September 2005

Weekly report on human rights violations

29 September 2005


Five years since the beginning of the Intifada, Israeli occupation forces escalate attacks on Palestinian civilians and properties in the occupied Palestinian territories. This week, Israeli forces killed 8 Palestinians, four of them were extra-judicially executed in the Gaza Strip. Israel carried out 27 aerial attacks on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and launched dozens of mock aerial raids that frightened Palestinian civilians, in particular children and damaged their property. Israeli forces invaded a number of Palestinian towns in the West Bank, raiding homes and arrested 311 Palestinians, including three human rights defenders. 

Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in Jenin

29 September 2005


On Thursday at dawn, 29 September 2005, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in Jenin. Two of the victims were killed in Bourqin village, while the third was killed in the old town of Jenin. Israeli forces moved into Bourqin, west of Jenin. They surrounded a number of greenhouses. Soon, sounds of explosions and intense gunfire were heard in the area. They moved to the home of Yahia al Shalabi, forced the owner’s son Saher out and took him to the greenhouses and used him as a human shield. Medical teams found two bodies in the area. They were identified as Nidal Khallouf and Samer al Shalabi, Saher’s brother. They were hit by several bullets in the head and chest. 

Three Cities Against the Wall: Ramallah, Tel Aviv, New York

27 October 2005


Three Cities Against the Wall is an exhibition protesting the Separation Wall under construction by Israel in the Occupied Territories of Palestine. This project involves groups of artists in Ramallah, Palestine; Tel Aviv, Israel; and New York City. The show will be held simultaneously in all three cities in November 2005. Through this collaborative exhibition, the organizers and participating artists will draw attention to the reality of the Wall and its disastrous impact on the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians by the separation of Palestinian communities from each other and from their fertile lands, water resources, schools, hospitals and work places; thereby “contributing to the departure of Palestinian populations,” as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has warned. 

Farewell to All That: Palestine Report comes to a close

1 October 2005


“Palestine Report, under-funded, understaffed and overworked as it has been simply trying to keep up with the violence of the past few years, nevertheless always tried to present those stories that got lost amid the bombs and bulldozers.” However, due to financial pressures it has simply ceased to be feasible to continue producing the Report to the standards we have tried hard to maintain for so long. Over the years, the PR has enjoyed the contributions of writers and journalists from all over the world, and the following are some contributors’ reactions to PR’s untimely demise. 

CNI Public Hearing: "Dual Occupations, Dual Jeopardy"

29 September 2005


The links between the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and Golan Heights were emphasized in a September 26th public hearing sponsored by the Council for the National Interest at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington DC. The speakers were Kevin Zeese, Director of Democracy Rising and a candidate for U.S Senate in Maryland; Phyllis Bennis, a Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies; and Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement. 

Flashpoints.net: What's behind Israel's savage bombardment of Gaza?

Dennis Bernstein 29 September 2005


Listen to an interview with EI cofounder Ali Abunimah on Flashpoints, 94.1FM, Berkeley, California. Dennis Bernstein interviewed EI’s Ali Abunimah about Israel’s savage campaign of air raids and bombardment of the occupied Gaza Strip following the pullout of Israeli settlers. Abunimah presents evidence that the Israelis provoked the violence deliberately and how it is part of a premeditated plan to terrorize the civilian population into submission. 

Stunning Gaza!

Eyad al-Sarraj Gaza Strip 28 September 2005


28 September 2005 — During the last few days, Gaza was awakened from its dreams of liberation with horrible explosions which have shattered our skies, shaken our buildings, broken our windows, and threw the place into panic. We have been bombed since Friday 23 September, day and night. Usually between 2:00-4:00am, between 6:30 - 8:00 in the morning during the time children go to school, and in the afternoon or early evening. The explosions are heard and felt all over the Gaza Strip with the same intensity. 

Israel continues aerial attacks on Gaza Strip

27 September 2005


Israel continued their increasingly-dangerous attacks on the Gaza Strip, especially over the past three days. These attacks coincided with large scale incursions in the West Bank, during which Israeli occupying forces arrested Palestinian civilians. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli F-16s renewed their aerial bombardment, targeting additional civilian properties in different parts of the Strip. In addition, Israel F-16 fighter jets carried out mock air raids, resulting in a state of fear among civilians. Since September 24, Israel carried out 18 aerial bombardment raids against homes, civilian properties and vehicles carrying Palestinian activists. 

