6 july 2014
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By Graham Liddell
The mother of a 15-year-old Palestinian who was released on bail Sunday after being beaten by Israeli police said that if her son were not a US citizen, he would likely still be held in Israeli jail. If Tarek were not American, "he would just be pushed to the side like a dog," Suha Abu Khdeir told reporters following Tarek's hearing at Jerusalem District court. "He would have been left to rot in jail," she said. Instead, Tarek was sentenced to nine days house arrest outside the Shufat neighborhood. He and his family plan to return to the US on July 16. |
The teen was arrested Thursday after being beaten severely by Israeli
police officers in the Shufat neighborhood of Jerusalem amid clashes
following news that his cousin, Muhammad Abu Khdeir, was kidnapped and
burned alive, apparently by Jewish extremists.
Video footage capturing the beating emerged later that evening and went viral as word spread that Tarek was an American citizen.
The video, in addition to pictures of the youth before and after the beating, led to a social media outcry and eventually US state department condemnation of the attack.
Suha Abu Khdeir said that the US consulate in Jerusalem had been very helpful throughout the case.
"The US consulate has been by our side since the first moment we got news he (was) in jail -- they've been by our side day and night."
Three employees of the US consulate were present at the hearing.
An employee of the prisoners' rights group Addameer who attended the hearing told Ma'an Tarek's American citizenship was one of two main reasons his case got more attention than most.
"The other is that it was caught on camera," said Gavan Kelly, coordinator of the advocacy unit at Addameer.
"This happens all the time. It's just not always caught on camera."
Ivan Karakashian of Defense for Children International concurred.
"And what we're afraid about is the fact that Israeli security forces have begun confiscating all kinds of security cameras, all kinds of things that could prove their brutality," Karakashian said.
"What we've seen is the brutal use of excessive force against a Palestinian child, 15 years old, after that child realized that his cousin has been burned alive in what's apparently a revenge attack," Karakashian told Ma'an.
Israeli forces 'beat people every day'
After spending over 48 hours in Israeli custody, a quiet but brave Tarek, his face still bruised and swollen, described the attack to reporters immediately upon his release.
"They came from behind and they hit me, and they kept hitting me, and then I fell asleep, and then I woke up in the hospital," Tarek said.
"I was standing and watching the people and they came from the side of me."
Once he was jailed, Tarek said he was treated well.
The teen was one of 21 Palestinians who had a hearing at Jerusalem District Court on Sunday.
Two other Palestinian 15-year-olds at the courthouse for proceedings on Sunday told Ma'an they had recently been arrested in the nearby al-Isawiya neighborhood during clashes with Israeli forces.
They said they had seen the video of Tarek being beaten, and said it was something "normal" to them.
Israeli forces "beat people every day," one of the teens, Muhammad, told Ma'an.
Two activists from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel who attended the hearing told Ma'an they came to show support for all the Palestinians on trial that day.
"We thought that it was important for us to come show solidarity here ... not just for Tarek for also all the other people who have cases here today," Isobel, one activist, told Ma'an.
"There are so many Palestinian children that have to go through this, and they don't get any media attention at all. It's incredibly biased."
This is grieving time
Tarek's beating and imprisonment comes amid heavy tension as Palestinians in the West Bank and inside Israel protest the apparent lynching of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, a 16-year-old teen from the Shufat neighborhood.
Muhammad Abu Khdeir's murder seems to be a racist hate killing in response to the murder of three Israeli teenagers, and an Israeli official said Sunday that six Jewish extremists had been arrested regarding the case.
"This is grieving time," Suha Abu Khdeir told reporters as she prepared to leave the courthouse premises.
"We're still grieving over Muhammad Abu Khdeir, and I'm dealing with this now. I'm supposed to be by the side of Muhammad Abu Khdeir's mother and instead I'm next to my son."
She said she would be pressing charges and pushing for an investigation into the individual policemen who beat her son.
An Israeli police spokesman said the Justice Department was "examining the circumstances of what happened after the suspect was arrested."
He said "six Palestinians masked in kufiyyehs" were arrested at the same time and that three of them were armed with knives.
According to Defense for Children International Palestine, 214 Palestinian minors were being held in Israeli jails as of May.
Over 8,000 children have been detained since 2000, according to Addameer.
Video footage capturing the beating emerged later that evening and went viral as word spread that Tarek was an American citizen.
The video, in addition to pictures of the youth before and after the beating, led to a social media outcry and eventually US state department condemnation of the attack.
Suha Abu Khdeir said that the US consulate in Jerusalem had been very helpful throughout the case.
"The US consulate has been by our side since the first moment we got news he (was) in jail -- they've been by our side day and night."
Three employees of the US consulate were present at the hearing.
An employee of the prisoners' rights group Addameer who attended the hearing told Ma'an Tarek's American citizenship was one of two main reasons his case got more attention than most.
"The other is that it was caught on camera," said Gavan Kelly, coordinator of the advocacy unit at Addameer.
"This happens all the time. It's just not always caught on camera."
Ivan Karakashian of Defense for Children International concurred.
"And what we're afraid about is the fact that Israeli security forces have begun confiscating all kinds of security cameras, all kinds of things that could prove their brutality," Karakashian said.
"What we've seen is the brutal use of excessive force against a Palestinian child, 15 years old, after that child realized that his cousin has been burned alive in what's apparently a revenge attack," Karakashian told Ma'an.
Israeli forces 'beat people every day'
After spending over 48 hours in Israeli custody, a quiet but brave Tarek, his face still bruised and swollen, described the attack to reporters immediately upon his release.
"They came from behind and they hit me, and they kept hitting me, and then I fell asleep, and then I woke up in the hospital," Tarek said.
