21 july 2014
Mahmoud Hatem Shawamra 21
Palestinian Medical sources have reported that a young Palestinian man was shot and killed by an Israeli settler, at the entrance of ar-Ram town, south of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
The sources said resident Mahmoud Hatem Shawamra, 21, was shot by four live rounds in the chest, abdomen, back and thigh. Eyewitnesses said the settler short Shawamra from a very close range.
Israeli soldiers called for an Israeli military ambulance, but Shawamra died of his wounds at the nearby Hezma Israeli military roadblock.
Meanwhile, soldiers clashed with dozens of local protesters, and fired rounds of live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades.
On Tuesday at dawn, several Palestinians were injured after the army invaded the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.
Red Crescent medics said seven Palestinians were shot by rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens received treatment for the effects of tear gas inhalation, especially since the army fired gas bombs at homes in the camp.
Palestinian Medical sources have reported that a young Palestinian man was shot and killed by an Israeli settler, at the entrance of ar-Ram town, south of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
The sources said resident Mahmoud Hatem Shawamra, 21, was shot by four live rounds in the chest, abdomen, back and thigh. Eyewitnesses said the settler short Shawamra from a very close range.
Israeli soldiers called for an Israeli military ambulance, but Shawamra died of his wounds at the nearby Hezma Israeli military roadblock.
Meanwhile, soldiers clashed with dozens of local protesters, and fired rounds of live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets, gas bombs and concussion grenades.
On Tuesday at dawn, several Palestinians were injured after the army invaded the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.
Red Crescent medics said seven Palestinians were shot by rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens received treatment for the effects of tear gas inhalation, especially since the army fired gas bombs at homes in the camp.
17 july 2014
The mother and family of 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir, kidnapped and killed in possible revenge attack early Wednesday
The Israeli Ministry of Defense on Thursday recognized a slain Palestinian youth from Jerusalem as a "victim of terrorism" after his brutal murder by right-wing Jewish extremists.
Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, was forced into a car near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shufat, covered into gasoline, and burned to death by three Jewish youths on July 2, in what was suspected to be a revenge attack for the kidnapping and death of three Jewish youths the month before.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it recognized the "murder ... as a terrorist attack."
"The decision was made as a result of the indictment brought today against the defendants in the murder of the youth, and the findings from the investigation which point to the nationalistic motive of his murder," the statement said.
The three youths accused of the killing have admitted to carrying out the crime, police say.
As a resident of East Jerusalem, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967 but which the country considers part of its territory since a 1980 annexation not recognized by the international community, Abu Khdeir holds Israeli residency but not citizenship.
He is one of the few Palestinians recognized as a "victim of terrorism" by Israel, as the majority of anti-Palestinian violence in the West Bank or Gaza goes unreported or prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
The killing of Abu Khdeir set off days of rioting in East Jerusalem, and underscored a wave of anti-Palestinian violence across Israel in recent months.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense on Thursday recognized a slain Palestinian youth from Jerusalem as a "victim of terrorism" after his brutal murder by right-wing Jewish extremists.
Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, was forced into a car near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shufat, covered into gasoline, and burned to death by three Jewish youths on July 2, in what was suspected to be a revenge attack for the kidnapping and death of three Jewish youths the month before.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it recognized the "murder ... as a terrorist attack."
"The decision was made as a result of the indictment brought today against the defendants in the murder of the youth, and the findings from the investigation which point to the nationalistic motive of his murder," the statement said.
The three youths accused of the killing have admitted to carrying out the crime, police say.
As a resident of East Jerusalem, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967 but which the country considers part of its territory since a 1980 annexation not recognized by the international community, Abu Khdeir holds Israeli residency but not citizenship.
He is one of the few Palestinians recognized as a "victim of terrorism" by Israel, as the majority of anti-Palestinian violence in the West Bank or Gaza goes unreported or prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
The killing of Abu Khdeir set off days of rioting in East Jerusalem, and underscored a wave of anti-Palestinian violence across Israel in recent months.
