13 sept 2017
Israeli bulldozers continue to raze Palestinian lands behind the apartheid wall north of Salfit in favor of illegal settlement expansion.
Researcher Khaled Maali said the Israeli authorities and settlers have increasingly bulldozed Palestinian lands in the area since the start of 2017.
He added that since the swearing-in of the new US administration, Israel’s illegal settlement activity has seen a striking upsurge, in violation of international laws and treaties.
Researcher Khaled Maali said the Israeli authorities and settlers have increasingly bulldozed Palestinian lands in the area since the start of 2017.
He added that since the swearing-in of the new US administration, Israel’s illegal settlement activity has seen a striking upsurge, in violation of international laws and treaties.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned Israeli banks of persisting in funding illegal settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Jerusalem and contributing to human rights violations against the Palestinians.
Despite their claims, Israel’s largest banks are not required by domestic law to provide many of the services and financing that help support, maintain, and expand unlawful settlements in the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, HRW said in a report released on Wednesday.
“In doing so, these banks violate their international law responsibilities to avoid contributing to human rights and other abuses, including unlawful land seizures, discrimination against Palestinians, and de facto annexation of the West Bank by Israel. Without these banking activities, settlement maintenance and expansion would be more difficult,” its report stated further.
“Israeli banks are financing settlement construction and facilitating settlement expansion as a matter of choice, not because they are somehow required to do so under domestic law,” Sari Bashi, HRW advocacy director in Israel and Palestine, said.
Bashi stressed the need for institutional investors to insist that Israeli banks clarify the extent of their involvement in settlement activities.
For years, some foreign investors have raised concerns about the involvement of Israeli banks in furthering settlement maintenance and expansion, including by financing construction projects, providing loans to settlement councils, and operating bank branches there.
Investors such as the United Methodist Church pension fund and the Dutch pension fund PGGM have divested from Israel’s five largest banks, citing their involvement in settlements as being inconsistent with those funds’ human rights policies.
“Settlements are unlawful under international humanitarian law. They contribute to the Israeli authorities’ discriminatory regime in the occupied West Bank, restricting and stunting Palestinian development while subsidizing and supporting Israeli settlements built on land unlawfully seized from Palestinians,” HRW underlined.
International humanitarian law forbids an occupying power from using land except for limited and necessary military purposes or for the benefit of the local population living under occupation.
Despite their claims, Israel’s largest banks are not required by domestic law to provide many of the services and financing that help support, maintain, and expand unlawful settlements in the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, HRW said in a report released on Wednesday.
“In doing so, these banks violate their international law responsibilities to avoid contributing to human rights and other abuses, including unlawful land seizures, discrimination against Palestinians, and de facto annexation of the West Bank by Israel. Without these banking activities, settlement maintenance and expansion would be more difficult,” its report stated further.
“Israeli banks are financing settlement construction and facilitating settlement expansion as a matter of choice, not because they are somehow required to do so under domestic law,” Sari Bashi, HRW advocacy director in Israel and Palestine, said.
Bashi stressed the need for institutional investors to insist that Israeli banks clarify the extent of their involvement in settlement activities.
For years, some foreign investors have raised concerns about the involvement of Israeli banks in furthering settlement maintenance and expansion, including by financing construction projects, providing loans to settlement councils, and operating bank branches there.
Investors such as the United Methodist Church pension fund and the Dutch pension fund PGGM have divested from Israel’s five largest banks, citing their involvement in settlements as being inconsistent with those funds’ human rights policies.
“Settlements are unlawful under international humanitarian law. They contribute to the Israeli authorities’ discriminatory regime in the occupied West Bank, restricting and stunting Palestinian development while subsidizing and supporting Israeli settlements built on land unlawfully seized from Palestinians,” HRW underlined.
International humanitarian law forbids an occupying power from using land except for limited and necessary military purposes or for the benefit of the local population living under occupation.
The Israeli government is set to revoke Amnesty International’s tax benefits in Israel as punishment for the group’s anti-settlement campaign, a move the group said, on Tuesday, was an “ominous sign for the ability of human rights NGOs in Israel to operate freely.”
Israeli daily Haaretz reported, according to Ma’an, that representatives of Amnesty International will be summoned for a hearing at Israel’s Finance Ministry to discuss a move that would strip Israelis who donate to the organization of any tax benefits in Israel. According to the group, they had only become eligible for tax benefits last October.