"I was standing and watching the people and they came from the side of me."
Once he was jailed, Tarek said he was treated well.
The teen was one of 21 Palestinians who had a hearing at Jerusalem District Court on Sunday.
Two other Palestinian 15-year-olds at the courthouse for proceedings on Sunday told Ma'an they had recently been arrested in the nearby al-Isawiya neighborhood during clashes with Israeli forces.
They said they had seen the video of Tarek being beaten, and said it was something "normal" to them.
Israeli forces "beat people every day," one of the teens, Muhammad, told Ma'an.
Two activists from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel who attended the hearing told Ma'an they came to show support for all the Palestinians on trial that day.
"We thought that it was important for us to come show solidarity here ... not just for Tarek for also all the other people who have cases here today," Isobel, one activist, told Ma'an.
"There are so many Palestinian children that have to go through this, and they don't get any media attention at all. It's incredibly biased."
This is grieving time
Tarek's beating and imprisonment comes amid heavy tension as Palestinians in the West Bank and inside Israel protest the apparent lynching of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, a 16-year-old teen from the Shufat neighborhood.
Muhammad Abu Khdeir's murder seems to be a racist hate killing in response to the murder of three Israeli teenagers, and an Israeli official said Sunday that six Jewish extremists had been arrested regarding the case.
"This is grieving time," Suha Abu Khdeir told reporters as she prepared to leave the courthouse premises.
"We're still grieving over Muhammad Abu Khdeir, and I'm dealing with this now. I'm supposed to be by the side of Muhammad Abu Khdeir's mother and instead I'm next to my son."
She said she would be pressing charges and pushing for an investigation into the individual policemen who beat her son.
An Israeli police spokesman said the Justice Department was "examining the circumstances of what happened after the suspect was arrested."
He said "six Palestinians masked in kufiyyehs" were arrested at the same time and that three of them were armed with knives.
According to Defense for Children International Palestine, 214 Palestinian minors were being held in Israeli jails as of May.
Over 8,000 children have been detained since 2000, according to Addameer.
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 773 Palestinians in the West Bank since the arrest campaign started in mid-June, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said on Sunday. The society said in a statement that 22 Palestinians were nabbed on Saturday night including 16 from occupied Jerusalem and its environs.
It pointed out that most of the detainees were from al-Khalil, adding that 60 Palestinians were arrested in 1948 occupied Palestine.
It pointed out that most of the detainees were from al-Khalil, adding that 60 Palestinians were arrested in 1948 occupied Palestine.
14 Palestinian ex-prisoners released in the Shailt swap deal will be brought to trial at Abu Salem military court, local media reported on Sunday. Director of Ahrar Center for Prisoners Fu’ad al-Khafash said that the ex-prisoners were identified as Ahmed Hamad, Ashraf al-Wadi, Jihad Bani Jame’, Zaher Khatatba, Zohair Skafi, Hamza Abu Arqoub, Taha al-Shakhshir, Ya’qub Zaid, Mohammed and Abdulrahman Saleh, Salman Abu Eid, Abdulrahman Tu’ma, Amer Muqbel and Shadi Ouda .
Al-Khafash demanded the Egyptian deal-broker to support the ex-prisoners and carry out their duty towards them, saying, “this touches the dignity of Egypt.”
He also called on the media to activate the case.
Israeli occupation forces re-arrested dozens of Palestinian ex-prisoners who were released in Shalit swap deal after three Israeli soldiers claimed to be kidnapped and killed in Hebron.
Al-Khafash demanded the Egyptian deal-broker to support the ex-prisoners and carry out their duty towards them, saying, “this touches the dignity of Egypt.”
He also called on the media to activate the case.
Israeli occupation forces re-arrested dozens of Palestinian ex-prisoners who were released in Shalit swap deal after three Israeli soldiers claimed to be kidnapped and killed in Hebron.
Al-Ahrar Center for Prisoner Studies and Human Rights raised alarm bells over the critical health status of Hamas leader Dr. Muhammad Ghazal, held administratively in Israeli jails without charge.
Al-Ahrar center appealed to Doctors without Borders organization and all human rights institutions to step in so as to save Ghazal’s life.
According to a press statement delivered by head of al-Ahrar Center Fuad al-Khuffash, Dr Ghazal, lecturer at An-Najah University and held in custody since June 15, has been diagnosed with serious diseases, including hypertension and hyperglycemia.
“There needs to be a serious reaction over the agony endured by Palestinian prisoners and academics behind Israeli bars,” al-Khuffash declared.
Meanwhile, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by the Israeli policemen in 1948 occupied Palestine has gone up to 60, all rounded up in the clashes going on for two days running, Prisoner Society documented Sunday.
Secretary of the Arab Association for ex-Prisoners inside of the Green Line, Ayman al-Haj Yahya, said in a press release that the list of detainees includes minors and civilians injured in the ongoing clashes.
A wave of clashes broke out as a result of Israeli police suppression of peaceful rallies staged in protest at the brutal murder and burning alive of the Palestinian child Muhammad Abu Khdeir.
Al-Ahrar center appealed to Doctors without Borders organization and all human rights institutions to step in so as to save Ghazal’s life.
According to a press statement delivered by head of al-Ahrar Center Fuad al-Khuffash, Dr Ghazal, lecturer at An-Najah University and held in custody since June 15, has been diagnosed with serious diseases, including hypertension and hyperglycemia.
“There needs to be a serious reaction over the agony endured by Palestinian prisoners and academics behind Israeli bars,” al-Khuffash declared.
Meanwhile, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by the Israeli policemen in 1948 occupied Palestine has gone up to 60, all rounded up in the clashes going on for two days running, Prisoner Society documented Sunday.