Israeli settlers stormed on Thursday morning al-Aqsa Mosque from the Magharebeh Gate under heavy police protection. A state of tension prevailed in the mosque, where Palestinian worshipers started chanting Takbeer and slogans protesting settlers’ attack.
Israeli forces continued to prevent West Bank citizens from having access into occupied Jerusalem, while imposing restrictions on Jerusalemite women and youths’ entry into the holy site.
Along the same line, 26 Palestinians were detained in different parts of occupied Jerusalem under the pretext of attacking Israeli settlers.
Spokesperson for Israeli police said that 21 Jerusalemites were arrested for “disturbing the public order” following protests against the killing of child Mohamed Abu Khudeir.
During the past two weeks, 201 Palestinians were arrested, the spokesperson said, pointing out that more arrests are expected to be carried out during the next few days.
2 Jerusalemites were also arrested in Issawiya town for stoning Israeli police, while 3 Jerusalemites were arrested in Jerusalem’s Old City on suspicion of attacking an Israeli settler.
According to media sources, Israeli police have arrested three Palestinians for filming the damage caused by Palestinian resistance rocket fire.
Israeli forces continued to prevent West Bank citizens from having access into occupied Jerusalem, while imposing restrictions on Jerusalemite women and youths’ entry into the holy site.
Along the same line, 26 Palestinians were detained in different parts of occupied Jerusalem under the pretext of attacking Israeli settlers.
Spokesperson for Israeli police said that 21 Jerusalemites were arrested for “disturbing the public order” following protests against the killing of child Mohamed Abu Khudeir.
During the past two weeks, 201 Palestinians were arrested, the spokesperson said, pointing out that more arrests are expected to be carried out during the next few days.
2 Jerusalemites were also arrested in Issawiya town for stoning Israeli police, while 3 Jerusalemites were arrested in Jerusalem’s Old City on suspicion of attacking an Israeli settler.
According to media sources, Israeli police have arrested three Palestinians for filming the damage caused by Palestinian resistance rocket fire.
16 july 2014
A group of Jewish settlers led by fanatic rabbi Yehuda Glick on Wednesday morning desecrated the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards under police protection. Their unwelcome presence at the Mosque created tensions between them and Palestinian worshipers who chanted protest slogans to fend them off.
Palestinian groups in occupied Jerusalem reiterated their appeal to the Arab and Islamic worlds to save the Aqsa Mosque and urged the Palestinians in the occupied territories to intensify their presence at the Mosque.
Palestinian groups in occupied Jerusalem reiterated their appeal to the Arab and Islamic worlds to save the Aqsa Mosque and urged the Palestinians in the occupied territories to intensify their presence at the Mosque.
15 july 2014
Yesterday, in the village of Deir Istiya, two young boys, Hasim Abu Zeed (13) and Hathem Yaser Abu Zeed (9) were attacked by Israeli settlers.
Every day Hasim and Hathem’s family have to cross a road, which separates their homes from the village. This puts them in a dangerous position, exposing them to settler harassment and violence. Yesterday evening when they were passing a road to visit a store in the village, a car drove by and dragged the two boys inside. Hasim screamed, causing people to wake in the village, this appeared to unnerve the settlers and the two boys managed to escape into the olive fields, close to their house. While the boys ran, one of the settlers pulled out an M16 and tried to shoot them, and also fired into the sky. Thankfully neither boy was injured.
When the Israeli soldiers arrived, they offered the family protection for four days, but left after an hour. The family is now extremely frightened; especially as this was not the first time one of their children was targeting by colonial settlers.
Every day Hasim and Hathem’s family have to cross a road, which separates their homes from the village. This puts them in a dangerous position, exposing them to settler harassment and violence. Yesterday evening when they were passing a road to visit a store in the village, a car drove by and dragged the two boys inside. Hasim screamed, causing people to wake in the village, this appeared to unnerve the settlers and the two boys managed to escape into the olive fields, close to their house. While the boys ran, one of the settlers pulled out an M16 and tried to shoot them, and also fired into the sky. Thankfully neither boy was injured.
