3 apr 2016
Israeli fanatics stormed on Sunday morning the holy al-Aqsa Mosque under a tight security shield.
Eyewitnesses said Israeli fanatics, escorted by armed officers, performed rituals and chanted racist slogans. The peaceful Muslim worshipers kept chanting “Allah is the Greatest” in protest at the assault.
The Israeli occupation police have reportedly banned Muslim women from entering the Mosque to perform their religious prayers.
Eyewitnesses said Israeli fanatics, escorted by armed officers, performed rituals and chanted racist slogans. The peaceful Muslim worshipers kept chanting “Allah is the Greatest” in protest at the assault.
The Israeli occupation police have reportedly banned Muslim women from entering the Mosque to perform their religious prayers.
The radical right-wing activist's family are planning to appeal the decision at the High Court of Justice; his wife refuses to have the ceremony in jail.
Administrative detainee Meir Ettinger will not be allowed to leave detention to attend the ritual circumcision of his first-born son, the Be'er Sheva District Court decided Sunday.
Administrative detainee Meir Ettinger will not be allowed to leave detention to attend the ritual circumcision of his first-born son, the Be'er Sheva District Court decided Sunday.
Ettinger's wife Moriya said she was not willing to hold the circumcision ceremony at the jail, adding they are planning on appealing the decision at the High Court of Justice.
"Meir hasn't seen the baby since he was born," Moriya Ettinger said. "It's very difficult."
The Ettinger family was looking into the possibility of holding the circumcision ceremony close to the Eshel Prison where Meir is imprisoned or in Be'er Sheva, in an effort to make the Israel Prison Service's security arrangement easier.
Another option being considered is holding the event at Kfar Chabad or in Jerusalem, where more family and friends could be invited.
Judge Israel Pablo Akselrad noted in his ruling that there is a risk to releasing Ettinger, the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane, for the ritual circumcision, and in the meeting with his family and friends.
Honenu attorney Sima Kochav, who represents Ettinger, said the family was willing to have his participation in the event done according to the conditions set by the IPS.
"We feel that those entrusted with approving the request were not acting with integrity," she said. "Ettinger is being persecuted by authorities and he's not even a criminal prisoner, but an administrative one. Dangerous criminal prisoners go on furlough while Meir Ettinger sits behind bars solely because of his ideological views and not because he poses a specific risk. There's no reason to prevent him from attending the circumcision ceremony."
Ettinger is on administrative detention following an investigation by the Shin Bet's Jewish Division, which claims that he was the main force behind the hilltop youth's "price tag" activities against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Ettinger's initial administrative detention order issued against him was for six months, following which it was extended two months ago by four additional months.
Ettinger allegedly heads a cell that planned to carry out a series of violent acts against Palestinians as part of what he called "the rebellion". According to his view, unrest must be fostered among the Palestinians in order to bring about the overthrow of the regime in Israel, thus creating anarchy. Israeli regime in Israel and anarchy. "Ideological foundations of Zionism are built for a country like all the nations and the kingdom of Israel ... much cheaper and faster to destroy it and rebuild than to renovate it."
"The meaning of bringing down the state is toppling the structure of the state and its ability to rule, and to build a new institution," wrote Ettinger in a document outlining his plan.
"To this end, we must work outside of the rules of the institution we want to bring down."
"Meir hasn't seen the baby since he was born," Moriya Ettinger said. "It's very difficult."
The Ettinger family was looking into the possibility of holding the circumcision ceremony close to the Eshel Prison where Meir is imprisoned or in Be'er Sheva, in an effort to make the Israel Prison Service's security arrangement easier.
Another option being considered is holding the event at Kfar Chabad or in Jerusalem, where more family and friends could be invited.
Judge Israel Pablo Akselrad noted in his ruling that there is a risk to releasing Ettinger, the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane, for the ritual circumcision, and in the meeting with his family and friends.
Honenu attorney Sima Kochav, who represents Ettinger, said the family was willing to have his participation in the event done according to the conditions set by the IPS.
"We feel that those entrusted with approving the request were not acting with integrity," she said. "Ettinger is being persecuted by authorities and he's not even a criminal prisoner, but an administrative one. Dangerous criminal prisoners go on furlough while Meir Ettinger sits behind bars solely because of his ideological views and not because he poses a specific risk. There's no reason to prevent him from attending the circumcision ceremony."
Ettinger is on administrative detention following an investigation by the Shin Bet's Jewish Division, which claims that he was the main force behind the hilltop youth's "price tag" activities against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Ettinger's initial administrative detention order issued against him was for six months, following which it was extended two months ago by four additional months.
