Category: Press Releases - Page 21 - International Solidarity Movement

Abusive harassment of Human Rights Defenders in Bil’in continues

27 January 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Bilin , occupied Palestine

Abdullah Abu Rahmah was released by an Israeli military judge on Tuesday night the 24th of January after being arrested when he attended a court hearing. He had been home for 24 hours when at 1AM Thursday the 26th, thirty masked, armed soldiers surrounded his house, pushed open his door, and raided his home.

Abdullah, his wife Magida, and their four children had their phones taken away and were forced into one room, where they were held, as soldiers went through their belongings and ransacked their home. An hour later the soldiers left with Abdullah’s laptop. Abdullah’s brother, Rateb Abu Rahmah’s, apartment in the same home was also raided.

Abdullah was arrested On Monday the 23d of January when he showed up for a hearing in Ofer military base to attend the trial of Ahmad Odah, Khaled Ektishat, Mohammed Khatib, Akram Khatib, Lama Nezih and Jameel Barghouti. These Palestinian activists had been arrested during a non-violent protest of Israeli plans to annex the Maale Adumim colonial settlement, which took place on Friday the 20th of January. They had all been released after being imprisoned for four days. The soldier, who was supposed to be translating the proceedings of the military trail, notified Abu Rahmeh that he was detained. Abdullah was handcuffed and leg shackled and taken to Maaleh Adumim colonial police station.

In 2010, Abdallah has been arrested 7 times and served 16 months in prison after being convicted on charges of “incitement” and “organizing and participating in an illegal demonstration”. Abdullah continued to advocate for nonviolent action and Human rights from prison. During Abdallah’s imprisonment Catherine Ashton recognized Abu Rahmah as a Human Rights Defender,

The computer of another nonviolent activist from the Bil’in, Ashraf Abu Rahmah, was confiscated on 21.9.2016 when soldiers raided his home and has since not been returned. His wife Rana Abu Rahmah was home alone, as Ashraf works during the night, when soldiers forced their way into her home. Ashraf, was shot on camera while he was blindfolded and handcuffed in 2008, the Israeli press reported last week that, Omri Borberg the commander who gave the order to shoot him has been promoted. Two of Ashraf’s siblings Basem and Jawaher were both killed in separate incidents nonviolently protesting the illegal wall constructed on their land. Ashraf himself has been wounded and arrested repeatedly including an arrest in 2011 when he was imprisoned for 8 months.

Bil’in is a symbol of creative popular resistance to the Israeli annexation wall and settlements. The village waged a successful campaign which resulted in their winning back half of their agricultural land that would have been separated from the village by Israel’s apartheid wall. “Israel is not a democracy. It is not ruled by laws. It is a criminal occupation that is ruled by force alone”, said Ashraf. Abdullah stated:, “In the last twelve years the occupation has used many methods including, killing and injuring, raiding our homes in order to stop us from exercising our right to protest and struggle against the occupation. But we will not stop struggling until the occupation is dismantled.”

End medical apartheid: Israel kills patient Abd al-Kareem after banning him to enter Erez for treatment

27th December 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza team | Gaza, occupied Palestine

On 26th December, Israel occupation kills the patient, Abd al-Kareem Nahid Abu Halloub, a 32 year old, from Gaza after preventing him to get his treatment in a hospital in the West Bank.

The paitent Abd al-Kareem in the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza

The patient, Abd al-Kareem, had been suffering for about 90 days without having the right to get his treatment in the West Bank. He had a heart attack on 6/10/2016 and was in a coma for more than 60 days and his doctors stated and he had to get his treatment in the West Bank. Abd al-Kareem’s family tried to contact several organizations after being denied access through Erez crossing twice by the Israeli occupation authority.

The family took their son to different hospitals in Gaza, but the hospitals have limited medical equipment that the medical device needed for treating the paitent Abu Halloub, is not found in Gaza. The paitent needs to get his treatme

The paitent Abd al-Kareem Abu Halloub while in the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza After 90 days sufferingnt

It’s worth mentioning that the Israeli seige of the Gaza Strip that began in mid 2007 has serious repercussion on the Palestinian health sector, resulting in an aggravation of the humanitarian situation facing Gaza’s 2 million people.

According to the International Hummaitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, Israel is obliged to protect civilian people, the wounded and sick in times of armed conflicts. It must prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and allow the free passage of all consignment of medical stores with a decent medical care. However, the Israeli occupation continues to violate these rights. Consequently, the request for permits to recieve treatment outside the Gaza Strip increased.

B’Tselem’s Response to UNSC Vote: against the occupation, not Israel

Originally published by B’Tselem.

