Israeli Settler Attacks and Harassment in Hebron

by ISM Hebron

27th September 2006: At 1:30pm today a stoning took place on Shuhada Street near Beit Hadassah settlement, which is the street where most of the attacks against Palestinians in the street occur. Eight Israeli settler children, aged about ten years old, threw rocks at the Palestinians and at windows of a home, which were already barred due to previous attacks. The settler children also threw rocks at internationals filming the situation. The attack ended within a few minutes because the two Israeli soldiers stationed at Beit Hadassah settlement forced the children back. It usually isn’t the case that they intervene against colonist settler violence like they did in this instance.

This situation isn’t unusual. It happens several times a week and often while Palestinian children are on their way to and from school. At the moment teachers are on strike because they haven’t been paid for over six month. Despite the large amount of leisure time they have because of this, few Palestinian children can be seen on the streets. They are afraid to go out because of the never-ending attacks from Israeli settlers.

At the same time that the attack against the children on Shuhada street was happening, the home of Zuhair Al-Bayed was attacked by three Israeli settlers, aged around seventeen. They came from the olive groves near Shuhada Street, throwing rocks from above the house. The settlers destroyed one of the solar cell panels the family kept on the roof to heat water. Fortunately no one in the family was hit by the rocks. The home of Zuhair Al-Bayed has been attacked five times, but they are reluctant to call the Israeli police or military: “We don’t want to call them because it takes a very long time before they come. If they do come, they don’t help us or they cause more problems to us than if we wouldn’t call them at all”, said the son in the family.

At 4:00pm about four settler boys, aged 8-10, stoned the Al-Azzeh and Sharabati homes from their Tel Rumeida settlement caravans. Settler adults could be seen in the area throughout the time the children were stoning.

At 4:10pm, an international noticed a group of settler women and children from Tel Rumeida walk up to the Abu Haikel house, located on a hill near the olive groves above the Tel Rumeida settlement. The women were filmed hoeing on the Abu Haikel land within about 30 feet of the home. Later, the group of settler women and children walked back down to the settlement carrying about four rakes and hoes.

Internationals visiting the home of the Al-Azzeh family learned that the family has continued to be without water for 20 days. Women and teenaged males from Tel Rumeida settlement were seen by the family cutting their water pipes, which run directly below the settlement. The Al-Azzeh family and the Sharabati family are without water and have been forced to get water from their neighbors. The family is not able to mop their floors or do anything that requires a lot of water; instead, they are only able to drink and wash with it.

They have repaired the pipes numerous times, but the Tel Rumeida settlers simply cut them again.

Balata Invasion Fails to Dampen Festive Cheer


AP photo

by ISM Nablus

At dawn on September 27th Occupation forces invaded Balata camp with jeeps and an armoured bulldozer with support from Apache helicopters hovering overhead. Military vehicles heading for Balata from many directions were reported. A curfew lasting several hours was imposed on the area and 21 year old Ala’ Mohammad Zaid Shraiah, 17 year old Jihad Yousef Zuqan and 17 year old Abd-Allah Qatawi were arrested.

As in a previous invasion 3 weeks ago the armoured bulldozer plowed through the narrow main street of the camp destroying shop fronts and concrete paving. Children were later seen improvising chairs and see-saws out of the mangled plastic facades whilst reconstruction work was going on. A falafel stand owner, Jamal, didn’t let the invasion dampen his festive Ramadan spirit: “We hardly notice the attacks as they happen so often and we won’t let them spoil Ramadan”.


AP photo

Ynet: UN Envoy Condemns Israeli “Ethnic Cleansing” of Palestinians

Special UN envoy on human rights in Palestinian territories says in special report Israel’s actions in territories can be described as ‘ethnic cleansing,’ adds three-quarters of Gaza population depend on food aid for survival

from YnetNews, 26th September 2006. By Ali Waked and Reuters

United Nations Human rights envoy to the Palestinian territories John Dugard has published a report Tuesday where he does not shy away from sharply criticizing Israel and the West for the situation in Gaza. “Israel has turned the Gaza Strip into a prison for Palestinians and have thrown away the key,” he said, adding that “in other countries this process might be described as ethnic cleansing.”

In the report handed to the UN Human Rights Council Dugard wrote that “life in Gaza has turned to be intolerable, appalling and tragic.” According to him, 75 percent of Gaza’s population is dependant on food aid for survival, and the destruction left from Israeli bombings is “intolerable.”

Dugard also mentions the situation in the West Bank where there is a danger of a humanitarian crisis because of the security fence which is as bad as in Gaza.