Ettinger allegedly heads a cell that planned to carry out a series of violent acts against Palestinians as part of what he called "the rebellion". According to his view, unrest must be fostered among the Palestinians in order to bring about the overthrow of the regime in Israel, thus creating anarchy. Israeli regime in Israel and anarchy. "Ideological foundations of Zionism are built for a country like all the nations and the kingdom of Israel ... much cheaper and faster to destroy it and rebuild than to renovate it."
"The meaning of bringing down the state is toppling the structure of the state and its ability to rule, and to build a new institution," wrote Ettinger in a document outlining his plan.
"To this end, we must work outside of the rules of the institution we want to bring down."
2 apr 2016
While trying to report on weekly protest in Nabi Saleh, Palestinian journalist is interrupted by Israeli youth singing 'El El Israel' and making faces at the camera.
A video of an Israeli settler interrupting the report of a Palestinian journalist went viral on Palestinian social media over the weekend.
The reporter, from a small TV station called Roya TV, was in Nabi Saleh on Friday to cover the weekly protest.
During her report, a young Israeli wearing a kippah walked into the frame and started interrupting her, making faces at the camera and chanting "El, el, Israel."
Later, the young man pointed to the writing on his shirt and told the reporter in Hebrew: "Read this, the Samaria is the state's Iron Dome."
The reporter responded by telling her viewers: "This is actual proof of the filth of settlers and their illegal presence on Palestinian land."
The video went viral on social media over the past 24 hours and received thousands of shares, with some calling the interrupting Israeli names.
Israeli youth clashed with media teams who came to cover the protest on Friday. Among other things, the Israelis were documented snatching a camera from one of the cameramen and blocking a reporter who was trying to reach her vehicle.
A video of an Israeli settler interrupting the report of a Palestinian journalist went viral on Palestinian social media over the weekend.
The reporter, from a small TV station called Roya TV, was in Nabi Saleh on Friday to cover the weekly protest.
During her report, a young Israeli wearing a kippah walked into the frame and started interrupting her, making faces at the camera and chanting "El, el, Israel."
Later, the young man pointed to the writing on his shirt and told the reporter in Hebrew: "Read this, the Samaria is the state's Iron Dome."
The reporter responded by telling her viewers: "This is actual proof of the filth of settlers and their illegal presence on Palestinian land."
The video went viral on social media over the past 24 hours and received thousands of shares, with some calling the interrupting Israeli names.
Israeli youth clashed with media teams who came to cover the protest on Friday. Among other things, the Israelis were documented snatching a camera from one of the cameramen and blocking a reporter who was trying to reach her vehicle.
Union Temple organizations announced its intention to provide what is called the "Passover Qorbanot" inside al-Aqsa Mosque, on April 22nd.
The Hebrew Passover holiday is on the twenty-third of the same month. Head of the union of the (alleged) temple organizations (consisting of 29 organizations) lawyer Aviad Vesely called on the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to work with his ministers and the Israeli institutions to provide the atmosphere and arrangements needed to organize this celebration inside al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to the letter, the extremist organizations are seeking to organize the ritual of providing Passover offerings in al-Aqsa Mosque in the area south east of the Dome of the Rock mosque. Wesley said in his letter that the Israeli government has to preserve and carry out what he called "religious rights of Jews" in al-Aqsa Mosque, "including the establishment of this important Jewish ritual."
He added that providing Passover offerings in the al-Aqsa Mosque can be achieved this year in particular, noting that the Union Temple organizations had completed the final touches and preparations for that occasion.
In the same context, the alleged temple organizations revealed that they are gearing up and preparing for "distinctive" mass break-ins this year into al-Aqsa Mosque, on the occasion of Hebrew Passover holiday, especially in the period 24th to 28th of this April (almost a full week).
It invited volunteers and tour guides to perform certain duties and to finalize the arrangements, including the distribution of leaflets, posters and gifts that support and call for incursions during the Hebrew Passover.
For its part, Women for the Temple Organization declared that it will be organizing a special tour for children groups during which there will be celebrations for them at al-Aqsa Mosque, on Thursday, April 14, with the aim of " involving children in rescuing the alleged Temple", as said in the declaration.
The Hebrew Passover holiday is on the twenty-third of the same month. Head of the union of the (alleged) temple organizations (consisting of 29 organizations) lawyer Aviad Vesely called on the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to work with his ministers and the Israeli institutions to provide the atmosphere and arrangements needed to organize this celebration inside al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to the letter, the extremist organizations are seeking to organize the ritual of providing Passover offerings in al-Aqsa Mosque in the area south east of the Dome of the Rock mosque. Wesley said in his letter that the Israeli government has to preserve and carry out what he called "religious rights of Jews" in al-Aqsa Mosque, "including the establishment of this important Jewish ritual."
He added that providing Passover offerings in the al-Aqsa Mosque can be achieved this year in particular, noting that the Union Temple organizations had completed the final touches and preparations for that occasion.
