Today, 8 November 2004, the Supreme Court of Israel held a first hearing on a petition filed by Adalah on behalf of Member of Knesset (MK) Dr. Azmi Bishara, head of the National Democratic Assembly party (NDA), in the political speeches case. The petition was filed on 24 December 2003 against the Knesset, the Attorney General (AG) and the Nazareth Magistrate Court following the Magistrate Court’s decision of November 2003 not to dismiss the indictment against MK Bishara. Read more about Supreme Court: Azmi Bishara's Parliamentary Immunity Must be Resolved Pre-Trial 

Today, the Supreme Court of Israel will hold its first hearing on Azmi Bishara in the political speeches case. The petition was submitted on 24 December 2003 following the Magistrate Court’s decision of November 2003 not to dismiss the indictment against MK Bishara. For the first time since 1948, the Knesset lifted the immunity of an MK for political speech in order to file an indictment against him. This is an unprecedented event in the history of Israeli politics. The two legal questions now before the Supreme Court are whether or not the Magistrate Court can legitimately proceed with the trial of MK Bishara without first deciding on the status of his parliamentary immunity; and what is the scope of an MK’s parliamentary immunity regarding political speech. Read more about First hearing Supreme Court in political speech case, Azmi Bishara 

In response to a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Rabbis for Human Rights. The state requested two weeks in which to prepare a response to the demand to allow Palestinian farmers free access to their land every day, and protection against attacks by settlers. During the hearing the petitioning organizations agreed to provide the IDF a list of all the Palestinian villages in need of security to harvest their olive crop, and the IDF officers stated their commitment to make the necessary arrangements to secure the harvest, while protecting Palestinian farmers from attacks by settlers in areas it is required. Read more about Israel's Supreme Court: Israel should provide security for West Bank olive harvest 

On Monday, 1 November 2004, Israeli committed an extra-judicial killing in Nablus, which left three members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades dead, and injured a fourth one. The killing was carried out by an Israeli undercover unit, whose members often disguise as Palestinian civilians.  This latest attacks came in the context of an official policy adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments.  An undercover unit of IOF, disguised in Palestinian civilian clothes moved into Nablus. They moved towards four Palestinians who were sitting in the old city and fired at them at very close range. Read more about Israeli undercover unit assassinates three Palestinians in Nablus 

Distressed by a series of children’s deaths during the ongoing Israeli operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the Government of Israel to take steps to avoid civilian casualties. A spokesman for Mr. Annan said the Secretary-General was disturbed to learn of the deaths of two Palestinian children that occurred over the last few days, particularly since they followed similar incidents earlier in October. Read more about Disturbed by deaths of Palestinian children, Annan stresses need to protect civilians 

Top United Nations experts on human rights today urged stronger action by the international community to counter human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, as the Third Committee continued its second day of dialogue with Special Rapporteurs and independent experts on human rights. Special Rapporteur John Dugard said Israel’s conduct in the occupied Palestinian territories posed the same kind of threat to the credibility of international human rights that apartheid in South Africa had posed in the 1970s and 1980s. Read more about Human rights experts urge stronger action by international community 

The Gaza “Disengagement Plan”, the Israeli government’s plan to remove troops and Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip would not end Israel’s occupation of the territory, Human Rights Watch said today. As an occupying power, Israel will retain responsibility for the welfare of Gaza’s civilian population. Under the “disengagement” plan endorsed Tuesday by the Knesset, Israeli forces will keep control over Gaza’s borders, coastline and airspace, and will reserve the right to launch incursions at will. Israel will continue to wield overwhelming power over the territory’s economy and its access to trade. Read more about 'Disengagement' will not end Gaza occupation 

This week Israeli forces killed 26 Palestinians, 11 of whom were civilians, including 2 children and a woman. Seventeen of the victims were killed during an Israeli offensive on Khan Yunis. Two of the victims were extra-judicially killed by Israeli troops. Israeli troops invaded Khan Yunis; they destroyed 34 houses and some civilian facilities. Israeli troops conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces destroyed eight homes and at least 190 donums of agricultural land were razed in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces raided homes and dozens of Palestinian civilians were arrested. Israel continued shelling of residential areas and the construction of the Apartheid Wall. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations