Saturday 20 June 2020

متشابهات كثيرة ‏ بين صنعاء وبيروت!‏







يتماثل الوضع الحالي للبنان مع المشهد السياسي اليمني قبل 2014 بشكل يلعب فيه السفير الأميركي علنياً دور القائد الفعلي الذي يوزع التعليمات على قيادات القوى السياسية المحلية علنياً.
هذا ما كان يحدث في اليمن قبل نجاح أنصار الله قبل ست سنوات بإلحاق هزيمة كبرى بالقوى اليمنية المتحالفة مع الأميركيين والسعوديين. فتحررت صنعاء من هيمنة السفراء وأصبح قرارها يمنياً صرفاً برفض أسلوب نثر المكرمات الخليجية والذعر من الأميركيين.
وها هي صنعاء المتحررة تعمل على مجابهة الاحتلال الأميركي السعودي الإماراتي لما تبقى من يمنها السعيد بهدف إنهاء أسلوب هيمنة السفراء الأجانب ودحرهم من كامل بلادها.
لجهة بيروت تكاد السفيرة الأميركية المعتمدة في لبنان شيا تعلن نفسها متصرفة فعلية في شؤونه وشجونه، فتنتقل يومياً من العاشرة صباحاً وحتى مطلع الفجر في استقبالات وزيارات تشمل معظم أنواع السياسيين اللبنانيين حتى تكاد هذه السفيرة تعرف زوايا بيروت وقرى الشوف ومعراب وبيت الوسط وبيت الكتائب والقصر الجمهوري والسرايا الحكومي.
وعندما تنتابها ضائقة فعلية تتوجه الى عين التينة.
هناك جانب آخر، أصبحت السفيرة شيا ملمة به وهي التصريحات الصحافية التي تردّ فيها احياناً على منتقدي سياسات بلادها وترسل في الوقت نفسه إشارات ليعتمدها مقلدوها من السياسيين المحليين. بالإضافة الى تعمّدها هذا الأسلوب الإعلامي لتعميم ثقة حلفائها بقوة بلادها على مهاجمة اي قوة لبنانية حتى لو كانت بمستوى حزب الله وقائده اللبناني الإقليمي السيد حسن نصرالله.
لكن هذا الأسلوب ينافي الأعراف الدبلوماسية التي تفرض على الدبلوماسيين تسجيل اعتراض على منتقدي سياسات بلادهم لدى وزارة الخارجية المحلية.
فكيف تخالف شيا هذا المنطق؟ إنها طريقة أميركية صرفة يمارسها الدبلوماسيون الأميركيون في البلدان الخاضعة لهم والمنخرطة ضمن حركتهم الاستعمارية.
هذا ما أشار اليه القائد اليمني السيد عبد الملك الحوثي في خطابه الأخير الذي يربط فيه بين الانتصار الذي أنجزه اليمنيون في 2014.
وجاء ترجمة لمشروع يقوم على الوعي الثقافي الذي يربط بين مجابهة المستعمر ثقافياً واقتصادياً وأمنياً وبشكل شعبي عام مستحضراً اسلوب السفير الأميركي المعتمد الذي كان يحكم صنعاء السياسية في تلك المرحلة ويترك أثراً حتى في الناس العاديين الذين كانوا يجنحون لتقليد الغرب في ثقافاتهم.
وكان السفير السعودي في تلك المرحلة شيخ مشايخ قبائل اليمن والحاكم السياسي له تنصاع لأوامره دوائر القصر الجمهوري والوزراء والأعيان، لذلك فإن تمرد أنصار الله على الهيمنة الأميركية السعودية ذهبت نحو عصيان كامل في الثقافة والتاريخ والوعي والأعمال العسكرية فاستعاد اليمن السعيد لقبه القديم «أم العرب».
على مستوى لبنان استبق حزب الله كل الحركات الجهادية في العالم العربي بنشر ثقافة المقاومة التي هي إعلام وثقافة وحضارة وتاريخ ومقاومات عسكرية.
لقد نجحت هذه المقاومة بطرد العدو الاسرائيلي ودحرت الإرهاب في سورية وجبال لبنان.
لكنها تعرضت لمعوقات في مسألة نشر ثقافة الجهاد. وهذا سببه وجود ثماني عشرة طائفة لبنانية شديدة الاستقلالية سياسياً وتكاد تشكل محميات داخلية محمية إقليمياً وخارجياً وتاريخياً.
فيما اليمن يمنان فقط شمالي وجنوبي وتعدديته المذهبية تقتصر على مذهبين متقاربين لم يسبق لهما أن اقتتلا لأسباب دينية، لذلك كانت مهمة نشر الثقافة الجهادية في اليمن أقل صعوبة مما يعاني منه حزب الله في لبنان.
لكن الطرفين يتعرّضان للمنظومة الاستعمارية نفسها، التي تتشكل من قوى داخلية منصاعة للتحالف الأميركي السعودي الإسرائيلي، ألم يلتق وزير خارجية منصور عبد ربه هادي في أحد المؤتمرات بوزراء إسرائيليين بشكل علني، غير آبه بالانتقادات وكاشفاً بذلك باستجابته لطلب سعودي بإعلان التحالف مع «اسرائيل» عبر هذه الطريقة.
كذلك فإن حزب الله الذي نجح بنشر ثقافته في مجالات لبنانية وسورية وإقليمية واسعة يتعرض اليوم من المحور الأميركي – السعودي الإسرائيلي نفسه الذي يستخدم قوى داخلية طائفية مرتبطة بالمستعمر منذ القرن التاسع عشر بصفتها وريثة للصراعات الداخلية – الخارجية في تلك المرحلة.
بذلك يتبين مدى التماثل بين صنعاء وبيروت في مشاريع متشابهة تعمل في اليمن والعراق وسورية ولبنان وفلسطين على نشر ثقافة التحرّر من المستعمرين.
بما يؤسس لعصيان تاريخي يرفض تقسيمات المستعمر لمنطقة عربية رسمت خرائط بلدانها دبلوماسية بريطانية كانت تحتسي الخمر، وتسند رجليها فوق طاولة قريبة.
هذه اللحظات أنتجت معظم حدود البلدان العربية في المشرق، وتركت لدبلوماسية أخرى رسم حدود شمال افريقيا والشرق الأوسط بالوسيلة نفسها التي لا تتفاعل مع حقائق اللغة والتاريخ والتفاعلات، بل تستند الى مصالح المستعمرين فقط.
فهل تنجح صنعاء وبيروت بنشر ثقافة تصحيح التاريخ لصالح بناء المستقبل؟
هذا ما تفعله غزة وسورية والعراق واليمن ولبنان، هذه المناطق التي ترسل تجاربها الى كامل العالم الإسلامي في دعوة بصوت عالٍ مع ميادين قتال مفتوح لاستعادة مناطق يسرقها المستعمر الغربي الأميركي الإسرائيلي بتغطية خليجية وعربية وإقليمية منذ القرن التاسع عشر.
فهل بدأت المنطقة بترجمة ثقافة الجهاد في ميادينها القتالية؟
الجواب عند السيدين حسن نصرالله وعبد الملك الحوثي وجماهير المقاومة في الشرق الأوسط والعالم الإسلامي.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Do Palestinians’ Lives Matter?

By Stuart Littlewood
Not according to the UK Government which continues to cuddle and slobber over the rogue regime that terrorizes, dispossesses and slaughters them.
Palestinian Lives Matter e2524
Lately, anti-racism activists and their fellow-travelers have been vandalizing statues in the UK, including a memorial to Winston Churchill. Even Nelson is threatened. And Robert Peel, like Churchill, has been boarded up for protection from the loonies. Incredibly Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland 1306-1329, hero of Bannockburn and bringer of independence, has been branded a racist by graffiti scribblers. Bruce (or de Brus), Earl of Carrick and 7th Lord of Annandale, was of Norman descent I believe. So, is our entire medieval history and culture – 1066 and all that – condemned? If it’s the feudal system and the struggle between mighty lords and their lowly vassals that bothers today’s hypersensitive agitators, most of our history books will have to be taken off the shelves and our monarchs consigned to the dustbin in order to appease them.
Why don’t these firebrands look for modern-day racists to complain about? In which case they might focus on “Israel’s knee-on-the-neck occupation of Palestine”, as Leslie Bravery describes it. This snarling, brutal entity illegally occupies Palestine and part of Syria and is stuffed with baddies with no redeeming features whatsoever. They have been busy ethnically cleansing the native Palestinians and stealing their lands for seven decades.  And what of their many supporters in high places? What should we call people who defend the indefensible… who admire the despicable… who applaud the expulsion at gunpoint of peaceable civilians and the confiscation of their homes?
