International Solidarity Movement activist Hannah James was singled out and arrested by the Israeli secret police, the General Security Services (GSS) as she took part in a peaceful demonstration against the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. James, a long-time British peace activist, was one of 40 international and Israeli peace activists who had been invited by the village of Kufr Thulth to take part in the non-violent action against the confiscation of their lands. James was arrested as she walked with more than 100 protesters to hand a set of demands to the military commander protecting a “wildcat” settlement established on the village's lands. The illegal outpost was established three years ago by settlers from the illegal colony of Ma'ale Shomron on the land of Palestinian farmer Hamid Dheeb. Dheeb and the village have successfully petitioned the Israeli courts to have the settler roads declared illegal, however, the settlers and the Israeli occupation forces circumvented the ruling by declaring the access roads to be for military usage. In the last few months, the illegal settlers have stepped up the pace of building on the land. They have raided Palestinian lands at least four times in the past three months, cutting, uprooting and destroying over 300 almond and olive trees. Settlers have also attacked and shot at Palestinian families trying to access their land during the olive harvest. As James was being arrested, the Israeli military attacked the peaceful demonstration with teargas and sound grenades. Dheeb was hit in the face with a teargas canister and was rushed to an ambulance. As medics from the Red Crescent attempted to assist him the Israeli Defence Force targeted the ambulance with teargas and sound bombs. Two Israeli peace activists were beaten by the Israeli officers as they attempted to protect the Palestinian villagers. An Israeli journalist was also attacked, his camera broken, as he attempted to film the attacks. Despite the violence, Kufr Thulth’s mayor, Hussien al Saify, called the protest a success, explaining it was the first time the villagers had organised a protest against the seizure of their land. Explaining that it was an important start to a campaign, he told peace activists the village was willing to discuss the situation peacefully, but if the villagers’ grievances were not addressed, more non-violent demonstrations would be organised. After her targeting and arrest, James was taken to Kava Sufr where she was interrogated for over 10 hours by the secret police. Despite having committed no crime or violent act, James was arrested for not carrying her passport and held as a “security risk’ in Hadera immigration detention in the north of Israel for seven days before she was deported. James' arrest and deportation comes just weeks after another well known British human rights activist, Angie Zelter, was denied entry to Israel. Both James and Zelter's arrest and detention is part of a campaign by the Israeli security forces and authorities to prevent human-rights activist reporting human-rights abuses. Since mid-2004, Israel has deported at least 39 international human rights activists and denied entry to 80 others. At the time of her arrest, James said: “Israel is pursing a policy of criminalising human rights workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Hundreds of human rights workers are denied entry to Israel each year. As the occupier, Israel is obliged under international law to faciliate passage to the territories they are occupying. As international witnesses to the crimes of the occupation, human rights workers are seen as the enemy of Israel." On November 14, the evening before he deportation, James told Green Left Weekly by phone that she intended to pursue a legal case against Israel once she returned to Britain. Read More...
By: UN Women
Date: 09/03/2019
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My Rights, Our Power: A Joint Campaign Launched in Palestine to Raise Awareness on Women’s Fundamental Human Rights
1_March 2019, Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Women’s Day (8 March), a week-long joint campaign “My Rights, Our Power” was launched today in Palestine to raise awareness on women’s fundamental human rights. The joint effort, with participation from over 30 national and international partners from civil society organizations, media outlets, and international development agencies, targets youth, women, and men in various geographic areas in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza to promote women’s human rights in Palestine. The campaign comes at a crucial moment when the anticipated adoption of the Family Protection Bill is at a standstill, raising concerns among national and international stakeholders about the consequences of such delay on safeguarding women’s fundamental human rights in Palestine. According to the Palestine report of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), nearly one in five Palestinian men (17 percent) surveyed said they had perpetrated act of physical intimate partner violence against female partners, while 21 per cent of women surveyed reported having experienced such violence. “Family violence, usually committed by a family member who has social or economic power over others in the family, causes enormous pain and suffering to all members of the family, especially the women and children,” said a spokesperson from civil society, which has vigorously initiated the development of the Family Protection Bill (FPB), and has strongly pushed its adoption since 2004. “The violation of women’s human rights manifests in various levels and should be also understood from economic, cultural, and social aspects,” the spokesperson added, highlighting the lack of opportunities and freedom of choice, as well as limited access to justice and services that women in Palestine still experience. The joint campaign aims to raise awareness of the general public, especially youth, women, and men on women’s fundamental rights in line with international standards and embedded in the Family Protection Bill draft endorsed by the previous Cabinet at the end of December 2018. Five key messages, addressing women’s right to a life free of violence, right to achieve justice and seek help in case of violation of