2 nov 2019
Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights: In one of the dozens of cases pursued by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights for the killing of unarmed Palestinians in Gaza’s ‘Great March of Return’ protests, an Israeli military court has sentenced a soldier who killed on July 13 2018, 14-year-old child, Othman Hillis, to only 30 days in prison.
A suspended 60-day sentence and a demotion in rank were added by the court, which indicted the soldier on the charge of “disobeying an order leading to a threat to life or health”, per article 72 of Israeli Martial Law (1955).
Convicting—even charging—an Israeli soldier for conduct that led to death or harm of a Palestinian is rare; however, the case is very troubling in that it was centered on disciplinary charges, instead of properly based on criminal charges for unlawful killing.
The absence of a criminal conviction is a testament to the perpetual manner in which the Israeli justice system, including the military courts, shields State actors from genuine accountability and denies justice and redress to the victims, even in cases amounting to potential war crimes.
Al Mezan submitted a criminal complaint to the Israeli Military Advocate General on 4 September 2018, requesting a criminal investigation into the 13 July 2018 killing of Hillis; the Military Police initiated a criminal investigation two months later.
On 6 March 2019, with Al Mezan’s legal and technical support to the family, investigators interviewed Hillis’ father at Erez crossing. Al Mezan was then informed in writing on 29 October 2019 that, “the investigation is concluded […] and based on the findings, the Military Advocate General has convicted the soldier in question with exceeding his authority” (unofficial translation of the text by Al Mezan).
The evidence collected by Al Mezan shows Hillis’ shooting to be an act of willful killing, requiring a sentence commensurate with the gravity of the crime.
The sentence handed down by the court for failure to follow orders and show discipline is woefully derisory and demonstrates rampant impunity in Israel and a lack of effective means of redress for Palestinian victims and/or their families.
Al Mezan’s documentation shows that since 30 March 2018, Israeli forces have killed 214 Palestinians at the ‘Great March of Return’ protests in the Gaza Strip, including 46 children, four paramedics, two journalists, and nine persons with disability. Over 18,000 more have been injured.
The use of lethal and other excessive force against unarmed protesters and media and medical personnel at the demonstrations, resulting in the fatalities and injuries, constitutes a grave violation of the right to life enshrined in International Human Rights Law and demonstrates a complete disregard for the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
After investigations, the 2018 United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, detailed a “lack of confidence” in the Israeli justice system, whereby the Military Advocate General “has yet to accept the implications of accountability”.[1]
The Commission continued that the “principles of promptness, independence and impartiality, and effectiveness appear to be compromised”.[2]
Al Mezan’s similar findings of persistent failure by the Israeli justice system to hold perpetrators to account in accordance with international law necessitate the intervention of international justice mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court. The protection of civilians and the rule of law are gravely undermined through the perpetuation of a state of impunity.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and legal obligations to end serious violations of the rules and norms of international law, and to ensure that civilians living under occupation are granted due protection.
The Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court must investigate the alleged grave and systematic crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory to provide justice and an effective deterrent to the possible future commission of crimes.
* This statement was issued by the Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights
————–
[1] UN Commission of Inquiry report into the Gaza 2018 protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2019) Report of detailed findings (UN Doc. A/HRC/40/CRP.2)
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session40/Documents/A_HRC_40_74_CRP2.pdf para. 726
[2] Ibid footnote 1
A suspended 60-day sentence and a demotion in rank were added by the court, which indicted the soldier on the charge of “disobeying an order leading to a threat to life or health”, per article 72 of Israeli Martial Law (1955).
Convicting—even charging—an Israeli soldier for conduct that led to death or harm of a Palestinian is rare; however, the case is very troubling in that it was centered on disciplinary charges, instead of properly based on criminal charges for unlawful killing.
The absence of a criminal conviction is a testament to the perpetual manner in which the Israeli justice system, including the military courts, shields State actors from genuine accountability and denies justice and redress to the victims, even in cases amounting to potential war crimes.
Al Mezan submitted a criminal complaint to the Israeli Military Advocate General on 4 September 2018, requesting a criminal investigation into the 13 July 2018 killing of Hillis; the Military Police initiated a criminal investigation two months later.
On 6 March 2019, with Al Mezan’s legal and technical support to the family, investigators interviewed Hillis’ father at Erez crossing. Al Mezan was then informed in writing on 29 October 2019 that, “the investigation is concluded […] and based on the findings, the Military Advocate General has convicted the soldier in question with exceeding his authority” (unofficial translation of the text by Al Mezan).
The evidence collected by Al Mezan shows Hillis’ shooting to be an act of willful killing, requiring a sentence commensurate with the gravity of the crime.
The sentence handed down by the court for failure to follow orders and show discipline is woefully derisory and demonstrates rampant impunity in Israel and a lack of effective means of redress for Palestinian victims and/or their families.