Being a Friend of Israel – like most of the Conservative Party at Westminster – means embracing the terror and racism on which the state of Israel was built. It means embracing the dispossession of the innocent and oppression of the powerless. It means embracing the discriminatory laws against those who stubbornly remain in their homeland. It means embracing the jackboot gangsterdom that abducts civilians — including children — and imprisons and tortures them without trial. It means embracing the theft and annexation of Palestinian lands and water resources, the imposition of hundreds of military checkpoints, the severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods, and maximum interference with Palestinian life at every level.
It means not minding the bloodbaths inflicted by Israel on Gaza and feeling not too bothered about blowing hundreds of children to smithereens, maiming thousands more, trashing vital infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, power plants and clean water supplies, and causing $billions of devastation that will take 20 years to rebuild. And where is the money coming from? That’s right – from you and me.
It means turning a blind eye to the strangulation of the West Bank’s economy and the cruel 14-year blockade on Gaza. It means endorsing the denial of Palestinians’ right to self-determination and return to their homes. It means shrugging off the religious war that humiliates Muslims and Christians and prevents them visiting their holy places. It means meekly accepting a situation in which hard-pressed American and British taxpayers are having to subsidize Israel’s illegal occupation of the Holy Land.
And if, after all that, you are still Israel’s special friend, where is your self-respect?
Pandering to Israel has been immensely costly in blood and treasure and stupidly damaging to our reputation. Is it not ludicrous that a foreign military power which has no regard for international law and rejects weapons conventions and safeguards can exert such influence on foreign policy in the US and UK?
Everyone outside the Westminster/Washington bubble knows perfectly well that there can be no peace in the Holy Land without justice. In other words no peace until the occupation ends. Everyone knows that international law and countless UN resolutions still wait to be enforced. Everyone knows that Israel won’t comply unless sanctions are imposed. Everyone knows that the siege on Gaza won’t be lifted until warships are sent.
What’s more, everyone now knows that the US is not an honest broker, that Israel wants to keep the pot boiling and that justice won’t come from more sham ‘negotiations’. Nor will peace. Everyone knows who is the real cause of turmoil in the Middle East. And everyone knows that Her Majesty’s Government’s hand-wringing and empty words of ‘concern’ serve no purpose except to prolong the daily misery for Palestinians and buy time for Israel to complete its criminal scheme to make the occupation permanent.
And that is about to happen.
Can’t breathe!
For the last year Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been saying he’ll “extend sovereignty on all the settlements” including sites that have security importance or are important to Israel’s heritage. And that will include Hebron, Jericho and the Jordan Valley.
The move would be another major step in the fulfillment of the long-running Plan Dalet (otherwise known as Plan D) which was the Zionists’ blueprint for the violent takeover of the Palestinian homeland as a prelude to declaring Israeli statehood – which they did in May 1948. It was drawn up by the Jewish underground militia, the Haganah, at the behest of David Ben-Gurion, then boss of the Jewish Agency.
Plan D’s intention was not only to gain control of the areas of the Jewish state and defend its borders but also to control the areas of Jewish presence outside those borders and ensure “freedom of military and economic activity” by occupying important high-ground positions on a number of transport routes.
“Outside the borders of the state” was a curious thing to say when nobody would admit to where Israel’s borders actually ran, but the aim was to steal land that wasn’t allocated to Israel but was reserved for a Palestinian state on the 1947 UN Partition Plan map. Since then Israel has purposely kept its borders fluid in order to accommodate the Zionists’ perpetual lust for expansion into Palestinian and Syrian territory and eventual takeover.
No doubt with this in mind the Israeli government has confirmed the appointment of the pro-annexation Settlements Minister Tzipi Hotovely as Israel’s next ambassador to the UK. Hotovely is a religious-nationalist extremist committed to the ‘Greater Israel’ project.  As Minister of Settlement Affairs in the Israeli government many here will regard her as a war criminal. All Israeli settlements (a more appropriate word would be ‘squats’) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are considered illegal under international law. And many see Israel’s long-running squatter policy as a war crime for the simple reason that Article 8(2) of the Rome Statute defines “the transfer, directly or indirectly, by the Occupying Power of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies, or the deportation or transfer of all or parts of the population of the occupied territory within or outside this territory” as such “when committed as part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes”.
Hotovely tends to run off at the mouth having criticised American Jews for not understanding the complexities of the region because “they never send their children to fight for their country, most of the Jews don’t have children serving as soldiers”. She herself slid out of compulsory military service by becoming an educational guide in Jerusalem and an emissary of the Jewish Agency in the United States.
She’s also keen to re-write New Israel’s sordid history: “We need to delete the word ‘occupation’ and we need to redefine the term ‘refugee’….” Hotovely rejects Palestinians’ hopes for statehood and instead dreams of a Greater Israel spanning the length and breadth of current Israel plus the Palestinian territories, saying “We need to return to the basic truth of our rights to this country…. This land is ours. All of it is ours. We did not come here to apologise for that.”
But what is the basic truth of her right to the land? She came there from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic so a question that immediately springs to mind is: “What ancestral links does she have with the Holy Land? Has she had a DNA check-up? And what exactly gives her and her kind the right to lord it over the Palestinians who have been there all the time?”
In London she’ll replace Mark Regev, former Netanyahu spokesman and mastermind behind Israel’s propaganda programme of disinformation and dirty tricks. Under Regev’s watch in January 2017 a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy in London, Shai Masot, plotted with stooges among British MPs and other maggots in the rotting political woodwork to “take down” senior government figures including Boris Johnson’s deputy at the Foreign Office, Sir Alan Duncan.
Masot was almost certainly a Mossad asset. His hostile activities were revealed not, as one would have wished, by Britain’s own security services and media but an Al Jazeera undercover news team. Her Majesty’s Government’s response? “The UK has a strong relationship with Israel and we consider the matter closed.”
At a Labour Party conference fringe meeting Israel insider Miko Peled warned that “they are going to pull all the stops, they are going to smear, they are going to try anything they can to stop Corbyn…. the reason anti-Semitism is used is because they [the Israelis] have no argument….”
And that’s exactly what happened. Corbyn, a perceived threat to Israel’s cosy relationship with the UK, is now relegated to the sidelines.
Regev came to help silence criticism of the Israeli regime. Why the switch to lovely Tzipi? I’d say she’s here to smooth ruffled feelings caused by Israel’s latest planned land grab in the creeping annexation of the West Bank. And Regev, mission accomplished in the UK, is needed in Tel Aviv to defend Netanyahu from the ensuing flak if he goes ahead with annexation.
EU’s shame
Where does the EU stand in all this? A year ago one hundred and fifty-five European researchers and academics delivered a stinging rebuke to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, and Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Science, Research & Innovation.
Their letter expressed the outrage felt throughout the world, and especially in European countries including the UK, at the EU’s policy of endlessly rewarding the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel. Perversely each new act of unspeakable brutality, each new onslaught of disproportionate force against civilians had brought fresh privileges, fresh co-operation, fresh embraces from an enthusiastic EU élite. The letter said among other things:
“In spite of continual and serious breaches of international law and violation of human rights, and regardless of the commitment for upholding human rights of European countries, Israel enjoys an exceptionally privileged status in dealing with Europe also through the Association Agreement and has been receiving grants from the European Commission in the area of research and innovation (FP7 and its successor Horizon 2020).
“Funds are granted even to Israeli arms producers such as Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd, the producers of lethal drones that were used in the Gaza military assaults against civilians, together with numerous academic institutions that have close ties with Israeli military industry.
“We appeal to the European Union to impose a comprehensive military embargo on Israel, as long as Israel continues to blatantly violate human rights. We are deeply disturbed that public funds contributed by European tax payers are channeled to a country that not only disregards human rights but also uses most advanced knowledge and technology for the very violation of human rights.”
The EU-Israel Association Agreement has a lot to answer for. It came into force in 2000 for the purpose of promoting (1) peace and security, (2) shared prosperity through, for example, the creation of a free trade zone, and (3) cross-cultural rapprochement. It governs not only EU-Israel relations but Israel’s relations with the EU’s other Mediterranean partners, including the Palestinian National Authority. To enjoy the Association’s privileges Israel undertook to show “respect for human rights and democratic principles” as set out as a general condition in Article 2, which says:
“Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement.”
Essential being the operative word.
Respecting human rights and democratic principles is not optional. Article 2 allows steps to be taken to enforce the contractual obligations regarding human rights and to dissuade partners from pursuing policies and practices that disrespect those rights. The Agreement also requires respect for self-determination of peoples and fundamental freedoms for all. Given Israel’s contempt for such principles the EU, had it been an honorable group, would have enforced Article 2 and not let matters slide. They would have suspended Israel’s membership until the regime fully complied. Israel relies heavily on exports to Europe so the EU could by now have forced an end to the brutal occupation of the Holy Land.