such life, as well as the right to equal opportunities and right to make one’s own choices, will be distributed through various channels such as radio, social media, helpline (121), outreach activities, and on-site events. The closing event of the joint campaign will take place on 8 March in Jerusalem and will celebrate women’s achievements using TED-style talks, followed by art performances. “My Rights, Our Power” joint campaign is part of the global International Women’s Day 2019 campaign under the theme of “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”. The theme focuses on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure, echoing the theme of the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 63) taking place in New York on 11-22 March 2019. The participating organizations of the “My Rights, Our Power” are (in alphabetical order): 17 Palestinian women’s organizations represented by Al-Muntada (coalition), British Consulate-General, Business Women Forum, CARE International, Consulate General of Sweden, Consulate General of Belgium, EUPOL COPPS, EU Representative Office, FAO, General Union of Palestinian Women, Government of Japan, CowaterSogema/GROW Project, International Labour Organization, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Ma’an TV, MIFTAH, Netherlands Representative Office, Nisaa FM, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development, Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association, Representative Office of Canada, Representative Office of Denmark, SAWA, Sawasya II, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, Sports for Life, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Representative Office of Norway, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UN Women, Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling, Women’s Studies Center. For more information, please contact Eunjin Jeong at UN Women via eunjin.jeong@unwomen.org or 059 2321 308, Majd Beltaji at UNESCO via m.beltaji@unesco.org or 059 4501 506.
By: Dr. Riyad Mansour
Date: 08/11/2017
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Statement of Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, before the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, 27 October 2017
Mr. President, We thank France for organizing this important meeting and extend our appreciation to the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary General, the Executive Director of UN Women, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and the Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie for their efforts and important briefings. The issue before us is of relevance not only for half the planet, but to all, given the role and contribution of women in the fields of peace and security and the untapped potential that could be unleashed by mainstreaming their participation. Since the adoption by consensus of resolution 1325 by this Council, a lot has happened, and yet we are still far from the goal of full and equal participation, including in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building, and from ensuring the protection and empowerment of women. Gender equality and non-discrimination remain prerequisites for the fulfilment of the purposes and principles of this organization and all of our lofty, collective commitments, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The State of Palestine welcomes the Secretary General’s report and his commitment to implementing the women and peace and security agenda, including by placing gender at the centre of his prevention platform and surge in diplomacy. We appreciate all efforts by the UN in this regard, including by UN Women, OHCHR and UNDP, notably in the field of human rights, capacity building, employment and rule of law. We urge UN bodies, notably those operating in Palestine, including the Special Representative, to intensify their engagement and collaboration with women organizations. Mr. President, I wish to highlight some of Palestine’s own important efforts in this regard. The Palestinian women’s movement is one of the oldest and strongest in the region and beyond, with institutional and representative structures established as early as the 19th century. Within the PLO, the General Union of Palestinian Women was among the first unions to be established. A coordination of women frameworks within PLO political parties and other organizations has also been established as the “Women’s Affairs Technical Committee” in the aftermath of the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference. There have been many achievements thereafter. Among them: In 2012, Palestine inaugurated a High-Level National Committee for the implementation of resolution 1325, led by the Ministry of Women Affairs in partnership with relevant Ministries and NGOs. In 2016, the State of Palestine was among the 68 countries and areas that adopted a National Action Plan on women, peace and security. This Action Plan (2017-2019), adopted by both the Government and civil society organizations, identifies three primary objectives: 1. ensuring protection for women and girls both domestically and in the face of the Israeli occupation; 2. ensuring accountability through national and international mechanisms, with a particular focus on crimes and violations committed by the occupation; and 3. furthering women’s political participation in decision making at the national and international level. The State of Palestine also joined core IHL and human rights instruments, including CEDAW, without reservations. Women’s participation and empowerment are also important and cross-cutting objectives in the context of the National Policy Agenda (2017-2022). We are, however, conscious that, despite all these efforts, much more work remains to be done. Only in 2009 was a women elected to the highest executive body of the PLO. Quotas are still decisive in allowing women’s election to Parliament and local councils. And while women organizations were among the strongest advocates of national reconciliation, they have been unfairly absent from reconciliation talks. The relevant legislative framework applicable in Palestine is also outdated and must be revised to ensure consistency with Palestine’s international commitments and obligations and avail women the protection