14 june 2020
Anat Baron
Statement says letter with unspecified ‘despicable’ content was sent to Anat Baron, links matter to attacks on justice system by PM and his allies
A threat letter was found in the mailbox of Supreme Court Justice Anat Baron on Sunday, triggering fierce criticism over rampant incitement against the Judiciary System.
The judiciary security agency filed a complaint prompting the police to launch a probe into the matter, although the content of the letter has not been revealed.
In a statement, a judiciary spokesperson decried the “despised content, which is the direct result of ongoing and unrestrained incitement against the judicial system and its judges.”
Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn took to Twitter to back the judicial branch, writing that “the ongoing onslaught on the judicial system is dangerous - and endangers the strength of the State of Israel. [The judges] will continue to do their jobs fearlessly.”
The allegations of incitement alluded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces trial on three criminal charges - and to his right-wing allies, who have been voicing criticism against the judicial system.
During the government’s weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu addressed the threat letter, saying that “zero patience must be shown to anyone who threatens to murder judges and elected officials alike."
“Just this month, I filed three police complaints of threats of murder against me and my family. I urge the police to act quickly and forcefully to eradicate the incitement disease - it has no place among us,” Netanyahu added.
Statement says letter with unspecified ‘despicable’ content was sent to Anat Baron, links matter to attacks on justice system by PM and his allies
A threat letter was found in the mailbox of Supreme Court Justice Anat Baron on Sunday, triggering fierce criticism over rampant incitement against the Judiciary System.
The judiciary security agency filed a complaint prompting the police to launch a probe into the matter, although the content of the letter has not been revealed.
In a statement, a judiciary spokesperson decried the “despised content, which is the direct result of ongoing and unrestrained incitement against the judicial system and its judges.”
Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn took to Twitter to back the judicial branch, writing that “the ongoing onslaught on the judicial system is dangerous - and endangers the strength of the State of Israel. [The judges] will continue to do their jobs fearlessly.”
The allegations of incitement alluded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces trial on three criminal charges - and to his right-wing allies, who have been voicing criticism against the judicial system.
During the government’s weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu addressed the threat letter, saying that “zero patience must be shown to anyone who threatens to murder judges and elected officials alike."
“Just this month, I filed three police complaints of threats of murder against me and my family. I urge the police to act quickly and forcefully to eradicate the incitement disease - it has no place among us,” Netanyahu added.
10 june 2020
The Israeli High Court issued a decision last night striking down the Settlements Regularization Law which had allow Israel to expropriate private Palestinian land in the West Bank and to “regularize” or “legalize” the Israeli settlements built on it under Israeli domestic law.
On 6 February 2017, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, enacted the "Settlements Regularization Law for Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]", and just two days later, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and 17 Palestinian local authorities in the West Bank petitioned the Israeli High Court against the law.
"This is a significant achievement against Israel's threatened impending annexation of parts of the West Bank.
The Supreme Court decision stresses that the Knesset cannot legislate laws that violate international humanitarian law.
There exist no circumstances that justify the commission of war crimes – including the transfer of Israeli civilians to occupied Palestinian territory while stealing Palestinian land," Adalah said in a response to the court's ruling.
JLAC also said in its response that "the challenge now is to follow up on the demolition of Israeli settlement construction built on private Palestinian land and ensure that these lands are returned to their owners – an undertaking that the Israeli state and military will make all efforts to block."
On 6 February 2017, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, enacted the "Settlements Regularization Law for Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]", and just two days later, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and 17 Palestinian local authorities in the West Bank petitioned the Israeli High Court against the law.
"This is a significant achievement against Israel's threatened impending annexation of parts of the West Bank.
The Supreme Court decision stresses that the Knesset cannot legislate laws that violate international humanitarian law.
There exist no circumstances that justify the commission of war crimes – including the transfer of Israeli civilians to occupied Palestinian territory while stealing Palestinian land," Adalah said in a response to the court's ruling.
JLAC also said in its response that "the challenge now is to follow up on the demolition of Israeli settlement construction built on private Palestinian land and ensure that these lands are returned to their owners – an undertaking that the Israeli state and military will make all efforts to block."