Reports emerged in July that Miki Zohar, a member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, from the right-wing Likud party wrote a letter to Israel’s Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon requesting that he use the anti-Boycott bill passed in March — which banned foreigners who have openly expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement from entering the country — in order to “immediately revoke Israel’s recognition of donations to Amnesty, since it is an organization which encourages others to boycott all or part of Israel.”
Amnesty International recently launched a campaign to convince the international community to implement a full boycott of illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territory, marking a major boost to the BDS Movement, which Israeli authorities have been bent on eradicating.
BDS targets companies that act in compliance with Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and encourage supporters to avoid buying Israeli products in order to put pressure on the Israeli government to end the half-century occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the decade-long Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released by Amnesty International, on Tuesday, in response to the Israeli media reports, Magdalena Mughrabi, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said that the news was “deeply alarming.” The group said they have yet to be officially informed of the news. However, if the reports prove true, she said, it would represent a “serious setback to freedom of expression,” and an “an ominous sign for the ability of human rights NGOs in Israel to operate freely and without arbitrary interference.”
“Taking punitive action against Amnesty International over its settlements campaign would constitute a brazen attack by the Israeli authorities on the organization’s legitimate human rights work. It would also be the latest effort by the authorities to silence human rights organizations and activists who criticize the Israeli government and call for accountability,” Mughrabi added.
In the statement, the group reiterated the stance of the international community that Israel’s settlements on occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law, and that Israel’s settlement enterprise has “contributed to decades of mass suffering and violations” in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“As a human rights organization, Amnesty International aims to ensure that governments uphold their obligations under international law and are not fueling such violations themselves,” the group said. “That’s why the organization’s campaign directs its call at states across the world; asking them to stop assisting an illegal situation by financially sustaining Israel’s abusive, discriminatory, and unlawful settlement policy.”
The group noted that countries allowing Israeli settlement products into their markets and permitting companies to work in illegal settlements “directly help(s) the illegal settlement industry profit and thrive.”
“An end to the settlement enterprise is essential to ending the mass violations suffered by Palestinians living under Israel’s occupation,” Amnesty International added.
Israeli authorities have targeted human rights groups active in the occupied Palestinian territory, attempting to stifle their work in various ways. The anti-boycott law has marked a serious escalation of such attempts, with several pro-Palestinian activists being barred from entering the country in recent months, including Jews who are participating in the boycott movement.
Israeli daily Haaretz reported, according to Ma’an, that representatives of Amnesty International will be summoned for a hearing at Israel’s Finance Ministry to discuss a move that would strip Israelis who donate to the organization of any tax benefits in Israel. According to the group, they had only become eligible for tax benefits last October.
Reports emerged in July that Miki Zohar, a member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, from the right-wing Likud party wrote a letter to Israel’s Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon requesting that he use the anti-Boycott bill passed in March — which banned foreigners who have openly expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement from entering the country — in order to “immediately revoke Israel’s recognition of donations to Amnesty, since it is an organization which encourages others to boycott all or part of Israel.”
Amnesty International recently launched a campaign to convince the international community to implement a full boycott of illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territory, marking a major boost to the BDS Movement, which Israeli authorities have been bent on eradicating.
BDS targets companies that act in compliance with Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and encourage supporters to avoid buying Israeli products in order to put pressure on the Israeli government to end the half-century occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the decade-long Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released by Amnesty International, on Tuesday, in response to the Israeli media reports, Magdalena Mughrabi, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said that the news was “deeply alarming.” The group said they have yet to be officially informed of the news. However, if the reports prove true, she said, it would represent a “serious setback to freedom of expression,” and an “an ominous sign for the ability of human rights NGOs in Israel to operate freely and without arbitrary interference.”
“Taking punitive action against Amnesty International over its settlements campaign would constitute a brazen attack by the Israeli authorities on the organization’s legitimate human rights work. It would also be the latest effort by the authorities to silence human rights organizations and activists who criticize the Israeli government and call for accountability,” Mughrabi added.
