"Spirit the penniless population across the frontier by denying it employment... Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly." Theodore Herzl, founder of the World Zionist Organization, speaking of the Arabs of Palestine,Complete Diaries, June 12, 1895 entry.
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Day-to-day FrictionIsrael and Palestine
Violence grabs the headlines but what is day-to-day life like in Palestine? My understanding was dramatically changed by an article describing how it takes hours to go 15 miles through 5 or more checkpoints? Is this the extent of the issue ... or is ongoing humiliation the routine as claimed by the Palestinians? How many articles like these ever appear in your newspaper?
Friday, October 31, 2003
Israel Restricts Muslim Visits to Shrine
Excite News: "Israel Restricts Muslim Visits to Shrine | Oct 31, 11:52 AM (ET) | By JASON KEYSER
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel limited access of Muslim worshippers to a disputed shrine for special Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, setting off an angry scuffle, while the United States offered a $5 million reward in the investigation of a deadly bombing of a U.S. convoy.
About 175,000 Palestinians flocked to the sacred hilltop plaza in Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers, while others were turned away at army checkpoints. Control over the site, revered by Muslims and Jews, is one of the most hotly contested issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Excite News: "Israel Restricts Muslim Visits to Shrine | Oct 31, 11:52 AM (ET) | By JASON KEYSER
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel limited access of Muslim worshippers to a disputed shrine for special Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, setting off an angry scuffle, while the United States offered a $5 million reward in the investigation of a deadly bombing of a U.S. convoy.
About 175,000 Palestinians flocked to the sacred hilltop plaza in Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers, while others were turned away at army checkpoints. Control over the site, revered by Muslims and Jews, is one of the most hotly contested issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Amnesty International - Act Now! - Israel/Occupied Territories: Children under siege
Amnesty International - Act Now! - Israel/Occupied Territories: Children under siege: "
Every Palestinian living in the Occupied Territories has suffered under the severe movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli army in the past three years. The impact on children has, however, been particularly severe.
Closures and curfews have prevented children from attending classes for prolonged periods, with inevitable consequences for their education and future personal and professional development prospects. With more than half the Palestinian population now living below the poverty line, there is also growing evidence of malnutrition in young children. And as impoverished families seek all possible means of adding to household income, child labour is reported to have increased.
Movement restrictions also prevent access to healthcare. As a result of stringently enforced closures and blockades, several women, on their way to hospital to give birth, have been forced to give birth at checkpoints, on the road, or at home. At least 10 babies have died as a result. Further information"
Amnesty International - Act Now! - Israel/Occupied Territories: Children under siege: "
Every Palestinian living in the Occupied Territories has suffered under the severe movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli army in the past three years. The impact on children has, however, been particularly severe.
Closures and curfews have prevented children from attending classes for prolonged periods, with inevitable consequences for their education and future personal and professional development prospects. With more than half the Palestinian population now living below the poverty line, there is also growing evidence of malnutrition in young children. And as impoverished families seek all possible means of adding to household income, child labour is reported to have increased.
Movement restrictions also prevent access to healthcare. As a result of stringently enforced closures and blockades, several women, on their way to hospital to give birth, have been forced to give birth at checkpoints, on the road, or at home. At least 10 babies have died as a result. Further information"
Settlers and IDF force Palestinian Residents of the Casbah in Hebron to Leave their Homes
B'Tselem - Press Releases - 19 August 2003: H-2, Hebron - Status Report: "19.8.03: Many Residents of the Casbah in Hebron Leave their Homes
B'Tselem's new report, released today, shows that since the outbreak of the intifada, many Palestinians have left their homes in Area H-2 in Hebron (the area in which the settlers also reside). B'Tselem's research indicates that since September 2000, some 43% of the residents of the three main streets in the Casbah have left their homes, at least 2,000 businesses have closed, and three schools in which 1,835 pupils studied were taken over by the IDF and closed.
The report describes the primary reasons that Palestinians abandoned the Casbah:
-- Violence by settlers and the lack of law enforcement: ...
-- Violence by security forces:...
-- Curfew and closing of businesses:
The ongoing abuse of Hebron's Palestinian population results from the settlers' presence in the city. On the pretext of protecting five hundred settlers, Israel has created enormous hardship for the other 35,000 residents of the Casbah ...