Rewarding annexation
Questions in the House of Commons last week revealed that the Government plans to host a UK-Israel trade and investment conference in London. One such question advertised the fact that “Israeli exports to the UK grew by 286% over the last decade, and bilateral trade levels are at a record high”. The Minister, Conor Burns, announced: “We strongly value our trading relationship with the State of Israel and are working closely with the Israeli government to implement the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement.… We are working with the Israeli counterparts to host a UK-Israel trade and investment conference in London, which will have its primary focus on scoping out and identifying new opportunities and collaboration between Israel and the United Kingdom.”
Then Andrew Percy MP, a notorious stooge for Israel, asked the Secretary of State for International Trade what recent discussions she’d had with her counterpart in the Israeli government on a UK-Israel free trade deal. Ranil Jayawardena, answering for the Secretary of State, said that the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, signed in February 2019, will enter into force at the end of the Transition Period in January 2021. It will allow businesses to trade as freely as they do now, without additional tariffs or barriers. “Total trade between the United Kingdom and Israel increased by 15 percent in 2019 to £5.1bn. We value this trade relationship and are committed to strengthening it, so we will seek to work with counterparts in the new Israeli government to host a bilateral trade and investment summit in London.”
So there’s still a desire at the heart of UK government to reward racist Israel, not only for its knee-on-the-neck brutality but even for a crime of such enormity as can’t-breathe annexation.
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in Palestine (June 11 – 17, 2020)


June 18, 2020 11:59 PM
Summary
The Israeli forces continued to commit crimes and multi-pronged violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, Israeli Forces’ excessive use of force rendered 9 injuries among Palestinian civilians, including 3 journalists in the West Bank. Additionally, IOF continued home-demolitions in the West Bank, and distribution of demolition and cease-construction notices while it continues land razing for the establishment of settlement-roads, as Israeli occupation authorities prepare to commence its annexation plan of large parts of West Bank territories.
This week, PCHR documented 183 violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law (IHL) by IOF and settlers in the oPt.
Israeli Forces shooting and violation of right to bodily integrity: IOF shot and wounded 9 Palestinians, including 3 journalists, in excessive use of force against them in the West Bank: 5 were shot, including the 3 journalists, in dispersal of Kufur Qaddoum protest in Qalqilia; and 4 in occupied East Jerusalem.
In Gaza, 4 shootings against agricultural lands eastern Gaza Strip were reported; and twice against fishing boats sailing in northern Gaza sea. Additionally, Israeli warplanes carried out two missile-attacks on vacant lands in eastern Rafah, and southeastern Gaza.
Israeli Forces incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians: IOF carried out 74 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids of civilian houses and shootings, enticing fear among civilians, and attacking many of them. During this week’s incursions, 75 Palestinians were arrested, including 16 children and a woman. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 1 limited incursion into northern Gaza Strip.
Settlement expansion activities and settlers’ attacks: IOF continued its settlement expansion operations in the West Bank, PCHR documented 7 violations, including;Bethlehem: Palestinian banned access to his land; and lands and walls razed for the establishment of two settlement-roads;East Jerusalem: 1 house self-demolished and another residential building (3-storey) demolished; other demolitions included: 1 residential facility; 7 small commercial facilities; 1 barracks; under-construction apartment and sports center wall;Ramallah: 3 demolition and evacuation notices to civilian houses.
PCHR also documented 8 settler attacks: arson attacks on a car and agriculture lands and assault on a civilian; terror attacks on residential tents, barns, and solar cells destroyed in Nablus; and assaults on civilian houses in Hebron.
Collective punishment policy: IOF took the measures of Nathmi Abu-Baker’s home, from Ya’bad in Jenin, who is imprisoned by IOF allegedly for throwing a stone that killed an Israeli soldier. This move is a prelude to demolishing Abu-Baker’s home which falls under the systematic Israeli collective punishment policy.
Israeli closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement: The Gaza Strip continues to suffer the worst blockade in the History of the Israeli occupation of the oPt as it has entered the 14th consecutive year, without any improvement to the movement of persons and goods, humanitarian conditions and bearing catastrophic consequences on all aspects of life.
Furthermore, IOF uses Erez Crossing that is designated for movement of individuals as an ambush to arrest Palestinians who obtain permits to exit via Israel. It should be noted that coordination for the travel of patients and others via the crossing have stopped since the Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs’ (GACA) work was suspended pursuant to Palestinian President announcement on 19 May 2020 that the State of Palestine and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) are no longer bound by treaties and agreements with the American and Israeli governments and all consequent obligations to such treaties and agreements, including security.
The PA decision was motivated by the annexation plans of over 30% of West Bank area intended by Israel with the support of the current U.S. Administration under President Trump.
Meanwhile, IOF continued to divide the West Bank into separate cantons with key roads blocked by the Israeli occupation since the Second Intifada and with temporary and permanent checkpoints, where civilian movement is restricted, and they are subject to arrest.
I. Violation of the Right to Life and to Bodily Integrity/Shooting and other Violations:
  • At approximately 13:00 on Friday, 12 June 2020, IOF stationed at the northern entrance established at Kufur Qaddoum village’s lands, north of Qalqilia, suppressed a protest in which dozens of Palestinian civilians participated. IOF chased the young men who gathered in the area, clashed with them, and fired rubber bullets, sponge-tipped bullets sound bombs and tear gas canisters. As a result, 5 civilians, including 3 journalists, were shot with rubber bullets in their lower extremities. IOF targeted an ambulance with rubber bullets when it was on its way to rescue the wounded civilians.
  • At approximately 01:30 on the same Friday, a peaceful protest took part from the center of Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah into the annexation wall in Abu Laimoun area, to protest against the Israeli annexation plan to part of the West Bank lands. The protestors chanted slogans to Israeli occupation and condemns IOF crimes against Palestinians. the protestors threw stones at IOF stationed at the annexation wall while the latter fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of civilians suffocated due to tear gas inhalation.
  • At approximately 15:00 on the same Friday, IOF suppressed a protest called for by Palestinian national factions in al-Zubeidat village, north of Jericho. The protest was organized against the Israeli annexation plan of parts of the West Bank lands and Palestinian northern valleys areas.
    At approximately 16:20, IOF stationed along the border fence, northeast of Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza Strip, sporadically opened fire at lands adjacent to the border fence and fired a number of tear gas canisters . As a result, Palestinian shepherds, who were in the area, panicked and left the area fearing for their lives. Neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
  • At approximately 15:15, on Saturday, 13 June 2020, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, in eastern Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, opened fire and fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian shepherds. No casualties were reported.
  • At approximately 08:30 on Sunday, 14 June 2020, IOF stationed along the border fence, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, fired live bullets and tear gas canisters at agricultural lands, east of Khan Younis. Palestinian farmers, as a result, of that, panicked and had to leave their lands fearing for their lives. No casualties were reported.
  • At approximately 15:30 on the same Sunday, IOF stationed at “al-Container” military checkpoint, east of Bethlehem, detained Mahmoud Mohammed Taqatqah (26), officer at the Palestinian national security service, when he was returning from his work office in Jericho. IOF attacked Taqatqah, heavily beating him, questioned him before they released him. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers attacked Taqatqah, who is from Beit Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem after they checked his ID card and recognized the nature of his work. Taqatqah sustained bruises throughout his body.
  • At approximately 13:10 on Monday, 15 June 2020, an Israeli drone fired 2 missiles at an empty land, in eastern al-Shoka village, east of Rafah. No casualties were reported.
  • Ten minutes later, and Israeli drone fired a missile at an open land, east of Johor al-Deek village, southeast of Gaza City. No casualties were reported.
  • At approximately 05:30 on Tuesday, 16 June 2020, Israeli gunboats stationed northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, chased and heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area (3 nautical miles). Fishermen as a result of that had to sail back fearing for their lives. No casualties were reported.
  • At approximately 17:00 on the same Tuesday, IOF stationed along the border fence, northeast of Bethlehem in northern Gaza Strip, sporadically opened fire at agricultural lands adjacent to the border fence. As a result, Palestinian shepherds panicked and left the area. Neither casualties nor material damage was reported.
  • At approximately 18:00 on the same Tuesday, an Israeli force reinforced with a number of military SUVs stormed al-Matar neighborhood in Kafer Aqab village, north of occupied East Jerusalem. The soldiers deployed in the neighborhood and raided several commercial shops. In the meantime, a number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones and empty bottles at Israeli soldiers. The soldiers fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the protestors as clashes erupted in the area. As a result, 5 civilians were wounded; 4 of them were shot with rubber bullets in their lower extremities, and one was wounded after felling on the ground according to Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS)’s crews.
