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Round-up of Recent Media on the Boycott of Israel from PACBI

A collection of recent press articles on the Boycott, Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign from around the world. Compiled by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The links below are all to PACBI site, on which the articles have been reposted, along with links to the original (where available).

PACBI Press Release

Boycott Israel to Stop its War Crimes in Lebanon and Gaza! Palestinian Civil Society Campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel — Acting Steering Committee, July 18, 2006

Calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions

1. Formation of SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL COALITION IN SOUTH AFRICA
Press release | | July 21, 2006

“The crisis caused by the imperialist-backed Israeli state in their collective punishment of the Palestinians and the Lebanese people has demanded an urgent response.”

2. Derry protesters demand Israeli goods boycott
Sarah Brett | Belfast Telegraph | July 21, 2006

“Anti-war protesters will be on the streets of Londonderry tomorrow calling for a boycott of Israeli goods.”

International solidarity

1. Greens to Bush: Press Israel to Stop the Attacks on Lebanon
Green Party, USA | July 20, 2006

“Slaughter of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians is a punishable war crime; use of U.S. weapons for such purposes violates U.S. laws.”

2. Filmmakers Demand Withdrawal of Israeli Government Sponsorship of Film Festival
PACBI | | July 18, 2006

“The following intervention by Arab and other filmmakers has resulted in the Locarno International Film Festival 2006 renouncing financial support from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

3. NADEL CONDEMNS ISRAEL’S FLAGRANT BREACH OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW
NADEL | | July 2006

“The National Association of Democratic Lawyers of South Africa condemns the flagrant breaches of international humanitarian law and the violations of the human rights of Palestinians further exacerbated by the latest attack from Israel on the residents of Gaza in Palestine.”

Related articles and analysis

1. Analysis: could Israel face war crimes charges?
Michael Herman | The [London] Times | July 20, 2006

“A UN warning that Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon may constitute war crimes has legal legs – but with the issue being as much about politics as law, prosecutions are unlikely anytime soon, analysts say.”

2. Film festival drops Israel as sponsor to protest attack
Jim Quilty | The Daily Star | July 21, 2006

“BEIRUT: The organizers of the 2006 Locarno International Film Festival have dropped the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a festival sponsor because of that country’s unremitting bombardment of civilian targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.”

3. Israeli Apartheid
Bruce Dixon | The Black Commentator | July 20, 2006

“Imagine, if you will, a modern apartheid state with first, second and eleventh class citizens, all required to carry identification specifying their ethnic origin.”

4. Nothing but anti-Arab racism can fully explain the behaviour of the Israelis
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown | The Independent | July 17, 2006

“Born in Germany, Hugh was from one of those cultured, intellectual Jewish Berlin families crushed by Nazism. He escaped to Britain in the late 1930s to become a world-class scientist. Israel would bring out the worst in his people, he always said, and I argued with him. Survivors of the Holocaust, I believed, were on the side of the angels. “No, my dear,” he would respond, “the Jewish state will make us nationalists, and will one day make us racialists.” I am glad he is not alive to see his prophetic words turned flesh.”

5. Boycott Israeli Dance Companies
Paul Ben-Itzak | The Dance Insider | July 2006

“PARIS — I’d love to be able to start this column with the dance angle, explaining why we should boycott the Israeli companies performing at this month’s Lincoln Center Festival — including Ohad Naharin’s Batsheva, opening tomorrow — but unfortunately, in the face of the dissembling and pandering to the Israel lobby by Senator Hilary Clinton and others, even as Israeli bombs continue to kill Lebanese children (the toll at the end of yesterday: 230 Lebanese civilians killed by Israel, 13 Israeli civilians killed by Hizbullah), I’m afraid some context is in order.”

6. A New Middle East is Born: But not exactly the one Shimon Peres had in mind
Omar Barghouti | Electronic Lebanon | July 19, 2006

“Six long, bloodstained days have passed since Israel launched its barbaric attack on Lebanon without succeeding in exacting a significant military toll on the resistance itself. Six days are exactly what it took Israel to deal a crushing and humiliating military defeat to the largely inferior armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in June 1967, and to subsequently occupy the Palestinian Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights, and the Egyptian Sinai peninsula.”

7. Peace With Justice Is Only Way Out
Sam Bahour | OhmyNews International | July 18, 2006

“In case anyone had any remaining doubts, the flawed Middle East peace process and the international community’s half-hearted efforts have miserably failed, culminating in Israel’s most recent aggression in Gaza and Lebanon. Following the Palestinians’ democratic legislative elections which brought Hamas to power, Israel announced that its goal was to topple the Palestinian government at any cost.”