B'Tselem - Press Releases - 19 August 2003: H-2, Hebron - Status Report: "19.8.03: Many Residents of the Casbah in Hebron Leave their Homes
B'Tselem's new report, released today, shows that since the outbreak of the intifada, many Palestinians have left their homes in Area H-2 in Hebron (the area in which the settlers also reside). B'Tselem's research indicates that since September 2000, some 43% of the residents of the three main streets in the Casbah have left their homes, at least 2,000 businesses have closed, and three schools in which 1,835 pupils studied were taken over by the IDF and closed.
The report describes the primary reasons that Palestinians abandoned the Casbah:
-- Violence by settlers and the lack of law enforcement: ...
-- Violence by security forces:...
-- Curfew and closing of businesses:
The ongoing abuse of Hebron's Palestinian population results from the settlers' presence in the city. On the pretext of protecting five hundred settlers, Israel has created enormous hardship for the other 35,000 residents of the Casbah ...
Petition against the JAG-Open Military Police Investigations into Palestinian civilian deaths
B'Tselem - Press Releases - 27 October 2003: ACRI and B'Tselem Petition the High Court of Justice against the JAG:�Open Military Police Investigations into: "Open Military Police Investigations into Killings of Palestinian Civilians
Today, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B'Tselem submitted a petition to the High Court of Justice against the Military Judge Advocate General (JAG). The organizations called on the JAG to open military investigations into all cases in which IDF soldiers kill Palestinian civilians who were not involved in combat ...
...
In the petition, the organizations argue that many Palestinians have been killed in situations unrelated to the hostilities, but rather during policing activities such as enforcement of curfew, staffing checkpoints, and dispersing demonstrations. ...
...
... In choosing a policy that has led to so few criminal investigations, the JAG is shirking this obligation and encouraging "trigger-happy" behavior.
B'Tselem - Press Releases - 27 October 2003: ACRI and B'Tselem Petition the High Court of Justice against the JAG:�Open Military Police Investigations into: "Open Military Police Investigations into Killings of Palestinian Civilians
Today, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B'Tselem submitted a petition to the High Court of Justice against the Military Judge Advocate General (JAG). The organizations called on the JAG to open military investigations into all cases in which IDF soldiers kill Palestinian civilians who were not involved in combat ...
...
In the petition, the organizations argue that many Palestinians have been killed in situations unrelated to the hostilities, but rather during policing activities such as enforcement of curfew, staffing checkpoints, and dispersing demonstrations. ...
...
... In choosing a policy that has led to so few criminal investigations, the JAG is shirking this obligation and encouraging "trigger-happy" behavior.
ACRI Denounces Demolition of Mosque in an Unrecognized Bedouin Village
Association for Civil-Rights in Israel: "ACRI Denounces Demolition of Mosque in an Unrecognized Bedouin Village | 5.2.03
ACRI appealed to the Prime Minister today (5.2.03), vehemently protesting against the government's demolition of the sole mosque in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Tal el-Maleh. ACRI Attorney Banna Shoughry-Badarne writes that the demolition of their sole place of worship represents an unprecedented, extreme, and provocative measure that infringes the free practice of religion and violates the right to human dignity of the Bedouin villagers. Instead of demolishing "illegally built" structures in villages which cannot receive building permits, the government should immediately establish a fair and just zoning plan that would allow for legalized construction in the unrecognized villages. "
Association for Civil-Rights in Israel: "ACRI Denounces Demolition of Mosque in an Unrecognized Bedouin Village | 5.2.03
ACRI appealed to the Prime Minister today (5.2.03), vehemently protesting against the government's demolition of the sole mosque in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Tal el-Maleh. ACRI Attorney Banna Shoughry-Badarne writes that the demolition of their sole place of worship represents an unprecedented, extreme, and provocative measure that infringes the free practice of religion and violates the right to human dignity of the Bedouin villagers. Instead of demolishing "illegally built" structures in villages which cannot receive building permits, the government should immediately establish a fair and just zoning plan that would allow for legalized construction in the unrecognized villages. "
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B'tselem, charge that the killing of [Palestinian] civilians is rarely investigated
Excite News: "Group Wants Palestinian Deaths Probed | Oct 28, 3:09 PM (ET)
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli human rights groups have appealed to the Supreme Court to compel the military to investigate all incidents where Palestinians civilians are killed by the army, a spokesman for one of the groups said Tuesday.
