14 oct 2017
Jewish settlers of Shilo settlement have been working on the construction of a business center on a hill overlooking the historical Silon hamlet located on the lands of Qaryout town near Nablus city in the West Bank.
The Palestinian activist against settlement, Bashar al-Qaryuti, said in a press statement on Saturday that the center which is about to be completed includes a round-shaped building with domes placed on a triangular stone.
Israeli settlers claim that the area includes remnants of a coffin from the Old Testament.
Archaeological excavations and leveling works are still going on in Silon village with full disregard to a resolution issued by Israeli Supreme Court on May 14, 2014. The court's decision stipulates halting excavation works in the area by settlers in order not to change the site's historical nature, Qaryuti highlighted.
He pointed out that settlers had announced a plan to seize al-Sahlat area south of Qariout town to expand the touristic area in Silon.
The Palestinian activist against settlement, Bashar al-Qaryuti, said in a press statement on Saturday that the center which is about to be completed includes a round-shaped building with domes placed on a triangular stone.
Israeli settlers claim that the area includes remnants of a coffin from the Old Testament.
Archaeological excavations and leveling works are still going on in Silon village with full disregard to a resolution issued by Israeli Supreme Court on May 14, 2014. The court's decision stipulates halting excavation works in the area by settlers in order not to change the site's historical nature, Qaryuti highlighted.
He pointed out that settlers had announced a plan to seize al-Sahlat area south of Qariout town to expand the touristic area in Silon.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested on Saturday three Palestinian farmers from Tubas in the West Bank.
The Palestinian official in charge of the Jordan Valley file in Tubas, Mutaz Besharat, said that IOF soldiers raided al-Ras al-Ahmar area south of Tubas, arrested the three farmers, and confiscated their agricultural equipment.
The Palestinian official in charge of the Jordan Valley file in Tubas, Mutaz Besharat, said that IOF soldiers raided al-Ras al-Ahmar area south of Tubas, arrested the three farmers, and confiscated their agricultural equipment.
12 oct 2017
The Israeli occupation forces seized Palestinian agricultural lands in the northern Jordan Valley under the security pretext.
According to Motaz Besharat, in charge of the settlement file in the Jordan Valley, the order by the regional military commander signaled a green light for the confiscation of Palestinian lands in Ras al-Ahmar covering an area of 36 dunums.
Besharat added that the confiscation order, issued under the security pretext, is valid until the end of 2019.
As figures in the confiscation writ, the land owners can proceed with an appeal to object the order at the Israeli Civil Administration or demand a financial compensation for the damage to be wrought by the confiscation.
According to Motaz Besharat, in charge of the settlement file in the Jordan Valley, the order by the regional military commander signaled a green light for the confiscation of Palestinian lands in Ras al-Ahmar covering an area of 36 dunums.
Besharat added that the confiscation order, issued under the security pretext, is valid until the end of 2019.
As figures in the confiscation writ, the land owners can proceed with an appeal to object the order at the Israeli Civil Administration or demand a financial compensation for the damage to be wrought by the confiscation.
11 oct 2017
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Wednesday kidnapped five Palestinian citizens from their homes in different West Bank areas.
According to a statement released by the Israeli army, five wanted Palestinians were detained over their involvement in activities against Israel in the West Bank.
Quds Press, for its part, said that the IOF stormed different areas of the West Bank, especially in Tulkarem, Bethlehem, al-Khalil and Nablus.
It added that Israeli soldiers kidnapped a young man in Tulkarem after ransacking his home and commercial store.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the IOF raided the house of Anas Naifa, rounded him up, and confiscated telephone devices from his store in Tulkarem.
The IOF also stormed and patrolled Ertah suburbs and neighborhoods around the Palestine Technical University in Tulkarem and set up roadblocks, with no reported arrests.
According to a statement released by the Israeli army, five wanted Palestinians were detained over their involvement in activities against Israel in the West Bank.