8. Ties with Israel open to debate, says Pahad
Boyd Webb | Cape Times | July 17, 2006

“Pretoria: While the government is not entertaining thoughts of cutting diplomatic ties with Israel or imposing sanctions, it is open to debate on the issue, says Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad.”

PHCR: “Four from One Family Killed and 3 Injured in Gaza City, 20 Killed and 193 Injured in El-Maghazi and Nablus”

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, 22 July 2006, 11:00 GMT

Large scale destruction in houses, agricultural fields, infrastructure, and governmental and security buildings

In another crime of disproportionate use of lethal force, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed 4 members of one family on Friday, 21 July 2006. A mother, her 2 sons, and the sons’ nephew were killed by an artillery shell that fell on their house in Shejaeya Quarter in Gaza City. This is the second crime of its kind in the same quarter this month. Two weeks ago, a mother and 2 of her children were killed in similar circumstances.

This crime and others perpetrated by IOF are part of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for nearly a month. Palestinian civilians are paying the price of this aggression as a large number of civilians was killed or injured, and their property was destroyed.

Prior to the latest crime in Shejaeya, IOF redeployed out of El-Maghazi refugee camp area after a 2-day attack. IOF left behind a large number of casualties and significant destruction. In addition, IOF withdrew from Nablus in the evening after a 3-day operation, which caused a large number of casualties and destruction.

PCHR is extremely concerned over the continued Israeli aggression against the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), which threatens to inflict additional casualties among Palestinian civilians, and cause destruction of civilian property.

PCHR’s preliminary investigation into the crime in Shejaeya Quarter indicates that at approximately 08:00 on Friday, 21 July 2006, an IOF tank stationed along the border east of Gaza City fired a shell at a residential house belonging to Jaber Harara, located near El-Muntar hill, near the border. The shell landed directly on the roof of the 3-story house. Two of Jaber’s children and their cousin were on the roof. They were killed instantly. Jaber’s wife went up from the second floor to see what happened after the first shell landed. As soon as she reached the roof, a second shell was fired at roof. She was killed instantly. Three members of the family were injured by shrapnel, including a 3-year old girl. The victims killed are:
– Mo’min Jaber Harara (18);
– Amer Jaber Harara (21);
– Sabah Harara (45), the mother of the first two; and
– Mohammad Hamdi Harara (27).

Commenting on the crime, an IOF spokesman stated that Israeli soldiers noticed 2 armed people in the area who were about to fire rockets; and IOF fired the shells at them. IOF moved into the area after firing the shells, and started to raze agricultural land in the area.

At approximately 05:30 on Friday, IOF completed their redeployment out of El-Maghazi refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip. IOF had occupied large areas of land in the area for 48 hours, during which they committed crimes of willful killing and destruction of civilian property. Fifteen Palestinians were killed, including 3 children and a mother and one of her children who were killed inside their house. The number of injured is 125, most of them civilians, including 30 children and a paramedic. There are 31 serious injuries. Four houses were completely destroyed and 9 houses were partially destroyed. A sewing workshop, the source of income for 80 families, was destroyed. In addition, 200 donums of agricultural land were razed, and extensive destruction was caused to infrastructure such as the water network, electricity lines, and roads.

At approximately 22:30 on Friday, IOF redeployed out of Nablus in the West Bank after a 3-day operation. During their attack, IOF besieged the Government Compound and other governmental buildings and headquarters of security services. The pretext of the operation was detaining wanted people inside the Government Compound. IOF used a wide range of military equipment in the operation. IOF killed 5 Palestinians, including 3 who were wanted and 2 civilians. The number of injured is 68, including 27 children and 3 journalists. The destroyed governmental buildings and structures included the veterinary department building of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Interior offices, Special Police Force headquarters, 3 building for the Preventive Security Apparatus, and a prison. In addition, IOF destroyed the southern wing of the Governmental Compound that included the headquarters of the National Security Force, the Presidential Guard “Force 17,” and Military Intelligence. In addition, IOF destroyed the maintenance section of the National Security Force. The Central Prison was partially destroyed, with the section used for females destroyed after freeing the prisoners. IOF detained nearly 100 Palestinians, most of them members of security forces and others who are wanted by IOF.