When the Israeli soldiers arrived, they offered the family protection for four days, but left after an hour. The family is now extremely frightened; especially as this was not the first time one of their children was targeting by colonial settlers.
Seven months ago, Hathem’s younger brother, Ibrahim Yaser Abu Zeed (8) was crossing the street when a settle car ran him over, dragging him several meters before driving away. When the boy was found his wounds were so severe that it seemed likely he would die.
He was taken to a hospital located inside the state of Israel and fortunately survived, traumatized and badly injured, he returned to his family. Several months later, he still has to use a prescribed cream on his wounds to help the scar tissue heal. The cream costs 170 shekels, which is a serious financial burden.
Physical violence from settlers in Deir Istya is not uncommon; the situation is the same in so many other Palestinian villages close to illegal settlements. Deir Istya is being surrounded by settlements, which continue to steal more and more Palestinian land. The village itself is located in area A (under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control), but it is surrounded by area C (under full Israeli military civil and security control).
Nine people in the Zeed family live in in two rooms. The father of the family attempted to erect a tent for his goats beside the house, which Israeli soldiers immediately demanded him to destroy himself, or they would force him to pay them to destroy it.
He was taken to a hospital located inside the state of Israel and fortunately survived, traumatized and badly injured, he returned to his family. Several months later, he still has to use a prescribed cream on his wounds to help the scar tissue heal. The cream costs 170 shekels, which is a serious financial burden.
Physical violence from settlers in Deir Istya is not uncommon; the situation is the same in so many other Palestinian villages close to illegal settlements. Deir Istya is being surrounded by settlements, which continue to steal more and more Palestinian land. The village itself is located in area A (under full Palestinian Authority civil and security control), but it is surrounded by area C (under full Israeli military civil and security control).
Nine people in the Zeed family live in in two rooms. The father of the family attempted to erect a tent for his goats beside the house, which Israeli soldiers immediately demanded him to destroy himself, or they would force him to pay them to destroy it.
Three extremist Israelis assaulted a Palestinian lawyer and a woman in Deir Yassin in west Jerusalem.
A Ma'an reporter said the three pepper-sprayed lawyer Sanaa Dweik and a woman that was with her when they were leaving a courthouse in western Jerusalem.
Lawyer Dweik told Ma'an that “when I finished my work at the courthouse in Deir Yassin on Monday I headed to my car with my client where we were surprised by two extremists who at first accused me of parking my car in their spot and then of hitting their car.”
“One of them opened the car door while verbally assaulting me and then slammed it hard and another one pepper sprayed me and my client.”
Dweik added that the extremists fled and pedestrians who were in the area did not try to catch them, call the police or an ambulance; two Arab young men were passing by and called authorities.
The lawyer highlighted that this was the second time she was assaulted; the first was during the Israeli offensive on Gaza in 2012 when seven extremists punctured the tires of her car and attempted to stab her with knives. She managed to lock her car and call the police who arrived and detained them.
Dweik added that the suspects appeared to be in their early to mid-20s.
A Ma'an reporter said the three pepper-sprayed lawyer Sanaa Dweik and a woman that was with her when they were leaving a courthouse in western Jerusalem.
Lawyer Dweik told Ma'an that “when I finished my work at the courthouse in Deir Yassin on Monday I headed to my car with my client where we were surprised by two extremists who at first accused me of parking my car in their spot and then of hitting their car.”
“One of them opened the car door while verbally assaulting me and then slammed it hard and another one pepper sprayed me and my client.”
Dweik added that the extremists fled and pedestrians who were in the area did not try to catch them, call the police or an ambulance; two Arab young men were passing by and called authorities.
The lawyer highlighted that this was the second time she was assaulted; the first was during the Israeli offensive on Gaza in 2012 when seven extremists punctured the tires of her car and attempted to stab her with knives. She managed to lock her car and call the police who arrived and detained them.
Dweik added that the suspects appeared to be in their early to mid-20s.