Film review: "Just Married" divorced from the bigger picture

Maureen Clare Murphy 29 September 2005


The theme of Just Married is Israel’s discriminatory family reunification process, which has been frozen since 2003. Because no unification applications are currently being accepted, Palestinians from the occupied West Bank (excluding Jerusalem, which Israel illegally annexed in 1967) and Gaza Strip who marry Israeli citizens or residents are unable to legally live with their spouses in Israel or occupied East Jerusalem. However, as it the film focuses on just two newly-married couples and the problems they face, the magnitude of the problem is unclear to the viewer, as is Israel’s motivations behind the freezing of the process. 

US government illegally utilises FM frequency defined as Palestinian "national asset" by Oslo accords

27 September 2005


On September 11th, 2005, in a sudden move, The Palestinian Ministry of Information closed the Voice for Love and Peace Radio Station and granted a broadcasting license to Radio SAWA to broadcast on the frequency 94.2 FM, which has been assigned to The Voice for Love and Peace Radio Station (VOLP) since 1996. 

Four one-act plays by Palestinian playwrights to support art exhibition

27 September 2005


The rarely heard voices of Palestinian playwrights come to New York City on October 16-17 for a unique and important theatrical benefit, Acts for Palestine, to support a visual art exhibition entitled Made in Palestine, an exhibition of the contemporary art of Palestine, featuring 23 Palestinian artists. Tragedy, seeping into daily life, fuels the Palestinian playwright at home and in exile. Cultural poignancy, the beloved ancient soil of literary tradition, and revolutionary hope combine to create literary expressions that grip the viewer as much as the playwright. 

Palestinian rights still violated in occupied territories, UN official says

26 September 2005


Palestinian rights still violated in Occupied Territories, UN official saysDespite Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, major violations of human rights continue to result from its occupation of Palestinian territories, construction of barriers and expansion of settlements, according to the United Nations official monitoring that situation in his latest report to the General Assembly. “The wall and settlements seriously undermine the fundamental right of self-determination of the Palestinian people upon which all other rights depend,” writes John Dugard, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967. 

Breaking psychological barriers

Yasser Abu Moailek Rafah, Egypt, Rafah 26 September 2005


On the night of Sunday, September 11, two days before our trip, the last Israeli soldier left the Gaza Strip, ending 38 years of Israeli military occupation. All of a sudden, Egypt was open to Palestinians. We were standing there on the edge of what was a graveyard of man and stone - the no man’s zone in which many Palestinians had lost their lives at the hands of the Israeli army. We were seven friends and coworkers, some of which had come to verify the rumors in Gaza about unchecked crossing into Egypt, while others were tourists, making their very first trip outside the Gaza Strip. 

Investigation into shooting French reporter reactivated

21 September 2005


Amid French judicial moves to reactivate an investigation into the near-fatal shooting of “Paris Match” reporter Jacques-Marie Bourget on 21 October 2000 in Ramallah, on the West Bank, RSF reported that it has been granted civil party status in the case before a high-level court in Paris. “We are calling for the clarification of the circumstances of the shooting in which Bourget nearly died,” the organisation said. “He has been demanding justice for five years and it is high time that all the witnesses, without exception, are finally questioned by judicial investigators.” French judge Michèle Ghanassia revived the case on 7 September 2005 by issuing a formal written request to the Israeli authorities to question the Israeli soldiers who witnessed the shooting, so that she can complete her investigation. 

More Israeli raids as Palestinians bury dead

26 September 2005


Israeli Occupation Forces have continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip for the third day. On Saturday and Sunday, 24 and 25 September 2005, IOF launched 10 aerial attacks that extra-judicially killed four Palestinians, injured at least twenty others and destroyed a number of civilian facilities. On Monday morning, 26 September 2005, IOF launched five new aerial attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, which destroyed or damaged a number of houses and workshops and injured three Palestinian civilians, including two women. Israeli F-16 fighter jets have continued to launch side raids throughout the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel imposed a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. 

