9 sept 2019
Israeli forces, Sunday, demolished structures of Al-Araqib village, a Bedouin community in the southern Negev region of Israel, for the 159th time.
On September 3, 2019, three people, including an elderly woman, were detained by Israeli occupation soldiers, when the village was demolished for the 157th time.
The village of 220 people have been the target of an ongoing effort to permanently remove them from the area, by way of constant attack and destruction of property, perpetrated by the Israeli occupation.
Israel’s displacement efforts towards this village began in 2010, resulting in the community, repeatedly working together with activists to rebuild.
In addition to these incursions and violations, Israeli courts imposed a 1.6 million shekel fine on the villagers, to cover the cost of the relentless demolitions by the occupation authorities.
On September 3, 2019, three people, including an elderly woman, were detained by Israeli occupation soldiers, when the village was demolished for the 157th time.
The village of 220 people have been the target of an ongoing effort to permanently remove them from the area, by way of constant attack and destruction of property, perpetrated by the Israeli occupation.
Israel’s displacement efforts towards this village began in 2010, resulting in the community, repeatedly working together with activists to rebuild.
In addition to these incursions and violations, Israeli courts imposed a 1.6 million shekel fine on the villagers, to cover the cost of the relentless demolitions by the occupation authorities.
The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) threatened that it will begin cutting off the electricity supply to the Palestinian Authority (PA) after the upcoming September 17th Israeli elections due to ‘outstanding debts’, Kan Israeli website reported Sunday.
According to the website, the IEC will discontinue the electricity supply to Palestinian villages in the West Bank to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority to pay its 1.7 billion New Israeli Shekel (NIS) debt.
2 weeks ago, the IEC reportedly notified Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Energy, the Electricity Authority, and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories about the decision to stop the electricity supply because of the PA’s outstanding debt.
An Israeli High Court decision, 2 months ago stated that starting from the date of the notification to the relevant parties, the IEC has to wait 35 days until being permitted to cut off the electricity supply.
In August of 2018, it was reported in the Marker newspaper that the Israeli Ministry of Finance is moving to transfer an estimated NIS 500 million to the electricity company from the Palestinian tax funds collected by the occupation authorities, claiming to pay the accumulated debts of the Palestinian Authority to the IEC.
In response, the Head of the Palestinian Energy Authority, Thafer Melhem denied all claims of accumulated debts by the Palestinian Electricity Company to the tune of 1.7 billion shekels.
Melhem explained that there are only debts accumulated on the Al-Quds electricity company, worth 600 million shekels, and that within the 2016 agreement, the company is scheduling these debts, but, according to Melhem, Israel withdrew from this agreement.
Israel asked the PA to pay the remaining amount owing immediately, threatening that otherwise, the power will be cut off from the Jerusalem Electricity Company covered regions after two weeks.
According to the website, the IEC will discontinue the electricity supply to Palestinian villages in the West Bank to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority to pay its 1.7 billion New Israeli Shekel (NIS) debt.
2 weeks ago, the IEC reportedly notified Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Energy, the Electricity Authority, and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories about the decision to stop the electricity supply because of the PA’s outstanding debt.
An Israeli High Court decision, 2 months ago stated that starting from the date of the notification to the relevant parties, the IEC has to wait 35 days until being permitted to cut off the electricity supply.
In August of 2018, it was reported in the Marker newspaper that the Israeli Ministry of Finance is moving to transfer an estimated NIS 500 million to the electricity company from the Palestinian tax funds collected by the occupation authorities, claiming to pay the accumulated debts of the Palestinian Authority to the IEC.
In response, the Head of the Palestinian Energy Authority, Thafer Melhem denied all claims of accumulated debts by the Palestinian Electricity Company to the tune of 1.7 billion shekels.
Melhem explained that there are only debts accumulated on the Al-Quds electricity company, worth 600 million shekels, and that within the 2016 agreement, the company is scheduling these debts, but, according to Melhem, Israel withdrew from this agreement.
Israel asked the PA to pay the remaining amount owing immediately, threatening that otherwise, the power will be cut off from the Jerusalem Electricity Company covered regions after two weeks.