  • At approximately 21:00 on the same Tuesday, IOF stormed al-‘Isawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. The soldiers deployed in the neighborhoods, established checkpoints at the village entrances, prevented civilians from entering or leaving it, and searched vehicles before allowing them to leave the village. In the meantime, a number of Palestinian young men protested at the entrance to Obeid neighborhood, west of the village and threw stones, fireworks, and Molotov Cocktails at Israeli soldiers. A large Israeli force immediately stormed the neighborhood and fired rubber bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the Palestinian protestors. Confrontations that erupted between the young men and IOF continued for 3 hours. As a result, 2 civilians suffocated due to tear gas inhalation. IOF also arrested Abdullah Ra’fat Mahmoud (16) before they withdrew from the village.
  • At approximately 07:00 on Wednesday, 17 June 2020, Israeli gunboats stationed northwest of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip, chased and heavily opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats sailing within the allowed fishing area (3 nautical miles). Fishermen, as a result of that, panicked and had to sail back to the shore fearing for their lives. No casualties were reported.
II. Incursions and Arrests
Thursday, 11 June 2020:
  • At midnight, IOF arrested Ahmed Taleb Thiyab (22), from Kafer Qalil village, southeast of Nablus, while he was working in Ariel settlement, northeast of Salfit. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
  • At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Azoun village, east of Qalqilia. They raided and searched several houses and arrested a man and child; Zakariya Shbaita Abdul Hamid Shbaita (16), and Ahmed Khaled Sabri Badwan (20).
  • At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Rashayda village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Salem Eisaa Rashayda’s (55) house and arrested his son Shaher (30).
  • At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Beit Fujjar Municipality, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (3) civilians including two children; Jebril Nasim Ali Taqatqah (16), Amir Murad Taqatqah (16), and Eissa Mohammed Ayyad al-Harimi (21).
  • At approximately 05:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into al-Am’ari refugee camp, south of al-Beira. They raided and searched several houses and threw sound bombs which caused fear among civilians, and arrested Mustafa Abdul Karim Abu Shawish (22).
  • At approximately 06:00, IOF stationed at a temporary military checkpoint established under Otara’s bridge, north of Ramallah, arrested Mohammed Ramadan al-Haq (26), and Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim al-Haq (23), from al-Am’ari refugee camp, north of al-Beira.
  • At approximately 12:30, IOF stationed at Eyal checkpoint, north of Qalqilia, arrested Ibrahim Mo’een Khalil al-Shaikh (22), from ‘Azoun, east of Qalqilia, while passing through the checkpoint.
  • At approximately 14:30, IOF established a temporary military checkpoint on the entrance of al-‘Aqaba village in the northern valley. They stopped the Palestinian vehicles, checked their ID Cards and turned them back after notifying them that these lands have been annexed. Meanwhile, IOF arrested Wajeeh Abdullah Dabk (50), Council Chairman of Tayasir Village; and Mo’ayad Dwaikat (45); and took them to an unknown destination.
  • At approximately 15:30, IOF stationed at a temporary military checkpoint established on the entrance of Kafr Laqf, east of Qalqilia, arrested Ayoub Abdul Latif Odwan (22), from Azoun village, east of Qalqilia.
  • At approximately 16:00, IOF stopped and arrested Zayed Mohammed Khudairat (45), from al-Thaheriya village, south of Hebron, on a temporary military checkpoint on the eastern entrance of the village.
  • At approximately 16:30, IOF stationed near “Ma’ale Efraim” settlement established on al-Jaftalk, north of Jericho, arrested Yaser Abdul Karim Khater, from Ein al-Sultan refugee camp, while passing through the checkpoint.
  • IOF carried out (3) incursions in Tafouh and Deir al-‘Asal villages in Hebron Governorate, and al-Owja village, northeast of Jericho. No arrests were reported.
Friday, 12 June 2020:
  • At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Barqa village, southwest of Nablus. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Ammar Ragheb Mohammed Salah (24) and Abdul Qader Sa’eed Salah (24) and arrested them.
    Around the same time, IOF moved into Ezbet Shofa village, east of Tulkarem. They raided and searched Ahmed Zuhair Safarini’s (24) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 11:00, IOF arrested Mohammed al-Sanjalawi (32), al-Aqsa Mosque’s guard, while working in the mosque’s yard in the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. IOF took him to al-Qashla investigation center and released him after a few hours. Eyewitnesses said that al-Sanjalawi was arrested on grounds of interrupting a Jewish-American tourist while recording a video about the Al-Aqsa Mosque to correct some information to her and explained the religious and historical importance of the Mosque for Muslims around the world.
  • At approximately 15:00, IOF moved into Wad Abu Kabir in Nahalin village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Mohammed Afif Fanoun’s (37) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Obaid neighborhood, west of al-Issaweya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Abdullah Alaa al-‘Awaiwi’s (20) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 18:30, IOF stationed at a temporary military checkpoint near Jericho, arrested Ahmed Nasr Turkman (24), from Qabatya, southeast of Jenin, north of the West Bank. IOF took him to an unknown destination.
  • At approximately 22:10, IOF stationed at a temporary military checkpoint on the entrance of Kaful Hares village, north of Salfit, arrested Khaled Ibrahim Qadous (28), from al-Zaweya village, west of Salfit.
    IOF carried out an incursion in al-Beira. No arrests were reported.
Saturday, 13 June 2020:
  • At approximately 02:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into Wad al-Hurya, the southern area of Hebron. They raided and searched three houses belonging to Na’eem Mahmoud Jabara, Jawad Ayed Jabara, and Zeidan Jabara. No arrests were reported.
  • At approximately 14:40, IOF stationed at Za’tara military checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Mohammed Salim Zuhd (25), from Salfit.
  • At approximately 16:20, IOF stationed at ‘Annab military checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, arrested Hamza Khairy al-Qabaj (29), from ‘Anabta, east of Tulkarem. Qabaj is a member of the national security forces.
  • At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-Hara al-Wosta in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (3) children; Hamza Waleed al-Nabulsi (16), and his brother Ayoub (14), and their cousin Omar al-Nabulsi (14).
Sunday, 14 June 2020:
  • At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Ayda refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Mohammed Omar al-Badawna (23), and Osaid al-Dein Abu Shu’aira (17), and arrested them.
  • At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Harmala, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched Ibrahim Wajeeh Atallah’s (23) house and arrested him.
    At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Wadi al-Jouz neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (3) civilians: Qasim Mohammed Totah (23), Yousef al-Salti (19), and Mohammed al-Salti (24).
  • At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Abu Dis village, east of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Mustafa Mohammed Nayfa (24), and Murad Rabea’ (22), and arrested them.
  • At approximately 11:30, IOF stationed in Salim Court, west of Jenin, north of the occupied West Bank, arrested ‘Ateya Jamal Nabhan (18), from Jenin refugee camp, west of the city. ‘Ateya was heading to his brother Mohammed’s (20) trial who is a medicine student at the Arab American University and arrested since 02 June 2020.
  • In the morning, IOF established a temporary military checkpoint near Barta’a village, southwest of Jenin, north of the occupied West Bank. They arrested Qusai Rabea’ Mer’ai (26), from Kafr Dan, west of Jenin.
  • At approximately 17:30, IOF chased a white Skoda jeep with a Palestinian registration plate driven by two unidentified persons, in Faroush Beit Dajn village in the northern valleys, north of the West Bank. IOF stopped them in Jawad Jawdat Hamed’s (48) house yard; they arrested them and confiscated their Jeep, then arrested the house owner. IOF took them to an unknown destination.
  • IOF carried out (3) incursions in Hebron and Sa’eer village. No arrests were reported.
Monday, 15 June 2020:
  • At approximately 01:20, IOF moved into Betin village, northeast of Ramallah. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Amjad Kan’an Hamed (22), and Ahmed Yasi Alwan (24), and arrested them.
  • At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Barqa village, northeast of Nablus, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched Abdul Hameed Mohammed Salah’s (20) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 03:30, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles, moved into Kobr village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched Marwan Adeeb al-Barghouthi’s (20) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Kafr Ne’ma village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Abed Radwan Abu ‘Aadi and Suhail Jameel Ataya. IOF handed them summonses to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Services.
