100s of Palestinians’ olive trees uprooted outside Bethlehem

and other news from Today in Palestine:

Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Apartheid

Visualizing occupation: divide and conquer
972blog 21 July by Michael Vexler — Despite sharing a national identity, the Palestinian people are parceled into differential categories along geographical, socioeconomic, humanitarian, political and civilian lines determined by Israel: Palestinians holding Israeli citizenship, residents of East Jerusalem, those living in the West Bank, those in the Gaza Strip, and the refugees.  In this seventh illustration in a series of infographics on Palestinian civilian life under occupation, see the divisions that dictate Palestinian existence.
http://972mag.com/visualizing-occupation-divide-and-conquer/51479/

University of Ariel? Not so fast
Ynet 22 July — A few issues stand in way of practical green light for Israel’s eighth university and first beyond Green Line, such as if and when Central Command head will sign off and whether Council for Higher Education will recognize degrees
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4258524,00.html

Jerusalemite forced to tear down his own home
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC) 21 July — The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) forced a Jerusalemite man in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem to raze his own home in Wad Street. The Quds Center said that Mohammed Shalabi was obliged to demolish part of his home afternoon Thursday at the pretext it was built without permit. It said that Shalabi would pay a heavy fine if the IOA municipality carried out the destruction with its own tools.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s76eiKd4phoXe08tqFXZ07HLFOKayLBNgid6ZxgQxaKITJBflMxXcKb%2fbyJ0t%2fYbaMIv5Gm6BMFlbHZtAWmIr8hlw5qnrNul11fpkEAer5Qzo%3d

Israel issues demolition order on two water cisterns
IMEMC 18 July — On Tuesday, the Israeli army raided Al Qanoub area in Sa‘ir, eastern Hebron and issued a demolition order on two cisterns used to irrigate land for the benefit of twenty people, of whom more than half are children. One cistern owned by Basem and Omar al-Shalaldais is used to irrigate farmland of more than 10 dunums containing 210 seedlings.
The other cistern owned by the family of Shaher al Shalaldais is used to water 5 dunums of land planted with 185 fruit tree seedlings.
The two cisterns were built with the aid of the Improving Livelihood in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Program funded by the Netherlands Representative Office.
http://www.imemc.org/article/63932

Thursday: IOA destroys EU-financed agricultural project in West Bank
AL-KHALIL (PIC) 21 July — Bulldozers of the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) destroyed an agricultural project financed by the European Union (EU) near Khader town south of the West Bank. Ahmed Salah, the coordinator of the popular committee in Khader, told Quds Press that IOA bulldozers destroyed on Thursday the EU-financed water well that was meant to help in reclaiming the village land. He added that the IOA claimed that the water well was located in an area allocated for the establishment of a Talmudic park.
He pointed out that the IOA bulldozers also damaged vast tracts of cultivated land and crops that were collected in preparation for sending them to the market.
The IOA destroyed another store in nearby Khilat Um El-Fahm hamlet near Khader that was full with crops ready for marketing, Salah said.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7fwdQLZsT9KyPk7ir8zxITy7xs0Q8vJsobY%2fUS%2bb%2bQo3Xy%2bZEBxaxJ9l6LQt3RqKI6zOTv77i5YPaRq2BAtWvEk7LpLX%2bY2OvK2fWJYNsnhw%3d

Wednesday: IOF soldiers ruin water wells, greenhouses
AL-KHALIL (PIC) 19 July — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) ruined a water well and three greenhouses near Edhna village to the west of Al-Khalil afternoon Wednesday, local sources said. They said that the demolition took place in an area called ‘Farsh Al-Hawa‘ in the road between Al-Khalil and Edhna. This is the second demolition of similar agricultural installations and water wells in the area within one week.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7884S%2fwmLhypj3xB9v4aS8468N5Yo%2blihtIqL8d%2bRWz6zkJGPTnDj4df0umoFMklUwxm1SLm4XbXURdzFrYY%2bajG%2bfD9Wxh91Il5oVu%2fG%2bX8%3d

Thursday: Settlers uproot trees north of Hebron
HEBRON, July 19 (WAFA) – Jewish settlers Thursday uprooted olive and almond trees in an area in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, according to a local activist. Spokesman of the National Committee against the Wall and settlement, Mohammed Awad, told WAFA that settlers from the nearby settlement of Beit Ain, built illegally on the town’s land, uprooted around 25 olive and almond trees belonging to 77-year-old Palestinian Hamad Salibi. Salibi has lost more than 200 trees due to repeated settlers’ attacks on his land in addition to beatings and threats in an attempt to force him to abandon his land in order to seize it. Farming is Salibi’s only source of livelihood.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20297