In the statement, the group reiterated the stance of the international community that Israel’s settlements on occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law, and that Israel’s settlement enterprise has “contributed to decades of mass suffering and violations” in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“As a human rights organization, Amnesty International aims to ensure that governments uphold their obligations under international law and are not fueling such violations themselves,” the group said. “That’s why the organization’s campaign directs its call at states across the world; asking them to stop assisting an illegal situation by financially sustaining Israel’s abusive, discriminatory, and unlawful settlement policy.”
The group noted that countries allowing Israeli settlement products into their markets and permitting companies to work in illegal settlements “directly help(s) the illegal settlement industry profit and thrive.”
“An end to the settlement enterprise is essential to ending the mass violations suffered by Palestinians living under Israel’s occupation,” Amnesty International added.
Israeli authorities have targeted human rights groups active in the occupied Palestinian territory, attempting to stifle their work in various ways. The anti-boycott law has marked a serious escalation of such attempts, with several pro-Palestinian activists being barred from entering the country in recent months, including Jews who are participating in the boycott movement.
11 sept 2017
The Palestinian reaction to the decision of the Israeli defence minister to grant 800 settlers in the centre of Hebron independence from the municipality of Hebron was weak and did not match the action taken by the Israelis. The Ramallah government warned against the fierce settlement attack waged by the Israeli government, through which it seeks to end any chances to revive the political process and end any trace of the international efforts in this regard.
Warnings no longer scare Israel and it will not stop settlement expansion. Furthermore, the content of the warning exposed the Ramallah government, showing that its concerns are limited to maintaining the peace process, far from the Palestinians’ angry reaction and the resistance of settlements. The statement of Ramallah did not involve any angry words or a challenge to the action, and this was confirmed by Fatah in a statement in which it said the decision is “very dangerous and will lead to an explosion of all the agreements.”
Why doesn’t it destroy the Hebron agreement signed in 1997? The agreement that divided Hebron into two parts: a part where 80 per cent of the city is under the complete control of the PA and another part where 20 per cent of the city’s area is under Israeli security control and Palestinian civil control?
Why did Fatah back down from the threat to ignite the ground under the feet of the occupation? Why didn’t it threaten to shake the foundations of the occupation, as it usually does? Why has it merely issued a condemnation statement with no actual value and no impact on the ground in the West Bank, which is a target of seizure? What does this suggest?
So that the blame is not put solely on Fatah and not any other organisation, Hamas’ statement was also made in a verbal context, as its spokesperson said: “The Israeli government’s decision to form a committee representing the settlers in Hebron sets a dangerous precedent that will reinforce the settler authorities in Hebron by providing them with municipal services separate from the Palestinian municipality.”
However, Hamas’ statement included a reluctant threat, “this is a dangerous precedent and a crossing of a red line, the consequences of which the occupation must bear.”
The occupation is willing to bear the consequences and it made this decision while fully aware of its repercussions. If the occupation was certain that the leadership’s reaction, in coordination with the Palestinian organisations, would be different than the typical condemnation and renunciation, it would not have taken the step and made this racist decision. This is what the Palestinian foreign ministry ignored when it blamed the Israeli government completely for the escalation of settlements and its consequences on the process of resolving the conflict politically.
As of now, the government, foreign ministry, and party’s reaction has been limited to the consequences of the Israeli decision on its ability to impose a political solution to the conflict, overlooking the fact that they have limited the other ways to resolve the conflict. Therefore, the leadership’s reaction to the Israeli decision has been less than the matter itself. This is especially true as the danger of the new arrangement in Hebron has gone beyond allowing settlers to receive municipal services directly from the Israeli civil administration (the civil branch of the Israeli Defence Ministry in the Palestinian territories), but rather gives the settlers strong local authorities and powers that can, in the future, be an alternative to the Hebron municipality. This is what happened before 1948, when the British colonial powers helped the Jewish communities to create alternative local councils and reduce the services provided by the Palestinian local councils, thus paving the way for the loss of Palestine and the establishment of Israel.
Condemnation, renunciation, refusal and urging the international community to intervene are not enough. This is cheap and foolish talk used by the government, leadership and organisations to fool the people, especially since it is Palestinian land that is being targeted. This is the core of the conflict that is being lost before the eyes of the world. Therefore, what we need is a serious Palestinian position regarding settlements and an effective positon on the ground that disturbs the actions of the settlers, wrecks their plans and imposes a new equation on the ground. Anything other than this is a lie and hogwash.
This article first appeared in Arabic on Felesteen on 6 September 2017.
