This is a roundup of news related to Palestine with a particular focus on grassroots action and peaceful civil disobedience in the Occupied Territories and within the borders of Israel proper.
We use the name Filasṭīn, since that is the pronunciation preferred by Arabic speakers (irrespective of faith) for their homeland.
Bitter waters: Settlers invade ancient pool under Palestinian control
(
story in Haaretz)
Dozens of Israeli soldiers ordered Palestinian children to get out of a swimming pool in Area A – ostensibly under PA control – in advance of a visit by hundreds of settlers.
Soldiers Expel Palestinians from Pool in Area A to Enable Settlers to Bathe Undisturbed
(
report at B'TSelem)
On 7 April 2015, during Passover holidays, a group of hundreds of settlers accompanied by Israeli security forces came to Birkat al-Karmil – a natural pool close to the village of al-Karmil, which lies in the southern Hebron Hills within Area A. In 2011, Yatta Municipality renovated the site, creating a park there and restoring an ancient pool at its center.
B'Tselem’s investigation found that at about 2:00 P.M., hundreds of settlers arrived at the pool accompanied by dozens of soldiers, Border Police, and representatives of the Civil Administration (CA). The security forces ordered the Palestinian bathers to leave the pool and remain on the edge of the park. They allowed the settlers, however, free and exclusive use of the rest of the park. At about 5:30 P.M., the settlers and the security forces left the area.
This incident is yet another example of how Israeli authorities operate in the West Bank. Almost any desire expressed by settlers, however capricious, is automatically facilitated at the expense of the Palestinian population. In this case, the military used its force and authority solely in order to allow settlers the pleasure of bathing at that particular location. This purpose is unjustified in its own right, and certainly cannot justify the entry of soldiers into Area A or any disruption to Palestinians’ lives.
A court of non-convictions when the victim is Palestinian
(
story in +972mag)
Every year Yesh Din publishes data about police investigative failures regarding crimes carried out by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank. They are usually quite similar: the police fails to investigate approximately 85 percent of complaints by Palestinians who report being harmed by Israelis. The rate becomes much higher when it comes to the destruction of Palestinian trees by Israeli civilians: that’s when the police failure rate reaches 97.4 percent.
To begin with, the chances that a complaint by a Palestinian victim will develop into an indictment against an Israeli felony suspect stands at a mere 7.4 percent. This means that the chances that an Israeli will appear in court for a crime he is suspected of committing is around 1 in 14. Most often, cases are closed due to police investigative failures; in a majority of the cases, the reason cited is the inability of the police to find a suspect – what is known as the the “unknown perpetrator clause.”
What is a non-conviction? It is a relatively rare practice in which the court believes there is reason to avoid tarring the suspect with a criminal conviction for one reason or another — despite the fact that the felon has been found guilt of the charges. This almost never happens in the Israeli courts: the percentage of defendants in the magistrate’s courts found guilty without conviction is 5.3 percent; in district courts the number stands at only 1.2 percent. This is true unless the victim is a Palestinian; then the rare non-conviction jumps to 24.6 percent. That’s four times that of magistrate’ courts, and almost 20 times that of the district courts. What a coincidence.
At the end of the day, the chance that a Palestinian who lodges a complaint about being harmed by an Israeli civilian will see a conviction is only 1.9 percent. Again, most of the blame for this lies with the police – but the courts are also responsible, as seen by the unusual rate of non-conviction.
WATCH: Jaffa's forgotten Arab oranges
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story in +972mag)
Jaffa oranges, the pride of early 20th century Zionist settlers in Palestine, are largely thought to be an advent of Jewish industry. But drawings found under seven layers of paint on the walls of a 165-year-old building in Jaffa reveal a different side of history.
No indictment in killing of four Palestinian kids on Gaza beach
(story in +972mag)
The Israeli military will not seek any indictments over the killing of four Palestinian children on the beach in Gaza last summer, the Military Advocate General announced on Thursday. The four children were killed in a July 16 airstrike that targeted them while they played on a Gaza beach adjacent to where a sizable foreign press contingent was staying.
In its announcement, the MAG claimed that the children had run into — and subsequently out of — what it described as a Hamas naval compound, “closed off by a fence and clearly separated from the beach serving the civilian population.” At least two foreign journalists who were in Gaza at the time disputed that claim on Friday, asserting that the site was easily accessible to the public and only meters from a stretch of sand popular with swimmers and sunbathers.
One of those journalists, Peter Beaumont of The Guardian, told +972 on Friday that he later mentioned to MAG officials that he had witnessed the event and told them he would be willing to provide a statement — but that nobody ever contacted him to follow up. Other veteran journalists published first-person accounts of the incident at the time.