PCHR reiterates its concern over the situation in the OPT. The Centre warns against the ongoing Israeli aggression, which are a violation of International Law and International Humanitarian Law. This aggression will result in additional casualties among Palestinian civilians. In addition, the Centre condemns the acts of willful killing and destruction perpetrated by IOF. These crimes as a form of reprisal and collective punishment against Palestinians, which is a violation of article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. PCHR points to the fact that IOF do not respect the principles of necessity and proportionality when using its war machine against Palestinian resistance activists when they are in non-combat situations in civilian areas, which leads to casualties from among the civilian population and to damage of civilian property.

In the Center�s view, the complacency of the international community and the High Contracting Parties of the 4 th Geneva Convention and their failure tot take effective steps to stop Israeli war crimes has been a supporting and encouraging element for Israel to continue perpetrating additional war crimes against Palestinian civilians. The legal cover provided to Israel by the US, which purposely hinders International Humanitarian Law, and the conspiracy of silence by Europe encourage Israeli to continue to perpetrate war crimes unchecked, placing it above international law.

The Centre reminds the High Contracting Parties of:
— Their obligations under article 1 of the convention to ensure respect of the convention under all circumstances;
— Their obligations in article 146 of the convention to pursue suspects of committing serious violations of the convention, noting that these violations are war crimes according to article 147, as specified in the first protocol additional to the convention

-End-

Public Document
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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip:
on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail:
pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

B’Tselem: Israeli Soldiers use civilians as Human Shields

report from B’Tselem, 20th July 2006

B’Tselem’s initial investigation indicates that, during an incursion by Israeli forces into Beit Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip, on 17 July 2006, soldiers seized control of two buildings in the town and used residents as human shield.

After seizing control of the buildings, the soldiers held six residents, two of them minors, on the staircases of the two buildings, at the entrance to rooms in which the soldiers positioned themselves, for some twelve hours. During this time, there were intense exchanges of gunfire between the soldiers and armed Palestinians. The soldiers also demanded that one of the occupants walk in front of them during a search of all the apartments in one of the buildings, after which they released her.

International humanitarian law forbids using civilians as human shields by placing them next to soldiers or next to military facilities, with the intention of gaining immunity from attack, or by forcing the civilians to carry out dangerous military assignments.

B’Tselem has demanded that the Judge Advocate General immediately order a Military Police investigation into the matter and prosecute the soldiers responsible for the action.

Chronology of the Events

In the IDF’s Operation Summer Rains in the Gaza Strip following the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, engineer, artillery, and infantry forces made an incursion into Beit Hanun, a town of some 32,000 people in the northern Gaza Strip, early in the morning on 17 July. According to the IDF Spokesperson, during the incursion, “IDF struck approximately twenty armed terrorists.” The announcement added that, “Forces also carried out engineering work to harm terror organizations’ infrastructure and hamper their activity, and arrested a number of wanted men… During searches, forces discovered three Kalashnikov rifles, a carbine, a pistol, and ammunition.”

Around 6:00 A.M., troops in armored personnel carriers and bulldozers drove up to two adjacent four-story buildings in the middle of the town, near the a-Nasser mosque. The bulldozers destroyed the concrete wall around each building and then destroyed one of the external walls on the ground floor of each of the buildings. The extended Kafarneh family lives on the bottom three floors of one of the buildings. On the fourth floor are the offices of the Ramatan Palestinian News Agency. The ‘Ali family lives in the other building.

Part of the force, twelve soldiers in the estimate of one of the witnesses, burst into the Kafarneh building through the area where the wall was destroyed, firing stun grenades as they entered. At the time, there were 25 people in the building, including 11 children. Some of those present were from the ‘Ali family who left the adjacent building when the military entered Beit Hanun. The soldiers called all the residents to gather in the living room on the ground floor, and then searched them. Threatening the occupants with his weapon, one of the soldiers ordered ‘Aza Kafarneh, a 43-year old woman, to accompany him to search each of the floors in the building and to open the doors of each of the rooms. At the end of the search, the soldiers ordered all the occupants, except for three, to leave the building. As they left, there was a heavy exchange of gunfire between IDF soldiers and Palestinians. In her testimony to B’Tselem, ‘Aza Kafarneh related that, in light of the situation, she requested the soldier to let them remain in the building, but the soldiers refused. “We had to lay flat
on the ground and crawl to the neighbor’s house…”

The three who were kept in the building were two of her sons, Hazem, 14, and Qusay, 16, and her nephew, Khaled, 23. The three were taken to the staircase, at the entrance to the third-floor apartment, where the soldiers were located. The three sat there until around 8:00 P.M, about 45 minutes before the soldiers left the building. During this time, soldiers inside and outside the building were engaged in exchanges of gunfire with armed Palestinians. The staircase was not in the direct line of gunfire. Just before the end of the incident, the soldiers ordered the three to go downstairs, in front of them, to the entrance of the building.