Al Mezan’s documentation shows that since 30 March 2018, Israeli forces have killed 214 Palestinians at the ‘Great March of Return’ protests in the Gaza Strip, including 46 children, four paramedics, two journalists, and nine persons with disability. Over 18,000 more have been injured.
The use of lethal and other excessive force against unarmed protesters and media and medical personnel at the demonstrations, resulting in the fatalities and injuries, constitutes a grave violation of the right to life enshrined in International Human Rights Law and demonstrates a complete disregard for the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
After investigations, the 2018 United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, detailed a “lack of confidence” in the Israeli justice system, whereby the Military Advocate General “has yet to accept the implications of accountability”.[1]
The Commission continued that the “principles of promptness, independence and impartiality, and effectiveness appear to be compromised”.[2]
Al Mezan’s similar findings of persistent failure by the Israeli justice system to hold perpetrators to account in accordance with international law necessitate the intervention of international justice mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court. The protection of civilians and the rule of law are gravely undermined through the perpetuation of a state of impunity.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and legal obligations to end serious violations of the rules and norms of international law, and to ensure that civilians living under occupation are granted due protection.
The Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court must investigate the alleged grave and systematic crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory to provide justice and an effective deterrent to the possible future commission of crimes.
* This statement was issued by the Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights
————–
[1] UN Commission of Inquiry report into the Gaza 2018 protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2019) Report of detailed findings (UN Doc. A/HRC/40/CRP.2)
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session40/Documents/A_HRC_40_74_CRP2.pdf para. 726
[2] Ibid footnote 1
31 oct 2019
An Israeli soldier was sentenced on Monday to a month of community service for killing a Palestinian child during a Great Return March protest in the occupied Gaza Strip.
The Middle East Monitor reported that the soldier – whose name has been banned from publication – was convicted by a military court in relation to the death of 14-year-old Othman Hilles, who was shot during a demonstration on 13 July 2018.
It is the first conviction in connection to the huge number of casualties among Great Return March demonstrators, with Israeli forces shooting more than 7,000 with live fire since March 2018.
Despite Hilles being shot while unarmed and posing no threat to Israeli soldiers, the soldier was only convicted of “disobeying an order leading to a threat to life or health”, as opposed to manslaughter. The military court sentenced the soldier to one month community service, as well as a demotion.
The shooting of Hilles was captured on film, likely a factor in the soldier being brought to trial at all. This is the first conviction of an Israeli soldier for killing a Palestinian unarmed demonstrator in Gaza – although there have been more than 200 Palestinian civilians killed in the past two years of demonstrations.
According to the Times of Israel, the soldier – a sniper from the Givati Brigade – was not convicted of a more serious offense like manslaughter “as military prosecutors were unable to collect sufficient evidence connecting his gunshot to [the boy’s death]”.
The Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the conviction in a statement, saying that the soldier “fired at a Palestinian rioter who climbed the border fence…without obtaining permission from his commanders while not following the rules of engagement or the instructions given to him earlier”.
Euro-Med: Light Sentencing of Israeli Soldier is a ‘Green Light to More Violations’
The Israeli sharpshooter who killed an unarmed Palestinian teen in Gaza, was sentenced to 1 (one) month of community service, was described by Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med) as ‘a green light to more violations’.
Othman Rami Helles, 15, was shot in the torso, on the 13th of July 2018, during weekly Palestinian protests along the eastern Gaza-Israel perimeter fence.
This is the first time an Israeli soldier has been convicted by Israel of killing an unarmed Palestinian in the Great Return March protests. Hundreds of unarmed Palestinians, including journalists, paramedics, women and children, have been killed, maimed, or permanently disabled with direct orders from commanding officers.
The convicted soldier admitted to shooting the teenager without permission from his commanders, in violation of Israel’s own rules of engagement.
“Deviating from orders was likely the main reason for his indictment rather than the act of killing a non-violent protester,” said Euro-Med.
“While holding Israeli soldiers accountable for crimes perpetrated against Palestinians is a step in the right direction, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor finds the sentencing to be entirely disproportionate with the criminal act of killing an unarmed child protester, and may encourage other IDF soldiers to follow the lead of the incriminated sniper, knowing that the consequences are negligible and lenient,” Euro-Med said in its statement.
“A month of community service for the death of a person is not deterrent enough to stop the killings,” calling for greater sanctions on Israeli soldiers who unlawfully kill Palestinians.
“Israeli security forces operate with near impunity, facing few repercussions for abusive and illegal actions, such as beatings and killings. The Euro-Med Monitor is concerned that the court’s decision will encourage further killings and questions the impartiality of the Israeli judiciary,” it said.
“Euro-Med Monitor calls on the Israeli judiciary to exercise greater scrutiny of such cases and strive to uphold the rule of law.”
The Middle East Monitor reported that the soldier – whose name has been banned from publication – was convicted by a military court in relation to the death of 14-year-old Othman Hilles, who was shot during a demonstration on 13 July 2018.
