20 dec 2018
Arab member of the Knesset Ahmed Tibi condemned the Israel government’s intent to enact a law through the Knesset that would allow it to exile Palestinian families from their areas and described the intended law as “a war crime.”
In press remarks to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC), MK Tibi said that “such law only comes from war criminals who should be brought to international justice.”
“We have strongly confronted those who introduced this law, and I said that you can kill, expel, burn, steal and uproot, but you cannot defeat an entire people,” the Arab MK said.
“The bill passed a preliminary reading, but in the midst of a racist and fascist atmosphere [at the Knesset], I expect that it will pass all the readings and be approved in the first, second and third readings,” Tibi affirmed.
“However, there is no doubt that the enactment of such law will lead to the exile of many families and will cause serious repercussions,” he added.
He also expressed his belief that Israel would escalate the enactment of racist laws that target the Palestinians and increase settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories with the approach of the early elections in mid-2019.
A bill that would allow Israel to exile families of Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis passed the first reading at the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) on Wednesday.
In a tumultuous Knesset session, the bill was approved in the first reading by 69-38 votes.
Proposed by Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Jewish Home party, the bill would allow Israeli authorities to expel families of Palestinians, who killed or attempted to kill Israelis, from their homes to other areas inside the occupied West Bank.
The Arab Knesset members strongly objected to the bill and this led three of them, including Tibi, to be expelled from the hall.
In press remarks to the Palestinian Information Center (PIC), MK Tibi said that “such law only comes from war criminals who should be brought to international justice.”
“We have strongly confronted those who introduced this law, and I said that you can kill, expel, burn, steal and uproot, but you cannot defeat an entire people,” the Arab MK said.
“The bill passed a preliminary reading, but in the midst of a racist and fascist atmosphere [at the Knesset], I expect that it will pass all the readings and be approved in the first, second and third readings,” Tibi affirmed.
“However, there is no doubt that the enactment of such law will lead to the exile of many families and will cause serious repercussions,” he added.
He also expressed his belief that Israel would escalate the enactment of racist laws that target the Palestinians and increase settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories with the approach of the early elections in mid-2019.
A bill that would allow Israel to exile families of Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis passed the first reading at the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) on Wednesday.
In a tumultuous Knesset session, the bill was approved in the first reading by 69-38 votes.
Proposed by Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Jewish Home party, the bill would allow Israeli authorities to expel families of Palestinians, who killed or attempted to kill Israelis, from their homes to other areas inside the occupied West Bank.
The Arab Knesset members strongly objected to the bill and this led three of them, including Tibi, to be expelled from the hall.
by Ihab Rimawi
Updated from 12/12/18 Israel Restricts Vaccine Imports to Palestine
Lara Hamdan had no idea, when she went to the health services center in Ramallah, to vaccinate her one-year-old daughter, that the vaccination was not available and that she had to wait until Israeli authorities allow the vaccines to enter Palestine before her daughter can be vaccinated.
Hamdan was concerned that, if her daughter does not get the right vaccination for children on time, her health might be at risk.
Israel has halted admission of all vaccinations to the Palestinian territories, and has been holding them at its ports for over three months, claiming that a 1986 law allows the import of the vaccines from only 10 countries.
However, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has been importing vaccines, ever since it was established in 1995, from the countries that were certified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the vaccines were brought to Palestine by UNICEF.
Director general of the public health department, in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Yasser Bouzieh, warned that barring or delaying the entry of vaccines will lead to the outbreak of many diseases which could lead to an epidemic, and will affect not only Palestine but the neighboring countries, and the region as a whole.
He said that many diseases have been eradicated in Palestine, due to the vaccination, and, by preventing them from reaching Palestine, it means that diseases such as polio, of which the last case discovered was in 1988, along with many other serious diseases such as chicken pox and measles.
WHO had previously said that Palestine was free of these diseases, but it is now feared that they will come back to threaten the lives of the children.
Bouzieh said that the vaccination for tuberculosis will disappear from the stores of the Ministry of Health by the end of this month, and vaccine for pertussis, commonly known as “whooping cough”, has been unavailable for more than a month, as a result of the Israeli decision. Stockpiles of other vaccinations are also running out.