Quds Press, for its part, said that the IOF stormed different areas of the West Bank, especially in Tulkarem, Bethlehem, al-Khalil and Nablus.
It added that Israeli soldiers kidnapped a young man in Tulkarem after ransacking his home and commercial store.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the IOF raided the house of Anas Naifa, rounded him up, and confiscated telephone devices from his store in Tulkarem.
The IOF also stormed and patrolled Ertah suburbs and neighborhoods around the Palestine Technical University in Tulkarem and set up roadblocks, with no reported arrests.
10 oct 2017
The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) banned Tuesday evening the use of loudspeakers for Muslim call to prayers (Adhan) in Tawaneh mosque in Musafer Yatta town south of al-Khalil.
Local activist Rateb Jabour affirmed that Israeli forces stormed the town and informed local residents that the call for prayer through the loudspeakers was banned under “Israel’s noise pollution laws.”
The Israeli forces threatened to destroy the mosque loudspeakers in case they break the orders.
Local activist Rateb Jabour affirmed that Israeli forces stormed the town and informed local residents that the call for prayer through the loudspeakers was banned under “Israel’s noise pollution laws.”
The Israeli forces threatened to destroy the mosque loudspeakers in case they break the orders.
9 oct 2017
The projection room at al-Assi cinema.
One by one, Palestine’s classic cinemas are being erased.
Municipal bulldozers razed Nablus’ al-Assi cinema in late June after the abandoned property was purchased from its owners.
It was the second Palestinian cinema in the West Bank to be demolished in less than a year, after Cinema Jenin was razed last December.
Al-Assi, which opened in the early 1950s, was shuttered during the first intifada in 1987 and reopened a decade later. A few years later, during the second intifada, it closed for good.
There are currently only two dedicated cinemas in continuous operation in Palestinian cities in the West Bank – Cinema City, opened in Nablus in 2009, and Palestine Tower, opened in Ramallah in 2014.
Other cinemas throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been shuttered – some of them demolished – and others turned into wedding halls or garages. Some Palestinian cities have never had a proper movie theater.
The golden age of Palestinian movie-going peaked during the first half of the last century. Before the dispossession of Palestine and the declaration of the state of Israel in 1948, cities like Jaffa, Haifa, Akka and Jerusalem were famous for their cinemas that symbolized modernity.
Ahmad Al-Bazz is an award-winning journalist, photographer and documentary filmmaker based from Palestine and a member of the Activestills collective.
One by one, Palestine’s classic cinemas are being erased.
Municipal bulldozers razed Nablus’ al-Assi cinema in late June after the abandoned property was purchased from its owners.
It was the second Palestinian cinema in the West Bank to be demolished in less than a year, after Cinema Jenin was razed last December.
Al-Assi, which opened in the early 1950s, was shuttered during the first intifada in 1987 and reopened a decade later. A few years later, during the second intifada, it closed for good.
There are currently only two dedicated cinemas in continuous operation in Palestinian cities in the West Bank – Cinema City, opened in Nablus in 2009, and Palestine Tower, opened in Ramallah in 2014.
Other cinemas throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been shuttered – some of them demolished – and others turned into wedding halls or garages. Some Palestinian cities have never had a proper movie theater.
The golden age of Palestinian movie-going peaked during the first half of the last century. Before the dispossession of Palestine and the declaration of the state of Israel in 1948, cities like Jaffa, Haifa, Akka and Jerusalem were famous for their cinemas that symbolized modernity.
Ahmad Al-Bazz is an award-winning journalist, photographer and documentary filmmaker based from Palestine and a member of the Activestills collective.
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Al-Assi cinema was named for the family which owned it. It was the second of three cinemas established in Nablus. In 2009, a fourth cinema, Cinema City, which is still in operation, was opened. Other informal theaters are said to have operated in the city during the 1930s and the ’40s, such as al-Zahraa and the Taj Mahal, which screened films in cafes or on rooftops. For the past 15 years the outdoor yard and the main screening hall of al-Assi cinema, located in Nablus’ bustling city center, have been used for parking.