The South African lawyer, who has been a special UN investigator since 2001, repeated earlier accusations that Israel is breaking international humanitarian law with security measures which amount to “collective punishment.”

Dugard also attacked the United States, the European Union and Canada for withdrawing funding for the Palestinian Authority in protest at the governing party Hamas’ refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist.

“If… the international community cannot … take some action, it must not be surprised if the people of the planet disbelieve that they are seriously committed to the promotion of human rights,” he said.

“Israel violates international law as expounded by the Security Council and the International Court of Justice and goes unpunished. But the Palestinian people are punished for having democratically elected a regime unacceptable to Israel, the US and the EU,” Dugard said.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN headquarters in Gevneva Itzhak Levanon said in response that “the report lays the blame solely on Israel and does not hold the terror groups responsible for taking the Palestinian people hostage.”

Saddest Ramadan in 40 years

To many residents of Gaza, this month of Ramadan is the poorest and saddest holiday since 1967. According to them, the economic situation has never been worse and the holiday feasts have never been as lacking as this year.

Abed Srur, a construction worker from Gaza said that unlike the Ramadan tradition, for their fast ending meal they eat only rice with no meat. He said that his income since May has been only NIS 3,000.

The Palestinians continue to be troubled by the closure imposed on the Strip that prevents the transfer of goods and people and hurts the ability of traders and workers to support their families.

Srur also said that the salaries that the Palestinian government has promised to pay its employees have not been paid because of conflicts between the government and Palestinian President Abbas. “Ramadan has never been so sad,” said Srur.

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In 2004, Dugard described the situation imposed by Israel in the Palestinian territories as worse than South African apartheid:

UN agent: Apartheid regime in territories worse than S. Africa
Ha’aretz, 24th August 2004. By Aluf Benn

South African law professor Prof. John Dugard, the special rapporteur for the United Nations on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, has written in a report to the UN General Assembly that there is “an apartheid regime” in the territories “worse than the one that existed in South Africa.”

As an example, Dugard points to the roads only open to settlers, from which Palestinians are banned.

In his report presented early this month, Dugard is highly critical of Israel for its “continuing violations of human rights in the territories.” He said Israel is blatantly violating the International Court of Justice’s ruling on the separation fence, and has declared it will not obey it.

The report was disseminated among the member countries ahead of the September General Assembly session meant to discuss the fence.

Dugard, a law professor from South Africa, was a member of a Truth Commission at the end of the apartheid regime, and was appointed by the UN in 2001 as special rapporteur for human rights in the West Bank and Gaza.

He called for a general arms embargo against Israel in May, in response to the IDF operations in Rafah, similar to the arms embargo imposed on South Africa in 1977.

According to government sources in Jerusalem, Israel is currently leaning toward cooperating with the various rapporteurs of the UN, and responding to their questions and requests.

But there are two exceptions to that rule: Dugard, and the special rapporteur for food, Jean Zigler. Israel refuses to cooperate with them because of the language of their mandates, and what it regards as their unfair approach. According to the sources, Dugard’s assignment was phrased in a way that discriminates against Israel.

But the government does not prevent Dugard from traveling in the territories and Israel, to meet people and to report as he wishes.

UK Company Supplying Arms to Israel Blockaded

Protesters shut down the Brighton, UK, arms factory EDO-MBM in the early hours of September 21st. Using barrels filled with concrete and bicycle locks they closed all the gates to the factory, effectively stopping anyone from entering the building.

EDO MBM manufactures weapons components for the Israeli army, who slaughtered over a thousand Lebanese civilians this summer and who are engaged in a murderous assault on the people of Gaza. Andrew Beckett, press spokesperson for the campaign said ‘we have shut down this factory so that it cannot go on producing armaments to be used against the people of Gaza. We will keep on causing disruption to the factory until it closes down permanently’.

The workers began arriving at around 6am. By 7.30 there were over 100 workers with their cars outside the factory. They were met by protesters who used megaphones to make the workers listen to details of the carnage that their weapons wrought in Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq.

Later that morning the protesters bore witness to the surreal sight of the managing director, Paul Hills, having to climb the fence of the factory in order to get inside. He then returned brandishing an angle grinder, which he instructed an employee to use to cut a hole in the company’s own fence through which employees were eventually able to get inside the factory.

The factory was completely blockaded from 6am to 9.30am, stopping production for several hours. Having achieved this aim, the blockaders decided to unlock themselves before the police intervened. There were no arrests.

Smash EDO demonstrate every Wednesday at EDO MBM, Home Farm Road from 4pm to 6pm.
See smashedo.org.uk or contact smashedo@hotmail.com for more details of the campaign.

