Category: Reports

Take Action: Interview with mother of youngest Palestinian prisoner’s mother

4th June 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Quds – team | Jerusalem, occupied Palestine

According to Shadi, a 12 year old boy from Kufr Akab, which is part of Jerusalem but on the Palestinian side of the wall he, together with a friend of the same age decided to sneak over the separation wall that divides the Palestinian Territories from Israel, into Jerusalem. Although Shadi’s father has Israeli ID, they are obliged to live outside the wall because his mother has Palestinian ID. Their idea was to hang out for a bit and have a look round. Whilst they were standing at the Musrara light rail stop some Israelis heard them speaking in Arabic and reported them to the police. The police arrived and arrested them.

When Shadi’s friend first proposed the idea of going to Jerusalem Shadi had been reluctant as he understood the kind of problems that might arise. His friend was still keen to go and Shadi finally agreed on the basis that he could protect him if anything should happen.

The police took the boys to the Masqubiya interrogation centre. They were interrogated alone, without a legal representative or family member present. The boys were shouted at, beaten and given electric shocks. The interrogators made the boys strip, poured cold water on them then put the air conditioning on to cold.

Since they were arrested, over 4 months ago, the boys have made 11 court appearances. Initially, the court agreed to house arrest for Shadi on the payment of 5,000 shekels, ($1,333 approx) bail. Although the family paid this – money which they had to borrow – a subsequent court appearance, under a different judge, failed to release Shadi and he remains in detention.

Shadi has now been charged with possession of a knife with intent to kill. He is adamant that this is not true.

Shadi is the youngest prisoner under the Israeli occupation and he has been incarcerated in Al Marsa detention centre, a facility for minors, (older teenagers, both Palestinian and Israeli), in the north of Israel. There was some consternation when he arrived at the centre as it appeared they were not prepared for the arrival of such a young child.

Although the staff at the detention centre treat him quite well, the problems are with the other, older boys some of whom harass and bully him. Shadi has headaches all the time and pain in his eyes but has not seen a doctor. He doesn’t sleep well as he is afraid of the other inmates. He is in a situation where if he should defend himself against harassment and bullying and ends up in a fight this will go on his file and will be bad for him.

Al Masra allows weekly family visits on Sundays but Shadi’s mother is only able to visit monthly due to the expense of travelling to and from the centre. The family are not well off and legal fees, bail and travel expenses amount to more than they are able to afford. Because of the distance and difficulties of getting there, it is necessary to take a taxi for the day which costs approximately 800 shekels, ($213 approx). Pocket money for Shadi comes on top of this. The ICRC, that often helps with transport costs will not help the family as they say that Shadi is not detained in prison but in a youth detention centre.

Shadi’s family have spoken to a lawyer who has seen the case papers and is willing to help them get him released but his fees are enormous, around 50,000 shekels, ($13,335 approx) and this is way beyond their ability to pay. To help them we are proposing a funding campaign to raise the money they so desperately need.

Anwar and Farihan, Shadi’s parents say that their son has never been in trouble before this. That he is a clever student and was doing well at school. That he is a normal boy, who loves animals, writing poetry, parkour and gymnastics. They are greatly shocked that he should have been accused of such a crime.

Read a letter Shadi wrote to his mother from prison here.

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If you want to support the family to release their child from prison and to cover the expenses of visits to see their son, please donate and send a quick mail to palreports[at]gmail.com to let us know how much money you donated for Shadi.

Apartheid policies in Hebron upheld

2nd June 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Despite the lifting of the closed military zone in Shuhada Street and Tel Rumeida, many restrictions for Palestinians still remain. This neighbourhood is in H2 under full Israeli control in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron).

The closed military zone was first declared on 1st November, banning any Palestinian resident of the area that wasn’t registered as a number with the Israeli forces from reaching their homes. This included doctors, workers, human rights observers and medical personnel. The orders were not extended anymore on the 16th of May, after more than six months of collective punishment.

As part of these closures, Israeli forces installed a metal gate on the stairs leading to Qurtuba school, preventing access for anyone except – at least most of the time – the schools’ students and teachers during school time. The stairs are located at Daboya checkpoint (checkpoint 55) that marks the invisible point on Shuhada Street where Palestinians are no longer allowed to continue on to go down the once thriving Palestinian market. With the closure of the Qurtuba stairs in both directions, the tiny strip of Shuhada Street still accessible to Palestinians effectively became a dead-end – with the rest of Shuhada Street forbidden for Palestinians and the stairs access blocked.

