2 aug 2015
In wake of Jewish terrorist attack in Duma, gov't authorizes use of administrative detentions, while Justice Ministry team recommends changing classification of 'price tag' perpetrators to 'terrorists'.
The Security Cabinet decided Sunday to adopt recommendations providing law enforcement agencies with new tools to combat Jewish terrorism.
"The Cabinet views the arson and murder in Duma as act of terror in every aspect, and has called on all the relevant authorities to use all necessary measures in order to bring the perpetrators to justice, and prevent similar incidents," a statement issued after the cabinet meeting said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the incident separately, saying that he would take all the necessary steps in order to prevent a similar attack in the future. The Cabinets' adoption of the recommendations will allow the relevant authorities to apply all the necessary steps and tools in order to capture the terrorists, "including the use of administrative detention in appropriate cases, contingent on approval of the attorney general."
The Cabinet decided to push a new counterterrorism bill in the Knesset, which would apply to Jewish terrorists as well, and establish a team of ministers led by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and include Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, to assess and advise the cabinet and government on possible and necessary measures to fight these types of terrorist incidents.
The 'ticking bomb' directive
The recommendations were formulated in a meeting at the Justice Ministry, which included officials from the Shin Bet (including the security agency's Jewish terror division), investigative divisions, and representatives of the organization's legal advisor. The advisory team included officials of the State Attorney's Office, and members of the counter-incitement team.
Among the recommendations made was to change the classification of "price tag" groups, which are currently defined as "unlawful associations." The current classification allows investigators to prevent detainees from conferring with lawyers, and allows courts to issue long-term administrative limitation orders for the suspects. However, the Shin Bet and legal advisor assert that classifying these groups as "terror organizations" will increase the stigma, and thereby intensify the condemnation of their actions.
An additional method brought up during the meetings was increasing the administrative detentions of radical activists, in relevant cases and only after a scrutinized examination of the relevant intelligence by the Shin Bet. The Shin Bet is said to have mapped out a complete database of nearly all the radical activists, including phone recordings and hidden camera photos, as well as information attained by undercover agents operating within the groups.
One of the more controversial tools being evaluated is the use of the "ticking bomb" directive in rare and extreme cases. The directive allows for the use of "moderate physical force" on the subject as a means of interrogation in the wake of a terror attack. According to the current law, and a High Court ruling, the method cannot be used as a preventative means of investigation. The method is prohibited in interrogations of Palestinians suspected of terror activities. However, in a case in which there is a suspicion that the subject knows of an imminent attack by a Jewish terror group, the method is permissible.
Tamar Feldman, the Manager of the Department of Human Rights in the Territories within the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, objects to the cabinet's decision regardless of the origins of the suspect. "We have steadily opposed the use of administrative detention and administrative limitation orders against Israelis and Palestinians," she said.
"We are talking about a power which creates a huge opening for bad decisions and misuse of authority. They allow for denial of liberties without trial, and based on secret evidence, which doesn't allow the suspects the ability to defend themselves, and as such lead to an extreme denial of civil liberties, dignity, and due process. The state has enough tools to act decisively against law breakers in the territories, even without these draconian methods," she continued.
The Security Cabinet decided Sunday to adopt recommendations providing law enforcement agencies with new tools to combat Jewish terrorism.
"The Cabinet views the arson and murder in Duma as act of terror in every aspect, and has called on all the relevant authorities to use all necessary measures in order to bring the perpetrators to justice, and prevent similar incidents," a statement issued after the cabinet meeting said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the incident separately, saying that he would take all the necessary steps in order to prevent a similar attack in the future. The Cabinets' adoption of the recommendations will allow the relevant authorities to apply all the necessary steps and tools in order to capture the terrorists, "including the use of administrative detention in appropriate cases, contingent on approval of the attorney general."
The Cabinet decided to push a new counterterrorism bill in the Knesset, which would apply to Jewish terrorists as well, and establish a team of ministers led by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and include Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, to assess and advise the cabinet and government on possible and necessary measures to fight these types of terrorist incidents.
The 'ticking bomb' directive
The recommendations were formulated in a meeting at the Justice Ministry, which included officials from the Shin Bet (including the security agency's Jewish terror division), investigative divisions, and representatives of the organization's legal advisor. The advisory team included officials of the State Attorney's Office, and members of the counter-incitement team.
Among the recommendations made was to change the classification of "price tag" groups, which are currently defined as "unlawful associations." The current classification allows investigators to prevent detainees from conferring with lawyers, and allows courts to issue long-term administrative limitation orders for the suspects. However, the Shin Bet and legal advisor assert that classifying these groups as "terror organizations" will increase the stigma, and thereby intensify the condemnation of their actions.
An additional method brought up during the meetings was increasing the administrative detentions of radical activists, in relevant cases and only after a scrutinized examination of the relevant intelligence by the Shin Bet. The Shin Bet is said to have mapped out a complete database of nearly all the radical activists, including phone recordings and hidden camera photos, as well as information attained by undercover agents operating within the groups.
One of the more controversial tools being evaluated is the use of the "ticking bomb" directive in rare and extreme cases. The directive allows for the use of "moderate physical force" on the subject as a means of interrogation in the wake of a terror attack. According to the current law, and a High Court ruling, the method cannot be used as a preventative means of investigation. The method is prohibited in interrogations of Palestinians suspected of terror activities. However, in a case in which there is a suspicion that the subject knows of an imminent attack by a Jewish terror group, the method is permissible.
Tamar Feldman, the Manager of the Department of Human Rights in the Territories within the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, objects to the cabinet's decision regardless of the origins of the suspect. "We have steadily opposed the use of administrative detention and administrative limitation orders against Israelis and Palestinians," she said.
"We are talking about a power which creates a huge opening for bad decisions and misuse of authority. They allow for denial of liberties without trial, and based on secret evidence, which doesn't allow the suspects the ability to defend themselves, and as such lead to an extreme denial of civil liberties, dignity, and due process. The state has enough tools to act decisively against law breakers in the territories, even without these draconian methods," she continued.
A Palestinian bus, filled with residents from Hebron, was attacked, Sunday, by Jewish terrorists living in illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank, leading to six injuries.
The Palestinians were heading back home, after their solidarity visit to Douma village, near Ramallah, to provide their condolences, and express their support, to the family of the slain Palestinian infant Ali Dawabsha , 18 months of age, who was burnt to death Israeli extremists attacked their home with firebombs.
Dawabsha was burnt to death, while his four-year-old brother, mother and fathers, suffered serious burns.
The six Palestinians suffered mild injuries, while windows of the bus were shattered in the attack, in addition to other damages.
The bus carried Palestinians from various areas, in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
The Palestinians were heading back home, after their solidarity visit to Douma village, near Ramallah, to provide their condolences, and express their support, to the family of the slain Palestinian infant Ali Dawabsha , 18 months of age, who was burnt to death Israeli extremists attacked their home with firebombs.
Dawabsha was burnt to death, while his four-year-old brother, mother and fathers, suffered serious burns.
The six Palestinians suffered mild injuries, while windows of the bus were shattered in the attack, in addition to other damages.