It is the first conviction in connection to the huge number of casualties among Great Return March demonstrators, with Israeli forces shooting more than 7,000 with live fire since March 2018.
Despite Hilles being shot while unarmed and posing no threat to Israeli soldiers, the soldier was only convicted of “disobeying an order leading to a threat to life or health”, as opposed to manslaughter. The military court sentenced the soldier to one month community service, as well as a demotion.
The shooting of Hilles was captured on film, likely a factor in the soldier being brought to trial at all. This is the first conviction of an Israeli soldier for killing a Palestinian unarmed demonstrator in Gaza – although there have been more than 200 Palestinian civilians killed in the past two years of demonstrations.
According to the Times of Israel, the soldier – a sniper from the Givati Brigade – was not convicted of a more serious offense like manslaughter “as military prosecutors were unable to collect sufficient evidence connecting his gunshot to [the boy’s death]”.
The Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the conviction in a statement, saying that the soldier “fired at a Palestinian rioter who climbed the border fence…without obtaining permission from his commanders while not following the rules of engagement or the instructions given to him earlier”.
Euro-Med: Light Sentencing of Israeli Soldier is a ‘Green Light to More Violations’
The Israeli sharpshooter who killed an unarmed Palestinian teen in Gaza, was sentenced to 1 (one) month of community service, was described by Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med) as ‘a green light to more violations’.
Othman Rami Helles, 15, was shot in the torso, on the 13th of July 2018, during weekly Palestinian protests along the eastern Gaza-Israel perimeter fence.
This is the first time an Israeli soldier has been convicted by Israel of killing an unarmed Palestinian in the Great Return March protests. Hundreds of unarmed Palestinians, including journalists, paramedics, women and children, have been killed, maimed, or permanently disabled with direct orders from commanding officers.
The convicted soldier admitted to shooting the teenager without permission from his commanders, in violation of Israel’s own rules of engagement.
“Deviating from orders was likely the main reason for his indictment rather than the act of killing a non-violent protester,” said Euro-Med.
“While holding Israeli soldiers accountable for crimes perpetrated against Palestinians is a step in the right direction, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor finds the sentencing to be entirely disproportionate with the criminal act of killing an unarmed child protester, and may encourage other IDF soldiers to follow the lead of the incriminated sniper, knowing that the consequences are negligible and lenient,” Euro-Med said in its statement.
“A month of community service for the death of a person is not deterrent enough to stop the killings,” calling for greater sanctions on Israeli soldiers who unlawfully kill Palestinians.
“Israeli security forces operate with near impunity, facing few repercussions for abusive and illegal actions, such as beatings and killings. The Euro-Med Monitor is concerned that the court’s decision will encourage further killings and questions the impartiality of the Israeli judiciary,” it said.
“Euro-Med Monitor calls on the Israeli judiciary to exercise greater scrutiny of such cases and strive to uphold the rule of law.”
30 oct 2019
Israeli soldiers and police officers demolished, Tuesday, a Palestinian home, along with commercial structures, and barns, in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) said dozens of soldiers, and officers, invaded the Suwwana neighborhood in Jerusalem, and surrounding a home, owned by Khaled al-Fahham. video
Silwanic added that the soldiers proceeded to demolish the property, although the Palestinian managed to obtain a court order delaying the destruction of his property for one week, as his appeal case is still unresolved.
The family stated that the City Council in occupied Jerusalem issued a demolition order against their property nearly 18 months ago, after alleging that it was built without a permit.
The family denied the Israeli allegation, and said that their home was built in 1964, before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, and that they own all needed permits and documents, however, the Central Court recently decided that the property must be demolished by October 27th.
“We then headed to the High Court and managed to obtain a ruling delaying the demolition for one week,” the family added, “Our appeal was approved, but the City Council went ahead and demolished our home anyway.”
It is worth mentioning that six family members, including three children, lived in the demolished property.
The soldiers also invaded the al-‘Isawiya town, in Jerusalem, and forced one Palestinian, identified as Luay Obeid, to demolish his under-construction home, after threatening excessively high fines and fees.
In addition, the soldiers demolished a stable for horses, a metal shed, and the foundation of a building, owned by Ishaq Hamdan. video
A commercial structure owned by Luay Mansour was also demolished in the town. The building contained an office for a car rental service and a carwash facility.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) said dozens of soldiers, and officers, invaded the Suwwana neighborhood in Jerusalem, and surrounding a home, owned by Khaled al-Fahham. video
Silwanic added that the soldiers proceeded to demolish the property, although the Palestinian managed to obtain a court order delaying the destruction of his property for one week, as his appeal case is still unresolved.
The family stated that the City Council in occupied Jerusalem issued a demolition order against their property nearly 18 months ago, after alleging that it was built without a permit.
