In the 22nd , 23rd and the 24th of Oct, the Israeli soldiers intensively fired more rockets and bullets at the YMCA neighborhood in Beit Sahour causing more and severe damage to many houses and created more misery and horror to the families and the children in particular. Five people, including four children (three from one family aged 8, 10 and 13) were injured in these brutal acts, by the fragments of the rockets fired from Israeli choppers. All these children are YMCA beneficiaries, and participate in the play and art therapy activities organized for the victimized children in the recent clashes.
Few bullets hit the YMCA building as well, causing more damage in the windows, roof and the walls of the Training and Play therapy room. One of the bullets settled in the white board used by the children for drawing and for training sessions.
By a miracle, two children saved by moving them five minuets before the artillery micelle hit the family house of one of our staff in Beit Jala. Severely damaged the house and our colleague's car besides the neighbor's houses and properties.
This new shelling to the houses has caused severe psychological and behavioral difficulties to all the children and their families living in the area. Many adults have developed psychological difficulties as well. This created more difficulties to the YMCA staff in dealing with these affected children and families.
Israel has also placed the Palestinians under severe siege, whereby people and goods can not move between cities and villages. This has also added more burdens on the people and YMCA staff who works with the affected persons as well.
All these new Israeli measures came after the moderate decisions of the Arab Summit Conference, to show more signs on the Israeli aggression and brutality against the Palestinian People and that Israel is violating all the international conventions. This is an additional indicator that Israel is not concerned in any just and lasting peace with the Palestinians.
Delusions of coexistence in the Galilee: The aftermath of the events of October among the Arab community in Israel
Ali took a drag on his cigarette and stared at the ceiling. He was part of the 90% of the Arab community who voted for Barak and his peace platform. Although proud of his Arab heritage, the previous evening Ali had talked enthusiastically about his student days in Tel Aviv and the Jewish friends he made there. 'Their politics doesn't stop us being friends' he told me. This evening, Ali had seen a man killed in front of him by the military forces of the Israeli society that he had believed he was part of. Two hundred youths from the neighbouring Jewish town had begun to attack homes on the edge of Nazareth. As a crowd of Arabs gathered to protect their homes and families, the army intervened to prevent direct confrontation with the armed Jewish group. Two Arabs were shot dead and over thirty injured as Israeli forces stood with their backs to the Jewish aggressors. Official sources blame Jewish vigilantes, but eyewitnesses testify to the fact that the bullets emanated from the guns of army snipers positioned above the scene. In the face of Arab land confiscation, housing demolition, education and employment discrimination, Ali had continued to hold out hope for a future more integrated society. One night destroyed that optimism, unleashing resentment and despair.
State forces have killed 13 Palestinians from the Arab community during the Al-Aqsa Intifada in Israel. 540 have been reported injured and hundreds more are not seeking help for fear of police investigation. Jewish citizens have turned against their neighbours, attacks against Arabs, their homes, businesses and places of worship have spread across the country from Nazareth to Haifa to Jaffa. Racially motivated attacks, ironically reminiscent of anti-semitic pogroms in 1930s Europe, have sent a clear message to the Arab community that they are outsiders to the Jewish state and society.
Targeting non-demonstrators
My neighbour peeled back the tarpaulin to show me the blood covered car
seat. The previous day an Arab family had been driving home when their
car was hit by 12 IDF bullets. The woman in the front seat received
near
fatal injuries from two live bullets to the upper body. Like many of
the
injured she was not even taking part in the demonstrations. Another
neighbour was standing on his balcony to watch as demonstrators dodged
live ammunition down our Nazareth street. When the soldiers demanded
that he return inside, he refused to move. They shot him in the chest.
Arabs in Israel began to protest in solidarity with Palestinian anger over the deaths at Al-Aqsa, but this anger was combined with a deep rooted frustration at their own status as second class Israeli citizens.
Arabs in Israel, families of the minority of the Palestinian community that was granted citizenship in the state of Israel in 1948, face discrimination in all areas, from housing to employment to education. The Israeli state continues to confiscate land and demolish Arab property in order to build Jewish settlements and highways. The anger built up in the community was expressed in riots that surfaced in Arab towns and villages across the country. In 1976 Israeli armed forces killed six Arab citizens protesting against land confiscation in the Galilee, but people believed that the current political climate was more tolerant of people exercising their right to criticise government policy.