  • At approximately 06:00, IOF moved into al-Tour neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched several houses and arrested (3) civilians including a child; Jamal Emad al-Za’tari (20), Sari Sami Abu al-Hawa (17), and Mohammed Naji Abu Jum’a (18). al-Za’tari’s family said that the Israeli Intelligence Services and IOF stormed their house and started beaten their son Jamal before arresting him. They also arrested his two brothers Ahmed (22) and Mohammed (25), after heading to al-Maskoubeya police station to check on their brother Jamal. al-Za’tari’s family added that they were surprised to see IOF in their house, so Jamal got out of his room and asked them to not enter the rooms because his mother and sister were alone there. Meanwhile, IOF started beaten, insulting and cursing him, then they hit Jamal’s mother and sister Houzan. It should be mentioned that IOF arrested Jamal without allowing him to wear his shoes, as he was getting ready to go to work.
  • At approximately 08:00, IOF reinforced with two military vehicles and infantry unit moved from Zikim Military Base, northwest of Beit Lahia 50-meters to the west of the border fence. They levelled and combed lands that were previously levelled amidst Israeli sporadic shooting. No casualties were reported.
  • At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into al-‘Isawiya village, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem. They raided and searched Obada Bassam Syam’s (19) house and handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Services in al-Maskoubeya police station in West Jerusalem immediately. When he referred, they investigated with him for hours and extended his arrest until Thursday.
  • At approximately 12:00, IOF moved into al-Tour neighborhood, east of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Ahmed Walid Abu Sbaitan (22), and Mahdi Salim Jwailis (21), and arrested them.
  • At approximately 14:00, IOF moved into al-‘Isawiya, northeast of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched Mahmoud Ramadan Obaid (23) and handed him a summons to refer to the Israeli Intelligence Services in al-Maskoubeya police station in west Jerusalem, on the morning of the next day.
  • IOF carried out two incursions in Sir village, north of Qalqilia, and Derastya, north of Salfit. No arrests were reported.
Tuesday, 16 June 2020:
  • At approximately 02:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into Beit Ammer, north of Hebron, and stationed in several neighborhoods. They raided and searched four houses and arrested (4) civilians: Waheed Hamdi Abu Maria (52), Mohammed Shehda Slaibi (22), Suliman Jawdat Bahr (21), and Nour Mohammed Slaibi (18).
  • At approximately 02:30, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into Yatta, south of Hebron. They raided and searched Younis Arafat Basal’s (44) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin, north of the West Bank. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Hafiz Ibrahim Abu Baker (20), and ‘Amer Abdul Rahman Ba’jawi (20), and arrested them.
  • At approximately 04:30, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles moved into al-Am’ari refugee camp, south of al-Beira. They deployed between civilians’ houses, raided and searched, causing fear among civilians. They raided and searched Hamza Mohammed al-Bis’s (20) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 19:30, IOF reinforced with two military vehicles moved into southern Hebron. They raided and searched Ra’ed Yaqin al-Jabari’s (18) house and arrested him.
  • At approximately 20:30, IOF severe beaten and assaulted with electric guns, a group of Palestinian civilians, after a quarrel between them and IOF near Bab al-Majles, one of gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, ended in the arrest of (3) civilians. The arrestees are: Abdul Rahman Ayman al-Bashiti (16), Adham Anwar al-Za’tari (18), and Mohammed Dawoud al-Tiryaki (19).
  • IOF carried out (7) incursions in Bal’in, Burham, al-Tira, Ramallah al-Tahta, and Batn al-Hawa in Ramallah; and Sebastia and Qafr Qalil in Nablus. No arrests were reported.
Wednesday, 17 June 2020:
  • At approximately 01:00, IOF reinforced with several military vehicles into Hebron, and stationed in Wad Abu al-Qamara. They raided and searched two houses and arrested two children: Mustafa Samir al-Zeir (16) and Majdi Fawwaz al-Rajoub (16).
  • At approximately 07:00, IOF moved into Bir Ayoub neighborhood in Silwan, south of the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City. They raided and searched several houses including the former prisoner Abdul Men’im Mohammed al-A’awar’s (51) house and arrested his wife, Eman Fatafita (46), his son Jibril (19), and for children, Sultan Mahran Shwaiki (15), Amer Walid Syam (17), and his brother Adam (15), and Mahdi Mofid Khadour (15). It should be noted that Emaan Fatata is Mohammed al-A’awar’s mother, who was arrested two years ago, and she was supposed to go with a group of Jerusalemite families to visit her son in prison, especially that they have been deprived visitation rights for more than 4 months. Ms. Fatata’s arrest denied her seeing her son. Additionally, Abdulminem al-A’awar, her husband, has been detained for the past 3 weeks and is under intensive investigation at Maskoubeya center.
  • At approximately 11:00, an undercover unit from the IOF “Mista’arvim” moved into Qabatya, southeast of Jenin, north of the West Bank. The sneaked by two cars carrying Palestinian registration plates and stationed in the western neighborhood. The unit arrested Suliman Adnan Tazazra’a (22) and took him to unknown destination.
  • IOF carried out (2) incursions in al-Samoua’ and Hebron. No arrests were reported.
III. Settlement Expansion and Settler Violence in the West Bank
a. Demolition and Confiscation of Civilian Property for Settlement Expansion Activities
  • At approximately 14:00 on Friday, 12 June 2020, IOF prevented Ahmed ‘Obaid al-Hafiz Sawad from completing excavation works conducted in his plot of land in Sha’b al-‘Arab area in Nahaleen village, west of Bethlehem, under the pretext of being under the IOF control. Mayor of Naheleen Municipality, Subhi Zidan, said that IOF moved into the village and stationed in Wad Abu Kbeer and Sha’b al-‘Arab areas amidst firing tear gas canisters and sound bombs. Zaidan clarified that IOF moved into a site , which includes bulldozers and trucks for Sawad, under the pretext of conducting excavations and levelling an area under the Israeli control.
  • On Friday, 12 June 2020, ‘Ali Rabi’ah implemented the Israeli Municipality order and self-demolished his house comprised of 2 under-construction apartments (180 sqm) in Surbaher village, south of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing. Rabi’ah said that the Israeli Municipality issued a demolition order against his house or the its staff will do so and Rabi’ah will pay the demolition costs estimated at NIS 80,000. He pointed out that his family attempted to license the house, but in vain. He added that his family stated to build this house in March 2019.
  • On Sunday, 14 June 2020, IOF levelled al-Khader village lands, south of Bethlehem. The Wall and Settlement Resistance authority stated that Israeli bulldozers, under the IOF protection, uprooted and damaged dozens of fruitful trees. IOF claimed that lands’ levelling aims to build a new bypass road for settlers.
  • At approximately 11:00 on Monday, 15 June 2020, Israeli construction vehicles demolished a residential building comprised of 3 floors in Ras Shehdad area in Shu’fat camp, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing. According to PCHR’s investigations, IOF moved into the area and were deployed on the main street. They then moved into Ras Shehdad neighborhood and imposed a military cordon on the area, in addition to closing the main street. The military construction vehicles demolished ‘Alqam family house comprised of 3 floors, each one includes 2 apartments (160 sqm), and 4 stores belonging to Hasan ‘Alqam and Osama Ahmed ‘Alqam. Hasan ‘Alqam said that the Israeli Municipality staff demolished the house, despite the family’s objection to the Israeli Supreme Court and depositing NIS 40,000, as the demolition took place before the end of the specified period of challenge. ‘Alqam stated that the house was built in the beginning of 2020 and the municipality issued a demolition order against it under the pretext of non-licensing and being near the annexation wall. He pointed out that house sheltered 30 persons, including 18 children.
  • At approximately 17:00 on Monday, 15 June 2020, IOF backed by military construction vehicles and accompanied with Israeli Civil Administration officers moved into Beit Sira village, west of Ramallah, and stationed at the entrance to al-Latroun Street. The Israeli Civil Administration officers distributed demolition notices for 3 houses located near the mentioned street, ordering their owners to evacuate within 4 days, under the pretext of illegal construction in Area C.
  • At approximately 02:00 on Tuesday, 16 June 2020, IOF demolished several facilities and walls in Abu Dies and al-Sawahra villages, east of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of non-licensing. Former Head of al-‘Aizariyia village Council, Bassam al-Bahar, said that IOF accompanied with military construction vehicles raided al-Quds University in Abu Dies village, where they demolished the eastern wall of its under-construction stadium. The military construction vehicles then moved into al-Sawahra village and demolished Dawoud Salama Shoqirat’s barrack, an under-construction apartment, 7 shops belonging to ‘Abdullah and Tariq al-Sekhi, and under-construction residential facility belonging to ‘Ali Sowan and Mohamed al-A’raj.