Friday: Settlers destroy olive trees in Palestinian field for the 2nd time in 24 hours
AL-KHALIL (PIC) 21 July — Jewish settlers destroyed vineyards, olive and almond trees of a Palestinian farmer for the second time in 24 hours in Beit Ummar village, north of Al-Khalil, local sources said. Mohammed Awad, the spokesman for the popular anti-settlement committee in the village, said that settlers from Beit Ayin settlement damaged dozens of olive and almond trees and vineyards owned by Hammad Al-Salibi in Abul Reesh area in the village. He said that Salibi was surprised to see his field, which is located near to the settlement, attacked again on Friday in the second such attack in 24 hours and dozens of trees chopped off and thrown on the ground. Awad said that the settlers uprooted 35 vine trees, 12 almond trees, and six olive trees, which were more than 50 years old.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7cdW6VeJn1aCLDYii%2fZN0%2fNbz2SjVSTjdZYJen5XacrjnGPannBS0aTnVMyxzAc%2bKT4hFW870yHJQNXp0%2bGtdh6QN%2fVMZdcQ6zsjabXrH0q8%3d

Thursday: IOF troops destroy hundreds of olive trees
BETHLEHEM (PIC) 19 July — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) protected huge bulldozers that went on a destruction spree of hundreds of olive trees in Juba village to the south west of Bethlehem on Thursday morning. Local sources said that big numbers of IOF troops, policemen, and staffers of the civil administration escorted the bulldozers. They recalled that IOF soldiers uprooted 400 olive trees in that same area a year ago, adding that the inhabitants and land owners planted them anew but the IOF arrived again for another destruction streak.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7eButUoVRS3CyrbI6%2f5vXN40VilgGfCsjjqYdXv9SUU2DvmcJ6E7aF1Ejy%2bJeeyg6mKsMSUtiKAPT2xbZq2cgRLjQh33ytNh53GE3AYzCy6Q%3d

In Um Fagarah, cave dwellers struggle to remain on their land
UM FAGARAH, SOUTH HEBRON HILLS, July 19 (WAFA) – In the peaceful landscape of the South Hebron Hills, the occupation of the land is a daily struggle. Whilst life seems to be quiet and smooth; the Palestinian communities often have to forget their basic daily life problems to focus on a main issue: resisting expulsion from their land …
The community of Um Fagarah, supported by the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, launched in May the campaign “Um Fagarah R-Exist” to build 15 brick houses. Every Saturday since the launching, Palestinian, Israeli and International activists gathered to build the houses and support the community in its struggle to stay on its land. But on June 10, while only three houses had been built, Um Fagarah received stop working orders from the Israeli Civil Administration, and on July 16, they sent a demolition order concerning the first house built which should be implemented within three days.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20300

Restriction of movement

Walls being built on all sides of Fortress Israel
Jerusalem (IPS) 20 July by Jillian Kestler-D’Amours — As Israel continues to build walls and fences, analysts say the country’s isolationist policies and unwillingness to deal with the Palestinians and other Arab neighbors through anything other than forceful means spells disaster.   “On the one hand, we’re walling the Palestinians in but, on the other hand, if you kind of zoom out and look at the Middle East, you’ll see that Israel is the one that’s walled in. It’s this island that is losing touch with its neighbors,” said Israeli academic and author Neve Gordon … Israel’s push to erect walls and fences around itself doesn’t end in the West Bank; construction of a 230-kilometer fence along Israel’s southern boundary with Egypt is moving forward at a frantic pace, in an attempt to keep African asylum seekers out … Netanyahu announced early this year that once the fence along Israel’s boundary with Egypt is completed, Israel would build one along the boundary with Jordan … In June, the Israeli authorities completed construction of a seven-meter high wall separating the country from Lebanon. The wall — equipped with cameras and motion detection sensors — covers approximately 1,200 meters.
http://electronicintifada.net/content/walls-being-built-all-sides-fortress-israel/11520

Israel says army lifting restrictions for Ramadan
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 19 July — The Israeli military announced Thursday it would ease restrictions on Palestinians during the upcoming Ramadan holy month, upon approval from Defense Minister Ehud Barak. A statement said Palestinians over the age of 40 will be allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque area on Fridays and on Laylat al-Qadr, while men and women between 35-40 will require a special permit. [and those under 35 will not be allowed in at all of course].
Palestinians will be allowed to visit relatives of first and second degree inside Israel including children under 16, while up to 200 people will be allowed to travel abroad via Israel’s international airport.
The statement said Israeli authorities would deploy additional personnel at the Allenby bridge to facilitate Palestinians traveling for the holiday, while a medical team would be on hand due to the high temperatures.
“IDF soldiers have been given orders to show special consideration toward the Palestinian residents of the Judea and Samaria region and, wherever possible, to refrain from eating, drinking and smoking in public, more so at the various crossings so as to demonstrate a high level of respect and understanding.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506174

Israeli occupation tightens its military procedures, puts checkpoints in Jerusalem
PNN 20 July — On Friday, 20th July, Israeli occupation tightened its military procedures in Jerusalem and put several military checkpoints to prevent Muslim worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa mosque to pray in the first day of Ramadan. Media sources said that the Israeli forces prevented the buses that transferred the worshipers from crossing Qalandiya military checkpoint. They also said that the private park of the buses that head to Jerusalem was converted to a military spot. Saying that the private park near Qalandiya checkpoint was completely closed based on decision issued by Israeli authority.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/national/2233-israeli-occupation-tightens-its-military-procedures-put-checkpoints-in-jerusalem