In the same context, the alleged temple organizations revealed that they are gearing up and preparing for "distinctive" mass break-ins this year into al-Aqsa Mosque, on the occasion of Hebrew Passover holiday, especially in the period 24th to 28th of this April (almost a full week).
It invited volunteers and tour guides to perform certain duties and to finalize the arrangements, including the distribution of leaflets, posters and gifts that support and call for incursions during the Hebrew Passover.
For its part, Women for the Temple Organization declared that it will be organizing a special tour for children groups during which there will be celebrations for them at al-Aqsa Mosque, on Thursday, April 14, with the aim of " involving children in rescuing the alleged Temple", as said in the declaration.
31 mar 2016
The Israeli magistrate court of Jerusalem on Thursday indicted two Israelis who issued death threats against Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset Ahmad Tibi.
The indictment list issued on Thursday said that the two threatened Tibi, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, via Facebook posts in 2012 that read "you better run before you are killed" and "your end is near."
The lawyer of one of the Israelis said his client would prove in court that her statement did not constitute a criminal offense and that she had the right to express her opinion.
Ahmad Mhanna, a lawyer and Tibi’s parliamentary assistant, said "the mentioned threats, in addition to dozens of threats by extremists Jews against MK Tibi whether by mail or social media, reflect hostility and hatred against Arabs and Tibi, who is defending his people everywhere."
"We take these threats seriously, but that does not scare Dr. Tibi and he does not change his principles," he added.
Israeli public opinion has veered sharply to the right in recent years, with Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli leftists increasingly finding themselves the targets of hostility.
MKs Hanin Zoabi, Basel Ghattas, and Jamal Zahalqa -- who, like Tibi, are members of the Arab Joint List -- were suspended from their duties in February after they visited the families of Palestinians who were killed after attacking Israelis.
On Monday, the Knesset passed the first reading of a bill that would allow MKs to expel lawmakers, in what has been roundly condemned as a political campaign launched against the parliament's Palestinian members.
The bill -- an amendment to an existing law -- could see an MK suspended for "negating" the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incitement to racism, or supporting an armed struggle against Israel, according to the Association for Civil Rights (ACRI) in Israel.
The indictment list issued on Thursday said that the two threatened Tibi, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, via Facebook posts in 2012 that read "you better run before you are killed" and "your end is near."
The lawyer of one of the Israelis said his client would prove in court that her statement did not constitute a criminal offense and that she had the right to express her opinion.
Ahmad Mhanna, a lawyer and Tibi’s parliamentary assistant, said "the mentioned threats, in addition to dozens of threats by extremists Jews against MK Tibi whether by mail or social media, reflect hostility and hatred against Arabs and Tibi, who is defending his people everywhere."
"We take these threats seriously, but that does not scare Dr. Tibi and he does not change his principles," he added.
Israeli public opinion has veered sharply to the right in recent years, with Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli leftists increasingly finding themselves the targets of hostility.
MKs Hanin Zoabi, Basel Ghattas, and Jamal Zahalqa -- who, like Tibi, are members of the Arab Joint List -- were suspended from their duties in February after they visited the families of Palestinians who were killed after attacking Israelis.
On Monday, the Knesset passed the first reading of a bill that would allow MKs to expel lawmakers, in what has been roundly condemned as a political campaign launched against the parliament's Palestinian members.
The bill -- an amendment to an existing law -- could see an MK suspended for "negating" the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, incitement to racism, or supporting an armed struggle against Israel, according to the Association for Civil Rights (ACRI) in Israel.
Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed Thursday afternoon Tanach town west of Jenin and performed provocative Talmudic rituals.
Local sources affirmed to the PIC news reporter that an Israeli bus carrying dozens of settlers stormed archaeological sites in the town amid heavy military protection.
Israeli forces erected a military checkpoint at the entrance to town and prevented Palestinian vehicles’ movement to pave the way for the Israeli bus.
Meanwhile, a group of Israeli settlers stormed earlier Thursday the evacuated settlement of Kadim amid heavy security protection. The settlers roamed the evacuated settlement chanting religious slogans.
During their tour, the settlers chanted racist slurs against the Palestinians, singing and behaving provocatively. Kadim settlement was established on Palestinian land near Jenin in 1983 before being evacuated in 2005 as part of Ariel Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal plan.
Local sources affirmed to the PIC news reporter that an Israeli bus carrying dozens of settlers stormed archaeological sites in the town amid heavy military protection.
Israeli forces erected a military checkpoint at the entrance to town and prevented Palestinian vehicles’ movement to pave the way for the Israeli bus.
Meanwhile, a group of Israeli settlers stormed earlier Thursday the evacuated settlement of Kadim amid heavy security protection. The settlers roamed the evacuated settlement chanting religious slogans.