Undersecretary of the Health Ministry, Assad Ramlawi, wondered about the timing of the Israeli decision, particularly since this law has been in place for 32 years. “So, why now?” he asks.
He said that UNICEF has been bringing the vaccines to Palestine since 1995, and that they were all certified by WHO. He went on to say that the 10 countries which Israel allows the vaccines to be imported from may not be certified by WHO and, therefore, the ministry will not be able to get the vaccines from these countries.
Ramlawi further stated, according to WAFA, that efforts by UNICEF and WHO, to get Israel to change its decision, have not yielded any results thus far, expressing hope that pressure on Israel, at the United Nations, may persuade authorities to change their decision and allow the vaccines to reach Palestine before it is too late.
Updated from 12/12/18 Israel Restricts Vaccine Imports to Palestine
Lara Hamdan had no idea, when she went to the health services center in Ramallah, to vaccinate her one-year-old daughter, that the vaccination was not available and that she had to wait until Israeli authorities allow the vaccines to enter Palestine before her daughter can be vaccinated.
Hamdan was concerned that, if her daughter does not get the right vaccination for children on time, her health might be at risk.
Israel has halted admission of all vaccinations to the Palestinian territories, and has been holding them at its ports for over three months, claiming that a 1986 law allows the import of the vaccines from only 10 countries.
However, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has been importing vaccines, ever since it was established in 1995, from the countries that were certified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the vaccines were brought to Palestine by UNICEF.
Director general of the public health department, in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Yasser Bouzieh, warned that barring or delaying the entry of vaccines will lead to the outbreak of many diseases which could lead to an epidemic, and will affect not only Palestine but the neighboring countries, and the region as a whole.
He said that many diseases have been eradicated in Palestine, due to the vaccination, and, by preventing them from reaching Palestine, it means that diseases such as polio, of which the last case discovered was in 1988, along with many other serious diseases such as chicken pox and measles.
WHO had previously said that Palestine was free of these diseases, but it is now feared that they will come back to threaten the lives of the children.
Bouzieh said that the vaccination for tuberculosis will disappear from the stores of the Ministry of Health by the end of this month, and vaccine for pertussis, commonly known as “whooping cough”, has been unavailable for more than a month, as a result of the Israeli decision. Stockpiles of other vaccinations are also running out.
Undersecretary of the Health Ministry, Assad Ramlawi, wondered about the timing of the Israeli decision, particularly since this law has been in place for 32 years. “So, why now?” he asks.
He said that UNICEF has been bringing the vaccines to Palestine since 1995, and that they were all certified by WHO. He went on to say that the 10 countries which Israel allows the vaccines to be imported from may not be certified by WHO and, therefore, the ministry will not be able to get the vaccines from these countries.
Ramlawi further stated, according to WAFA, that efforts by UNICEF and WHO, to get Israel to change its decision, have not yielded any results thus far, expressing hope that pressure on Israel, at the United Nations, may persuade authorities to change their decision and allow the vaccines to reach Palestine before it is too late.
19 dec 2018
The Israeli Knesset voted Wednesday on the first reading of a bill to expel families of Palestinians allegedly involved in anti-occupation attacks.
According to Israeli media sources, the bill was approved by 69 votes with and 38 votes against.
The bill was approved by the Israeli Cabinet ministers on Sunday.
The bill, if passed into law, would allow the Israeli army's Central Command to expel families and relatives of Palestinians, who had carried out or were involved in attacks or attempted against Israelis, of their hometowns to other areas of the West Bank within a week of the attack or attempt.
The bill was approved despite the rejection of both head of the Israeli Shin Bet and the army's Attorney General.
According to Israeli media sources, the bill was approved by 69 votes with and 38 votes against.
The bill was approved by the Israeli Cabinet ministers on Sunday.
The bill, if passed into law, would allow the Israeli army's Central Command to expel families and relatives of Palestinians, who had carried out or were involved in attacks or attempted against Israelis, of their hometowns to other areas of the West Bank within a week of the attack or attempt.
The bill was approved despite the rejection of both head of the Israeli Shin Bet and the army's Attorney General.
17 dec 2018
Israeli Minister of Education from the right-wing “Jewish Home” party, Naftali Bennett, will present a law to expel the families of Palestinians who carried out anti-Israeli attacks, the Maariv daily reported on Saturday.