100 thousand worshipers attend Friday prayers at the Aqsa
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC) 20 July — Sources in Jerusalem said that about 100 thousand worshippers attended the Friday prayers on the first day of Ramadan at the Aqsa Mosque. The Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage said that large numbers of Palestinians from the city, 1948-occupied towns and the West Bank started arriving at the Aqsa from the morning hours, despite the occupation forces attempts to hamper the worshipers. AFEH said in a statement that various prayer rooms and outside plazas were filled with worshipers despite the very hot weather.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7HqfGz1XluP5Zypxb5KrV8WKXu2Ci79jLuDmAe4fp07xm9TIUaKGGJnbiGWKxu4c5KFl80VCDcYPBirTKdJwCqJayF5lYYGG48aJJE5GVu7I%3d

PA: Israeli forces remove 12-year-old Jericho roadblock
NABLUS (Ma‘an) 21 July – Israeli forces have removed a roadblock which they erected at the northern entrance to Jericho 12 years ago, the governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley Majid al-Fityani told Ma‘an on Saturday. Al-Fityani confirmed that on Saturday morning Israeli bulldozers removed the cement and dirt barricades near an-Nuweima village, allowing Palestinian vehicles to use the road. However, he highlighted that the Palestinian Authority demanded that Israeli forces remove al-Hamra and other checkpoints in the Jordan Valley … Israeli forces had shut down the northern entrance near Nuweima in 2000 after the second Intifada erupted.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506366

Palestinians celebrate opening of Jericho gate
AFP/Al Akhbar 20 July — Palestinians on Friday gathered at a key gate in Jericho to celebrate the removal of a concrete barrier which has blocked residents from traveling on a route for the last 12 years. The Israeli army sealed off the gate – which leads north from the West Bank city – during the second Palestinian uprising, which began in 2000. The Jewish state has operated a checkpoint for the past 12 years, preventing all Palestinians from entering and forcing them to travel a longer route. Until Friday only residents of illegal Jewish-only settlements were permitted to drive on the road … Resident Louay Audat, who went straight to the gate after hearing the news, said: “I didn’t believe they were opening the entrance. I had come to see for myself if it is true. I had lost all hope that they would re-open the entrance.”
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/palestinians-celebrate-opening-jericho-gate

Official: Israel to reopen central Nablus road
NABLUS (Ma‘an) 19 July – Nablus governor Jibrin al-Bakri said Thursday that the Israeli authorities decided to open the Aqraba street in Nablus after it was closed for over 10 years. Al-Bakri told Ma’an that the road was officially re-opened after efforts by the Palestinian Authority.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=505899

Violence / Raids / Arrests

Saturday: Israeli navy opens fire at fishermen in Rafah
RAFAH, July 21 (WAFA) – Israeli navy boats Saturday opened heavy machinegun fire at Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Rafah and Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to local sources. They said the Israeli navy targeted fishermen boats, forcing them to return to shore. No injuries were reported.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20309

Wednesday night: IOF soldiers round up 50 Palestinians in one night
AL-KHALIL (PIC) 19 July — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 50 Palestinians from Tal Al-Rumaida suburb in Al-Khalil city on Wednesday night, Safa news agency reported. The agency quoted Issa Amre, the coordinator of youth against settlement, as saying that the soldiers nabbed the young men in a raid on the suburb that included searching many houses. He said that the youths were taken to a nearby settlement for interrogation, adding that the soldiers were looking for young men responsible for drowning [doesn’t mean killing, apparently] a settler in a nearby spring. Amre said that the settlers were trying since Wednesday morning to control the spring.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7hZyRo3DhXZFXDeb2rM%2b8umxQIYiiORj8g%2bNVF6VJNodQ2SGY%2byvEc1KksJqpPnixhsD7szGlxxucJUdMat4jCAevV3faX8mJwTIdz1Tued0%3d

Thursday: Israeli forces arrest four Palestinians in the West Bank
PNN 19 July — On Thursday, 19th July, Israeli forces arrested four Palestinians during raids on several governorates in the West Bank. An Israeli radio said that soldiers from the Israeli army arrested Palestinians claiming they are “wanted”, and transferred them to different interrogation centers. Israeli army arrested Mahran Mohammad Dana, 35, from his house near al-Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron, and took him to an unknown location. Four military patrols raided at dawn, Beit Kahel village, north of Hebron, and searched several houses in the city.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/politics/2224-israeli-forces-arrest-four-palestinians-in-the-west-bank