and rights they are entitled to and the opportunities they deserve. Mr. President, The Palestinian women’s movement since its establishment over a century ago pursued the struggle on two fronts – the struggle for the independence of Palestine and the struggle for women’s rights and empowerment – a dual struggle the movement continues to pursue to this day. The Israeli occupation remains the main source of the violations of our women’s rights and their vulnerability and violence against their person. We have repeatedly called for protection of the Palestinian people, especially women and children. We have also called for accountability, a key element of resolution 1325, the first resolution to address the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women, as the only way to put an end to violations and crimes. While Palestine stands ready to do its part to advance women rights and the role of women in the fields of peace and security, it is clear that the enjoyment of these rights in our country necessitates ending the Israeli occupation. We will thus continue to work for an end of the occupation and true progress on the path to independence, justice and peace, with the equal and full involvement of women, leading to an independent State of Palestine ensuring human rights for all its citizens without discrimination.
By: Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325
Date: 20/10/2016
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Seeking Justice: Statement by the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325 on the visit of the delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor’s Office on 9-10 October 2016 to Palestine
On the occasion of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to Palestine, the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325, which consists of twelve different Palestinian women’s organisations, is urging the Prosecutor’s Office to take concrete actions towards investigating war crimes committed against Palestinians. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom remains deeply concerned with the complete impunity of Israeli war crimes and firmly supports the Coalition’s call for a just accountability mechanism for Palestinian victims. WILPF also calls on the international community to recognise and fully support Palestinian women’s organisations substantial role in paving the paths to justice, accountability and peace. Read the statement of the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325 below. We, the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325,welcome the visit of the delegation of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office as a step in the right direction. But we are deeply disappointed that the purpose of this visit was restricted to preliminary examination, while Palestinian victims of Israeli war crimes, including women, continue to suffer and urgently await justice and an end to Israel impunity. We do not understand the decision to exclude the Gaza Strip from this visit, when Gaza has been the site of the most war crimes and where women have been most systematically impacted by Israeli collective punishment policies; a prolonged imposed siege and a severe humanitarian deterioration resulting from Israeli military aggressions . We are further disappointed that women who have been systematically impacted, and their women’s organisations, have been excluded from the delegation’s agenda. We call upon all future delegations of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to include on their agenda meetings with women’s organisations and women who have experienced direct and indirect impacts of Israeli crimes. We, the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325, have seen in UNSCR 1325, 2242, and other UN Resolutions a commitment to hold the Israeli perpetrators accountable for their war crimes. We look to the ICC as the most important mechanism to end impunity for all war crimes committed, finally bringing justice for the Palestinian people. Yet, we are very concerned that the preliminary examinations will be an endless process. Therefore, we urge, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the ICC, to conclude the preliminary examination and move to investigations into Israeli war crimes, bringing justice to Palestinians. We have paid the price of non-accountability and impunity of Israeli war crimes for too long. “Delaying justice is justice denied.” Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325: The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), the Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC), Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), MIFTAH, Filastinyat, Women Media and Development (TAM), Women Stu Dies Center, Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WACLAC), the National, YWCA of Palestine, Center for Women’s Legal Research and Consulting (CWLRC), the Culture and Free thought Association(CWLRC) and Women’s Affairs Center (GWAC). Occupied Palestine October 11, 2016
By the Same Author
Date: 26/12/2007
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Joint Struggle Against Israeli Apartheid
Four weeks ago, Y, the brother of one of my Israeli friends was shot in the head with a rubber coated steel bullet by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). He was attending the weekly demonstration against the Apartheid Wall and the illegal Israeli occupation in Bil'in village in the Occupied West Bank. Y had marched, along with other peaceful demonstrators, towards the apartheid wall. The IOF, as usual, began to violently attack the peaceful and unarmed demonstrators by firing teargas, sound grenades, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition. Y and a group of others were separated off from the main section of the rally and targeted by the IOF. It was here that an IOF soldier took aim at his head and fired - deliberately, methodically and in violation of international law. The IOF then began firing a constant barrage of teargas making it impossible for medical aid to get to Y immediately. It was only after sometime that other demonstrators were able to get to him and drag him to safety and to get medical aid for him and two others (both Palestinians) who had also been shot by the IOF in the leg and thighs.