- Dr Fayez Abu Shamaleh is a Palestinian writer. His article was published by MEMO.r
Warnings no longer scare Israel and it will not stop settlement expansion. Furthermore, the content of the warning exposed the Ramallah government, showing that its concerns are limited to maintaining the peace process, far from the Palestinians’ angry reaction and the resistance of settlements. The statement of Ramallah did not involve any angry words or a challenge to the action, and this was confirmed by Fatah in a statement in which it said the decision is “very dangerous and will lead to an explosion of all the agreements.”
Why doesn’t it destroy the Hebron agreement signed in 1997? The agreement that divided Hebron into two parts: a part where 80 per cent of the city is under the complete control of the PA and another part where 20 per cent of the city’s area is under Israeli security control and Palestinian civil control?
Why did Fatah back down from the threat to ignite the ground under the feet of the occupation? Why didn’t it threaten to shake the foundations of the occupation, as it usually does? Why has it merely issued a condemnation statement with no actual value and no impact on the ground in the West Bank, which is a target of seizure? What does this suggest?
So that the blame is not put solely on Fatah and not any other organisation, Hamas’ statement was also made in a verbal context, as its spokesperson said: “The Israeli government’s decision to form a committee representing the settlers in Hebron sets a dangerous precedent that will reinforce the settler authorities in Hebron by providing them with municipal services separate from the Palestinian municipality.”
However, Hamas’ statement included a reluctant threat, “this is a dangerous precedent and a crossing of a red line, the consequences of which the occupation must bear.”
The occupation is willing to bear the consequences and it made this decision while fully aware of its repercussions. If the occupation was certain that the leadership’s reaction, in coordination with the Palestinian organisations, would be different than the typical condemnation and renunciation, it would not have taken the step and made this racist decision. This is what the Palestinian foreign ministry ignored when it blamed the Israeli government completely for the escalation of settlements and its consequences on the process of resolving the conflict politically.
As of now, the government, foreign ministry, and party’s reaction has been limited to the consequences of the Israeli decision on its ability to impose a political solution to the conflict, overlooking the fact that they have limited the other ways to resolve the conflict. Therefore, the leadership’s reaction to the Israeli decision has been less than the matter itself. This is especially true as the danger of the new arrangement in Hebron has gone beyond allowing settlers to receive municipal services directly from the Israeli civil administration (the civil branch of the Israeli Defence Ministry in the Palestinian territories), but rather gives the settlers strong local authorities and powers that can, in the future, be an alternative to the Hebron municipality. This is what happened before 1948, when the British colonial powers helped the Jewish communities to create alternative local councils and reduce the services provided by the Palestinian local councils, thus paving the way for the loss of Palestine and the establishment of Israel.
Condemnation, renunciation, refusal and urging the international community to intervene are not enough. This is cheap and foolish talk used by the government, leadership and organisations to fool the people, especially since it is Palestinian land that is being targeted. This is the core of the conflict that is being lost before the eyes of the world. Therefore, what we need is a serious Palestinian position regarding settlements and an effective positon on the ground that disturbs the actions of the settlers, wrecks their plans and imposes a new equation on the ground. Anything other than this is a lie and hogwash.
This article first appeared in Arabic on Felesteen on 6 September 2017.
- Dr Fayez Abu Shamaleh is a Palestinian writer. His article was published by MEMO.r
The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) on Monday started building the new Amihai settlement near the West Bank city of Nablus to house the evacuated settlers of the Amona outpost, Israeli media sources revealed.
The Israeli Seventh Channel said that the Israeli Interior Minister, Aryeh Deri, informed officials that all legal procedures related to the former Amona outpost have been completed and the construction of the new settlement would begin today.
The Israeli government allocated some 60 million shekels (approximately $16 million) to build the new settlement of Amihai.
Between 200 and 300 settlers are scheduled to move to the new settlement.
Haaretz paper has earlier revealed that Amihai is to be built on 14 dunums of a Palestinian-owned agricultural land south of Nablus.
The land’s owner has appealed against the Israeli confiscation plans.
Amihai is the first settlement to be created by Israeli cabinet vote in over 20 years.
The Israeli Seventh Channel said that the Israeli Interior Minister, Aryeh Deri, informed officials that all legal procedures related to the former Amona outpost have been completed and the construction of the new settlement would begin today.