The family denied the Israeli allegation, and said that their home was built in 1964, before Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, and that they own all needed permits and documents, however, the Central Court recently decided that the property must be demolished by October 27th.
“We then headed to the High Court and managed to obtain a ruling delaying the demolition for one week,” the family added, “Our appeal was approved, but the City Council went ahead and demolished our home anyway.”
It is worth mentioning that six family members, including three children, lived in the demolished property.
The soldiers also invaded the al-‘Isawiya town, in Jerusalem, and forced one Palestinian, identified as Luay Obeid, to demolish his under-construction home, after threatening excessively high fines and fees.
In addition, the soldiers demolished a stable for horses, a metal shed, and the foundation of a building, owned by Ishaq Hamdan. video
A commercial structure owned by Luay Mansour was also demolished in the town. The building contained an office for a car rental service and a carwash facility.
25 oct 2019
Ayham Sabah
In December 2018, 17-year-old Palestinian teen, Ayham Sabah, was sentenced by an Israeli military court to 35 years in prison for his alleged role in a stabbing attack targeting an Israeli soldier in an illegal Jewish settlement in the West Bank.
Sabah was only 14 years old when the alleged attack took place.
Another alleged attacker, Omar al-Rimawi, also 14, was reportedly shot by undercover Israeli forces in the Shufat refugee camp, in occupied East Jerusalem. He later succumbed to his wounds.
Although the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a “child” as “every human being below the age of eighteen years”, Israel chooses not to abide by that definition. In Israel, there are two kinds of children: Israeli children who are 18 years old or younger, and Palestinians children, 16 years and younger.
In Sabah’s case, he was detained for years to ensure that he was tried as an “adult” per Israel’s skewed legal standards.
According to research conducted by the Israeli rights group, B’Tselem, by the end of August 2019, 185 Palestinian children, including two younger than 14 years old were held in various Israeli prisons as “security detainees and prisoners.”
Thousands of Palestinian children are constantly being rotated through the Israeli prison system, often accused of “security” offenses, which include taking part in anti-Israeli occupation protests and rallies in the West Bank. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Association estimates that at least 6,000 Palestinian children have been detained in Israeli prisons since 2015.
In a statement issued last April, the Association, revealed that “98 percent of the children held had been subjected to psychological and/or physical abuse while in Israeli custody” and that many of them were detained “after first being shot and wounded by Israeli troops.”
While Gazan children are the ones most likely to lose their lives or get shot by the Israeli army, the children of occupied East Jerusalem are “the most targeted” by Israeli troops in terms of detention or prolonged imprisonment.
In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, whereby, the US “pledges” to grant Israel $38 billion in military aid. The previous agreement, which concluded in 2018, gave Israel over $3 billion per year.
Most of the money went to finance Israeli wars and security for illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. A large portion of that money was, and still is, allocated to subsidize the Israeli prison system and military courts located in occupied Palestine – the kind that regularly detain and torture Palestinian children.
Aside from the US government, which has blindly supported Israel’s ongoing violations of international law, many governments and rights groups around the world have constantly highlighted Israel’s criminally reprehensible treatment of Palestinian children.
In a written submission by Human Rights Watch to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the State of Palestine last March, the group reported that “Palestinian children aged between 12 and 17 years from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, continue to be detained and arrested by Israeli forces.”
“Israeli security forces routinely interrogate children without a guardian or lawyer present, use unnecessary force against children during arrest, which often takes place in the middle of the night, and physically abuse them in custody,” HRW reported.
While the US government, lawmakers and media often turn a blind eye to such violations, Congresswoman Betty McCollum does not. The representative for Minnesota’s 4th congressional district has taken a stand against the prevailing norm in American politics, arguing that Israel must respect the rights of Palestinian children, and that the US government should not be funding Israel’s violations of human rights.
On April 30, McCollum introduced House resolution H.R. 2407 – “Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act”.
“I am introducing legislation to protect children from abuse, violence, psychological trauma, and torture,” she said in her statement to the Congress.
“The legislation I am introducing is expressly intended to end U.S. support and funding for Israel’s systematic military detention, interrogation, abuse, torture, and prosecution of Palestinian children.”
By introducing H.R. 2407, McCollum has broken several major taboos in the US government. She unapologetically characterizes Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights with all the correct terms – “torture”, “abuse”, and so on… Moreover, she calls for conditioning US military support for Israel on the latter’s respect for human rights.
As of November 17, H.R. 2407 has acquired 22 co-sponsors, with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier being the last Congress member to join the list.
This is not the first time that McCollum has taken such brave initiatives. In November 2017, she introduced the “Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act” (H.R. 4391). Then, she pushed the bill with the same vigor and moral clarity as today’s campaign.
The 2017 bill was not enacted in the previous Congress. McCollum is hoping to change that this time around, and there are good reasons to believe that H.R. 2407 could succeed.
One public opinion poll after another points to a shift in US perception of Israel, especially among Democrats and even US Jewish voters.