3 sept 2019
Israeli soldiers and police officers, accompanied by members of the so-called “Negev Development Authority,” invaded the Bedouin village of al-Araqib, in the Negev Desert, and demolished it for the 157th time.
The soldiers and officers confiscated the tents, and destroyed all structures installed by the villagers, displacing them for the 157th consecutive time.
The village of al-Arakib witnesses constant invasions and demolitions, and just a few days ago, it was attacked and destroyed, and the soldiers abducted and an elderly woman, in addition to an elderly man and his son.
Several days ago, the Israeli Central Court in Be’er as-Sabe’ (Beersheba), in the Negev Desert, imposed a fine of 1.600.000 Shekels fine on the villagers of al-Arakib, to pay for the costs of the ongoing demolitions of their village, the evictions and for “invading lands owned by the state.”
Al-Arakib is one of the dozens of Palestinian villages in the Negev that predate the state of Israel, but remain unrecognized and subject to constant invasions, demolitions and violations.
The village, with about 220 residents, was demolished for the first time on July 27, 2010, but the village has since been rebuilt dozens of times by its residents and activists.
The soldiers and officers confiscated the tents, and destroyed all structures installed by the villagers, displacing them for the 157th consecutive time.
The village of al-Arakib witnesses constant invasions and demolitions, and just a few days ago, it was attacked and destroyed, and the soldiers abducted and an elderly woman, in addition to an elderly man and his son.
Several days ago, the Israeli Central Court in Be’er as-Sabe’ (Beersheba), in the Negev Desert, imposed a fine of 1.600.000 Shekels fine on the villagers of al-Arakib, to pay for the costs of the ongoing demolitions of their village, the evictions and for “invading lands owned by the state.”
Al-Arakib is one of the dozens of Palestinian villages in the Negev that predate the state of Israel, but remain unrecognized and subject to constant invasions, demolitions and violations.
The village, with about 220 residents, was demolished for the first time on July 27, 2010, but the village has since been rebuilt dozens of times by its residents and activists.
29 aug 2019
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Zehut Chairman Moshe Feiglin
The ruling Likud joins forces with Moshe Feiglin's party ahead of September elections that would see the Zehut leader becoming a minister in the sphere of either economics of welfare in the Netanyahu government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Zehut Chairman Moshe Feiglin officially announced Thursday they will run together in the upcoming elections under a special agreement. The deal apparently includes promotion of legislation on imports of medical marijuana and promises the Zionist party leader would become a minister in the sphere of economics or social welfare in the Netanyahu government.
Feiglin hasn't left Zehut as was reported earlier but rather joined his faction to the Likud.
The 57-year-old, an ultranationalist libertarian with a criminal record who left Likud to establish his own fringe party based on promises to legalize marijuana, has gathered a strong following among cannabis proponents during the run-up to the last elections.
“We are embarking on a joint path to promote values of personal freedom and free economy," said the prime minister during a press conference at Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan.
"The root of the proposal which Moshe presented me, and with which I absolutely agree with is to open the (medical cannabis) market for import," Netanyahu said, before addressing Feiglin directly, "I see you as a minister in my government, these are not just words, I really mean it."
Feiglin then took the stage, emphasizing the issue of marijuana legalization for recreational use would be “a life-saving revolution."
“There is also great news for the free and private market, the cost of living - especially for small business owners in Israel - would be lowered,” he said. “For two years, any new business, with a turnover of up to NIS 2 million, will not pay income tax until it has made enough to offset its establishment.”
The ruling Likud joins forces with Moshe Feiglin's party ahead of September elections that would see the Zehut leader becoming a minister in the sphere of either economics of welfare in the Netanyahu government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Zehut Chairman Moshe Feiglin officially announced Thursday they will run together in the upcoming elections under a special agreement. The deal apparently includes promotion of legislation on imports of medical marijuana and promises the Zionist party leader would become a minister in the sphere of economics or social welfare in the Netanyahu government.
Feiglin hasn't left Zehut as was reported earlier but rather joined his faction to the Likud.
The 57-year-old, an ultranationalist libertarian with a criminal record who left Likud to establish his own fringe party based on promises to legalize marijuana, has gathered a strong following among cannabis proponents during the run-up to the last elections.