Family furious as Israel probe clears military in Gaza beach deaths
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story in Ma'an News)
"Israel behaves as if it's a country above international law," Zakariya Bakr, the uncle of the children who died, told AFP. "It's not unusual for the occupation (Israel), which shells houses with their occupants inside them, and kills children, to declare its soldiers innocent. "We urge the international community to act seriously to stop this farce," he said, referring to several army investigations into alleged misconduct during the conflict between Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas.
Gaza beach killings: no justice in Israeli exoneration, says victim's father
(
story in the Guardian)
The father of one of four Palestinian children killed on a Gaza City beach during last summer’s war between Hamas and Israel has said he is outraged that an Israeli investigation into the killings has been closed without finding anyone culpable for their deaths.
The comments by Mohammed Bakr came as new questions emerged about both the scope and the accuracy of the findings of the Israeli military police inquiry.
“There is no justice in the internal investigation,” Bakr said on Friday. “We are counting on the ICC [international criminal court] and human rights. We are not afraid and we are confident we will win because the world is with us.”
Israel's High Court: No proof of discrimination against Palestinians in Area C
(
story in Haaretz)
Israel’s High Court of Justice rejected a petition earlier this week that sought to reinstate planning authority in Area C of the West Bank to local Palestinians, a power which was revoked in 1971. Justices Elyakim Rubinstein, Neal Hendel and Noam Sohlberg ruled on Tuesday that the petition did not prove that Palestinians in Area C [which is under full Israeli civil and security control] are discriminated against in comparison to the “Israeli population” there, just because the Civil Administration’s planning council is planning both for Israeli settlers and Palestinians.
The justices based their ruling on the Oslo Accords, and their unwillingness to disrupt the reality that the Israeli government has created between itself and the Palestinian Authority.
High Court: Palestinians have no planning rights
(
story in +972mag)
Israel’s High Court of Justice on Tuesday rejected a petition to grant planning authority to Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank so they can build on their own land. In doing so, Justices Elyakim Rubinstein, Noam Solberg and Neil Hendel solidified the current status quo, in which two separate planning systems exist in the West Bank: one for Jews and another for Palestinians.
While Jewish settlers in the West Bank are represented in local planning committees like every citizen of Israel, the local Palestinian councils were nullified and replaced by military officials who make planning decisions in their stead. Even the regional committees — the highest bodies that oversee planning in Area C — belong to the Israeli army — and while they include settlers, they include no Palestinian representation. This is part and parcel of the legal reality in the West Bank, which places Jews and Palestinians under two different sets of laws.
IDF displaces 10 Palestinian families to conduct military drills
(
story in +972mag)
The Israeli army evacuated 10 families in the community of Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley on Wednesday morning, according to the Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem. The evacuation was ordered so that the military could conduct training exercises near to the families’ homes, on land owned by the residents of the community.
Of the 10 families ordered to evacuate, B’Tselem reports that eight of them were displaced only a month ago, during extensive military training drills that lasted several days and displaced dozens of families. Those affected on Wednesday will once again be required to leave their homes at 6 a.m. on June 16 for the army to conduct further exercises.
Israeli soldiers beating restrained Palestinian protester caught on tape
(
story in Haaretz)
IDF soldiers were captured on video Friday beating a Palestinian man, even after forces had restrained him after he was arrested in a protest in the Palestinian refugee camp of Jalazone this Friday. [Scroll down for video].
During the demonstration, clashes erupted between Palestinians and forces from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion – a predominantly religious military outfit from the Kfir Brigade – that were caught on video by local Palestinian media.
In the video, a soldier is seen cursing a Palestinian man, which the forces claim tried to touch their gun. The soldier can be heard screaming expletives at the Palestinian, taunting him to talk back, and vowing that should he say one more word then he will "f*** his mother." The soldier then proceeds to attempt to hit him and a few seconds later another soldier is seen swinging his rifle at the Palestinian, who has words with the soldiers and attempts to push them away.
Israel opens probe into Palestinian beating video
(
story in Ma'an News)
Seven Israeli soldiers were to face a disciplinary hearing on Sunday after video emerged of troops beating an unarmed Palestinian in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. In the footage, which was widely disseminated by Palestinian media, men in Israeli military uniform were seen repeatedly striking the Palestinian civilian, including with a rifle butt near the back of the head and a punch in the face. The beating was accompanied by the chanting of obscenities as the detainee lay helpless on the ground.
