Israel Promises to Loosen Restrictions for Ramadan While Tightening the Closure Imposed on the Occupied Territories Restricting Palestinians’ freedom of Religion during the Muslim and Christian Holy Months
Last week Israel announced to the world that as a “good will gesture” during Ramadan the closure imposed on the Occupied Territories would be relaxed and that worshipers of all ages would be allowed to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque. However, on 30 November 2000, the Israeli military authorities also decided that the preexisting closure of the Occupied Territories would be tightened banning all Muslims from the West Bank and Gaza from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque.
Yesterday marked the first Friday of Ramadan. Traditionally, to mark this occasion over 250,000 Muslims pray at the al-Aqsa Mosque. The denial of access to Muslims living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Mosque cut the number of worshipers at the Mosque to only 25,000. The closure of the West Bank was tightened with extra checkpoints set up to ensure that residents of the Occupied Territories did not reach Jerusalem.
Some individuals tried to reach Jerusalem to pray but were turned back and several were beaten and detained.
Yesterday also marked the official start of the Christian Advent season. Generally, Christians from all over the world come to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas but events have been cancelled this year due to the violence.
Palestinian Christians living inside Israel are denied access to pray at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and Christians living in the West Bank and Gaza are not permitted to enter Jerusalem to pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The actions of the Israeli Authorities are a clear violation of Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that an occupying power must provide for the protection of the religious convictions and practices of the occupied party. It is also a violation of Article 46 of the Hague Convention of 1907.
The closure of the last two months may have been a response to the actions of individual Palestinians or settlers. The effect of these measures, however, is to collectively punish the entire Palestinian population. Such collective punishments are illegal under international law.
The total and indefinite closure of the Occupied Territories that has now been imposed poses an acute threat to Palestinian community life and particularly to freedom to Religion.
Al-Haq calls upon the international community to demand that Palestinians’ right to religious freedom be respected.
Al-Haq also reiterates its call to all High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to signal to the Israeli Authorities that they will not tolerate grave breaches of the Convention. Al-Haq urges the international community to pressure Israel to abide by the numerous international instruments that it has willingly ratified. In light of ongoing violence, and the continuing failure of the Israeli Forces to ensure the safety of the Palestinians, al-Haq again calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide and/or guarantee protection for Palestinians living under Israeli Occupation return to top
Sana' Shehadeh from WATC loses her second brother
Dear Friends and colleagues,
During the confrontations that took place yesterday in Kalandia Refugee Camp, WATC employee, Sana' Shehadeh lost her second brother to high velocity bullets that hit him in his tummy. Sana' is responsible for the small library at WATC, and she is the one who sends you the publications of WATC and Sawt An-Nissa' newspaper if you are a subscriber.
Yasseen Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim Shehadeh, 23 years old, is the second brother that Sana' loses in the course of two years. Last year, she lost her fifteen year-old who was visiting from Amman, Jordan. WATC calls on all Those who can make it to join us in the funeral that will take place today noon in Ramallah where he will be burried. Suheir return to top
UN General Assembly Condemns Israeli Control of Jerusalem
The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) welcomes the resolution adopted at the UN General Assembly on Friday, 1/12/2000, condemning Israel's imposition of its control on Jerusalem.
The resolution, which was overwhelmingly adopted with a 145-1 vote (only Israel voted against it), called Israel's imposition of ".its laws, jurisdiction and administration" on Jerusalem illegal, and, therefore, null, void, and has no validity.
MIFTAH reiterates that Israel is an illegal occupier in Jerusalem; its unilaterally declared sovereignty over the city is in grave violation of international law. Jerusalem is on the agenda of final status talks, and its fate must be in accordance with UN Resolution 242 and other relevant resolutions, as well as the Fourth Geneva Convention. return to top
UN Committee in Geneva Expresses "Grave Concern" over Reports of Israel’s Gross Violations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Occupied Territories
For More Information Contact: Lucy Mair; LMAIR@cesr.org; 718- 237-9145
For Immediate Release, December 2, 2000
After reviewing reports by independent groups including the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR), Habitat International, BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, LAW and the Association of 40, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights declared that it was "deeply concerned by accounts that Israel’s recent actions in the occupied territories had resulted in the widespread and gross violations of Palestinians’ economic, social and cultural rights."