Secretary of the Arab Association for ex-Prisoners inside of the Green Line, Ayman al-Haj Yahya, said in a press release that the list of detainees includes minors and civilians injured in the ongoing clashes.
A wave of clashes broke out as a result of Israeli police suppression of peaceful rallies staged in protest at the brutal murder and burning alive of the Palestinian child Muhammad Abu Khdeir.
Israeli forces stormed the Qarn al-Thour neighborhood in Hebron in the southern West Bank after midnight Sunday and detained a young Palestinian man in connection with the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers weeks earlier.
Family members and Palestinian security sources confirmed that Israeli troops detained Husam Dufish from his home. The Israeli intelligence accuses Dufish of involvement in the killing of the three teens along with Amir Abu Eisha and Marwan al-Qawasmi.
The Israeli forces claimed that Dufish had disappeared since the teens were kidnapped, while his family told Ma’an that he was in his house living his life normally.
Israeli troops broke into the house two weeks ago, but he was not at home and so they handed his family members a summons demanding that he go at an intelligence office for questioning, but he did not go.
Family members and Palestinian security sources confirmed that Israeli troops detained Husam Dufish from his home. The Israeli intelligence accuses Dufish of involvement in the killing of the three teens along with Amir Abu Eisha and Marwan al-Qawasmi.
The Israeli forces claimed that Dufish had disappeared since the teens were kidnapped, while his family told Ma’an that he was in his house living his life normally.
Israeli troops broke into the house two weeks ago, but he was not at home and so they handed his family members a summons demanding that he go at an intelligence office for questioning, but he did not go.
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An Israeli court prepared Sunday to send to house arrest a Palestinian-American teenager who was filmed being brutally beaten by police during clashes in Jerusalem, an attorney said.
Tarek Abu Khdeir, 15, will be released to house arrest for nine days, an attorney for the rights group Addameer told Ma'an. Abu Khdeir's family, which was visiting Jerusalem on holiday, was scheduled to depart within the same time period. Abu Khdeir was beaten in the Shufat neighborhood Thursday night by Israeli police in the yard of his uncle's home and arrested without charges. |
The boy was taken to a police station following the beating, and police delayed treatment of his wounds until 1:20 a.m., when he was taken to Hadassa Hospital.
His family was not permitted to see Tarek until he was hospitalized, Addameer said.
News of his conditional release came as the United States said it is "profoundly concerned" by the police violence.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US "strongly condemn(s) any excessive use of force," in the wake of Abu Khdeir's case.
"We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force," she added in a statement.
The teen is a student at Universal Academy of Florida high school in Tampa, local news website 10 News reported.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations had earlier called on the US State Department to secure Tarek's release.
Tarek was one of 11 Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in the neighborhood on Thursday, Addameer said.
Video footage of the beating emerged Thursday.
The video, posted on Youtube by Palestine Today TV, shows what appears to be masked Israeli police in riot gear beating, kicking, and stamping on a Palestinian.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld has called the video "edited and biased."
Tarek was born in the US and is a cousin of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, the 16-year-old Palestinian who was abducted and murdered Wednesday, in an apparent revenge attack against the killing of three Israeli teens who were buried the day before.
Abu Khdeir's death sparked mass protests in East Jerusalem, especially the Shufat neighborhood, and other West Bank areas, leading to clashes with Israeli forces in which hundreds have been injured.
His family was not permitted to see Tarek until he was hospitalized, Addameer said.
News of his conditional release came as the United States said it is "profoundly concerned" by the police violence.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US "strongly condemn(s) any excessive use of force," in the wake of Abu Khdeir's case.
"We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force," she added in a statement.
The teen is a student at Universal Academy of Florida high school in Tampa, local news website 10 News reported.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations had earlier called on the US State Department to secure Tarek's release.
Tarek was one of 11 Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in the neighborhood on Thursday, Addameer said.
Video footage of the beating emerged Thursday.
The video, posted on Youtube by Palestine Today TV, shows what appears to be masked Israeli police in riot gear beating, kicking, and stamping on a Palestinian.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld has called the video "edited and biased."
Tarek was born in the US and is a cousin of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, the 16-year-old Palestinian who was abducted and murdered Wednesday, in an apparent revenge attack against the killing of three Israeli teens who were buried the day before.
Abu Khdeir's death sparked mass protests in East Jerusalem, especially the Shufat neighborhood, and other West Bank areas, leading to clashes with Israeli forces in which hundreds have been injured.
The Israeli Police kidnapped 32 Palestinians during mass protests in different parts of the country, following the abduction and murder of Mohammad Abu Khdeir, in Jerusalem.
The Arabs48 News Website has reported that that 13 children are among the kidnapped, adding that ten Palestinians were taken prisoner in Nazareth, 10 in the Southern Triangle area, and the rest were kidnapped in Wadi ‘Ara, and Arab villages in the northern part of the country.
The Police said all kidnapped Palestinians will be sent to court, and that it intends to conduct further arrests.
The Arabs48 said stated eleven Palestinians were kidnapped, on Sunday at dawn, in Nazareth, Um al-Fahem, Ein Mahel area near Nazareth, and Baqa al-Gharbeyya.
Two were taken prisoner in Nazareth and four in Ein Mahel, allegedly for throwing stones at the police during ensuing clashes.
Three were taken prisoner in Um al-Fahem, and two near Baqa al-Gharbiyya Junction.
Um al-Fahem clashes lasted until late night hours, Saturday, and the police fired dozens of concussion grenades, gas bombs, and used water cannons against the protesters.
Clashes also took place in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, as around 200 Palestinians protested the murder of Abu Khdeir, and ongoing violations, while police officers and soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs and concussion grenades.
