to all civilians whose lives are impacted and cut short by military actions supported with U.S. taxpayer funding. We ask that they determine what to do when a promise from a key ally’s head of state to our own goes unfulfilled. March 16, 2003, was the very worst day of our lives. Our family deserves a clear and truthful explanation for how what happened to Rachel that day could occur, and to know there is some consequence to those responsible. Rachel deserves this.

She wrote, “This has to stop. I think it is a good idea for us all to drop everything and devote our lives to making this stop. I don’t think it’s an extremist thing to do anymore. I still really want to dance around to Pat Benatar and have boyfriends and make comics for my coworkers. But I also want this to stop.”

The failure of the Israeli court system to hold its soldiers, officers, and government accountable does not represent a failure on our part. Rachel, herself, went to Rafah looking for justice – a forward looking justice in which all people in the region would enjoy the freedoms, rights, opportunities, and obligations that we each demand for ourselves. The facts uncovered in our legal effort in Israel, and the clear evidence of the Israeli court’s complicity in the occupation revealed in the outcome, lay important legal groundwork for the future. As we look back at Selma fifty years ago and Ferguson today, we realize that our own civil rights struggle is not won in a single march or court case. It is ongoing. As our family continues our journey for justice, we thank those across the U.S., the world, and in Palestine and Israel who travel with us.

Together, we will find justice for Rachel – both the justice she deserves and the justice for which she stood.

The Corrie Family

Statement from Corrie family in response to the Israeli Supreme Court’s Dismissal of Appeal in Wrongful Death of Rachel Corrie

Originally published at the Rachel Corrie Foundation.

Today we received word from our attorneys that the Supreme Court of Israel dismissed our appeal in the wrongful death case of our daughter and sister Rachel Corrie. Our family is disappointed but not surprised. We had hoped for a different outcome, though we have come to see through this experience how deeply all of Israel’s institutions are implicated in the impunity enjoyed by the Israeli military.

It will take some time before we have ability to read the decision in English and to process all the court has said. Nevertheless, it is clear that this decision, affirming the August 2012 lower court finding, amounts to judicial sanction of immunity for Israeli military forces when they commit injustices and human rights violations.

The Supreme Court decision ignores international law arguments regarding the protection of civilians and human rights defenders in armed conflict and grossly violates the internationally recognized right to effective remedy.

The court has determined that our separate case against Dr. Yehuda Hiss and Abu Kabir Institute, regarding inappropriate ways in which Rachel’s autopsy was conducted, may go forward in the lower court. We continue to be appalled that it requires a lawsuit to have a truthful accounting of what occurred, and complete repatriation of Rachel’s remains. Decisions as to next steps will be made by the family in consultation with our attorneys.

Despite the verdict, our family remains convinced we were correct in bringing this case forward. The day after Rachel was killed, Prime Minister Sharon promised President Bush a thorough, credible and transparent investigation. Clearly, that standard was not met. The U.S. government continues to call for such an investigation by Israel. A civil lawsuit cannot substitute for an impartial investigation, but it is the only process through which a family can discover more information and move forward when governments fail to act.

Rachel’s case provides yet another example of how the Israeli justice system is failing to provide accountability. We urge the international community, and not least the U.S. government, to stand with victims of human rights violations and against impunity, and to uphold fundamental tenets of international justice.

We are immensely grateful to our attorney Hussein Abu Hussein and to his entire legal team for the decade of work they have contributed to Rachel’s case, and continue to provide. We are grateful to all of our friends in Palestine, Israel, and elsewhere, who in so many different ways have supported our efforts.

We have taken this path for Rachel, the daughter and sister we love, lost, and miss. Her spirit lives. She has inspired all of our actions and will continue to do so.

———

For the Supreme Court Decision (in Hebrew) see: http://elyon1.court.gov.il/files/12/820/069/v11/12069820.v11.pdf
For more information about the trial visit: http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/trial

Media inquiries contact Stacy Sullivan at:
Phone: 917-971-1003
E-mail: press@rachelcorriefoundation.org

Journal: Farming in Gaza near the Buffer Zone

9th November | Rina Andolini | Khuza’a, Occupied Palestine

The farmers are rarely talked about. They blend into the background of the lands beyond the destroyed buildings of the towns. The reality is though, they are facing a battle themselves.

Khuza'a Buffer Zone in December 2012 (photo by ISM). — Khuza’a Buffer Zone in December 2012 (photo by ISM).

Many farmers have had their homes, and farmland attacked. Farm land attacked I repeat, I mean, who would ever have thought that land could be an enemy that needed to be struck by a missile?

Well, the attacks from the air have stopped, for now, although the buzz of the drones rarely hum a tune of silence, sometimes accompanied by the whooshing high speed winds that the F-16s bring with them.

The farmers situation is clear cut and simple; they have land and are in fear of tending to it. What is to fear when all you want to do is plough, and sow seeds, and nurture your land to provide food, shelter, and clothing to your family? How is it okay for a person to work in fear of being shot at, for doing nothing other than farm on their land?