“We are embarking on a joint path to promote values of personal freedom and free economy," said the prime minister during a press conference at Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan.
"The root of the proposal which Moshe presented me, and with which I absolutely agree with is to open the (medical cannabis) market for import," Netanyahu said, before addressing Feiglin directly, "I see you as a minister in my government, these are not just words, I really mean it."
Feiglin then took the stage, emphasizing the issue of marijuana legalization for recreational use would be “a life-saving revolution."
“There is also great news for the free and private market, the cost of living - especially for small business owners in Israel - would be lowered,” he said. “For two years, any new business, with a turnover of up to NIS 2 million, will not pay income tax until it has made enough to offset its establishment.”
27 aug 2019
Israeli forces Tuesday overnight notified the families of three Palestinians of their apparent intention to demolish their houses in Beit Kahel town, northwest of Hebron.
Security sources confirmed that an Israeli military force surrounded the houses of the families of Ahmad Aref Asafra and Mu’men Said Zuhur, currently held in Israeli detention, besides to the house of Mu’men’s grandfather, Attieh, dragged the occupants outside before teaking measurements of the three houses.
Ahmad and Mu’men were both detailed along with other 14 Palestinians by Israeli forces from the West Bank a week ago.
They also ransacked a number of houses and summoned a youth to appear before the Israeli intelligence.
This came 18 days after the cousins 24-year-old Nasir and 30-year-old Kassem were detained by Israeli forces for being suspected for the killing of an off-duty Israeli soldier outside the settlement of Ofra on last Thursday.
Kassem’s wife, Enas, and another man, identified as Akarma Asafra, were detained on suspicion they had assisted the suspected attackers.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish the family homes of Palestinians as a mean of deterrence- accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not apply to Israeli settlers who were involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
Security sources confirmed that an Israeli military force surrounded the houses of the families of Ahmad Aref Asafra and Mu’men Said Zuhur, currently held in Israeli detention, besides to the house of Mu’men’s grandfather, Attieh, dragged the occupants outside before teaking measurements of the three houses.
Ahmad and Mu’men were both detailed along with other 14 Palestinians by Israeli forces from the West Bank a week ago.
They also ransacked a number of houses and summoned a youth to appear before the Israeli intelligence.
This came 18 days after the cousins 24-year-old Nasir and 30-year-old Kassem were detained by Israeli forces for being suspected for the killing of an off-duty Israeli soldier outside the settlement of Ofra on last Thursday.
Kassem’s wife, Enas, and another man, identified as Akarma Asafra, were detained on suspicion they had assisted the suspected attackers.
Israel resorts to punitively demolish the family homes of Palestinians as a mean of deterrence- accused of being involved in attacks against Israelis, a policy that Israel does not apply to Israeli settlers who were involved in fatal attacks against Palestinians.
The policy was widely condemned by human rights groups as “a collective punishment” and “a war crime and crime against humanity”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
20 aug 2019
New housing in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood in Jerusalem
Though the law against discrimination are not clearly applicable to the housing market, the AG and the Supreme Court say the principle of equality must prevail
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by ac construction company who refused to sell a home in Jerusalem to an Arab couple.
The court ruled that May-Tal Engineering Ltd. must compensate the couple after refusing to sell them an apartment in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood.
The couple, originally from the Galilee, have been living in Jerusalem as renters for the past 20 years. They contacted May-Tal to enquire about purchasing an apartment of their own in the capital.
The May-Tal representative, however, was direct and to the point telling them they would not be able to purchase any apartment because the company does not sell to Arabs.
The couple then sued May-Tal in Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, claiming they should be compensated according to the Prohibition of Discrimination in Products, Services and Entry into Places of Entertainment and Public Places Law of 2000 and demanded restitution for the distress caused to them by the discrimination.
May-Tal appealed but Jerusalem District Court upheld the earlier ruling, and finally the appeal reached the Supreme Court.
The court debated whether the law ensuring equality applies to private companies and real estate transactions, while the lawyers for the couple argued that discrimination is rampant in the housing market.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who was asked by theSupreme Ccourt to weigh in, said in his written opinion that the principle of equality must be applied even if there is no contractual requirement.