14 july 2014
Palestinians carried the body of Mohammed Abu Khdeir in Jerusalem.
Israel has charged three Jewish Israelis with the kidnapping and killing of a Palestinian teenager whose death set off days of violent protests in Arab areas of Jerusalem and northern Israel.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the three appeared before a court on Monday. He said the suspects admitted to abducting 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir and setting him on fire. Rosenfeld said they also re-enacted the murder.
Abu Khdeir was taken on 2 July near his home in east Jerusalem and his charred body was later found in a forest.
Israel's Shin Bet security service said the suspects, whose names were not released, were motivated by revenge after the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers.
Police are investigating three others for involvement in the killing. They remain under house arrest.
Israel has charged three Jewish Israelis with the kidnapping and killing of a Palestinian teenager whose death set off days of violent protests in Arab areas of Jerusalem and northern Israel.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the three appeared before a court on Monday. He said the suspects admitted to abducting 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir and setting him on fire. Rosenfeld said they also re-enacted the murder.
Abu Khdeir was taken on 2 July near his home in east Jerusalem and his charred body was later found in a forest.
Israel's Shin Bet security service said the suspects, whose names were not released, were motivated by revenge after the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers.
Police are investigating three others for involvement in the killing. They remain under house arrest.
A gang of Israeli extremist settlers burned down dozens of Palestinian olive trees in Hawara town, south of Nablus, and in Barta’a, in Jenin. Eye-witnesses told a PIC correspondent that hordes of Yitzhar settlers set fire to Palestinian olive trees in al-Laf area, near Hawara town.
Several trees were reduced to ashes as a result of the fires that spread out quickly, the witnesses added.
In a related event, the Israeli occupation troops set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in eastern Barta’a, in Jenin, leading to severe material damage.
Violent clashes broke out between the landowners and the IOF soldiers in the process.
The IOF soldiers have been cordoning off the industrial and commercial zone in the village.
Dozens of Palestinian civilians were rushed to hospital as they inhaled tear gas fired by the IOF throughout the clashes.
Several trees were reduced to ashes as a result of the fires that spread out quickly, the witnesses added.
In a related event, the Israeli occupation troops set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in eastern Barta’a, in Jenin, leading to severe material damage.
Violent clashes broke out between the landowners and the IOF soldiers in the process.
The IOF soldiers have been cordoning off the industrial and commercial zone in the village.
Dozens of Palestinian civilians were rushed to hospital as they inhaled tear gas fired by the IOF throughout the clashes.
13 july 2014
Two Israeli extremists attempted to stab a Palestinian woman and her two children as they passed through a Jewish neighborhood in the Old City of Jerusalem late Saturday.
A Ma’an reporter said that the two Israelis attempted to stab Umm Ziyad Abu Hadwan, her daughter Fidaa, 10, and her son Ahmad, 8.
Her husband said that the Israelis verbally abused her before one of them took out a knife. They started screaming and managed to flee to a shop in the chain gate area.
The Israelis attempted to follow them but were stopped by people at the gate.
A Ma’an reporter said that the two Israelis attempted to stab Umm Ziyad Abu Hadwan, her daughter Fidaa, 10, and her son Ahmad, 8.
Her husband said that the Israelis verbally abused her before one of them took out a knife. They started screaming and managed to flee to a shop in the chain gate area.
The Israelis attempted to follow them but were stopped by people at the gate.
Tension is running high inside and outside the Aqsa Mosque on Sunday morning after Jewish settlers led by the fanatic rabbi Ehuda Glick broke into its courtyards. Eyewitnesses said that special Israeli police forces raided the holy site and fired sound bombs and rubber bullets at the fasting worshipers, who managed to enter it, wounding many of them.
Israeli police forces have imposed tight restriction on the entry into the Mosque since the early morning hours, barring entry of those less than 50 years old while allowing Jewish settlers free access through the Maghareba gate.
The witnesses said that violent confrontations broke out after the worshipers protested the ban and objected to the free access allowed to the Jews.