They were wrong. Within hours of the protest beginning, Israeli forces were using tear gas and rubber bullets in an effort to disperse demonstrators. On the second day, the army was shooting live ammunition including the internationally outlawed 'dum-dum' bullets. This tiny bullet penetrates the skin and then fragments, tearing organs and flesh as it spreads into the body. Injuries were largely sustained in the upper body and chest, revealing a clear intention to kill.
Sakhnin
Sakhnin is a small Arab town north of Nazareth. Despite its size, it
maintains a very close knit community in which the suffering of
anyone's
family is shared by all. Political protest is not new to Sakhnin. Every
year, Arabs in Israel and Palestine commemorate the 1976 Land Day that
originated amongst the people of Sakhnin. This March, on Land Day 2000,
the residents of Sakhnin went to protest at the site of the
construction
of an army base on the edge of the town. Border Police troops attempted
to disperse protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets. Many people
were injured and one woman died after being overcome by tear gas. One
demonstrator remains under house arrest, awaiting trial for his part in
the demonstrations seven months ago.
Despite their experience of political protest, the community in Sakhnin were not expecting the harsh clampdown of Arab protesters in the demonstrations of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. 'I was standing by the corner shop watching to see what the police were going to do' said one woman. ' I was with a small group of women and nobody was holding any stones. Suddenly bullets came whistling over our heads. These could not have been aimed at anyone else except us, a small group of unarmed observers'.
Two men from Sakhnin were killed in the demonstrations. ' We believe that these boys were executed' said another resident. 'There were Arabs killed in each of the towns and villages across the region, all at close range and in the head or upper body. This indicates an intended policy to send a fatal warning signal that would personally touch the lives of every member of the Arab community here in Israel. We as Arabs mean nothing to the state and any means are used to silence us'. Wafaa, a teacher from Sakhnin High School, spoke of the devastating effect that this events had on the children of Sakhnin. Every child knows the two who died, or has family and friends that were injured. Daily life cannot go on because the situation has changed forever. The students want to talk about the deaths of the two men, to express their grief and disbelief. The Al-Aqsa Intifada has made everyone politically aware to some level. The national situation and the fate of the Palestinian community in the occupied territories of 1967, has been once more entwined with the people of the occupied territories of 1948.
Coexistence?
Rasmiyya is the coordinator of a women's organization in Sakhnin. In an
effort to work towards coexistence between Arabs and Jews, she had
organized workshops with local Jewish women's groups to try to improve
understanding between the two communities. The results before the
recent
crisis were not always positive. 'We talk about cooking and music and
everybody smiles, yet nobody wants to talk about the demolition order
on
my house' said one woman from the village. 'The Jewish women complain
that politics is divisive, yet this is my life. If these women cannot
face that, and cannot share in the responsibility of their society, I
don't want to know'. Despite the difficulties that Arab women faced in
encounters with Jewish women, Rasmiyya had continued to believe that
she
could work towards Arab-Jewish coexistence.
Yet now, Rasmiyya feels that pursuing coexistence is tantamount to accepting a subordinate, dependent role for her community. In spite of her reservations Rasmiyya spoke at a women's meeting organized by a Jewish feminist group, two week after the crisis began. Although this meeting was supposed to reflect a join Jewish-Arab struggle to end the violence, the meeting was totally dominated by Hebrew language showing no respect for Arab sensibilities and suffering. 'I don't want to hear a Hebrew protest song' said a woman from Sakhnin. 'It is the Arabs who are suffering. Despite their claims to share our struggle they are trying to integrate us into Hebrew culture and not working to help us live as Arabs in a tolerant multicultural state.'
Rasmiyya was one of the Arab speakers at this event and for the first time in her work with the coexistence movement she insisted on speaking Arabic. The deaths of 13 members of her community have led her to totally reassess her relationship with the Israeli left wing. She was disappointed with the reaction of the audience, feeling that nobody addressed the concerns that she brought from an Arab perspective. 'The Jewish women's groups have told me that this does not effect our joint struggle for women's rights. Yet how can I work with them when they refuse to acknowledge their part in the Zionist society that has killed 13 of my people?'.
Betrayal
The Arab community supported Barak in his electoral challenge against
Netanyahu. He wooed Arab support by promising to pursue the peace
process which had reached stalemate with Likud. Yet under Barak, land
confiscation and housing demolition continued, and now state forces
have
killed Arab citizens in order to prevent them demonstrating their
dissatisfaction with the government. 'My hand shook when I voted for
Barak but I did it' said one Arab voter from Nazareth, 'Now he has
betrayed us and over and over again I curse the day I went out to
support him'. The events of recent days have led many Arabs to become
disillusioned with Israeli politics of any kind. The prospect of an
emergency government uniting left and right wing, has left many Arabs
feeling that irrespective of small differences in policy, there is no
left and right wing, only Zionist politicians with the aim of
protecting
a state for Jewish citizens.