The bus carried Palestinians from various areas, in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon on Sunday ordered that the Jewish extremists believed to be responsible for the death on Friday of a Palestinian infant be placed in administrative detention. Israel's policy of administrative detention - usually applied to Palestinian prisoners - allows the authorities to hold suspects for renewable periods without trial.
Ali Saeed Dawabsheh, an 18-month-old Palestinian child, was burned to death early Friday when Jewish settlers torched his home in the village of Duma in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Dawabsheh's parents and brother were seriously injured in the attack.
According to Palestinian officials, the attack was carried out by extremist Jewish settlers affiliated with the "Price Tag" movement.
"Price tag" refers to a strategy by which Jewish settlers attack Palestinians and their property in retaliation for perceived threats to Israeli settlement expansion.
Ali Saeed Dawabsheh, an 18-month-old Palestinian child, was burned to death early Friday when Jewish settlers torched his home in the village of Duma in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Dawabsheh's parents and brother were seriously injured in the attack.
According to Palestinian officials, the attack was carried out by extremist Jewish settlers affiliated with the "Price Tag" movement.
"Price tag" refers to a strategy by which Jewish settlers attack Palestinians and their property in retaliation for perceived threats to Israeli settlement expansion.
Rivlin suffers backlash on social media after speaking against the growing incitement in Israeli society and condemning recent attacks perpetrated by Jews.
Police opened an investigation Sunday into death threats against President Reuven Rivlin, who has been suffering severe backlash on social media for a speech he made condemning two recent attacks allegedly perpetrated by Jews.
The president's remarks put him in deep water with many people, who took to social media to express their anger at his comments.
A photoshopped image appeared on social media showing Rivlin wearing a keffiyeh, alongside a photo with the caption "You are not my President."
Rivlin's Facebook page has since become a battleground between his detractors and supporters.
As a result of the complaint filed by the president's office with the Jerusalem police, the police's national cyber unit in Lahav 443 launched an investigation into the threats.
Rivlin received more than 11,000 likes on a status he posted Saturday night in which he wrote, "Flames are spreading in our land, flames of violence, flames of hatred, flames of false, distorted and twisted beliefs." He continued to say, "We must put out the flames, the incitement, before they destroy us all."
Police opened an investigation Sunday into death threats against President Reuven Rivlin, who has been suffering severe backlash on social media for a speech he made condemning two recent attacks allegedly perpetrated by Jews.
The president's remarks put him in deep water with many people, who took to social media to express their anger at his comments.
A photoshopped image appeared on social media showing Rivlin wearing a keffiyeh, alongside a photo with the caption "You are not my President."
Rivlin's Facebook page has since become a battleground between his detractors and supporters.
As a result of the complaint filed by the president's office with the Jerusalem police, the police's national cyber unit in Lahav 443 launched an investigation into the threats.
Rivlin received more than 11,000 likes on a status he posted Saturday night in which he wrote, "Flames are spreading in our land, flames of violence, flames of hatred, flames of false, distorted and twisted beliefs." He continued to say, "We must put out the flames, the incitement, before they destroy us all."
Not everyone agreed with the statement, "You are a terrorist in the government," one user posted in a comment. He later added, "Go live in Gaza." Another poster asserted that, "You are not my president, you are an enemy of Judaism!!!"
Among other comments were: "You are a traitor to your people"; "I wish all of the world's suffering on you"; "Wow Ahmed Rivlin, you make me sick!!"; "You have become a total Arab, huh?"
In the face of the harsh comments, there were many posters who supported Rivlin's message. "I'm proud that you are my president, and ashamed to read these incitements against you," one poster commented.
During Saturday's rally in Jerusalem Rivlin said: "We cannot extinguish the fire through denial. In order to truly extinguish the flames we need to be much more focused and assertive. We must be thorough and clear, starting with the education system, to law enforcement, and all the way up to the leadership of the state, and the nation. We must choke the fire, the incitement, before it catches us."
Rivlin said he visited slain Palestinian baby Ali Dawabsheh's four-year-old brother, hospitalized at Tel HaShomer with burns on 60 percent of his body, and felt "ashamed."
"I was horrified by the power of hate. I was embarrassed that a nation which knew the murders of Shalhevet Pass, the Fogel family, Adele Biton, Eyal, Gil-ad, Naftali, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, there are still those whose hands do not hesitate to light fire to the flesh of a baby, and to increase the hatred and terror."
Among other comments were: "You are a traitor to your people"; "I wish all of the world's suffering on you"; "Wow Ahmed Rivlin, you make me sick!!"; "You have become a total Arab, huh?"
In the face of the harsh comments, there were many posters who supported Rivlin's message. "I'm proud that you are my president, and ashamed to read these incitements against you," one poster commented.
During Saturday's rally in Jerusalem Rivlin said: "We cannot extinguish the fire through denial. In order to truly extinguish the flames we need to be much more focused and assertive. We must be thorough and clear, starting with the education system, to law enforcement, and all the way up to the leadership of the state, and the nation. We must choke the fire, the incitement, before it catches us."
Rivlin said he visited slain Palestinian baby Ali Dawabsheh's four-year-old brother, hospitalized at Tel HaShomer with burns on 60 percent of his body, and felt "ashamed."
"I was horrified by the power of hate. I was embarrassed that a nation which knew the murders of Shalhevet Pass, the Fogel family, Adele Biton, Eyal, Gil-ad, Naftali, Mohammed Abu Khdeir, there are still those whose hands do not hesitate to light fire to the flesh of a baby, and to increase the hatred and terror."
A horde of Israeli settlers at dawn Sunday set fire to dozens of Palestinian olive orchards and cultivated lands in al-Mugheir village, east of Ramallah city, moments after they failed to torch a Palestinian family home.
Eye-witnesses said a gang of Israeli vandals residing in an illegal nearby settlement tried to burn down a Palestinian family home before they were stopped by the local residents.
The Israeli occupation forces showed up at the scene and attacked the Palestinian locals with random spates of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets.
Meanwhile, Palestinian cultivated lands and olive orchards went up in flames after the Israeli vandals sneaked into the Rafid area, in al-Mugheir, and reduced over 50 olive trees to ashes.
In the meantime, three unidentified Palestinian youngsters were heavily beaten by Israeli occupation soldiers and dragged to an unknown location via Israeli ambulances.
A number of Palestinians sustained wounds and others choked on tear gas in the clashes that burst out in the area.
Earlier, on Saturday evening, the woods of the Quds University, in Jerusalem’s town of Abu Dis, burst into flames after Israeli soldiers showered the area with tear gas canisters and stun grenades in an attempt to disband non-violent Palestinian marchers.
Red Crescent and civil defense crews rushed to the area to put out the wild fire.
Eye-witnesses said a gang of Israeli vandals residing in an illegal nearby settlement tried to burn down a Palestinian family home before they were stopped by the local residents.
The Israeli occupation forces showed up at the scene and attacked the Palestinian locals with random spates of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets.