During their tour, the settlers chanted racist slurs against the Palestinians, singing and behaving provocatively. Kadim settlement was established on Palestinian land near Jenin in 1983 before being evacuated in 2005 as part of Ariel Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal plan.
The Local Planning and Construction committee at Jerusalem municipality endorsed on Wednesday the construction of 18 settlement units for Jewish families in Mount Scopus in Occupied Jerusalem.
The website of Voice of Israel reported that the settlement project plan will be submitted to the district committee of planning and construction in Occupied Jerusalem.
The website quoted municipality of Jerusalem officials as saying that the construction plan, which includes new additional housing units, was presented by the Israeli right-wing Elad society.
The website of Voice of Israel reported that the settlement project plan will be submitted to the district committee of planning and construction in Occupied Jerusalem.
The website quoted municipality of Jerusalem officials as saying that the construction plan, which includes new additional housing units, was presented by the Israeli right-wing Elad society.
28 mar 2016
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Baruch Marzel’s presence at the site of last week's extrajudicial killing in Hebron is indicative of Israel's collusion with radical settlers.
On Thursday, Israeli human rights group B’tselem released a video of an Israeli soldier shooting Abed al-Fattah Yusri al-Sharif in the head, as he was laying wounded and motionless on the ground in Hebron. At the scene, a second Palestinian, Ramziz Aziz al-Qasrawi, quickly dies from a gunshot wound, having been offered no medical care. Following the extrajudicial executions, the soldier who shot Sharif shakes hands with Hebron settler and right-wing Jewish nationalist Baruch Marzel |
Elor Azraya asked permission from his commanding officer to “finish off” the wounded Palestinian
as Sharif’s body is removed from the scene.
Haaretz described the interaction between the two:
The soldier is then seen approaching a rescue worker and briefly speaking with him. Marzel approaches the two, and is seen shaking hands with the soldier who shot Sharif, who in turn pats him on the arm. In other photos taken by foreign press agencies, the soldier is seen smiling alongside Marzel.
Palestinian and Israeli news outlets have identified Marzel as an Israeli far-right extremist, activist, and ultra-nationalist. Indeed, Marzel, a longtime Hebron settler, is a ardent follower of Meir Kahane, who advocated for the forced transfer of Palestinians from all of “Israel,” along with all others who question uncompromised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territories. Kahane believed in using violence to defend and forward this agenda; his followers, including Marzel (and now the soldier in question), are known to violently attack Palestinians in hopes of initiating the transfer process themselves.
Marzel’s presence at the site of the extrajudicial killings is representative of the affect radical Israeli settlers have in Palestinian areas: concern over their bodies elicits the presence of Israeli state forces. As Minister of Agriculture Ariel Sharon once said, it would be impossible to establish settlements in isolated areas of the West Bank without “people who were willing to live on those barren hills and ridges amidst a hostile local population.”
However, Marzel and his community could not live in Hebron in such violent opposition to the Palestinian population without the strong support of the Israeli government. Israeli support for Hebron settlers today looks like approximately 4,000 Israeli soldiers instituting a brutal military regime on over 200,000 Palestinians to protect around 500 settlers in the heart of Hebron. Israel’s Ministry of Housing also continues to fund settlement expansion in Hebron’s downtown.
Israel goes through the trouble of protecting these provocative settlers because their messianic vision of establishing a Jewish Hebron and “Greater Israel” aligns with the Israeli government’s somewhat rather goal: laying claim to the occupied territories and its resources. After all, Israel’s support for Hebron settlers began immediately after it occupied the city in 1967. Settlers moving to Hebron were seen by Israel as a way to prevent Palestinian expansion into areas coveted by Israel for future annexation and resource exploitation.
In this sense, Marzel’s presence at the site of Thursday’s extrajudicial killing and his extension of his hand to a murderer is no coincidence; Israel capitalizes on his presence, and the presence of other settlers, to expand the Israeli occupation into Palestinian territory. In turn, they protect and empower Marzel to lord over a population he aims to have violently transferred. Nevertheless, despite Marzel’s deplorable participation in and celebration of this system, it is the Israeli government alone that has the resources and power to maintain the occupation of Palestine.
Since the popular uprising began in October 2015, Israeli forces have killed at least 61 Palestinians in Hebron alone, and 206 Palestinians overall. Palestinians have killed approximately 29 Israelis over the same period.
New Video Shows Soldier Shaking Hands With Far-right Activist After Shooting Subdued Palestinian Attacker
Soldier can be seen smiling alongside Baruch Marzel, the former leader of the outlawed Kach group, while the body of the assailant is removed from the scene of the attack.
The soldier who shot a Palestinian attacker while he was wounded in Hebron on Thursday was recorded shaking hands with far-right activist Baruch Marzel while the body of the assailant was removed from the scene.