Haaretz: Israeli “Law as Roadkill on Highway 443”

by Akiva Eldar, September 26th

The masses of Israelis who regularly travel to Jerusalem via Modi’in are familiar with the large cement cubes near the signs that indicate the approach roads to the Palestinian villages on either side of the main road known as Highway 443. Anyone who bothers to look to the sides will be able to see, beyond the cubes, at the side of the ride, cars bearing Palestinian Authority license plates. Those who have sharp eyes will be able to descry the passengers climbing up and down the hills.

Few are aware that for six years now, ever since the outbreak of the intifada, the highway has been serving Israelis only. Palestinians are forbidden to travel even along the segment that is nine and a half kilometers long and passes through West Bank territory, including lands that have been confiscated and where trees have been cut down “for public needs.” Israel Defense Forces soldiers ensure that only lucky people who have been granted a temporary permit can enjoy the shortcut.

Now it emerges that there is no order that can give legal validity to discrimination among travels according to nationality. In reply to a question from Haaretz, the IDF Spokesman has confirmed that “in light of the many security risks and threats to traffic on Highway 443 in recent years, it was decided in the Israel Defense Forces Central Command to close several approach roads that connect directly from the village expanse to the highway.” At the same time, the spokesman stresses that “no order has been issued that prohibits travel on the highway,” and in any case, “there is no prohibition on the part of the IDF regarding Palestinian traffic on the segment of the highway located in the territories of the Judea and Samaria [West Bank] area.” Nevertheless, in the same statement in which it is claimed that “there is no prohibition regarding Palestinian traffic on the Palestinian segment of the road,” it is also stated that because of the security risks, some of the approach roads that link the villages to the highway are closed “permanently.”

According to the statement, some of the other roads are open and “are closed in accordance with the assessment of the security situation.”

Attorney Limor Yehuda of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), who is preparing a petition to the High Court of Justice on the matter, sees the situation differently. According to her, most of the roads are usually closed, and from time to time special permission to use the road is given to a limited number of cars. Some of the approach roads have been blocked with boulders, others with concrete barriers, and there are those that have been closed with iron gates. A Palestinian driver who is caught on the road can expect a lengthy delay, a warning and a scare, and sometimes even the confiscation of the keys to the vehicle and also harsher sanctions. Last May ACRI applied to the GOC Central Command, Yair Naveh, on behalf of the heads of the village councils of Beit Sira, Beit Likiyeh, Hirbet al-Masbah, Beit ‘Ur al Tahta, Beit ‘Ur al Fuqa and Tsaffeh. Yehuda noted that Highway 443 is the main approach road that links the 25,000 inhabitants of the six villages to the main city in the area, Ramallah, and serves as a link among these villages.

A month later people from the Civil Administration came to the village of Beit Sira and proposed to the council head, ‘Ali Abu Tsafya, that transit permits be granted to a number of taxi owners from the village. He insisted that the highway be opened to all of the inhabitants of the village, as had been the case in the past. The visitors promised to organize a meeting with one of the responsible senior officers. Since then no one has called and Major General Naveh has not replied to the letter.

Yehuda wrote that following the blockage of the approach to the highway, the inhabitants have had to use back roads, some of them dirt roads, that pass through the villages and wind through the narrow lanes. As a result of this, trips in the area have become prolonged, dangerous and costly. Instead of a trip of a quarter of an hour in comfortable conditions on Highway 443 from the village of Beit Sira to Betunya and from there to Ramallah, the inhabitants have to wind their way along dirt roads that become impassable on winter days. The cost of the trip has more than doubled and many of the inhabitants of the villages are unable to bear the costs.

This is not a matter of preventing Palestinians from entering territories on the Israeli side of the Green Line (the pre-Six Day War border), but rather of a road that is located entirely in the area of the West Bank. At the two entrances to the territory of the state of Israel there are roadblocks that are permanently manned by soldiers (the Maccabim roadblock and the Atarot Junction roadblock). When lands of the six villages were confiscated in the 1980s and the 1990s, it was explained to the inhabitants that widening the road was essential for the needs of the inhabitants of the entire area. Including their needs, of course. In response to the petition to the High Court of Justice concerning the confiscation of lands for purposes of paving a road in the Ramallah area, the state argued that the planning “took into account the conditions and needs of the area and not only Israel’s conditions and needs.” Based on that principled commitment, Justice Aharon Barak rejected the petition in September 1983, and issued a ruling in principle that the rules of international public law grant the right to a military government to infringe on property rights if a number of conditions are fulfilled. The first of these conditions: “The step is taken for the benefit of the local population.”