Criminal Responsibility: The killing of thirteen Palestinian citizens of Israel in October 2000

25 September 2005


At the beginning of October 2000 13 Arab citizens were killed and hundreds injured in Israel as a result of being shot by the Israeli police. Although it was known that the direct reason for the death cases and the injuries was the opening of fire by the police, the Ministry of Justice’s Police Investigation Unit (Mahash) did not carry out its duty under the law and failed to conduct any serious investigation into any of the killings. This was in spite of Adalah’s approaches in this regard to the Israeli government’s then-Attorney General (Elyakim Rubinstein) and then-Director of Mahash (Eran Shendar), during October 2000 (on 18 October 2000), and at the beginning of November 2000 (on 5 November 2000) demanding the investigation of the circumstances surrounding the killing of 13 Arab citizens by the police. 

UNCTAD supports Palestinian Shippers Council

23 September 2005


UNCTAD, with funds contributed by the European Commission (EC), is stepping up technical assistance to support the creation of a Palestinian Shippers Council and the extension of computerized customs operations to the Gaza border with Egypt. The two new field projects will have budgets totalling €703,000. The projects add to UNCTAD´s already-extensive efforts to help the Palestinian people revitalize their economy and build the institutional structures of their future state. They address key economic problems and were designed in close consultation with relevant Palestinian Authority (PA) institutions, international development agencies and concerned donors. 

Security Council calls for renewed action by Israel and Palestinian Authority

23 September 2005


The Security Council today expressed support for the statement issued in New York on 20 September by the Quartet and urged the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate, along with other parties concerned, with the efforts to achieve the goals set out in that statement. Following a briefing by Alvaro de Soto, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Council President Lauro Baja (Philippines) read out a presidential statement in which the Council called for renewed action in parallel by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority on their obligations in accordance with the Road Map, to ensure continued progress towards the creation of an independent sovereign, democratic and viable State of Palestine living side by side with Israel in peace and security. 

USA TODAY misplaces 98,000 antiwar protestors

24 September 2005


In an unfortunate mishap, editors at USA TODAY’s website misplaced 98,000 antiwar protestors for half an hour on Saturday afternoon. Editors became aware of the problem when staff from the publication’s Lost & Found office rang to notify them that they were overwhelmed by a sudden and unexplained influx of tens of thousands of people holding banners and chanting. FEMA officials contacted the publication’s human resources department to promise help somewhere around next Sunday’s issue, forcing the editors to take immediate action. 

Palestinian Prisoners must pay for Health

23 September 2005


22 September 2005, 13:30 — Israel Prison Service (IPS) relieved itself of responsibility for the health care of Palestinian prisoners in its custody and discriminates between them and other prisoners. According to the Israeli law, any prisoner held in Israel is eligible for medical care and the Israeli Prison Service must cover the cost. The IPS’s claim that the law is only for citizens is wrong (it applies to all residents) and is irrelevant, as the prisoners under its custody do not receive their medical care due to this law, but rather as per the IPS Commissionership’s Order. 

Church of England fails to rise to Caterpillar challenge

23 September 2005


Anti-poverty campaign group War on Want today expressed shock and £2.2 million investment from the construction firm Caterpillar. The Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) has been examining whether its investments in Caterpillar are consistent with the Church’s ethical investment policy, which prohibits investment in arms companies. The EIAG has now rejected calls for divestment, even though Caterpillar has refused to rule out future sales of its products to the Israeli army. 

The Israeli army's double standard: Treatment of settlers and Palestinians in August 2005

23 September 2005


MachsomWatch is an Israeli women’s organization that monitors one of the gravest aspects of the Occupation - the restriction of free movement by Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. In this report, the organisation asks “So what did we learn about the Israeli army’s double standard in August, during the evacuation of Israeli settlers from Gaza?” and offers reports of the parallel experiences of Palestinians and Israeli settlers during the month of the Gaza Disengagement. 

MapQuest.com obscures status of occupied territories

Ira Glunts 23 September 2005


Recently, I was quite surprised to find that the map of Israel on the popular Internet site MapQuest presents the area of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights (Syrian Heights) as undifferentiated from Israel proper. In other words, as opposed to depicting Israel delineated by its internationally recognized borders, MapQuest displays the “Greater Israel,” which is the dream of many in the Israeli right wing.  The realization of this “Greater Israel,” of course, precludes any possibility of the Palestinian people realizing their national aspirations. 