The petitioners, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B'tselem, charge that the killing of civilians is rarely investigated and almost never leads to charges, said Yoav Leff, an ACRI spokesman.
In three years of Israel-Palestinian violence, 2,527 people have been killed on the Palestinian side, and the army has acknowledged that at least 200 were civilian noncombatants. However, Palestinians and human rights groups place the number much higher.
Currently, Leff says, the military investigates only if an internal inquiry by the unit responsible for the killings recommends further procedures.
"This is a conflict of interest. These units are investigating themselves," Leff said.
Excite News: "Group Wants Palestinian Deaths Probed | Oct 28, 3:09 PM (ET)
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli human rights groups have appealed to the Supreme Court to compel the military to investigate all incidents where Palestinians civilians are killed by the army, a spokesman for one of the groups said Tuesday.
The petitioners, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B'tselem, charge that the killing of civilians is rarely investigated and almost never leads to charges, said Yoav Leff, an ACRI spokesman.
In three years of Israel-Palestinian violence, 2,527 people have been killed on the Palestinian side, and the army has acknowledged that at least 200 were civilian noncombatants. However, Palestinians and human rights groups place the number much higher.
Currently, Leff says, the military investigates only if an internal inquiry by the unit responsible for the killings recommends further procedures.
"This is a conflict of interest. These units are investigating themselves," Leff said.
Friday, October 24, 2003
Malnourishment in the occupied Palestinian territories is getting worse
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Unnatural disaster: "Unnatural disaster Thursday March 6, 2003 | Dominic Nutt is an emergencies officer for Christian Aid
But according to UN figures, children in Gaza are today as seriously malnourished as children in Congo and Zimbabwe.
...
Why should so many Palestinians, ostensibly living in a first world country, need food? As a UN spokesman put it: "This is a political problem, a problem completely created by human actions."
The Israeli policy of closing down the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of denying Palestinians the ability to travel into Israel to work and to sell their goods means in some areas as many as 80% of the Palestinian population are unemployed. According to the World Bank, the Palestinian economy is on the verge of collapse.
With little work available, families cannot afford to buy food and they and their children are going hungry. ...
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Unnatural disaster: "Unnatural disaster Thursday March 6, 2003 | Dominic Nutt is an emergencies officer for Christian Aid
But according to UN figures, children in Gaza are today as seriously malnourished as children in Congo and Zimbabwe.
...
Why should so many Palestinians, ostensibly living in a first world country, need food? As a UN spokesman put it: "This is a political problem, a problem completely created by human actions."
The Israeli policy of closing down the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, of denying Palestinians the ability to travel into Israel to work and to sell their goods means in some areas as many as 80% of the Palestinian population are unemployed. According to the World Bank, the Palestinian economy is on the verge of collapse.
With little work available, families cannot afford to buy food and they and their children are going hungry. ...
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Back to school, for some: school transformed into a large temporary [Israeli] detention center
Palestine Report - Back to school, for some: "by Muthanna Al Qadi | September 17, 2003
FROM HIS window, 12-year-old Kamal can see his school, the Thafer Al Masri School, where classes were supposed to start at the beginning of September. The school, however, is not likely to re-open any time soon. The playground has been transformed into a parking lot for Israeli military vehicles and tanks, the classrooms have become prison cells, and the entire school has been transformed into a large temporary detention center.
...
In total, the damage to schools in Nablus this year has caused some $35,000 worth of damage in addition to the delay in their reopening, according to Jumana Qurman, who heads the education department in Nablus. This, she points out, is light in comparison with last year. Most of the damage has been caused by shelling, nearby house demolitions and raids. ...
...
Hospital records show that of over 1,140 people admitted to the different departments since the start of this year with injuries obtained as a result of the occupation, 639 were children under the age of 15. During the three-month summer vacation, the hospital received an average of one injured child a day.
Palestine Report - Back to school, for some: "by Muthanna Al Qadi | September 17, 2003
FROM HIS window, 12-year-old Kamal can see his school, the Thafer Al Masri School, where classes were supposed to start at the beginning of September. The school, however, is not likely to re-open any time soon. The playground has been transformed into a parking lot for Israeli military vehicles and tanks, the classrooms have become prison cells, and the entire school has been transformed into a large temporary detention center.