9 june 2020
MK from joint list disrupts the proceeding, saying 'your husband burned a family' to the wife of Amiram Ben-Uliel, convicted of killing Saad and Riham Dawabsha and their 18-months-old baby in an arson attack in 2015
A shouting match erupted Tuesday during a court hearing meant to determine the punishment for a Jewish extremist, convicted of killing three members of a Palestinian family by throwing a firebomb into their home five years ago.
Settler Amiram Ben-Uliel, 26, was found guilty a month ago of the racially motivated murder of the Dawabsha family in July of 2015 that killed parents, Saad and Riham and their 18-months-old baby Ali in the Palestinian village of Duma in the West Bank.
During a hearing in the Lod District Court on Tuesday afternoon, MKs from the predominantly Arab Joint List party interrupted the proceedings, when the party's leader began accusing the defendant's wife. "Your husband burned a family, he has to rot in prison," Ahmad Tibi shouted.
"The defendant committed an act of revenge. He did not know Saad, Riham or Ali," said Attorney Yael Atzmon from the State Attorney’s Office. "The decision to kill them was made only because they were Arabs.”
“For the three murders, the defendant will be sentenced to life imprisonment in accordance with the law,” added Atzmon, “we will ask the court to impose the sentence of life imprisonment and order compensation to those affected by the crime."
The Office of the State Attorney seeks to sentence Ben-Uliel to three cumulative life sentences, in addition to 40 years in prison for other offenses of which he was convicted, such as attempted murder of family members who survived the arson attack. He was acquitted of a charge of belonging to a terrorist organization.
Ben-Uliel's attorney, Asher Ohayon, said they intend to appeal the sentencing to the Supreme Court.
"There is no Jew who is not shocked by this. No one was giving out candy after it happened," he said, referring to instances when Palestinians distribute sweets after attacks on Israelis.
Hussein Dawabsha, the grandfather of the toddler who was killed, also testified in court. ”My girl built a house that was burned down. She herself had been burned almost entirely, what father could bear it?" he said.
I sat with Ahmed for six months in the hospital and every day he asked to see his parents," he added, referring to the couple's other child, who survivied.
The grandfather wanted to extend his gratitude to the doctors who cared for the wounded family members: "Some [doctors] were Jewish, they did everything they could."
Nasser, Saad’s brother, also gave his testimony during the hearing, saying since the incident the whole family lives in fear of a revenge attack from other Jewish extremists.
“We live in fear, imprisoned in our homes like dogs," he said. "We barricade our windows with metal bars, like in prison, and go to the bathroom together. We suffer greatly, we have lost three souls. Our family has been burned thrice,” he added.
“I speak on my behalf, on behalf of my family and the entire Palestinian nation. We oppose this happening to anyone in the world, we are people who spread love and oppose terror. "
In January 2016, the Central District Attorney's Office indicted Ben-Uliel along with a minor, who was 17 years old at the time and whose name is under strict gag order, on charges of attempted murder.
The minor in the case had already reached a plea bargain, when he admitted to be involved in the conspiracy to carry out the attack (which he did not actually commit) and was determined to be a member of a terrorist organization.
The state will seek a five-and-a-half year prison sentence, while the minor’s defense attorneys plan to ask for a lighter punishment.
According to the indictment, the two wanted revenge against Arabs following the drive-by shooting of Malachy Rosenfeld days earlier. The two agreed to carry out an attack in Duma and another Arab village, with the intention of killing Arabs.
On July 31, the two agreed to meet in a nearby enclave. When the minor failed to show up, Ben-Uliel decided to carry out the attack alone. He arrived in the village of Duma, threw a Molotov cocktail into one house, and then headed to the Dawabsha family home and repeated the act.
Ben-Uliel soon fled the scene as the fire from his molotov cocktail started to spread and engulf the home of the Dawabsha family.
The fire gripped all four members of the family who were present in the house. The parents and the boy Ahmed managed to flee the house, while baby Ali remained in his crib and did not survive the fire.
Neighbors who arrived at the scene evacuated Ahmed, Saad and Riham to the hospital in serious condition.
Saad died of his wounds eight days later, while Riham succumbed to her wounds a month after the incident.
A shouting match erupted Tuesday during a court hearing meant to determine the punishment for a Jewish extremist, convicted of killing three members of a Palestinian family by throwing a firebomb into their home five years ago.