Israeli officers assault Palestinian prisoner on way to hospital
(
story in Ma'an News)
Israeli officers violently assaulted a Palestinian prisoner while he was being transported from to a hospital for medical tests on Sunday, the Palestinian prisoner’s society said.One of the society's lawyers said that Muhammad Abed Rabbo, 29 from Nablus, had been assaulted by about 20 Israeli officers after he refused to have both his hands and feet cuffed while they moved him from Nafha prison to Soroka hospital in Beersheba.
The lawyer said the Israeli officers -- belonging to the Israeli prison service, the Nahshon unit -- had knocked Abed Rabbo to the ground and started beating him. They were supposed to be taking the prisoner to hospital for medical tests as he has been suffering severe stomach pains, causing frequent vomiting.
He was eventually returned to his prison cell without having gone to hospital, the lawyer said. The incident comes two days after video footage emerged showing Israeli soldiers beating an unarmed Palestinian in Jalazoun refugee camp near Ramallah.
Khader Adnan unable to stand as hunger strike enters 39th day
(
story in Ma'an News)
Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan entered his 39th day on hunger strike Friday as his health continues to deteriorate, the Palestinian Prisoners' Center for Studies said. Rafat Hamduna, director of the center, said that Adnan's weight was dropping to dangerous levels and he is no longer able to stand up or move.
The director called on Palestinian, Arab and international actors to take notice and support Adnan's cause, adding that the detainee is defending the humanitarian rights of the 500 or so Palestinians being held under in Israeli administrative detention.
Adnan, a father of six children, was detained on July 8, 2014 and sentenced to administrative detention for the 10th time in his life.
Cabinet green lights bill to force feed prisoners
(
story in Times of Israel)
The cabinet approved Sunday draft legislation that would enable Israeli prison authorities to force feed hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners.
The legislation was proposed by the last government and revived by new Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan last week. The draft passed its first reading in the preceding Knesset, but did not reach the required second and third readings to be passed into law.
5 injured, 2 critically as Israeli forces fire on Kafr Qaddum march
(
story in Ma'an News)
Five Palestinians were injured, two critically, when Israelis forces opened live fire on the Kafr Qaddum weekly march Friday.
A coordinator for the village's popular resistance committee, Murad Shtewi, said that Muhammad Majid, 20, had been shot in the stomach and chest with live rounds and is in critical condition. Ibrahim Mousa, 35, is also in critical condition after he was shot in the abdomen while in his house.
Shtewi also said that Muhammad Nidal, 20, and Mouiz Khader had been shot in the leg, and Ayman Farouq, 38, in the hand. Dozens others suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation.
Seattle's gay mayor rejects calls to boycott Israel, listens to LGBT Palestinian students
(
story in Haaretz)
Despite vocal efforts by supporters of the movement to boycott Israel, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray joined tens of thousands of people in Tel Aviv's annual Gay Pride Parade on Friday.
Murray, 60, is openly gay and has spent the past two weeks in Israel with his spouse, Michael Shiosaki. He also participated in an international conference organized by the local LGBT community and met with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.
In an interview with Haaretz, Murray expressed his objection to the boycott movement, saying it would not lead to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He further rejected claims Israel is "pinkwashing" the oppression of the Palestinians and occupation by touting the rights enjoyed by homosexuals in Israel.
"The boycott movement is made up of various people in the United States. A whole bunch of young people who just really care about justice, and others who I'm not sure what their motivation is. I worry that they're not just anti-Israel but maybe more," Murray said. "There were letters that were written to me by very mainstream people, who I know support the State of Israel, but believe that there should be a boycott. There were protests downtown and at my office. I believe that the situation is very complex. It's one that I wanted to understand. I wish that people who are boycotting would actually come here, go to the West Bank like I went to the West Bank, talk to people here in Israel as well."
Orange chief says he is 'radically opposed' to Israel trade boycott
(
story in the Guardian)
The head of the French telecoms group Orange, Stéphane Richard, has said he was “radically opposed” to any trade boycott of Israel after a recent row in which he said he would review ties with the country.
“It was never the question for a second that Orange would withdraw from Israel,” he told the French TV station BFMTV.
He confirmed he would travel to the Jewish state soon following an invite from the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.
The chief executive said last week in Cairo that his firm sought to withdraw its brand from Israel. His comments were seen as a reaction to a report accusing Orange of supporting settlement activity in the occupied territories through its relationship with Israel’s Partner Communications.
Government report: Arab villages have no arts center, museum or cinematheque
(
story in Haaretz)
Culture Ministry is yet to file seemingly damning report with High Court following 2012 petition that claimed only 3 percent of cultural budget reaches Arab cultural organizations, despite Israeli Arabs comprising 20% of population.
The Culture and Sports Ministry’s report, completed about a year ago, was supposed to be submitted to the High Court of Justice. However, it remains in a desk drawer at the ministry, which has reportedly postponed submitting it numerous times.