"As the state is forbidden to discriminate, so is a private company that has been granted use of state owned land in order to build and market apartments for the general public," Mandelblit wrote.
While the Supreme Court justices failed to find unanimity on the application of the Prohibition of Discrimination Law, they did agree that the appeal should be rejected because a housing development company cannot discriminate on the basis of nationality.
Though the law against discrimination are not clearly applicable to the housing market, the AG and the Supreme Court say the principle of equality must prevail
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by ac construction company who refused to sell a home in Jerusalem to an Arab couple.
The court ruled that May-Tal Engineering Ltd. must compensate the couple after refusing to sell them an apartment in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood.
The couple, originally from the Galilee, have been living in Jerusalem as renters for the past 20 years. They contacted May-Tal to enquire about purchasing an apartment of their own in the capital.
The May-Tal representative, however, was direct and to the point telling them they would not be able to purchase any apartment because the company does not sell to Arabs.
The couple then sued May-Tal in Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, claiming they should be compensated according to the Prohibition of Discrimination in Products, Services and Entry into Places of Entertainment and Public Places Law of 2000 and demanded restitution for the distress caused to them by the discrimination.
May-Tal appealed but Jerusalem District Court upheld the earlier ruling, and finally the appeal reached the Supreme Court.
The court debated whether the law ensuring equality applies to private companies and real estate transactions, while the lawyers for the couple argued that discrimination is rampant in the housing market.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who was asked by theSupreme Ccourt to weigh in, said in his written opinion that the principle of equality must be applied even if there is no contractual requirement.
"As the state is forbidden to discriminate, so is a private company that has been granted use of state owned land in order to build and market apartments for the general public," Mandelblit wrote.
While the Supreme Court justices failed to find unanimity on the application of the Prohibition of Discrimination Law, they did agree that the appeal should be rejected because a housing development company cannot discriminate on the basis of nationality.
13 aug 2019
In the early morning hours on Monday, Israeli forces invaded the homes of the families of two Palestinian prisoners in Tulkarem and measured them in preparation for demolition.
Though the vast majority (around 90% according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) of demolitions of Palestinian homes are administrative – with the claim that Palestinians ‘constructed the homes without permits’, around 10% are punitive demolitions, in which Israeli troops demolish the homes of the family members of Palestinians accused of crimes against Israelis.
In this case, the two Palestinians in question stand accused of murdering an Israeli soldier and settler, Dvir Sorek, on Saturday.
Their family members have not been accused of any crime, but will nevertheless be forced into homelessness by the Israeli policy of punitive home demolitions.
The two accused men, cousins Nseir Asafra, 24, and Kassem Asafra, 30, were abducted on Saturday after a widescale manhunt by Israeli forces after an Israeli soldier was found dead.
They were taken from their village of Beit Khalil, north of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank.
In addition to the two cousins, Israeli forces also abducted Kassem’s wife Enas, and another relative, Akrama Asafra, who was suspected of aiding the two suspects.
The four were taken to an Israeli interrogation center and subjected to ‘harsh interrogation’ techniques.
Israeli military spokespersons have said that they believe the killing of Svorek was a “crime of opportunity” and that the suspected killers were not a part of armed resistance movements.
According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, “Between 2001-2005, according to B’tselem figures, 664 Palestinian homes were demolished in the Occupied Territory as forms of punishment. Some 4,182 innocent people were displaced, many of them neighbors of the suspect’s family, and this often on the basis of suspicion alone.”
The group’s report continues, “The idea behind punitive demolitions is simple and straightforward: Palestinians (like everyone else) hold their homes sacred, and since they live in extended families, the loss of a home serves as an effective deterrent to others who might carry out attacks if they knew that their family’s home would be destroyed.
The policy of punitive demolitions in fact grew out of the British Emergency Regulations of 1945, which none other than Menachem Begin referred to as “Nazi” regulations [pdf] and worked tirelessly, though ultimately unsuccessfully, to have them cancelled during his years in the Knesset.”
According to ICAHD, the Israeli military “itself has concluded that far from constituting effective deterrence, the policy of punitive demolitions actually inflamed an already combustible environment. To add to the irony, the military committee that concluded thus was convened by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, then-Chief of Staff, the very one now overseeing the reinstating of that failed policy. Indeed, it was Ya’alon himself who ended punitive demolitions in 2005.