...
In total, the damage to schools in Nablus this year has caused some $35,000 worth of damage in addition to the delay in their reopening, according to Jumana Qurman, who heads the education department in Nablus. This, she points out, is light in comparison with last year. Most of the damage has been caused by shelling, nearby house demolitions and raids. ...
...
Hospital records show that of over 1,140 people admitted to the different departments since the start of this year with injuries obtained as a result of the occupation, 639 were children under the age of 15. During the three-month summer vacation, the hospital received an average of one injured child a day.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Expulsions: Palestinians trapped by security fence find they don't have "permanent resident" movement permits
Expulsion, little by little: "Expulsion, little by little | By Amira Hass | Wednesday, October 22, 2003
The fears and suspicions, as usual, came true - and very quickly. Hiding behind security rationales and the seemingly neutral bureaucratic language of military orders is the gateway for expulsion. Not massive expulsion, heaven forbid, not on trucks, and not far. Drop by drop, unseen, not so many that it would be noticed internationally and shock public opinion; ...
... The village of Ras a Tira is trapped in a "salient" created when the fence was drawn to include the frequently expanding settlement of Alfei Menashe. Some 60 out of the few hundreds residents of the village have found out they don't have permits. Those who want "to maintain the fabric of normal life," therefore, must decide between giving up their work in a neighboring city, visiting their family in the village on the other side of the fence, etc., or leaving home and land.
Expulsion, little by little: "Expulsion, little by little | By Amira Hass | Wednesday, October 22, 2003
The fears and suspicions, as usual, came true - and very quickly. Hiding behind security rationales and the seemingly neutral bureaucratic language of military orders is the gateway for expulsion. Not massive expulsion, heaven forbid, not on trucks, and not far. Drop by drop, unseen, not so many that it would be noticed internationally and shock public opinion; ...
... The village of Ras a Tira is trapped in a "salient" created when the fence was drawn to include the frequently expanding settlement of Alfei Menashe. Some 60 out of the few hundreds residents of the village have found out they don't have permits. Those who want "to maintain the fabric of normal life," therefore, must decide between giving up their work in a neighboring city, visiting their family in the village on the other side of the fence, etc., or leaving home and land.
Friday, October 17, 2003
Palestinian: Settlers steal olive harvest
Haaretz Article: "Palestinian: Settlers steal olive harvest By Itim | October 17, 2003
The Palestinian owner of several olive groves in the West Bank villages of Jayyus and Ratiz complained to police Friday that residents of nearby Jewish settlements cut down branches from his trees and harvested the olives.
Representatives of rights groups who were trying to ensure that the harvest - a flashpoint of violence in recent years - went off without incident. When they reached the grove, however, they discovered that several of the trees had already been harvested.
The owners of the groves claimed that settlers had been active in the area in recent days, and that, in addition to stealing olives, had cut down branches.
Haaretz Article: "Palestinian: Settlers steal olive harvest By Itim | October 17, 2003
The Palestinian owner of several olive groves in the West Bank villages of Jayyus and Ratiz complained to police Friday that residents of nearby Jewish settlements cut down branches from his trees and harvested the olives.
Representatives of rights groups who were trying to ensure that the harvest - a flashpoint of violence in recent years - went off without incident. When they reached the grove, however, they discovered that several of the trees had already been harvested.
The owners of the groves claimed that settlers had been active in the area in recent days, and that, in addition to stealing olives, had cut down branches.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Rafah: Walls riddled with shrapnel. IDF carved firing slits out of the walls
Haaretz - Article: "`All Israelis are to blame' for Rafah By Arnon Regular | Tuesday, October 14, 2003
'As far as I'm concerned, if they find a tunnel under somebody's house, they can bury them in it, but how is this our fault? I used to say that anyone who listened to suicide bombers was crazy, but after what happened here, I say that every Jew, wherever he is, all the Israelis, are to blame for what happened here,' Jamal Yussuf declared yesterday.
...
... Almost all the walls of Yussuf's home are riddled with shrapnel. Its dusty contents have been thrown to the floor and holes have been drilled in the walls to serve as shooting slits for IDF snipers.