Islamic Awkaf sources said that the Israeli special forces were trying to implement the Israeli occupation authorities’ scheme of temporal division of the Mosque by allowing only Jews into the Mosque in the morning. It warned that in the event they succeeded then it would be followed with the spacial division of the Mosque
Israeli police forces have imposed tight restriction on the entry into the Mosque since the early morning hours, barring entry of those less than 50 years old while allowing Jewish settlers free access through the Maghareba gate.
The witnesses said that violent confrontations broke out after the worshipers protested the ban and objected to the free access allowed to the Jews.
Islamic Awkaf sources said that the Israeli special forces were trying to implement the Israeli occupation authorities’ scheme of temporal division of the Mosque by allowing only Jews into the Mosque in the morning. It warned that in the event they succeeded then it would be followed with the spacial division of the Mosque
11 july 2014
An Israeli settler died and another was severely injured early Friday when a Palestinian driver struck them with his car at Zaatara military checkpoint in southern Nablus.
Palestinian security forces told Ma’an that a Palestinian driver hit two Israeli settlers with his car killing one immediately, while the other sustained severe injuries.
The driver fled immediately but ran into trees a few meters away from the checkpoint before Israeli forces arrested him.
The forces opened an investigation to find out whether the incident was intentional.
The Israel army denied knowledge of the incident. Israeli media reports said a settler crashed into an army vehicle.
Palestinian security forces told Ma’an that a Palestinian driver hit two Israeli settlers with his car killing one immediately, while the other sustained severe injuries.
The driver fled immediately but ran into trees a few meters away from the checkpoint before Israeli forces arrested him.
The forces opened an investigation to find out whether the incident was intentional.
The Israel army denied knowledge of the incident. Israeli media reports said a settler crashed into an army vehicle.
One of the suspected killers of 16-year old Mohammed Abu Khdair
A controversial Israeli organization that is representing the six men recently arrested in the recent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager is receiving thousands of dollars in tax-deductible support from Americans. The group, called Honenu (which roughly translates to "pardon"), supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians.
Honenu's work goes well goes beyond legal aid.
The group says it also provides "spiritual" and "financial" assistance to prisoners and their families. Among those Honenu has helped: Yigal Amir, assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; an Israeli convicted of murdering seven Palestinians at a bus stop; and an Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter and obstruction of justice after shooting a British photographer in Gaza.
The tax-exempt donations do not appear to run afoul of U.S. law. But they do put U.S. taxpayers in the position of subsidizing aid to Israelis convicted of politically motivated violence.
Asked about the group's work, Honenu spokesman Eran Schwartz said the organization "provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense." Schwartz declined to answer our other questions, including about the group's financial support that goes beyond legal defense. (See their full statement below.)
A suspect (L) connected to the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir is seen covering his face at the court house in Petah Tikva, central Israel. (Xinhua/JINI)
Honenu's latest filing to the Israeli government shows it overall budget for 2012 was nearly $600,000, about $120,000 of which went to legal aid, $34,000 to "financial assistance," and the rest to salaries and overhead. (Here is Honenu's filing, in Hebrew.)
The group, which was founded in 2001, uses an American nonprofit as conduit for donations. Honenu's website, which advertises that "your contribution is tax-deductible," says checks should be made out to "Central Fund of Israel," or CFI. As the New York Times detailed in 2010, the Central Fund of Israel serves as a "clearinghouse" for donations to hundreds of groups in Israel, some of them supporting settlements.
CFI has grown almost continuously since it was founded in 1979 by members of the Marcus family, who own a New York textile company.
Operating from Manhattan's garment district, CFI received about $16 million in 2012, according to the Fund's latest filing with the Internal Revenue Service. Jay Marcus, who now runs CFI, said donations in 2013 reached about $19 million.
In the Fund's filings with the IRS, it lists donations to Israeli groups as going to "social services, humanitarian aid, and aid to the poor."
Marcus confirmed in a phone call that his organization transfers donations to Honenu. "They are a legal aid society," he said.
