Abir Dandis, the mother of the two girls who were murdered in the Negev town of Al-Fura’a last week, couldn't find a police officer to listen to her warnings, neither in Arad nor in Ma’ale Adumim. Both police stations operate in areas where Israel wants to gather the Bedouin into permanent communities, against their will, in order to clear more land for Jewish communities. The dismissive treatment Dandis received shows how the Bedouin are considered simply to be lawbreakers by their very nature. But as a resident of the West Bank asking for help for her daughters, whose father was Israeli, Dandis faced the legal-bureaucratic maze created by the Oslo Accords.

The Palestinian police is not allowed to arrest Israeli civilians. It must hand suspects over to the Israel Police. The Palestinian police complain that in cases of Israelis suspected of committing crimes against Palestinian residents, the Israel Police tend not to investigate or prosecute them.

In addition, the town of Al-Azaria, where Dandis lives, is in Area B, under Palestinian civilian authority and Israeli security authority. According to the testimony of Palestinian residents, neither the IDF nor the Israel Police has any interest in internal Palestinian crime even though they have both the authority and the obligation to act in Area B.

The Palestinian police are limited in what it can do in Area B. Bringing in reinforcements or carrying weapons in emergency situations requires coordination with, and obtaining permission from, the IDF. If Dandis fears that the man who murdered her daughters is going to attack her as well, she has plenty of reason to fear that she will not receive appropriate, immediate police protection from either the Israelis or the Palestinians.

Dandis told Jack Khoury of Haaretz that the Ma’ale Adumim police referred her to the Palestinian Civil Affairs Coordination and Liaison Committee. Theoretically, this committee (which is subordinate to the Civil Affairs Ministry) is the logical place to go for such matters. Its parallel agency in Israel is the Civilian Liaison Committee (which is part of the Coordination and Liaison Administration - a part of the Civil Administration under the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories).

In their meetings, they are supposed to discuss matters such as settlers’ complaints about the high volume of the loudspeakers at mosques or Palestinians’ complaints about attacks by settlers. But the Palestinians see the Liaison Committee as a place to submit requests for permission to travel to Israel, and get the impression that its clerks do not have much power when faced with their Israeli counterparts. In any case, the coordination process is cumbersome and long.

The Palestinian police has a family welfare unit, and activists in Palestinian women’s organizations say that in recent years, its performance has improved. But, as stated, it has no authority over Israeli civilians and residents. Several non-governmental women’s groups also operate in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, and women in similar situations approach them for help. The manager of one such organization told Haaretz that Dandis also fell victim to this confusing duplication of procedures and laws. Had Dandis approached her, she said, she would have referred her to Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, which has expertise in navigating Israel’s laws and authorities.

John Kerry revealed his long-awaited plan for peace in the Middle East on Sunday, hinging on a $4bn (£2.6bn) investment in the Palestinian private sector.

The US secretary of state, speaking at the World Economic Forum on the Jordanian shores of the Dead Sea, told an audience including Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that an independent Palestinian economy is essential to achieving a sustainable peace.

Speaking under the conference banner "Breaking the Impasse", Kerry announced a plan that he promised would be "bigger, bolder and more ambitious" than anything since the Oslo accords, more than 20 years ago.

Tony Blair is to lead a group of private sector leaders in devising a plan to release the Palestinian economy from its dependence on international donors. The initial findings of Blair's taskforce, Kerry boasted, were "stunning", predicting a 50% increase in Palestinian GDP over three years, a cut of two-thirds in unemployment rates and almost double the Palestinian median wage. Currently, 40% of the Palestinian economy is supplied by donor aid.

Kerry assured Abbas that the economic plan was not a substitute for a political solution, which remains the US's "top priority".

Peres, who had taken the stage just minutes before, also issued a personal plea to his Palestinian counterpart to return to the negotiations.

"Let me say to my dear friend President Abbas," Peres said, "Should we really dance around the table? Lets sit together. You'll be surprised how much can be achieved in open, direct and organised meetings."

Thick locks hug the front gates of shuttered shops, now covered in graffiti and dust from lack of use. Only a handful of customers pass along the dimly lit road, sometimes stopping to check the ripeness of fruits and vegetables, or ordering meat in near-empty butcher shops.

“All the shops are closed. I’m the only one open. This used to be the best place,” said 64-year-old Mustafa Sunocret, selling vegetables out of a small storefront in the marketplace near his family’s home in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Amidst the brightly coloured scarves, clothes and carpets, ceramic pottery and religious souvenirs filling the shops of Jerusalem’s historic Old City, Palestinian merchants are struggling to keep their businesses alive.

Faced with worsening health problems, Sunocret told IPS that he cannot work outside of the Old City, even as the cost of maintaining his shop, with high electricity, water and municipal tax bills to pay, weighs on him.