In related news, a number of Israeli extremists invaded Beit Safafa town, south of occupied Jerusalem, and threw stones at local residents leading to clashes.
Meanwhile, the District Court in Haifa decided to keep eight Palestinians under interrogation “for protesting in Wadi ‘Ara”, in the Haifa District.
Aharon Eksel, Israeli Police District Commander in Tel Aviv, said around 10.000 Israeli police officers have been deployed in various Arab cities and towns, in historic Palestine, “to counter the ongoing protests”.
He told the Israeli Radio that the police “is trying to prevent further clashes” through various channels including “holding talks with influential Arab leaders”.
A team of volunteer lawyers is representing the detained Palestinians, who are facing charges that include “participating in illegal protests”, “disrupting the peace” and a few are accused of attacking police officers.
The Arabs48 News Website has reported that that 13 children are among the kidnapped, adding that ten Palestinians were taken prisoner in Nazareth, 10 in the Southern Triangle area, and the rest were kidnapped in Wadi ‘Ara, and Arab villages in the northern part of the country.
The Police said all kidnapped Palestinians will be sent to court, and that it intends to conduct further arrests.
The Arabs48 said stated eleven Palestinians were kidnapped, on Sunday at dawn, in Nazareth, Um al-Fahem, Ein Mahel area near Nazareth, and Baqa al-Gharbeyya.
Two were taken prisoner in Nazareth and four in Ein Mahel, allegedly for throwing stones at the police during ensuing clashes.
Three were taken prisoner in Um al-Fahem, and two near Baqa al-Gharbiyya Junction.
Um al-Fahem clashes lasted until late night hours, Saturday, and the police fired dozens of concussion grenades, gas bombs, and used water cannons against the protesters.
Clashes also took place in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, as around 200 Palestinians protested the murder of Abu Khdeir, and ongoing violations, while police officers and soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs and concussion grenades.
In related news, a number of Israeli extremists invaded Beit Safafa town, south of occupied Jerusalem, and threw stones at local residents leading to clashes.
Meanwhile, the District Court in Haifa decided to keep eight Palestinians under interrogation “for protesting in Wadi ‘Ara”, in the Haifa District.
Aharon Eksel, Israeli Police District Commander in Tel Aviv, said around 10.000 Israeli police officers have been deployed in various Arab cities and towns, in historic Palestine, “to counter the ongoing protests”.
He told the Israeli Radio that the police “is trying to prevent further clashes” through various channels including “holding talks with influential Arab leaders”.
A team of volunteer lawyers is representing the detained Palestinians, who are facing charges that include “participating in illegal protests”, “disrupting the peace” and a few are accused of attacking police officers.
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15-year old Palestinian-America Tariq beaten by Israeli police
A Tampa, Florida boy who was visiting relatives in Jerusalem when he was grabbed by undercover Israeli officers and badly beaten in the face and head received a visit from U.S. officials Saturday, in advance of his court hearing Sunday. Tariq Abu Khdeir, 15, is the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was burned to death on Wednesday morning, apparently by the same group of Israelis who were seen forcing him into a car outside a mosque in Shu’fat, East Jerusalem just before 4 am on Wednesday. Despite video footage of the abduction, and the license plate number having been captured by eyewitnesses, the Israeli police have failed to identify or detain the killers of Mohammed Abu Khdeir. The day after his cousin’s murder, 15-year old Tariq was grabbed by undercover Israeli forces in Shu’fat, where protests had broken out calling for justice for Mohammed. A witness in a nearby apartment building captured video footage of the attack, which shows three men holding and repeatedly beating a prone Palestinian with their fists and other objects. He was then carried into a police van and taken into custody with dozens of other Palestinians who had been swept up in the police crackdown on the protests. Police denied him medical treatment for over five hours, despite his badly-swollen head and broken nose. Representative of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem confirmed that officials had visited Tariq, who is still in Israeli custody, on Saturday, and issued a statement that “We are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody, and strongly condemn any excessive use of force.” U.S. officials rarely intervene in cases involving Palestinians detained or brutalized by Israeli forces, even when those detained are U.S. citizens. In this case, however, with extensive family connections across the U.S., the Abu Khdeir family have pressured U.S. officials to take action – particularly since the family has already suffered the loss of 16-year old Mohammed, who was burned to death, presumably by Israeli settlers, on Wednesday. The Palestinian Prisoner Rights group Addameer also took up the case of Tariq Abu Khdeir, stating, “No charges or accusations have been brought against Tarek, yet his despite his young age and unlawful treatment, his |
detention has been extended until the morning of Sunday 6 July in the Court of First Instances in Jerusalem.
“Tarek is one of 11 Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in Shofat last night following the brutal murder of 16-year old child Mohammad Abu Khdeir, who was found beaten and burned on the ruins of Palestinian destroyed village Deir Yassin hours after he was kidnapped in a retribution act. The Israeli government has instated a gag-order regarding the circumstances of Mohammad’s kidnapping and murder.
“The continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable.
“Addameer urges immediate action and calls on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United States consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend Tarek Abu Khdeir’s hearing on Sunday 6 July to investigate the intensified aggression against Palestinian children.”
updated from: 15-year-old Cousin of Murdered Teen Beaten by Police in Shu'fat
Fri, 04 Jul 2014 11:34:02
A Palestinian teenager identified by local sources as the cousin of the 16-year-old who was murdered on Wednesday was beaten and abducted by Israeli police on Thursday, and was refused medical treatment for his broken nose and other injuries while in custody.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has reported that over 170 Palestinians have been injured since Monday, when the bodies of three Israeli teenagers who had gone missing two weeks earlier were found.