No one here has hope of real justice resulting from any Israeli led inquiry into police brutality. Through their actions the state has sent a harsh warning that dissent will not be tolerated. Arab citizens do not have the right to freedom of thought and public assembly. Israeli forces have used excessive violence against the Palestinian community in the territory occupied in 1948, as they have been doing for years against Palestinians in the occupied territories of 1967, and as they have not against violent Jewish demonstrators. Despite efforts of human rights organizations to call for international support for this minority community, nobody is optimistic about the future. People here have suddenly grasped reality and it is a state in which they are totally vulnerable. The state has demonstrated that not only will it fail to protect Arab citizens, it will support aggression against them.
Nazareth was silent as the sun rose on the day following the attack of the citizens from Natzrat Illit. Ten thousand people attended the funerals but there were no more mass demonstrations. Before this country-wide outbreak of anti-Arab pogroms and police brutality, many Arabs believed that, despite their status as second class citizens, it was possible to work hard and achieve a place within Israeli society. The Intifada of 2000 has shattered that illusion. For the moment the killing here is over, but the situation of the Palestinians within the Green Line has now gone way beyond merely the discrimination of second class citizens. The Israeli state and many of its Jewish citizens have sent a clear message that Arabs are the enemy within. The community must face the future in this knowledge and nobody is quite certain what this will mean.
HRA - The Arab Association for Human Rights
Mary's Well Street - PO Box 215 - 16101 Nazareth
Tel: 06-6561923 - Fax: 06-6564934
LAW
Israeli Forces Continue Aggressive Campaign Against Palestinians
Yesterday, October 24, 2000, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians. Nidal Ali Dbeiki, 16, from the Al Mudaraj Neighbourhood in Gaza, was shot in the stomach with live ammunition during clashes at Erez Checkpoint, and Nimer Miri’, 22, from Kufur Dan near Jenin, was shot in the heart with live ammunition.
Israeli tanks fired at the Al Kahdouri polytechnic building in Tulkarem. Law is currently investigating the damages. Last night in Al Bireh, Israeli forces opened fire with heavy machine guns on a 2- story building that was under construction. The Palestinian death toll as of today is 123. Of these, 39 are children. The total injured is 5,862.
LAW reiterates the following:
. The Israeli government is fully responsible for the situation that has developed in the Occupied Territories and the violence committed against Palestinian civilians by the Israeli Occupation Forces and Israeli settlers.
. LAW demands that the international community, including members of the United Nations Security Council, take immediate action to protect Palestinian civilians and force Israel to comply with the Fourth Geneva Convention
ADC:
Hunger Strike Begins This Weekend
Twenty Arab Americans will be starting a hunger strike in LaFayette Park on October 28, 2000. They will be joined by other Arab Americans from California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. The Hunger Strike will commence Saturday, October 28, 2000 at 10:00 a.m. and will end on November 3, 2000 at 10:00 a.m.
The Hunger Strikers hope that this statement of solidarity will help humanize the plight of the Palestinian people who are being subject to brutal Israeli attacks and occupation of their land. This is a struggle for basic human rights, freedom, and an end to 33 years of occupation and 50 years of dispossession.
Dr. S.M. Budron, of the Arab Americans for Peace and Justice, organized and planned this event. Dr. Budron emphasizes that now is the time for all peace loving Americans to protest the blatant injustices against the Palestinian people. Over the past four weeks, more than 120 Palestinians have been shot dead and 3,500 injured by Israeli soldiers, policemen and armed settlers. That is a massive loss for a Palestinian population of 4 million living under Israeli control.
Silence at this critical time is tacit approval. Therefore, we invite you to lend support to the national hunger strike in front of the White House. When: October 28, 2000 - November 3, 2000 Time: 10:00 a.m. Where: LaFayette Park (Across from the White House) The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the Arab Americans for Justice and Peace lend their full support to the Hunger Strike. For further information, please contact ADC (202) 244-2990 or check our website at www.adc.org
Palestinian Ministry of Education
Report on Press Conference
The Ministry of Education held a press conference today in its offices in Ramallah for local media. Deputy Minister, Dr. Naim Abu Hommos, talked about the general political situation and about the challenges facing the education sector at present. Following is a summary of the most important points he raised. For the past seven years, the Palestinian people have talked about peace and the possible final status agreement.