At the same time (around 6:00 AM), other members of the military force had seized control of the building in which the ‘Ali family lives. The only people in the building were the mother, ‘Ayesha, 60, and her three sons, Hazem, 29, Tareq, 25, and ‘Emad, 41. ‘Ayesha ‘Ali was taken into an interior room on the ground floor, where she stayed with her hands tied until the end of the events.

The soldiers ordered her three sons to undress and then searched them. The soldiers then cuffed their hands behind their back and blindfolded them. According to the testimony of Hazem, the soldiers tightened the cuffs intentionally so as to hurt them. One of the soldiers kicked him in the chest after he complained about the pain. However, when his hands began to swell and bleed from the cuffs, another soldier put a new pair of cuffs on his hands.

‘Emad, who serves in the Palestinian police force, handed over his personal weapon at the beginning of the events, in response to the soldiers’ demand. Another member of the family who also serves in a Palestinian police unit was not present at the time. Soldiers searched for his weapon, but they did not find it. During the search, the soldiers broke a lot of the family’s furniture and caused great destruction in some of the apartments.

Following the search, one of the soldiers took Hazem’s cell phone and called four persons whose numbers were in the phone’s memory. The soldier told each of them: “If you want Hazem, Tareq, and ‘Emad released, bring your weapons.” According to Hazem’s testimony, the four persons work with him at Ramatan and were selected at random; none of them have any weapons.

Around 8:00 A.M., the three men were taken to the staircase next to the third-floor apartment, where the soldiers were gathered. The three remained on the stairs, their hands cuffed behind their back and their eyes covered, until 8:45 P.M., when the soldiers left the building. At a certain point, one of the brothers, Tareq, moved a bit, and a soldier hit him in the chest and threatened to kill him. While they sat there, an intense exchange of gunfire took place between soldiers in the building and armed Palestinians outside. In contrast to the situation in the other building, many bullets entered the staircase area via the window and struck the wall, above the heads of the three occupants. One of the brothers, ‘Emad, was taken by the soldiers at the end of the incident and remains in Israeli detention.

During the events, ‘Aza Kafarneh was in contact with B’Tselem and asked the organization to help attain the release of her family members who were being held by the soldiers. A B’Tselem staff member, Najib Abu Rokaya, called the IDF’s District Coordination Office in the Gaza Strip and warned them about the incident. The soldier on the other end of the phone referred Abu Rokaya to the DCO’s legal advisor, Captain Haim Sharbit. After Abu Rokaya spoke with him, Sharbit said that he could do nothing about the matter because “we are not familiar with the incident.”

Legal Background

The testimonies taken by B’Tselem indicate that the Israeli soldiers who took over the buildings used the occupants as human shields. They placed civilians on the staircase, next to the rooms where the soldiers were located, with the intention of deterring the armed
Palestinians from attacking the building and/or so that the civilians would be located between the soldiers and the armed Palestinians, should the latter manage to penetrate the building and try to shoot them. The soldiers used one of the occupants to open the doors of the apartments, apparently out of fear that other persons were hiding there and would open fire when the door was opened.

International humanitarian law, which states the rules applying in armed conflicts, requires the sides to distinguish between combatants and civilians, and to protect the lives and dignity of civilians. The Fourth Geneva Convention, in Article 27, states that civilians who find themselves in the hands of one of the parties are “entitled, in all circumstances, to respect… They shall at all times be humanely treated, and shall be protected especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof…”

Article 28 of the Convention expressly prohibits the use of civilians as human shields by placing them alongside soldiers or military facilities, with the hope of attaining immunity from attack. The official commentary of the Convention refers to this practice, which was common in the Second World War as “cruel and barbaric.” The Convention, in Articles 31 and 51, also prohibits the use of physical or moral coercion on civilians or forcing them to carry out military tasks.

