Tag: Action Alert - Page 4 - International Solidarity Movement

Statement concerning Israeli measures against activists

8th August 2016 | International Solidarity Movement

Palestinian and international activists hold signs in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by the buffer zone in Zeitoun on 9 February 2013. (Photo by Desde Palestina)

The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian-led movement with a mandate to support Palestinian nonviolent popular resistance to Israeli military occupation and apartheid. Palestinian-led nonviolent resistance includes the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel, until it adheres to its obligations under international law.

ISM volunteers also accompany children to school and farmers to harvest their olives in areas where they face ongoing settler and military violence. We find that our presence sometimes results in reducing the level of lethal force used by the Israeli military against unarmed Palestinians. Further isolation of Palestinians by denying access and/or deporting human rights activists aims to make Palestinian communities already vulnerable and suffering from abuse even more vulnerable.

As a civilian population living under military occupation Palestinians in the occupied territories are promised protection under international law. All parties signed to the fourth Geneva Convention have the obligation to insure that others, including Israel, adhere to international law. Civilians are being called on to fill in the gap created by the failure of governments and official international bodies to provide protection and fulfill their obligations.

Israel’s isolation of Palestinians both by denying Palestinians and their supporters access to Palestine as well as by denying Palestinians including human rights defenders the right to leave Palestine is not a new strategy. It is most brutal and lethal in the besieged Gaza strip but all parts of Palestine are under some degree of siege.

We condemn Israeli suppression of Palestinian nonviolent resistance. The recent announcement by the occupation authorities that they will attempt to further isolate Palestinians indicates the occupation authorities unwillingness to do the only thing that will actually bring an end to Israel’s isolation – to adhere to international law, end the occupation and grant Palestinians their rights.

See the statement By the Boycott National Committee here:

Petition to free Shadi Farah

20th July 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, East Jerusalem | East Jerusalem, occupied Palestine

ISM encourages everyone to copy and paste the letter below and send it to your Members of Parliament, Congresspeople, and other political representatives.

To support Shadi and his family financially during this very difficult time, please see: https://palsolidarity.org/donate/

Dear Sir/Madame:

I am writing to urge you to act and condemn the violations on children’s rights that are being enforced by the Israeli government against Palestinians. I am extremely concerned about the situation in Palestine, where children are repeatedly arrested, abused and imprisoned by the Israeli forces.

At the moment, the youngest Palestinian child who is being detained in Israel is 12 year old Shadi Farah. He has spent more than six months away from his family already, and the court keeps prolonging his case and the final decision. Evidence against Shadi is very poor. He is accused of attempted manslaughter – allegedly he carried a knife with the intend to stab an Israeli soldier, yet no one was ever hurt by his hand. His interrogation was inhumane and abusive, it lasted for days and neither his parents or lawyer were present.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by the Israeli government in 1991. Thereby the Israeli government committed to providing all children with a safe childhood, with the care, protection and opportunities that are needed to ensure that childhood is a time free from insecurity, violence or abuse.

This commitment is not being fulfilled by the Israeli government. At the moment, more than 400 Palestinian children are being kept in Israeli prisons. Three-quarters of Palestinian children jailed between 2012 and 2015 endured some form of physical violence following arrest.

According to Defence for Children International Palestine, in 179 of 429 cases, the Israeli military arrested children from their homes in the middle of the night. In 378 out of 429 cases, Israeli forces arrested children without notifying parents of the reason for arrest or the location of detention. In 97 percent of the cases, children had no parent present during interrogation or access to legal counsel. Furthermore, Israeli police did not inform children of their rights in 84 percent of the cases. DCI Palestine informs that 66 children were held in solitary confinement, for an average period of 13 days, during the reporting period. More than 90 percent of children held in solitary confinement provided a confession. This confession is often being used as the only form of evidence to convict the child, as is the case with Shadi.

I beg you to express your concern about this in the Parliament/Congress/EU/UN and make sure that the grave issue of violations of Palestinian children’s rights is being brought to the attention of the Israeli government. Please remind Israel that by ratifying the UN Convention they are obliged to protect every child, in the state of Israel as well as in occupied Palestine. No child deserves the treatment that Palestinian children face every day.