Eager to exploit the political chasm, US President Donald Trump accused Jewish Democrats who don’t support Israel of being “disloyal”.
“The Democrats have gone very far away from Israel,” Trump said last August. “In my opinion, you vote for a Democrat, you’re being very disloyal to Jewish people and very disloyal to Israel.”
In fact, it seems that an increasing number of American voters are now linking their perception of Israel to their perception of their own polarizing President and his relationship with the equally polarizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The above reality is now widening the margins of criticism of Israel, whether in the US Congress, media, or other facets of American life which have historically stood on the side of Israel despite the latter’s dismal human rights record.
While one hopes that McCollum’s congressional bill pays dividends in the service of human rights in Palestine and Israel, one hopes equally that the current shift in American political perceptions continues unhindered.
In December 2018, 17-year-old Palestinian teen, Ayham Sabah, was sentenced by an Israeli military court to 35 years in prison for his alleged role in a stabbing attack targeting an Israeli soldier in an illegal Jewish settlement in the West Bank.
Sabah was only 14 years old when the alleged attack took place.
Another alleged attacker, Omar al-Rimawi, also 14, was reportedly shot by undercover Israeli forces in the Shufat refugee camp, in occupied East Jerusalem. He later succumbed to his wounds.
Although the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a “child” as “every human being below the age of eighteen years”, Israel chooses not to abide by that definition. In Israel, there are two kinds of children: Israeli children who are 18 years old or younger, and Palestinians children, 16 years and younger.
In Sabah’s case, he was detained for years to ensure that he was tried as an “adult” per Israel’s skewed legal standards.
According to research conducted by the Israeli rights group, B’Tselem, by the end of August 2019, 185 Palestinian children, including two younger than 14 years old were held in various Israeli prisons as “security detainees and prisoners.”
Thousands of Palestinian children are constantly being rotated through the Israeli prison system, often accused of “security” offenses, which include taking part in anti-Israeli occupation protests and rallies in the West Bank. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Association estimates that at least 6,000 Palestinian children have been detained in Israeli prisons since 2015.
In a statement issued last April, the Association, revealed that “98 percent of the children held had been subjected to psychological and/or physical abuse while in Israeli custody” and that many of them were detained “after first being shot and wounded by Israeli troops.”
While Gazan children are the ones most likely to lose their lives or get shot by the Israeli army, the children of occupied East Jerusalem are “the most targeted” by Israeli troops in terms of detention or prolonged imprisonment.
In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, whereby, the US “pledges” to grant Israel $38 billion in military aid. The previous agreement, which concluded in 2018, gave Israel over $3 billion per year.
Most of the money went to finance Israeli wars and security for illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank. A large portion of that money was, and still is, allocated to subsidize the Israeli prison system and military courts located in occupied Palestine – the kind that regularly detain and torture Palestinian children.
Aside from the US government, which has blindly supported Israel’s ongoing violations of international law, many governments and rights groups around the world have constantly highlighted Israel’s criminally reprehensible treatment of Palestinian children.
In a written submission by Human Rights Watch to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the State of Palestine last March, the group reported that “Palestinian children aged between 12 and 17 years from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, continue to be detained and arrested by Israeli forces.”
“Israeli security forces routinely interrogate children without a guardian or lawyer present, use unnecessary force against children during arrest, which often takes place in the middle of the night, and physically abuse them in custody,” HRW reported.
While the US government, lawmakers and media often turn a blind eye to such violations, Congresswoman Betty McCollum does not. The representative for Minnesota’s 4th congressional district has taken a stand against the prevailing norm in American politics, arguing that Israel must respect the rights of Palestinian children, and that the US government should not be funding Israel’s violations of human rights.
On April 30, McCollum introduced House resolution H.R. 2407 – “Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act”.
“I am introducing legislation to protect children from abuse, violence, psychological trauma, and torture,” she said in her statement to the Congress.
“The legislation I am introducing is expressly intended to end U.S. support and funding for Israel’s systematic military detention, interrogation, abuse, torture, and prosecution of Palestinian children.”
By introducing H.R. 2407, McCollum has broken several major taboos in the US government. She unapologetically characterizes Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights with all the correct terms – “torture”, “abuse”, and so on… Moreover, she calls for conditioning US military support for Israel on the latter’s respect for human rights.
As of November 17, H.R. 2407 has acquired 22 co-sponsors, with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier being the last Congress member to join the list.
This is not the first time that McCollum has taken such brave initiatives. In November 2017, she introduced the “Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act” (H.R. 4391). Then, she pushed the bill with the same vigor and moral clarity as today’s campaign.
The 2017 bill was not enacted in the previous Congress. McCollum is hoping to change that this time around, and there are good reasons to believe that H.R. 2407 could succeed.
One public opinion poll after another points to a shift in US perception of Israel, especially among Democrats and even US Jewish voters.