Despite these prohibitions, for a long period of time following the outbreak of the second intifada, particularly during Operation Defensive Shield, in April 2002, the IDF systematically used Palestinian civilians as human shields, forcing them to carry out military actions which threatened their lives. It was not until a High Court petition was filed by Israeli human rights organizations opposing such action, in May 2002, that the IDF issued a general order prohibiting the use of Palestinians as “a means of ‘human shield’ against gunfire or attacks by the Palestinian side.'” Following this order, the use of this practice declined sharply. However, according to IDF interpretation, assistance by Palestinians, with their consent, in warning a wanted person hiding in a certain location is not deemed use of a human shield. However, this practice was also outlawed following the ruling of the Israeli High Court of Justice that this practice is inconsistent with the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Clearly, then, the IDF’s treatment of the Palestinian occupants in the two Beit Hanun buildings flagrantly breached fundamental rules of international humanitarian law, as well as IDF regulations. B’Tselem wrote to the military’s Judge Advocate General and demanded that he immediately order a Military Police investigation regarding this incident, and that he prosecute all those responsible for these illegal acts.

Settlers Burn Farmer’s Roof; ISM Rebuilds Despite Intimidation

Israeli Colonist Wear: tallis, tzitziyot, and masks

by Harry Pockets

On 22nd July, ISM activists and Israeli activists joined locals from Suseya to rebuild the roof of a farmer’s home that had been burned by neighbouring Israeli colonists. Suseya, an agricultural village located in the South Hebron hills, repeatedly has come under attack by Israeli colonists in the nearby settlement of the same name.

Following the arson, the family living there temporarily moved out of fear of continued harassment and physical attacks by the colonists. ISM and international human rights workers gathered with the villagers to replace the burnt roof with plastic sheets in order to return the home to a liveable condition. As the group began to lay the tarp over the home, fully-masked settlers approached the group demanding that the internationals leave settler “Holy Land” (picture above). The colonists engaged in physical and verbal intimidation, characteristic of settler interactions with Palestinians and internationals in the West Bank. In the ensuing encounter the colonists, who would not identify themselves, assaulted a female ISM member who was videotaping the incident.

Shortly thereafter the IOF arrived, called by the settlers who frequently enlist the help of the army because of the tacit and active support they receive from them. Following a dialogue led by Israeli activists, the situation calmed. The group of villagers and internationals were able to successfully replace the roof with the tarp, clear away charred remains of the house interior, and assist in watering the farmers’ plants.

At the request of the farmers in the area, ISM activists are now living with the families who fear further attacks, including arson and assault.

A Flying Start to Freedom Summer 2006

International Solidarity Movement Digest
7-19 to 7-23-2006

1.) A Flying Start to Freedom Summer 2006
2.) Israel Declares Greek Human Rights Worker a Security Threat
3.) Settlers in Hebron Continue Campaign of Harassment and Violence
4.) Bil’in Mourns Hundreds of Civilian Deaths
5.) US State Dept.: You’re on Your Own
6.) Israeli Soldiers Contaminate Water Tanks of Human Rights Workers
7.) Home Destruction Threat in Bir Nabala village

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1.) A Flying Start to Freedom Summer 2006

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/23/fs-flying-start

Three weeks in, and the International Solidarity Movement’s “Freedom Summer 2006″ has gotten off to a flying start. More and more activists are coming to the West Bank every week, participating in two days of training before heading out to the regions of the West Bank that ISM is working in. Led by these Palestinian communities, the international volunteers, mainly from the USA and Europe, are supporting Palestinians in their non-violent resistance to the Israeli Occupation.

One example of this is the village of Bil’in, where every Friday international and Israeli supporters are joining the local Palestinians as they march against the apartheid wall that is annexing their land to Israel. Because of the presence of international observers, the Israeli army is extremely reluctant to use live ammunition at any of the demonstrations in Bil’in, and no one has ever been killed at a demonstration there. This is in stark contrast to non-violent Palestinian demonstrations that have no international or Israeli supporters, during which 11 Palestinians have been killed. There is also a constant international presence maintained in the village to protect against incursions from the Israeli occupying forces, and some people spend their nights helping to protect a small outpost of the village on the Israeli side of the wall.

Similar solidarity work is being carried out in the village of Beit Ummar in the Hebron region. Beit Ummar has recently started to carry out demonstrations against the expansion of Israeli settlements in their area, and the villagers there have invited internationals from ISM to maintain a constant presence in order to document and reduce the violence from Israeli military incursions to the village, as well as from Israeli settlers.

In the city of Hebron itself, human rights workers from ISM and the Tel Rumeida project work together to maintain a presence in the community in order to non-violently intervene and document to stop violence from Israeli Jewish fundamentalists who live in settlements protected by the Israeli military. Other volunteers work in the ISM Media office in Ramallah.

