13 aug 2015
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Israeli settlers torched a Bedouin tent in the area of Ein Samiya near Kafr Malik village in northern Ramallah Thursday morning, local sources told Ma'an.
A group of Israeli settlers raided the village of Ein Samiya and threw flammable material on a Bedouin tent before the residents noticed and attacked the settlers, forcing them to flee the area. An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the attack but could give no further details. The fire caused substantial damages to the tent but locals were able to put the fire out without any injuries, locals said. Israeli settlers also sprayed “price tag” near the scene and signed slogans calling for the killing of Palestinians and expelling them out of their lands. |
Graffiti sprayed in red paint also read "administrative revenge" alongside a crudely drawn Star of David.
The graffiti seemed to refer to the internment without charge -- known as administrative detention -- of three alleged Jewish extremists in the wake of a July 31 arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma that killed 18-month-old Palestinian Ali Saad Dawabsha and his father Saad.
Locals said the Israeli forces and police arrived to the area, investigated the incident, and took fingerprints.On Wednesday, Israeli forces had closed the Ein Samiya area road and prevented Palestinians from using it.Recent weeks have seen a rise in Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
An 18-month-old Palestinian, Ali Dawabsha, was burned alive when alleged Israeli extremists firebombed their home at the end of last month in the village of Duma near Nablus.
The toddler's father, Saad Dawabsha, succumbed to his wounds a week later, after suffering third degree burns on 80 percent of his body.On Saturday morning, Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian home with firebombs and rocks in an area east of Tayba in the Ramallah district. The bombs landed outside of the house, causing no damage, locals told Ma'an.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 120 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Bedouin's tent set alight, hate slogans sprayed in apparent hate crime
Anonymous persons on Thursday night set fire to a tent owned by a Bedouin and sprayed hate slogans.
The tent was privately owned and used as a storage space. No one was hurt in the incident. The tent owner is expected to file a complaint with police.
The incident occurred near Ein Samia next to Ramallah. Civil Administration personnel and police have been searching the area.
The graffiti seemed to refer to the internment without charge -- known as administrative detention -- of three alleged Jewish extremists in the wake of a July 31 arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma that killed 18-month-old Palestinian Ali Saad Dawabsha and his father Saad.
Locals said the Israeli forces and police arrived to the area, investigated the incident, and took fingerprints.On Wednesday, Israeli forces had closed the Ein Samiya area road and prevented Palestinians from using it.Recent weeks have seen a rise in Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
An 18-month-old Palestinian, Ali Dawabsha, was burned alive when alleged Israeli extremists firebombed their home at the end of last month in the village of Duma near Nablus.
The toddler's father, Saad Dawabsha, succumbed to his wounds a week later, after suffering third degree burns on 80 percent of his body.On Saturday morning, Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian home with firebombs and rocks in an area east of Tayba in the Ramallah district. The bombs landed outside of the house, causing no damage, locals told Ma'an.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 120 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Bedouin's tent set alight, hate slogans sprayed in apparent hate crime
Anonymous persons on Thursday night set fire to a tent owned by a Bedouin and sprayed hate slogans.
The tent was privately owned and used as a storage space. No one was hurt in the incident. The tent owner is expected to file a complaint with police.
The incident occurred near Ein Samia next to Ramallah. Civil Administration personnel and police have been searching the area.
The Israeli occupation authority will soon announce a tender to build a huge domed synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem at a height of about 23 meters and at a cost of about 50 million shekels ($13 million).
The building, called “The Jewel of Israel”, will comprise six stories; two of them will be underground. The building's area will be 378 square meters; 275 of which will be used for the synagogue and 103 as a public park that contains shaded lounges to attract Jewish and foreign visitors. The total construction area will be 1,400 square meters.
The project, which is openly supported by the Israeli government, is aimed at founding "holy" Jewish sites in Jerusalem in addition to domed buildings which deceptively imply a long-time Jewish presence in Jerusalem.
The Jewel of Israel will be the second largest synagogue after Hurva Synagogue.