The fence in the buffer zone is the cutoff point, so we should be able to go right up to it without fear of being shot at, or even worse, shelled, as the Israeli army rolls around in their tanks pretty much, round the clock.

Yesterday, the 8th of November, the farmers went to their land to start ploughing away at the soil to get it ready for sowing. They use a tractor. What happened when they went? The Israeli military shot in their direction. Luckily, nobody was hurt, but a tire was shot at and destroyed. These farmers struggle to even pay for contingencies such as these; work hazards caused by Israeli attacks, and why should they even have to? But they do.

So, they called several international activists here in Gaza, and said, “Please come with us to our land, we need to go there with the tractor and do our work but they keep shooting at us.”

Of course, we agreed to go and help, and even this morning, they rang two times, to make sure we were coming. They would not start their work without our presence.

This is their situation, they cannot work without fear of being shot at. It is as simple as this. Where in the world do you hear of such crimes against humanity occurring and resulting in no punishment to the aggressor?

It happens here in Gaza, in Palestine, all the time. The Israelis attack, and they continue to get away with it. The world’s silence is killing and destroying these people.

I met with a farmer, his name was Rami Salim Kudeih, he is 33 years of age, with a wife and five children. The youngest child being one month old, and the oldest, nine years of age.

I asked what he wanted to grow on this land and he said, ”wheat and lentils”.

”This is the season for it. The season may leave us and we will not have done any work because we are in constant fear of attacks from Israel. They have killed people here before on this land that is called Um Khamseen.”

”When the Israelis shoot, I feel angry and sad. A woman was killed in a nearby field too, within the last two years. My sister has also been injured whilst working on these fields, she suffered from a head injury but now she is better thanks to God, but sometimes in the cold, the pain comes in her head.”

The saddest thing of all, is that when I asked Rami, what he thought the international world could do; the world outside of the open air prison that is Gaza, his reply was indeed heartbreaking. It showed me that he had lost hope, that he is living with the situation as it is, with no sight for improvement.

‘They [the Israeli military], shoot often, they shoot in our direction, at the land, and alhamdulillah [praise to God] so far no deaths…but we never know what will happen.”

”The only solution is for the internationals to accompany us in the fields so we can do our work.”

I was expecting a response where he would ask the world to raise their voices and put pressure on the world leaders to put a stop to these crimes against humanity, but in fact, he gave a response which showed his resignation to the life that they are subjected to in Gaza. The life of living in constant fear of being attacked by Israel.

This is not how they should live, this is not how anyone should live, but the people of Gaza do. When will we do something to let these people live the life they have a right to and deserve?

During our time this morning out on the field, we were between 100 – 150 metres away from the fence, things were quiet, though we did see two Israeli tanks rolling around close by, and then go into hiding.

The farmers managed to carry out their work in peace and then we left.

The point is though, they should not need to have any internationals present, they should be able to go safely to their land without any worries.

PCHR report: Israeli attacks on fishermen in the Gaza Sea

22nd October 2014 | Palestinian Centre for Human Rights | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

Israeli Naval forces continued to carry out attacks on Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip during the reporting period (1 – 30 September 2014), including 18 shooting incidents that resulted in the injury of a fishermen while fishing; 4 chasing incidents that led to the arrest of 11 fishermen; and confiscation of 4 fishing boats and 22 pieces of fishing nets belonging to Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli naval forces did not comply with the ceasefire agreement concluded between Israel and Palestinian armed groups under Egyptian auspices on 26 August 2014. This agreement includes allowing Palestinian fishermen to sail within 6 nautical miles in the Gaza Sea. According to PCHR’s investigations, all attacks took place within the distance of 6 nautical miles, which proves that Israeli forces’ policies aim to tighten restrictions on the Gaza Strip’s fishermen and their livelihoods.

Palestinian fishermen work on Jan. 24, 2009 near the border with Egypt (AFP/File, Said Khatib) — Palestinian fishermen work on Jan. 24, 2009 near the border with
Egypt (AFP/File, Said Khatib)

Violations of the International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law

Israel’s attacks against Palestinian fishermen, who do not pose any threat to Israeli soldiers, in the Gaza Strip constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, relevant to the protection of the civilian population and respect for its rights, including every person’s right to work, and the right to life, liberty and security of person, as codified in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), despite the fact that Israel is a State Party to the Covenant. Furthermore, these attacks occurred in a time where the fishers did not pose any threat to the Israeli naval troops, as they were doing their job to secure a living. Israeli violations in the reporting period were as follows:

First: Shooting Incidents

During the reporting period, PCHR documented 18 cases in which Israeli forces fired at Palestinian fishermen in the sea off the Gaza Strip shore. As a result, a fisherman was injured.