Eager to exploit the political chasm, US President Donald Trump accused Jewish Democrats who don’t support Israel of being “disloyal”.
“The Democrats have gone very far away from Israel,” Trump said last August. “In my opinion, you vote for a Democrat, you’re being very disloyal to Jewish people and very disloyal to Israel.”
In fact, it seems that an increasing number of American voters are now linking their perception of Israel to their perception of their own polarizing President and his relationship with the equally polarizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The above reality is now widening the margins of criticism of Israel, whether in the US Congress, media, or other facets of American life which have historically stood on the side of Israel despite the latter’s dismal human rights record.
While one hopes that McCollum’s congressional bill pays dividends in the service of human rights in Palestine and Israel, one hopes equally that the current shift in American political perceptions continues unhindered.
18 oct 2019
The Palestinian Detainees’ Committee has reported, Thursday, that an Israeli court has approved the arbitrary Administrative Detention order against a hunger-striking detainee, for an additional six months, without charges.
The Committee stated that the detainee, Mo’ab Tawfiq al-Hindi, 29, from Tal village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, is ongoing with a hunger strike he started 24 days ago, protesting being held under Administrative Detention orders.
The detainee is currently held in Ohali Kidar Israel prison, after he was frequently moved to various detention centers since he started the strike, and will likely be transferred again.
It is worth mentioning that al-Hindi was abducted on September 4, 2019, and is a former political prisoner, who was frequently abducted and detained by Israel, and went on hunger strike 35 days, before an agreement was reached for his release.
However, the army abducted him once again, and slapped him with a new Administrative detention order.
In related news, the Committee stated that the Israeli High Court is scheduled to hold hearings regarding the cases of several hunger-striking detainees.
The Committee stated that the detainee, Mo’ab Tawfiq al-Hindi, 29, from Tal village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, is ongoing with a hunger strike he started 24 days ago, protesting being held under Administrative Detention orders.
The detainee is currently held in Ohali Kidar Israel prison, after he was frequently moved to various detention centers since he started the strike, and will likely be transferred again.
It is worth mentioning that al-Hindi was abducted on September 4, 2019, and is a former political prisoner, who was frequently abducted and detained by Israel, and went on hunger strike 35 days, before an agreement was reached for his release.
However, the army abducted him once again, and slapped him with a new Administrative detention order.
In related news, the Committee stated that the Israeli High Court is scheduled to hold hearings regarding the cases of several hunger-striking detainees.
16 oct 2019
On October 15, 2019, Samer Arbeed's detention was extended for another eight days following a court session that was held in hospital without allowing his lawyer to attend it.
According to Addameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights, the court hearing was held in Hadassah Hospital’s intensive care unit, where Samer was transferred on September 27 due to life-threatening injuries, which he sustained during his exposure to extreme torture by Israeli interrogators in al-Maskubiya interrogation and detention center.
Samer has regained consciousness and was disconnected from a respirator, but he continues to lie in the intensive care unit at Hadassah Hospital, Addameer said on its website.
Samer’s medical report details multiple serious injuries. His kidneys have seriously malfunctioned, requiring him to be on regular dialysis. Additionally, he suffers from pains and swelling all over his body, particularly in his extremities, and he is still unable to move his legs. Eleven of his ribs are also fractured.
Samer are still being denied legal counsel, while Israeli officers continue to interrogate him while he is in the intensive car unit.
Addameer said it was permitted by Israeli officials who held the court session at the hospital to publicly comment on and publish information about Samer’s health condition following a previous gag order.
According to Addameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights, the court hearing was held in Hadassah Hospital’s intensive care unit, where Samer was transferred on September 27 due to life-threatening injuries, which he sustained during his exposure to extreme torture by Israeli interrogators in al-Maskubiya interrogation and detention center.
Samer has regained consciousness and was disconnected from a respirator, but he continues to lie in the intensive care unit at Hadassah Hospital, Addameer said on its website.
Samer’s medical report details multiple serious injuries. His kidneys have seriously malfunctioned, requiring him to be on regular dialysis. Additionally, he suffers from pains and swelling all over his body, particularly in his extremities, and he is still unable to move his legs. Eleven of his ribs are also fractured.
Samer are still being denied legal counsel, while Israeli officers continue to interrogate him while he is in the intensive car unit.
Addameer said it was permitted by Israeli officials who held the court session at the hospital to publicly comment on and publish information about Samer’s health condition following a previous gag order.
Israeli soldiers forced, Tuesday, a Palestinian to demolish sections of his home in Wadi al-Hummus neighborhood, in Sur Baher town, southeast of occupied East Jerusalem, after an Israeli court ordered the demolition for “being too close” to the Annexation Wall.