The report was ordered after a petition was filed with the High Court in 2012, demanding an in-depth look at Arab-Israeli cultural needs. The petition was filed by the Mossawa Center – the Advocacy Center for Arab Palestinian Citizens of Israel, and other Arab-Israeli organizations.
“Nazareth has no arts center and our funds are sent to the cultural hall in the settlement of Ariel,” said Jafar Farah, director of the Mossawa Center. “It’s shameful that a national and linguistic minority that comprises a fifth of the nation’s citizens receives 3 percent of the cultural budget – no more than 16 million shekels – and even then, politicians get involved in the content.”
Farah also noted that foreign bodies, including the European Union and the governments of Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and more organizations, provide more funding for Palestinian cultural events than the Culture and Sports Ministry.
University of Illinois censured for rescinding job offer over professor's anti-Israel tweets
(
story in Haaretz)
A leading academic group voted on Saturday to censure the University of Illinois’ flagship campus over its decision not to hire a professor following his anti-Israel Twitter messages, a vote the university’s chancellor said would have repercussions.
In a voice vote, the membership of the American Association of University Professors affirmed the censure at the group’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
The decision came in reaction to the university rescinding Steven Salaita’s job offer following his posts on Twitter concerning Israel and the West Bank.
An AAUP censure is a relatively rare condemnation that can damage a university’s reputation in the academic world. Some faculty members at the University of Illinois have said they believe it might lead job hunters working at other schools to choose not to work at the Urbana-Champaign campus, though other faculty members have discounted that idea.
The university rescinded Salaita’s job offer after some donors complained his tweets were anti-Semitic. He has since sued the school. The censure vote came one day after a judge ordered the university to turn over thousands of pages of documents sought by Salaita.
Israeli Gaza war report defends IDF actions, fingers Hamas
(
story in Times of Israel)
Speaking at the Foreign Ministry upon the release of an Israeli report detailing the IDF’s conduct during Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza over the past summer, Gold says that throughout the war, Israel proposed “multiple” ceasefires.
Hamas “forced” civilian residents to remain in the war zone even after the IDF warned them to evacuate, according to the report.
“Hamas is responsible – directly responsible – for the high number of casualties,” Gold says.
Netanyahu pans Gaza war crimes inquiry as ‘waste of time’
(
story in Times of Israel)
Reading the upcoming UN Human Rights Council report on last summer’s war in the Gaza Strip “would be a waste of time,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, deriding the yet-to-be-released paper as an attempt “to blacken [the name] of the State of Israel.”
Israel ‘exceeded legal standards’ in Gaza conflict, military group tells UN
(
story in Times of Israel)
The High-Level International Military Group on the Gaza Conflict in 2014 held a fact-finding mission to Israel between May 18-22. It was sponsored by a pro-Israel group, was reportedly given unprecedented access to senior officials, and investigated allegations of war crimes and disproportionality.
This is a roundup of news related to Palestine with a particular focus on grassroots action and peaceful civil disobedience in the Occupied Territories and within the borders of Israel proper. The goal is to provide a bi-weekly update on the non-violent resistance movement.
Diplomatic negotiations and actions by armed resistance groups are covered quite widely by the mainstream press and in other diaries on DKos so they will rarely be included.
We use the name Filasṭīn, since this is the pronunciation used by Arabic speakers (irrespective of faith) for their homeland. The more familiar Palestine is the Hellenic or Roman variant. Filasṭīn refers to the geographic entity roughly encompassing Israel and Palestine. It is a likely cognate of "Philistine", the name used in the Hebrew bible to describe a rival of the Jewish kingdom of that era.
Prior diaries:
June 7, 2015: French Telecom Executive’s Remarks on Israel Incite Furor.
May 31, 2015: Online database "exposes" pro-Palestinian college students to "damage their careers".
May 24, 2015: Soldier pays the price for criticizing the Israel army
May 17, 2015: Despite literal "smoking gun", settlers cleared of charges for shooting
May 10, 2015: "Palestinians are beasts, they are not human" - new head of West Bank civil administration
May 3, 2015: 6 year old child arrested in Jerusalem; The Death of Compassion
April 26, 2015: No Arabs Allowed; Christian cemetery vandalized; Annual March of Return
April 19, 2015: Shooting kids in the back, segregating female soldiers, state-sanctioned theft
April 12, 2015: Yarmouk refugees, NYU divestment letter, Terrorizing Children
April 5, 2015: Segregated Streets in Hebron, Palestinians observe Land Day
March 29, 2015: A March for the Bedouin, A License to Kill & To Teach the Nakba