"This is an important and essential step to support the Jewish presence in Jerusalem," Israeli Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barakat said.
Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, said that by establishing the so-called Jewel of Israel "Israel is racing against time to Judaize Jerusalem and is benefiting from the inter-Arab conflicts and the Palestinian internal division."
He pointed out that Israel is exploiting the Arab world's preoccupation with their internal issues to carry out its Judaization schemes. The Jewel of Israel is nothing but an attempt to wipe out the Islamic landmarks of the holy Aqsa Mosque, he added.
Al-Khatib charged that this is a prelude to divide al-Aqsa Mosque and impose Israeli sovereignty over its courtyards.
The construction plans, which QPress has obtained, show that the Israeli government intends to build The Jewel of Israel or "Tiferet Yisrael" as soon as possible; the construction plans and the budgets were approved, the foundation stone was laid down, and a tender will be announced soon to start implementing this project which is sponsored by the so-called “Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter (CRDJQ)".
The first underground floor will be used to display artifacts which Israel claims to be ruins of an ancient Jewish synagogue, bearing in mind that the synagogue will be established on the ruins of an Islamic endowment. The second underground floor will contain male bathrooms and technical support premises.
The third floor, which is the ground floor, is the entrance and will contain the female bathrooms.
As for the fourth floor (the second floor above the ground), it will be used as the large hall of the synagogue and it will contain chairs and rooms for performing the Jewish prayers.
The fifth floor (the third above the ground) will be a synagogue for women and the sixth floor will be overlooking the old buildings of Jerusalem. The building will be topped with a high dome that resembles the Dome of the Rock.
Some chambers in the building will be dedicated for promoting Jewish heritage in Jerusalem, according to the Jewish claims.
The building will be established in al-Sharaf neighborhood which was occupied in 1967 and turned into a settlement outpost under the name of the “Jewish neighborhood". The building will be only few meters away from al-Aqsa Mosque and the Buraq Square.
The building, called “The Jewel of Israel”, will comprise six stories; two of them will be underground. The building's area will be 378 square meters; 275 of which will be used for the synagogue and 103 as a public park that contains shaded lounges to attract Jewish and foreign visitors. The total construction area will be 1,400 square meters.
The project, which is openly supported by the Israeli government, is aimed at founding "holy" Jewish sites in Jerusalem in addition to domed buildings which deceptively imply a long-time Jewish presence in Jerusalem.
The Jewel of Israel will be the second largest synagogue after Hurva Synagogue.
"This is an important and essential step to support the Jewish presence in Jerusalem," Israeli Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barakat said.
Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, said that by establishing the so-called Jewel of Israel "Israel is racing against time to Judaize Jerusalem and is benefiting from the inter-Arab conflicts and the Palestinian internal division."
He pointed out that Israel is exploiting the Arab world's preoccupation with their internal issues to carry out its Judaization schemes. The Jewel of Israel is nothing but an attempt to wipe out the Islamic landmarks of the holy Aqsa Mosque, he added.
Al-Khatib charged that this is a prelude to divide al-Aqsa Mosque and impose Israeli sovereignty over its courtyards.
The construction plans, which QPress has obtained, show that the Israeli government intends to build The Jewel of Israel or "Tiferet Yisrael" as soon as possible; the construction plans and the budgets were approved, the foundation stone was laid down, and a tender will be announced soon to start implementing this project which is sponsored by the so-called “Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter (CRDJQ)".
The first underground floor will be used to display artifacts which Israel claims to be ruins of an ancient Jewish synagogue, bearing in mind that the synagogue will be established on the ruins of an Islamic endowment. The second underground floor will contain male bathrooms and technical support premises.
The third floor, which is the ground floor, is the entrance and will contain the female bathrooms.
As for the fourth floor (the second floor above the ground), it will be used as the large hall of the synagogue and it will contain chairs and rooms for performing the Jewish prayers.
The fifth floor (the third above the ground) will be a synagogue for women and the sixth floor will be overlooking the old buildings of Jerusalem. The building will be topped with a high dome that resembles the Dome of the Rock.