Meanwhile, Palestinian cultivated lands and olive orchards went up in flames after the Israeli vandals sneaked into the Rafid area, in al-Mugheir, and reduced over 50 olive trees to ashes.
In the meantime, three unidentified Palestinian youngsters were heavily beaten by Israeli occupation soldiers and dragged to an unknown location via Israeli ambulances.
A number of Palestinians sustained wounds and others choked on tear gas in the clashes that burst out in the area.
Earlier, on Saturday evening, the woods of the Quds University, in Jerusalem’s town of Abu Dis, burst into flames after Israeli soldiers showered the area with tear gas canisters and stun grenades in an attempt to disband non-violent Palestinian marchers.
Red Crescent and civil defense crews rushed to the area to put out the wild fire.
Four of them were lightly wounded, one moderately and Banki was critically wounded.
Shlissel was captured on the scene and is currently in police custody.
Banki, a high school student, was hospitalized at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem's Ein Karem, and was on respirator and sedated as doctors were fighting for her life. Her family announced that they will donate Shira's organs.
One of the other wounded at the attack is also hospitalized in Ein Karem in light condition. Another in moderate condition is at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Police is looking into a possible connection between Shlissel and a rebbetzin (a rabbi's wife) from Jerusalem, who is a prominent, vocal critic of the pride parade.
Police arrived at the rebbetzin's home on Thursday evening and Saturday evening to detain her, but she collapsed and was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Ynet learned that a year ago, Shlissel turned to the rebbetzin's husband, asking for his help in spreading rabbinical literature, and a connection was indeed made between the two.
Both the rabbi and his wife deny that they had any knowledge of Shlissel's plans, or that they were in any contact with him close to the time of the parade.
Update 9 aug 2015: Video, what happens when a gay couple walk down Jerusalem street?
Shlissel was captured on the scene and is currently in police custody.
Banki, a high school student, was hospitalized at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem's Ein Karem, and was on respirator and sedated as doctors were fighting for her life. Her family announced that they will donate Shira's organs.
One of the other wounded at the attack is also hospitalized in Ein Karem in light condition. Another in moderate condition is at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Police is looking into a possible connection between Shlissel and a rebbetzin (a rabbi's wife) from Jerusalem, who is a prominent, vocal critic of the pride parade.
Police arrived at the rebbetzin's home on Thursday evening and Saturday evening to detain her, but she collapsed and was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Ynet learned that a year ago, Shlissel turned to the rebbetzin's husband, asking for his help in spreading rabbinical literature, and a connection was indeed made between the two.
Both the rabbi and his wife deny that they had any knowledge of Shlissel's plans, or that they were in any contact with him close to the time of the parade.
Update 9 aug 2015: Video, what happens when a gay couple walk down Jerusalem street?
Israeli settlers, Saturday morning, attempted an attack on Palestinian farmers in village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, a local official said.
Dozens of settlers from the illegal Esh Kodesh outpost descended on farmers in their fields between the outpost and Qusra, said Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank.
According to Ma'an News Agency, he said that the attackers intended to scare the farmers and push them to abandon their fields.
Dozens of local men from the village -- members of voluntary local guard committees -- confronted the settlers, Daghlas added.
The settlers and locals clashed and threw stones at one another until the settlers were forced to move back. In June 2014, villagers from Qusra held more than 15 settlers captive after they raided the village and tried to uproot Palestinian olive trees. Shortly after that they were transferred to Israeli military forces via Palestinian liaison officials.
Since 1967, Israel has established over 150 settlements and some 100 outposts in the occupied West Bank, with a settler population of more than 500,000 across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
Outposts like Esh Kodesh are often established by Israeli settlers who set up tents or small mobile homes on private Palestinian land.
Some settlers act without approval to expand settlements or create new ones in the West Bank, building outposts that are illegal even by Israeli government standards.
In many cases, these settlement outposts are "legalized" by Israel, and in rare cases they are dismantled. Such outposts generally receive armed protection by Israeli forces.
Residents living throughout the Nablus district have witnessed a massive spread of outposts and settlements in the area in recent years.
In February, Israeli settlers set up five mobile homes near Palestinian land and close by the Esh Kodesh outpost.
Residents of the Jewish-only Esh-Kodesh outpost regularly harass and attack Palestinians from nearby villages, invading villages or targeting agricultural areas belonging to local farmers.
Many of the attacks are intended to make life difficult for locals in order to force them to leave and allow settlers to expand their settlements.
Settlers living in the Nablus region have become notorious for violent and extremist behavior against local Palestinians that is often carried out in the presence of Israeli military forces and rarely investigated by Israeli authorities.
Also on Saturday, dozens of protesters from the Balata refugee camp in Nablus threw rocks, empty bottles, and Molotov cocktails at Israeli settlers and soldiers at Joseph’s Tomb, sources said.
Local sources said the protest started late evening on Friday and continued early into the morning in response to an arson attack carried out by suspected Israeli settlers that burned a Palestinian 18-month-old boy alive and critically injured three family members in the Doma village near Nablus.
PA security forces deployed at Joseph’s Tomb prevented dozens of youths from setting the tomb on fire. The tomb is site to frequent violence as Israeli forces enable Jewish worshipers to make monthly nocturnal pilgrimages through security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, which guards the site.
Sources said the protesters considered burning Joseph’s Tomb, a holy place for Israelis -- particularly nearby settlers -- as a form of “real response,” to the burning of the 18-month-old, Ali Dawabsha.
The term "Revenge!" was spray painted in Hebrew near the arson victims' home in Douma. The use of graffiti to mark an attack is common among extremist Israeli settlers, who often leave the term "price-tag" left on walls after violent incidents.
Palestinians have responded to the deadly attack across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, leaving several injured and one killed by Israeli forces since the attack was carried out on Friday.
Dozens of settlers from the illegal Esh Kodesh outpost descended on farmers in their fields between the outpost and Qusra, said Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank.
According to Ma'an News Agency, he said that the attackers intended to scare the farmers and push them to abandon their fields.
Dozens of local men from the village -- members of voluntary local guard committees -- confronted the settlers, Daghlas added.
The settlers and locals clashed and threw stones at one another until the settlers were forced to move back. In June 2014, villagers from Qusra held more than 15 settlers captive after they raided the village and tried to uproot Palestinian olive trees. Shortly after that they were transferred to Israeli military forces via Palestinian liaison officials.
Since 1967, Israel has established over 150 settlements and some 100 outposts in the occupied West Bank, with a settler population of more than 500,000 across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
Outposts like Esh Kodesh are often established by Israeli settlers who set up tents or small mobile homes on private Palestinian land.
Some settlers act without approval to expand settlements or create new ones in the West Bank, building outposts that are illegal even by Israeli government standards.
In many cases, these settlement outposts are "legalized" by Israel, and in rare cases they are dismantled. Such outposts generally receive armed protection by Israeli forces.
Residents living throughout the Nablus district have witnessed a massive spread of outposts and settlements in the area in recent years.
In February, Israeli settlers set up five mobile homes near Palestinian land and close by the Esh Kodesh outpost.
