16 nov 2016
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat threatened Wednesday to demolish thousands of Palestinian homes in East Occupied Jerusalem, if the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona is evacuated, Haaretz reported.
The Israeli Jerusalem municipality asked for 14 demolition orders for the homes of some 40 Palestinians in Beit Hanina, which Barkat claimed were built on private Israeli land.
"Unless Amona is legalized, we'll have to destroy hundreds or thousands of houses in Jerusalem too," Barkat said.
"The Amona verdict leaves us no discretion to legalize building offences," he said.
The demolition orders Barkat asked for are for homes in the Beit Hanina neighborhood, allegedly built on land privately owned by Israeli settlers and run by the General Custodian's office.
Barkat asked for the demolition orders following the High Court of Justice ruling this week to evacuate and destroy the structures in illegal Amona outpost, which was built on private Palestinian land.
The Israeli Jerusalem municipality asked for 14 demolition orders for the homes of some 40 Palestinians in Beit Hanina, which Barkat claimed were built on private Israeli land.
"Unless Amona is legalized, we'll have to destroy hundreds or thousands of houses in Jerusalem too," Barkat said.
"The Amona verdict leaves us no discretion to legalize building offences," he said.
The demolition orders Barkat asked for are for homes in the Beit Hanina neighborhood, allegedly built on land privately owned by Israeli settlers and run by the General Custodian's office.
Barkat asked for the demolition orders following the High Court of Justice ruling this week to evacuate and destroy the structures in illegal Amona outpost, which was built on private Palestinian land.
The Israeli Knesset postponed voting on the Adhan ban bill, which aims to prevent mosques from using loudspeakers to announce prayer times in occupied Jerusalem.
The voting which was scheduled to be held on Wednesday was postponed after an appeal was submitted against the Israeli Ministerial Committee’s decision.
According to Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper, Israeli Health Minister Yakov Litzman filed an appeal on Tuesday to prevent the Knesset from voting on the bill, thereby sending it back to the government for further review.
In his appeal, Litzman referred to the similarities between the Adhan calls and the call announcing the beginning of Shabbat.
This will also force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has already voiced his support of the bill, to weigh in on the matter.
While Litzman’s concern is mainly over Jewish religious rituals, the bill has angered Arab MKs who have made contacts with members of the coalition government to express objection.
The voting which was scheduled to be held on Wednesday was postponed after an appeal was submitted against the Israeli Ministerial Committee’s decision.
According to Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper, Israeli Health Minister Yakov Litzman filed an appeal on Tuesday to prevent the Knesset from voting on the bill, thereby sending it back to the government for further review.
In his appeal, Litzman referred to the similarities between the Adhan calls and the call announcing the beginning of Shabbat.
This will also force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has already voiced his support of the bill, to weigh in on the matter.
While Litzman’s concern is mainly over Jewish religious rituals, the bill has angered Arab MKs who have made contacts with members of the coalition government to express objection.
15 nov 2016
Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs said Tuesday that any Israeli decision against Jerusalem's holy shrines, including Adhan ban bill, is false and insignificant.
The ministry undersecretary Abdullah Abbadi told Petra news agency that "an occupier cannot make any historical change to the city it occupies.”
According to international resolutions, things must remain the same without any change, a fact that underlines that any Israeli decision on Jerusalem is false and insignificant for the city is under occupation, he continued.
The Israeli Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved on Sunday draft legislation which could ban the use of loudspeakers to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer in Israel.
The bill would need to go through three readings in the before making it into law.
The ministry undersecretary Abdullah Abbadi told Petra news agency that "an occupier cannot make any historical change to the city it occupies.”
According to international resolutions, things must remain the same without any change, a fact that underlines that any Israeli decision on Jerusalem is false and insignificant for the city is under occupation, he continued.
The Israeli Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved on Sunday draft legislation which could ban the use of loudspeakers to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer in Israel.
The bill would need to go through three readings in the before making it into law.
The Israeli Knesset approved late Monday a bill to bar activists from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement from entering Israel in its first reading, Israeli media sources said.
Under the current law, the Israeli interior minister has the right to bar individuals calling for a boycott of Israel from entering Israel.
The bill would allow the Israeli the interior minister to make exceptions, the sources added.
The proposed bill was mainly submitted to bar the entry of foreign peace activists who are forced to travel via Israeli airports and border crossings to reach West Bank or Gaza Strip.
The bill came while the call to boycott Israel has grown stronger all over the world.
Under the current law, the Israeli interior minister has the right to bar individuals calling for a boycott of Israel from entering Israel.
The bill would allow the Israeli the interior minister to make exceptions, the sources added.
The proposed bill was mainly submitted to bar the entry of foreign peace activists who are forced to travel via Israeli airports and border crossings to reach West Bank or Gaza Strip.
