Tag: Settlers - Page 24 - International Solidarity Movement

Continuous implementation of apartheid-policies in Hebron

9th June 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team| Hebron, occupied Palestine

For already more than seven months, Israeli forces have kept a staircase leading to Qurtuba school and the surrounding neighbourhood in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) under closed military zone (CMZ) orders, blocking the access for Palestinians only.

Despite the lifting of the closed military zone (CMZ) in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood and the tiny stretch of Shuhada Street that is still accessible for Palestinians, the access to Qurtuba stairs has been kept blocked by Israeli forces for Palestinians to use. The access-restriction only applies for Palestinians though – who are entirely denied the use of the stairs – while settlers are free to use the stairs however they please.

The stairs, right at Daboya checkpoint mark the line where Palestinians are no longer allowed to proceed on Shuhada Street, as from there on the street is settlers-only. Therefore, the stairs were a major thoroughfare for Palestinians, as it’s the only option to proceed when coming down this tiny strip of Shuhada Street that is accessible for Palestinians. Around 70 families have been depending on the stairs to access their homes through Shuhada Street. All of these families, with their homes further up from the stairs, are now forced to take a longer and more-strenous detour through olive-groves. These families include old people, women, little children and sick people – none of who will be allowed passage regardless of that.

Additionally, the stairs have been the main access to the Muslim cemetry, as well as the second hand market in the Abu Sneineh neighbourhoood, which regularly attracts hundreds of people. With the access through the stairs closed, Israeli forces are effectively forcing all these Palestinians to take much longer detours, that depending on the way, even require a 15-minute taxi-ride

With settlers, and most often internationals, allowed to use the stairs; there’s no reason to keep up the discriminatory blocking of access for Palestinians. On 1st July 2016 Israeli forces started registering some arbitrarily picked Palestinian families on Shuhada Street for the use of the Qurtuba stairs, refusing to register all the families actually depending on the access through their stairs to reach their homes. The arbitrariness of the Israseli forces decision – and at times the ridiculousness – was illustrated when Israeli forces at Daboya checkpoint, denied a Palestinian man with a watermelon to pass up the stairs despite a permission to pass – unless he would leave the watermelon. What kind of threat that watermelon would have posed to the Israeli forces, is a question that will probably never be answered.

This illustrates that the closure of the stairs is deliberately designed to keep Palestinians away – based on the simple fact that they are Palestinians – while everyone else can use the stairs without any problems. Whith an official closed military zone order in place at the moment, it remains to be seen whether the Israeli forces will uphold this racist strategy that seems to be a continuation at the attempts of forced displacement and thus ethnic cleansing first implemented with the CMZ of the whole neighbourhood, now continued on a smaller scale.

Hebron Human Rights Defender testifies in case of execution of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif

8th June 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

On Wednesday, 8th June 2016, human rights defender Imad Abu Shamsiyah testified in Israeli court in the case of the extrajudicial execution of Abdel Fattah al-Sharif on 23th March 2016 in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron).

Abdel Fattah al-Sharif and Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi were both gunned down by Israeli forces at Gilbert checkpoint in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood of al-Khalil on 24th March 2016. Imad Abu Shamsiyah took footage of the army medic and soldier Elor Azraya executing al-Sharif with a shot in the head while he was lying motionless on the ground after already being shot at several times. The footage went viral and lead to Imad and his family receiving death-threats from settlers, that ‘promised’ they would find the same fate as the Dawabsheh family that was burned alive in their house in a settler-arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma. Israeli forces have failed to provide any kind of protection for the family, which has repeatedly been attacked. Instead, human rights organisations are providing protective presence.

Recent witness statements claim that not only al-Sharif, but also al-Qasrawi was executed in cold-blood with shots in the neck or head at close range when posing no threat and incapacitated. The fact that the Israeli forces surveillance footage of the event has still not been publicised, can only lead to the conclusion that these claims are most likely true and the refusal to publish the surveillance footage is an attempt at hiding the truth of the actual events.

Imad Abu Shamsiyah when entering the court-house

At the same time, large parts of Israeli society were protesting for the release of Elor Azraya, celebrating him as a hero that did not do anything wrong or even committ a crime. Instead, participants were seen with banners calling to ‘Kill them all’ – openly calling for the ethnic cleansing of all Palestinians. For the Jewish festivities of Pessach, he was then released home ‘to celebrate the holiday with his family’ and received in his hometown like a hero.

Today, large groups of settlers were protesting outside the court in Tel Aviv, according to Human Rights Defenders Group some of them from the illegall settlements in al-Khalil.