The video, which was also recorded by a B'Teselem fieldworker, shows the soldier, whose name remains under a court-issued gag order, walking behind his company commander as the two walk away from the body of Abed al-Fattah al-Sharif, as other soldiers were covering it and lifting it on to a stretcher.
The soldier is then seen approaching a rescue worker and briefly speaking with him. Marzel approaches the two, and is seen shaking hands with the soldier who shot Sharif, who in turn pats him on the arm. In other photos taken by foreign press agencies, the soldier is seen smiling alongside Marzel. The documentation of their encounter lasts only dozens of seconds, as the video continues and focuses on the removal of the bodies of the assailant and his accomplice from the scene.
A media adviser to the family of the soldier responded to the report. "We’re not commenting on rumors of any kind that are meant to continue to tarnish the image of an outstanding IDF fighter. We regret that Haaretz is lending a hand to meaningless gossip that has no operational link to the incident."
"If I had known that he was that one who killed the terrorist I would have also kissed and hugged him," Marzel said after the video was published. "Anyone who kills a terrorist deserves a medal.
"I love all of the soldiers and [I] shake hands to all of the soldiers and have no intention to apologize for it… I was not previously acquitted with the soldier, but I love all soldiers and appreciate them," Marzel added. "[Peace Now head Yariv] Oppenheimer and Breaking the Silence are fighting the soldiers, I strengthen them. Choose which side you are on."
Boston-born Marzel, a disciple of Rabbi Meir Kahane, was the latter's successor as leader of the Kach movement, which Israel outlawed in 1994 after Kach supporter Baruch Goldstein shot and killed 29 Muslim worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Marzel was convicted in 1996 of assaulting soldiers who were trying to arrest a settler. The judge deplored Marzel's ideology of contempt for the law, but didn't sentence him to prison.
Additional videos published by B'Tselem on Sunday show the soldiers a short time after the attack, looking at ease and walking around near Sharif's body. At one point one of the soldiers can even be seen tying his shoelaces near the body.
The soldier claimed in his military police investigation that he shot Sharif because he feared for his life. He also said during the investigation "I carried out the shooting while the terrorist was alive. I did so because I felt in mortal danger." His attorney, Ilan Katz, said during a hearing last Friday at the Jaffa Military Court that the shooting was carried out in accordance with the military's open-fire procedures.
On Sunday, Army Radio reported that the military investigation found that the soldier told one of his friends that the "terrorist needs to die" for stabbing another soldier. Despite the latter's efforts to calm him down, the soldier then shot the Palestinian. Attorney Katz denied this statement, but declined to comment on further details.
It has been clarified to the soldier in his investigation that he is suspected of murder. Operational Affairs Attorney Lt. Col. Adoram Riegler said during the hearing that it constitutes "suspicion of very grave offenses." Court justice Lt. Col. Ronen Schur determined that the investigation material "indicates a reasonable suspicion that the suspect fired unlawfully under the circumstances, and that this shooting might have led to the death of the terrorist, who at the time remained lying on the ground after he was shot earlier."
A poll published by Channel 2 News on Saturday showed that most of the public (57 percent) believed that there was no need to detain and investigate the soldier, compared to 32 percent who supported it. Forty-two percent of respondents defined the soldier's behavior as "responsible," 24 percent believed that it was a natural reaction to a stressful situation, 19 percent said it constituted a deviation from orders and 5 percent defined the shooting of the wounded assailant as murder – the offense the soldier is suspected of. More than two-thirds of the respondents had reservations about IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's decisive statements against the shooting, while 21 percent sided with them.
The mother of the soldier suspected of the murder wrote to Ya'alon on Sunday. "I am the mother of the soldier that you sent on a mission to protect the country's citizens and you have abandoned him. A mother who sent her son to protect the country and its citizens, and the establishment reciprocates by firing back and silencing his voice. I am the mother of the 19-year-old boy who is standing alone in front of the political and military leadership and can’t take it on."
"Bring us the boy back, bring us our lives back. Remember and don’t forget that you stood in my son's place, only in the room of Abu Jihad, and confirmed the kill of a despicable terrorist and murderer," she wrote, referring to Ya'alon's part in the 1988 assassination of a senior Fatah leader. "On Thursday my son also stood against a murderous terrorist, but the tables have turned and the terrorist who came to murder became a Righteous among the Nations and my son became the murderer. Have we gone crazy?!"
as Sharif’s body is removed from the scene.
Haaretz described the interaction between the two:
The soldier is then seen approaching a rescue worker and briefly speaking with him. Marzel approaches the two, and is seen shaking hands with the soldier who shot Sharif, who in turn pats him on the arm. In other photos taken by foreign press agencies, the soldier is seen smiling alongside Marzel.