Honenu's filing with the Israeli government shows the group received about $120,000 from CFI in 2012. The documents identify another $12,000 coming from "Honenu USA." A nonprofit organization with that name operated from Queens, New York and last filed a report to the Internal Revenue Service in 2010, stating it had received contributions of $33,000. It is not clear if Honenu USA is still active.
Marcus Owens, a lawyer who ran the IRS's nonprofit unit in the 1990s said such donations can fall into a tricky area: "While providing legal assistance to those accused of crimes is a long-standing charitable purpose (e.g. the American Civil Liberties Union), providing assistance to relatives of those convicted of crimes has been viewed by the US government as potentially encouraging further criminal action."
The State Department's recent annual report on terrorism included, for the first time, attacks by Israelis against Palestinians, citing a rise in "violent acts by extremist Jewish individuals and groups in retaliation for activity they deemed to be anti-settlement."
If you have experience with or information about American nonprofits supporting extremists in Israel, email Uri Blau or tweet him @uri_blau. Blau is an Israeli investigative journalist specialized in military and political affairs, corruption and transparency. He was a 2014 Nieman Fellow for Journalism at Harvard University.
Full response from Honenu
As our article details, Honenu is an Israeli group that received tax-deductible donations from the United States and supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians. We asked Honenu for comment prior to our article. This is their full response:
Honenu's response to article by Uri Blau. The reporter, Uri Blau was convicted of severe crimes of espionage against Israel which attests to his motives and his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic interests. To date, we have not heard him expressing regret for his criminal actions. Honenu provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense. We will not cooperate with a convicted criminal whose goal is to damage Israelis and Jews.
The author of our article, freelancer Uri Blau, was convicted in 2012 in Israel of holding classified military documents he received as a reporter. The International Press Institute condemned the case against Blau as "undermining press freedom in general and investigative journalism in particular" in Israel. Here is more on Blau's case and press freedoms in Israel.
A controversial Israeli organization that is representing the six men recently arrested in the recent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager is receiving thousands of dollars in tax-deductible support from Americans. The group, called Honenu (which roughly translates to "pardon"), supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians.
Honenu's work goes well goes beyond legal aid.
The group says it also provides "spiritual" and "financial" assistance to prisoners and their families. Among those Honenu has helped: Yigal Amir, assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; an Israeli convicted of murdering seven Palestinians at a bus stop; and an Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter and obstruction of justice after shooting a British photographer in Gaza.
The tax-exempt donations do not appear to run afoul of U.S. law. But they do put U.S. taxpayers in the position of subsidizing aid to Israelis convicted of politically motivated violence.
Asked about the group's work, Honenu spokesman Eran Schwartz said the organization "provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense." Schwartz declined to answer our other questions, including about the group's financial support that goes beyond legal defense. (See their full statement below.)
A suspect (L) connected to the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir is seen covering his face at the court house in Petah Tikva, central Israel. (Xinhua/JINI)
Honenu's latest filing to the Israeli government shows it overall budget for 2012 was nearly $600,000, about $120,000 of which went to legal aid, $34,000 to "financial assistance," and the rest to salaries and overhead. (Here is Honenu's filing, in Hebrew.)
The group, which was founded in 2001, uses an American nonprofit as conduit for donations. Honenu's website, which advertises that "your contribution is tax-deductible," says checks should be made out to "Central Fund of Israel," or CFI. As the New York Times detailed in 2010, the Central Fund of Israel serves as a "clearinghouse" for donations to hundreds of groups in Israel, some of them supporting settlements.
CFI has grown almost continuously since it was founded in 1979 by members of the Marcus family, who own a New York textile company.
Operating from Manhattan's garment district, CFI received about $16 million in 2012, according to the Fund's latest filing with the Internal Revenue Service. Jay Marcus, who now runs CFI, said donations in 2013 reached about $19 million.
In the Fund's filings with the IRS, it lists donations to Israeli groups as going to "social services, humanitarian aid, and aid to the poor."