This very successful start to ‘Freedom Summer’ is in spite of rumors published in the Israeli press that Israeli forces would start operating a “zero-tolerance” policy towards ISM activists. Articles published in the Israeli newspapers Ha’aretz and Ma’ariv warned that anyone suspected of connection to ISM would be stopped from entering the country, and those that did make it through into the West bank would be picked up at the numerous Israeli checkpoints and deported back to their home countries. Although this appears to be in the most part empty rhetoric, ISM and other human rights organizations still face plenty of harassment, both from the Israeli military and from Israeli settlers. The article published in Ha’aretz was nothing short of slanderous, accusing unnamed ISM peace activists of assaulting Israeli police and military. ISM members have never assaulted anyone, or even been charged with doing so.

Our numbers have increased dramatically since the beginning of Freedom Summer. We have had at least 10 new volunteers at each weekly training for the past several week. But we still need a lot more long term and experienced activists to put in place the infrastructure, and build the relationships and networks that will provide for more successful campaigns in the future. Now, more than ever, international volunteers are needed in Palestine. The Olive Harvest Campaign is coming up in October/November. Will you join us? Between our campaigns the occupation, of course, continues and international solidarity workers are needed here even more. ISM needs long term volunteers to be able to build up and maintain our structures and our work. We need your presence! Please join us.
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2.) Israel Declares Greek Human Rights Worker a Security Threat

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/23/mariadeport/

July 22nd, an Israeli judge decided today in administrative court to deport Maria Nikiforou, a 34 year old human rights worker, without a hearing. The security has informed Maria that they will put her on the next available flight, tomorrow morning to Olympia, Greece. Maria’s case is indicative of a pattern by the Israeli government of preventing international human rights workers from aiding the Palestinian people, and denying international activists the right to due process in court.

Maria’s lawyers, Leah Tsemel and Yoni Lerman, filed an appeal against her denial of entry, but the judge has refused to examine it. Instead he is complying with the charges, claiming that Maria is a threat to the state of Israel, a charge backed by completely secret evidence.

Maria was denied entry into Israel on Friday July 14th and has been in detention, mostly in isolated confinement, since her arrival as she awaits her hearing. The Israeli authorities claimed that she is denied entry because she is a “security threat to the state of Israel,” and that she is a part of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which they called an “illegal organization.” In fact, the Israeli courts have ruled that being a member of ISM is not reason enough to deport foreign nationals, and that the group has never been deemed illegal. ISM is a Palestinian-led, non-violent resistance movement that works to support local Palestinians in their non-violent struggle against the occupation.

The state of Israel has made public its intentions to increase the denial of entry to international human rights workers, as well as Palestinians with foreign passports. Many fear that the complete closure and isolation of the Gaza Strip will be replicated in the West Bank.

Paul Larudee, a 60 year-old piano tuner from California, was denied entry last month, because the judge of the civil court ruled to deny him entry based completley on secret evidence provided by the Israeli General Security Service. Secret evidence is expected to form the basis of evidence against Maria as well. This sort of procedure is common in the Israeli military-legal system, through which thousands of Palestinians have been sentenced to renewable periods of “administrative detention,” based on secret charges that are in turn, based on secret evidence.

It is inevitable that democratic values in the Israeli legal system, such as an individual’s right to defend themselves in court have been eroded. The Israeli civil court system cannot respect human rights as long as there is a parallel military legal system in which the human rights of Palestinians are disregarded.

Over 15,000 people have been denied entry into Israel in the last five years. Some examples from May 2006 include: Kate Maynard, a UK Human Rights Lawyer; Raeed Tayeh, a Palestinian American former public affairs director for the Muslim American Society; and Enayeh Adel Samara, a US citizen who is married to a Palestinian and owns a business in Ramallah and has two kids born in Jerusalem.

UPDATE 7-24-06:
This morning, July 24th, Maria Nikiforou was deported from Israel. She was sent on the 7am flight to Athens without a hearing.
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3.) Settlers in Hebron Continue Campaign of Harassment & Violence:
July 19-22
by Harry and Kyle

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/23/hebronsettlers/

In Tel Rumeida, Hebron, six settler men between the age of 16 and 25 entered a Palestinian shoe manufacturing shop across the street from the ISM/TRP apartment and began throwing shoes around, disrupting the work and intimidating the workers. In response, three international human rights workers confronted the settlers verbally and with cameras. When the settlers realized they were being filmed, they left. In order to prevent settlers from entering again, the internationals blocked the entrance of the shop. Eventually, the police arrived but they did not try to prevent the settlers from harassing the Palestinian shop keepers. Later that day a female settler continued the harassment at the shop and internationals successfully blocked the entrance to the shop.