On 17 September 2014, Israeli forces stationed on watchtowers along the coastal borderline, northwest of al-Sayafa area, north of Beit Lahia, opened fire at a group of fishermen who were near the Access Restricted Area (ARA). As a result, Jom’aah Ahmed Mohammed Zayed (69), from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the right leg cutting one of the veins. It should be mentioned that Zayed was standing 200 meters away from the coastal border fence and directing his sons, who were fishing inside the waters. He was taken to Kamal ‘Ewan Hospital in Beit Lahia to receive medical treatment and was then transferred to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City where medical sources described his injury as moderate.

Second: Arrest of Fishermen:

PCHR documented incidents in which Israeli naval forces arrested and chased 11 fishermen while they were sailing within about 1.5 nautical mile off northern Gaza and Gaza City shore.

At approximately 06:30 on 03 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within one nautical mile off Beit Lahia shore in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by Mohammed Ishaq Mohammed Zayed (18) and Mousa Talal ‘Ata al-Sultan (24), both from al-Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia, while sailing around 800 meters inside the waters. The Israeli naval soldiers forced the two fishermen to stop fishing, jump into the water and swim towards the Israeli gunboat. The Israeli soldiers then arrested them and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.
At approximately 05:00 on 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by Tariq and ‘Issam ‘Abdel Bari Mohammed al-Sultan (18) and (21) respectively, both from al-Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia, while sailing 1.5 nautical mile off the Beit Lahia shore. The Israeli naval soldiers surrounded the boat and arrested the two fishermen and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.
At approximately 06:30 on 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing off Beit Lahia shore in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli gunboat surrounded a boat boarded by Bahaa’ Yousif Mohammed al-Sultan (25) and Ahmed As’ad Mohammed al-Sultan (22), both from -Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia, while sailing 1.5 nautical mile off the Beit Lahia shore. The Israeli naval soldiers arrested the two fishermen and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.
At approximately 15:00 on 22 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at the Palestinian fishing boats sailing off al-Zahra shore, southwest of Gaza City. The gunboats then surrounded a fishing boat boarded by 5 fishermen from al-Shati refugee camp. The Israeli naval troops forced the five fishermen to stop fishing, jump into the water and swim to the Israeli gunboat. The Israeli naval soldiers then tied the fishermen’s hands and arrested them taking them to Ashdod Seaport. At approximately 08:00 on the next day, the Israeli forces released the fishermen, but kept their boat and fishing equipment in custody. The fishermen were identified as: Sofian Mohyi al-Deen Kollab (47); Mohammed Yousif Abu ‘Odah (24); Mustafa Haidar Abu ‘Odah (25); Ahmed Ziyad al-Sharif (32). and ‘Abdel Rahim Abu Selmiyah (30).

Third: Confiscation of Fishing Boats

During the reporting period, PCHR documented chasing incidents and confiscation of 4 fishing boats and other fishing equipment (pieces of fishing nets).

On 03 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by two fishermen sailing off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli gunboats then surrounded the boat and arrested the two fishermen and confiscated their boat and fishing net.
On 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Waha shore, northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing off Beit Lahia shore. The Israeli gunboat surrounded a Palestinian fishing boat boarded by two fishermen. They arrested the fishermen and confiscated their boat and pieces of their fishing net.
On 09 September 2014, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats and then surrounded a fishing boat. The Israeli naval soldiers arrested two fishermen from al-Salateen neighborhood in Beit Lahia and confiscated their boat and pieces of fishing net.

Jews Against Genocide: Blood bucket challenge at Yad Vashem

29th September 2014 | Jews Against Genocide | Occupied Palestine

Jews Against Genocide held memorials for the victims of Israel’s recent genocidal attack on Gaza during which the speakers poured buckets of blood like liquid over themselves at Yad Vashem holocaust museum in Jerusalem, the US embassy in Tel Aviv, The Israeli Supreme court in Jerusalem, The Israeli military radio station in Tel Aviv, and at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.

International chapters of Jews Against Genocide chapters are planning similar actions at Israeli embassies around the world.

Inspired by the calls issued by Gazan civil society and by Ohio University student senate president Megan Merzak, Jews Against Genocide (JAG) have taken on the blood bucket challenge.

“Until the price that Israel pays for its crimes is higher than the profit it is making from them, Israel’s genocide of Palestinians will continue.

Less than a month after Israel murdered 2137 women, men, and children in Gaza, the US senate rewarded Israel for its crimes. It unanimously passed a bill that increases Israeli access to weapons and encourages Israel’s entry into the US visa waiver program. The UN appointed the first military officer from Israel’s occupation force to an official UN position in a global peace keeping force.

European governments have not taken any steps against Israel and continue to do business with it as usual. The EU-Israel association agreement includes a Human rights clause that commits both sides to respecting human rights. Despite this, the EU has not suspended the agreement that gives Israel preferential trade conditions with the EU after Israel’s latest massacre. Arms dealers rushed to Israel’s drone expo to buy “field tested” weapons tested on the besieged people of Gaza. But people of conscience around the world are taking action.

It is our responsibility to act in order to make the price of Israeli Apartheid higher than it’s benefits. What brought down Apartheid in south Africa will bring down Israeli Apartheid.” said JAG.