Six decades ago, my family celebrated Christmas in its Jerusalem home, as did the families of other Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem, Nazareth and throughout the Holy Land. Then, in 1948, Palestinian society was destroyed. More than 700,000 Palestinians — many, like us, Christians, but even more Muslims — fled or were forced into exile by Israeli troops. That is the history of the establishment of Israel that is often forgotten in the United States — but is stubbornly remembered by Palestinians. Why do Palestinians who lost their homes, and who have been barred by Israel from returning ever since, remember their pre-exile lives with such enduring intensity? George Bisharat offers an answer. Read more about Look for a future Palestine in the past
In response to a written appeal by ACRI’s Chief Legal Counsel Dan Yakir for an immediate repeal of the unpublished government decision to extend the Absentee Property Law to East Jerusalem and the surrounding villages, Israel’s attorney-general Menachem Mazuz made clear that he had no knowledge of the decision and had never been informed of its existence. He further added that the issue is under urgent consideration and that he will issue a statement regarding his position within the next few days. Read more about East Jerusalem land confiscation considered anew
Unlike areas of the West Bank, the soldiers in Gaza are unseen. They remain cocooned deep within lookout towers behind ever extending military fortifications, including sandbags, electric fences, pill boxes and tanks. One can barely make out a megaphone, a tip of a machine gun, and occasionally, when all else fails to catch the attention of the hundreds of cars awaiting orders to move forward or back away, a distant wave of a hand. “Living in Gaza has become somewhat like being trapped inside a snow globe, except there is no colourful confetti to cloud the stark reality of occupation.” Laila El-Haddad reports from Gaza. Read more about No easy route from Egypt to Palestine
This week, Israeli forces killed 20 Palestinians, 14 of whom were civilians, including 5 children and one woman. Two of the children were killed on the first day of Eid al-Adha. One of the victims was extra-judicially killed by Israeli forces. Israeli forces conducted a series of invasions into Palestinian areas. Israeli forces demolished three homes in Khan Yunis and razed at least 120 donums of agricultural land throughout the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces raided homes and arrested dozens of Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces destroyed a home and an apartment building in the context of retaliatory measures against Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces used two Palestinian civilians as human shields during military operations in the Gaza Strip. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
Israeli forces opened fire at an UNRWA elementary school in Rafah, killing an 11-year-old schoolgirl and wounding a second girl when the two were in the school yard. The school in the Brazil neighborhood in Rafah is located 600 meters away from the border. Nouran Eyad Deeb was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head and 8-year-old ‘Aaesha ‘Essam al-Khatib was wounded by live ammunition in her right hand. The two girls were about to enter their classrooms. They were evacuated to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Nouran died a few minutes later. According to a schoolteacher, the area was completely quiet when Israeli forces opened fire. Children in the school were terrified. Read more about Israeli forces kill another Palestinian girl inside school
The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of seeking to frustrate Palestinian efforts to achieve a ceasefire ahead of the possible resumption of the Middle East peace process. Seeking to appease his Likud hardliners opposed to the planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon has apparently endorsed a new route for the wall that would take tens of thousands of acres of Palestinian land and convert a number of small Arab towns and villages in the Hebron region into virtual ghettos. The new route will reduce Palestinian towns such as Surif and Nahalin and several other surrounding villages into virtual detention camps. Khalid Amayreh reports. Read more about PA: Israel provoking Palestinians
In response to a petition filed by Adalah to the Supreme Court of Israel, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ruled yesterday, 26 January 2004, that the Israel Lands Administration cannot discriminate against Arab citizens of Israel in the marketing and allocation of the lands it manages, even lands belonging to the Jewish National Fund. The ILA has managed JNF-owned land since 1961. Until now, ILA bids for JNF-owned lands have been open to Jews only. “One the one hand, the decision is positive,” said Adalah’s Attorney Suhad Bishara. The Attorney General also decided whenever a non-Jewish citizen wins an ILA tender for a plot of JNF-owned land, the ILA will compensate the JNF with an equal amount of land. “This allows the JNF to maintain its current hold over 2.5 million dunams of land, or 13% of the total land in Israel,” said Bishara. Read more about Adalah critical of Attorney General's response to petition against Jewish-only land sales
Israel will remain an occupying power, subject to the Fourth Geneva Convention, wrote UN Special Rapporteur John Dugard in his most recent report to the UN Human Rights Commission. In his report to the Commission, Dugard said that Israel does not plan to relinquish its grasp on the Gaza Strip. “It plans to retain ultimate control over Gaza by controlling its borders, territorial sea and airspace. Consequently, it will in law remain an Occupying Power still subject to obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Dugards report focused upon military incursions into the Gaza Strip, the demolition of homes, violations of human rights and humanitarian law arising from the construction of the Wall and the pervasiveness of restrictions of movement. Read more about Special Rapporteur: Israel will remain occupier after disengagement
The High Court of Justice today rejected a petition by Yesh Gvul, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, writers, poets, intellectuals and pilots to block Major General Dan Halutz’s recent appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff. The petitioners argued that Halutz was unfit for the post because of what they called his “brutal violation of the ethical code of war” and a “lack of remorse” over the deaths of Palestinians in extra-judicial executions. In July 2002, the Israeli air force carried out a strike against senior Hamas member Salah Shehadeh in Gaza. Shehadeh was killed, along with 14 others in his immediate vicinity. General Halutz, who was air force commander at the time, told the pilots involved in the mission that “they can sleep soundly, and that their performance was perfect.” Read more about Israeli High Court rejects petition against Israeli general
Eight human rights organizations today urged Attorney General Meni Mazuz to declare the IDF’s plans to demolish houses along the “Philadelphi” route illegal and order their cancellation. The media recently reported that the IDF requested Mazuz’s opinion on a plan to dig a channel and fill it with water as a way to cope with the tunnels being built to smuggle weapons. According to the reports, the IDF presented three alternative plans for digging the channel. The most extensive plan calls for the destruction of some 3,000 homes, another plan requires the destruction of about 700 homes, and 200 homes will be destroyed according to the “limited” plan. Read more about Israeli human rights groups to Attorney General: "Cancel plans to demolish homes in Rafah"