Residents of the Jewish-only Esh-Kodesh outpost regularly harass and attack Palestinians from nearby villages, invading villages or targeting agricultural areas belonging to local farmers.
Many of the attacks are intended to make life difficult for locals in order to force them to leave and allow settlers to expand their settlements.
Settlers living in the Nablus region have become notorious for violent and extremist behavior against local Palestinians that is often carried out in the presence of Israeli military forces and rarely investigated by Israeli authorities.
Also on Saturday, dozens of protesters from the Balata refugee camp in Nablus threw rocks, empty bottles, and Molotov cocktails at Israeli settlers and soldiers at Joseph’s Tomb, sources said.
Local sources said the protest started late evening on Friday and continued early into the morning in response to an arson attack carried out by suspected Israeli settlers that burned a Palestinian 18-month-old boy alive and critically injured three family members in the Doma village near Nablus.
PA security forces deployed at Joseph’s Tomb prevented dozens of youths from setting the tomb on fire. The tomb is site to frequent violence as Israeli forces enable Jewish worshipers to make monthly nocturnal pilgrimages through security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority, which guards the site.
Sources said the protesters considered burning Joseph’s Tomb, a holy place for Israelis -- particularly nearby settlers -- as a form of “real response,” to the burning of the 18-month-old, Ali Dawabsha.
The term "Revenge!" was spray painted in Hebrew near the arson victims' home in Douma. The use of graffiti to mark an attack is common among extremist Israeli settlers, who often leave the term "price-tag" left on walls after violent incidents.
Palestinians have responded to the deadly attack across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, leaving several injured and one killed by Israeli forces since the attack was carried out on Friday.
A Palestinian young man on Sunday sustained serious wounds after he was aggressively attacked by three fanatic Israelis on his way back home from dawn prayers at the Grand Mosque in Lod city.
The Palestinians of 48 Website quoted eye-witnesses as reporting that they found the citizen Imad Abu Sharkh lying on the ground and covered in blood. They said his body and head bore signs of heavy beating with sharp objects.
Speaking to the Palestinians of 48 Website, Abu Sharkh said he was brutally attacked by three settlers hiding near his house.
“They thought I breathed my last when I fell over and fled right away. My neighbors rushed me to the hospital while I was bleeding,” the casualty said. “I called the police and kept waiting for an hour’s time but they did not show up.”
The casualty’s daughter said her father’s wounds prove he was subjected to a murder attempt.
She spoke out against the deliberate medical neglect perpetrated by Israeli medics against her father at the Assaf Harofeh hospital, adding that the ambulance showed up at the scene one hour later.
The Palestinians of 48 Website quoted eye-witnesses as reporting that they found the citizen Imad Abu Sharkh lying on the ground and covered in blood. They said his body and head bore signs of heavy beating with sharp objects.
Speaking to the Palestinians of 48 Website, Abu Sharkh said he was brutally attacked by three settlers hiding near his house.
“They thought I breathed my last when I fell over and fled right away. My neighbors rushed me to the hospital while I was bleeding,” the casualty said. “I called the police and kept waiting for an hour’s time but they did not show up.”
The casualty’s daughter said her father’s wounds prove he was subjected to a murder attempt.
She spoke out against the deliberate medical neglect perpetrated by Israeli medics against her father at the Assaf Harofeh hospital, adding that the ambulance showed up at the scene one hour later.
The Council of the European-Palestinian Relations (CEPR) on Saturday launched a parliamentary petition to ban Israeli settlers from entering countries of the European Union.
CEPR called on European MPs to sign the petition and push for the adoption of practical steps against Israeli extremist settlers.
The petition comes as a response to the crimes committed by Israeli fanatic settlers and organizations against the Palestinian people in the presence of the Israeli occupation forces.
Earlier, a couple of days ago, a Palestinian toddler was burned to death and three members of his family sustained serious wounds after Israeli fanatics attacked the family home, in Nablus, with Molotov cocktails.
The Council for European Palestinian Relations is an independent non-profit and non-partisan organization registered in Belgium with an office in London. It works to improve dialogue between Europe and the Arab world with the goal of restoring Palestinian rights according to international law.
CEPR called on European MPs to sign the petition and push for the adoption of practical steps against Israeli extremist settlers.
The petition comes as a response to the crimes committed by Israeli fanatic settlers and organizations against the Palestinian people in the presence of the Israeli occupation forces.
Earlier, a couple of days ago, a Palestinian toddler was burned to death and three members of his family sustained serious wounds after Israeli fanatics attacked the family home, in Nablus, with Molotov cocktails.
The Council for European Palestinian Relations is an independent non-profit and non-partisan organization registered in Belgium with an office in London. It works to improve dialogue between Europe and the Arab world with the goal of restoring Palestinian rights according to international law.
Israeli cops and fanatic settlers stormed Muslims’ holy al-Aqsa Mosque on early Sunday morning, sparking tension around the holy shrine.
Sources from inside al-Aqsa said large numbers of peaceful Muslim worshipers and sit-inners have been maintaining vigil in the Mosque's plazas and the Qibli Mosque since the early morning hours.
Heavily-armed Israeli officers unleashed a barrage of rubber bullets so as to evacuate the Qibli Mosque and pave the way for storming the holy shrine.
Israeli organizations of the alleged temple mount launched calls for stepping up mass break-ins at al-Aqsa on Sunday under the slogan “the return of all Jews to the temple.”
The Israeli police reportedly tightened it grip and sealed off the main entrances to al-Aqsa.
The Israeli cops have also come down heavily on the non-violent female and male Muslim congregations, denying those below 50 years of age the right to enter the Mosque.
Sources from inside al-Aqsa said large numbers of peaceful Muslim worshipers and sit-inners have been maintaining vigil in the Mosque's plazas and the Qibli Mosque since the early morning hours.
Heavily-armed Israeli officers unleashed a barrage of rubber bullets so as to evacuate the Qibli Mosque and pave the way for storming the holy shrine.
Israeli organizations of the alleged temple mount launched calls for stepping up mass break-ins at al-Aqsa on Sunday under the slogan “the return of all Jews to the temple.”
The Israeli police reportedly tightened it grip and sealed off the main entrances to al-Aqsa.
The Israeli cops have also come down heavily on the non-violent female and male Muslim congregations, denying those below 50 years of age the right to enter the Mosque.
Kiryat Yam Mayor David Even Zur with part of the burned vehicle.
Municipality claims attack motivated by hate after David Even Zur condemns stabbing in Jerusalem, arson that killed Palestinian baby.
An explosion rocked Moran Street in Kiryat Yam early Sunday morning when Mayor David Even Zur's vehicle went up in flames, allegedly caused by an improvised explosive device placed under the driver's seat of the car.
Kiryat Yam's municipality claimed the event was nothing less than a hate crime, motivated by Even Zur's Facebook post on Friday condemning the stabbing attack at Jerusalem's gay pride parade by a Haredi individual and the arson attack in the West Bank that killed a Palestinian baby, also allegedly perpetrated by Jews.
The explosion occurred at approximately 3am and set the vehicle on fire. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the flames and said that claims of explosions preceding the fire were under investigation.