The families living above Shuhada Street, thus, have their main access to their homes blocked for more than seven months in an act of collective punishment – solely on the basis of them being Palestinians – while Israeli settlers from the illegal settlements and Israeli forces freely go up and down the street without any hassle. Whenever challenged for long enough that soldiers would actually call the Israeli civil police, they would suddenly come up with a ‘closed military zone’ order for the area that is valid for only 24 hours and lacks officiall stamps or signatures.

In the afternoon of Wednesday, 1st of June, Israeli forces again started registering some Palestinian residents, according to their information for them to be allowed to use Qurtuba stairs. Instead of registering the families living up from the stairs though, they went inside the houses of several Palestinian families on Shuahda Street for taking their names and ID-numbers, that have already been registered for the closed military zone and have been assigned numbers. The families registered were arbitrarily picked, going to some houses, but not all, while Israeli forces refused to register the families depending on the stairs to access their homes.

This is just another example of the Israeli forces attempts at forcible displacement of the Palestinian families in this neighbourhood, in order to connect the illegal settlements in the heart of al-Khalil. The apartheid policies and continued denial of human rights and dehumanization of Palestinians is only a thinly-disguised attempt at ethnic cleansing of the area.

 

An end to discrimination? Closed Military Zone in Hebron neighbourhood officially stopped

20 May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The closed military zone (CMZ) encompassing the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood and Shuhada Street in occupied al-Khalil has officially been lifted.

According to the Israeli army spokesperson, the CMZ-order was not extended, now allowing some non-residents into the area. The International Solidarity Movement and Youth Against Settlements initiated the #OpenTheZone campaign against the CMZ in the beginning of May, with extensive media-outreach through background information, personal accounts of life in the closed military zone, video statements, and on-the ground actions like children’s events, press conferences etc.

The area of Tel Rumeida and the tiny strip of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk, were first declared a closed military zone on 1st November 2015, with orders that were continuously renewed. This closure, deliberately only enforced on the Palestinian residents, while Israeli settlers from the illegal settlements within the city kept enjoying their privileges and complete impunity under Israeli military protection, meant for Palestinians, that they were living in a prison: only residents officially registered with the Israeli forces as a number where allowed to access their own homes. Palestinians made into a number and thus not being seen as a human being anymore, were often forced to wait outside Shuhada checkpoint for long-periods of time, be it rain or sun. No friends, family, human rights observers, repair-men or even emergency medical personnel was allowed.

With the last order officially ending on 14th May, it was first unclear whether yet another extension would be filed. Five days later, on 19th May, the Israeli army officially announced that the order was not extended. With ‘some’ non-residents now allowed into the area, it appears that this thinly-disguised attempt at forced displacement of the Palestinians in this region continues – in a form only a little more disguised and less media-worth. At the same time, the lists witness to the numbering of people are still lying handy at the checkpoint.

Without an end to the illegal Israeli military occupation of the West Bank an the injustice, humiliation and dehumanization of the Palestinian population can not possibly end.

The three minute warning…..

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18th May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Qud team |Al-Quds, Occupied Palestine

On Wednesday we sat with Abu Sadam in the rubble of all that remains of his family’s house, in Hisbet Wadi Joz, East Jerusalem. Early Tuesday morning at about 2am occupying forces arrived with a digger to demolish the house. The Israeli authorities have planned a national park and his home is in the way. Although the house was on Waqf land (The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf is a trust best known for controlling and managing buildings and land on and around Haram Al-Sharif), because it was built after the occupation in 1967 it is not protected.
The family were given three minutes notice to vacate the house and were not allowed to remove their furniture and belongings . Although some of the larger pieces were removed (thrown) from the house by the Israeli military, much has been broken or lost under the rubble. There are sixteen people in the family, most of them children. They are now homeless and all they have to protect them from the elements is a tarpaulin sheet .The demolition was aggressive and the occupying forces used physical violence against Abu Sadam, one of the children and internationals who were present at the time. The children are now frightened and traumatised.
Today, Abu Sadam’s older sons have been searching East Jerusalem for a house that they can afford to rent. However they have so far been unable to find a landlord willing to take on such a large family at a price they can afford. It is also possible that they will be evicted from the land.
As if having your house demolished were not enough, the family also have to pay for the privilege. Based on the bills received for other demolitions, Abu Sadam estimates that his bill will be around 100,000 shekels, (about $26,000), an enormous sum and impossible for the family to find.
Abu Sadam said that he hadn’t been able to sleep for months, worrying about the demolition that was hanging over the heads of his family, but last night he slept well, knowing that he no longer had anything to lose.
The family are calling for solidarity and support in the immediate future and would welcome visitors to join them as they fight the Kafkaesque situation in which they find themselves