“I only have this shop,” he said. “There is no other work. I’m tired.”

Abed Ajloni, the owner of an antiques shop in the Old City, owes the Jerusalem municipality 250,000 Israeli shekels (68,300 U.S. dollars) in taxes. He told IPS that almost every day, the city’s tax collectors come into the Old City, accompanied by Israeli police and soldiers, to pressure people there to pay.

“It feels like they’re coming again to occupy the city, with the soldiers and police,” Ajloni, who has owned the same shop for 35 years, told IPS. “But where can I go? What can I do? All my life I was in this place.”

He added, “Does Jerusalem belong to us, or to someone else? Who’s responsible for Jerusalem? Who?”

Illegal annexation

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, including the Old City, in 1967. In July 1980, it passed a law stating that “Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel”. But Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem and subsequent application of Israeli laws over the entire city remain unrecognised by the international community.

Under international law, East Jerusalem is considered occupied territory – along with the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Syrian Golan Heights – and Palestinian residents of the city are protected under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Jerusalem has historically been the economic, political and cultural centre of life for the entire Palestinian population. But after decades languishing under destructive Israeli policies meant to isolate the city from the rest of the Occupied Territories and a lack of municipal services and investment, East Jerusalem has slipped into a state of poverty and neglect.

“After some 45 years of occupation, Arab Jerusalemites suffer from political and cultural schizophrenia, simultaneously connected with and isolated from their two hinterlands: Ramallah and the West Bank to their east, West Jerusalem and Israel to the west,” the International Crisis Group recently wrote.

Israeli restrictions on planning and building, home demolitions, lack of investment in education and jobs, construction of an eight-foot-high separation barrier between and around Palestinian neighbourhoods and the creation of a permit system to enter Jerusalem have all contributed to the city’s isolation.

Formal Palestinian political groups have also been banned from the city, and between 2001-2009, Israel closed an estimated 26 organisations, including the former Palestinian Liberation Organisation headquarters in Jerusalem, the Orient House and the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce.

Extreme poverty

Israel’s policies have also led to higher prices for basic goods and services and forced many Palestinian business owners to close shop and move to Ramallah or other Palestinian neighbourhoods on the other side of the wall. Many Palestinian Jerusalemites also prefer to do their shopping in the West Bank, or in West Jerusalem, where prices are lower.

While Palestinians constitute 39 percent of the city’s population today, almost 80 percent of East Jerusalem residents, including 85 percent of children, live below the poverty line.

“How could you develop [an] economy if you don’t control your resources? How could you develop [an] economy if you don’t have any control of your borders?” said Zakaria Odeh, director of the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, of “this kind of fragmentation, checkpoints, closure”.

“Without freedom of movement of goods and human beings, how could you develop an economy?” he asked.

“You can’t talk about independent economy in Jerusalem or the West Bank or in all of Palestine without a political solution. We don’t have a Palestinian economy; we have economic activities. That’s all we have,” Odeh told IPS.

Israel’s separation barrier alone, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD), has caused a direct loss of over one billion dollars to Palestinians in Jerusalem, and continues to incur 200 million dollars per year in lost opportunities.

Israel’s severing and control over the Jerusalem-Jericho road – the historical trade route that connected Jerusalem to the rest of the West Bank and Middle East – has also contributed to the city’s economic downturn.

Separation of Jerusalem from West Bank

Before the First Intifada (Arabic for “uprising”) began in the late 1980s, East Jerusalem contributed approximately 14 to 15 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the Occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). By 2000, that number had dropped to less than eight percent; in 2010, the East Jerusalem economy, compared to the rest of the OPT, was estimated at only seven percent.

“Economic separation resulted in the contraction in the relative size of the East Jerusalem economy, its detachment from the remaining OPT and the gradual redirection of East Jerusalem employment towards the Israeli labour market,” the U.N. report found.

Decades ago, Israel adopted a policy to maintain a so-called “demographic balance” in Jerusalem and attempt to limit Palestinian residents of the city to 26.5 percent or less of the total population.

To maintain this composition, Israel built numerous Jewish-Israeli settlements inside and in a ring around Jerusalem and changed the municipal boundaries to encompass Jewish neighbourhoods while excluding Palestinian ones.

It is now estimated that 90,000 Palestinians holding Jerusalem residency rights live on the other side of the separation barrier and must cross through Israeli checkpoints in order to reach Jerusalem for school, medical treatment, work, and other services.

“Israel is using all kinds of tools to push the Palestinians to leave; sometimes they are visible, and sometimes invisible tools,” explained Ziad al-Hammouri, director of the Jerusalem Centre for Social and Economic Rights (JCSER).

