30 aug 2019
A Regavim drone monitors the demolition of water wells near Um al Khair
On September 1st, UK Lawyers for Israel is hosting a talk by Regavim, a pro-settler NGO with charitable status, pivotal in speeding up demolitions of Palestinian homes across the West Bank and displacement of Bedouin villages in the Negev.
What is Regavim?
Regavim, ‘dedicated to the preservation of Israel’s land’, petitions courts to demolish homes and infrastructure in Palestinian communities.
The NGO uses loopholes to ensure that only Palestinian structures, and not illegal settler outposts, are demolished and dismantled, leaving entire communities without proper roads, houses, or even water systems.
Regavim has never filed a petition against an illegal Jewish settlement built without a permit, revealing that their goal is not to ensure Israel’s laws are upheld but to displace Palestinian communities.
Founded as a legally-oriented NGO to counter grassroot organisations fighting for the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank, Regavim has received a surge of state funding in recent years, reaching 2,1 million shekels in 2016.
It also receives donations through the US charity One Israeli Fund which monetarily supports illegal settlements in the West Bank. Demolitions have more than doubled this year due to Regavim’s actions, doing the work of the Israeli Civil Administration and speeding demolition orders through.
Most recently, Regavim’s work has included lobbying EU to cease funding for the Union of Agricultural Work Committees which supports Palestinian farmers left vulnerable under occupation.
Stand against Regavim:
Palestinian grassroots groups in areas affected by Regavim are calling on Solidarity Groups in London to protest the appalling actions the NGO wrecks on their communities. Show your support for communities under constant threat of demolition and hear their testimonies at the demonstration in north west London at 5:30pm. The exact location will be released a day prior. Check the Facebook event page below for updates.
FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/384144279174639/
Testimonies from Palestinian activists fighting Israeli demolitions:
Ali Awad, (pictured below) the Field Coordinator of Palestinian grassroots group Youth of Sumud based in the South Hebron Hills, says:
On September 1st, UK Lawyers for Israel is hosting a talk by Regavim, a pro-settler NGO with charitable status, pivotal in speeding up demolitions of Palestinian homes across the West Bank and displacement of Bedouin villages in the Negev.
What is Regavim?
Regavim, ‘dedicated to the preservation of Israel’s land’, petitions courts to demolish homes and infrastructure in Palestinian communities.
The NGO uses loopholes to ensure that only Palestinian structures, and not illegal settler outposts, are demolished and dismantled, leaving entire communities without proper roads, houses, or even water systems.
Regavim has never filed a petition against an illegal Jewish settlement built without a permit, revealing that their goal is not to ensure Israel’s laws are upheld but to displace Palestinian communities.
Founded as a legally-oriented NGO to counter grassroot organisations fighting for the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank, Regavim has received a surge of state funding in recent years, reaching 2,1 million shekels in 2016.
It also receives donations through the US charity One Israeli Fund which monetarily supports illegal settlements in the West Bank. Demolitions have more than doubled this year due to Regavim’s actions, doing the work of the Israeli Civil Administration and speeding demolition orders through.
Most recently, Regavim’s work has included lobbying EU to cease funding for the Union of Agricultural Work Committees which supports Palestinian farmers left vulnerable under occupation.
Stand against Regavim:
Palestinian grassroots groups in areas affected by Regavim are calling on Solidarity Groups in London to protest the appalling actions the NGO wrecks on their communities. Show your support for communities under constant threat of demolition and hear their testimonies at the demonstration in north west London at 5:30pm. The exact location will be released a day prior. Check the Facebook event page below for updates.
FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/384144279174639/
Testimonies from Palestinian activists fighting Israeli demolitions:
Ali Awad, (pictured below) the Field Coordinator of Palestinian grassroots group Youth of Sumud based in the South Hebron Hills, says:
‘Regavim receives these international donations and now they are able to employ workers on the ground to spy on these Palestinian communities. All of the South Hebron Hills now see Regavim workers when they graze their goats and sheep. When they go out to plant their fields Regavim is there. When they go to harvest their olives, Regavim is flying their drones. The people are more scared of Regavim then they are the settlers. Because before maybe the settlers throw stones or harass us. But now with Regavim, because they have the financial resources, instead of having a sheep killed by the settlers, now our whole animal barns are destroyed. Instead of the settlers breaking a few of our olive trees, now Regavim files a petition to take the whole olive grove. Those who are really concerned about Palestinian rights and peace will work to stop the flow of money to Regavim and stand in solidarity with us.’
Nasser Nawaja, (pictured below) Fieldworker for B’Tselem and resident of Susiyah, says:
Nasser Nawaja, (pictured below) Fieldworker for B’Tselem and resident of Susiyah, says:
‘More than 450 people in the village of Susiyah, including children, women and elderly people, are facing imminent expelling from their land and homes. We live under this constant threat because of Regavim’s legal work in the Israeli courts and the political pressure on the Israeli authorities. At the beginning, Regavim was just a small organization – but now people can’t tell where Regavim starts and the Israeli government begins. I ask all those who are concerned with justice and oppose racism stand against Regavim, raise awareness and defund it.’
Visit the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
Visit the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
29 aug 2019
The Israeli authorities on Thursday morning demolished all the crude homes and tents in the Palestinian Bedouin village of Araqib in the Negev desert for the 156th consecutive time, displacing its residents.
According to local activist Ahmed al-Tawri, Israeli police forces and employees from the Bedouin development authority, which is responsible for such demolitions, stormed the village and forcibly removed the residents from their homes before wreaking havoc on everything.
The Israeli police arrested an elderly woman called Umm Ashraf during the demolition campaign in the village and took her to a police station in Beersheba.
The activist affirmed that the police forces and the employees demolished homes and structures using their vehicles, tore apart tents using knives, and plundered chairs, pillows, mattresses and other belongings and pieces of furniture from the villagers’ homes.
Dozens of Bedouin citizens, including children, women and elderlies, have become homeless and will suffer from the harsh weather of the desert for a while before they could have new makeshift homes again.
Araqib residents live in a constant state of fear because they expect the demolition of their village at any moment after they manage to rebuild their homes again.
However, such Israeli arbitrary, criminal and inhumane policy of demolition, uprooting and displacement will only increase the residents’ resolve and adherence to their land and village even if Israel demolishes it thousands of times.
Al-Araqib is one of several Bedouin villages in the Negev desert, which are "unrecognized" by Israel.
The demolition of al-Araqib and other villages in the Negev is a systematic Israeli policy aimed at expelling the native population from the Negev and transferring them to government-zoned areas to pave the way to expand and build settlements for Jewish communities.
According to local activist Ahmed al-Tawri, Israeli police forces and employees from the Bedouin development authority, which is responsible for such demolitions, stormed the village and forcibly removed the residents from their homes before wreaking havoc on everything.
The Israeli police arrested an elderly woman called Umm Ashraf during the demolition campaign in the village and took her to a police station in Beersheba.
The activist affirmed that the police forces and the employees demolished homes and structures using their vehicles, tore apart tents using knives, and plundered chairs, pillows, mattresses and other belongings and pieces of furniture from the villagers’ homes.
Dozens of Bedouin citizens, including children, women and elderlies, have become homeless and will suffer from the harsh weather of the desert for a while before they could have new makeshift homes again.
Araqib residents live in a constant state of fear because they expect the demolition of their village at any moment after they manage to rebuild their homes again.
However, such Israeli arbitrary, criminal and inhumane policy of demolition, uprooting and displacement will only increase the residents’ resolve and adherence to their land and village even if Israel demolishes it thousands of times.
Al-Araqib is one of several Bedouin villages in the Negev desert, which are "unrecognized" by Israel.
The demolition of al-Araqib and other villages in the Negev is a systematic Israeli policy aimed at expelling the native population from the Negev and transferring them to government-zoned areas to pave the way to expand and build settlements for Jewish communities.