Palestinian and Israeli news outlets have identified Marzel as an Israeli far-right extremist, activist, and ultra-nationalist. Indeed, Marzel, a longtime Hebron settler, is a ardent follower of Meir Kahane, who advocated for the forced transfer of Palestinians from all of “Israel,” along with all others who question uncompromised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territories. Kahane believed in using violence to defend and forward this agenda; his followers, including Marzel (and now the soldier in question), are known to violently attack Palestinians in hopes of initiating the transfer process themselves.
Marzel’s presence at the site of the extrajudicial killings is representative of the affect radical Israeli settlers have in Palestinian areas: concern over their bodies elicits the presence of Israeli state forces. As Minister of Agriculture Ariel Sharon once said, it would be impossible to establish settlements in isolated areas of the West Bank without “people who were willing to live on those barren hills and ridges amidst a hostile local population.”
However, Marzel and his community could not live in Hebron in such violent opposition to the Palestinian population without the strong support of the Israeli government. Israeli support for Hebron settlers today looks like approximately 4,000 Israeli soldiers instituting a brutal military regime on over 200,000 Palestinians to protect around 500 settlers in the heart of Hebron. Israel’s Ministry of Housing also continues to fund settlement expansion in Hebron’s downtown.
Israel goes through the trouble of protecting these provocative settlers because their messianic vision of establishing a Jewish Hebron and “Greater Israel” aligns with the Israeli government’s somewhat rather goal: laying claim to the occupied territories and its resources. After all, Israel’s support for Hebron settlers began immediately after it occupied the city in 1967. Settlers moving to Hebron were seen by Israel as a way to prevent Palestinian expansion into areas coveted by Israel for future annexation and resource exploitation.
In this sense, Marzel’s presence at the site of Thursday’s extrajudicial killing and his extension of his hand to a murderer is no coincidence; Israel capitalizes on his presence, and the presence of other settlers, to expand the Israeli occupation into Palestinian territory. In turn, they protect and empower Marzel to lord over a population he aims to have violently transferred. Nevertheless, despite Marzel’s deplorable participation in and celebration of this system, it is the Israeli government alone that has the resources and power to maintain the occupation of Palestine.
Since the popular uprising began in October 2015, Israeli forces have killed at least 61 Palestinians in Hebron alone, and 206 Palestinians overall. Palestinians have killed approximately 29 Israelis over the same period.
New Video Shows Soldier Shaking Hands With Far-right Activist After Shooting Subdued Palestinian Attacker
Soldier can be seen smiling alongside Baruch Marzel, the former leader of the outlawed Kach group, while the body of the assailant is removed from the scene of the attack.
The soldier who shot a Palestinian attacker while he was wounded in Hebron on Thursday was recorded shaking hands with far-right activist Baruch Marzel while the body of the assailant was removed from the scene.
The video, which was also recorded by a B'Teselem fieldworker, shows the soldier, whose name remains under a court-issued gag order, walking behind his company commander as the two walk away from the body of Abed al-Fattah al-Sharif, as other soldiers were covering it and lifting it on to a stretcher.
The soldier is then seen approaching a rescue worker and briefly speaking with him. Marzel approaches the two, and is seen shaking hands with the soldier who shot Sharif, who in turn pats him on the arm. In other photos taken by foreign press agencies, the soldier is seen smiling alongside Marzel. The documentation of their encounter lasts only dozens of seconds, as the video continues and focuses on the removal of the bodies of the assailant and his accomplice from the scene.
A media adviser to the family of the soldier responded to the report. "We’re not commenting on rumors of any kind that are meant to continue to tarnish the image of an outstanding IDF fighter. We regret that Haaretz is lending a hand to meaningless gossip that has no operational link to the incident."
"If I had known that he was that one who killed the terrorist I would have also kissed and hugged him," Marzel said after the video was published. "Anyone who kills a terrorist deserves a medal.
"I love all of the soldiers and [I] shake hands to all of the soldiers and have no intention to apologize for it… I was not previously acquitted with the soldier, but I love all soldiers and appreciate them," Marzel added. "[Peace Now head Yariv] Oppenheimer and Breaking the Silence are fighting the soldiers, I strengthen them. Choose which side you are on."
Boston-born Marzel, a disciple of Rabbi Meir Kahane, was the latter's successor as leader of the Kach movement, which Israel outlawed in 1994 after Kach supporter Baruch Goldstein shot and killed 29 Muslim worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Marzel was convicted in 1996 of assaulting soldiers who were trying to arrest a settler. The judge deplored Marzel's ideology of contempt for the law, but didn't sentence him to prison.
Additional videos published by B'Tselem on Sunday show the soldiers a short time after the attack, looking at ease and walking around near Sharif's body. At one point one of the soldiers can even be seen tying his shoelaces near the body.