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The main screening hall at al-Assi cinema. According to Ribhi Hamad, its former manager, part of the space was designated for families only and men and boys were seated in a separate area. Ahead of the cinema’s demolition, the Nablus municipality determined that the building was liable to collapse at any time. It told the public that the building wasn’t worth saving because it lacked cultural or historic value.
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Ribhi Hamad, in al-Assi’s main screening hall, said: “I spent most of my life here, starting with a part-time, simple job at the age of 10, until I administered the property as its managing director. I feel sad for its destiny, but such is life.” Hamad pointed to the Israeli occupation as the main factor in the demise of cinema culture in Palestine. “Right now, it’s impossible to go back, even if the two other cinema halls of Nablus were restored. Societal attitudes and new technologies are the main obstacles right now,” Hamad added.
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The Israeli military raided al-Assi several times during the second intifada as it battled Palestinian fighters in the city center. Al-Assi’s main screening wall was shelled by an Israeli tank, according to Hamad.
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Al-Assi cinema had three floors containing a main screening hall, in addition to some other smaller rooms which were used as wedding spaces.
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Film reels were rented mainly from Amman and Cairo for screening at al-Assi. Some other reels were bought from Israeli companies, according to Hamad. Some of the reels were exclusive to al-Assi, while others were shared with other cinemas in Nablus. “There was a bicycle which we used to transfer the reels from one cinema to another after the end of each screening,” Hamad said.
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Egyptian films were most popular among older people and families, while American movies, Westerns in particular, were the most popular among young people, according to Hamad. Some in Nablus frowned upon the cinemas, saying they showed immoral films and spread negative values.
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Thursday nights, the beginning of the weekend in Palestine, were al-Assi’s busiest time. The cinema also drew large crowds during holidays. “There were not many choices for leisure time, that’s why the cinema was one of their main destinations,” Hamad said.
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The former site of al-Assi will be used to build a shopping mall and parking development costing $10 million.
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Some in Nablus welcomed the demolition of al-Assi, considering it wasted space in the city center, while others, particularly those who used to watch movies there, have expressed sadness over its demise.
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The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Monday evening a Palestinian woman after breaking into her house Yatta town south of al-Khalil.
The PIC field reporter affirmed that IOF violently stormed Yatta town and broke into the family house of Khadija Jibril Rabei, 30, before arresting her.
A large amount of money estimated at 30,000 shekels were stolen during the raid, our correspondent pointed out.
Rabei was then taken to unknown detention center.
Meanwhile, IOF detained a young man from Kafreit town southwest of Jenin.
The PIC field reporter affirmed that IOF violently stormed Yatta town and broke into the family house of Khadija Jibril Rabei, 30, before arresting her.
A large amount of money estimated at 30,000 shekels were stolen during the raid, our correspondent pointed out.
Rabei was then taken to unknown detention center.
Meanwhile, IOF detained a young man from Kafreit town southwest of Jenin.
Saturday evening, Israeli forces broke into the compound of Abu Al-Nawwar Al-Badawi, located in Ezzariya town, east of Jerusalem, and raided the compound school, destroying its doors.
Local sources reported that soldiers raided the schools, destroyed its doors, wreaked havoc, and took over equipment which was being used to continue the building process.
The sources noted, according to Al Ray, that there was a precautionary decision not to demolish the school.
It is noteworthy that the school was established with the assistance of popular resistance activists, whereas the Israeli military threatened to demolish it. The number of students is nearly 60.
Local sources reported that soldiers raided the schools, destroyed its doors, wreaked havoc, and took over equipment which was being used to continue the building process.
The sources noted, according to Al Ray, that there was a precautionary decision not to demolish the school.