15-year old Tariq was allegedly participating in one of several protests that took place in Shu'fat and nearby areas after Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, was abducted by Israelis, according to eyewitnesses, and later found burned to death on Wednesday.
Hundreds of Palestinians took part in the protests, which were met with tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and concussion grenades. At least three incidents have been reported of Israeli police and military using live ammunition against the demonstrators. Of the 170 injured since Monday, at least six are journalists.
Since his death Wednesday, the family of Muhammed Abu Khdeir has faced interrogations, DNA tests and a misinformation campaign started by the Israeli police to claim, based on no evidence, that the boy was killed in a family dispute -- in addition to the Israeli police refusing to look at surveillance video showing the assailants, which would normally be a major part of an investigation.
The attack on the 15-year-old appears to be the latest affront to a family that is mourning the brutal death of a child. Tariq is a Palestinian-American who was staying with family in Jerusalem when he was beaten and abducted by Israeli police. The full extent of his injuries is still unknown.
“Tarek is one of 11 Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in Shofat last night following the brutal murder of 16-year old child Mohammad Abu Khdeir, who was found beaten and burned on the ruins of Palestinian destroyed village Deir Yassin hours after he was kidnapped in a retribution act. The Israeli government has instated a gag-order regarding the circumstances of Mohammad’s kidnapping and murder.
“The continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable.
“Addameer urges immediate action and calls on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United States consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend Tarek Abu Khdeir’s hearing on Sunday 6 July to investigate the intensified aggression against Palestinian children.”
updated from: 15-year-old Cousin of Murdered Teen Beaten by Police in Shu'fat
Fri, 04 Jul 2014 11:34:02
A Palestinian teenager identified by local sources as the cousin of the 16-year-old who was murdered on Wednesday was beaten and abducted by Israeli police on Thursday, and was refused medical treatment for his broken nose and other injuries while in custody.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has reported that over 170 Palestinians have been injured since Monday, when the bodies of three Israeli teenagers who had gone missing two weeks earlier were found.
15-year old Tariq was allegedly participating in one of several protests that took place in Shu'fat and nearby areas after Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, was abducted by Israelis, according to eyewitnesses, and later found burned to death on Wednesday.
Hundreds of Palestinians took part in the protests, which were met with tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and concussion grenades. At least three incidents have been reported of Israeli police and military using live ammunition against the demonstrators. Of the 170 injured since Monday, at least six are journalists.
Since his death Wednesday, the family of Muhammed Abu Khdeir has faced interrogations, DNA tests and a misinformation campaign started by the Israeli police to claim, based on no evidence, that the boy was killed in a family dispute -- in addition to the Israeli police refusing to look at surveillance video showing the assailants, which would normally be a major part of an investigation.
The attack on the 15-year-old appears to be the latest affront to a family that is mourning the brutal death of a child. Tariq is a Palestinian-American who was staying with family in Jerusalem when he was beaten and abducted by Israeli police. The full extent of his injuries is still unknown.
5 july 2014
Israeli forces arrested nearly 3,000 Palestinian children from the beginning of 2010 to mid-2014, the majority of them between the ages of 12 and 15 years old, Addustour newspaper published a new report saying yesterday.
The Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights' report documented dozens of video recorded testimonies of children arrested during the first months of 2014, pointing out that 75 per cent of the detained children are subjected to physical torture and 25 per cent faced military trials.
The report revealed details of the children's suffering, starting with the arbitrary arrests which are in violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to which Israel ratified in 1991. The report listed a series of violations practiced by Israeli forces against children during the arrest process itself, where the Israeli forces raid the children's homes after midnight as they sleep using actions that terrorise the child and his family, without clear justification or an actual security need.
The Geneva-based watchdog said: "The majority of the detained children were subjected to threats and physical torture including beatings during the investigation. The Israeli authorities responsible for the investigation often use 'isolation' against one in every five detained children, as a means of pressure during the investigations which may extend to 10 days on average and up to 30 days in some cases."
During the "isolation", the report points out, the investigating authorities place the child alone in "narrow cells" and do not allow anyone to meet him, including in some cases his lawyer.
The organisation called on international bodies and human rights organisations to stop Israeli violations against Palestinian children and stressed on the need for Israeli authorities to hold the children's trials in the occupied Palestinian territories to give their families and lawyers the opportunity to meet them and accompany them during the interrogations and to ensure that they are not subjected to torture, and to provide them with fair compensation in case it is demonstrated that their detention was arbitrary.
It called on all parties who have signed the Geneva Convention and related international institutions to "practice the largest possible pressure against Israel, including denying it from financial agreements and aid to immediately stop its human rights violations".
Euro-Mid researcher Sandra Owen said that at least 1,406 Palestinian children have been killed since 2000, including 263 children under the age of eight and 450 children under the age of 15.
Over the past three weeks, the Israeli army raid more than 1,500 Palestinian homes and places of business and arrested more than 600 Palestinians following the apparent disappearance of three settlers in Hebron.
The Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights' report documented dozens of video recorded testimonies of children arrested during the first months of 2014, pointing out that 75 per cent of the detained children are subjected to physical torture and 25 per cent faced military trials.
The report revealed details of the children's suffering, starting with the arbitrary arrests which are in violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to which Israel ratified in 1991. The report listed a series of violations practiced by Israeli forces against children during the arrest process itself, where the Israeli forces raid the children's homes after midnight as they sleep using actions that terrorise the child and his family, without clear justification or an actual security need.
The Geneva-based watchdog said: "The majority of the detained children were subjected to threats and physical torture including beatings during the investigation. The Israeli authorities responsible for the investigation often use 'isolation' against one in every five detained children, as a means of pressure during the investigations which may extend to 10 days on average and up to 30 days in some cases."