This harassment is a small incident in a pattern of settler violence that internationals have witnessed while working in the area. Two days prior, fifteen settler girls between the ages of 10 and 15, were documented once again threatening Palestinian children. The young settlers threatened a Palestinian boy saying, “I’m going to kill you”, and called them derogatory names including “donkey.” After the settler girls left, the police arrived and warned them not to go near the Jewish children. Later another police officer told the internationals to leave and if not, he world not help them even of they were ‘bleeding from the head.’ The officers blamed the internationals for the harassment and told them that by documenting the settlers, they were provoking them.

One day prior, a young settler tore up a recently completed brick path to the Qurtuba School in Tel Rumeida. When the damage was discovered, police were contacted, but when they arrived, they refused to get out of the jeep to look at the damage; they simply instructed the internationals to stay away from the construction site to avoid “provoking” the settlers – even though the attack took place when human rights workers were not present to harass. The attack at Qurturba School is the latest step in a long campaign by settlers to disrupt the project. The path was created to stop decades-old rock attacks by Jewish settlers targeting Palestinian students and teachers. In response to over 10 years of such violence, the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), agreed to fund the paving of the path with bricks and the installation of fences. Throughout the last few months of construction, settlers have attacked the workers, pulled up the bricks, and smashed much of the retaining wall built next to the path.
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4.) Bil’in Mourns Hundreds of Civilian Deaths

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/21/mourners/

Today, July 21, 2006, the people of Bil’in marched in silence to the Apartheid Wall with the support of Israelis and internationals. The weekly march turned into a mourner’s procession as two hundred and fifty demonstrators carried a 20 meter long black flag as a symbol of the over 425 Palestinians and Lebanese killed in recent weeks. They also carried posters with the message “Is this the world we want for our children?”.

To download a poster for printing and posting:
https://palsolidarity.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy/signed-poster-july20-2006-BIG.jpg

The demonstrators gathered in front of the Wall and held a moment of silence and prayer for those killed in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and the West Bank. The normal celebratory tone of the demonstration was replaced with one of somberness and grief. After the moment of silence the procession marched back to Bil’in without any violent response from the Israeli army.

Mohammed Al Khateeb of the Popular Committee of Bil’in stated, “We are protesting against the Israeli military aggression that targets innocent civilians and infrastructure”. He explained the tape that many people wore over their mouths, “We are against the Arab and International apathy and silence towards the ongoing Israeli violations of human rights”.

Al Khateeb also called on the Palestinian, Israeli, and international peace activists to continue to protest, in Palestine, in Israel, and around the world, against the Israeli attacks and violations.

After the demonstration Israelis and internationals joined people of Bil’in in a discussion about the non-violent joint struggle in Bil’in and new strategies of working together and resisting. Israelis and internationals also took posters to place in Israel and to send abroad.
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5.) US State Dept.: You’re on Your Own

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/20/us-state-dept/

The US State Department has issued a travel warning for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza that states that “those taking part in demonstrations, non-violent resistance, and “direct action,” are advised to cease such activity for their own safety.” They warn of the danger that peace workers face from Israeli soldiers and settlers just for working in “pro-Palestinian volunteer efforts”.

In the report they state, “In recent months, citizens of Western nations, including Americans, involved in pro-Palestinian volunteer efforts were assaulted and injured in the Occupied Territories by Israeli settlers and harassed by the IDF.” Fox News reported on their website (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204422,00.html), “This likely refers to a group known as the International Solidarity Movement, said political science professor Nathan Brown, a senior associate with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.”

Along with ISM, the US State Dept. is referring to internationals from the Tel Rumeida Project, Christian Peace Maker Team, International Women’s Peace Service and other organizations who have been attacked and beaten by settlers in Hebron and shot at by soldiers in non-violent protest across the West Bank.