My friend's brother is not the first person to be shot or injured by the IOF at Bil'in or in the OPT. Every week, the IOF open fire on peaceful demonstrators throughout the Occupied West Bank and Gaza. Every week, the IOF shoot, with impunity, unarmed Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank and Gaza. Every week, they take directly take aim at innocent people, in direct violation of not only international law but also Israeli military regulations and Israel state law. In 2000, a report issued by the Israeli based Physicians for Human Rights revealed that the IOF consistently violated their own regulations on a regular basis. According to IOF regulations, a solider must only use a weapon in the event of immediate "danger to life," and when it is impossible to effectively defend one's self from the assailant other than by the use of the weapon. In their report, PHR noted that the IOF "used live ammunition and rubber bullets excessively and inappropriately to control demonstrators, and that based on the high number of documented injuries to the head and thighs, soldiers appear to be shooting to inflict harm, rather than solely in self-defense". PHR's analysis of fatal gun shot wounds in Gaza revealed that approximately 50% were to the head revealing that IOF soldiers were specifically aiming at peoples' heads. In addition, PHR noted that there were numerous head and eye injuries as a result of "rubber and rubber coated steel projectiles" [ie. Rubber coated bullets] revealing the "frequent misuse of these weapons, such as firing at a range of less than 40 meters and firing at the upper part of the body". PHR went on to note that events on the ground revealed that the IOF were not following their own regulations. Instead, they were "allowing soldiers to fire when they are not acting solely in self-defense". PHR noted that while the IOF could construe stone throwing, for example, as a "danger to life", regulations state that soldiers must only use weapons to strike the assailant and not others, and should not cause loss of life to others or grave bodily harm. IOF regulations also prohibit soldiers from opening fire on and towards women and children. According to PHR, while the IOF use pure rubber bullets or "non-lethal" weapons for riot control against Jewish citizens in Israeli, it use "rubber coated steel bullets" in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. These rubber coated steel bullets can be just as lethal as live ammunition. While there have been no deaths reported as a result of pure rubber bullets, there have been dozens of deaths recorded in the OPT, as a result of "rubber coated steel bullets". Y was lucky. The rubber coated steel bullet, while penetrating and fracturing his skull, did not penetrate deeply enough to kill him, He has, however, continued to suffer debilitating headaches, nightmares and post-traumatic stress. Despite all of this, Y is determined to go back to Bil'in. He is determined to rejoin the non-violent demonstrations. He is determined to oppose the occupation and dehumanization of the Palestinian people that is being carried out by the Israeli government in his name. My friend K, along with his brother Y, are just two of the many hundreds of Israelis, both young and old, who have taken a stance against their government and the illegal and brutal Israeli occupation. They are just two of the young Israelis, who each and every week, go to the Occupied Territories choosing to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The solidarity between the Palestinian residents of Bil'in village, internationals and the anti-occupation and anti-Zionist Israelis who each week trekked to the village has become an inspiring model for joint popular struggle, not only in Palestine but also around the world. The importance of this joint struggle was recounted by Basel Mansour, one of the leaders of the struggle against the wall in Bil'in. In speech in September to mark the Bil'in's partial victory of succeeding in getting the Israeli high court to move a small section of the wall, Mansour praised their Israeli partners in the struggle saying: "You came to us without considering the consequences -- the Zionist occupational government attempts to implant the deceptive and distorted idea that the Palestinians are your enemy and want to kill you. By way of this shared journey, we proved the opposite and together we demonstrated the truth -- that Israelis can stand beside Palestinians and live with them in peace and security, and even struggle with them against injustice and occupation, on the fundamental basis that this occupation is an enemy