Al-Hammouri told IPS that at least 25 percent of the 1,000 Palestinian shops in the Old City were closed in recent years as a result of high municipal taxes and a lack of customers. “Taxation is an invisible tool…as dangerous as revoking ID cards and demolishing houses,” he said. “Israel will use this as pressure and as a tool in the future to confiscate these shops and properties.”

Unfortunately, the Israeli government practices this policy in a way closer to a gang mentality rather than a civilized, modern or democratic country which respects international law and treaties.

Palestinians know and admit they are the weak party in the conflict equation; the world community knows this fact but they are doing and saying nothing in order to make Israel retract its policy.

Since the Palestinians announced their intention to go to the UNGA to demand upgrading the status of Palestine to observer non- member status, the Israeli occupation leaders haven’t stopped their threats to not transfer the tax revenue, in an attempt to make Palestinians reconsider their plans.

Israel said it wouldn’t transfer the Palestinian money until March at the earliest, in a protest measure against the successful Palestinian bid to upgrade its status.

The Israeli step is coming amid Arab and international silence, inability and compliance, despite the fact that this step would have disastrous effects on more than a million Palestinians.

Anger and frustration is overwhelming the Palestinians who have not received their salaries regularly like other people in the world.

In ten days, the second month – December- will end, and the salary of November remains in the hands of the Israelis. "This is no more or less than official theft and robbery", Palestinians believe.

It is not true that Israel is holding the tax revenue for clawing back electricity debts, especially when it was announced several months ago by many Israeli leaders that Palestinians must pay a price for going to the UN. It seems that the time has come, and the Palestinians must pay for the support they had at the UN.

The Israeli intention to punish the Palestinians was no secret, and knowing the fact that the world community would not react, the Israeli government didn’t hesitate to realize its threats; it was clear that this policy has nothing to do with electricity debts.

Withholding the tax money is another collective punishment that Israel is practicing against the Palestinian people. The same policy was practiced against the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip; more than 1.5 million Palestinians facing an unjust and illegal siege over many years.

The financial problem which the Palestinians face is directly linked to the Oslo accords signed in 1993. The direct blame falls on the shoulders of those who lift the financial responsibility and obligation from the Israeli shoulders as an occupying power.

Since 1967 until 1994 when the PA was founded, there was no problem regarding the salaries of the Palestinian employees. At that time Israel was in charge as an occupying power, and Israel didn’t do it as a favor, but because it is obliged by international law to do it.

Oslo accords lift this responsibility from the Israeli shoulders and put it on the PA and world donors, with whom they became direct partners in one way or another in this occupation, and the PA is paying what Israel supposed to pay from its own treasury.

When describing the Israeli occupation as the cheapest occupation on earth in modern history, or an occupation without price, it is not only because of the lack of resistance or because there are no losses among the occupation troops, but also because of the financial issues, which the Israelis supposed to carry, but they don’t.

These territories are run by Palestinian employees, who are supposed to have their salaries from the occupation authorities, not from the world donors, or from the Arab League countries.

Asking the Arab countries to form a "safety net" by paying 100 million dollars a month, is another mistaken message to Israel, a message that says "Israel can do what ever it wants and the Arabs are ready to pay what Israel holds or even steals".

The Arab countries which the PA is calling on to help the Palestinians, are the same countries involved in the "revolutions" of the "Arab spring“, some of which have paid billions of dollars to destroy countries like Libya, Syria, and before that Iraq.

By Israel not paying the Palestinian money it becomes a double-edged sword; no one can guarantee the consequences if this policy continues, no one can tell the reaction of the Palestinians when they feel they cant buy food or medicine or milk for their children, in which case, somebody must be held accountable.

To have food, medicine and shelter are basic human rights; by not paying the Palestinians their money, the Israeli authorities are violating these rights. It is an apartheid system in Israel which is trying to take away the rights of the people of Palestine, linked to the most basic right, which is the right to life. This is what the international charter and law states.

Withholding almost $100 million a month will worsen the lives of the Palestinians, prevent them from having their basic needs and putting more than a million Palestinians beneath the poverty line.

The mentality of theft and robbery is not the correct solution or the remedy. It will backfire on Israel and the PA which in fact a need for Israel and the region.

Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote:

I do not hate people nor do I encroach

But if I become hungry

The usurper's flesh will be my food

Beware...Beware...

Of my hunger and my anger!

Beware…

Beware of my hunger and anger

* Rashid Shahin is a Palestinian writer and journalist based in Ramallah. - sadapril2003@hotmail.com

Less than 24 hours after the world community decided to vote for Palestine and give it non- member observer status, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightist government smacked the supporters of Israel, especially the leaders of the USA, the UK, Germany, and Canada, in the face.