“The return to punitive demolitions, which officially have no positive impact on either political policy or security, is therefore the exercise of raw, atavistic violence, unfocused revenge against suspects not yet tried or convicted, and innocent family members and neighbors – part of a broad policy of repression unlinked to any political process that may resolve the conflict.
“Not only do punitive demolitions violate the basic principle of due process of law, the home in question belonging only to a suspect, but the targeting and punishing of a suspect’s family members innocent of any crime through the demolition of their home constitutes collective punishment, a violation of Article 33 of The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (the Fourth Geneva Convention).
That Article reads: ‘No persons may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed,’ and it defines collective punishment as a war crime.
“Needless to say, punitive demolitions are only applied when the attacker is a Palestinian and the victim is a Jew; neither [Israeli military] or settler violence towards Palestinians is punishable, certainly not by demolishing Israeli Jewish homes.”
Though the vast majority (around 90% according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) of demolitions of Palestinian homes are administrative – with the claim that Palestinians ‘constructed the homes without permits’, around 10% are punitive demolitions, in which Israeli troops demolish the homes of the family members of Palestinians accused of crimes against Israelis.
In this case, the two Palestinians in question stand accused of murdering an Israeli soldier and settler, Dvir Sorek, on Saturday.
Their family members have not been accused of any crime, but will nevertheless be forced into homelessness by the Israeli policy of punitive home demolitions.
The two accused men, cousins Nseir Asafra, 24, and Kassem Asafra, 30, were abducted on Saturday after a widescale manhunt by Israeli forces after an Israeli soldier was found dead.
They were taken from their village of Beit Khalil, north of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank.
In addition to the two cousins, Israeli forces also abducted Kassem’s wife Enas, and another relative, Akrama Asafra, who was suspected of aiding the two suspects.
The four were taken to an Israeli interrogation center and subjected to ‘harsh interrogation’ techniques.
Israeli military spokespersons have said that they believe the killing of Svorek was a “crime of opportunity” and that the suspected killers were not a part of armed resistance movements.
According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, “Between 2001-2005, according to B’tselem figures, 664 Palestinian homes were demolished in the Occupied Territory as forms of punishment. Some 4,182 innocent people were displaced, many of them neighbors of the suspect’s family, and this often on the basis of suspicion alone.”
The group’s report continues, “The idea behind punitive demolitions is simple and straightforward: Palestinians (like everyone else) hold their homes sacred, and since they live in extended families, the loss of a home serves as an effective deterrent to others who might carry out attacks if they knew that their family’s home would be destroyed.
The policy of punitive demolitions in fact grew out of the British Emergency Regulations of 1945, which none other than Menachem Begin referred to as “Nazi” regulations [pdf] and worked tirelessly, though ultimately unsuccessfully, to have them cancelled during his years in the Knesset.”
According to ICAHD, the Israeli military “itself has concluded that far from constituting effective deterrence, the policy of punitive demolitions actually inflamed an already combustible environment. To add to the irony, the military committee that concluded thus was convened by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, then-Chief of Staff, the very one now overseeing the reinstating of that failed policy. Indeed, it was Ya’alon himself who ended punitive demolitions in 2005.
“The return to punitive demolitions, which officially have no positive impact on either political policy or security, is therefore the exercise of raw, atavistic violence, unfocused revenge against suspects not yet tried or convicted, and innocent family members and neighbors – part of a broad policy of repression unlinked to any political process that may resolve the conflict.
“Not only do punitive demolitions violate the basic principle of due process of law, the home in question belonging only to a suspect, but the targeting and punishing of a suspect’s family members innocent of any crime through the demolition of their home constitutes collective punishment, a violation of Article 33 of The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (the Fourth Geneva Convention).
That Article reads: ‘No persons may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed,’ and it defines collective punishment as a war crime.
“Needless to say, punitive demolitions are only applied when the attacker is a Palestinian and the victim is a Jew; neither [Israeli military] or settler violence towards Palestinians is punishable, certainly not by demolishing Israeli Jewish homes.”
