Tag: International law - Page 32 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli forces shut down Palestinian street for Sukkot tour in occupied al-Khalil

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

Shortly after noon on October 19, Israeli Forces began congregating on the militarized H2 side of the Shuhada Street checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil. A massive gathering of international Jewish tourists and settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlements followed shortly after. This is nothing new for the people of occupied al-Khalil – every year during the week of Sukkot, the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles, Israeli forces shut down part of the central square of Bab al-Zawiye to form a “safe zone” for settlers and tourists.

Palsetinian civilians forced to stand back as Israeli forces take over area outside Shuhada Street checkpoint. — Palestinian civilians forced to stand back as Israeli forces take over area outside Shuhada Street checkpoint.

First to exit the checkpoint into the so-called Palestinian controlled H1 area were the Israeli forces. After forming a human barrier around the two armored cars that had just arrived from around the corner via an H1 street, additional soldiers marched up towards a supposed sacred site in order to line themselves up in the “safe zone” formation. Once this had been done, massive groups of settlers and tourists began walking along this now-militarized Palestinian street. By this point, snipers had set up on rooftops, soldiers had sound bombs at the ready, and Israeli forces of all colors were spontaneously aiming their weapons at unarmed Palestinian civilians as a form of intimidation.

Jewish tourists and settlers from nearby illegal Israeli settlements walk up and down the now-militarized H1 street.

These “safe zones” are simply additional tools used by Israeli forces to further their ethnic cleansing operations in occupied al-Khalil. The military setup of the operation presented a distorted and dehumanized spectacle of Palestinians as wild, bloodthirsty animals that needed to be controlled to the settlers, when in reality these people were only seeking to shop, socialize, and live their normal, everyday lives. By demonizing Palestinian civilians as “terrorists” and presenting their military offenses as “security operations”, Israeli forces have sought to justify their illegal incursions into the H1 area. These incursions present an ample opportunity for arrests and acts of violence against Palestinians, in many cases leading to the clearing of Palestinian residents to make room for additional illegal Israeli settlements.

Therefore, not only are these guided settler tours and the militarized “safe zones” they conjure up used as a powerful zionist propaganda presentation, they are in fact part and parcel with Israel’s process of ethnically cleansing al-Khalil of its indigenous Palestinian population. At no time is this practice so consistently played out annually than during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Every year in occupied al-Khalil, settlers and tourists from Israel and abroad are bussed in by the truckloads towards the al-Ibrahimi mosque.

Israeli Border Police block off roads leading to the settler tour destination, doing whatever they please to modify the physical boundaries of the occupation.

The mosque becomes shut down for Palestinian Muslims and many of the checkpoints throughout the city are closed at random points with no prior warning. As Jewish tourists set up tents on the lawn in front of the mosque, many abandoned buildings (former homes of evicted Palestinians) are refitted into military bases. Students from the nearby schools are forced to walk to and from school past this military madness every day of the week, and young male Palestinians are stripped searched for weapons while Israeli settlers are allowed to walk by fully armed to the teeth with assault weapons slung across their bodies out in the open.

What happened today in the thriving Palestinian center of Bab al-Zawiye is nothing new for the people of occupied al-Khalil. It is simply a systemic occurrence of the slow and violent creep of ethnic cleansing by the state of Israel towards the people of occupied Palestine.

Snipers line the rooftops of H1, aiming at Palestinian civilians as a form of intimidation.

All of this violent intimidation just so that Jewish tourists and settlers can pray in this house for a few minutes.

Photo story: Feast of intimidation, oppression and illegall annexation

2oth October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

This past week marked the feast of Sukkot, which brought settlers from illegal settlements all over the occupied West Bank to al-Khalil (Hebron). There, with restrictions, harassment, collective punishment and intimidation of Palestinians – all in favor of the illegal settlers – the spirit of the Jewish holiday was turned into a feast of intimidation and oppression for the Palestinian residents, going hand in hand with increasing illegal annexation of their land.