Huwaida Arraf, one of the founders of ISM, expressed her disappointment towards their response. “Instead of calling on Americans to stop engaging in nonviolent protests to Israel’s occupation and human rights violations, the state department should be calling on Israel to stop using violence against unarmed civilians (which include americans), especially since the Israeli military is using US taxpayer dollars to carry out these attacks.”
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6.) Israeli Soldiers Contaminate Water Tanks of Human Rights Workers
By Joe Skillet

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/18/israeli-soldiers-contaminate-water-tanks-of-human-rights-workers/

On Saturday, July 15, 2006, human rights workers in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, discovered that Israeli soldiers had been using the Human Rights Workers’ (HRWs) four water tanks as waste bins. Though it is unsure how long the soldiers have been doing this, what is sure is that the garbage found is of IOF origin.

It is shocking what the HRWs found inside their tanks. Because there are numerous flats in the building, the land-owner was called to point out exactly which water tanks belonged to the HRWs’ apartment. Most of the roof and many of the tanks are covered with Israeli military netting, due to the fact that the roof was at one point labeled a “closed military zone”. The soldiers still regularly ascend the stairs to the roof and there are currently two military cameras recording the area mounted on the building. Some of the netting had to be cut in order to reach the four tanks belonging to the HRWs apartment.

One of the tanks was badly damaged, with a large hole in the side and half of the top unattached from the body of the tank, making the tank irreparable. Three of the tanks are easily accessible. Inside these three tanks is where the HRWs found an abundant amount of trash, intentionally placed there by the Israeli soldiers. Some of the trash includes: forks, spoons, knives, army netting, unexploded bullets, paper, plastic, glass, bricks, broken pipes, pudding containers, an extremely outdated, unopened yogurt package, and plastic trays on which soldiers’ meals are served.

Swimming in all of the tanks were what looked like thousands of little, grayish, transparent organisms. These organisms were the first clue that there was something wrong with the water supply. Recently, some of the HRWs had noticed these tiny wormlike creatures coming through the kitchen faucet.

The HRWs currently have no clean water supply to the apartment because of the bacterial – and potentially harmful – consequences of using or ingesting it. Palestinian friends and neighbors have agreed to let the HRWs fill water bottles and buckets from their own water tanks and faucets, and to use their showering facilities. Most of the water has been emptied from the tanks, but many of the organisms still remain. The tanks must be thoroughly disinfected before they can be used again.

There is a large concern that the soldiers will again contaminate the HRWs’ water supply. Currently, there are no locks for the lids of the tanks. The idea of trashing Palestinian water tanks is apparently not new. One Palestinian told the HRWs that the soldiers have contaminated his family’s water supply with their garbage many times. So, he checks his water tanks everyday. There have been other reports of soldiers urinating in water tanks.

There is a consensus among the housemates to get new water tanks with locks, or to at least replace the damaged tank. In the meantime, the HRWs will continue to borrow water from their friends, and hope that any illness from drinking the contaminated water has been prevented.
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7.) Home Destruction Threat in Bir Nabala village

https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/07/19/home-destruction-threat-in-bir-nabala-village/

Today Bedouin houses were under threat of demolition in Bir Nabala village in the Jerusalem area. Since 1994, when forced to leave their homes in Al Ram by the Israeli military, about 100 Bedouin have been living in small shanties near the Atarot Industrial Area. The homes of these refugees are once again facing demolition due to the Israeli expansion of the annexation wall, where the Israelis claim 200 meters of free space are necessary to secure the area.

The Bedouin here are already facing numerous problems with the annexation wall. The construction of the wall has cut water pipes to their homes. In addition, the wall severely hinders their movement as they have to cross into Jerusalem to work and sell their products, but are forced to go through Ramallah and the Qalandiya Checkpoint. If they are successful in crossing, these checkpoints can cause major delays. The Bedouin children are also forced to take the same circuitous and road-blocked routes to get to their school. The soldiers guarding the wall often will not let sheep herders go out to hills for grazing. The situation with travel is compounded by the fact that Israeli factories in the industrial area are draining their sewage water next to the Bedouin homes (see photo below).

Bedouin in the West Bank are forced to move again and again by the Israeli Military and it is nearly impossible for them to get permission to stay anywhere regularly. This threatens their culture and economy which is largely dependent upon grazing. The water and air pollution from the factories as well as the wall is undermining dairy production and will make Palestinians even more dependent on Israeli products.

The Bedouin in Bir Nabala hold documents granting them permission from the Palestinian land owners to stay in the area (see above). They have taken their case to the Israeli court which today, while the Bedouins stood by fearing destruction of their homes, ruled that they could remain temporarily. Even if they court rules in their favor, the community faces a future completely surrounded by fences and soldiers effectively strangling the Bedouin way of life.

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For more reports, journals and action alerts visit the ISM website at www.palsolidarity.org.

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