The newspaper quoted senior officials of the Shin Bet (General Security Service) who strongly support the law, in order to deter Palestinians from carrying out new operations, so they claim, according to the PNN.
During the past week, four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, two of whom had reportedly carried out shootings against Israeli settlers in Ramallah and Nablus, and one of whom attempted to stab Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem.
An elderly man, aged 60, was killed when he lost control of his vehicle and immediately shot by Israeli forces.
Three Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed in the attacks.
The newspaper quoted senior officials of the Shin Bet (General Security Service) who strongly support the law, in order to deter Palestinians from carrying out new operations, so they claim, according to the PNN.
During the past week, four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, two of whom had reportedly carried out shootings against Israeli settlers in Ramallah and Nablus, and one of whom attempted to stab Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem.
An elderly man, aged 60, was killed when he lost control of his vehicle and immediately shot by Israeli forces.
Three Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed in the attacks.
16 dec 2018
An Israeli court sentenced, on Sunday morning, the mother of a Palestinian, who was killed by the army last year, to eleven months in prison for what the military prosecution described as “incitement on social media.”
Attorney Mohammad Mahmoud of the Palestinian Detainees’ Committee, said the court sentenced Susan Abu Ghannam to eleven months in prison, for posting statements on Facebook, after the death of her son.
The court deemed the posts as incitement, and passed its sentence on the woman, from at-Tur neighborhood, east of Jerusalem’s Old City.
She was taken prisoner last August, after dozens of soldiers and officers invaded her home, and conducted violent searches, leading to damage.
It is worth mentioning that Suzan’s son, Mohammad Hasan Abu Ghannam, 20, was killed on by Israeli soldiers, July 21, 2017, during protests that took place after the army invaded at-Tour neighborhood, in East Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers surrounded the Palestinian after shooting him, and that he bled to death when the army prevented Palestinian medics from approaching him.
Attorney Mohammad Mahmoud of the Palestinian Detainees’ Committee, said the court sentenced Susan Abu Ghannam to eleven months in prison, for posting statements on Facebook, after the death of her son.
The court deemed the posts as incitement, and passed its sentence on the woman, from at-Tur neighborhood, east of Jerusalem’s Old City.
She was taken prisoner last August, after dozens of soldiers and officers invaded her home, and conducted violent searches, leading to damage.
It is worth mentioning that Suzan’s son, Mohammad Hasan Abu Ghannam, 20, was killed on by Israeli soldiers, July 21, 2017, during protests that took place after the army invaded at-Tour neighborhood, in East Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers surrounded the Palestinian after shooting him, and that he bled to death when the army prevented Palestinian medics from approaching him.
Israel's Ministerial Committee for Legislation is scheduled to discuss a new bill imposing a one-year prison sentence on individuals who raise Palestinian flags during demonstrations, according to Haaretz.
Drafted by MK Anat Berko, the bill stipulates that any gathering of at least of three people raising the flag of a state or an entity that is not friend with Israel or that prevents the raising of the flag of Israel will be considered illegal.
Anyone who participates in a prohibited gathering would be subjected to up to a year in prison.
The bill defines the states that are not friends with Israel as the "states who do not recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state".
Berko, in her justification, wrote that Israel is a democratic state which allows its citizens to protest against different issues; however, the new bill draws a red line between the legal protest and the protest where the flags of the countries that do not recognize Israel are raised.
Drafted by MK Anat Berko, the bill stipulates that any gathering of at least of three people raising the flag of a state or an entity that is not friend with Israel or that prevents the raising of the flag of Israel will be considered illegal.
Anyone who participates in a prohibited gathering would be subjected to up to a year in prison.
The bill defines the states that are not friends with Israel as the "states who do not recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state".
Berko, in her justification, wrote that Israel is a democratic state which allows its citizens to protest against different issues; however, the new bill draws a red line between the legal protest and the protest where the flags of the countries that do not recognize Israel are raised.
14 dec 2018
Israel is to authorize thousands of settler houses built illegally in the occupied West Bank, according to Haaretz.
The Hebrew newspaper said that Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, in coordination with Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked, had approved the use of a legal tactic that would allow the legalization of about 2,000 illegally-built Israeli houses throughout the West Bank.