The Palestinian 'Great Escape'

Rima Merriman 23 September 2005


It is only a matter of time before West Bankers start blasting holes in the wall Israel has built to contain them as though they were cattle. Right now, they seem to be satisfied with spraying graffiti on the wall and painting whimsical scenes of ladders and windows or representations of holes. On the Gaza Strip, in the fine tradition of great prison-escape movies, Hamas blasted a hole in the wall north of Rafah a few days ago to help people through. Islamic Jihad blasted a hole about a mile down the wall shortly after that. EI contributor Rima Merriman notes that Palestinians are refusing to read the lines Israel has written for them in a nightmarish script. 

Second Israeli High Court ruling Separation Wall

15 September 2005


The Supreme Court, in response to a petition submitted by ACRI, issued a precedent – setting ruling calling for the dismantling of an existing section of the barrier, and for the determination of an alternative route to lessen the impact on, and violation of, the rights of the resident Palestinian civilians. The petition was submitted on behalf of five villages that are currently trapped in an enclave created by the existing route of the barrier. In response to the petition: the Supreme Court ordered, for the first-time, the dismantling of a section of the separation barrier, and related to the legal relevance of the advisory opinion issued by the International court of Justice in The Hague. The ruling called for the dismantling of the section of the barrier surrounding the Alfei Menashe enclave. The resultant enclave, which was created by the route of the barrier, has a disastrous impact on the lives of its Palestinian residents and cuts them off from the rest of the West Bank, public services, and family ties. 

European Commission to support the Palestinians with 280 million Euro in 2005

19 September 2005


On the eve of the Quartet meeting (EU, US, UN and Russia) in New York on 20th September, the European Commission can announce that its allocation to the Palestinians in 2005 will be greater than foreseen, at around 280 million Euro. This package includes a substantial contribution to tackling the priorities identified by Quartet Special Envoy James Wolfensohn in the aftermath of the Israelis’ withdrawal from Gaza. A special 60 million allocation will help revive the Palestinian economy and create institutions capable of addressing the new responsibilities arising following disengagement. These efforts are designed to maintain the momentum created by Gaza withdrawal, and ensure that this important event leads on to full implementation of the Roadmap. 

Gaza access and infrastructure

18 September 2005


The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip from the early hours of Monday 12 September 2005 has had an immediate and beneficial impact on the lives of the 1.4 million Gazan residents. The withdrawal of the IDF has resulted in the lifting of all internal closures within the Gaza Strip and has had a particular impact on the residents of the five Gaza enclaves: As Seafa, Al Mawasi, Al Ma’ani, Abu Nahia and Abu al Ajin. This report reviews the key changes to access that have occurred and a preliminary overview of the status of infrastructure. 

Barrier Route was Planned to Enable Settlement Expansion

15 September 2005


The expansion of settlements in the West Bank has been a primary consideration in setting the route of many sections of the Separation Barrier. This is the conclusion of a report released today by B’Tselem and Bimkom: Planners for Planning Rights, following this morning’s High Court decision regarding the Barrier around the settlement of Alfe Menashe. Under the Guise of Security proves that, contrary to the state’s claim that the Barrier’s route is based solely on security reasons, the main consideration in setting the route in some locations was to include on the “Israeli” side of the Barrier areas which are slated for settlements expansion. In some cases, the expansion amounts to the establishment of new settlements. 

Church of England: "No current grounds for disinvestment" from Caterpillar

19 September 2005


A robust and rigorous review of the Church of England’s shareholding in Caterpillar Inc – the US-based manufacturer of construction and mining equipment - has resulted in a decision by the Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) not to recommend disinvestment at this time. In May of this year, the EIAG committed itself to a period of consultation and engagement following representations made to it about the Church’s investment in Caterpillar. The Group was informed in its decision by the fact that there have been no sales for some years now, and this, together with possibilities in the present delicate political negotiations, made it the wrong time to recommend disinvestment. However, the EIAG was clear that, were sales to resume, the matter would have to be revisited. 

Gaza family's nightmare comes to an end

Yasser Abu Moailek Gaza, Palestine 19 September 2005


He was a happy man, gracefully making his way amid the guests who filled his living room, distributing smiles as well as juice, while sharing jokes and social talk, with a smile that would not leave his face. “Nafez Abu Nahyeh was reborn today,” whispered one of the guests, while pointing at their host, who took the center of a rustic couch with his four children, tickling the youngest and caressing the hair of the eldest. For more than three years the Abu Nahyehs were prisoners in their own home, after Israeli soldiers had commandeered their house, which is situated right next to the Jewish settlement Kfar Darom. 