  • IOF levelled agricultural lands and demolished retaining walls in al-Makhrour area, west of Bethlehem. The Wall and Settlement Resistance authority stated that IOF bulldozed agricultural lands and retaining walls to build a settlement street on Palestinians’ agricultural lands.
III. b. Israeli Settler Violence
  • At approximately 00:45 on Thursday, 11 June 2020, Israeli settlers attacked the outskirts of Zita Jama’een village, southeast of Nablus. The settlers set Rasheed ‘Ali Mahmoud Hansah’s vehicle ablaze while it was parking in front of his house in Wad area. As a result, the vehicle’s left side and front were set ablaze. The village residents’ neighbors could put out the fire later. The settlers also vandalized Hansah’s house walls with racist slurs.
  • Hanash (50) said to PCHR’s fieldworker that: ” A approximately 00:50 on Thursday, 11 June 2020, while my family and I were asleep in our house, my son Mohamed heard a loud explosion in our house. He immediately headed to the window to see what is happening. He saw my vehicle was set ablaze from the left side. He came immediately to my room and wake me up. We headed to the vehicle to put the fire out and the neighbors helped us. After that, the neighbors told me that they saw racist slurs written on my house walls, so I knew that the settlers did so. I phoned the Palestinian police and the head of the village council and told them what happened.”
  • At approximately 10:30, Israeli settlers, from “Homish” settlement, which is established in al-Qababat area, west of Burqa village, southwest of Nablus, attacked and threw stones at Naseem Mohamed Ameen Hejah (43), a police officer at PA. As a result, he sustained bruises in the left side of his waist and laceration the right leg veins. It should be noted that Hejah was in his plot of land in al-Mosareb area along with his friend Fateem Salah and Fateem’s son, Nasrallah. When they saw the settlers approach, they flee towards the village, but Naseem rolled on the hill and fell on the ground, so the settlers controlled him and threw stones at him. He was then taken to Rafidia Hospital for treatment.
  • On Friday, 12 June 2020, Israeli settlers, from “Kiryat ‘Arba’” settlement, which is established on the Palestinians confiscated lands, east of Hebron, attacked with stones al-Ja’bari family’s houses in Wad al-Hussain area and broke the windows of vehicles parked in the area. The settlers withdrew later and no injuries among civilians were reported.
  • At approximately 10:00, Israeli settlers, from “Sosiya” settlement, which is established on the Palestinians confiscated lands, south of Hebron, moved into Sosiya village and wandered between residential tents. The Palestinian civilians confronted them and forced them to leave.
  • At approximately 18:30 on Friday, 12 June 2020, Israeli settlers, from “Yitzhar” settlement, which is established on Palestinian confiscated lands, southeast of Nablus, set fire to Palestinians’ agricultural lands. As a result, dozens of dunams planted with wheat and olive trees and were set ablaze before putting out the fire.
  • At approximately 22:00, dozens of Israeli settlers gathered at the entrance to Qasrrah village, southeast of Nablus, and on the main street extending from Za’tarah checkpoint to Jericho. They carried out riots on the street until mid-night.
  • At approximately 16:00 on Saturday, 13 June 2020, armed settlers, from “Hafat Ma’oun” settlement, moved into Palestinians’ lands in al-Tawana village, east of Yatta, south of Hebron. They attempted to attack Palestinian civilians while present their agricultural lands and cursed at them.
  • At approximately 10:45 on Monday, 15 June 2020, four Israeli vehicles carrying at least 25 settlers moved into al-Fajem area in the central Jordan Valley, southeast of Nablus. The settlers cut the sheds of residential and livestock tents with sharp tools. These tents belong to ‘Atiyia Qasem Bani Muniyia and his brother Zuhir, and their neighbor Basem Bani Jaber. They settlers also damaged 4 solar cells and stole 8 batteries belonging to ‘Atiyia Qasem Bani Muniyia.
Collective Punishment Policy
As part of the collective punishment policy applied by the Israeli forces, against Palestinian families of those accused of carrying out attacks against the IOF and/or settlers, IOF took a measurement of a house belonging to a Palestinian detainee as a prelude to demolish it. According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 15:00 on Thursday, 11 June 2020, IOF raided Nathmi Mahmoud Abu Baker (49)’s house in Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. Abu Baker was accused of dropping a rock on an Israeli soldier’s head and killing him on 12 May 2020. IOF took the house measurements as a prelude to demolish it, noting that the 170-square-meter houses is comprised of 3 floors.
~ PCHR

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

What About U.S.-Supported Racism in Palestine and Kashmir?

By Robert Fantina
Palestine Kashmir 2bfc0
The savage murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer has caused worldwide protests against the racism that is so prevalent in the United States. Other such murders have caused civil unrest, but the current situation seems to have struck a nerve more than most. U.S. politicians support the cry for equal justice, but quickly change the subject to criticize any violence that occurs during the protests.
The hypocrisy of U.S. government officials knows no bounds. We have seen likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden visit the family of Mr. Floyd, but this writer does not recall him visiting the families of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Philandro Castile, etc., etc. President Donald Trump is harshly criticized for his disastrous photo-op in front of Saint John’s Episcopal Church, as well he should be. But why then praise Biden for his photo-op with the Floyd family? Mr. Floyd’s savage murder has certainly galvanized many people across the globe, but his bereaved loved ones are in no more need of consolation than are any of the other victims of racist police brutality.
And what about U.S.-supported racism in the Middle East? For decades the savage, apartheid regime of Israel has oppressed the Palestinians on their own land, yet Biden has said that there will be no reduction in U.S. aid to Israel, even if Israel proceeds with the annexation of much of the West Bank, a move illegal under international law and condemned by most of the world. No, freedom from racism and oppression is only supported when it provides political opportunities for self-service politicians. With AIPAC, the Apartheid Israel Political Affairs Committee (the reader will excuse this writer’s slight, but accurate, adjustment of the name) donating large amounts to election and re-election campaigns, what meaning do human rights have? Biden himself has collected at least $1,263,092.00 from pro-Israel lobbies during his career. That is a boat he will certainly not want to rock.
Let’s us move for a moment to Kashmir, long an illegally occupied colony of India with some limited sense of autonomy, that autonomy was stripped last year with some Indian government officials actually saying they would use the ‘Israel model’ to destroy Kashmir. U.S. officials have been strangely silent about this oppression.
Yet those some officials have been vocal in their condemnation of China’s suppression of pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. Why not condemn the suppression of pro-democracy protesters in Palestine or Kashmir? What makes the difference?
Could it be that most of the people in Palestine and Kashmir are Muslim? Donald Trump has clearly, even proudly, proclaimed his animosity toward all things Muslim, supporting and even financing the oppression of the Palestinians, and ignoring the tragic plight of the Kashmiris.
This is not to say that his hatred of Muslims is universal; no, as long as they have the money to purchase huge amounts of weaponry from the U.S., as Saudi Arabia does, Trump is fine with Muslims. Saudi Arabia has one of the worst records of human rights violations in the world, but as long as there is money to be made, what’s a little murderous oppression among friends?
During the current civil unrest in the U.S., Trump and his cohorts have not hesitated to use tear gas, illegal in war zones but just fine for use against local citizens, and brutal violence to prevent it. Trump recently proclaimed that he is a ‘law and order’ president, conjuring up unpleasant memories of the administration of Richard Nixon. But again, we see blatant hypocrisy. Trump wants ‘law and order’ but has no problem violating international law by sanctioning Iran and Venezuela, supporting the occupation of Palestine, and financing wars all over the planet. Where is the ‘law and order’ in any of this?
The political pundits of the day presume to tell us all what to think, who to care about and how we are going to vote. They ignore the daily murders of unarmed Palestinians by heavily armed Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers, yet scream the headlines if an Israeli is even injured by a Palestinian. For a short time, it was very fashionable for the news media to report on the caging of children at the U.S. – Mexico border, but we never hear of that now. This might imply to some that it no longer happens, but the only thing that has changed is where the media has chosen to focus. Racist police brutality is now the big news, but this is not a new phenomenon: it has been happening since the dawn of the U.S. It has only worsened as the federal government sells, at bargain basement prices, hardware designed for war zones to local municipalities, and as those towns and cities have received ‘training’ from Israel, one of the most savage regimes on the planet.
We can all speculate on how soon something else with be the topic du jour. Let us consider the prominent news from the last several months: caged children, impeachment, coronavirus (still raging, but seldom reported on), racism and police brutality. Each one serious and requiring a solution, and some solutions quite simple (e.g. stop separating immigrant children from their families and putting them in cages), and some far more complex (e.g. overcoming racism in the police departments across the nation).