of humanity". You succeeded in overcoming the army's roadblocks in order to arrive here through a difficult mountainous path and were vulnerable to its shooting attacks. In this way many of you were wounded by bullets that originated from the unmerciful occupation army -- and not from Palestinians, who the occupation attempts to distort and portray as vicious animals that want to devour Israelis or throw them into the sea. You were braver than your fearful government. You participated in the struggle actively and in every way -- morally, physically, in the courts and in the media. In the battlefield, you were on the frontlines, calling with us for freedom, in your belief that only the manifestation of justice will guarantee the creation of peace and security for our two peoples, and not the building of walls and the expanding of weapons warehouses. You have been real partners -- awake with us late at night, in confronting the almost daily invasions of village homes by the army; together with us you opposed many attempts to arrest, and you yourselves were injured and arrested -- and you conveyed the true picture to the Israeli society. You disputed the positions of the government and the army in every arena -- until the entire world was a witness to this special connection that was created on the land of Bil'in, that united the conversation and the meeting between cultures, creeds and religions. A connection like this must be victorious, history must immortalize it. Honorable audience, one of the biggest difficulties in this campaign was how to organize and manage the connection with the Israelis in solidarity, after the Palestinian people have always suffered injustice from the Zionist occupation. This was done while Palestinians aspire to lives of freedom, respect, and culture, and the mobilization of the most amount of Israelis possible and international representatives to stand up to the injustice. Once the Israelis in solidarity understood all of this, they became dedicated to the work and became real warriors that earned the trust of all. They contributed much by revealing the true face of the occupation -- its tactics, its lies and its organized terror against Palestinians -- in opposition to those that attempt to normalize and whitewash the occupation. These people were always willing to take upon themselves whatever was asked of them by the Popular Committee, and more than this, often taking the initiative, offering ideas and suggestions. In this way, they demonstrated that they were true fighters -- not only fans or friends, or cogs in the machine of the occupation. They are heroes in the nonviolent campaign of the brave". For the past two and half years, the villagers of Bil'in and their Israeli partners have been one in their struggle against apartheid and occupation. Today, they continue their struggle. Not only in Bil'in but they have now mounted a new joint campaign which has become known as "443". This campaign is an audacious attempt to highlight the apartheid nature of the Israeli state by blocking and shutting down illegal Israeli bypass roads. 443 is just one of the Israeli bypass roads. It runs between the city of Lod, through the occupied West Bank, connecting Lod to a number of the illegal Israeli settlements built in the Occupied West Bank and eventually to Jerusalem. On this busy highway, only Israeli plated cars are allowed to travel. No green plated vehicles allowed! (Israelis have yellow plated cars, while Palestinians from the OPT must use green plated cars, similarly Israelis carry blue ids, while Palestinians carry green ids). These roads are usually are constructed as overpass roads above Palestinian roads and Palestinians are prevented from traveling on them, supposedly in the name of "security". Bypass roads such as 443 are constructed on stolen Palestinian lands, where Palestinian olive and fruit groves and villages once stood. These ancient groves and villages are destroyed in order for the apartheid road to be built. In late October, the Israeli Anarchists Against the Wall and the International Solidarity Movement and other internationals joined forces again with the Palestinian leaders of the anti-wall and anti-apartheid struggle in Bil'in. They along with Palestinians from surrounding villages began the first action in their new campaign – to shut down 443 for the first time. Armed with the element of surprise and carrying a long pipe barrier and banners saying "Caution Apartheid Road", more than 70 demonstrators were able to make it onto the apartheid road close it down for an hour. Despite being attacked by the IOF and Israeli border