The Israeli government allocated some 60 million shekels (approximately $16 million) to build the new settlement of Amihai.
Between 200 and 300 settlers are scheduled to move to the new settlement.
Haaretz paper has earlier revealed that Amihai is to be built on 14 dunums of a Palestinian-owned agricultural land south of Nablus.
The land’s owner has appealed against the Israeli confiscation plans.
Amihai is the first settlement to be created by Israeli cabinet vote in over 20 years.
7 sept 2017
The Jerusalem Planning and Building committee is to approve, on Sunday, the construction of 176 settlement units in the Jabal Al-Mukaber area, East Jerusalem, according to Israeli media.
There are talks about expanding Neveh Zion Settlement outpost, which was established six years ago, in the middle of the area’s Palestinian neighborhood, which currently has 91 settlement units.
The largest settlement outpost in Jerusalem which is “Ma’ale Hazeitim,” where 200 settler families live, PNN reports.
The application for starting the settlement construction at Jabel Mukaber was submitted by an Israeli company which is owned by several foreign companies registered in Australia, the Cayman Islands and the United States.
According to Peace Now Israeli rights movement, Jewish-Australian businessman Kevin Bremeister is behind this company, and Israeli businessman Rami Levy holds 15 percent of the company’s shares.
Peace Now also stated that “building a large settlement in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood would make the situation in Jerusalem more problematic, and it will make the two-state solution harder to reach as the government seems to have opened all possibilities for the expansion of settlement projects in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem,”
The movement added that the previous outline of the project in (Neve Tzion) proved the faulty of the allegation which said that the deal is only a real estate deal.
“The Israelis are not interested in buying homes in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhoods. The only ones who do this are those motivated by ideology. There is no economic or real estate issue, but only a political attempt to prevent solving the problem in Jerusalem”.
According to Haaretz, contractor Rahim Levy had purchased the land in the 1970s. Degel company, which originated the project, faced financial difficulties because it failed to market the project, as it is very close to the Palestinian neighborhood. During the sale of the project, Palestinian businessman Bashir al-Masri tried to buy the land, but right-wing parties managed to buy it with the help of Bermeister, who is very active in helping right-wing Israeli organizations in East Jerusalem.
The construction plan at Naveh Zion is to be approved while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to a 10-day political visit to Latin America, then to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly, where he is also expected to meet on with US President Donald Trump to discuss the US plan for reviving the “peace initiative”.
Thus, since Netanyahu will be outside the country, the meeting of the Supreme Committee of the Civil Administration was postponed, which was supposed to approve the financing building thousands of new settlement units in West Bank. At the request of Netanyahu’s office, the committee will hold its meeting at the end of September or early October only, after the return of the president of the PLO.
Netanyahu’s office also postponed and canceled many building plans, fearing criticism from the United States and other countries.
There are talks about expanding Neveh Zion Settlement outpost, which was established six years ago, in the middle of the area’s Palestinian neighborhood, which currently has 91 settlement units.
The largest settlement outpost in Jerusalem which is “Ma’ale Hazeitim,” where 200 settler families live, PNN reports.
The application for starting the settlement construction at Jabel Mukaber was submitted by an Israeli company which is owned by several foreign companies registered in Australia, the Cayman Islands and the United States.
According to Peace Now Israeli rights movement, Jewish-Australian businessman Kevin Bremeister is behind this company, and Israeli businessman Rami Levy holds 15 percent of the company’s shares.
Peace Now also stated that “building a large settlement in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood would make the situation in Jerusalem more problematic, and it will make the two-state solution harder to reach as the government seems to have opened all possibilities for the expansion of settlement projects in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem,”
The movement added that the previous outline of the project in (Neve Tzion) proved the faulty of the allegation which said that the deal is only a real estate deal.
“The Israelis are not interested in buying homes in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhoods. The only ones who do this are those motivated by ideology. There is no economic or real estate issue, but only a political attempt to prevent solving the problem in Jerusalem”.
According to Haaretz, contractor Rahim Levy had purchased the land in the 1970s. Degel company, which originated the project, faced financial difficulties because it failed to market the project, as it is very close to the Palestinian neighborhood. During the sale of the project, Palestinian businessman Bashir al-Masri tried to buy the land, but right-wing parties managed to buy it with the help of Bermeister, who is very active in helping right-wing Israeli organizations in East Jerusalem.