The soldier claimed in his military police investigation that he shot Sharif because he feared for his life. He also said during the investigation "I carried out the shooting while the terrorist was alive. I did so because I felt in mortal danger." His attorney, Ilan Katz, said during a hearing last Friday at the Jaffa Military Court that the shooting was carried out in accordance with the military's open-fire procedures.
On Sunday, Army Radio reported that the military investigation found that the soldier told one of his friends that the "terrorist needs to die" for stabbing another soldier. Despite the latter's efforts to calm him down, the soldier then shot the Palestinian. Attorney Katz denied this statement, but declined to comment on further details.
It has been clarified to the soldier in his investigation that he is suspected of murder. Operational Affairs Attorney Lt. Col. Adoram Riegler said during the hearing that it constitutes "suspicion of very grave offenses." Court justice Lt. Col. Ronen Schur determined that the investigation material "indicates a reasonable suspicion that the suspect fired unlawfully under the circumstances, and that this shooting might have led to the death of the terrorist, who at the time remained lying on the ground after he was shot earlier."
A poll published by Channel 2 News on Saturday showed that most of the public (57 percent) believed that there was no need to detain and investigate the soldier, compared to 32 percent who supported it. Forty-two percent of respondents defined the soldier's behavior as "responsible," 24 percent believed that it was a natural reaction to a stressful situation, 19 percent said it constituted a deviation from orders and 5 percent defined the shooting of the wounded assailant as murder – the offense the soldier is suspected of. More than two-thirds of the respondents had reservations about IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's decisive statements against the shooting, while 21 percent sided with them.
The mother of the soldier suspected of the murder wrote to Ya'alon on Sunday. "I am the mother of the soldier that you sent on a mission to protect the country's citizens and you have abandoned him. A mother who sent her son to protect the country and its citizens, and the establishment reciprocates by firing back and silencing his voice. I am the mother of the 19-year-old boy who is standing alone in front of the political and military leadership and can’t take it on."
"Bring us the boy back, bring us our lives back. Remember and don’t forget that you stood in my son's place, only in the room of Abu Jihad, and confirmed the kill of a despicable terrorist and murderer," she wrote, referring to Ya'alon's part in the 1988 assassination of a senior Fatah leader. "On Thursday my son also stood against a murderous terrorist, but the tables have turned and the terrorist who came to murder became a Righteous among the Nations and my son became the murderer. Have we gone crazy?!"
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) closed Sunday evening the bypass road south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus after a group of settlers attacked Palestinian passing-by vehicles.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that a group of settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones near Yitzhar illegal settlement. Windows of the attacked cars were smashed during the settlers’ attack.
Palestinian vehicles were forced to take long alternative routes. Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinians and their properties, referred to as “price tag” attacks, are common in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem and are rarely investigated or prosecuted by Israel.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that a group of settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles with stones near Yitzhar illegal settlement. Windows of the attacked cars were smashed during the settlers’ attack.
Palestinian vehicles were forced to take long alternative routes. Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinians and their properties, referred to as “price tag” attacks, are common in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem and are rarely investigated or prosecuted by Israel.
A Palestinian boy sustained moderate wounds on Monday when he was hit by a vehicle allegedly driven by an Israeli settler near the village of Zif in the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron.
Palestinian medical sources told Ma’an that a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance evacuated Ibrahim Hasan Mahmoud al-Hireini, 6, to a hospital in Hebron for treatment.
Locals said the boy was trying to cross the Israeli bypass road to his home when he was hit.
The driver reportedly did not flee the scene, although Israeli police were not immediately available for comment.
Israeli settler runs over Palestinian child in al-Khalil
An Israeli settler deliberately ran over a 6-year-old Palestinian child Monday afternoon while on his way back home south of al-Khalil, the PIC news reporter said.
The child Ibrahim al-Hreinna, 6, suffered different injuries all over his body in an Israeli hit-and-run attack while on his way back home from school. Ambulance crews immediately rushed to the area and transferred the injured child to hospital.
Hit-and-run attacks and other hate crimes by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, referred to as “price tag” attacks, are common in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, and are rarely investigated or prosecuted by Israel.
Palestinian medical sources told Ma’an that a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance evacuated Ibrahim Hasan Mahmoud al-Hireini, 6, to a hospital in Hebron for treatment.
Locals said the boy was trying to cross the Israeli bypass road to his home when he was hit.
The driver reportedly did not flee the scene, although Israeli police were not immediately available for comment.
Israeli settler runs over Palestinian child in al-Khalil
An Israeli settler deliberately ran over a 6-year-old Palestinian child Monday afternoon while on his way back home south of al-Khalil, the PIC news reporter said.
The child Ibrahim al-Hreinna, 6, suffered different injuries all over his body in an Israeli hit-and-run attack while on his way back home from school. Ambulance crews immediately rushed to the area and transferred the injured child to hospital.