Thursday: The occupation arrests the activist al-Atrash after serving 2 years in PA’s jail
Al-KHALIL (PIC) 20 July — The IOF arrested on Thursday, Mohamed Barakat al-Atrash from the city of al-Khalil south of the occupied West Bank, after less than a day from his release from the prisons of PA’s intelligence. Al Atrash’s mother told PIC that the occupation soldiers stormed in the early morning hours their house in order to arrest ex-prisoner Mohammed al-Atrash. However, he was not at home as he was hospitalized in the government hospital for medical treatment due to deterioration in his health condition because of the hunger strike he had waged for over three weeks to demand his release … The PA’s intelligence services had released Al Atrash three days ago following the agreement that took place between the representatives of the detainees and the dignitaries of clans from the city of al-Khalil, and which requires the release of hunger striking prisoners…
It is noted that the IOF had also arrested the liberated prisoner from PA’s prisons, Osman Qawasmeh, only 12 hours before arresting al-Atrash.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7VnTbm2nckmU4UVNRXuGRuvPcFVw2vzp6HbCPVqqTmmdSKj4vcQxQBxRto2JOQ9kGet1ERY7kHiBpskUgzpXc44SXjQxTlsqTBc6i059OPow%3d

Friday: Israeli forces arrest a young Palestinian from Salfit
PNN 20 July — On Friday, 20th, Israeli occupation forces arrested at dawn, Raed Mansour Mawkada, 16, from al-Zawyeh village, in Salfit governorate. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces raided the village and broke into the house of the prisoner Mansour Mawkada, searched it and rummaged with the contents before arresting his son Raed.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/politics/2232-israeli-forces-arrest-a-young-palestinian-from-salfit

Saturday: IOF raid towns in Jenin and arrest a citizen
JENIN (PIC) 21 July — The IOF launched at dawn Saturday raid and search operations in several towns south of Jenin and arrested a citizen after searching his home. Local sources stated that the IOF arrested the youth Ahmed Abu Bakr,18, from the town of Ya‘abad and set up checkpoints at the entrance to Kefert [Kufeirat] town.
Meanwhile, IOF also stormed several towns and villages west of Jenin, where the Israeli soldiers were deployed to search the houses.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s74OVglpl8dP7cugC0wyJbHu2Prw73qc%2frtnOCctEdrWQT%2b5m5y9OdWviVQasKfpt2Y3%2fx95C5P7VQyRf3nPJBbyb78jxMttyG7c8wLwVWb58%3d

Settlers attack International and Palestinian activists in Nabi Saleh
PNN 18 July — On Tuesday, 17th July, settlers attacked a group of International and Palestinian activists after during a visit to a water spring in Nabi Saleh that was stolen by settlers. Local sources said that when the delegation arrived to the spring with some of the Popular Resistance activists, they were surprised to find dozens of settlers at that area, who started to attack the delegation and throw stones toward their cars. A car belonging to the coordinator of the Popular Resistance movement, Naji al-Tamimi, and the bus that transported the international delegations were damaged. Sources said that a force from the Israeli police and army reached the place, confiscated and detained the IDs and passports of the international and Palestinian activists for almost one hour before returning them.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/national/2215-settlers-attack-international-and-palestinian-activists-in-nabi-saleh

VIDEO: 2012-07-21 Settlers attack in Old Havat Ma’on hill, South Hebron Hills
AtTuwaniProject 21 July — On the morning of 21st July 2012, at around 9.00 am two settlers coming from Havat Ma’on outpost attacked a Palestinian shepherd and the four Ta’ayush activists that were accompanying him. The settlers yelled brutally and tried to push away the people and the flock by throwing rocks. The Israeli army was present during the whole event, but it intervened only in the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i47rmxmqLsE&list=UUpKXxYTHG80BLPckf_YMHtw&index=1&feature=plcp

Settlers attack Palestinians, Internationals in Hebron Hills
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 21 July — Settlers from an outpost in the south Hebron hills attacked a group of Palestinians and international volunteers two days in a row, a peace group said. On Friday, a group of settlers from Havat Maon outpost attacked a Palestinian man and four volunteers with slingshots as they were crossing a valley in the south Hebron hills, Operation Dove said.
Later in the day, two masked settlers attacked the same group of international volunteers accompanying a Palestinian man.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506532

Israeli army attack demonstrators in Bil‘in
IMEMC 20 July — About 60 demonstrators gathered in the small village of Bil‘in in the northern part of the West Bank. The gathering was part of the weekly demonstrations which take place all over the West Bank on Fridays to protest the separation barrier and the illegal Israeli occupation. Today also marked the first day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. Palestinians were joined by internationals from more than ten countries and Israeli citizens who included trade unionists and members of Anarchists Against the Wall. The group marched from Bil‘in up to the wall which has rows of barbed wire in front of it. The olive groves have mainly been burnt down from previous Israeli army attacks on the demonstrators…
http://www.imemc.org/article/63940