Yours sincerely,

Shadi’s mother, holding a photo of her son.

Shadi with his best friend, Muhammad, and with his father, Anwar Farrah.

Shadi with his father, Anwar.

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.

Open The Zone: press conference

13th May 2016 | Open the Zone campaign | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On 12th May 2016, the Open the Zone campaign held a press conference in front of Shuahda checkpoint in Hebron – protesting the continuous collective punishment and denial of human rights to Palestinians in the ‘closed military zone’.

Palestinian children waiting at the checkpoint

The press conference was launched with a children’s event offering a chance to the Palestinian children forced to live under a closed military zone order since 1^st November to draw their hopes and dreams inside an outline of the closed military zone. During the children’s event, a few children, on their way home, were kept outside the checkpoint, causing a small boy to start crying as Israeli forces refused to open the turnstile for them so they could go through the checkpoint in order to reach their homes.

Children drawing outside Shuhada checkpoint, the 'entrance' to the closed military zone — Children drawing outside Shuhada checkpoint, the ‘entrance’ to the closed military zone

The governor of Hebron, Dawood Zatari stressed how, even though the situation throughout the H2-area of Hebron under full Israeli control is difficult, the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood and Shuahda Street that are under the closed military zone (CMZ) order are a grave concern. Kamel Hamed, the mayor of Hebron, that visited the CMZ on 9th May reiterated the municipalitie’s commitment to the people living in this area and encouraged the steadfastness of the families. Abed Salaymeh, campaign spokesperson and Shuhada Street resident, illustrated the families perspective of life in the CMZ, while Zleikha al-Muhtaseb stressed the impact of the CMZ on the children living in this area.

Children's drawing of Shuhada checkpoint — Children’s drawing of Shuhada checkpoint

The Open The Zone campaign was initialised by the International Solidarity Movement and Youth Against Settlements to bring the thinly-disguised attempts of forced displacement by the Israeli forces within and through the CMZ to the world’s attention and achieve an end to this form of collective punishment.

While during the event, big numbers of Israeli forces gathered behind the checkpoint, closely observing the events, after the press conference was finished, they increased the scrutiny with which they checked every single person attempting to go home – ensuring that they are registered as a number. This dehumanizing numbering of Palestinians needs to stop – Palestinians are people, not numbers!

a group of children in front of Shuhada checkpoint, facing big group of soldiers

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Go back to the main Open The Zone campaign page

Open The Zone: municipality delegation visit to CMZ

10th May 2016 | Open The Zone Campaign | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Yesterday, 9^th May 2016, the Mayor of Hebron and several employees of the municipality of Hebron visited the closed military zone in Shuhada Street and the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood in the framework of the Open The Zone campaign.

The delegation on Shuhada Street, with Shuada checkpoint in the background and a group of settlers passing them

The delegation from the municipality arrived to the neighbourhood through the Gilbert checkpoint, where they were surprisingly allowed to pass despite not being registered as numbered residents in the area. During their visit, at several points they were denied to continue by Israeli forces. Walking on the tiny strip of Shuhada Street still accessible to Palestinians, they were denied to go up the stairs to Qurtuba school that for more than half a year have been closed for any Palestinian, despite them stating their function as a delegation including the mayor of Hebron. When trying to walk down the same stairs from up near Qurtuba school, they were again denied passage by the Israeli forces.

Delegation detained at the stairs leading to Qurtuba school

The delegation visited several families that have been living under closure in the closed military zone (CMZ) since 1^st November 2015, and listened to the demands of the families. Additionally to electricity and water-connections for the Shuhada Street kindergarten, this included an ambulance, as recently several Palestinians in need of an ambulance were denied this medical assistance by Israeli forces, at times for ridiculous reasons such as ‘it’s Shabbat’. This problem has been long-running, as in the whole area, even before the CMZ, Palestinian vehicles – thus including ambulances – are not allowed to drive. With the CMZ ambulances are now required to get additional permits – additional to the permits to be driving on this settler-only road – before being allowed to enter the CMZ.

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Go back to the main campaign page