Demonstrators outside the court-house in Tel Aviv Photo credit: Human Rights Defender Group — Demonstrators outside the court-house in Tel Aviv
Photo credit: Human Rights Defender Group

In a society where the execution of a defenseless, injured and incapacitated person that without any possibility can pose a threat to anyone, is acceptable – as shown in the demonstrations in support for Elor Azraya, and the simple fact that he’s not even charged with murder but merely manslaughter – fails to create a public outcry, it remains to be seen, whether there will be any justice for this cold-blooded killing at all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Al-Nakba day: The biggest crisis in the history of Palestine

15th May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Occupied Palestine

Today, 68 years ago, the state of Israel was created on the Palestinian peoples’ home. The anniversary falls after a winter and spring with an escalation in violence and arrests of Palestinians, ever-expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Palestinian capital of Jerusalem, as the de facto take over by Israel of settlements in and around the city. It is estimated that there are approximately 600,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

For the Palestinians it is remembered as Yawm an-Nakba, meaning “Day of the Catastrophe” or just Nakba Day. During the 1948 Palestine War, an estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were Expelled, and Hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were depopulated and destroyed. These refugees and their descendants number several million people today, divided between Jordan (2 million), Lebanon (427,057), Syria (477,700), the West Bank (788,108) and the Gaza Strip (1.1 million), with at least another quarter of a million internally displaced Palestinians in Israel and many more around the world. Later, a series of laws passed by the first Israeli government prevented them from returning to their homes, or claiming their property. They, along withmany of their descendants remain refugees. The expulsion of the Palestinians has since been described by some historians as ethnic cleansing.

Many dispossessed Palestinians continue to hold and treasure the keys to their lost homes, and the key has become a symbol of Palestinian right to return home. United Nations Resolution 194, passed immediately following the Nakba, declares the right of all refugees displaced and dispossessed by the Zionist militias to return to their homes. Almost a million had registered with the UN by 1950, and today there are over 4 million with UN-registered claims against Israel. Compliance with 194 was one of the conditions for Israel’s admission to the UN, to which they agreed but which they have never honored. This right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which all UN member states are obliged to conform, and following 194 has been re-confirmed by many subsequent UN resolutions. It remains an international demand upon Israel. But Israel has refused to consider this right throughout the various iterations of the “peace process” since the Palestinian refugees return would jeopardize their Jewish majority. So we can only hope that justice will prevail for the Palestinian people.

Celebrating Israeli Independence day from the other side of apartheid fence

13th May 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Verena, Al Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Leaving the meeting I was searching for a safe way to go through the old City of Hebron alone, where there was a celebration of ”Israeli Independence day” going on. I wanted to reach my ISM team members who were already patrolling there. I took off my Kufiya, the Palestinian scarf, because I would probably not be safe wearing it amongst crowds of settlers. I went by taxi to the nearest checkpoint; I got out, passed the checkpoint and descended the hill on the palestinian side.

Palestinian boy watching the celebration of Israeli Independence day. Photo credit: ISM

Loud, happy music had been playing for days and at the main square, there was a stage surrounded by Jewish families cheerfully dancing, clapping hands watching the event going on. Reaching the entrance of the event, even soldiers at the checkpoint were dancing happily.
Only one old palestinian man with a cane was observing the scene melancholically. I felt his grief. Once that had been a palestinian place, with Palestinians celebrating on it. But those days were gone.

I found my friends and we started to walk through the old city, to check on the situation. The streets were empty, houses locked up and you could see Palestinian children behind lattice windows, trying to catch up on some of the events going on outside. Their parents had them made stay at home, being scared of clashes and attacks by settler groups, as they had been in past celebrations of independence day.

Reaching back to the top of the hill, we met some young Palestinian men, watching the festivities from above. Between them and the square was a checkpoint and soldiers. The boys were making jokes to hide their true feelings. One young man told us, that there had been
times when Israelis and Palestinian had celebrated together on this square. After some time we walked down the hill, again on the Palestinian side of the fence. Palestinian boys and men were standing and watching the joyous triumphal dancing and cheering, through the fence.

Palestinian boys excluded from celebration on their land. Photo credit: ISM

Soldiers and jeeps on the other side of the fence protected the square. We stood with Palestinians for quite some time. Young men behind a fence, children and women behind the lattice windows, excluded from happiness in their own country, watching THEM celebrating the day when 68 years ago they violently took over the country.

When the festival ended, settlers flooded the streets so we walked back into the city. Most of them went in cars but walking an empty street we could suddenly hear the triumphal procession coming towards us. Singing, shouting, waving flags the crowd was coming towards us and we sought protection near Israeli soldiers. They would most of the time protect Internationals for not getting media attention for violent behaviour of the settlers. But they would never protect Palestinians from their violence. The next day we heard that the procession had aggressively crossed the Arab quarter.