This move followed an earlier announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlining a series of measures he would take in favor of the settlement activity in the West Bank.
The targeted settler houses were built on privately-owned Palestinian lands, the paper said.
Nearly 700,000 Israelis live in over 425 settler outposts which cover 46% of the total area of the West Bank and Jerusalem, and they carry out almost daily attacks on the Palestinians and their property.
The Hebrew newspaper said that Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, in coordination with Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked, had approved the use of a legal tactic that would allow the legalization of about 2,000 illegally-built Israeli houses throughout the West Bank.
This move followed an earlier announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlining a series of measures he would take in favor of the settlement activity in the West Bank.
The targeted settler houses were built on privately-owned Palestinian lands, the paper said.
Nearly 700,000 Israelis live in over 425 settler outposts which cover 46% of the total area of the West Bank and Jerusalem, and they carry out almost daily attacks on the Palestinians and their property.
12 dec 2018
The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would target for sanctions Hamas resistance movement and Hezbollah over allegations of using civilians as human shields, guaranteeing that it will become law, JTA reported.
The bill describes Hamas and Hezbollah groups as “repeated” practitioners of an action that violates international law, claiming that Hamas routinely launches missiles at Israel from densely populated areas.
The US Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan bill in October.
The bill was authored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and was co-sponsored by 50 other senators. It was first introduced this past summer.
“This critical and timely legislation mandates new sanctions against Hamas, Hezbollah and foreign state agencies that use civilians as human shields or provide support to those doing so,” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) said in a statement Tuesday after the House passed the bill, which now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Last February, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Hamas Human Shields Prevention Act which condemns Hamas for the alleged use of civilians, including children, as human shields, sanctioning those who use them.
The act, however, emphasizes the efforts made by the Israeli occupation military to avoid civilian casualties, a claim that analysts said amounts to an attempt to whitewash Israeli crimes and terrorism against Palestinian civilians and unarmed protesters, including on the Gaza border.
The bill describes Hamas and Hezbollah groups as “repeated” practitioners of an action that violates international law, claiming that Hamas routinely launches missiles at Israel from densely populated areas.
The US Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan bill in October.
The bill was authored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and was co-sponsored by 50 other senators. It was first introduced this past summer.
“This critical and timely legislation mandates new sanctions against Hamas, Hezbollah and foreign state agencies that use civilians as human shields or provide support to those doing so,” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) said in a statement Tuesday after the House passed the bill, which now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Last February, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Hamas Human Shields Prevention Act which condemns Hamas for the alleged use of civilians, including children, as human shields, sanctioning those who use them.
The act, however, emphasizes the efforts made by the Israeli occupation military to avoid civilian casualties, a claim that analysts said amounts to an attempt to whitewash Israeli crimes and terrorism against Palestinian civilians and unarmed protesters, including on the Gaza border.
Israeli occupation authorities have issued a decree barring the Palestinian Ministry of Health from importing vaccines, starting from the beginning of the year 2019, said Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Asaad Ramlawi.
In an interview with the official Voice of Palestine radio station, Dr. Ramlawi said that the Israeli decree has put the supply of vaccinations at risk; the Ministry of Health has resources for just two months of vaccine provision, after which there will be a serious problem if the issue is not resolved.
They are in contact with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in order to address the issue.
According to UNICEF, the Israeli government is bringing into force laws that have existed since 1986. Ramlawi condemned the decision, pointing out that since the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) took office in 1994, there have been no problems with the issue of vaccinations, and that much has changed since the establishment of those laws, 32 years ago.
Ramlawi said that the Ministry of Health, together with WHO and UNICEF, are working hard to make a case for the rescindment of this decision. They are in contact with several other nations, enlisting their assistance and asking that they put pressure on Israel to allow the importation of vaccines into Palestine.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health pointed out that a lack of vaccination will result in the spread of disease, not only in Palestine, but in the whole of the region, putting millions at risk.
Occupation authorities have decreed that vaccines can be imported from just ten countries worldwide. However, the ten nations listed do not have an interest in vaccine production, and therefore do not have the required certificate for such from WHO, which means that the Palestinian Ministry of Health cannot import from them, in any case.