Askar refugee camp: ‘Our dream is to visit Jerusalem’
ISM 21 July by ‘Hakim Maghribi’ — A short distance from Nablus one finds the community of Askar camp. What appears as a suburb or cut-off of the city is actually a refugee camp. Established in 1964, it today houses some 6,000 people in 1 square kilometre. The inhabitants are both descendants of and those themselves that were once pushed off their lands by Israel. This year, it has been 20 years since the first solidarity funding showed up in the camp, and 10 years since the camp was devastated by the Israeli army during the second intifada … The entire camp falls under Area C, meaning it is under full Israeli civil and military control. Thus, Israeli soldiers and armed settlers are known to enter the area and harass its residents. Extremist settlers use the presence of the Tomb of Yousef as a premise to invade the area and increase their influence.
http://palsolidarity.org/2012/07/askar-refugee-camp-our-dream-is-to-visit-jerusalem/

Detention

‘Are they waiting for him to return in a coffin?’: Akram Rikhawi’s family urges action from Gaza
Elect. Int. 21 July — Shahd Abusalama meets the hunger striker Akram Rikhawi’s desperately worried family in Rafah, as his hunger strike passes 100 days.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/shahd-abusalama/are-they-waiting-him-return-coffin-akram-rikhawis-family-urges-action-gaza

Israel frees Palestinian parliament speaker
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 19 July — Israel on Thursday released parliament speaker Aziz Dweik along with Hamas leader Jaafar Izz Ad-Din, who spent 56 days on hunger strike, officials said. Palestinians and lawmakers received the detainees at the Beit Sira checkpoint. Hamas congratulated the Palestinian people for the release of the parliament speaker, who is a member of the Islamic party. Israeli forces detained the parliament speaker in January at the Jabaa checkpoint while he was leaving Ramallah. He was placed in Israel’s “administrative detention” custody for six months.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506127

PA frees Islamic Jihad official after 3-day hunger strike
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 20 July — Security services in the West Bank released a member of Islamic Jihad in Tulkarem, Loay al-Ashkar al-Mahsoob, after he launched a hunger strike in protest of his detention, the movement said … He is a prominent solidarity activist in Saida, near Tulkarem, the statement said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506207

Qaraqe: Israel arrests 700 child[ren] annually, 90% of them subjected to torture
PNN 18 July — On Wednesday, July 18th, the Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Issa Qaraqe, said that Israel arrests 700 Palestinian minors annually. These minors are all under the age of 18, and include children as young as 12 or 13. 90% of the children are also subjected to torture, ill-treatment, pressure, and bargaining. Qaraqe also said that Israel treats the children as constant threats or “ticking bombs” as the Israeli law puts it. Classifying a child as a “ticking bomb” grants the Israeli prison system the ability to apply certain forms of torture and bypasses International law, effectively stripping the children of their immunity.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/human-rights/2219-qaraqe-israel-arrest-700-child-90-of-them-subjected-to-torture

Ministry: Medical negligence increasing in Israeli jails
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) 19 July — The number of sick Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is increasing, according to a new report by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Detainees. Israeli prison authorities are responsible for neglecting the health of Palestinian detainees, the report says, adding that delaying the treatment of sick prisoners is a systematic policy within detention centers.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=505966

Video: Away from the sun — a documentary on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
Sabr 11 July — A documentary on Palestinian Prisoners and the torture they suffer in Israeli jails. Created by the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and released Detainees, Department of International Relations.
http://palestinianprisoners.blogspot.com/2012/07/away-from-sun-documentary-on.html

Gaza

Egypt must allow more fuel into Gaza, Hamas official says
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 19 July – Egypt’s new president must help lift the siege on Gaza by allowing more fuel to enter the coastal enclave, a senior Hamas figure said Wednesday. Ismail Radwan made the comments during a demonstration in the Gaza Strip, adding that the Arab community has a responsibility to help ease humanitarian problems in Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=505865

Dispute within Health Ministries keeps Gaza transfer patients stranded
RAMALLAH, July 19 (WAFA) – A dispute between the Ramallah-based Ministry of Health and its Gaza counterpart left many Gaza patients seeking transfer papers to get treatment outside the Gaza Strip stranded, a rights group said on Thursday. he dispute began earlier this week when the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by Hamas, has ordered closed the transfer office in Gaza following a decision by the Ramallah Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority to replace the director of the office …
Gaza’s Palestinian Center for Human Rights protested in a statement issued Thursday the closure of the office, warning of its negative impact on thousands of Gaza patients who seek treatment abroad. Around 9,000 patients received transfer papers since the beginning of this year.  It recalled a similar dispute in 2009 during which the office was closed for more than one month causing death of 10 patients who were not able to get transfer papers to get badly needed treatment at specialized hospitals outside the Gaza Strip.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=20304

Hamas releases 159 prisoners to mark Ramadan
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 21 July — The Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip released 159 prisoners on Saturday as a gesture to mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, a Ma‘an correspondent said. The release was proposed by Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and will see 159 prisoners released, 19 granted home leave and a further 72 fast tracked through the court system. The gesture reflects the humanitarian role of the ministry of the interior, Haniyeh said. A representative from the ministry of justice told Ma‘an that the prisoners would have to enroll in rehabilitation programs and take an oath not to commit more crimes.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506483