The construction plan at Naveh Zion is to be approved while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on his way to a 10-day political visit to Latin America, then to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly, where he is also expected to meet on with US President Donald Trump to discuss the US plan for reviving the “peace initiative”.
Thus, since Netanyahu will be outside the country, the meeting of the Supreme Committee of the Civil Administration was postponed, which was supposed to approve the financing building thousands of new settlement units in West Bank. At the request of Netanyahu’s office, the committee will hold its meeting at the end of September or early October only, after the return of the president of the PLO.
Netanyahu’s office also postponed and canceled many building plans, fearing criticism from the United States and other countries.
6 sept 2017
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has embarked on expansion activities in the illegal settlement of El Matan, west of Deir Istiya town in the West Bank province of Salfit.
Local eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) on Wednesday that the IOA annexed vast tracts of land in Wadi Qana area of Deir Istiya to construct new housing units as part of a plan to expand El Matan.
They affirmed that the settlement is being expanded silently into Wadi Qana, away from the media and without informing the Palestinian landowners of the Israeli plan to build on their plots of land.
Local eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) on Wednesday that the IOA annexed vast tracts of land in Wadi Qana area of Deir Istiya to construct new housing units as part of a plan to expand El Matan.
They affirmed that the settlement is being expanded silently into Wadi Qana, away from the media and without informing the Palestinian landowners of the Israeli plan to build on their plots of land.
Israel’s Planning and Construction Committee approved Tuesday the construction of thousands of settlement units in Occupied Jerusalem.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the occupation authorities deem the move as vital due to the land shortage in Jerusalem.
The Society for the Protection of Nature and other environmental NGOs objected the move, which they said would bring about heavy ecological damage.
The approved plan signals the go ahead for the establishment of 4,000 settlement units in a 600-hectare-area.
Expert in Israeli settlement affairs, Khalil al-Tufakji said the bid unravels Israeli attempts to prevent, by all means possible, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state having Jerusalem as its capital.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the occupation authorities deem the move as vital due to the land shortage in Jerusalem.
The Society for the Protection of Nature and other environmental NGOs objected the move, which they said would bring about heavy ecological damage.
The approved plan signals the go ahead for the establishment of 4,000 settlement units in a 600-hectare-area.
Expert in Israeli settlement affairs, Khalil al-Tufakji said the bid unravels Israeli attempts to prevent, by all means possible, the establishment of an independent Palestinian state having Jerusalem as its capital.
4 sept 2017
Both Israel and the United States have threatened to cut their funding to the United Nations Human Rights Council if the Council moves ahead with its promise to publish a list of companies that do business in Israeli settlements built on Palestinian land.
The threats come in the midst of a wider crackdown on the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement that was created to pressure Israel economically, in order to push the Israeli government to comply with its obligations under international law.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Public Security Minister, issued the threat, which coincided with a similar threat by US Ambassador the the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
The current US President has issued conflicting statements about US policy toward Israeli settlements, speaking in support of settlements while in the company of Zionists, while t other times making statements more consistent with decades of US policy, which holds that Israeli settlements are in violation of past agreements and must be halted before any peace process can begin.
But despite US policy opposing settlements, the US has continually refused any measures to sanction or otherwise censure Israel for expanding settlements. The US has also criticized movements by non-governmental organizations and individuals to boycott Israeli settlement products, and to divest from Israeli companies as paet of the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement.
Most recently, the US Congress has introduced a bill that would criminalize the decision by Americans to boycott Israeli companies, despite the fact that such boycotts are supported by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The announcement by the US and Israel that they will cut funding to the UN Security Council comes after the head of the Council, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said that he will publicly release a list of companies doing business in Israeli settlements.
The companies include Caterpillar, G4S Security and HP – all of which have contracts with the Israeli military to support its military occupation of the Palestinian Territories known as the West bank and Gaza Strip.
All Israeli settlements are considered violations of international law, and of Israel’s obligations as an occupying military power, under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The threats come in the midst of a wider crackdown on the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement that was created to pressure Israel economically, in order to push the Israeli government to comply with its obligations under international law.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Public Security Minister, issued the threat, which coincided with a similar threat by US Ambassador the the United Nations, Nikki Haley.