But the media are all, with a few independent exceptions, corporate owned, as are most government officials. The 1% will do what is necessary to maintain their positions of power and wealth; they follow their own twisted version of the Golden Rule: the one who has the gold makes the rules. And so those without the ‘gold’ – the middle class and the poor, often people of color – are simply victims, expendable in the eyes of the government, and not worth any consideration.
This is the ‘land of the free and the home of the brave’, as demonstrated by the sight of a policeman strangling an unarmed man by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes (Mr. Floyd was probably dead for the last two). This is the ‘shining city on a hill’, awash in the blood of Palestinians. The ‘exceptionalism’ which even Barack Obama said, shamefully, he believes the U.S. possesses, “with every fiber” of his being has been used to wreak havoc around the globe.
The hapless U.S. voters seem to believe that that are faced with a devil’s choice in November: Trump or Biden. This dismisses the many third-party candidates who are blocked from debates and other means of conveying their message by the Republicans and Democrats. But they are there, and a quick internet search will find them. Gloria La Riva of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Howie Hawkins of the Green Party are just two worthy of consideration.
This writer has long since repented of ‘lesser of two evil’ voting, and now votes for candidates he can believe in, regardless of their chance of success. In 2016, faced with a devil’s choice, he voted for Gloria La Riva, and plans to repeat that vote this year. Until the people of the U.S. stop validating the evil policies of elected officials, which is done each time they are elected, nothing will change. The sooner this ends, the better it will be for the entire planet.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

قانون قيصر.. لا تتركوا سورية وحدها!‏


قبل أن تبدأ الولايات المتحدة بتطبيق قانون «قيصرها» بحق سورية، ثمة أحداث وإجراءات حصلت على الساحة السورية ـ اللبنانية، قبل فترة وجيزة من الموعد المحدّد لبدء تطبيقه يوم 17 حزيران، لتطرح تساؤلات، وتثير علامات استفهام عديدة، كان لا بدّ من التوقف عندها، ونحن في مواجهة ما تضمره وتبيّته واشنطن حيال الدولتين التوأمين سورية ولبنان بشكل خاص، ولدول المنطقة والعالم بشكل عام.
لعلّ ما شاهدناه من تطورات في الأسابيع الأخيرة، ليدفعنا الى تسجيل بعض المواقف والحوادث والتطورات، على الساحتين السورية واللبنانية التي تصبّ في خدمة قانون قيصر، الذي يمعن في الضغوط على النظام، ويشدّد الخناق الاقتصادي والمالي والتجاري على سورية، وعلى مَن يتعاطى معها من دول المنطقة والعالم، بعد سريان مفعول القانون الظالم، الذي به تريد الولايات المتحدة، توجيه ضربات قاتلة لاقتصاد سورية وإنتاجها القومي، وايضاً، لمن يحاول أن يتجاوزه أو يتعاون مع النظام. ولعل الأحداث والتطورات الأخيرة، تدفع بالمراقب المتابع لها، إلى تسليط الضوء على أمور عدة أبرزها:
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ـ لقد شهدت سورية مع اقتراب موسم حصاد القمح، سلسلة من الحرائق التي اندلعت بفعل فاعل، ولم تكن صدفة، حيث التهمت النيران مساحات واسعة من الأراضي المزروعة بالقمح، وهو الغذاء الاستراتيجي الذي تعتمد عليه سورية، والتي آثرت منذ عهد الرئيس الراحل حافظ الأسد، تحقيق الاكتفاء الذاتي منه، ليجنّبها مستقبلاً اللجوء الى الدول المصدّرة له، ويبعدها بالتالي عن الابتزاز السياسي من قبل بعض المصدّرين له.
هذه الحرائق المتعمّدة من قبل مجموعات داخلية إرهابية، ومعارضة، والتي تنسّق مع جهات خارجية، تستهدف ضرب الاقتصاد السوري في الصميم، وثروته الغذائية، وإرهاقه أكثر فأكثر، من أجل تحميل الدولة أعباء ثقيلة تضاف إلى الأعباء التي تتحمّلها، جراء الحرب المفروضة عليها منذ تسع سنوات وحتى اليوم. فما عجزت عن تحقيقه قوى العدوان في الحرب العسكرية على سورية، تريد أن تعوّضه بحرب اقتصادية شرسة مدمّرة. وما إحراق محاصيل القمح على مساحات واسعة، إلا ليصبّ في إطار التدمير الممنهج للاقتصاد السوري.
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ـ في ظلّ الظروف الحساسة التي تشهدها دول المنطقة، علت أصوات في الداخل اللبناني، من قبل أطراف ما كانت يوماً إلا في خانة العداء ضدّ سورية. لتنبري فجأة تطالب بإقفال معابر التهريب، بذريعة أنها تضرّ باقتصاد ومالية لبنان.
لا أحد مع التهريب، ولا أحد ضدّ القانون. لكن أن نقفل المعابر غير الشرعية ـ وهذا حق ـ ونترك العلاقات الاقتصادية والتجارية والمالية مع سورية، دون ان نفعّل الاتفاقيات والبروتوكولات الموقعة معها، وعدم التواصل الفعلي والجدي مع المسؤولين السوريين، لتنظيم أطر العلاقات الاقتصادية والتجارية والمالية والجمركية، والتنسيق معاً في مواجهة تداعيات قانون قيصر على البلدين، فهذا أمر لا يصبّ في مصلحة لبنان وشعبه، حيث تشكل له سورية على الدوام رئته الشرقية الوحيدة، التي يتنفس منها وهو يطلّ من بابها بصادراته إلى العراق ودول الخليج العربية.
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ـ إنّ تحريك الشارع اللبناني الذي يشهد ظروفاً داخلية حساسة وخطيرة، وفي ظلّ أوضاع اقتصادية ومالية ومعيشية ونقدية واجتماعية قاهرة، بمظاهرات مشبوهة، تطالب بنزع سلاح المقاومة، وتحميلها مسؤولية ما يشهده الداخل اللبناني، والتصويب عليها عشوائياً، مدار استغراب واستهجان. فبدلاً من أن تركز هذه التظاهرات على الفساد والحالة المزرية التي أوصلتنا إليها الطبقة السياسية، جاء مرتزقة المظاهرات المدفوعة الثمن من قبل محرّضيهم، وموجّهيهم، ليشوّشوا على المقاومة، ويفرغوا حقدهم وتعصّبهم، تماشياً وتناغماً، مع سياسات وأهداف أطراف داخلية، وإقليمية وخارجية غربية، ما كان هدفها الأول إلا حصار المقاومة وتعطيل دورها، والنيل منها، ومن ثم القضاء عليها وإنهاء وجودها.
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ـ انّ قرار الإدارة الذاتية الكردية، بمنع مزارعي محافظة الحسكة ـ وهي الخزان والسلة الغذائية الرئيسة لسورية ـ من تسليم محاصيلهم من القمح للمراكز التابعة لدمشق، يشكل سابقة خطيرة، نظراً لمفاعيله وتأثيراته السلبية الكبيرة على اقتصاد الدولة وعلى الأمن الغذائي للشعب السوري. رغم أنّ وقف تسليم القمح للسلطات السورية، ستترتب عليه خسارة لمزارعي القمح، وأيضاً كساد المخزون. هذا القرار الذي لم يأت من فراغ، وإنما بتوجيه وطلب من رعاة وداعمي الإدارة الذاتية الكردية، الذي ينسجم بالكامل مع قانون قيصر. والأسوأ من ذلك، أنّ مكوّناً من مكوّنات الشعب السوري، يفرض حصاراً على أبناء شعبه، من دون أيّ اعتبار إنساني أو أخلاقي، ليشكل هذا القرار إذا لم تتراجع الإدارة الذاتية الكردية عنه، قمة الخيانة والنذالة بحقّ وطن وشعب. لتثبت الإدارة الذاتية الكردية، مدى عمالتها وتواطئها ودعمها المسبق، من دون تحفظ لقانون قيصر.
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ـ لم يقتصر الأمر على الإدارة الكردية، إنما تبعته إجراءات أخرى، لجأت إليها سلطات الاحتلال التركي في الشمال السوري، وفي المناطق التي تسيطر عليها، حيث تفاقمت ممارسات الاحتلال، من خلال سياسات التتريك الممنهجة للمناطق الخاضعة له، لا سيما في أرياف حلب والرقة والحسكة. إنّ الاحتلال التركي، لم يتوقف عن سياسة تغيير الديموغرافيا للبلدات والقرى، وبالذات العربية منها، وتهجير سكانها باستخدام العنف، وتوطين الفصائل الإرهابية وعائلاتهم مكانهم بالقوة والإكراه، وإجبارهم على اعتماد العملة التركية في المناطق المحتلة والتداول بها، وإقامة مراكز رسمية تركية فيها، كالبريد وربطه بالبريد التركي.