Hit-and-run attacks and other hate crimes by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, referred to as “price tag” attacks, are common in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, and are rarely investigated or prosecuted by Israel.
Dayan was initially appointed as Israel's ambassador to Brazil, but Brazilian President Rousseff expressed unease at the appointment due to Dayan's settlement ties; PM backtracks in an effort to prevent a diplomatic crisis with an important ally.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed settler leader Dani Dayan as Israel's Consul General in New York, it was announced on Monday.
The former head of the Yesha Council was initially appointed as Israel's ambassador to Brazil, but the Brazilian government has stalled for months on the approval of the appointment.
Dayan will replace Ido Aharoni, a Foreign Ministry official, this coming summer.
"Those who don't want me in Brasilia, will get me in the capital of the world and to me that is a victory," Dayan said on Monday at the Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth's anti-BDS conference. "I believe I can revolutionize Israeli public relations in the US, whose beating heart is in New York."
Dayan, 59, was born in Argentina, and has an MBA in finance. He was chairman of the Yesha Council between 2007-2013 and was called the settlers' "foreign minister" due to his notable public relations skills. He lives in the settlement of Ma'ale Shomron, about 10 kilometers east of Qalqilya.
Dayan coveted the role of the Consul General in New York to begin with, while the prime minister wanted to appoint someone else for the job.
In August, Dayan was announced as Israel's next envoy to Brasilia, but Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff passed on messages to Israel that she was uncomfortable with the appointment because of Dayan's ties to West Bank settlements.
Rousseff's unease came about after 40 well-known organizations in Brazil signed a petition calling on her to decline approving the appointment on the grounds that Dayan's appointment is a violation of international legitimacy and a challenge to the sovereignty of Brazil. Several Brazilian MPs have also joined the protest.
This placed Netanyahu, who also serves as the foreign minister, in a dilemma.
According to diplomatic protocol, when a government appoints an ambassador, it sends his or her name to the host government and asks for its permission (in diplomatic jargon, an "agrément").
A host government's refusal to accept an ambassador is very rare, and usually, in order to avoid a diplomatic incident, it is customary to send hushed messages conveying that it would be better to retract the candidate's appointment so as not to encounter rejection.
But Netanyahu did not want to bring about the anger of the right wing and in order to avoid a diplomatic crisis with Brazil, eventually folded.
Netanyahu sees relations with Brazil as an important strategic goal for Israel. Brazil is the largest country in South America, with a population of 200 million, and it has the seventh largest economy in the world. Israel has made a point of developing trade relations with the international markets in Latin America, particularly with Brazil.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed settler leader Dani Dayan as Israel's Consul General in New York, it was announced on Monday.
The former head of the Yesha Council was initially appointed as Israel's ambassador to Brazil, but the Brazilian government has stalled for months on the approval of the appointment.
Dayan will replace Ido Aharoni, a Foreign Ministry official, this coming summer.
"Those who don't want me in Brasilia, will get me in the capital of the world and to me that is a victory," Dayan said on Monday at the Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth's anti-BDS conference. "I believe I can revolutionize Israeli public relations in the US, whose beating heart is in New York."
Dayan, 59, was born in Argentina, and has an MBA in finance. He was chairman of the Yesha Council between 2007-2013 and was called the settlers' "foreign minister" due to his notable public relations skills. He lives in the settlement of Ma'ale Shomron, about 10 kilometers east of Qalqilya.
Dayan coveted the role of the Consul General in New York to begin with, while the prime minister wanted to appoint someone else for the job.
In August, Dayan was announced as Israel's next envoy to Brasilia, but Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff passed on messages to Israel that she was uncomfortable with the appointment because of Dayan's ties to West Bank settlements.
Rousseff's unease came about after 40 well-known organizations in Brazil signed a petition calling on her to decline approving the appointment on the grounds that Dayan's appointment is a violation of international legitimacy and a challenge to the sovereignty of Brazil. Several Brazilian MPs have also joined the protest.
This placed Netanyahu, who also serves as the foreign minister, in a dilemma.
According to diplomatic protocol, when a government appoints an ambassador, it sends his or her name to the host government and asks for its permission (in diplomatic jargon, an "agrément").
A host government's refusal to accept an ambassador is very rare, and usually, in order to avoid a diplomatic incident, it is customary to send hushed messages conveying that it would be better to retract the candidate's appointment so as not to encounter rejection.
But Netanyahu did not want to bring about the anger of the right wing and in order to avoid a diplomatic crisis with Brazil, eventually folded.
Netanyahu sees relations with Brazil as an important strategic goal for Israel. Brazil is the largest country in South America, with a population of 200 million, and it has the seventh largest economy in the world. Israel has made a point of developing trade relations with the international markets in Latin America, particularly with Brazil.