Israeli bulldozers today leveled Palestinian land in Wadi al-Makhrour, located to the west of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Hassan Breijeh, a local anti-wall and settlement activist, said that Israeli bulldozers started leveling Palestinian land in Wadi al-Makhrour, a step which lays the groundwork for the construction of a one-kilometer tunnel that would connect the Gush Etzion settlement bloc with Jerusalem.
Breijeh warned that dozens of dunums of Palestinian land belonging to the largely Christian community of Beit Jala to make room for the expansion of nearby Jewish-only Israeli settlements.
Wadi al-Makhrour, a valley that stretches between Battir village and Beit Jala city, is a popular hiking spot for Palestinians. It is best enjoyed during the late afternoon in the summer when the sun is about to set.
According to the online portal for Palestinian tourism, www.visitpalestine.ps, the area encompasses both natural and agricultural landscapes and is well known for its ancient terraces and stone towers called qusur, built of neatly placed rocks that used to serve as storage rooms for various crops planted in the wadi.
The area is famous for its hills replete with agricultural terraces full of olive, apricot, and fig trees. The abundance of the place is owed to the underground natural springs and also to the hard work of the landowners. Some parts of the valley are home to natural forests with remarkable tree species such as Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos).
Israeli forces have been targeting Wadi al-Makhrour seeking to forcefully displace the indigenous Palestinian residents from their land for Jewish-only settlement expansion.
The largely Christian city of Beit Jala is flanked by Gilo and Har Gilo settlements to the north and northwest.
Hassan Breijeh, a local anti-wall and settlement activist, said that Israeli bulldozers started leveling Palestinian land in Wadi al-Makhrour, a step which lays the groundwork for the construction of a one-kilometer tunnel that would connect the Gush Etzion settlement bloc with Jerusalem.
Breijeh warned that dozens of dunums of Palestinian land belonging to the largely Christian community of Beit Jala to make room for the expansion of nearby Jewish-only Israeli settlements.
Wadi al-Makhrour, a valley that stretches between Battir village and Beit Jala city, is a popular hiking spot for Palestinians. It is best enjoyed during the late afternoon in the summer when the sun is about to set.
According to the online portal for Palestinian tourism, www.visitpalestine.ps, the area encompasses both natural and agricultural landscapes and is well known for its ancient terraces and stone towers called qusur, built of neatly placed rocks that used to serve as storage rooms for various crops planted in the wadi.
The area is famous for its hills replete with agricultural terraces full of olive, apricot, and fig trees. The abundance of the place is owed to the underground natural springs and also to the hard work of the landowners. Some parts of the valley are home to natural forests with remarkable tree species such as Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos).
Israeli forces have been targeting Wadi al-Makhrour seeking to forcefully displace the indigenous Palestinian residents from their land for Jewish-only settlement expansion.
The largely Christian city of Beit Jala is flanked by Gilo and Har Gilo settlements to the north and northwest.
Israeli forces early today detained 16 Palestinians, including a Fatah official and a female undergraduate student, from several parts in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS).
PPS confirmed in a statement that Israeli forces detained 11 people from the southern West Bank district of Hebron district.
Security sources elaborated that Israeli military vehicles stormed Yatta town, where soldiers detained five Palestinians, including Nabil Abu Qbeita, who serves as secretary-general of the Fatah movement in Yatta.
Security sources added that one of the 11 detainees is from Surif town, west of Hebron.
Elsewhere in the southern West Bank, PPS said that two Palestinians were rounded up from Bethlehem district.
Security sources identified the two detainees as residents of al-Azzeh refugee camp, north of Bethlehem.
In Jerusalem district, PPS confirmed an Israeli military raid in Qalandiya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem city, resulting in the detention of a Palestinian.
The detainee was identified as Mays Abu Ghosh, a female senior student enrolled in Birzeit University.
Soldiers detained Abu Ghosh after ransacking her family’s house and seizing her computer in the camp.
PPS said that another Palestinian was detained in a similar military raid in al-Ram town, north of Jerusalem.
In the northern West Bank, PPS confirmed a similar overnight military raid in Yaabad town, west of Jenin, resulting in the detention of a former prisoner.