Change is on the way, Gaza
PNN 18 July — Curious children look out the window from their house in Bani Suheila as Oxfam engineers and staff from local partner Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF) make the final assessment of the road before starting works to link houses to the sewage network. Funded by Muslim Aid, the project will solve the number one problem afflicting around 5,000 people living in the crammed neighbourhood on the outskirts of Khan Younis, which has been largely neglected for decades. All of the families here rely on underground septic tanks to dispose of their sewage, but most of this ends up flooding their own roads in the rainy season and whenever tanks are overused.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/nonviolence/2212-change-is-on-the-way-gaza

Israel army: 2 rockets fired at south
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 20 July — Two rockets were fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip overnight Thursday and early Friday, an Israeli army spokeswoman said.  One rocket was fired at 2 a.m. and another at around 3 p.m. Both rockets landed in Eshkol regional council with no injuries or damage reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506281

Will AP correct damaging false report about forced conversions of Christians in Gaza?
Elect. Int. 19 July by Ali Abunimah — Two days ago the Associated Press published a story that seemed tailor made to go viral, especially on Islamophobic websites and other media only too eager to present Muslims in a negative light. It carries the headline: “Gaza Christians protest ‘forcible conversions'”: “GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Dozens of Gaza Christians staged a rare public protest Monday, claiming two congregants were forcibly converted to Islam and were being held against their will. The small but noisy demonstration showed the increasingly desperate situation facing the tiny minority. Protesters banged on a church bell and chanted, ‘With our spirit, with our blood we will sacrifice ourselves for you, Jesus.’ “
The report does not say definitively that ‘forced conversions’ took place, and carries this caveat: Gaza police say the two are staying with a Muslim religious official at their request, because they fear retribution from their families [for] converting to Islam.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/will-ap-correct-damaging-false-report-about-forced-conversions-christians-gaza

Political / Economic / Diplomatic news

Mashaal meets Mursi, hails ‘new era’
CAIRO (Reuters) 19 July — The leader of Hamas met new Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on Thursday and hailed Mursi’s election as the start of a “new era” for Egypt and the Palestinians. It was Khalid Mashaal’s first visit to Egypt since Mursi won the country’s first free leadership vote. The founding of Hamas was inspired by Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood — Egypt’s oldest and most established Islamist movement — but the group now operates independently because of its location and the conflict with Israel … Mashaal and Mursi discussed ways to ensure that Gaza, which borders Egypt, gets the gas and petroleum it needs despite an Israeli blockade of the territory … The talks lasted almost two hours, twice as long as Mursi’s meeting a day earlier with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and leader of Fatah, Hamas’s rival.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506105

Egypt’s Mursi calls Dweik after release from Israeli jail
HEBRON (Ma‘an) 21 July — Egyptian president Muhammad Mursi on Saturday telephoned speaker of the Palestinian parliament Aziz Dweik to congratulate him on being freed from an Israeli jail. Happy with the congratulations from the president of the largest and most influential Arab country, Dweik said that the call represented the post-Arab Spring era. It is the outcome of having elected presidents and leaders, he added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506445

Haniyeh says to meet Mursi next week
GAZA CITY (Ma‘an) 19 July — The prime minister in the Gaza Strip said Thursday that he was set to meet new Egyptian president Muhammad Mursi next week in Cairo.  Ismail Haniyeh said that he and a delegation of 100 people from Gaza were planning to meet Mursi during Ramadan.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506170

Leader says Islamic Jihad headquarters still in Syria
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 21 July — The Islamic Jihad movement has not moved its headquarters from Syria to Iran as reports claimed Saturday, says Sheikh Nafith Azzam, member of the movement’s politburo … Asked to comment on the events in Syria, Azzam’s only comment was “we are still present in Syria.” Earlier Saturday, Egypt’s Middle East newspaper quoted Palestinian sources saying Islamic Jihad’s leadership had left Syria but had not ended its presence in the country or severed relations with the ruling regime.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506457

Solidarity / BDS

Gaza Tournament closer to reality
Olympia, WA The Rachel Corrie Foundation July 20, 2012 — We had a great response to our recent appeal for the 2012 Rachel Corrie Ramadan Tournament in Rafah, Gaza. Generous supporters quickly answered the call with $2,300 in donations! Because of their encouragement, we are extending our fund-raiser deadline to August 1st. Our goal: $6,000. Can you help?
This is a special tournament that will provide a cheerful Ramadan community event. It honors the spirit of Rachel Corrie and, this year, especially celebrates Mahmoud Sarsak, a Gazan whose 90-day hunger strike earned his release from a three-year illegal prison detention.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19429