Local police also launched an investigation into the incident to test theories that the explosion was intentionally aimed at harming the mayor, and to find the perpetrator.
Even Zur was elected mayor in 2013 after running unopposed and receiving 64.3 percent of the vote.
Municipality claims attack motivated by hate after David Even Zur condemns stabbing in Jerusalem, arson that killed Palestinian baby.
An explosion rocked Moran Street in Kiryat Yam early Sunday morning when Mayor David Even Zur's vehicle went up in flames, allegedly caused by an improvised explosive device placed under the driver's seat of the car.
Kiryat Yam's municipality claimed the event was nothing less than a hate crime, motivated by Even Zur's Facebook post on Friday condemning the stabbing attack at Jerusalem's gay pride parade by a Haredi individual and the arson attack in the West Bank that killed a Palestinian baby, also allegedly perpetrated by Jews.
The explosion occurred at approximately 3am and set the vehicle on fire. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the flames and said that claims of explosions preceding the fire were under investigation.
Local police also launched an investigation into the incident to test theories that the explosion was intentionally aimed at harming the mayor, and to find the perpetrator.
Even Zur was elected mayor in 2013 after running unopposed and receiving 64.3 percent of the vote.
Relatives of 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha who burned alive in an arson attack by Israeli settlers mourn next to his body in the West Bank village of Duma on July 31, 2015
Residents of the Palestinian village of Duma in the occupied West Bank are forming voluntary groups to guard against attacks by Israeli settlers, days after a deadly arson attack left an 18-month-old resident burned alive, locals said Saturday.
The groups -- formed on voluntary participation -- will patrol the village and its outskirts 24 hours a day, seven day a week to prevent further attacks by extremist Jewish settlers, Duma resident Samir Dawabsha told Ma'an.
On Friday, Israeli settlers set two Palestinian homes ablaze in the village outside of Nablus, killing Ali Saad Dawabsha, one-and-a-half years old, and leaving his parents and four-year-old brother in critical condition.
While the Palestinian Authority security services said Saturday it would do everything in its power to crack down on terrorist acts carried out by settlers, the PA has no jurisdiction over Israelis living in the West Bank. Violent acts carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents and few options for their personal security remain.
While Israeli forces will detain a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank for possessing a knife or gun, Israelis living in the same area are legally able to carry such weapons. Samir Dawabsha, also the general director of the Palestinian ministry of local governance in Nablus, urged Palestinians across the occupied territory to prepare plans for self-protection.
“The Palestinian people, no matter where they live, are being targeted by the occupation and its settlers, and citizens should beware of treacherous attacks by settlers, and we will try to prevent repetition of what happened with Dawabsha family.” Samir added that the parents of Ali Saad Dawabsha are still in critical condition but that their four-year-old son Ahmad is beginning to show signs of improvement.
Dawabsha also said the family is planning to take legal procedures against the perpetrators of the “hideous crime. "PA security spokesperson Adnan Dmeiri warned that Israel would deal with the Dawabsha case just as indifferently as they did with other crimes committed by settlers.
Dmeiri pointed to the high numbers of terror attacks carried out by settlers, noting that 23 mosques and a number of churches were torched by settlers in the last two years. “Has the Israeli government handed a single sentence to them? Has the government demolished any of their houses?”
Dmeiri asked.“It is a political issue, and if Israel was willing to arrest them [the perpetrators], it could have done that quickly, but the Netanyahu government needs their votes in elections, and this government is dealing with the Palestinians as election bargain chips," the spokesman added.
The suspects in Friday's arson attack have yet to be identified. While Israeli leadership declared a crackdown on extremist settler attacks in May 2014 following price-tag attacks on Vatican offices in occupied East-Jerusalem, little action has been taken since.
The perpetrators of violence against Palestinian civilians and their property -- both inside of Israel and the occupied territories -- are rarely punished, with police closing the majority investigations without an indictment.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 120 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of 2015, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Residents of the Palestinian village of Duma in the occupied West Bank are forming voluntary groups to guard against attacks by Israeli settlers, days after a deadly arson attack left an 18-month-old resident burned alive, locals said Saturday.
The groups -- formed on voluntary participation -- will patrol the village and its outskirts 24 hours a day, seven day a week to prevent further attacks by extremist Jewish settlers, Duma resident Samir Dawabsha told Ma'an.
On Friday, Israeli settlers set two Palestinian homes ablaze in the village outside of Nablus, killing Ali Saad Dawabsha, one-and-a-half years old, and leaving his parents and four-year-old brother in critical condition.
While the Palestinian Authority security services said Saturday it would do everything in its power to crack down on terrorist acts carried out by settlers, the PA has no jurisdiction over Israelis living in the West Bank. Violent acts carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents and few options for their personal security remain.
While Israeli forces will detain a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank for possessing a knife or gun, Israelis living in the same area are legally able to carry such weapons. Samir Dawabsha, also the general director of the Palestinian ministry of local governance in Nablus, urged Palestinians across the occupied territory to prepare plans for self-protection.
“The Palestinian people, no matter where they live, are being targeted by the occupation and its settlers, and citizens should beware of treacherous attacks by settlers, and we will try to prevent repetition of what happened with Dawabsha family.” Samir added that the parents of Ali Saad Dawabsha are still in critical condition but that their four-year-old son Ahmad is beginning to show signs of improvement.
Dawabsha also said the family is planning to take legal procedures against the perpetrators of the “hideous crime. "PA security spokesperson Adnan Dmeiri warned that Israel would deal with the Dawabsha case just as indifferently as they did with other crimes committed by settlers.
Dmeiri pointed to the high numbers of terror attacks carried out by settlers, noting that 23 mosques and a number of churches were torched by settlers in the last two years. “Has the Israeli government handed a single sentence to them? Has the government demolished any of their houses?”
Dmeiri asked.“It is a political issue, and if Israel was willing to arrest them [the perpetrators], it could have done that quickly, but the Netanyahu government needs their votes in elections, and this government is dealing with the Palestinians as election bargain chips," the spokesman added.
The suspects in Friday's arson attack have yet to be identified. While Israeli leadership declared a crackdown on extremist settler attacks in May 2014 following price-tag attacks on Vatican offices in occupied East-Jerusalem, little action has been taken since.
The perpetrators of violence against Palestinian civilians and their property -- both inside of Israel and the occupied territories -- are rarely punished, with police closing the majority investigations without an indictment.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 120 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of 2015, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
1 aug 2015
Female rabbi suspected of possible connection to pride parade stabbing
Police have detained a female rabbi from Jerusalem, who is among the more prominent detractors of the gay pride parade, in an attempt to examine whether she had any connection to Yishai Shlissel, who stabbed six people at the parade on Thursday.
Upon the arrival of police, the rabbi collapsed and was evacuated for medical attention. The suspect and her husband denied they knew of Shlissel's intentions or had any ties with him near the date of the attack.
Police have detained a female rabbi from Jerusalem, who is among the more prominent detractors of the gay pride parade, in an attempt to examine whether she had any connection to Yishai Shlissel, who stabbed six people at the parade on Thursday.