If you want to help please contact: palreports@gmail.com

Aggressive young Israeli settlers provoke anger in Damascus gate, Jerusalem

14 May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Quds team | Jerusalem, occupied Palestine

The 12th of May 2016 notes the day Israel calls Independence Day. For Palestinians, Israeli Independence Day means the start of the Naqba in 1948 (the Catastrophe) and the loss of their homeland, which is still ongoing today.

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The small but highly provocative group of settlers at Damascus gate. Photocredit: ISM

We had traveled to Jerusalem and had expected a big march of Israelis waiving flags and chanting nationalistic slogans. Last year hundreds, if not thousands, had marched down to Damascus gate on their way to the Western Wall, provoking the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem. Although we did see some flag waiving and heard shouting, we saw no big crowds. As it turned out, the size of the Israeli march was of little importance. The small group of young provocative right-wing Jewish extremists that did come, succeeded in creating mayhem in front of the city wall; sparking anger which resulted in three Palestinians being beaten up by border police, arrested and taken away. A few of the Israeli extremists were also arrested for attacking Palestinian onlookers including children, and fighting with the police- although not until after the events had unfolded and the three Palestinians had already been arrested.

The group came down from New Gate loudly calling for the destruction of Al Aqsa and the building of the third temple, as well as shouting insults to local Palestinians. Border police surrounded them and tried to prevent two of the Jewish extremists from entering the gate. Although border police did attempt to push some of the settlers away most of the group- especially the women who had brought babies with them to this provocative and hateful display on Palestinian land (likely in an attempt to prevent anyone getting close to them; either Palestinians or police) – were allowed to go very close to the entrance of the old city. There they tried to block Palestinians from entering and exiting, continued their provocative shouting and started pushing people. The many border police and soldiers did nothing to stop this behaviour; they only kept them from entering the city and ensured they were not hurt.

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Right wing Israeli Jewish settlers, with offensive T-shirts featuring Al Aqsa. Photocredit: ISM

After some time of this going on, all of a sudden we hear an angry voice calling out in Arabic and see a young Palestinian moving quickly into the centre of the crowd. Before we knew it, border police had surrounded the young man, and pushed him to the floor. About ten police men and soldiers started kicking him violently, over and over again. We feared for the young man’s life, as many other young Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces for less, but luckily the crowd of people may have prevented the police from using weapons. Finally, they got him on his feet but continued their violent treatment as they put him in handcuffs. While this struggle was going on, two other young men who had likely come to the aid their friend, were put on the floor and violently attacked by soldiers and police. The three were arrested on the spot, but they were not carrying weapons of any kind and had merely reacted to the ongoing abuse hurled at them.

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One of the young men attacked by border police. Photocredit: ISM
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Border Police violently restraining a young Palestinian man. Photo credit: ISM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The boys, who were all bruised from the ill treatment by the Israeli forces were not offered any medical assistance. Instead they had to sit and wait for some time by the scene, where the group of young Jewish settlers continued their provocations and calls for the destruction of one of the most holy places for Muslims- Al Aqsa. Then the three were taken taken to waiting police cars, body searched and driven away. We also saw a couple of the Israeli extremists handcuffed and led away to police cars, however they were not subjected to any body searches. The events unfolded in less than 40 minutes, but it was a stark reminder of the system of apartheid that operates in Israel, and in occupied Palestine.

The treatment of the instigators who are Israeli and Jewish, was vastly different to the treatment of the young Palestinians, who are Muslim, reacting to their provocative and aggressive behaviour. Where Israeli Jews were coaxed and pushed, the Palestinians were subjected to extreme violence from the police and soldiers, and arrested straight away. Palestinians are also likely to face significantly harsher punishment for any wrong doing, punishments are often also extended to their families. Israel, it seems, can not see that there is anything wrong with operating an apartheid system as they so blatantly showcase how different groups are afforded different rights and treatment. How long are we going to let them get away with this?