As the International Court of Justice will render its advisory opinion in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 9, 2004, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour where Israel continues the construction of the Wall. Ironically, the meaning of the Hebrew name of the settlement built on Jabel Abu Ghneim, separating the Bethlehem district from Jerusalem, “Har Homa” literally means “Mountain of the Wall”. Israel’s Apartheid Wall will completely separate Beit Sahour, Beit Jala and Bethlehem from the northern parts of the West Bank. Read more about Photostory: The Wall in Bethlehem
As the International Court of Justice will render its advisory opinion in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 9, 2004, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited ar-Ram where Israel continues the construction of the Wall. This week, Knesset member, Azmi Bishara, went on hunger strike in protest against the wall. Dozens of protesters joined the lawmaker in a tent at ar-Ram, which is located between Kalandia and Beit Hanina. Despite a ruling of the Israeli High Court, construction of the wall in ar-Ram continues. Read more about Photostory: The Wall in ar-Ram
As the International Court of Justice will render its advisory opinion in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 9, 2004, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited various sites where Israel continues the construction of the Wall. On 8 December 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution, in which, it requested the International Court of Justice to “urgently render an advisory opinion”. UN member states filed written statements and subsequently, public hearings were held from 23 to 25 February 2004. Read more about Photostory: The Wall in Abu Dis and 'Azariya
Seven years ago, a Palestinian parliamentary panel conducted an investigation of the PA corruption. The panel exposed many official misgivings and abuses. It recommended that Civil Affairs Minister Jamil al-Tarifi, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath and Transport Minister Ali Kawasmeh be brought to trial. They were never dismissed. Shaath and Tarifi are still cabinet members. Now, Tarifi is once more subject to parliamentary investigation for corruption. PA Minister of Economy Maher Masri was accused of negligence and fraude. Tarifi is accused of selling Egyptian cement, meant for rebuilding Palestinian homes, to Israeli companies. Read more about Cement and Corruption
Israel’s ongoing assault on human lives and property in Rafah is, according to Israeli spokespersons, “aimed at preventing a huge shipment of arms being smuggled.” The past four days, Israeli forces have killed 39 Palestinians. Its military assault on Palestinians in Rafah includes extensive house demolitions and other human rights abuses. The question should be asked, who supplies Israel’s military occupation of the Gaza Strip. Both the U.S. and EU are the main suppliers of arms with which Israel has forced Palestinians to live under military occupation for decades. Read more about Who really smuggled weapons to Rafah?
A majority of Israeli Jews - 63.7 percent - believes the Israeli government should encourage Palestinians to leave the country. These are the results of a poll recently released by the Haifa University. The poll comes at a time when Ariel Sharon, Israel’s Prime Minister is working on his unilateral “disengagement plan” and while various governments are trying to influence the process. However, the longer it takes them to realize the facts on the ground and the sense of urgency, the more Palestinians will lose their faith in a two-state solution. The longer it takes to Israel to discover the mess it has worked itself in, the sooner the day on which a Palestinian majority will start calling for “one-man-one-vote”. Read more about Catch 22: The end of the two-state solution
Arjan El FassedUtrecht, the Netherlands9 April 2004
Fifty-six years ago, 11-year old Fahimi Zeidan lived with her family in the Palestinian village Deir Yasin. The village, which was home to more than 700 residents, was a prosperous, expanding village at relative peace with its Jewish neighbours with whom much business was done. However, on April 9, 1948, Zionist forces entered the home of Fahimi Zeidan, ordered her family to line up against the wall and started shooting. Fahimi, two sisters and brother were saved because they could hide behind their parents. But all the others against the wall were killed: her father, mother, grandfather and grandmother, uncles and aunts and some of their children. Read more about In Memoriam: Deir Yassin
On 30 March 1976, thousands of people belonging to the Palestinian minority in Israel gathered to protest Israeli government plans to expropriate 60,000 dunams of Arab-owned land in the Galilee. In the resulting confrontations with Israeli police, six Palestinians were killed, hundreds wounded, and hundreds jailed. In the intervening years, those events have become consecrated in the Palestinian memory as Land Day. Read more about What is it that Palestinians commemorate on Land Day?
Following expert-level talks held since the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and seven other civilians in Gaza yesterday, the Security Council is meeting in closed-door consultations today to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Earlier today, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Asma Jahangir, expressed her “deepest concerns over the use of brute force which will only lead to escalating violence.” This afternoon the Commission on Human Rights decided that a special sitting will take place to consider the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about UN holds consultations following assassination of Sheikh Yassin
Hours after an Israeli attack helicopter launched three missiles at the paralyzed and wheelchairbound leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, killing him and seven other Palestinians, Britain’s Foreign Minister Jack Straw said that Israel “is not entitled to carry out unlawful killings.” Ariel Sharon, who ordered the extrajudicial execution said that he believed that Israel delivered “a very important message to all of those who are responsible with terrorist attacks.” That Israel has legitimate security concerns is not denied by many of the world’s leaders, but was Jack Straw right in calling the assassination “unlawful”? Read more about Assassination is indeed an unlawful act