Rafah: A new kind of tears in the rubble

Sami Abu Salem Rafah, Palestine 19 September 2005


For more than five minutes the grandmother of 19-year-old Khaled Al-Najjar has not stopped hugging or kissing him in the Salahiddine (Philadelphi) corridor on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. “I have not seen my grandson for 11 years. The Israelis prevented me from traveling to Egypt and prevented my grandson from entering Gaza,” said the crying grandmother. Khaled is a Palestinian resident of the Egyptian city of Al-Arish, with half of his family in Gaza and the other half in Egypt. The last time they met each other was in 1993. 

Israel plans buffer zone in the north of the Gaza Strip

19 September 2005


Israeli occupying forces have leveled areas of Palestinian land in the northeastern part of Beit Hanoun, a town in the northern Gaza Strip. They also placed sand and other construction raw materials nearly 200 meters inside the Gaza Strip territory. The affected areas of land belong to a number of Palestinian families and were razed by Israeli occupying forces during the past few years. Eyewitnesses saw barbed wire in the area, indicating that IOF plan to establish a separation fence along the border. Consequently, large areas of Palestinian land will be threatened with confiscation. A 500-meter-long section of fence was already established to the north of the former “Nissant” settlement and the Erez Industrial Zone during the implementation of the “Disengagement Plan” in the Gaza Strip. 

A woman's centre takes on domestic violence in the Gaza Strip

13 September 2005


Sameera, sister to eight girls and mother to three daughters, suffered from domestic violence for years. Her husband, Adel, accused her of having a genetic defect since she had not given birth to a boy, and he routinely beat and neglected her and their daughters. Adel’s violent temper flared after the birth of their second daughter, while the family was living in dire circumstances in the midst of Al-Bureij Refugee Camp. He accused his wife of depriving him of an heir who would carry his name. He claimed she was incapable of bearing boys, “just like her mother who gave birth to eight girls.” Since there are more boys than girls on his family’s side, it seemed clear to him that she was at fault. 

Gaza and the children who did not visit the sea for 5 years

Mona El-Farra Gaza, Palestine 15 September 2005


At 3am on September 12th, the last Israeli soldier left Gaza and, at the same minute, crowds of Palestinian left their homes in the towns and villages of Gaza from north to south and vice versa, and towards the Israeli settlements. Curious, excited, and sensing the taste of freedom they have been denied for the last 38 years, the Gaza roads were jammed with cars, carts, and people. 

Across the killing field

Laila El-Haddad Gaza, Palestine 15 September 2005


Yesterday, I joined thousands of Palestinians who streamed across the once impermeable and deadly wall that divided this battered border town into two, to visit family and friends they had not seen in decades, to shop, or simply to see Egypt for the first time. It was yet another journey into the surreal. There I was, after all, standing in the Dead Zone known as Philadelphi corridor by Israelis, the killing field by Palestinians, the very location where Israeli tanks once nested awaiting orders to pound this refugee camp, their tracks still imprinted in the sand, the Palestinian homes they destroyed spread out like carcasses in the background. The once deadly frontline of the Israeli army had become a porous free-for-all. 

They were finally gone

Laila El-Haddad Gaza, Palestine 15 September 2005


After 38 years and 67 days, they were finally gone. They being the Israeli soldiers and settlers of course, that for so long made our lives miserable here in Gaza. I went to tour the vacated colonies-as a journalist, but also as an ordinary Palestinian. Like thousands of other Palestinians, I was simply curious, and, in the end, giddy, awe-struck, and in absolute disbelief. I got up early, wasting no time after the last of the soldiers left to take a peak at what lay beyond the once fortified colonies, that although only metres away, for Palestinians, may as well have been on a different planet. 

Gaza disengagement update

12 September 2005


The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) completed their withdrawal from Gaza at 7 am this morning. Operation Last Watch ended with a brief ceremony at Qissufim road crossing when the national flag was re-raised by Gaza Division troops on the Israeli side of the crossing. Palestinian National Security Forces progressively moved into the former settlements throughout Sunday night and into the early hours of this morning. In spite of their presence, synagogues were set ablaze in Netzarim, Kfar Darom and Morag by groups of Palestinians who followed behind the security forces. 

Anyone Responsible for Perverting the Court of Justice Must also Face Prosecution

13 September 2005


One day after Doron Almog escaped arrest by British Anti-Terrorist Police, details have emerged about an apparent leak which allowed him to return to Israel without facing the allegations brought against him. The clients of PCHR and Hickman & Rose, who are the victims of Doron Almog’s alleged war crimes, believe that anyone responsible for facilitating the escape of this war crimes suspect must also be brought to justice. This action is essential to protect the integrity of the British criminal justice system. 

Disengaging from Zionism

Issa Mikel 13 September 2005


“As the so-called ‘disengagement’ from Gaza has come to an end and the Israeli government turns its hawkish eye towards consolidation in the West Bank, the lines of debate over the motives and value of the pull-out have been drawn. But whatever the future may hold, the redeployment has contributed to a pernicious vein of thinking about the colonial settlers and their relation both to the Israeli state and to Zionism itself.” Issa Mikel is a Palestinian-American lawyer currently freelance writing and engaging in non-profit work in Palestine. 

One Palestinian killed an another injured as Israeli forces 'disengage'

11 September 2005


Today as Israeli forces completed their redployment to the border areas of the Gaza Strip on Monday the 12th of September, 2005 one Palestinian youth was killed and another was injured while they were standing beside their home in the al Salam quarter of south-east of Rafah town, adjacent to the border with Egypt. PCHR calls for an immediate investigation into the killing and injury of two Palestinian civilians on the border between the Gaza strip and Egypt. 

Palestinian Refugees Donate to Survivors of Hurricane Katrina

13 September 2005


Palestinian refugees, moved by the plight of survivors of Hurricane Katrina will present US Consul-General, Jake Wallace, with a $10,000 donation to the American Red Cross. The donation will be given today at 12 noon at the President’s Office in Ramallah. Rafiq Husseini will offer the donation on behalf of the President and Palestinian refugees. The donation will be earmarked to those survivors most affected by the Hurricane – the displaced poor, elderly and disabled. Money was recently collected by Palestinian refugees in the refugee camps of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

"A Prayer Band": Palestinian poet Suheir Hammad on Hurricane Katrina

Suheir Hammad 13 September 2005


A Palestinian-American from Brooklyn, Suheir Hammad has appeared on the HBO show “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry,” hosted by Mos Def. Her poems have been featured in numerous publications, on the BBC World Service, and National Public Radio. Hammad recently wrote two poems about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. The first reprinted here, “A Prayer Band”, was performed at an event organised by Hammad called “Refugees for Refugees” in New York City on September 9th, which raised $5,000 for hurricane relief. Suheir Hammad arrived in Jackson, Mississippi yesterday, to deliver the money personally and help with direct relief efforts. 

Children of Gaza happy for "Bigger Prison"

Sami Abu Salem Gaza Strip 12 September 2005


Despite the hot weather in Gaza, thousands of Palestinian citizens poured Monday into the evacuated colonies at the northern tip of the Gaza Strip. Elderly, youth, children, fishermen, farmers and family members were keen to have a historical look at the three settlements of Duggit, Eli Sinai and Nissanit. Fishermen pushed their boats into the sea, while hobbyists installed their fishhooks at the shore. Parents toured among the rubble of Duggit while teenagers were planting Palestinian and other different colored flags on the telegraph poles of the destroyed electric network. Sami Abu Salem writes from Gaza. 

Gaza withdrawal: momentous but unlikely to lead to peace

Katharine von Schubert 12 September 2005


The recent withdrawal of Jewish settlers from Gaza was a momentous event in history. For the first time, an Israeli government insisted that Jews evacuate territory which it encouraged them to populate in the first place. So why has Sharon just risked alienating one of the strongest, most well-organised elements in Israeli society? Katharine von Schubert finds herein the paradox. The dream of settlement and expansion, which in many ways defined Zionist Israel, could not be sustained there. Israel could not have hung on to Gaza for ever. It could not afford to either militarily, financially or strategically. Yet, the moral reasons for getting out, which have not featured large in Sharon’s reasoning, speak the loudest to her and many other observers. 

Israeli war crimes suspect evades British justice after UK court issues warrant

9 September 2005


An Israeli war crimes suspect today turned tail to avoid arrest by British police officers under an arrest warrant issued by Bow Street Magistrates’ Court. Major General (retired) Doron Almog today spent some time ‘airside’ at Heathrow airport before taking a return flight to Israel. He had learned that he was facing arrest by British police after a decision on 10th September 2005 by Chief London Magistrate Timothy Workman to issue a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949. The alleged offence was committed as part of Israel’s belligerent occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 

UN agency sees opportunity after Gaza withdrawal

8 September 2005


Following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the head of the main United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees said today that her main focus was on creating jobs, micro-financing and housing reconstruction so that the inhabitants themselves would benefit from the pullback. In that effort, Karen Koning AbuZayd, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said the Agency will work within the framework of James Wolfensohn, the envoy of the Middle East Quartet for coordinating Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the economic and social transition there. 