It is noteworthy that the school was established with the assistance of popular resistance activists, whereas the Israeli military threatened to demolish it. The number of students is nearly 60.
7 oct 2017
Israeli soldiers invaded, on Saturday at dawn, Bethlehem city, and Wad Rahhal village, east of the city, abducted two Palestinians, including a teenager, and confiscated one car.
The Bethlehem office of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said several army jeeps invaded the Saff Street, in the center of the city, searched homes and abducted Emad Ali Shweiki, 45.
The soldiers invaded Emad’s home, and searched it, looking for his son, Mohammad, who was not at home, and abducted his father instead.
In addition, the soldiers invaded Wad Rahhal village, south of Bethlehem, abducted Noureddin Ibrahim al-Faghouri, 17, after searching the family home, and confiscated his father’s car.
The Bethlehem office of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said several army jeeps invaded the Saff Street, in the center of the city, searched homes and abducted Emad Ali Shweiki, 45.
The soldiers invaded Emad’s home, and searched it, looking for his son, Mohammad, who was not at home, and abducted his father instead.
In addition, the soldiers invaded Wad Rahhal village, south of Bethlehem, abducted Noureddin Ibrahim al-Faghouri, 17, after searching the family home, and confiscated his father’s car.
5 oct 2017
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged his support for the so-called “Greater Jerusalem” bill, which is tantamount to the annexation of 19 illegal settlements in the Jerusalem area, including Maaleh Adumim, where between 125,000 and 150,000 Israeli settlers live.
Maale Adumim is the third largest settlement in population size, encompassing a large swath of land deep inside the occupied West Bank’s Jerusalem district. Many Israelis consider it an Israeli suburban city of Jerusalem, despite it being located on occupied Palestinian territory in contravention of international law.
“Maaleh Adumim will always be part of Israel and, in addition, I support the Greater Jerusalem bill,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying during a visit to the illegal settlement Tuesday. “I am also weighing placing Maaleh Adumim within the boundaries of Greater Jerusalem within the context of the Greater Jerusalem bill,” he said.
The legislation, Ma’an further reports, was authored by Likud minister Yisrael Katz who is reportedly expected to bring the bill to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the upcoming Knesset session. It would place 19 settlements, including those of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and Givat Zeev within Israel’s municipal boundaries for Jerusalem.
The Israeli state annexed occupied East Jerusalem in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the bill would allow the settlers to retain their autonomy but afford them voting rights in the city’s mayoral race. It would meanwhile create “independent municipalities” for some 100,000 Palestinian citizens or residents of Israel who live within Israel’s Jerusalem municipality borders, but are located on the other side of Israel’s illegal separation wall.
These neighborhoods, which have been referred to as a “no man’s land,” have not received proper municipal services since the wall’s construction. While most residents hold Jerusalem residency status and continue to pay taxes to the Israeli government, they are left severely neglected by Israeli authorities, as their neighborhoods are now located on the “West Bank side” of the separation barrier.
Residents now must pass through congested Israeli-controlled checkpoints to reach Jerusalem, while these neighborhoods face increasing problems from an absence of sewage infrastructure and other basic services traditionally provided by the Jerusalem municipality, including waste collection services, healthcare, and education assistance.
“We will intensify the momentum to develop Maaleh Adumim. We will build thousands of housing units here. We will add the necessary industrial areas and the expansion necessary to enable the accelerated development of this place. This place will be part of the State of Israel, ” Netanyahu continued in his remarks.
The Israeli premier further stated that he would advance plans for 4,000 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank after the Jewish holidays.
During the visit to Maaleh Adumin, Netanyahu also took the opportunity to address the reactivation of the Palestinian National Consensus Government and ongoing reconciliation talks with rival factions Fateh and Hamas.
“We expect everyone who talks about a peace process to recognize the State of Israel and, of course, to recognize a Jewish state and we are not prepared to accept bogus reconciliations in which the Palestinian side apparently reconciles at the expense of our existence.