Ziyad Hamamda, a member of the “Committee for Defending the Lands of Wadi al-Hummus,” said the building is four floors and a basement, and added that the Palestinian, Mohammad al-Atrash, had to demolish the top two floors. video
Hamada stated that al-Atrash had to demolish the floors to avoid paying the excessively high fines and fees, in addition to the over-exaggerated costs of demolition, which he will face if the City Council carries out the demolition using its workers and equipment.
Hamada added that the court only gave al-Atrash one week to carry out the demolition, and that the order targets the entire building.
In July, the army demolished ten Palestinian residential buildings, and detonated one, as part of an Israeli plan to demolish sixteen buildings, housing dozens of families in Wadi al-Hummus, for being “close to the Wall.”
Ziyad Hamamda, a member of the “Committee for Defending the Lands of Wadi al-Hummus,” said the building is four floors and a basement, and added that the Palestinian, Mohammad al-Atrash, had to demolish the top two floors. video
Hamada stated that al-Atrash had to demolish the floors to avoid paying the excessively high fines and fees, in addition to the over-exaggerated costs of demolition, which he will face if the City Council carries out the demolition using its workers and equipment.
Hamada added that the court only gave al-Atrash one week to carry out the demolition, and that the order targets the entire building.
In July, the army demolished ten Palestinian residential buildings, and detonated one, as part of an Israeli plan to demolish sixteen buildings, housing dozens of families in Wadi al-Hummus, for being “close to the Wall.”
13 oct 2019
Provoking Jerusalem's Palestinians 'For Nothing': Cop's Recording Sheds Light on 'Screwed Up' Policy
Israeli officers heard in a body camera video complaining about disputed operation in East Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiyah, aimed at 'causing more problems'
Israeli police officers in the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Isawiyah were caught on camera complaining that there was no purpose to an ongoing police operation in the neighborhood, highly criticized by community leaders, other than deliberately provoking the residents.
The video footage, which was seen by an Israeli court during a hearing on charges pressed against a resident for throwing stones, shows one policeman telling his colleague: “It’s really provoking them for nothing. Why do this on purpose?”
During the entire course of the summer, the Jerusalem District Police carried out daily wide-scale raids in Isawiyah, entering the East Jerusalem neighborhood in the afternoon on patrol, setting up roadblocks and stopping motorists and passersby for inspection and then going back in at night to arrest residents.
More than 350 residents of Isawiyah have been arrested, including 11 in the early morning on Sunday, but charges were pressed only against about ten of them. Residents have claimed that the raids have been aimed at provoking them and that the police are seeking to spark violence. The residents also claim that there has been no stone throwing in the neighborhood before or during the raids other than at police forces that have entered Isawiyah.
Israeli police officers in the East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhood of Isawiyah were caught on camera complaining that there was no purpose to an ongoing police operation in the neighborhood, highly criticized by community leaders, other than deliberately provoking the residents.
The video footage, which was seen by an Israeli court during a hearing on charges pressed against a resident for throwing stones, shows one policeman telling his colleague: “It’s really provoking them for nothing. Why do this on purpose?”
During the entire course of the summer, the Jerusalem District Police carried out daily wide-scale raids in Isawiyah, entering the East Jerusalem neighborhood in the afternoon on patrol, setting up roadblocks and stopping motorists and passersby for inspection and then going back in at night to arrest residents.
More than 350 residents of Isawiyah have been arrested, including 11 in the early morning on Sunday, but charges were pressed only against about ten of them. Residents have claimed that the raids have been aimed at provoking them and that the police are seeking to spark violence. The residents also claim that there has been no stone throwing in the neighborhood before or during the raids other than at police forces that have entered Isawiyah.
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Such claims were also expressed in the video footage that was obtained by Haaretz and filmed in April, a few weeks before the police stepped up their enforcement activity in the neighborhood. It was filmed on a body camera worn by one of the policemen patrolling at the time. The video was taken on the neighborhood’s main street, in the vicinity of the main mosque in Isawiyah.
The police officers whose comments were caught on video stood near the mosque for several hours. Repeatedly one or another of the officers is seen raising his weapon as if purportedly aiming it a residents seen in the background. A large number of pedestrians and vehicles passed the policemen but none approached them. The police officers are heard talking among themselves about the purpose of police operations in Isawiyah. One of them remarked: “This is really provoking them for nothing.” The second police officer is heard agreeing. Later the first policemen said: “Why do this on purpose?” The second one replied: “Our policy is screwed up from the outset.” The first policeman then comments: “Let then live. You’re provoking them here for nothing.” Several minutes later the first policeman addressed a third: “I have a question for you. Isn’t what we’re doing here causing more problems?” The third policeman replied: “That’s the goal,” to which the first asked: “Causing more problems?” The second policeman then replied in the affirmative. Later two of the officers are heard discounting the danger posed by stones thrown in the neighborhood. One is heard saying it is not a terrorist attack. “It’s just stones,” he said. “It’s a game for them. They’re not throwing them to cause harm.” |
The video was presented during a hearing held at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court last week of Isawiyah resident Abdallah Mustafa, who was charged with throwing three stones at police officers on the day the video was filmed. Mustafa’s lawyer from the public defender’s office, Ahmed Awawdeh, claimed that the punishment to be imposed in the case should be reduced, in the interest of justice, due to the police officers’ comments heard in the video.