Jordan and the effort to support BDS in the Arab world
Elect. Int. 20 July by Sami Jitan — During the last week in June, Cirque du Soleil’s signature show Saltimbanco played at the Prince Hamzeh Arena in Amman, Jordan. Approximately 18,000 persons attended the show over the course of four days … On Saltimbanco’s opening day, scores of demonstrators lined the sidewalks leading to the VIP entrance. They were holding signs that read in Arabic “Cultural boycott to sanction Israel,” “Showing the circus in Israel is a reason to boycott in Amman,” and “Whoever entertains criminals and killers deserves to be boycotted.” The demonstrations were aimed at preventing Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria show from playing in Tel Aviv on 8 August. They were the first major protests in Jordan in support of the campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel since what has been dubiously called the Arab Spring.
http://electronicintifada.net/content/jordan-and-effort-support-bds-arab-world/11516

The latest reason to boycott the Red Sea Jazz Festival
Elect. Int. 20 July by Alexander Billet — The Red Sea Jazz Festival, held twice a year in “Israel’s Riviera” of Eilat, is once again upon us. The festival, to be held from July 30th to August 2nd, has become known for attracting an eclectic array of artists from across the jazz spectrum. Naturally, it’s become a worthy target for the growing campaign for cultural boycott of Israel. Last year New Orleans street jazz group Tuba Skinny publicly canceled their appearance at the jazz fest after being approached by members of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement and discussing it among themselves. What appeared to seal the deal for them was the fresh spate of bombings Israel launched against Gaza; launched, specifically, right outside of Eilat. This year, however, there is an added reason to boycott the Red Sea Jazz Fest in particular—namely that also in Eilat, Israel is interning hundreds of African migrants scheduled for deportation.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/alexander-billet/latest-reason-boycott-red-sea-jazz-festival

Israel Racism / Discrimination

No Palestinian athletes will represent Israel in the Olympics
Mondoweiss 21 July by Philip Weiss — An article by Yoav Borowitz in Hebrew Haaretz, translated by Sol Salbe on his facebook page. Salbe says if you ever need an example of “hafrada,” or separation, this is it: “However, a very large community will not be part of this celebration, a community that in effect has not been part of the Olympic celebration for eight consecutive Olympics. Zero Arab athletes represent Israel in London. Zero, even though the Arabs in Israel number 1.67 million people, approximately 20.5 per cent of the population. In all of its years of existence Israel has been represented by 338 athletes in 19 different Olympics. But only two Arab-Israelis have been privileged to participate in Olympic delegations – soccer star Rifat Turk (Montreal, 1976) and weightlifter Edward Maron (Rome, 1960). This topic has never come up on the public agenda in Israel.
https://mondoweiss.net/2012/07/no-palestinian-athletes-will-represent-israel-in-the-olympics.html

Built-in racism: Israeli real estate article lauds ‘desirable’ Arab-free neighborhood
Elect. Int. 20 July by Ali Abunimah — …Before describing the charms of the area — ample public services, kindergartens, parks and tennis courts — the piece, by Adina Hacham — CEO of a real-estate brokerage called Anglo-Saxon — begins: “Acre’s Ramchal neighborhood is one of the newer and more desired neighborhoods in the mixed [ethnicity] port city. The neighborhood was populated about a decade ago and is one of the few neighborhoods in the city that is not mixed, and whose residents are almost entirely Jews. Want to go live in the northern beach town?”
The readers comments posted under the article mostly amplify the open racism of the article itself, with very few exceptions.
This is what’s called “racial steering” and it is illegal in the US.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/built-racism-israeli-real-estate-article-lauds-desirable-arab-free-neighborhood

Other news

Paediatric oncology department in Beit Jala governmental hospital nears completion
PNN 17 July — The West Bank’s first public paediatric cancer ward is nearing completion and is expected to be open by the end of this year. The Huda al-Masri Paediatric Oncology Department is under construction and will be the newest department in the Beit Jala Governmental Hospital. Its main purpose is to provide exceptional treatment to Palestinian children with cancer. The construction of the department, which is being funded by the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), is part of the Palestinian National Authority’s National Health Plan.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/national/2206-paediatric-oncology-department-in-beit-jala-governmental-hospital-nears-completion

EU and UNESCO restore Nablus landmark Khan al-Wakalah to its former glory
PNN 19 July — …The Khan Al Wakalah is a historical building at the heart of Nablus’ Old City that used to be a Mamluk-Ottoman caravanserai. UNESCO – with € 2.5 million funding from the EU – rehabilitated the compound to become a hub for commerce, tourism and cultural services … Once fully operational the compound will house a small nine-room inn, a tourist centre and agencies to help visitors and several shops to sell traditional handicrafts such as the famous olive oil soap and traditional embroidery. There will also be restaurant on two floors and the old courtyard, where mules used to be tethered overnight for hundreds of years, is now a venue for public events.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/nonviolence/2220-eu-and-unesco-restore-nablus-landmark-khan-al-wakalah-to-its-former-glory

PA Ministry of Education announces Tawjihi results
RAMALLAH (Ma‘an) — The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education on Thursday announced the 2012 results for the country wide Tawjihi exams … Over 87,000 students sat for the Tawjihi exams, with 62.2 percent obtaining a pass mark, Deputy Minister of Education Jihad Zakarneh said. … The Tawjihi, administered every year for Palestinian students seeking the high school qualification, is required for those who wish to enter Palestinian universities. The score on the test determines which programs a would-be student can enter. Of the 87,611 registered test takers, 52 percent were women.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=505858