Israeli forces carry out frequent raids across the West Bank –including occupied East Jerusalem-- on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.
These raids, which take place also in areas under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.
PPS confirmed in a statement that Israeli forces detained 11 people from the southern West Bank district of Hebron district.
Security sources elaborated that Israeli military vehicles stormed Yatta town, where soldiers detained five Palestinians, including Nabil Abu Qbeita, who serves as secretary-general of the Fatah movement in Yatta.
Security sources added that one of the 11 detainees is from Surif town, west of Hebron.
Elsewhere in the southern West Bank, PPS said that two Palestinians were rounded up from Bethlehem district.
Security sources identified the two detainees as residents of al-Azzeh refugee camp, north of Bethlehem.
In Jerusalem district, PPS confirmed an Israeli military raid in Qalandiya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem city, resulting in the detention of a Palestinian.
The detainee was identified as Mays Abu Ghosh, a female senior student enrolled in Birzeit University.
Soldiers detained Abu Ghosh after ransacking her family’s house and seizing her computer in the camp.
PPS said that another Palestinian was detained in a similar military raid in al-Ram town, north of Jerusalem.
In the northern West Bank, PPS confirmed a similar overnight military raid in Yaabad town, west of Jenin, resulting in the detention of a former prisoner.
Israeli forces carry out frequent raids across the West Bank –including occupied East Jerusalem-- on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.
These raids, which take place also in areas under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.
27 aug 2019
The Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday arrested a Palestinian citizen and broke into a metal workshop in Beit Liqya town south of Ramallah City.
Local sources reported that the Israeli forces arrested Najeh Mafarja, 32, from his home after wreaking havoc on it.
They added that the Israeli forces further stormed a metal workshop owned by the Palestinian citizen Hakam Dar Mousa and seized its equipment.
Local sources reported that the Israeli forces arrested Najeh Mafarja, 32, from his home after wreaking havoc on it.
They added that the Israeli forces further stormed a metal workshop owned by the Palestinian citizen Hakam Dar Mousa and seized its equipment.
Israeli forces Tuesday overnight notified the families of three Palestinians of their apparent intention to demolish their houses in Beit Kahel town, northwest of Hebron.
Security sources confirmed that an Israeli military force surrounded the houses of the families of Ahmad Aref Asafra and Mu’men Said Zuhur, currently held in Israeli detention, besides to the house of Mu’men’s grandfather, Attieh, dragged the occupants outside before teaking measurements of the three houses.
Ahmad and Mu’men were both detailed along with other 14 Palestinians by Israeli forces from the West Bank a week ago.
They also ransacked a number of houses and summoned a youth to appear before the Israeli intelligence.
This came 18 days after the cousins 24-year-old Nasir and 30-year-old Kassem were detained by Israeli forces for being suspected for the killing of an off-duty Israeli soldier outside the settlement of Ofra on last Thursday.
Kassem’s wife, Enas, and another man, identified as Akarma Asafra, were detained on suspicion they had assisted the suspected attackers.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish the family homes of Palestinians as a mean of deterrence- accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not apply to Israeli settlers who were involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
Security sources confirmed that an Israeli military force surrounded the houses of the families of Ahmad Aref Asafra and Mu’men Said Zuhur, currently held in Israeli detention, besides to the house of Mu’men’s grandfather, Attieh, dragged the occupants outside before teaking measurements of the three houses.
Ahmad and Mu’men were both detailed along with other 14 Palestinians by Israeli forces from the West Bank a week ago.
They also ransacked a number of houses and summoned a youth to appear before the Israeli intelligence.
This came 18 days after the cousins 24-year-old Nasir and 30-year-old Kassem were detained by Israeli forces for being suspected for the killing of an off-duty Israeli soldier outside the settlement of Ofra on last Thursday.
Kassem’s wife, Enas, and another man, identified as Akarma Asafra, were detained on suspicion they had assisted the suspected attackers.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish the family homes of Palestinians as a mean of deterrence- accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not apply to Israeli settlers who were involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
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