With bus-loads of settlers from all over the illegaly occupied Palestinian West Bank pouring into al-Khalil, Israeli forces stepped up the movement-restrictions and checkpoint closures for Palestinians even more, thus making the maze of checkpoints, already almost impossible to navigate into a maze that ends mainly in dead-ends. For several days, the main checkpoint connecting the Palestinian market with the area around the Ibrahimi Mosque was closed for Palestinians, and Palestinian shop-owners in the mosque-area were forced shut by the Israeli forces – all to facilitate settler movement in areas that lack any presence of Palestinians.

The road connecting the settlements in the heart of al-Khalil with the Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of al-Khalil – where only settlers are allowed to drive – has largely been cordonned off with police-barriers.

The area cordonned off by #IsraeliForces — The area cordonned off by Israeli forces

Thus, school-children were not only forced to pass an even larger amount of heavily-armed military and police forces, but also navigate the maze of complete closures for Palestinians, areas to avoid due to excessive settler presence and the gates put up preventing movement in certain directions.

School-children forced to pass heavily-armed Israeli forces and maze of police-barriers — School-children forced to pass heavily-armed Israeli forces and the maze of police-barriers

Students of al-Faihaa girls school in the Ibrahimi Mosque area, where just recently a new CCTV surveillance tower was put up following and recording every step of the Palestinian residents movement, are now studying right next to a military encampment. The building right next to the girls school entrance has already been mis-used and turned into a military encampement during last year’s Sukkot celebrations.

Building illegally occupied by Israeli forces for a military base

On Tuesday, many of the settlers arriving to al-Khalil on the occassion of the holiday, were ‘guided’ through the Palestinian market by Israeli forces, preventing Palestinians’ access in their own marketplace for hours. Just a day later, soldiers effectively imposed a curfew on the tiny strip of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk, the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and the Bab al-Zawwiya area. The latter is located in the H1 area of al-Khalil, supposedly under full Palestinian control. With the closure of Shuhada checkpoint for six hours on Wednesday, Palestinian civilians were either locked inside or outside their houses, while settlers were accompanied by heavily armed military forces to a tomb located in the H1-area, forcing shop-owners to close.

On Thursday morning, Israeli forces marched through the streets of al-Khalil, with drums and music, in a pure show of force and power. The march went on the settler only road, that has been ethnically cleansed from Palestinian cars (but does still allow Palestinian pedestrians), illustrating the continuous plans and attempts to connect the illegal settlements in an area ethnically cleansed of any Palestinian presence.

Throughout the increasing efforts to illegally annex more and more strips of land, and erase first the memory of the Palestinian heritage as a step to then erase the whole Palestinian population, Israeli forces are employing the ‘power of words’. More and more areas, streets and houses that belong to Palestinians, but in which settlers have already moved in (and were succinctly kicked out by the army), are given Hebrew names, eradicating the Palestinian names. This is just one small step of illegal annexation that even goes so far to call the illegal Israeli settlements in the city center of al-Khalil “Jewish neighborhoods”.

Signs put up for 'tourist settlers' in al-Khalil by Israeli forces — Signs put up for ‘tourist settlers’ in al-Khalil by Israeli forces

With the holiday of Sukkot lasting for another three days, more restrictions and harassment are expected. And even with the end of the holiday, the restrictions, harassment and intimidation of Palestinian civilians solely and deliberately on the ground of their ethnic group, with the continuous illegal annexation of the land, will not stop as long as the illegal occupation is allowed by the international community to continue their efforts of ethnic cleansing.

Bring Shadi home!

16th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Firefund | illegally annexed East Jerusalem, occupied Palestine

Shadi and his friend Ahmad were arrested at a bus stop in Jerusalem. A group of East Jerusalem illegal settlers called police to investigate the two boys, on suspicion of being Palestinian.

In the ensuing process of arrest, interrogation, and abuse, the Israeli police proclaimed that the two boys had gone to Jerusalem with the intent to stab a soldier, and subsequently charged them both with attempted manslaughter. During the interrogation, the boys were shouted at, beaten and given electric shocks. According to Shadi’s family, he still maintains his innocence, but in the Israeli courts, no evidence is needed to convict a Palestinian.