During the "isolation", the report points out, the investigating authorities place the child alone in "narrow cells" and do not allow anyone to meet him, including in some cases his lawyer.
The organisation called on international bodies and human rights organisations to stop Israeli violations against Palestinian children and stressed on the need for Israeli authorities to hold the children's trials in the occupied Palestinian territories to give their families and lawyers the opportunity to meet them and accompany them during the interrogations and to ensure that they are not subjected to torture, and to provide them with fair compensation in case it is demonstrated that their detention was arbitrary.
It called on all parties who have signed the Geneva Convention and related international institutions to "practice the largest possible pressure against Israel, including denying it from financial agreements and aid to immediately stop its human rights violations".
Euro-Mid researcher Sandra Owen said that at least 1,406 Palestinian children have been killed since 2000, including 263 children under the age of eight and 450 children under the age of 15.
Over the past three weeks, the Israeli army raid more than 1,500 Palestinian homes and places of business and arrested more than 600 Palestinians following the apparent disappearance of three settlers in Hebron.
Fifteen-year-old Tariq Abukhdeir after Israeli police beat him.
Fifteen-year-old Palestinian-American Tariq Abukhdeir, cousin of recent lynching victim Muhammed Abu Khudair, was brutally beaten by masked Israeli police on Thursday evening in the Shuafat neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. He has since been arrested and held without charge and denied medical treatment, according to his family and the rights group Addameer.
Tariq’s family lives in Tampa, Florida and have been on vacation in Palestine since early June. They are scheduled to return to the United States on 16 July. Tariq’s next court hearing is scheduled for Sunday, 6 July.
As photos of Tariq’s horrific facial bruises surfaced, so did two videos that show masked Israeli officers punching, kicking and dragging a handcuffed Palestinian in Shuafat:
Fifteen-year-old Palestinian-American Tariq Abukhdeir, cousin of recent lynching victim Muhammed Abu Khudair, was brutally beaten by masked Israeli police on Thursday evening in the Shuafat neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. He has since been arrested and held without charge and denied medical treatment, according to his family and the rights group Addameer.
Tariq’s family lives in Tampa, Florida and have been on vacation in Palestine since early June. They are scheduled to return to the United States on 16 July. Tariq’s next court hearing is scheduled for Sunday, 6 July.
As photos of Tariq’s horrific facial bruises surfaced, so did two videos that show masked Israeli officers punching, kicking and dragging a handcuffed Palestinian in Shuafat:
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Salahedeen Khdeir, Tariq’s father, told The Electronic Intifada by phone from Shuafat that the Palestinian in the video is his son Tariq and that the footage was recorded by neighbors who then released it to a Palestinian media outlet.
Salahedeen says Tariq was visiting his uncle’s house in an area devoid of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians when he and five other youths were attacked in the yard by two masked Israeli police agents.
Tariq was roughed up the worst, beaten so badly that he lost consciousness. But that didn’t stop the Israeli forces from arresting Tariq and the others without charge and preventing Tariq from receiving medical treatment for five hours.
“Tariq was arrested at 7:35pm but wasn’t transferred to the hospital until around 1:30am,” said Salahedeen. During those five hours his parents were prevented from seeing him as well.
At the police station, Salahedeen came face to face with his son’s attackers, who called Tariq “a tough boy” and claimed he tried to attack them.
Kangaroo court Tariq’s parents did not see him again until Friday in an Israeli court where the judge extended his imprisonment another 48 hours as requested by the Israeli police, who argued they still needed to question him.
The officers told the judge that Tariq and his cousins were throwing stones, an accusation Tariq and his family vehemently deny. When asked if they had any witnesses to the alleged stone-throwing, the officers said no, Salahedeen recounted.
When Salahedeen showed the video of Tariq’s beating to the judge, he said, she was appalled and asked the officers why they beat a boy who was handcuffed. She also asked why Palestinian youths arrested for throwing stones appear in court with bruises while Israeli Jewish youths arrested for throwing stones appear unharmed.
The officers responded, “When we tell the Jewish kids to stop throwing stones, they stop and let us lock them up. But the Palestinians kids want to fight,” recounted Salahedeen.
“Tariq is scared,” said his father, adding that his son speaks very little Arabic and no Hebrew, making an already nightmarish ordeal even more terrifying for the 15-year-old.
Salahedeen begged the judge to let him stay with Tariq in jail so he so he could check his son’s urine for blood each time he uses the bathroom, as advised by the doctor who treated the boy. This has led his family to fear that he may have internal bleeding. The judge denied Salahedeen’s request, promising that she would personally notify the jail to look after Tariq.
“No protection for Palestinians” When asked if he expects any accountability or justice for the treatment of his son, Salahedeen said, “No way, this is Israel. There is no protection for Palestinians from the police or soldiers or army.”
Referring to 16-year-old lynching victim Muhammad Abu Khudair, Salahedeen added, “My cousin was kidnapped from outside and got killed after 45 minutes and we gave the police pictures of the kidnappers, the car tags, exactly when and where he was taken and still the police say maybe this is a family problem.”
“He’s a good boy, he’s good in school, he loves soccer, loves music,” Salahedeen said of his son. “This is the first time he went to sleep far away from his home. And where does he end up? In a jail next to the people who hit him almost to death.”
Asked whether the State Department is aware that an American child is being held without charge by Israel, a State Department official responded, “We are aware of these reports but have no comment due to privacy considerations.”
Salahedeen says he has an appointment on Saturday with the US consulate, which had not yet responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
The Palestinian prisoner rights organization Addameer reports that Tariq is one of eleven Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in Shuafat on Thursday, many of whom were minors.