Netanyahu reacted with scorn and contempt to the UN resolution, which was adopted by the world community, when he announced Israel's plans for building 3000 housing units in Jerusalem.

For Palestinians who have experienced Israeli policies and measures against them since before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the Israeli step was not surprising or shocking.

Palestinians believed and still, that those immigrants, who came from overseas to settle in Palestine, were coming under the slogan "a land without a people for a people without a land'; these-immigrants- will never admit the fact that there is "a Palestinian people".

Zionists, who uprooted Palestinians from their lands, believe that those who were living on this land were no more than a few scattered Bedouins and backward tribes, who would flee and never think of returning or demanding their rights to this land.

This thinking can be heard when listening to Israeli politicians say that there was no place called Palestine until 1967, ignoring the fact that Palestine was mentioned in the Old Testament and in correspondences before and during the First World War mentioning Palestine.

Israeli politicians were playing this another way until recently, when they repeatedly said there is no Palestinian partner, in order to de-legitimize the Palestinian leadership, although they are alleging that it is the Palestinians who are trying to de-legitimize Israel.

The Palestinian President reaffirmed on many occasions, including in his speech at the UNGA, that he is not seeking this goal, and that he recognizes Israel as a legitimate state in the region.

Speaking about the settlement of the conflict based on a two state solution by Israeli leaders, this is just another deception, especially when it is known that the new plans to build 3000 units, will divide the West Bank making it impossible to have a viable and contiguous Palestinian state.

Those who "remain committed to a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians" as most of the Israel politicians say, must not impose preconditions, such as that the Palestinian state should be demilitarized, or that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Such sectarian calls based on religious grounds, do not fit with the era of globalization and modern communications but drag the world into a new dark feudalism, at a time when the world desperately needs to eliminate extremism, racism and fundamentalism.

With regard to negotiations, the world has witnessed two decades of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, during which time Israel created more facts on the ground in order to frustrate the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, the number of colonies built in the occupied territories has dramatically increased and the number of Israeli settlers living in these colonies has more than doubled.

After twenty years of negotiations what was the result? For how many more years should the Palestinians negotiate with Israel to end the occupation and to have their right to build their State?

Israel is one of the most powerful states in the region, and when the world speaks about Palestinian rights, the Israelis start speaking about the vital security needs of Israel, but what about the Palestinian needs?.

It must be realised that for the Israelis and for the world, time is running out, and the space for the two states solution is narrowing; in a few years, if Israel continues expanding and building new colonies in the Occupied Territories, it is no secret that such a solution will evaporate and it will be too late.

The Israeli plans, particularly inside and around east Jerusalem, will make it increasingly impossible to see two states between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. That is why it is not strange to listen to calls for a one state solution; in fact the calls for such a solution are increasing more from people on both sides and from supporters around the world.

This is not the time for unnecessary provocation by the Israelis to create more obstacles ahead of the Palestinians, in their right to have their own state, nor is it the time to punish the Palestinians for their aspirations; it should be the time for the world to work together to prevent the Israeli plans which aim to remove all rights from the Palestinians.

Palestinians have suffered for many decades, homelessness, misery and frustration; hostility has shadowed the region for too long, now it is time to put an end to the conflict, by taking measures and actions in order to make Israel realise it has something to lose and might well be held accountable in accordance with international law if it is not going to change its policies and comply with international conventions.

The Israeli plans must open the eyes of all world politicians, especially those who did their utmost to convince Palestinians not to go to the UN; they must realise now that it is not the Palestinians who are the problem in ending this conflict.

It is obvious that it is the colonial ambitions that govern the Israeli mentality as was revealed by Netanyahu’s intentions. He aims to annex the largest possible area of the occupied Palestinian lands and prevent the establishment of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state.

Since the countries of the world admit that this land is an occupied land, they should take all necessary steps to prevent the Israeli government from building colonies in the occupied lands according to international law. Such plans and projects on the occupied land must be considered illegal and must be strongly condemned.

It should be clear that E1 area is an area of strategic importance for the Palestinians. If Israel were to implement the plans announced, it would cut out Jerusalem from the West Bank, which would make a two state solution impossible.

Palestinians can't "digest" the idea of watching the Western leaders speaking about human rights in the Arab spring countries, while they- the Palestinians- have lived for decades under a brutal and harsh occupation; they believe that Western double standard policy should come to an end.

It is time to tell Israel clearly that things have changed and it will not be acceptable to continue this occupation, and that it must end and Palestinians must be given the chance to practice their rights equally with other peoples of the world.

According to Thomas Friedman "The far- right group running Israel today is so arrogant"; if Freidman who is totally pro-Israel sees the Israeli leaders in this way, then the world must do something to stop them from dragging the region into an unknown destiny.