Dozens of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers took part in the operation. Along with helicopter gunships, they sowed indescribable destruction. Hundreds of homes along several kilometers, and within 200 meters of the border, have been destroyed during the three years of the intifada.
...
Practically the only public institutions still functioning in this camp are premises donated by international bodies. In preparation for the operation, the IDF commandeered them because of their good view of the surroundings. Such was the case with a child development center, a new building. Here, too, furniture was flung on the floor, firing slits were carved out of the walls, and hundreds of bullet holes riddled the outside.
...
Damage has also been done to the city's already failing sewage system. Phone, electricity, and water lines are totally inoperative.
Haaretz - Article: "`All Israelis are to blame' for Rafah By Arnon Regular | Tuesday, October 14, 2003
'As far as I'm concerned, if they find a tunnel under somebody's house, they can bury them in it, but how is this our fault? I used to say that anyone who listened to suicide bombers was crazy, but after what happened here, I say that every Jew, wherever he is, all the Israelis, are to blame for what happened here,' Jamal Yussuf declared yesterday.
...
... Almost all the walls of Yussuf's home are riddled with shrapnel. Its dusty contents have been thrown to the floor and holes have been drilled in the walls to serve as shooting slits for IDF snipers.
Dozens of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers took part in the operation. Along with helicopter gunships, they sowed indescribable destruction. Hundreds of homes along several kilometers, and within 200 meters of the border, have been destroyed during the three years of the intifada.
...
Practically the only public institutions still functioning in this camp are premises donated by international bodies. In preparation for the operation, the IDF commandeered them because of their good view of the surroundings. Such was the case with a child development center, a new building. Here, too, furniture was flung on the floor, firing slits were carved out of the walls, and hundreds of bullet holes riddled the outside.
...
Damage has also been done to the city's already failing sewage system. Phone, electricity, and water lines are totally inoperative.
Israel to expel prisoners from West Bank: denounced as a violation of international law
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Israel to expel prisoners from West Bank Agencies | Tuesday October 14, 2003
The Israeli military today ordered 15 Palestinian prisoners to be expelled from the West Bank and moved to the Gaza Strip, a move denounced by human rights lawyers as a violation of international law.
The military has issued such expulsion orders only once before, when it forced three relatives of Palestinian terror suspects to move from the West Bank to Gaza last year. It was hoped that the move would deter future attacks on Israelis.
Israel's supreme court later approved the practice, and the Israeli government argues that expulsions, along with house demolitions, create an important deterrent against suicide bombings and other attacks on Israeli civilians.
Today's decision affects 15 Palestinians held in so-called administrative detention without charge or trial.
In a statement, the army said the 15 were being held on suspicion that they helped militants to carry out attacks on Israelis, but added that they were not directly involved and had 'no blood on their hands'.
The military did not identify the detainees, who have already been moved to an army site in the Gaza Strip and have two days to appeal the decision. The army said that the prisoners were being expelled to the Gaza Strip because they could not be put on trial without revealing sensitive intelligence.
Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat denounced the expulsion orders as a violation of international human rights conventions. "
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Israel to expel prisoners from West Bank Agencies | Tuesday October 14, 2003
The Israeli military today ordered 15 Palestinian prisoners to be expelled from the West Bank and moved to the Gaza Strip, a move denounced by human rights lawyers as a violation of international law.
The military has issued such expulsion orders only once before, when it forced three relatives of Palestinian terror suspects to move from the West Bank to Gaza last year. It was hoped that the move would deter future attacks on Israelis.
Israel's supreme court later approved the practice, and the Israeli government argues that expulsions, along with house demolitions, create an important deterrent against suicide bombings and other attacks on Israeli civilians.
Today's decision affects 15 Palestinians held in so-called administrative detention without charge or trial.
In a statement, the army said the 15 were being held on suspicion that they helped militants to carry out attacks on Israelis, but added that they were not directly involved and had 'no blood on their hands'.
The military did not identify the detainees, who have already been moved to an army site in the Gaza Strip and have two days to appeal the decision. The army said that the prisoners were being expelled to the Gaza Strip because they could not be put on trial without revealing sensitive intelligence.
Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat denounced the expulsion orders as a violation of international human rights conventions. "
Between 1,000 and 2,000 people have been left with nothing; 70,000 without power
Excite - News: "Israel Pulls Forces from Gaza Camp; Arafat Healthy | Oct 12, 8:36 am ET | By Shahdi al-Kashif
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Israel withdrew most forces from a Gaza Strip refugee camp Sunday after a swoop on suspected arms-smuggling tunnels, using tanks and bulldozers, that left eight Palestinian dead and more than 1,000 homeless.
...
Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers were nowhere to be seen in the vast refugee quarter of Rafah, residents and visitors said, after three days of operations that killed three Palestinian militants and five civilians.
...
Residents said there had been no electricity, running water or telephone service in the teeming, cinder-block refugee camp for 48 hours after Israeli forces knocked out generators providing power to the impoverished community of 70,000.
OVER 1,000 PEOPLE LEFT 'WITH NOTHING'
Peter Hansen, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency serving Palestinian refugees, told Reuters that "between 1,000 and 2,000 people have been left with nothing whatsoever."
About 120 homes or blocks of flats were flattened and dozens more severely damaged, Hansen said during a tour of smashed neighborhoods. Most of Rafah's 70,000 people live with several generations of relatives under one roof.
Residents accused Israel of indiscriminate destruction amounting to collective punishment.
Excite - News: "Israel Pulls Forces from Gaza Camp; Arafat Healthy | Oct 12, 8:36 am ET | By Shahdi al-Kashif
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Israel withdrew most forces from a Gaza Strip refugee camp Sunday after a swoop on suspected arms-smuggling tunnels, using tanks and bulldozers, that left eight Palestinian dead and more than 1,000 homeless.
...
Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers were nowhere to be seen in the vast refugee quarter of Rafah, residents and visitors said, after three days of operations that killed three Palestinian militants and five civilians.
...
Residents said there had been no electricity, running water or telephone service in the teeming, cinder-block refugee camp for 48 hours after Israeli forces knocked out generators providing power to the impoverished community of 70,000.
OVER 1,000 PEOPLE LEFT 'WITH NOTHING'
Peter Hansen, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency serving Palestinian refugees, told Reuters that "between 1,000 and 2,000 people have been left with nothing whatsoever."
About 120 homes or blocks of flats were flattened and dozens more severely damaged, Hansen said during a tour of smashed neighborhoods. Most of Rafah's 70,000 people live with several generations of relatives under one roof.
Residents accused Israel of indiscriminate destruction amounting to collective punishment.
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Israel Enforces Lockdown of Palestinians
Excite News: "Israel Enforces Lockdown of Palestinians
Oct 8, 3:14 PM (ET) By KARIN LAUB
JERUSALEM (AP) - Trying to prevent another terror attack during the Jewish holidays, Israel enforced an open-ended lockdown of Palestinian towns Wednesday and ordered two more battalions into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
...
Blanket closures, including travel bans within the Palestinian areas, are usually imposed during Jewish holidays, and restrictions are eased - though not lifted - once the holidays are over. The most recent one, Yom Kippur, ended Monday, and the next one, the weeklong Succot holiday, begins at sundown Friday.
However, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the strict lockdown to continue, reportedly at least through Oct. 22, or several days after the end of Succot. Mofaz reportedly went against the recommendations of security officials who said the level of alerts about possible terror attacks was not unusual.
...
Excite News: "Israel Enforces Lockdown of Palestinians
Oct 8, 3:14 PM (ET) By KARIN LAUB
JERUSALEM (AP) - Trying to prevent another terror attack during the Jewish holidays, Israel enforced an open-ended lockdown of Palestinian towns Wednesday and ordered two more battalions into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
...
Blanket closures, including travel bans within the Palestinian areas, are usually imposed during Jewish holidays, and restrictions are eased - though not lifted - once the holidays are over. The most recent one, Yom Kippur, ended Monday, and the next one, the weeklong Succot holiday, begins at sundown Friday.
However, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the strict lockdown to continue, reportedly at least through Oct. 22, or several days after the end of Succot. Mofaz reportedly went against the recommendations of security officials who said the level of alerts about possible terror attacks was not unusual.
...