police, the demonstrators were jubilant. Over the next few weeks, word spread around the villages near 443 and more and more people came to join the Internationals, Israelis and Palestinians from Bil'in village. Three weeks after the first demonstration, I was able to make it to 443. On the day I attended more than 120 peaceful demonstrators came to participate - the majority from the surrounding Palestinian villages. This time, however, we did not have the element of surprise and as we marched to bypass road amongst a sea of Palestinian flags, the IOF were already stationed at the entrances leading up to the highway. Barbwire and barriers had been erected to prevent us accessing the bypass road above us. Many of the demonstrators remained at the road blocks determined to confront the IOF. After some time, the IOF dressed in military riot gear began advancing on the peaceful demonstration. As I looked up to the bypass road, I could see Israeli snipers with their guns trained on us. Some of the IOF began to pick up rocks and began to hurl them down at us. Some of the young Palestinian men came to check if myself and the Israeli activists were okay. We assured them that we were. As we fell back to the tunnel that ran under the apartheid highway, the IOF began firing of more teargas and sound bombs. The noise was deafening as it echoed through the tunnel. As I approached the tunnel cautiously, I could see teams of IOF soldiers running up the hillsides, weapons raised, hunting the young unarmed teenagers who had joined the demonstration to demand an end to the occupation of their homeland. We paused as the soldiers ran by. They ignored us, to intent on finding their young quarry. As I made my way into the village, a local woman welcomed me and asked me to come up on to her balcony, worried that I would not be safe on the street. It is always hard to refuse Palestinian hospitality, but even more so in situations like this. So from her balcony, I could see the IOF gathering and the Israeli anarchists arguing with them. I soon discovered that a young boy from the village had been detained, along with one of the Israeli activists. For an hour, the IOF and the Israeli anti-occupation activists refused to budge, each holding their ground. The activists attempting to negotiate the release of the two detainees more worried about the young Palestinian boy as they knew that the situation would be more dire for the young boy, then for their comrade. As this took place, the sound grenades and tear gas exploded through out the village behind me. The IOF continued to terrorise the village, despite the fact they were in absolutely no danger. After an hour and half, it was agreed that the Israeli activist and the young Palestinian boy would be released but they would have to be first taken to a nearby settlement. As the detainees were driven away in the border police jeeps, the Palestinians and the Israeli activists made final plans for the day and for upcoming actions. Over the next few months the campaign around 443 will intensify, bringing more and more Palestinians and Israelis into joint struggle together. This more than anything else is a threat to the Israeli Zionist state. Israelis and Palestinians working collective, with respect and in solidarity with each other is a powerful weapon, one that the Israeli state tries repeatedly to undermine through fear campaigns and demonisation of the Palestinian people. It is in this joint struggle that the real seeds of peace can be found. Real peace will come not through the machinations of Olmert and the Israeli state or by Abbas and the selling out of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance. It will only come when Israeli apartheid and occupation ends and justice for the Palestinian people is enacted. Real peace will not be found in the hollow words bleated at Annapolis or Sharm el Shaik or at any of the other fake peace festivals. The real seeds of peace are being planted today in the fertile lands in Bil'in, Umm Sulummuna and elsewhere throughout the Occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian people and Israeli anti-occupation and anti-Zionist activists come together, as brothers and sisters in struggle. As the joint Palestinian and Israeli struggle for justice and human rights flourish, so will the prospects for a real just peace. Kim Bullimore has been working and living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the past 8 months. She has a blog www.livefromoccupiedpalestine.blogspot.com and is a regular contributor on Palestine-Israel issues to the Australian based Green Left Weekly, www.greenleft.org.au.