“Whoever wants to make such a reconciliation, our understanding is very clear: Recognize the State of Israel, disband the Hamas military arm, sever the connection with Iran, which calls for our destruction, and so on and so forth. Even these very clear things must be clearly stated,” he said.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a statement Wednesday saying that now that Palestinian political reconciliation was underway, it was “time for Israel to abide by international law and to recognize the right of the State of Palestine to exist,” noting that the Palestine National Council has recognized the State of Israel.
“Some in Israel and the United States have called on Hamas to recognize Israel. Instead, Israel and the United States should recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is the way to achieve the ultimate deal with the State of Israel to live side by side the State of Palestine in peace and security,” Erekat said.
Observers have attributed a increase in visits by Netanyahu to illegal settlements since Donald Trump was sworn in as US president in January.
Since Trump took office — and despite requests by the US president to hold back on settlement building — an emboldened Netanyahu government has pushed forward with a steady stream of announcements on settlement building.
In a recent interview with Israeli media, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman — who has been vocal in his support for Israeli settlements and his unflinching support for the Israeli government — referred to Israel’s presence in the West Bank as an “alleged occupation,” and said that settlements are “only occupying 2 percent of the West Bank” and that he considers them part of Israel.
Palestinian officials were quick to condemn Friedman for the remarks as disconnected from reality, with Erekat describing the assertions as “not only false and misleading but contradict international law, United Nations resolutions and also the historical US position.
“Israel is internationally recognized as the occupying power over 100 percent of Palestine, including in and around Occupied East Jerusalem. Such positions undermine ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine on the 1967 border,” he said.
PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi also slammed the US ambassador for his “blatant bias” toward Israel.
“The US Ambassador to Israel has proved once again that he is completely removed from reality. In addition to his long-standing support for Israeli settlements, and after referring to the ‘alleged occupation’ of Palestinian land, he has the audacity to maintain that Israel occupies only 2 percent of the West Bank and that illegal settlements that carve, annex, and steal Palestinian land are part of Israel,” she said.
Ashrawi said Friedman’s positions “are a mirror reflection of the settlers’ ideology in Israel’s right-wing coalition government rather than that of successive Administrations that have claimed to be invested in peace,” affirming that, “The occupation exists. Settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. These facts and realities are not in question.”
The proposed Greater Jerusalem bill also comes as the Israeli government has advanced a plan to forcibly expel the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, under threat of relocation for being located in the contentious “E1 corridor” set up by the Israeli government to link annexed East Jerusalem with Maale Adumim.
Israeli rights group B’Tselem slammed the Israeli government for the plan in a letter to Netanyahu, saying that such a move would constitute a “war crime.”
Maale Adumim is the third largest settlement in population size, encompassing a large swath of land deep inside the occupied West Bank’s Jerusalem district. Many Israelis consider it an Israeli suburban city of Jerusalem, despite it being located on occupied Palestinian territory in contravention of international law.
“Maaleh Adumim will always be part of Israel and, in addition, I support the Greater Jerusalem bill,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying during a visit to the illegal settlement Tuesday. “I am also weighing placing Maaleh Adumim within the boundaries of Greater Jerusalem within the context of the Greater Jerusalem bill,” he said.
The legislation, Ma’an further reports, was authored by Likud minister Yisrael Katz who is reportedly expected to bring the bill to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the upcoming Knesset session. It would place 19 settlements, including those of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and Givat Zeev within Israel’s municipal boundaries for Jerusalem.
The Israeli state annexed occupied East Jerusalem in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the bill would allow the settlers to retain their autonomy but afford them voting rights in the city’s mayoral race. It would meanwhile create “independent municipalities” for some 100,000 Palestinian citizens or residents of Israel who live within Israel’s Jerusalem municipality borders, but are located on the other side of Israel’s illegal separation wall.