IHT: Meanwhile: The forgotten palaces of Palestine
IHT: Meanwhile: The forgotten palaces of Palestine: "Meanwhile: The forgotten palaces of Palestine | Jonathan Cook IHT | Wednesday, October 8, 2003
NAZARETH, Israel Beit Fauzi Azar, my home for the past two years, is one of the "hidden palaces" of Palestine, according to the Israeli conservation expert Sharif Sharif. These mansions, built in the late 19th century, are one of the few windows left on Palestinian society from before the advent of modern Israel.
...
... One of the biggest problems, Sharif says, is an Israeli law that offers protection only to buildings constructed before 1700. Anything later can be altered, amateurishly renovated or demolished. This has meant that palaces are dependent on the good will of the new owners.
IHT: Meanwhile: The forgotten palaces of Palestine: "Meanwhile: The forgotten palaces of Palestine | Jonathan Cook IHT | Wednesday, October 8, 2003
NAZARETH, Israel Beit Fauzi Azar, my home for the past two years, is one of the "hidden palaces" of Palestine, according to the Israeli conservation expert Sharif Sharif. These mansions, built in the late 19th century, are one of the few windows left on Palestinian society from before the advent of modern Israel.
...
... One of the biggest problems, Sharif says, is an Israeli law that offers protection only to buildings constructed before 1700. Anything later can be altered, amateurishly renovated or demolished. This has meant that palaces are dependent on the good will of the new owners.
Israeli troops section Gaza in terror control measure. 08/10/2003. ABC News Online
Israeli troops section Gaza in terror control measure. 08/10/2003. ABC News Online: "Last Update: Wednesday, October 8, 2003. 7:34pm (AEST) Israeli troops section Gaza in terror control measure
Israeli troops have encircled all major towns in the West Bank and have split the Gaza Strip into four sections in response to a large number of terror threats.
The Israeli Government is also considering calling up more reserve soldiers.
The Israeli army says it has intelligence suggesting five separate Palestinian militias are trying to send suicide bombers from the West Bank into Israel.
In response, troops have been placed around all major West Bank cities, including the relatively quiet towns of Jericho and Bethlehem.
The army has also split Gaza into four sections.
A decision on whether or not to call up more reserve battalions is expected to be made later today."
Israeli troops section Gaza in terror control measure. 08/10/2003. ABC News Online: "Last Update: Wednesday, October 8, 2003. 7:34pm (AEST) Israeli troops section Gaza in terror control measure
Israeli troops have encircled all major towns in the West Bank and have split the Gaza Strip into four sections in response to a large number of terror threats.
The Israeli Government is also considering calling up more reserve soldiers.
The Israeli army says it has intelligence suggesting five separate Palestinian militias are trying to send suicide bombers from the West Bank into Israel.
In response, troops have been placed around all major West Bank cities, including the relatively quiet towns of Jericho and Bethlehem.
The army has also split Gaza into four sections.
A decision on whether or not to call up more reserve battalions is expected to be made later today."
Monday, October 06, 2003
Breakthroughs: Israeli Arab allowed to build his home in the Jewish community of Katzir; policeman charged in fatal shooting of Bedouin
JTA NEWS: "NEWS ANALYSIS In recent events, some see turn for better in Jewish-Arab relations By Gil Sedan | Oct. 3, 2003
JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 (JTA) Those looking for milestones in the fragile relations between the Jewish state and its Arab citizens might one day point to three events that took place in recent weeks.
First, after years of haggling, the Israel Land Administration decided to give a plot to an Israeli Arab to build his home in the Jewish community of Katzir, northeast of Hadera.
Until now, authorities had ignored a landmark 2000 ruling by the High Court of Justice forbidding discrimination against Arab citizens in allocating state land. But the land administration's move sets a precedent: Arab families will be able to reside in Jewish communities on an equal basis with their Jewish neighbors.
A second development was the decision to press charges against a border policeman in the fatal shooting of a Bedouin citizen in July.
Alex Digodker, 26, allegedly shot Nasser Abulgian, 23, when the man refused to roll down his window after his car was stopped for inspection. Police reportedly suspected Abulgian was smuggling Palestinians into Israel."