The bill came while the call to boycott Israel has grown stronger all over the world.
14 nov 2016
The Israeli Supreme Court rejected Monday an Israeli government’s appeal to postpone the eviction of Amona illegal settlement in West Bank.
Yesh Din human rights organization affirmed that the Supreme Court approved the eviction of Amona settlement by December 25 since it was built on private Palestinian land.
"The evacuation must occur before December 25," the court said in its ruling on Monday. "The court rejects the delay requested by the state."
The high court ruled in 2014 that Amona, northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank, must be evacuated.
With the Amona deadline in mind, a committee of Israeli ministers on Sunday approved a bill that would allow the establishment of settlement homes on private Palestinian lands.
Yesh Din human rights organization affirmed that the Supreme Court approved the eviction of Amona settlement by December 25 since it was built on private Palestinian land.
"The evacuation must occur before December 25," the court said in its ruling on Monday. "The court rejects the delay requested by the state."
The high court ruled in 2014 that Amona, northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank, must be evacuated.
With the Amona deadline in mind, a committee of Israeli ministers on Sunday approved a bill that would allow the establishment of settlement homes on private Palestinian lands.
Arab Member of the Israeli Knesset, Ahmad al-Tibi, called for a vote of no-confidence in the incumbent Netanyahu government after the latter okayed a bid to ban Muslim call to prayers in the occupied territories.
As he stood on the Knesset podium, head of the Joint Arab List, al-Tibi called for a vote of no-confidence in the Netanyahu government, which approved a motion to ban the Muslim call to prayers via Mosque loudspeakers.
According to al-Tibi, the bill was the latest of "frequent attempts to harm the feelings of Muslims, under the trivial pretext of preventing noise."
During the Knesset session, al-Tibi expressed his objection to the proposed legislation by reciting to the plenum the call to prayer.
“The one who is causing millions to suffer is Benjamin Netanyahu, the first and foremost inciter against the Arab citizens and their leadership,” said the MK.
“A few years ago, as I stood on this very plenum, I warned how Israeli dogs are trained to pounce and attack any Arab who chants Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) as a Pavlovian reaction. Today we are facing another kind of dog unit, one that is ready to pounce whoever says Allahu Akbar.”
By the end of his speech, al-Tibi recited the call to prayer on the Knesset plenum, saying: “The muezzin will keep reciting the call to prayers . . . . God is greater than you.”
The bill, which calls for barring the use of loudspeakers for religious call to prayer, would need to go through several readings in the Knesset -- Israel’s parliament -- before making it into law, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday.
Speaking ahead of a vote on the bill in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, the Israeli prime minister said that the blared prayer calls are a public nuisance that cuts across all religious denominations.
The prayer calls, traditionally announced through minarets five times, have been a frequent target of Israeli ire, with many claiming they are a loud nuisance that echoes in Jewish towns and neighborhoods.
The bill was penned by Jewish Home MK Moti Yogev. Supporters of the bill say freedom of religion should take a backseat to quality of life in this case.
Arab lawmakers attacked the proposal as a hate-fueled assault on Muslim freedom of religion.
As he stood on the Knesset podium, head of the Joint Arab List, al-Tibi called for a vote of no-confidence in the Netanyahu government, which approved a motion to ban the Muslim call to prayers via Mosque loudspeakers.
According to al-Tibi, the bill was the latest of "frequent attempts to harm the feelings of Muslims, under the trivial pretext of preventing noise."
During the Knesset session, al-Tibi expressed his objection to the proposed legislation by reciting to the plenum the call to prayer.
“The one who is causing millions to suffer is Benjamin Netanyahu, the first and foremost inciter against the Arab citizens and their leadership,” said the MK.
“A few years ago, as I stood on this very plenum, I warned how Israeli dogs are trained to pounce and attack any Arab who chants Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) as a Pavlovian reaction. Today we are facing another kind of dog unit, one that is ready to pounce whoever says Allahu Akbar.”
By the end of his speech, al-Tibi recited the call to prayer on the Knesset plenum, saying: “The muezzin will keep reciting the call to prayers . . . . God is greater than you.”
The bill, which calls for barring the use of loudspeakers for religious call to prayer, would need to go through several readings in the Knesset -- Israel’s parliament -- before making it into law, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Sunday.
Speaking ahead of a vote on the bill in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, the Israeli prime minister said that the blared prayer calls are a public nuisance that cuts across all religious denominations.
The prayer calls, traditionally announced through minarets five times, have been a frequent target of Israeli ire, with many claiming they are a loud nuisance that echoes in Jewish towns and neighborhoods.
The bill was penned by Jewish Home MK Moti Yogev. Supporters of the bill say freedom of religion should take a backseat to quality of life in this case.
Arab lawmakers attacked the proposal as a hate-fueled assault on Muslim freedom of religion.