Furthermore, the Committee called for Israel to appear at its next session in May 2001 to discuss reported rights violations in the Occupied Territories (OT). The Committee’s decision follows recent condemnations of Israeli human rights violations throughout the UN system. The Security Council, Commission on Human Rights, Special Rapporteur to the OT and High Commissioner for Human Rights have all censured Israel for violations of humanitarian and human rights law during the current crisis.
In November 1998 the Committee rejected Israel’s claim that due to the Oslo peace process it is no longer responsible for human rights in the OT, and requested information on Israeli actions in the OT. Israel’s failure to do so in time for the recent session in Geneva led the Committee to note "that in light of the current crisis in Israel and the occupied territories, it was particularly unfortunate that Israel had not provided the additional information by the time requested."
The Committee expressed "grave concern" over the escalating pattern of Israeli violations reported by CESR and other groups, including:
- Israeli military and security forces both inside Israel and in the OT have prevented medical aid and personnel from reaching Palestinians and have attacked clearly marked medical vehicles and personnel in violation of international humanitarian law;
- Widespread restrictions have been imposed by Israeli authorities on the movement of persons and goods, including medicines, food and essential fuel;
- Palestinian children travelling to and from school have come under Israeli fire and many schools in the OT have been forced to close; The Israeli army has destroyed many acres of Palestinian agricultural land in the OT;
- Unemployment in the OT has tripled during the crisis, causing severe economic hardship, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the population; and
- The incidence of house demolition and land confiscation in the OT has increased, including the destruction of civilian homes through the use of heavy weapons.
Roger Normand, Executive Director of CESR says, "this shows that Israel’s economic warfare through closure, land confiscation and increasing settlements violates international law in the same way as Israel’s use of torture and excessive force. The Committee’s concern with these violations should be a signal to the entire international community to demand full Israeli respect for all human rights – a necessary pre-condition for any resumed peace talks." return to top
Day 64 Palestinian Man Shot and Killed by Israeli Forces While Working December 2, 2000
This morning, an eyewitness reported that Shihada el Jafari, 27, from Bitunia was shot and killed by Israeli forces while he was working on a construction site near the City Inn Hotel at the northern entrance to Ramallah. Law is currently investigating this incident. Israeli forces killed Jafari’s brother Ishmail during the “ Tunnel Incident” in Jerusalem in 1996.
In the village of Haris near Salfit, settlers protected by Israeli forces cut down 25 olive and almond trees belonging to the family of Auda Sultan. The property is situated between the village of Haris and the Barkan settlement. Since the beginnings of this crisis, Israeli forces and settlers have cut down approximately 700 trees belong to residents of Haris.
In Nablus, an Israeli settler allegedly assaulted a Palestinian taxi driver from the el Makhfiyi neighborhood. In an affidavit to LAW, Amer Afuna, 34 stated that on November 29, 2000, at around 3:20p.m, his car broke down near the Burin junction. When he got out of his car he received a sharp blow to the back of his head and was taken by ambulance Rafidia hospital. Afuna also said that he had left his mobile phone and other personal belongings inside his car and when his brother called the mobile, a man speaking Hebrew answered the phone and told Afuna’s brother, “we hit and killed him, if you want similar treatment, we will be ready.”
Israeli authorities re-opened the Gaza International Airport yesterday and have given it permission to operate for six hours each day. Today, Israeli forces bulldozed three meters of the airports southern wall. According to Israeli officials, the wall was destroyed to allow Israeli armored vehicles to pass through to the airport to inspect passengers.
Midhat Jad Allah, 17, from el Shat’i refugee camp in Gaza, died today from a head wound sustained November 30, 2000 near the el Mintar crossing.
Yesterday evening, Yassin Shihada, 23, from Qalandia, died from a gunshot wound sustained during clashes with Israeli forces near the Jerusalem airport.
Israeli forces opened fire with heavy machine guns on several residential areas in Hebron last night, including Talit el Takruri, Abu Sneineh, Wadi el Hiriyi, Dahyit el Zaitoun, and Bab el Zawwiyeh. Two Palestinians, Lamya Deeb, 58, and Rawya Bader, 65, were wounded in the attack. return to top
Settler violence against Palestinians Daily report
- Armed settlers from the settlement of Beitar attacked Palestinian cars along the main and branch roads in the Bethlehem area.
- Armed settlers from Efrat under the protection of Israeli soldiers seized Palestinian land adjacent to the settlement. The seized area, about 50 dunums, belongs to the residents of al-Khadir town and is cultivated with grapes.