Upon the arrival of police, the rabbi collapsed and was evacuated for medical attention. The suspect and her husband denied they knew of Shlissel's intentions or had any ties with him near the date of the attack.
The Palestinian Authority has rejected Israel's condemnation of the killing of a Palestinian infant in the West Bank city of Nablus by Jewish settlers as insufficient. The PA is insisting that the illegal settlers must be blacklisted as terrorists, Quds Press reported on Friday.
A group of Jewish settlers threw firebombs and burning material inside a Palestinian house in Nablus on Friday morning, burning an 18-month old baby to death and causing severe burns to three of his family members, including his father, who is now in a critical condition.
"This crime is a shameful stigma on the forehead of the international community," said the PA foreign ministry. "The world has repeatedly ignored the systematic terrorism of Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians."
The ministry stressed it rejection of the official Israeli response, which only condemned the killing. "The Israeli government bears direct responsibility for this terrorist act as it is intentionally keeping silent and is refusing to brand these groups as illegal," the statement said. "Condemnation is no more enough or even acceptable as a response by the international community towards such a crime.
This weak position of the international community will not stop such attacks, the perpetrators of which are protected by official Israeli institutions and supported by Israeli ministers and Knesset members."
A group of Jewish settlers threw firebombs and burning material inside a Palestinian house in Nablus on Friday morning, burning an 18-month old baby to death and causing severe burns to three of his family members, including his father, who is now in a critical condition.
"This crime is a shameful stigma on the forehead of the international community," said the PA foreign ministry. "The world has repeatedly ignored the systematic terrorism of Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians."
The ministry stressed it rejection of the official Israeli response, which only condemned the killing. "The Israeli government bears direct responsibility for this terrorist act as it is intentionally keeping silent and is refusing to brand these groups as illegal," the statement said. "Condemnation is no more enough or even acceptable as a response by the international community towards such a crime.
This weak position of the international community will not stop such attacks, the perpetrators of which are protected by official Israeli institutions and supported by Israeli ministers and Knesset members."
The Dawabsheh family, whose home was set ablaze this week
Netanyahu thwarted the attempt to define Jewish 'price tag' perpetrators as terrorists; the courts are giving them light sentences; the severity of the acts increases - but nothing has changed.
The number of solved cases is still negligible, the sentences handed out to Jewish terrorists are relatively light, and the government is no rush to act. One year after the attempt to declare "price tag" perpetrators as terrorists - nothing has been done.
A year ago, then-justice minister Tzipi Livni and then-public security minister Yitzhak Aharonovich asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve two unusual measures to deal with "price tag" attacks - defining the perpetrators of those hate crimes as members of a terror organization, and issuing administrative arrest orders against prominent figures, when there is evidence to back these orders.
The request was made after Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein removed his objection to administrative arrests after he witnessed the damages caused by the so-called "price tag" attacks.
Netanyahu, who at the time was heading for elections in which he was vying for the right-wing's votes, including those in the extreme right-wing, did not adopt the recommendations. Apart from continuing the Shin Bet's close monitoring of these activists and filing several indictments, no significant changes have been made.
The main reason for that, according to senior law enforcement officials, is the lack of support from the political leadership, which establishes its rule using the right-wing factions. Even the almost-sole case that did lead to a serious indictment ended faintly.
Netanyahu thwarted the attempt to define Jewish 'price tag' perpetrators as terrorists; the courts are giving them light sentences; the severity of the acts increases - but nothing has changed.
The number of solved cases is still negligible, the sentences handed out to Jewish terrorists are relatively light, and the government is no rush to act. One year after the attempt to declare "price tag" perpetrators as terrorists - nothing has been done.
A year ago, then-justice minister Tzipi Livni and then-public security minister Yitzhak Aharonovich asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve two unusual measures to deal with "price tag" attacks - defining the perpetrators of those hate crimes as members of a terror organization, and issuing administrative arrest orders against prominent figures, when there is evidence to back these orders.
The request was made after Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein removed his objection to administrative arrests after he witnessed the damages caused by the so-called "price tag" attacks.
Netanyahu, who at the time was heading for elections in which he was vying for the right-wing's votes, including those in the extreme right-wing, did not adopt the recommendations. Apart from continuing the Shin Bet's close monitoring of these activists and filing several indictments, no significant changes have been made.
The main reason for that, according to senior law enforcement officials, is the lack of support from the political leadership, which establishes its rule using the right-wing factions. Even the almost-sole case that did lead to a serious indictment ended faintly.
The suspects charged with setting fire to the Church of Loaves and Fishes
Brothers Shlomo and Nahman Twito, Lehava activists who set fire to a bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem, were sentenced to no more than two and a half years in prison. They left the court singing and smiling, and said it was "worth it."
Incidentally, a senior IDF officer claimed in a press briefing last week that there has been a decline in the amount of Jewish nationalistic violent incidents, but stressed, even before the heinous murder in Duma, that the severity of the acts increased.
"We're looking at 141 incidents in the first half of 2015, including violence against Palestinians and vandalism, or violence against security forces, compared to 328 throughout 2014, and 420 in 2013.
But the severity of the incidents increased, and some went beyond Judea and Samaria and spread across the country," the senior officer said. When they turned to the prime minister, then-ministers Livni and Aharonovich wrote that the decision that was made in 2013 to define these groups as "unlawful organizations" rather than "terror organizations" - a decision initiated by Netanyahu despite the Shin Bet's recommendation to the contrary - was not sufficient.
Brothers Shlomo and Nahman Twito, Lehava activists who set fire to a bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem, were sentenced to no more than two and a half years in prison. They left the court singing and smiling, and said it was "worth it."
Incidentally, a senior IDF officer claimed in a press briefing last week that there has been a decline in the amount of Jewish nationalistic violent incidents, but stressed, even before the heinous murder in Duma, that the severity of the acts increased.
"We're looking at 141 incidents in the first half of 2015, including violence against Palestinians and vandalism, or violence against security forces, compared to 328 throughout 2014, and 420 in 2013.
But the severity of the incidents increased, and some went beyond Judea and Samaria and spread across the country," the senior officer said. When they turned to the prime minister, then-ministers Livni and Aharonovich wrote that the decision that was made in 2013 to define these groups as "unlawful organizations" rather than "terror organizations" - a decision initiated by Netanyahu despite the Shin Bet's recommendation to the contrary - was not sufficient.
The youths charged with setting fire to a bi-lingual school
"We believe that the fact these criminal incidents continue and are geographically spreading to new places, require a reexamination of things. Even though the legal tools in question can be used even while these groups are defined as 'unlawful organizations,' defining these groups as 'terror organizations' will reinforce the message and the profound condemnation of their activities."
They noted this was also the Shin Bet's position on the issue. Livni and Aharonovich stated that the attorney-general expressed his position at a hearing, saying that despite various difficulties, there is no legal impediment to advance the declaration of these groups as "terror organizations." Weinstein, who strongly opposes administrative arrests in a democratic society, realized over the past year that in certain cases there is no choice but to use them.