The current US President has issued conflicting statements about US policy toward Israeli settlements, speaking in support of settlements while in the company of Zionists, while t other times making statements more consistent with decades of US policy, which holds that Israeli settlements are in violation of past agreements and must be halted before any peace process can begin.
But despite US policy opposing settlements, the US has continually refused any measures to sanction or otherwise censure Israel for expanding settlements. The US has also criticized movements by non-governmental organizations and individuals to boycott Israeli settlement products, and to divest from Israeli companies as paet of the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement.
Most recently, the US Congress has introduced a bill that would criminalize the decision by Americans to boycott Israeli companies, despite the fact that such boycotts are supported by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The announcement by the US and Israel that they will cut funding to the UN Security Council comes after the head of the Council, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said that he will publicly release a list of companies doing business in Israeli settlements.
The companies include Caterpillar, G4S Security and HP – all of which have contracts with the Israeli military to support its military occupation of the Palestinian Territories known as the West bank and Gaza Strip.
All Israeli settlements are considered violations of international law, and of Israel’s obligations as an occupying military power, under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
2 sept 2017
The Israeli government will approve in its weekly meeting on Sunday a budget of 60 million shekels (about 16,700,000 US dollars) allocated for the construction of the new settlement of Amichai south of Nablus.
According to Hebrew media sources, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask the cabinet ministers to agree on the budget under which the Ministry of Finance will transfer 55 million shekels to the Ministry of Housing to start building the settlement, Quds Press reported.
The news agency said that other 5 million shekels will be sent to the Israeli war ministry to set up mobile homes to house the settlers evicted from Amona on temporary basis before they are moved to the new settlement.
The Israeli occupation authorities on 2nd February evacuated Amona outpost, which was built on Palestinian lands to the northeast of Ramallah, based on a Supreme Court order.
The construction of Amichai, which will be built on the lands of Jaloud village to the south of Nablus, began last May, and it is planned to include 102 settlement units. The construction activities, however, were later suspended due to differences over the budget.
Hebrew sources reported that the settlement deal was prepared by Yoav Horowitz, chief of staff at Netanyahu's office, and it will be part of the initial budget announced by the government in December to compensate Amona settlers.
Head of Jaloud village council, Abdullah Haj Mohammed, said in an earlier interview with Quds Press that Israeli bulldozers began to raze lands in the village that were confiscated about 27 years ago in preparation for the construction of the new settlement.
Israeli occupation authorities have stepped up their settlement policies in the Palestinian territories after the Knesset approved the so-called "Regulation Law" which legalizes the construction of Jewish settlements on privately-owned Palestinian lands and prevents Israeli courts from taking any decision to dismantle these settlements. In exchange, Palestinian owners will be compensated with money or receive alternative lands.
On 23rd December 2016, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution asking Israel to immediately and completely halt its settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
According to Hebrew media sources, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask the cabinet ministers to agree on the budget under which the Ministry of Finance will transfer 55 million shekels to the Ministry of Housing to start building the settlement, Quds Press reported.
The news agency said that other 5 million shekels will be sent to the Israeli war ministry to set up mobile homes to house the settlers evicted from Amona on temporary basis before they are moved to the new settlement.
The Israeli occupation authorities on 2nd February evacuated Amona outpost, which was built on Palestinian lands to the northeast of Ramallah, based on a Supreme Court order.
The construction of Amichai, which will be built on the lands of Jaloud village to the south of Nablus, began last May, and it is planned to include 102 settlement units. The construction activities, however, were later suspended due to differences over the budget.
Hebrew sources reported that the settlement deal was prepared by Yoav Horowitz, chief of staff at Netanyahu's office, and it will be part of the initial budget announced by the government in December to compensate Amona settlers.
Head of Jaloud village council, Abdullah Haj Mohammed, said in an earlier interview with Quds Press that Israeli bulldozers began to raze lands in the village that were confiscated about 27 years ago in preparation for the construction of the new settlement.
Israeli occupation authorities have stepped up their settlement policies in the Palestinian territories after the Knesset approved the so-called "Regulation Law" which legalizes the construction of Jewish settlements on privately-owned Palestinian lands and prevents Israeli courts from taking any decision to dismantle these settlements. In exchange, Palestinian owners will be compensated with money or receive alternative lands.
On 23rd December 2016, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution asking Israel to immediately and completely halt its settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