Shadi is now imprisoned in al Masra youth detention centre, a facility for teenagers incarcerated for theft, assault and drug possession, where he suffers from abuse and isolation. His family visits him as often as possible, but travelling from the hometown Kufr Akab to the north of Israel is expensive, and the Farah family has no prospect of paying for a good lawyer to take Shadi’s case.

The reason this can happen is that the Israeli authorities believe the international community doesn’t care. With this campaign, we’re going to prove them wrong!

Costs

Shadi’s unjust incarceration has not been without cost for the family, emotionally as well as economically. The Farah family in general has little money, and the imprisonment of Shadi is a heavy burden on the family’s economy. In order to visit Shadi at the al Marsa detention center, the family has to rent a car and pay for the gas, amounting to about 800 NIS (almost €200) per trip.

The Farah family has already been forced to borrow money in order to cover these expenses, and on top of that they have to finance the expenses of the upcoming trial, amounting to approximately €1000, something that is common practice when it comes to Palestinians.

For the time being, Shadi has been appointed an Israeli lawyer. But as a Palestinian being prosecuted under a racist apartheid system, he will need a good lawyer with expert knowledge and experience in defending Palestinians, if he wants any hope of avoiding prison.

Shadi’s trial has been set to October 27, and it is expected that he will be sentenced to prison for at least two years. After this trial, it will be possible to appeal the case, but the only chance of winning the appeal is to get a good lawyer, which will amount to a minimum of another €3500.

Support Shadi

We are doing this campaign to collect €4500 for Shadi’s legal case and to create awareness about child prisoners in Israel. But only if we reach our goal, the money will be withdrawn and sent to Shadi and his family, so we need your help.

Please support the campaign by pledging and by sharing it!

Let’s tell Israel that they can’t put children in prison without resistance from the international community – let’s #bringShadihome!

Donate now

Photo story: Jewish holidays bring harassment to occupied Hebron

6th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The 3rd and 4th of October marked the celebrations of the Yewish New Year. In the occupied West Bank, Jewish holidays, celebrated by the settlers from the illegal settlements. This usually translates to an increase in harassment, restrictions and the presence of heavily-armed military occupying forces and settlers, often not only from the illegal settlements of the respective cities, but additionally ‘settler-visitors’. In occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), with the celebrations for the New Year now past, preparations for the upcoming week-long holiday of Sukkot are already underway.

Palestinian children play outside their homes - right next to heavily armed Israeli forces watching movement of Palestinians — Palestinian children play outside their homes – right next to heavily armed Israeli forces watching movement of Palestinians

During the two-day celebration of the Yewish New Year, the part of Ibrahimi Mosque that has not been confiscated by the Israeli forces has been closed entirely for Palestinians and Muslims. Sixty percent of the Mosque was illegally annexed by Israeli forces who installed a synagogue inside in the aftermath of the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre. Additionally, the nearby Ibrahimi Mosque checkpoint that connects the new Palestinian market (after the closure and ethnic cleansing of Shuhada Street, the former bustling Palestinian market, in the aftermath of the Ibrahimi mosque massacre) with the Ibrahimi Mosque area has been closed for Palestinians since Sunday night. This leaves Palestinians, including residents, school-students and teachers with only few options to reach school, work and their homes, as the closest alternative of Shuhada Street is ‘illegal’ to use for Palestinians under Israeli occupation ‘rules’. On Thursday, October 6th, both the Mosque and the nearby checkpoint were closed as well – even though there’s no official Yewish holiday; yet another arbitrary movement restriction on Palestinians in order to favour settlers.

These movement restrictions, which are solely and deliberately only enforced on Palestinians, have directly impeded the right to education in various areas. At Ziad Jaber school near the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, school-students, their parents walking them to school and teachers had to cross paths with the heavily-armed settlers, and often undergo bag-, ID- and body-searches based on racial profiling by the Israeli forces. Young adult men are especially targeted by these arbitrary and often humiliating searches, where they are forced to lift up their shirts and trouser-legs, basically getting half-undressed in public.