Today’s United Nations Security Council resolution reaffirms international consensus that Israel’s settlements are illegal and harm Palestinian human rights. The resolution seeks the wellbeing of all people in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. It is not an “anti-Israeli” resolution, but a balanced one, which rejects the occupation – not Israel. Hopefully, further international measures will follow – for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians, and against the occupation.

Birzeit University Condemns Continuous Attacks on Right to Education Israeli Occupation Continues to Strangle Palestine’s Education

14th December 2016|Press Release|Beirzeit University|occupied palestine

In continuation of its barbaric aggression on our people and national institutions, the Israeli occupation forces stormed Birzeit University’s campus in the early morning hours of Wednesday 13 December 2016. These blatant attacks and subsequent measures of harassment constitute outrageous interferences to our right to education.

Birzeit University expresses its deepest concern regarding this belligerent military attack on the university, its sanctity, and violation to all the international and fundamental principles involved in the freedom of education.

A large number of heavily armed Israeli forces stormed in Birzeit’s campus at dawn through the western gate, forcing the campus security guards to stand against the walls, and raiding several buildings including the university’s administration building, the Headquarters of the student council, Kamal Nasir Hall and the Faculty of Science. They forcibly deterred our university security personnel as they invaded these buildings, leaving a great deal of havoc behind.

The Israeli military confiscated the students’ flags and banners, and sabotaged properties inside campus and the administration building.

Birzeit University views this attack as very dangerous and a barbaric intrusion. We deplore the conversion of its academic facilities to military barracks, as well as the confiscation of its student property, searching parts of the administrative offices.

As an academic institution that aspires to live by the values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, the Israeli occupation needs urgently to stop its aggressive behavior against all Palestinians.

The academic freedom of Palestinian academics and students is severely hindered, due to the occupation, its policies and continuous defiance of the fundamental rights of our people and the sanctity of our universities, and that must be defended.

Birzeit University confirms that these attacks will not deter its commitment to higher education, and the pivotal role it has played since its establishment.

The Israeli occupation had waged an extensive campaign against Palestinian universities in the last two years. In June 2014 and January 2016, Israeli Occupation raided Birzeit University and confiscated the contents of student blocs’ offices. They also attacked Palestine Technical University- Kadoori, and the building of the Arab American University of Jenin, as well as Al-Quds University in Abu Dis.

The university calls on the international community and human rights organizations to immediately put a stop to these raids and violations, and actively engage in supporting our struggle for liberation.

Free Mohamed Abu Sakha

5th December 2016 | International Solidarity Movement | Huwwara team, occupied Palestine

Members of the Circus School in Palestine, representatives of the embassies
of Italy, Spain and Switzerland, Amnesty International and ISM were in the
Israeli Supreme Court today to witness the hearing of the appeal for the release
of the Palestinian circus trainer Mohammad Abu Sakha. Abu Sakha has been on administrative detention for almost a year. Administrative detention means that Israeli military can detain him for an indefinite period, without indictment and the right to a trial.
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Mohammad Abu Sakha lost his freedom on 14 December 2015, when he was first arrested and detained at Zaatara military checkpoint, south of Nablus, as he was going to work at the Circus School in BirZeit. On 25 December of that year, he received a 6-month administrative detention, which was renewed on 13th of June 2016.

The hearing session at the Supreme Court went fast. First, Mohammad’s lawyer read the appeal and once he finished few men from the Shabak, (Israeli Security Agency also known as Shin Bet) stood up and passed a file to the judges in the room. After taking few minutes to read the file, the judges promptly decided to dismiss Abu Sakha’ appeal and ended the court session.

Besides Shabak and the three judges, no one knows what is the content of this file, including the prosecutor, Mohammad’s lawyer and Mohammad himself. After one year in Israeli prison Abu Sakha still doesn’t know what he is accused of. The Shabak file, which is classified, might be the only thing that keeps him in prison.

The Ketziot prison located in the Negev/Naqab region, outside the West Bank, is a violation of the Geneva Convention which states that Detainees from the population of an occupied territory must be detained within that territory. During his time in prison he has only been allowed to three visits, all from his mother. On 12 December this year his detention should have ended. His lawyers and supporters believed that he would finally be free but on the same day he was given, again, another 6-month administrative detention period, exactly as it had happen in the past.

Today, no one knows what will happen to Mohammad. Palestinians live under a contempt military occupation. With his work as a circus trainer, Mohammad Abu Sakha fills a much-needed role to bring happiness and light to those around him.

End Administrative Detention.
Free Mohammad Abu Sakha !

More info about Mohammad case:
https://www.facebook.com/freeabusakha/
link to the Circus School: http://www.palcircus.ps/