Amnesty: Israel should let Syrian refugees enter Golan
BETHLEHEM (Ma‘an) 21 July — Amnesty International has contacted Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak after he was quoted as saying he would act to prevent Syrian refugees from entering Israeli-occupied areas of Syria … Barak’s statement was “particularly concerning since it was made in light of a severe escalation in the level of violence across Syria following an attack on 18 July which killed the Syrian Defence Minister; his deputy; the Assistant Vice-President; and the Head of National Security in Damascus,” Amnesty said Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=506479

Video: Palestinian musician Moe Kabha sings ‘Wen Ala Ramallah’ — Chicago version
Elect. Int. 21 July by Benjamin Doherty — I was browsing new videos this afternoon and stumbled across musician Moe Kabha. His latest video for the popular folk song “Wen Ala Ramallah” (“We’re going to Ramallah”) uses street protest footage from Chicago and Ramallah and shows off Palestinian dabke. You may recognize some faces! Enjoy the video, the dancing and his other tracks below.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/benjamin-doherty/palestinian-musician-moe-kabha-sings-wen-ala-ramallah-chicago-version

Thrill-seeking tourists take aim at West Bank range
AFP 19 July — Norman Solomon is a 65-year-old real estate agent from Los Angeles, a world away from the West Bank settlement firing range where he is spending the day learning to shoot a gun. “We came to show the kids how the Israelis protect themselves and to have a good time,” he tells AFP in between shots at white target paper and photos of men sporting the chequered keffiyeh scarf worn by many Palestinians. Solomon, a Jewish American, is spending a couple of hours of his holiday at the Caliber 3 shooting school in the West Bank settlement bloc of Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem.
http://news.yahoo.com/thrill-seeking-tourists-aim-west-bank-range-054909048.html

Palestinian settles NYC suit over ‘Bruno’ film
NEW YORK (AP) 20 July — A Palestinian grocer portrayed as a terrorist in the movie “Bruno” has settled his slander suit against film star Sacha Baron Cohen and David Letterman, his lawyer said Thursday. Ayman Abu Aita’s “case is settled to the mutual satisfaction” of everyone involved, attorney Joseph Peter Drennan said. Court records show the case was designated settled and closed Wednesday. Drennan wouldn’t discuss the terms.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/palestinian-settles-nyc-suit-over-141831046.html

Analysis / Opinion

Pros and cons of Western Palestinian solidarity / Richard Falk
AJE 18 July — Sympathetic Westerners should avoid insisting on their own solutions, and let Palestinians lead instead — …These comments reflect my reading of a passionate and provocative essay by Linah Alsaafin entitled “How obsession with ‘non-violence’ harms the Palestinian cause“, which was published online in Electronic Intifada on July 11, 2012. The burden of her excellent article is the insistence that it is for the Palestinians, and only the Palestinians, to decide on the forms and nature of their resistance. She writes with high credibility as a recent graduate of Birzeit University who was born in Cardiff, Wales and lived in England and the United States, as well as Palestine.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/07/201271753133985576.html

NY Times editorial: Israel’s embattled democracy
21 July — …Mr. Netanyahu’s past dependence on hard-line parties has manifested itself in aggressive settlement building and resistance to serious peace talks with the Palestinians — who themselves have not shown enough commitment to a solution. Without Kadima’s moderating force, these trends will continue. There are other worrisome developments. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has expressed concern over “intensifying infringements on democratic freedoms.” In the past two years, activists say, more than 25 bills have been proposed or passed by the Parliament to limit freedom of speech and of the press; penalize, defund or investigate nongovernmental groups; restrict judicial independence; and trample minority rights. One of Israel’s greatest strengths is its origins as a democratic state committed to liberal values and human rights. Those basic truths are in danger of being lost.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/opinion/sunday/israels-embattled-democracy.html

The cost of Israel recklessness: Six dead in Burgas / Larry Derfner
972mag 20 July — When Israel assassinated Hezbollah’s Imad Mughniyeh and five Iranian nuclear scientists, it was picking a fight, and the payback – or part of it – was Wednesday’s bus bombing. It says something about Israeli society’s fear of facing hard truths when the only public figure who dares to state the obvious about the Burgas attack is Dr. Uzi Arad, who used to be known as “Dr. Strangelove” before he fell out of grace with Netanyahu over Iran. While everybody else here either doesn’t believe or is afraid to say that Israel’s all-but-confirmed assassinations of five Iranian nuclear scientists and Hezbollah military chief Imad Mughniyeh led directly to Wednesday’s attack, Arad says, Guess what — when you kill Iran or Hezbollah’s people, they’re going to try to kill yours.
http://972mag.com/the-cost-of-israeli-recklessness-six-dead-in-burgas/51465/

groups.yahoo.com/group/f_shadi (listserv)
www.theheadlines.org (archive)