Settler Amiram Ben-Uliel, 26, was found guilty a month ago of the racially motivated murder of the Dawabsha family in July of 2015 that killed parents, Saad and Riham and their 18-months-old baby Ali in the Palestinian village of Duma in the West Bank.
During a hearing in the Lod District Court on Tuesday afternoon, MKs from the predominantly Arab Joint List party interrupted the proceedings, when the party's leader began accusing the defendant's wife. "Your husband burned a family, he has to rot in prison," Ahmad Tibi shouted.
"The defendant committed an act of revenge. He did not know Saad, Riham or Ali," said Attorney Yael Atzmon from the State Attorney’s Office. "The decision to kill them was made only because they were Arabs.”
“For the three murders, the defendant will be sentenced to life imprisonment in accordance with the law,” added Atzmon, “we will ask the court to impose the sentence of life imprisonment and order compensation to those affected by the crime."
The Office of the State Attorney seeks to sentence Ben-Uliel to three cumulative life sentences, in addition to 40 years in prison for other offenses of which he was convicted, such as attempted murder of family members who survived the arson attack. He was acquitted of a charge of belonging to a terrorist organization.
Ben-Uliel's attorney, Asher Ohayon, said they intend to appeal the sentencing to the Supreme Court.
"There is no Jew who is not shocked by this. No one was giving out candy after it happened," he said, referring to instances when Palestinians distribute sweets after attacks on Israelis.
Hussein Dawabsha, the grandfather of the toddler who was killed, also testified in court. ”My girl built a house that was burned down. She herself had been burned almost entirely, what father could bear it?" he said.
I sat with Ahmed for six months in the hospital and every day he asked to see his parents," he added, referring to the couple's other child, who survivied.
The grandfather wanted to extend his gratitude to the doctors who cared for the wounded family members: "Some [doctors] were Jewish, they did everything they could."
Nasser, Saad’s brother, also gave his testimony during the hearing, saying since the incident the whole family lives in fear of a revenge attack from other Jewish extremists.
“We live in fear, imprisoned in our homes like dogs," he said. "We barricade our windows with metal bars, like in prison, and go to the bathroom together. We suffer greatly, we have lost three souls. Our family has been burned thrice,” he added.
“I speak on my behalf, on behalf of my family and the entire Palestinian nation. We oppose this happening to anyone in the world, we are people who spread love and oppose terror. "
In January 2016, the Central District Attorney's Office indicted Ben-Uliel along with a minor, who was 17 years old at the time and whose name is under strict gag order, on charges of attempted murder.
The minor in the case had already reached a plea bargain, when he admitted to be involved in the conspiracy to carry out the attack (which he did not actually commit) and was determined to be a member of a terrorist organization.
The state will seek a five-and-a-half year prison sentence, while the minor’s defense attorneys plan to ask for a lighter punishment.
According to the indictment, the two wanted revenge against Arabs following the drive-by shooting of Malachy Rosenfeld days earlier. The two agreed to carry out an attack in Duma and another Arab village, with the intention of killing Arabs.
On July 31, the two agreed to meet in a nearby enclave. When the minor failed to show up, Ben-Uliel decided to carry out the attack alone. He arrived in the village of Duma, threw a Molotov cocktail into one house, and then headed to the Dawabsha family home and repeated the act.
Ben-Uliel soon fled the scene as the fire from his molotov cocktail started to spread and engulf the home of the Dawabsha family.
The fire gripped all four members of the family who were present in the house. The parents and the boy Ahmed managed to flee the house, while baby Ali remained in his crib and did not survive the fire.
Neighbors who arrived at the scene evacuated Ahmed, Saad and Riham to the hospital in serious condition.
Saad died of his wounds eight days later, while Riham succumbed to her wounds a month after the incident.
28 may 2020
More than 35 Palestinian households in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, have reportedly been successful to extract an Israeli court’s ruling that allows them to stay in their homes, following Israeli military attempts to demolish them.
Head of the local Palestinian committee for resisting the Israeli Apartheid Wall and illegal Israeli settlements, Hassan Brega, said that Palestinian attorney, Ghayath Naser, was able to win an appeal to an Israeli court, against the planned Israeli military demolition of 38 homes in the Ein Aljowaiza neighborhood of Bethlehem.