"We believe that the fact these criminal incidents continue and are geographically spreading to new places, require a reexamination of things. Even though the legal tools in question can be used even while these groups are defined as 'unlawful organizations,' defining these groups as 'terror organizations' will reinforce the message and the profound condemnation of their activities."
They noted this was also the Shin Bet's position on the issue. Livni and Aharonovich stated that the attorney-general expressed his position at a hearing, saying that despite various difficulties, there is no legal impediment to advance the declaration of these groups as "terror organizations." Weinstein, who strongly opposes administrative arrests in a democratic society, realized over the past year that in certain cases there is no choice but to use them.
Yishai Shlissel, perpetrator of the stabbing at the Jerusalem pride parade
High-ranked law enforcement officials explained that the Shin Bet knows how to map all of the activists and their different ties, but usually refuses to bring the evidence it collects in front of the court, because they don't want to risk losing their sources.
These officials claimed that due to cost-effectiveness considerations, the Shin Bet would even rather bear the local incidents rather than reveal their sources. In addition, these law enforcement officials claimed, the Shin Bet is also averse to locking horns with politicians from the extreme right-wing.
These politicians would rather turn a blind eye to such incidents because they don't want to anger their supporters, and often use the excuse that the perpetrators of such attacks are a fringe group of "wild kids." On the other hand, the legal system is worried about that one attack that would not be foiled and would start up a fire that cannot be put out.
Then, they fear, the accusatory finger will be pointed at them. The arson of the Dawabsheh family home could possibly be that attack. The sources stated that on top of restraining orders and indictments, there is no other option but to take an unusual approach when investigating these "price tag" attackers.
They proposed that in the initial stages, the State Attorney will prevent these detainees from speaking to a lawyer, similar to the treatment given to Palestinian detainees suspected of terror activity. In several meetings held at the attorney-general's office, legal officials once again emphasized that only a negligible percentage of "price tag" perpetrators are indicted because most of these attacks are sporadic in nature and because of the Shin Bet's unwillingness to expose Jewish sources, that are hard to come by as it is.
Legal officials rejected the claim that the legal system doesn't provide sufficient tools and does not help the Shin Bet and the defense establishment in the fight against the "price tag" phenomenon. Legal officials said that every time the Shin Bet has sufficient evidence against suspects, the legal system fully backs it.
They stated that, among other things, the legal system supported proposals to issue restraining orders and placing restrictions on "price tag" suspects, as well as provided IDF soldiers with efficient arrest authorities whenever the need arose to arrest a suspect in such an activity.
The Supreme Court is also mobilizing and signaling to lower courts that the price for these "price tag" perpetrators must increase.
A year ago, Justice Yitzchak Amit overturned a decision to release two suspects on house arrest. Following an appeal by the prosecution, Justice Amit decided to detain the suspects, who were charged with attacking and beating Palestinians with a racist motive.
"This was an act that was planned ahead of time, when the gang of lawbreakers equipped itself with rods and batons and balaclavas," he said. "They hit everywhere and even hit the head of one of them (their victims) after he had already tripped and fell. They didn't even take mercy on the horse."
A high-ranking legal source made it clear that the phrase "price tag" instead of "terrorism" provides legitimacy for indecisive treatment of the phenomenon. He said the perpetrators are interested in undermining the government and to deter it from evacuating illegal settlements. He argued that while the Palestinians are the victims - the real target is the elected government.
High-ranked law enforcement officials explained that the Shin Bet knows how to map all of the activists and their different ties, but usually refuses to bring the evidence it collects in front of the court, because they don't want to risk losing their sources.
These officials claimed that due to cost-effectiveness considerations, the Shin Bet would even rather bear the local incidents rather than reveal their sources. In addition, these law enforcement officials claimed, the Shin Bet is also averse to locking horns with politicians from the extreme right-wing.
These politicians would rather turn a blind eye to such incidents because they don't want to anger their supporters, and often use the excuse that the perpetrators of such attacks are a fringe group of "wild kids." On the other hand, the legal system is worried about that one attack that would not be foiled and would start up a fire that cannot be put out.
Then, they fear, the accusatory finger will be pointed at them. The arson of the Dawabsheh family home could possibly be that attack. The sources stated that on top of restraining orders and indictments, there is no other option but to take an unusual approach when investigating these "price tag" attackers.
They proposed that in the initial stages, the State Attorney will prevent these detainees from speaking to a lawyer, similar to the treatment given to Palestinian detainees suspected of terror activity. In several meetings held at the attorney-general's office, legal officials once again emphasized that only a negligible percentage of "price tag" perpetrators are indicted because most of these attacks are sporadic in nature and because of the Shin Bet's unwillingness to expose Jewish sources, that are hard to come by as it is.
Legal officials rejected the claim that the legal system doesn't provide sufficient tools and does not help the Shin Bet and the defense establishment in the fight against the "price tag" phenomenon. Legal officials said that every time the Shin Bet has sufficient evidence against suspects, the legal system fully backs it.
They stated that, among other things, the legal system supported proposals to issue restraining orders and placing restrictions on "price tag" suspects, as well as provided IDF soldiers with efficient arrest authorities whenever the need arose to arrest a suspect in such an activity.
The Supreme Court is also mobilizing and signaling to lower courts that the price for these "price tag" perpetrators must increase.
A year ago, Justice Yitzchak Amit overturned a decision to release two suspects on house arrest. Following an appeal by the prosecution, Justice Amit decided to detain the suspects, who were charged with attacking and beating Palestinians with a racist motive.
"This was an act that was planned ahead of time, when the gang of lawbreakers equipped itself with rods and batons and balaclavas," he said. "They hit everywhere and even hit the head of one of them (their victims) after he had already tripped and fell. They didn't even take mercy on the horse."
A high-ranking legal source made it clear that the phrase "price tag" instead of "terrorism" provides legitimacy for indecisive treatment of the phenomenon. He said the perpetrators are interested in undermining the government and to deter it from evacuating illegal settlements. He argued that while the Palestinians are the victims - the real target is the elected government.
The union of the alleged Temple of Solomon’s organizations and groups called on Jewish people to implement massive incursions into the Muslims’ holy Aqsa Mosque on Sunday.
Jewish groups started publishing posts on Facebook urging the Jewish settlers to participate in massive storming of the holy site on Sunday under the theme of “the return of all Jews to Temple’s mount”.
For its part, Palestinians authorities called for visiting the Aqsa Mosque intensively on Sunday in order to confront settlers’ incursions which will start from half past seven in the morning until three at the afternoon.
Last Sunday attested serious violations against the Aqsa Mosque where many Muslim worshipers were assaulted by beating, arrest or suffocation by Israeli forces.
Jewish groups started publishing posts on Facebook urging the Jewish settlers to participate in massive storming of the holy site on Sunday under the theme of “the return of all Jews to Temple’s mount”.
For its part, Palestinians authorities called for visiting the Aqsa Mosque intensively on Sunday in order to confront settlers’ incursions which will start from half past seven in the morning until three at the afternoon.