Palestinian young men are forced to lift up their shirts and trouser-legs by Israeli Forces near Ziad Jaber school

A similar procedure is enforced on Palestinians when Israeli settlers from the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement walk down to Ibrahimi Mosque (the 60% of it where a synagogue was installed) in the evenings. As any Friday night, where the settlers have the same ritual for Shabbat, Palestinians are oftentimes stopped by Israeli forces who completely line the roads the settlers will be taking, in order to allow for settlers to pass the street before allowing Palestinians to continue their way. Often, Israeli forces stop especially young men and force them to undergo similar checks, ordering them to lift up their shirts and turn around, and then lift up their trouser legs.

Israeli forces at night force Palestinian to lift up his shirt

Opposite the al-Faihaa girls school in the Ibrahimi Mosque area, Israeli forces put up an additional CCTV surveillance tower, registering and locking Palestinians’ every movement. The structure is fenced off with concrete blocks and barbed wire, and always manned with at least two soldiers.

CCTV surveillance tower newly put up in Palestinian neighborhood

For the upcoming holiday of Sukkot, where many settlers from the illegal settlements all over the Israeli occupied West Bank are expected to visit the Ibrahimi Mosque (the 60% of it where a synagogue has been installed), preparations in al-Khalil are under way for making the area as empty as possible of any Palestinian presence. New sign-posts are being put up to indicate directions for the ‘visitors’. Changing and ‘Hebrew-nising’ street names, giving Hebrew names to houses illegaly taken over by settlers, etc. has already been identified as one of the tools of the Israeli occupation to lay claim to Palestinian property and streets – an obvious attempt to erase the Palestinian existence in the mind of the people first. At the same time, ethnic cleansing is slowly but steadily taking place, especially in the Old City of al-Khalil.

New sign-post erected by Israeli Forces near ethnically cleansed Shuhada Street

Continuing ethnic cleansing in closed military zone in Hebron

5th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Israeli forces in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) are continuously increasing their efforts of ethnic cleansing in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood. In the area, declared a ‘closed military zone’ for almost a year, Israeli forces do everything imaginable to force the Palestinian population to move away in order to create an ethnically cleansed zone free of any Palestinian presence, geographically linking the illegal settlements.

The area of the ‘closed military zone’ (CMZ) that is solely and deliberately only enforced on Palestinians, while at the same time facilitating settler movement, has recently been extended to encompass the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in it’s entirety. On the tiny strip of Shuhada Street – that in the aftermath of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre hasn’t yet been fully ethnically cleansed of Palestinian presence – illegal annexation attempts are progressing continuously. For the few hundred meters of the street where some Palestinians are still allowed to walk and the whole Tel Rumeida neighborhood, Palestinian vehicular traffic, including ambulances, is forbidden and has effectively been made into a dead-end for Palestinians. The stairs leading to the Qurtuba school-area have been closed, again only for Palestinians, and the rest of the street continuing from there has already been ethnically cleansed and is now completely off-limits to Palestinians.

One of the main checkpoints needed to reach the area of the CMZ is the highly-militarized and fenced-in Shuhada checkpoint, where Israeli forces in the last few days have replaced their old list of ‘registered Palestinian residents’ with a brand-new copy. For the new list though, Israeli forces arbitrarily dropped many names of Palestinians previously registered, thus leaving them stranded at the checkpoint and denied passage to reach their own homes. How the ‘new list’ was created baffles the Palestinian residents, as there has not been any new ‘registration’ of residents in which Israeli forces would suddenly, usually at night time, show up in family homes in order to register names and ID-numbers of the present family members.

Whereas the Israeli forces are trying to enforce the ‘normality’ of family or friends, workers or medical personell – if Palestinian – as not being permitted in the so called ‘closed military zone’, Israeli settlers from the illegal settlements are free to go and come as they please. With hightened restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, Israeli forces at Shuhada checkpoint have additionally started forcing men to lift up their shirts and trouser-legs after having already passed the metal detector installed inside the checkpoint box, which ensures that no outside observer will see what’s happening inside. The sole reason for this, as for the whole existence of the checkpoint itself, is humiliation; humiliation to a degree where Palestinians decide to leave as there is no option to live a life with at least a shroud of dignity, where you’re treated like a human being – despite being born, and identified, as Palestinian.