These neighborhoods, which have been referred to as a “no man’s land,” have not received proper municipal services since the wall’s construction. While most residents hold Jerusalem residency status and continue to pay taxes to the Israeli government, they are left severely neglected by Israeli authorities, as their neighborhoods are now located on the “West Bank side” of the separation barrier.
Residents now must pass through congested Israeli-controlled checkpoints to reach Jerusalem, while these neighborhoods face increasing problems from an absence of sewage infrastructure and other basic services traditionally provided by the Jerusalem municipality, including waste collection services, healthcare, and education assistance.
“We will intensify the momentum to develop Maaleh Adumim. We will build thousands of housing units here. We will add the necessary industrial areas and the expansion necessary to enable the accelerated development of this place. This place will be part of the State of Israel, ” Netanyahu continued in his remarks.
The Israeli premier further stated that he would advance plans for 4,000 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank after the Jewish holidays.
During the visit to Maaleh Adumin, Netanyahu also took the opportunity to address the reactivation of the Palestinian National Consensus Government and ongoing reconciliation talks with rival factions Fateh and Hamas.
“We expect everyone who talks about a peace process to recognize the State of Israel and, of course, to recognize a Jewish state and we are not prepared to accept bogus reconciliations in which the Palestinian side apparently reconciles at the expense of our existence.
“Whoever wants to make such a reconciliation, our understanding is very clear: Recognize the State of Israel, disband the Hamas military arm, sever the connection with Iran, which calls for our destruction, and so on and so forth. Even these very clear things must be clearly stated,” he said.
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a statement Wednesday saying that now that Palestinian political reconciliation was underway, it was “time for Israel to abide by international law and to recognize the right of the State of Palestine to exist,” noting that the Palestine National Council has recognized the State of Israel.
“Some in Israel and the United States have called on Hamas to recognize Israel. Instead, Israel and the United States should recognize the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is the way to achieve the ultimate deal with the State of Israel to live side by side the State of Palestine in peace and security,” Erekat said.
Observers have attributed a increase in visits by Netanyahu to illegal settlements since Donald Trump was sworn in as US president in January.
Since Trump took office — and despite requests by the US president to hold back on settlement building — an emboldened Netanyahu government has pushed forward with a steady stream of announcements on settlement building.
In a recent interview with Israeli media, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman — who has been vocal in his support for Israeli settlements and his unflinching support for the Israeli government — referred to Israel’s presence in the West Bank as an “alleged occupation,” and said that settlements are “only occupying 2 percent of the West Bank” and that he considers them part of Israel.
Palestinian officials were quick to condemn Friedman for the remarks as disconnected from reality, with Erekat describing the assertions as “not only false and misleading but contradict international law, United Nations resolutions and also the historical US position.
“Israel is internationally recognized as the occupying power over 100 percent of Palestine, including in and around Occupied East Jerusalem. Such positions undermine ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine on the 1967 border,” he said.
PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi also slammed the US ambassador for his “blatant bias” toward Israel.
“The US Ambassador to Israel has proved once again that he is completely removed from reality. In addition to his long-standing support for Israeli settlements, and after referring to the ‘alleged occupation’ of Palestinian land, he has the audacity to maintain that Israel occupies only 2 percent of the West Bank and that illegal settlements that carve, annex, and steal Palestinian land are part of Israel,” she said.
Ashrawi said Friedman’s positions “are a mirror reflection of the settlers’ ideology in Israel’s right-wing coalition government rather than that of successive Administrations that have claimed to be invested in peace,” affirming that, “The occupation exists. Settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. These facts and realities are not in question.”
The proposed Greater Jerusalem bill also comes as the Israeli government has advanced a plan to forcibly expel the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, under threat of relocation for being located in the contentious “E1 corridor” set up by the Israeli government to link annexed East Jerusalem with Maale Adumim.
Israeli rights group B’Tselem slammed the Israeli government for the plan in a letter to Netanyahu, saying that such a move would constitute a “war crime.”