Ramlawi noted that, for the past 18 years, the Ministry of Health has successfully achieved 100% coverage of the area with vaccine provision, resulting in eradication of those diseases which are vaccinated against.
The decision by Israeli occupation authorities puts this achievement and the health of children everywhere, at risk.
In an interview with the official Voice of Palestine radio station, Dr. Ramlawi said that the Israeli decree has put the supply of vaccinations at risk; the Ministry of Health has resources for just two months of vaccine provision, after which there will be a serious problem if the issue is not resolved.
They are in contact with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in order to address the issue.
According to UNICEF, the Israeli government is bringing into force laws that have existed since 1986. Ramlawi condemned the decision, pointing out that since the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) took office in 1994, there have been no problems with the issue of vaccinations, and that much has changed since the establishment of those laws, 32 years ago.
Ramlawi said that the Ministry of Health, together with WHO and UNICEF, are working hard to make a case for the rescindment of this decision. They are in contact with several other nations, enlisting their assistance and asking that they put pressure on Israel to allow the importation of vaccines into Palestine.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health pointed out that a lack of vaccination will result in the spread of disease, not only in Palestine, but in the whole of the region, putting millions at risk.
Occupation authorities have decreed that vaccines can be imported from just ten countries worldwide. However, the ten nations listed do not have an interest in vaccine production, and therefore do not have the required certificate for such from WHO, which means that the Palestinian Ministry of Health cannot import from them, in any case.
Ramlawi noted that, for the past 18 years, the Ministry of Health has successfully achieved 100% coverage of the area with vaccine provision, resulting in eradication of those diseases which are vaccinated against.
The decision by Israeli occupation authorities puts this achievement and the health of children everywhere, at risk.
11 dec 2018
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday approved in its first reading a bill prohibiting the early release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
According to Israel’s Channel 7, the bill was submitted by MK Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu) and received a majority vote from 57 members of the Knesset.
The bill calls for the prevention of conditional release for any Palestinian convicted of murder or attempted murder of any Jewish citizen or reduction of a third of the sentence issued against such convict.
According to Israel’s Channel 7, the bill was submitted by MK Oded Forer (Yisrael Beiteinu) and received a majority vote from 57 members of the Knesset.
The bill calls for the prevention of conditional release for any Palestinian convicted of murder or attempted murder of any Jewish citizen or reduction of a third of the sentence issued against such convict.
7 dec 2018
An Israeli military court approved the removal of the water supply network in Aqaba village in the northern Jordan Valley and turned down an objection filed a year ago by the local residents.
Chief of the village Sami Sadeq told a reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that a lawyer hired by the residents told them that the Israeli court rejected the objection filed against the removal of the water network and sanctioned the Israeli occupation army’s decision to raze it at the pretext that it was set up with no license.
Sadeq said that the water network was deployed about two years ago in the village to serve the local residents, but later the Israeli army ordered its removal, adding that the case had been dealt with by an Israeli military court for about one year.
The local official affirmed that the village council and the residents would not give up and would try to extract a verdict against the removal of the water network from the Israeli high court of justice.
The water supply network is an internal system inside the village serving about 70 Palestinian homes.
The village of Aqaba is encircled by three Israeli army bases and its residents are exposed to repeated shooting incidents during military drills and exercises.
The Israeli army has already demolished several homes in the village and threaten to raze more others as well as its Mosque.
Chief of the village Sami Sadeq told a reporter for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that a lawyer hired by the residents told them that the Israeli court rejected the objection filed against the removal of the water network and sanctioned the Israeli occupation army’s decision to raze it at the pretext that it was set up with no license.
Sadeq said that the water network was deployed about two years ago in the village to serve the local residents, but later the Israeli army ordered its removal, adding that the case had been dealt with by an Israeli military court for about one year.
The local official affirmed that the village council and the residents would not give up and would try to extract a verdict against the removal of the water network from the Israeli high court of justice.
The water supply network is an internal system inside the village serving about 70 Palestinian homes.
The village of Aqaba is encircled by three Israeli army bases and its residents are exposed to repeated shooting incidents during military drills and exercises.
The Israeli army has already demolished several homes in the village and threaten to raze more others as well as its Mosque.