Marcus confirmed in a phone call that his organization transfers donations to Honenu. "They are a legal aid society," he said.
Honenu's filing with the Israeli government shows the group received about $120,000 from CFI in 2012. The documents identify another $12,000 coming from "Honenu USA." A nonprofit organization with that name operated from Queens, New York and last filed a report to the Internal Revenue Service in 2010, stating it had received contributions of $33,000. It is not clear if Honenu USA is still active.
Marcus Owens, a lawyer who ran the IRS's nonprofit unit in the 1990s said such donations can fall into a tricky area: "While providing legal assistance to those accused of crimes is a long-standing charitable purpose (e.g. the American Civil Liberties Union), providing assistance to relatives of those convicted of crimes has been viewed by the US government as potentially encouraging further criminal action."
The State Department's recent annual report on terrorism included, for the first time, attacks by Israelis against Palestinians, citing a rise in "violent acts by extremist Jewish individuals and groups in retaliation for activity they deemed to be anti-settlement."
If you have experience with or information about American nonprofits supporting extremists in Israel, email Uri Blau or tweet him @uri_blau. Blau is an Israeli investigative journalist specialized in military and political affairs, corruption and transparency. He was a 2014 Nieman Fellow for Journalism at Harvard University.
Full response from Honenu
As our article details, Honenu is an Israeli group that received tax-deductible donations from the United States and supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians. We asked Honenu for comment prior to our article. This is their full response:
Honenu's response to article by Uri Blau. The reporter, Uri Blau was convicted of severe crimes of espionage against Israel which attests to his motives and his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic interests. To date, we have not heard him expressing regret for his criminal actions. Honenu provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense. We will not cooperate with a convicted criminal whose goal is to damage Israelis and Jews.
The author of our article, freelancer Uri Blau, was convicted in 2012 in Israel of holding classified military documents he received as a reporter. The International Press Institute condemned the case against Blau as "undermining press freedom in general and investigative journalism in particular" in Israel. Here is more on Blau's case and press freedoms in Israel.
10 july 2014
The Hebrew newspaper M’areev said Wednesday that Israeli police have released the three settlers accused of the grisly murder of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir The settlers were put under house arrest, the paper reported.
Israeli police had arrested six extremist Jews from occupied Jerusalem following the abduction of Abu-Khdeir from Sho’fat refugee camp, and the later discovery of his charred body, which also bore signs of torture.
The Israeli killers admitted their crime, and re-enacted it for the police. They said they were searching for any Palestinian child in revenge for the death of three Israeli settlers who went missing while hitchhiking, and whose bodies had been discovered two days earlier.
Meanwhile, over 500 Palestinians are still being held in Israeli jails - most without charge, for murder or anything else - after being rounded up during the search for the missing settlers. Israel has named the two suspects in their disappearance, leaving no justification for the continued detention of these 500+ Palestinians.
If confessed murderers are suitable for release to house arrest, surely so too must be the 500+ Palestinians who have not committed or been charged with any crime at all.
Presumably we can now expect their prompt release by the Israeli authorities, in the interests of equality before the law.
Israeli police had arrested six extremist Jews from occupied Jerusalem following the abduction of Abu-Khdeir from Sho’fat refugee camp, and the later discovery of his charred body, which also bore signs of torture.
The Israeli killers admitted their crime, and re-enacted it for the police. They said they were searching for any Palestinian child in revenge for the death of three Israeli settlers who went missing while hitchhiking, and whose bodies had been discovered two days earlier.
Meanwhile, over 500 Palestinians are still being held in Israeli jails - most without charge, for murder or anything else - after being rounded up during the search for the missing settlers. Israel has named the two suspects in their disappearance, leaving no justification for the continued detention of these 500+ Palestinians.
If confessed murderers are suitable for release to house arrest, surely so too must be the 500+ Palestinians who have not committed or been charged with any crime at all.
Presumably we can now expect their prompt release by the Israeli authorities, in the interests of equality before the law.