Last Sunday attested serious violations against the Aqsa Mosque where many Muslim worshipers were assaulted by beating, arrest or suffocation by Israeli forces.
Jewish settlers from Yitzhar settlement on Friday evening set fire to vast tracts of forest land belonging to Palestinian citizens near the tribal town of Asira and Urif town, south of Nablus.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the flames spread throughout several dunums of trees on Mount Salman near the towns of Asira and Urif, affirming that Yitzhar settlers used incendiaries to start the fire.
They added that a fire brigade from the settlement embarked on extinguishing part of the blaze while Palestinian fire trucks, after hours of coordination with the Israeli occupation authority, managed to tackle the fire on its side.
Local sources told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the flames spread throughout several dunums of trees on Mount Salman near the towns of Asira and Urif, affirming that Yitzhar settlers used incendiaries to start the fire.
They added that a fire brigade from the settlement embarked on extinguishing part of the blaze while Palestinian fire trucks, after hours of coordination with the Israeli occupation authority, managed to tackle the fire on its side.
Violent clashes broke out Saturday morning after a group of settlers attacked dozens of Palestinian farmers in Qasra town in Nablus under the protection of Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
Head of the village council Abdel Azim Wadi told the PIC reporter that nearly 20 settlers violently stormed the area and attacked local farmers, preventing them from completing their work.
Dozens of local citizens rushed to the area and clashed with the invading settlers.
IOF soldiers immediately came to the agricultural land and started firing tear gas bombs at the Palestinians, causing many injuries among them.
Tensions rising in West Bank as settlers, IDF clash with Palestinians
Dozens of settlers from the Esh Kodesh attack Palestinian farmers, trying to stop them from working their land; Palestinians clash with security forces at funeral of 17-year-old killed by IDF fire after throwing a Molotov cocktail at troops.
Clashes continued into the late afternoon hours on Saturday across the West Bank and in Jerusalem, as masked Palestinians used burning tires to block the main road outside Duma, where unknown Jewish perpetrators set fire to the Dawabsheh family home, killing 22-month-old Ali Dawabsheh and seriously wounding his parents and brother.
Palestinian youths clashed with security forces in the Jalazun refugee camp on Saturday afternoon following the funeral of Leith Khalidi, 17, who was killed by IDF fire on Friday night after throwing a Molotov cocktail at troops near Birzeit north of Ramallah.
On Saturday morning, Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian farmers from the village Qusra, who were preparing the land for planting some 100 meters from the security fence of the settlement Esh Kodesh.
The Palestinian farmers, who were using a mechanical bagger, halted their work when settlers from Esh Kodesh, who had called the IDF, arrived at the scene. There was an exchange of words between the Palestinians and the settlers, which devolved into rock throwing. The incident was over rather quickly after the IDF separated the parties.
The dispute surrounds the question of land ownership, and officers from the military coordination office were on the scene to examine whether the work was being conducted in area B or C.
These clashes are a regular occurrence in the agricultural plots surrounding Qusra. The settlers claim that the land belongs to the State of Israel, and that a Jewish-owned vineyard nearby was set ablaze by the Palestinians.
According to the settlers, the work was a provocation orchestrated by the organization "Rabbis for Human Rights" (a pro-Palestinian human rights organization), and other European left-wing activists who arrived with locals from the nearby villages in order to build infrastructure on disputed land.
Overnight violence
Additional clashes and protests erupted in the West Bank Friday, giving rise to intense fears of further escalation.
Riots first began in Jerusalem where Hamas had already declared a "Day of Rage" following clashes at the Temple Mount. The Palestinian organization based in Gaza then called on West Bank residents to demonstrate in response to the Duma Jewish terrorist attack.
One police officer was lightly wounded by broken glass from a bottle thrown at security forces in the Old City of Jerusalem alongside rocks and other objects. One Palestinian was arrested.
Several young Palestinians threw rocks at the entrance to Qalandiya, just north of Jerusalem. Border Police responded with tear gas, dispersing the crowd.
In Isawiya in East Jerusalem, Border Police clashed with dozens of Palestinians who threw fire bombs and stones at security forces. The rioters were met with riot-control measures and pushed back toward the center of the neighborhood.
Head of the village council Abdel Azim Wadi told the PIC reporter that nearly 20 settlers violently stormed the area and attacked local farmers, preventing them from completing their work.
Dozens of local citizens rushed to the area and clashed with the invading settlers.
IOF soldiers immediately came to the agricultural land and started firing tear gas bombs at the Palestinians, causing many injuries among them.
Tensions rising in West Bank as settlers, IDF clash with Palestinians
Dozens of settlers from the Esh Kodesh attack Palestinian farmers, trying to stop them from working their land; Palestinians clash with security forces at funeral of 17-year-old killed by IDF fire after throwing a Molotov cocktail at troops.
Clashes continued into the late afternoon hours on Saturday across the West Bank and in Jerusalem, as masked Palestinians used burning tires to block the main road outside Duma, where unknown Jewish perpetrators set fire to the Dawabsheh family home, killing 22-month-old Ali Dawabsheh and seriously wounding his parents and brother.
Palestinian youths clashed with security forces in the Jalazun refugee camp on Saturday afternoon following the funeral of Leith Khalidi, 17, who was killed by IDF fire on Friday night after throwing a Molotov cocktail at troops near Birzeit north of Ramallah.
On Saturday morning, Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian farmers from the village Qusra, who were preparing the land for planting some 100 meters from the security fence of the settlement Esh Kodesh.
The Palestinian farmers, who were using a mechanical bagger, halted their work when settlers from Esh Kodesh, who had called the IDF, arrived at the scene. There was an exchange of words between the Palestinians and the settlers, which devolved into rock throwing. The incident was over rather quickly after the IDF separated the parties.
The dispute surrounds the question of land ownership, and officers from the military coordination office were on the scene to examine whether the work was being conducted in area B or C.
These clashes are a regular occurrence in the agricultural plots surrounding Qusra. The settlers claim that the land belongs to the State of Israel, and that a Jewish-owned vineyard nearby was set ablaze by the Palestinians.
According to the settlers, the work was a provocation orchestrated by the organization "Rabbis for Human Rights" (a pro-Palestinian human rights organization), and other European left-wing activists who arrived with locals from the nearby villages in order to build infrastructure on disputed land.
Overnight violence
Additional clashes and protests erupted in the West Bank Friday, giving rise to intense fears of further escalation.
Riots first began in Jerusalem where Hamas had already declared a "Day of Rage" following clashes at the Temple Mount. The Palestinian organization based in Gaza then called on West Bank residents to demonstrate in response to the Duma Jewish terrorist attack.
One police officer was lightly wounded by broken glass from a bottle thrown at security forces in the Old City of Jerusalem alongside rocks and other objects. One Palestinian was arrested.
Several young Palestinians threw rocks at the entrance to Qalandiya, just north of Jerusalem. Border Police responded with tear gas, dispersing the crowd.
In Isawiya in East Jerusalem, Border Police clashed with dozens of Palestinians who threw fire bombs and stones at security forces. The rioters were met with riot-control measures and pushed back toward the center of the neighborhood.