The Palestinians were deeply frustrated when they discovered that their actual situation on the ground has not in fact changed. Different forms of Israeli oppression persisted and were augmented. The peace process broke down. There are one million pupils in Palestinian schools in the West Bank and Gaza. On 30th September the Ministry of Education (MoE) decided to suspend schooling for a week in the aftermath of the eruption of the mass uprising / Intifada, in order guarantee the security and safety of children.
The MoE discussed plans for the continuation of schooling under the ensuing general conditions. Schooling was resumed on 8th October 2000. It was, however, disrupted by the closure imposed by Israel on Palestinian villages, towns and cities (see press release issued on 14th October regarding this subject). Around 13,000 students and 500 teachers cannot reach their schools in areas closed by the Israeli military, especially in the city of Hebron where curfew was imposed for the past 22 days. The Israeli army took over a number of schools and used them as military camps or posts.
There were cases when schools were besieged or attacked with tear gas, live ammunition and even with rockets. Most severely attacked was the UNRWA Deir Balah Elementary School in Gaza School which serves 1,951 pupils in two shifts. In response, the MoE drafted an emergency plan giving wide responsibilities to District Education Offices to deal with the situation in each governorate in the way they see most fit. Priority was give to guarantee the safety of students. Some schools had to be moved to alternative locations or had to convene in after-school hours in other school buildings. To date, 29 pupils have been shot dead by the Israeli army and settlers and 1,221 were injured. Many of these were hit outside the areas of confrontation, sometimes while walking to school or back home.
Our children are living in fear from Israeli army attacks and from Israeli settlers who attack their homes and towns. The present situation will have deep psychological impact on them. We are looking into the best ways to allay their fears and heal their psychological scars. We are discussing means to help children who will have permanent physical disabilities. We are looking into plans to make up for the lost time and to overcome the lowering of educational standards which will result from disruption of normal schooling.
We demand international protection for our children and for our unarmed people. We appeal to international agencies, especially UNESCO and UNICEF, and human rights organizations to provide assistance to the children of Palestine. We appeal to Arab countries to provide concrete assistance to Palestinian children to help them rebuild and rehabilitate their schools.
We hope that the international community will pressure the Israeli army and settlers to stop killing children and unarmed civilians and attacking their homes and schools, and to withdraw to the June 1967 borders. We hope, as well, that it will support the steadfastness of the Palestinians on their land and to establish an independent state. We will do our utmost to keep schools open and the educational process going on. We have looked into alternative plans to reorganize schools and protect children in case the situation moves towards further escalation or deterioration. Ramallah, 25 October 2000
Democracy and Workers Rights Center
A Deaf World; War Crimes are committed by the Occupation state of Israel against Children, Women and the Elderly Palestinian People.
In the City center of Hebron, there are 400 extremist and criminal settlers living and imposing themselves among 100,000 Arab residents. At10:00 p.m. on Monday dated October 23rd, 2000, The Israeli Occupation soldiers, who are supporting these settlers, started shooting with their machine guns (500 mm) to kill The Palestinian citizen Abdul Aziz Mahmmoud Taha Abu Snaineh (aged approx. 60 years).
The wife of the deceased said: "I had a strange feeling during my stay in Jordan, so I came back home immediately to be with my husband, their bullets distorted his face". The martyr's daughter, Amal added by saying, "As the shooting started and penetrated through the walls of the house, the telephone was ringing so I went to answer the call, meanwhile my father asked us to go to the kitchen and we did. The phone continued ringing, we thought that my father would answer it. I went to the living room and found my father in a pool of blood, his skull was crushed and his brain was scattered all over the place. I hugged him and started screaming. My brother had a nervous breakdown and both were taken to hospital. I will never forget what happened, and wish to have the ability to shout for ever"
Furthermore, The intensive shooting and heavy shelling of various types of weapons on the houses near the settlement quarter at the city center of Hebron and the houses in Beit Jala nearby Gilo settlement is aiming at evacuating the Palestinian citizens from their houses. The late events were only a chine of criminal attacks and provocations by the Israeli settlers against the Palestinian residents.
Accordingly, the Democracy and Workers' Rights Center perceives the mechanism for putting an end to these crimes is by securing an International protection of the Palestinian people. Moreover, we call upon all supporters of peace and justice to provide us with International protection, which is urgently needed.