JTA NEWS: "NEWS ANALYSIS In recent events, some see turn for better in Jewish-Arab relations By Gil Sedan | Oct. 3, 2003
JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 (JTA) Those looking for milestones in the fragile relations between the Jewish state and its Arab citizens might one day point to three events that took place in recent weeks.
First, after years of haggling, the Israel Land Administration decided to give a plot to an Israeli Arab to build his home in the Jewish community of Katzir, northeast of Hadera.
Until now, authorities had ignored a landmark 2000 ruling by the High Court of Justice forbidding discrimination against Arab citizens in allocating state land. But the land administration's move sets a precedent: Arab families will be able to reside in Jewish communities on an equal basis with their Jewish neighbors.
A second development was the decision to press charges against a border policeman in the fatal shooting of a Bedouin citizen in July.
Alex Digodker, 26, allegedly shot Nasser Abulgian, 23, when the man refused to roll down his window after his car was stopped for inspection. Police reportedly suspected Abulgian was smuggling Palestinians into Israel."
Arabs village faces triple jeopardy: eviction, prevaracation then confiscastion
The block of recognition: "The block of recognition By Zafrir Rinat Sunday, October 05, 2003
The Arab village of Ein Hud has existed for decades on the western slopes of Mount Carmel; the village, a wholly palpable entity to its residents, is not recognized by the state and, as such, is not entitled to basic services. The state simply didn't decide what to do with the villagers, who, in 1948, were forced to leave their previous home, which is now the nearby artists' village of Ein Hod.
Nearly 10 years ago, the government decided that in the case of Ein Hud, justice and logic require the problem to be resolved by granting the village official recognition.
...
The two MKs [Members of the Knesset], who were the only ones present two weeks ago at a committee meeting in which the plan was discussed, decided in the meantime not to approve it. This was another disappointment for the residents of Ein Hud who, in the absence of an approved plan for their village, cannot go ahead with an orderly, legal planning process that will also include the construction of housing.
...
The result is that the residents of Ein Hud find themselves in a new trap. Until 10 years ago, everything they built was defined as illegal. After they received official government recognition, they had to continue building to meet housing needs, even though the recognition they were granted was not accompanied by a master plan for construction. Now, Knesset members are liable to claim that the construction in the village is illegal and place new obstacles on the road to the village's final recognition.
..."
The block of recognition: "The block of recognition By Zafrir Rinat Sunday, October 05, 2003
The Arab village of Ein Hud has existed for decades on the western slopes of Mount Carmel; the village, a wholly palpable entity to its residents, is not recognized by the state and, as such, is not entitled to basic services. The state simply didn't decide what to do with the villagers, who, in 1948, were forced to leave their previous home, which is now the nearby artists' village of Ein Hod.
Nearly 10 years ago, the government decided that in the case of Ein Hud, justice and logic require the problem to be resolved by granting the village official recognition.
...
The two MKs [Members of the Knesset], who were the only ones present two weeks ago at a committee meeting in which the plan was discussed, decided in the meantime not to approve it. This was another disappointment for the residents of Ein Hud who, in the absence of an approved plan for their village, cannot go ahead with an orderly, legal planning process that will also include the construction of housing.
...
The result is that the residents of Ein Hud find themselves in a new trap. Until 10 years ago, everything they built was defined as illegal. After they received official government recognition, they had to continue building to meet housing needs, even though the recognition they were granted was not accompanied by a master plan for construction. Now, Knesset members are liable to claim that the construction in the village is illegal and place new obstacles on the road to the village's final recognition.
..."
Friday, October 03, 2003
IDF places full closure on territories ahead of Yom Kippur: Last week, a similar curfew was imposed ahead
Haaretz Article: "IDF places full closure on territories ahead of Yom Kippur By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service Friday, October 03, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces imposed a full closure Friday on the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of the Yom Kippur holiday, which beings sundown on Sunday.
Last week, a similar curfew was imposed ahead of the Rosh Hashanah (new year) holiday, in a move aimed at deterring terror attacks. "
Haaretz Article: "IDF places full closure on territories ahead of Yom Kippur By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service Friday, October 03, 2003
The Israel Defense Forces imposed a full closure Friday on the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of the Yom Kippur holiday, which beings sundown on Sunday.
Last week, a similar curfew was imposed ahead of the Rosh Hashanah (new year) holiday, in a move aimed at deterring terror attacks. "