Date: 30/11/2004
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Palestinian Leadership Unites, US and Israeli Worst Nightmare Coming True
According to the US-Israeli script, the death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on November 11 was supposed to spark a violent power struggle within the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and in its leading faction, Fatah, as well as between the guerrilla fighters of the Al Asqa Brigades, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. However, much to the surprise of the Israeli and international media, this has not happened. Instead, the US and Israeli rulers' worst nightmare is coming true — a unified Palestinian leadership. Palestinians of all political stripes are currently working collectively, albeit loosely and cautiously, toward the presidential election scheduled for January 9. This does not mean that there is no political manoeuvring and bargaining going on. However, except for the attempted assassination of newly appointed PLO chairperson Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) in Gaza on November 14, which was played down by Abbas and the paramilitary organisations, there have been no acts of political violence between the 13 PLO factions. On November 23, the Fatah leadership announced that it would stand the 69-year-old Abbas as its candidate for the Palestinian Authority presidency. In 2003, Abbas, as PA prime minister, attracted widespread criticism from Palestinians when he called for an end to the intifada and equated the armed struggle for independence with terrorism. With the announcement of his candidature, Abbas promised “to follow in the footsteps of Yasser Arafat” and called for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Abbas also called for Israel to recognised the right of return for Palestinian refugees, saying “we will not rest until we achieve the right of return for our people and end the tragic refugee issue”. On November 25, an associate of Marwan Barghouti announced Barghouti would stand as an independent candidate for the PA presidency. Barghouti, a 45-year-old senior Fateh figure serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his role in the intifada, has consistently been named in opinion polls as the most popular leader after Arafat. His popularity stems not only from his prominent role in the intifada, but from his outspoken criticisms of corruption within the PA, and civil liberties abuses committed by it. However, on November 27, Barghouti said he would not stand. In the weeks since Arafat's death, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said they will not contest the presidential election but have begun calling for village, municipal and Legislative Council elections to also be held on January 9. Previously, Hamas and Islamic Jihad had boycotted the 1996 elections, refusing to recognise the validity of the 1993 Oslo accords between Israel and the PLO that led to the setting up of the PA. By refusing to stand candidates in the presidential election, while calling for local government and parliamentary elections, Hamas and Islamic Jihad can still retain an in-principle rejection of the Olso accords but also attempt to challenge Fatah's domination of Palestinian electoral politics at the local and legislative level. According to a survey of Palestinian public opinion conducted by Bir Zeit University in September, 32% of Palestinians polled would vote for the Islamic Bloc (Hamas and Islamic Jihad), while 34% would vote for Fatah and another 4% would vote for a “leftist” bloc. Ghassan Andoni, one of the Palestinian founders of the International Solidarity Movement, argued in a November 17 article on the International Middle East Media Center's website that “Hamas's call for a unified leadership reflects the Islamic Movement's desire to create a parallel body to the PLO, thereby decreasing PLO political influence in Palestinian political life”. With the death of Arafat and the collaboration and negotiations between the Palestinian factions, Sharon is now faced with a dilemma. The possibility of a unified Palestinian leadership will undermine his claim that there is no “partner for peace”. Successive Israeli governments had portrayed Arafat as the main obstacle to peace and used this ploy to justify Israel's continued military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Sharon, in particular, has been a master at this game. Arafat's death has removed Israel's excuse for not negotiating with the PLO and PA. In doing so, it it also threats to undermine Sharon's Gaza “disengagement plan”. This plan, far providing a real bridge to peace, is aimed at enabling Israel to avoid reaching a final negotiated settlement with the Palestinians, as Sharon's senior advisor, Dov Weisglass, revealed in his candid interview the Israeli Haaretz daily on October 8. According to Weisglass, the disengagement plan will allow Israel to “remove from our agenda indefinitely” any discussion about the establishment of an independent Palestinians state, any discussion about the status of the Palestinian refugees and Jerusalem, all with the approval of US government and both houses of the US Congress. In the weeks since Arafat's death, Sharon, under pressure from the European Union and the US, has been saying that Israel won't hinder the Palestinian presidential election. His government will do little to aid the democratisation of Palestinian society however, as this would mean aiding in the creation of a Palestinian state. Instead, Sharon has already begun to lay the groundwork for undermining the next PA president by making untenable demands on the Palestinian leadership. On November 19, Sharon demanded that the new Palestinian leadership put an “immediate” end to anti-Israel propaganda in media outlets and in the education system, including changing some textbooks now used in Palestinian schools. According to Sharon, Israel would not even begin negotiations and implementation of the first phase of the “Road Map”, unless these demands were met. As Uri Avnery, a former Knesset member and founder of the Israeli peace group Gush Shalom, subsequently pointed out, Sharon may as well request that Abbas or any Palestinian leader “pluck the moon from the heavens”. In his November 20 weekly