The attorney, quoted by Brega, said that Israeli military authorities have recently delivered warrants to 38 families that their homes would be demolished, alleging that the rural neighborhood is not included in urban planning, held by Israeli authorities.
Noteworthy, the Ein Aljowaiza neighborhood is adjacent to the boundaries of the occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and has recently declared the ‘unified capital of Israel’.
Owners of the homes believe that the demolition must be attributed to Israeli plans to expand the boundaries of East Jerusalem, at the expense of their own property, where they have lived for decades.
Recently, Israeli military authorities have announced a series of construction plans for the purpose of settlement housing units, across the West Bank and the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem.
International law and United Nations’ resolutions, dub those Israeli colonial settlements as illegal, given the fact that the West Bank and the Arab East Jerusalem are both occupied Palestinian territories, since June 4, 1967.
Head of the local Palestinian committee for resisting the Israeli Apartheid Wall and illegal Israeli settlements, Hassan Brega, said that Palestinian attorney, Ghayath Naser, was able to win an appeal to an Israeli court, against the planned Israeli military demolition of 38 homes in the Ein Aljowaiza neighborhood of Bethlehem.
The attorney, quoted by Brega, said that Israeli military authorities have recently delivered warrants to 38 families that their homes would be demolished, alleging that the rural neighborhood is not included in urban planning, held by Israeli authorities.
Noteworthy, the Ein Aljowaiza neighborhood is adjacent to the boundaries of the occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967 and has recently declared the ‘unified capital of Israel’.
Owners of the homes believe that the demolition must be attributed to Israeli plans to expand the boundaries of East Jerusalem, at the expense of their own property, where they have lived for decades.
Recently, Israeli military authorities have announced a series of construction plans for the purpose of settlement housing units, across the West Bank and the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem.
International law and United Nations’ resolutions, dub those Israeli colonial settlements as illegal, given the fact that the West Bank and the Arab East Jerusalem are both occupied Palestinian territories, since June 4, 1967.
25 may 2020
Ruling finds family of Mahmoud Attawone, accused of killing First Sgt. Dvir Sorek in August 2019, was not aware of his actions and therefore undeserving of punishment
The High Court of Justice annulled on Monday a directive to demolish the home of a Palestinian terrorist who took part in the murder of 19-year-old First Sgt. Dvir Sorek in August 2019.
In their majority decision, Justices Uzi Fogelman and Anat Baron wrote that the terrorist’s family, his wife and three children, did not know of his deeds, therefore, the punishment is not proportional.
Terrorist Mahmoud Attawone is charged with intended killing, for his involvement and complicity in the stabbing attack against Sorek - among other offenses.
Justice Baron explained her decision, saying “The passage of time results in disconnecting the ‘consciousness connection’ between the murder and the sanction against it, so that already at the time the demolition order was issued its deterrent power was in doubt, and in the absence of the deterrent effect the demolition order was a punishable action only, and as such, it was unreasonable and disproportionate."
Dvir Sorek was from the West Bank settlement of Ofra and served in a program combining IDF service and Yeshiva studies.
His body was discovered overnight on August 8, 2019, with multiple stab wounds approximately 30 to 40 yards outside Ofra's security gate.
The High Court of Justice annulled on Monday a directive to demolish the home of a Palestinian terrorist who took part in the murder of 19-year-old First Sgt. Dvir Sorek in August 2019.
In their majority decision, Justices Uzi Fogelman and Anat Baron wrote that the terrorist’s family, his wife and three children, did not know of his deeds, therefore, the punishment is not proportional.
Terrorist Mahmoud Attawone is charged with intended killing, for his involvement and complicity in the stabbing attack against Sorek - among other offenses.
Justice Baron explained her decision, saying “The passage of time results in disconnecting the ‘consciousness connection’ between the murder and the sanction against it, so that already at the time the demolition order was issued its deterrent power was in doubt, and in the absence of the deterrent effect the demolition order was a punishable action only, and as such, it was unreasonable and disproportionate."
Dvir Sorek was from the West Bank settlement of Ofra and served in a program combining IDF service and Yeshiva studies.
His body was discovered overnight on August 8, 2019, with multiple stab wounds approximately 30 to 40 yards outside Ofra's security gate.