وفي سياق الحرب الاقتصادية على سورية، فرضت تركيا منذ أيام قليلة على مؤسسة الحبوب التابعة لها، بتسويق المحاصيل الزراعية في رأس العين، الى تركيا حصراً وبالأسعار المناسبة لها.
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ـ منذ بداية الحرب على سورية عام 2011، اعتمد الكرد ـ دون ضوابط أو محاذير ـ على الولايات المتحدة وحلفائها في المنطقة، بما فيها «إسرائيل»، سياسياً، وعسكرياً، ومالياً، ولوجستياً واستخبارياً. وهم الآن ليسوا في وارد العودة الى الحضن السوري، والوقوف بجانب الدولة والقيادة والشعب، وهم في مواجهة قانون قيصر. كما أنهم أيضاً ليسوا بوارد التنصّل من القرارات الأميركية ذات الصلة بسورية، أو عدم الالتزام بها، او تحييد دورهم عنها. فطبيعة العلاقات الأميركية الكردية، وتأثير واشنطن الكبير على الكرد، وتحكّمها بقراراتهم وسياساتهم ومصيرهم، سيجبر الإدارة الذاتية الكردية، كي تكون حصان طروادة لقانون قيصر، الى جانب أحصنة عديدة في المنطقة والعالم. فهي ستشارك من دون حدود، وفق ما يرسمه لها الأميركي، في حصار سورية وشعبها، أياً كانت الأسباب والذرائع الواهية، والنتائج الوخيمة.
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ـ ما تريده واشنطن من قانون قيصر، شلّ اقتصاد
سورية، وتضييق الخناق على شعبها، ثم تحميل النظام في ما بعد، المسؤولية الكاملة عن تدهور الأوضاع، ودفع السوريّين إلى التظاهر والعصيان، مدعومين من قوى خارجية معادية، تقوم بترويج لحملة إعلامية واسعة النطاق، ضدّ دور إيران وروسيا، وتشويه دور وتواجد المقاومين من لبنان إلى جانب سورية في مواجهتها للإرهاب، على أنهم السبب الذي دفع بواشنطن الى فرض العقوبات التي يعاني من نتائجها الشعب السوري.
الحقيقة الواضحة هي انّ الولايات المتحدة التي لم تستطع مع حلفائها، وبالذات مع العدو الإسرائيلي، ان تأخذه من سورية بالحرب التي فرضت عليها منذ تسع سنوات، تريد ان تحققه من خلال حرب اقتصادية شرسة ناعمة، متعددة الجبهات والقطاعات، ترمي إلى تركيع النظام، وتجويع الشعب السوري، والاستفراد به، ووضع الدولة السورية أمام خيار واحد من خيارين:
أما القبول برحيل النظام وتسليم السلطة للمعارضة، وأما الخضوع للعقوبات، والحصار والتجويع، وبعد ذلك الاستسلام لمشيئة واشنطن في كلّ صغيرة وكبيرة، من دون قيد او شرط.
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ـ لا يقتصر قانون قيصر على سورية لوحدها، كما يظنّ البعض في لبنان، انما يستهدف أيضاً كلّ دولة، وكلّ كيان، أو هيئة أو مؤسسة او أفراد في العالم، يريدون التعاون مع دمشق بأيّ شكل من الأشكال. كما يمنع قانون قيصر، ايّ جهة تقوم بنشاطات تجارية، او مالية، أو صناعية، او استثمارية، لا سيما في قطاع النفط والغاز او غيرها من النشاطات، او تقديم المساعدات وإنْ كانت مجانيّة، لتنشيط القطاعات الصناعية والزراعية والإنتاجية أو المصرفية، مما حمل بعض المصارف الأجنبية العاملة في سورية، الى وقف نشاطها، وإقفال مكاتب فروعها، قبل بدء سريان مفعول قانون قيصر.
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ـ انّ قانون قيصر لن يوفر في مفاعيله السلبية لبنان ودول المنطقة، التي تواجه القرارات المذلة، وسياسات الهيمنة التي تمارسها الولايات المتحدة، بحق الشعوب الحرة للمنطقة، الرافضة لصفقة القرن، والتطبيع مع العدو. والخضوع للإملاءات الأميركية. اذ قانون قيصر وانْ استهدف بالدرجة الاولى سورية، إلا انّ تطبيقه، سيلحق الأذى بلبنان واللبنانيين، ودول الجوار. لأنه سيغلق الباب أمام اللبنانيين ويمنعهم تحت التهديد بفرض العقوبات عليهم، من أي تعامل تجاري، او صناعي او خدمي او استثماري. وهذا الأمر سيلحق ضرراً كبيراً باللبنانيين، خاصة بعد إطلاق ورشة إعادة بناء سورية ما بعد الحرب، مما سيحول دون تخفيف الأعباء المعيشية والمالية والتجارية عن اللبنانيين داخل بلدهم. حيث سيحرم قانون قيصر، الصادرات اللبنانية، الصناعية منها والزراعية، ومختلف البضائع من دخول الأراضي السورية، ومنها الى دول الخليج، وهذا ما سيلحق ضرراً كبيراً بالمنتجين، والأفراد والتجار، والصناعيين في هذا المجال.
ولا يقتصر مفعول القانون على لبنان وحده، وإنما سيطال أيضا إيران، رغم أنّ هذه الأخيرة تواجه في الأساس، عقوبات أميركية صارمة.
واشنطن تريد من قانون قيصر، أن يطال بشظاياه دولاً تراها الإدارة الأميركية متمرّدة عليها. فهي تريد من سورية فكّ ارتباطها النهائي مع إيران، ومع المقاومة في لبنان، ووقف الدعم لها. كذلك فكّ ارتباطها مع روسيا، وتقليص العلاقة معها، والعمل على وضع حدّ للتمركز العسكري الروسي ـ الإيراني، وإخراج قوى المقاومة وإبعادها عن سورية. إذ ترى واشنطن، انّ تمدّد التمركز الروسي الإيراني في سورية، وكذلك قوى المقاومة، يشكل تهديداً استراتيجياً لمصالح الولايات المتحدة، و»إسرائيل»، وحلفائها في الشرق الأدنى، لا سيما في منطقة الهلال الخصيب.
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ـ انّ المسؤولية الوطنية والقومية، تحتم على الجميع، العمل على احتواء قانون قيصر بكلّ أبعاده وأهدافه، اذ إنّ سورية، ليست معنيّة به وحدها، وهذا لا يتمّ إلا بتضافر الجهود والتنسيق الكامل، بين سورية ولبنان والعراق وروسيا وإيران والصين وغيرها من دول العالم. إذ لا يمكن لهذا القانون التعسّفي، الأحادي الجانب، الذي سنّته دولة بكلّ عنجهيتها، خارج إطار القانون الدوليّ، والشريعة الدولية، لتفرضه في ما بعد، على دول العالم، وتلزمها التقيّد به، غير عابئة بسيادتها، وكرامتها، واستقلالها وحرية قرارها.
لا بدّ من تحرك دولي لكسر هذا القانون، الذي يجسّد شريعة الغاب بكلّ المقاييس، شريعة تعوّدت عليها الولايات المتحدة، وأصبحت جزءاً لا يتجزأ من سلوكها اللاإنساني المقيت، حتى ولو دمّر هذا السلوك وطحن شعوباً بأكملها.
على اللبنانيين أن يدركوا، رغم التهويل بفرض العقوبات عليهم، انه من غير المقبول ان يؤخذ لبنان رهينة بيد قانون قيصر، ومن غير المقبول ان يظلّ أسيراً، ورهينة في يد من يريد السير به الى فلكه، والتحكم بقراره ومصالحه الوطنية، ومنعه من التنفس من خلال رئته الشرقية الوحيدة ـ سورية. يتوجب على لبنان، وعلى مسؤوليه، تفادي الانزلاق والوقوع في الفخ الأميركي المرسوم. لأنه سيكون وبالاً على لبنان وشعبه، عاجلاً أم آجلا. إذ لن يفيده ولا يجديه نفعاً في نهاية المطاف العسل الأميركي المشبع بالسمّ القاتل.
واشنطن تريد إسقاط سورية، لأنه بإسقاطها، ستتهاوى دول المنطقة المعارضة للسياسة الأميركية، كأحجار الدومينو. وهنا تكمن مسؤولية الجميع، للحفاظ على سورية، ودورها، ومكانتها، ومقاومتها، والوقوف الى جانبها مهما كلف الأمر، ولحين إسقاط قانون القرصان.
*وزير الخارجية الأسبق

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!