“The continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable,” Addameer stated in an appeal for protests against Tariq’s treatment.
“Addameer urges immediate action and calls on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United States consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend Tarek Abu Khdeir’s hearing on Sunday 6 July to investigate the intensified aggression against Palestinian children,” the group added.
US family pray Back in Tampa, Tariq’s family is praying for him.
“My whole family is in shock,” 22-year-old Ala Kader, Tariq’s cousin, told The Electronic Intifada over the phone from Tampa. Ala grew up with Tariq, who she says is like a little brother to her.
Salahedeen says Tariq was visiting his uncle’s house in an area devoid of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians when he and five other youths were attacked in the yard by two masked Israeli police agents.
Tariq was roughed up the worst, beaten so badly that he lost consciousness. But that didn’t stop the Israeli forces from arresting Tariq and the others without charge and preventing Tariq from receiving medical treatment for five hours.
“Tariq was arrested at 7:35pm but wasn’t transferred to the hospital until around 1:30am,” said Salahedeen. During those five hours his parents were prevented from seeing him as well.
At the police station, Salahedeen came face to face with his son’s attackers, who called Tariq “a tough boy” and claimed he tried to attack them.
Kangaroo court Tariq’s parents did not see him again until Friday in an Israeli court where the judge extended his imprisonment another 48 hours as requested by the Israeli police, who argued they still needed to question him.
The officers told the judge that Tariq and his cousins were throwing stones, an accusation Tariq and his family vehemently deny. When asked if they had any witnesses to the alleged stone-throwing, the officers said no, Salahedeen recounted.
When Salahedeen showed the video of Tariq’s beating to the judge, he said, she was appalled and asked the officers why they beat a boy who was handcuffed. She also asked why Palestinian youths arrested for throwing stones appear in court with bruises while Israeli Jewish youths arrested for throwing stones appear unharmed.
The officers responded, “When we tell the Jewish kids to stop throwing stones, they stop and let us lock them up. But the Palestinians kids want to fight,” recounted Salahedeen.
“Tariq is scared,” said his father, adding that his son speaks very little Arabic and no Hebrew, making an already nightmarish ordeal even more terrifying for the 15-year-old.
Salahedeen begged the judge to let him stay with Tariq in jail so he so he could check his son’s urine for blood each time he uses the bathroom, as advised by the doctor who treated the boy. This has led his family to fear that he may have internal bleeding. The judge denied Salahedeen’s request, promising that she would personally notify the jail to look after Tariq.
“No protection for Palestinians” When asked if he expects any accountability or justice for the treatment of his son, Salahedeen said, “No way, this is Israel. There is no protection for Palestinians from the police or soldiers or army.”
Referring to 16-year-old lynching victim Muhammad Abu Khudair, Salahedeen added, “My cousin was kidnapped from outside and got killed after 45 minutes and we gave the police pictures of the kidnappers, the car tags, exactly when and where he was taken and still the police say maybe this is a family problem.”
“He’s a good boy, he’s good in school, he loves soccer, loves music,” Salahedeen said of his son. “This is the first time he went to sleep far away from his home. And where does he end up? In a jail next to the people who hit him almost to death.”
Asked whether the State Department is aware that an American child is being held without charge by Israel, a State Department official responded, “We are aware of these reports but have no comment due to privacy considerations.”
Salahedeen says he has an appointment on Saturday with the US consulate, which had not yet responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.
The Palestinian prisoner rights organization Addameer reports that Tariq is one of eleven Palestinians who were beaten and arrested in Shuafat on Thursday, many of whom were minors.
“The continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable,” Addameer stated in an appeal for protests against Tariq’s treatment.
“Addameer urges immediate action and calls on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United States consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend Tarek Abu Khdeir’s hearing on Sunday 6 July to investigate the intensified aggression against Palestinian children,” the group added.
US family pray Back in Tampa, Tariq’s family is praying for him.
“My whole family is in shock,” 22-year-old Ala Kader, Tariq’s cousin, told The Electronic Intifada over the phone from Tampa. Ala grew up with Tariq, who she says is like a little brother to her.
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As a Palestinian, Ala is used to seeing horrifying images out of the region whenever the conflict heats up.
“But to see it happen to your own family members in your hometown from thousands of miles away is devastating,” she said. “It makes your heart go crazy.” |
At least six Palestinians were injured during clashes that broke out Friday night between Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and Palestinian youths at the northern entrance of Bethlehem. Two arrests were also reported in the city. According to the PIC reporter, the injured citizens were transferred to hospital for treatment where medical sources said that 3 of them were shot with live bullets.
In a related incident, dozens of trees were completely burned when IOF soldiers heavily fired flare bombs while storming Asakra village, west of Bethlehem. Three citizens were arrested after raiding and searching their homes.
Local sources pointed out that Israeli forces’ break-in came shortly after Palestinian youths throw Molotov Cocktails at settlers’ cars passing near the village.
An Israeli settler had earlier run over a 17-year-old boy, from Bethlehem, before fleeing the scene. The boy was transferred to hospital after suffering moderate injuries.
In al-Khalil, three Palestinian youths were injured after the outbreak of violent clashes in Surif town, west of the city.
The clashes broke out after Palestinians took to the street in protest against the establishment of a new outpost on part of the town’s land. Teargas, sound bombs and rubber bullets were fired during the clashes, local sources revealed.
On the other hand, violent clashes erupted at the entrance to Fawar refugee camp in al-Khalil. Palestinians stoned Israeli soldiers during the clashes protesting Israeli continued attacks in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
IOF soldiers fired tear gas and sound bombs at the protesters. Many suffered breathing problems after inhaling the teargas.