website article, Avnery asked: “How could a new democratic chairman abolish freedom of speech on TV and in the press?” On November 23, Sharon also dismissed a proposal made that same day by visiting Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov that Israel dismantle illegal West Bank military outposts and settlements and release Palestinian political prisoners as a goodwill gesture. According to Sharon, “there are no place for new initiatives”, as such gestures will only be made “when there is a stable [Palestinian] government and when there is someone who is willing to take steps in fighting against terror and [the implementation of] reforms”. In addition, Sharon's assurances to US Secretary of State Colin Powell that Israel will assist with the Palestinian election process mean little, as the Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out “targeted assassinations” of Palestinian leaders and extensive military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel's usual tactic of saying one thing for international media consumption but doing another on the ground, can also be seen in its attempt to obstruct Palestinians living in East Jerusalem — recognised under the Oslo accords as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories — from being able to register and vote in the January 9 election. Shortly before Arafat's death, Israeli police raided numerous voter registration booths in East Jerusalem not only confiscating people's identification cards but also interrogating registration staff. At the same time, Israel also prevented voter registration elsewhere in the Occupied Territories by making it more difficult for voters to reach registration booths, intimidating registration booth staff and closing down government institutes and registration booths. Despite Israel's rhetoric, as the Palestinian people prepare to vote in a new president, they will receive no help from the Sharon government. As Israeli academic Tanya Reinhart, writing on the Ramallah Online website on November 21, points out, “deception and lies have been a cornerstone in Israeli policy, brought to a new level of perfection since Oslo”. Instead, Sharon and his ministers will continue to impose impossible preconditions on both the caretaker and prospective Palestinian president. Date: 25/11/2004
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Arrested for being a witness
International Solidarity Movement activist Hannah James was singled out and arrested by the Israeli secret police, the General Security Services (GSS) as she took part in a peaceful demonstration against the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. James, a long-time British peace activist, was one of 40 international and Israeli peace activists who had been invited by the village of Kufr Thulth to take part in the non-violent action against the confiscation of their lands. James was arrested as she walked with more than 100 protesters to hand a set of demands to the military commander protecting a “wildcat” settlement established on the village's lands. The illegal outpost was established three years ago by settlers from the illegal colony of Ma'ale Shomron on the land of Palestinian farmer Hamid Dheeb. Dheeb and the village have successfully petitioned the Israeli courts to have the settler roads declared illegal, however, the settlers and the Israeli occupation forces circumvented the ruling by declaring the access roads to be for military usage. In the last few months, the illegal settlers have stepped up the pace of building on the land. They have raided Palestinian lands at least four times in the past three months, cutting, uprooting and destroying over 300 almond and olive trees. Settlers have also attacked and shot at Palestinian families trying to access their land during the olive harvest. As James was being arrested, the Israeli military attacked the peaceful demonstration with teargas and sound grenades. Dheeb was hit in the face with a teargas canister and was rushed to an ambulance. As medics from the Red Crescent attempted to assist him the Israeli Defence Force targeted the ambulance with teargas and sound bombs. Two Israeli peace activists were beaten by the Israeli officers as they attempted to protect the Palestinian villagers. An Israeli journalist was also attacked, his camera broken, as he attempted to film the attacks. Despite the violence, Kufr Thulth’s mayor, Hussien al Saify, called the protest a success, explaining it was the first time the villagers had organised a protest against the seizure of their land. Explaining that it was an important start to a campaign, he told peace activists the village was willing to discuss the situation peacefully, but if the villagers’ grievances were not addressed, more non-violent demonstrations would be organised. After her targeting and arrest, James was taken to Kava Sufr where she was interrogated for over 10 hours by the secret police. Despite having committed no crime or violent act, James was arrested for not carrying her passport and held as a “security risk’ in Hadera immigration detention in the north of Israel for seven days before she was deported. James' arrest and deportation comes just weeks after another well known British human rights activist, Angie Zelter, was denied entry to Israel. Both James and Zelter's arrest and detention is part of a campaign by the Israeli security forces and authorities to prevent human-rights activist reporting human-rights abuses. Since mid-2004, Israel has deported at least 39 international human rights activists and denied entry to 80 others. At the time of her arrest, James said: “Israel is pursing a policy of criminalising human rights workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Hundreds of human rights workers are denied entry to Israel each year. As the occupier, Israel is obliged under international law to faciliate passage to the territories they are occupying. As international witnesses to the crimes of the occupation, human rights workers are seen as the enemy of Israel." On November 14, the evening before he deportation, James told Green Left Weekly by phone that she intended to pursue a legal case against Israel once she returned to Britain. Contact us
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