The remarks, Awawdeh noted, were made by the police themselves rather than Isawiyah residents or representatives from the B’Tselem Israeli human rights group or, as he noted, Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy “or anyone else.” They were members of the border police, he said.
“We see that there is no operational need here and that the police are entering the neighborhood for the purpose of harassing neighborhood residents, acts that terrify children,"Awawdeh said.
“How can someone stand facing children and pointing a weapon at their body? In a country ruled by law, this deliberate disruption of their lives has to be stopped. How can this be stopped? Through court rulings, through fearless statements by the court,” the defendant’s lawyer said.
The police have roundly rejected the claim that their operations have been carried out for purposes of harassment. The real aim is “preserving public order and enforcing the law at all times and in every location,” they said.
The prosecutor in Mustafa’s case, Doreen Haim, told the court that police officers seen in the video had misspoken: “There are no grounds for taking one momentary statement of a witness who later recanted. Just as the thoughts of defendants are not punished, the same is true regarding policemen who had a slip of the tongue.”
Magistrate’s Court Judge Yaron Mientkavich accepted the defendant’s position in part and said he would take the video into consideration while sentencing the defendant.
Mustafa was sentenced to seven and a half months in prison, which is considered relatively lenient in such a case, considering the fact he had previously been convicted of similar offenses.
Residents of Isawiyah have been claiming for months that the purpose of the police operations in the neighborhood is to harass the residents and disrupt their lives as collective punishment and to apply pressure on them. Over a period of years, testimony has accumulated suggesting that the police in Jerusalem have acted to increase friction with residents of the neighborhood.
In Kan public television’s reality series “Jerusalem District,” one officer, Erez Hazan, who was in a scene in which a weapon was planted in the home of an Isawiyah neighborhood, is seen saying: “There’s a procedure that is beginning to be carried out. They’re beginning to apply a bit of pressure in entering and leaving [the neighborhood] to provide the option that someone would make some kind of mistake.”
After Haaretz reported that the gun had been planted at the home of Samar Sleiman, the Kan public broadcaster cancelled the series and all of the episodes of the series were removed from its website.
In 2017, the police brought a busload of police to the neighborhood dressed as soldiers to provoke stone throwing and then to catch the perpetrators. A juvenile defendant caught in the operation was sentenced to 19 months in detention.
The remarks, Awawdeh noted, were made by the police themselves rather than Isawiyah residents or representatives from the B’Tselem Israeli human rights group or, as he noted, Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy “or anyone else.” They were members of the border police, he said.
“We see that there is no operational need here and that the police are entering the neighborhood for the purpose of harassing neighborhood residents, acts that terrify children,"Awawdeh said.
“How can someone stand facing children and pointing a weapon at their body? In a country ruled by law, this deliberate disruption of their lives has to be stopped. How can this be stopped? Through court rulings, through fearless statements by the court,” the defendant’s lawyer said.
The police have roundly rejected the claim that their operations have been carried out for purposes of harassment. The real aim is “preserving public order and enforcing the law at all times and in every location,” they said.
The prosecutor in Mustafa’s case, Doreen Haim, told the court that police officers seen in the video had misspoken: “There are no grounds for taking one momentary statement of a witness who later recanted. Just as the thoughts of defendants are not punished, the same is true regarding policemen who had a slip of the tongue.”
Magistrate’s Court Judge Yaron Mientkavich accepted the defendant’s position in part and said he would take the video into consideration while sentencing the defendant.
Mustafa was sentenced to seven and a half months in prison, which is considered relatively lenient in such a case, considering the fact he had previously been convicted of similar offenses.
Residents of Isawiyah have been claiming for months that the purpose of the police operations in the neighborhood is to harass the residents and disrupt their lives as collective punishment and to apply pressure on them. Over a period of years, testimony has accumulated suggesting that the police in Jerusalem have acted to increase friction with residents of the neighborhood.
In Kan public television’s reality series “Jerusalem District,” one officer, Erez Hazan, who was in a scene in which a weapon was planted in the home of an Isawiyah neighborhood, is seen saying: “There’s a procedure that is beginning to be carried out. They’re beginning to apply a bit of pressure in entering and leaving [the neighborhood] to provide the option that someone would make some kind of mistake.”
After Haaretz reported that the gun had been planted at the home of Samar Sleiman, the Kan public broadcaster cancelled the series and all of the episodes of the series were removed from its website.
In 2017, the police brought a busload of police to the neighborhood dressed as soldiers to provoke stone throwing and then to catch the perpetrators. A juvenile defendant caught in the operation was sentenced to 19 months in detention.