Photostory: The Kalandia Terminal

M. El Fassed-Vermeer 10 September 2005


Kalandia checkpoint is one of the largest Israeli military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank. This checkpoint is not located on a border, but between the Palestinian town Ramallah, Kalandia refugee camp, and the Palestinian town of ar-Ram. It separates Ramallah residents from southern Palestinian towns and the northern Palestinian neighbourhoods of Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers check identity cards. The new apartheid-like terminal system Israel currently constructs will be introduced first in the Jenin area. The plan is to implement the new system in the entire West Bank gradually, starting from the north and going southwards. 

Reflections: Leaving Las Vegas, I mean, Israel, but actually Palestine

Zachary Wales Birzeit, Palestine 9 September 2005


In my experience, the transition from the West Bank to Israel has never been pleasant. It is the act of voluntarily leaving a society where nearly everyone is outgoing and hospitable, then entering one where most people are paranoid, judgmental and usually armed. I was therefore grateful to notice that my driver extended the former qualities, as he pointed to the Palestinian villages we passed along the fringe of the West Bank. “Shoof!” (“Look!”) Beit Hanina hone (“here”),”? he said, pointing to the West, “Ou (“and”) Beit Hanina hunak (“there”),” now pointing to the East. Still smiling, he motioned ahead naming villages we would pass along the way, “Biddu, Beit A’nan, Beit Leqia ou Bil’in”. 

Israel's "Disengagement": The Day After

8 September 2005


The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) would like to stress the fact that Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the Northern West Bank, although welcome and long overdue in terms of the implementation of international law, does not constitute an end to Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian land. After implementation of the disengagement plan, Israel remains in charge, partially or completely, of border crossings and thereby continues to control the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza. PNGO would like to emphasize its belief that the unilateral Israeli disengagement, in and of itself, will not create an opportunity for peace between Palestinians and Israelis but rather preclude the attainment of a fair and durable regional peace for the foreseeable future. 

Palestinian gunmen kill Gaza security chief and kidnap his son

7 September 2005


Dozens of Palestinian gunmen raided the house of Major General Mousa Arafat, the military advisor to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and former commander of the military intelligence. They exchanged fire with guards. Three of them were injured and others were handcuffed by the gunmen. They took Arafat out of the house and shot him from close range in his head. They carried him towards the main streeet and fired several times. The gunmen also kidnapped Arafat’s son, Manhal, an officer of the military intelligence. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns this crime and remains gravely concerned at the internal security situation. 

Japan contributes $5.5 million to rehabilitate refugee shelters

7 September 2005


Today, the Government of Japan announced a generous donation of US$ 5.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agenc y for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in support of its work in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s disengagement. This donation is part of a US$ 100 million package announced by the Japanese Government in May 2005. It will enable UNRWA to reconstruct 333 dilapidated or unsafe dwellings belonging to the most destitute refugee families living in the eight refugee camps across the Gaza Strip. Refugees constitute approximately 70 percent of the estimated 1.4 million population of the Gaza Strip. 

Gaza Disengagement: Future of the Gaza Strip

1 September 2005


Although the colonization of the Gaza Strip has now come to an end (with the evacuation of the settlers), Israel’s military occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) continues. Israel strictly controls all access in and out of the Occupied Gaza Strip thereby controlling the movement of both goods and people. And, while the Israeli Army may soon evacuate the Gaza Strip, the Army will continue to strictly control all Palestinian movement. Issues remain unsolved such as Rafah crossing, the customs envelope, the Palestinian airport and seaport, the movement of goods within the occupied Palestinian territories and between the occupied territories and Israel. 

Legality of Israeli Settlements Examined In UK Criminal Trial

4 September 2005


Seven Palestine solidarity protesters from London and Brighton were arrested on 11th November last year after they took part in a non-violent blockade outside the UK base of an Israeli agricultural export company Agrexco (UK) Ltd, Swallowfield Way, Hayes, Middlesex. Agrexco is Israel’s largest importer of agricultural produce into the European Union, and it is 50% Israeli state owned. It imports produce from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The protesters will argue as a defence that they were acting to prevent crimes against International law that are also illegal in the UK under the International Criminal Court Act. 