In a related incident, dozens of trees were completely burned when IOF soldiers heavily fired flare bombs while storming Asakra village, west of Bethlehem. Three citizens were arrested after raiding and searching their homes.
Local sources pointed out that Israeli forces’ break-in came shortly after Palestinian youths throw Molotov Cocktails at settlers’ cars passing near the village.
An Israeli settler had earlier run over a 17-year-old boy, from Bethlehem, before fleeing the scene. The boy was transferred to hospital after suffering moderate injuries.
In al-Khalil, three Palestinian youths were injured after the outbreak of violent clashes in Surif town, west of the city.
The clashes broke out after Palestinians took to the street in protest against the establishment of a new outpost on part of the town’s land. Teargas, sound bombs and rubber bullets were fired during the clashes, local sources revealed.
On the other hand, violent clashes erupted at the entrance to Fawar refugee camp in al-Khalil. Palestinians stoned Israeli soldiers during the clashes protesting Israeli continued attacks in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
IOF soldiers fired tear gas and sound bombs at the protesters. Many suffered breathing problems after inhaling the teargas.
Israeli soldiers invaded, on Saturday at dawn, several Palestinian communities in the West Bank district of Bethlehem, searched homes and kidnapped three Palestinians. The soldiers also installed roadblocks, isolating two villages.
Local sources said dozens of soldiers invaded the al-Asakra area, in Bethlehem, and kidnapped two identified as Abed Mahmoud Asakra, 21, and his brother, Awad, 19, in addition to Yousef Ali Asakra, 20.
The soldiers violently invaded the homes of the kidnapped Palestinians, and searched them causing excessive property damage.
The army also fired several rounds of live ammunition, concussion grenades and gas bombs, causing a fire close to some homes, but the residents managed to extinguish it before it spread.
Also in Bethlehem, troops surrounded the villages of Jouret ash-Sham’a and Um Salmouna, before invading them, storming and searching several homes and stores, and confiscated surveillance cameras and tapes.
Local sources said dozens of soldiers invaded the al-Asakra area, in Bethlehem, and kidnapped two identified as Abed Mahmoud Asakra, 21, and his brother, Awad, 19, in addition to Yousef Ali Asakra, 20.
The soldiers violently invaded the homes of the kidnapped Palestinians, and searched them causing excessive property damage.
The army also fired several rounds of live ammunition, concussion grenades and gas bombs, causing a fire close to some homes, but the residents managed to extinguish it before it spread.
Also in Bethlehem, troops surrounded the villages of Jouret ash-Sham’a and Um Salmouna, before invading them, storming and searching several homes and stores, and confiscated surveillance cameras and tapes.
Israeli soldiers during a search operation to locate the three missing teenagers, in the village of Halhul, near the West Bank town of Hebron, on June 29, 2014
Shin Bet has admitted their failure to come up with any positive conclusion regarding the whereabouts of the alleged ‘abduction’ of the three Israeli settlers in Hebron.
According to Al Ray, Israeli journalist Ben Caspit quoted an official from the Israeli security service as saying that they failed in its mission to find the abductees and that an operation should have been frustrated in its infancy.
“It’s about two young men who were held in Israeli prisons in the past and should have been well under surveillance before the operation," he said.
Three Israeli teens, one said to be holding US citizenship, were reported missing late on Thursday, June 12, somewhere between Gush Etzion settlement bloc and the Alon Shvut settlement.
In the weeks that followed, Israel launched an extensive and continuing series of arrest raids and military assaults across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in which over 600 Palestinians, including political officials were arrested, aorund 170 of which were placed under administrative detention, without charge or hope for a trial.
The bodies of the three missing settlers were uncovered near Halhoul, north of Hebron, over two weeks later, in a field not far from where they reportedly went missing.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured in ongoing clashes, since the bodies tuned up. Thirteen Palestinians have been killed since June 12.
From the first reports of the alleged abduction, Israel quickly pointed to Islamist political faction Hamas in naming a target suspect. Hamas has persistently denied the accusations and evidence to suggest that Hamas or any other Palestinian group or individual was behind the teens' disappearance has never been presented.
"This operation was not the result of chance, it took long to plan for," the official was further quoted as saying.
Related: Analyst: High Level Plan Behind Missing Settlers
Shin Bet has admitted their failure to come up with any positive conclusion regarding the whereabouts of the alleged ‘abduction’ of the three Israeli settlers in Hebron.
According to Al Ray, Israeli journalist Ben Caspit quoted an official from the Israeli security service as saying that they failed in its mission to find the abductees and that an operation should have been frustrated in its infancy.
“It’s about two young men who were held in Israeli prisons in the past and should have been well under surveillance before the operation," he said.
Three Israeli teens, one said to be holding US citizenship, were reported missing late on Thursday, June 12, somewhere between Gush Etzion settlement bloc and the Alon Shvut settlement.
In the weeks that followed, Israel launched an extensive and continuing series of arrest raids and military assaults across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in which over 600 Palestinians, including political officials were arrested, aorund 170 of which were placed under administrative detention, without charge or hope for a trial.
The bodies of the three missing settlers were uncovered near Halhoul, north of Hebron, over two weeks later, in a field not far from where they reportedly went missing.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured in ongoing clashes, since the bodies tuned up. Thirteen Palestinians have been killed since June 12.
From the first reports of the alleged abduction, Israel quickly pointed to Islamist political faction Hamas in naming a target suspect. Hamas has persistently denied the accusations and evidence to suggest that Hamas or any other Palestinian group or individual was behind the teens' disappearance has never been presented.
"This operation was not the result of chance, it took long to plan for," the official was further quoted as saying.
Related: Analyst: High Level Plan Behind Missing Settlers