Apartheid and Agrexco in the Jordan Valley

Lena Green 4 September 2005


On June 25, an Israeli spokesperson announced a plan intended to increase the number of settlers in the Jordan Valley by 50 percent in one year. The cost of new housing units will be $13.5 million (U.S.) in the initial year, and will increase to $32.5 million in the following year. The plan focuses on the development of agriculture and tourism in the valley, with grants of up to $22 million available for agricultural development. Agrexco is 50 percent owned by the Israeli state and all of the produce exported from the valley is packed by and sold through them. Palestinian farmers no longer attempt to export because their dealings with the company have been so catastrophic. Nor are they able to take their produce to other markets in Palestine, because it is impossible to get it through the Jordan Valley checkpoints. 

Gaza Withdrawal and the Right of Return

Stefan Christoff 3 September 2005


Listen to an interview with Mohammad Jaradat, coordinator of political campaigns at BADIL, a Palestinian NGO based in the West Bank. BADIL’s work is primarily focused on the ongoing Palestinian struggle for the right of return and acts as a coordination point for the international struggle on this issue in the occupied West Bank. In the midst of the withdrawal of illegal Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and a handful in the West Bank, the issue of the right of return for Palestinian refugees has been seldom addressed by major media and political leaders throughout the world. 

More than 1 million Palestinian children return to school

2 September 2005


More than one-million children returned to school today after a summer break which saw many developments affecting children in both West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is a very important day for the children, for the parents, for the teaching staff and for the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE). All have done remarkable work keeping schools open and functioning during difficult times. Many students in the occupied Palestinian territories go to school under very challenging circumstances. To help address these issues UNICEF this year is supporting the Ministry of Education in a wide range of issues - from improving the quality of education to providing essential learning supplies, and supporting teacher training. 

High Court Petition against law denying Palestinians compensation

1 September 2005


This morning, nine human rights organizations petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice demanding that the Court declare void the amendment to the Civil Wrongs (Liability of the State) Law passed by the Knesset in July 2005. This amendment prevents Palestinians from filing compensation suits in Israeli courts for injury caused by Israeli forces. The new amendment almost completely blocks Palestinians filing compensation suits. The law will not even allow Palestinians to file for compensation for harm caused by illegal shooting, looting, negligence on training grounds, abuse and degrading treatment at checkpoints, or physical violence. The law is blatantly discriminatory in that it denies the right to sue for compensation based on the identity of the victim. 

Israel’s Gaza pullout must lead to West bank, East Jerusalem exit - UN committee

31 August 2005


The Chairman of the United Nations panel dealing with Palestinian rights today expressed hope that the positive momentum gained by Israel’s removal of settlements from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank would be followed by similar steps in the rest of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and “breathe new life into the political process.” The fresh impetus gained by the withdrawal would hopefully lead to a comprehensive, just and lasting solution of the question of Palestine, said Paul Badje (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, echoing a statement issued yesterday by the Bureau of the Committee on Palestinian Rights at United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

Podcast/Interview: Hariri - Reconstruction, Poverty and Unrest

Stefan Christoff 6 September 2005


Listen to an interview with Leila Hatoum, staff writer at Lebanon’s Daily Star newspaper, the largest English daily in the Middle East. This interview focuses on the economic policies of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in downtown Beirut in February 2005. Hariri’s public image in Lebanon and throughout the world is directly associated with the Lebanese “opposition” movement, sparked by his assassination and defined by large-scale street demonstrations in downtown Beirut demanding Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. 

Interview with Samah Idriss: Lebanon: Assassinations, Elections and Palestine

Stefan Christoff 3 September 2005


An interview with Samah Idriss, co-founder of the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel and editor-in-chief of al-Adab, a Lebanese arts and culture magazine based in Beirut. This interview was conducted in August 2005 in Beirut Lebanon and addresses various issues relating to the present day politics of Lebanon, while providing regional context to the major political changes taking place in Lebanon…. “The late Rafik al-Hariri had excellent relations with some Syrian elites, both politically and financially. Hariri rarely uttered a word against their interference in Lebanese public life, and their political and economic corruption in the country.”