Some chambers in the building will be dedicated for promoting Jewish heritage in Jerusalem, according to the Jewish claims.
The building will be established in al-Sharaf neighborhood which was occupied in 1967 and turned into a settlement outpost under the name of the “Jewish neighborhood". The building will be only few meters away from al-Aqsa Mosque and the Buraq Square.
12 aug 2015
The occupation forces along with a settler assaulted a Christian young man and severely beat him near Al-Silsileh Gate. The settler pushed the young man and a group of Special Forces immediately arrived and assaulted the young man causing him to lose consciousness; he was carried and transferred to Al-Silsileh gate police station.
For the second consecutive day, the occupation police prevented a group of women from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and arrested two young men and transferred them to Al-Silsileh gate police station.
Witnesses said that the occupation police stationed at Al-Aqsa Gates prevented 15 women from entering Al-Aqsa for no reason; note that they had a list of names for females banned from entering Al-Aqsa but the duration or reason were not classified.
In a related matter, the occupation police arrested the young man Tamer Shala’ta.
For the second consecutive day, the occupation police prevented a group of women from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and arrested two young men and transferred them to Al-Silsileh gate police station.
Witnesses said that the occupation police stationed at Al-Aqsa Gates prevented 15 women from entering Al-Aqsa for no reason; note that they had a list of names for females banned from entering Al-Aqsa but the duration or reason were not classified.
In a related matter, the occupation police arrested the young man Tamer Shala’ta.
Two Palestinians were injured Wednesday morning at the hands of Jewish settlers and Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
Local sources said that a group of Jewish settlers assaulted a Palestinian worker called Loai al-Bakri during his presence at his work place in north of Occupied Jerusalem. He was beaten severely leading to wounds in his head and face.
The sources added that the settlers attempted to abduct the Palestinian worker, but had to flee when a group of Palestinian workers confronted them. The injured worker was taken to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers at dawn Wednesday severely beat up a Palestinian youth from al-Khalil city after storming his house.
The IOF soldiers stormed Palestinian houses and searched them thoroughly in the city. The IOF soldiers attacked the young man Ahmad Farajallah in the process. Meanwhile, the ex-detainee Nasim al-Qawasmeh was arrested, local sources revealed.
The IOF soldiers blew up doors of Palestinian houses during the raids, the sources pointed out.
Local sources said that a group of Jewish settlers assaulted a Palestinian worker called Loai al-Bakri during his presence at his work place in north of Occupied Jerusalem. He was beaten severely leading to wounds in his head and face.
The sources added that the settlers attempted to abduct the Palestinian worker, but had to flee when a group of Palestinian workers confronted them. The injured worker was taken to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, IOF soldiers at dawn Wednesday severely beat up a Palestinian youth from al-Khalil city after storming his house.
The IOF soldiers stormed Palestinian houses and searched them thoroughly in the city. The IOF soldiers attacked the young man Ahmad Farajallah in the process. Meanwhile, the ex-detainee Nasim al-Qawasmeh was arrested, local sources revealed.
The IOF soldiers blew up doors of Palestinian houses during the raids, the sources pointed out.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Tuesday night announced will to close the Ibrahimi mosque (Haram) in the old city of Hebron, southern West Bank, for the Muslim worshipers under the pretext of “Jewish occasions.”
Local sources said that IOF announced the mosque will be closed in the face of Muslims Thursday early morning, until the evening, but will be opened for Israeli Jewish settlers.
The mosque is regularly closed down by Israeli forces under the same pretext, but Jewish settlers are given full privilege to break into the mosque whenever desired.
IOF set checkpoints on the entrances of the mosque and worshipers are fully inspected on the gates.
IOF have often prevented the call for prayers (Adan) from the mosque, violating the religious freedom of Muslims.
The Israeli minister of army, Moshe Ya’alon on Tuesday morning broke into the mosque “to carry out Jewish prayers” in midst of tight security guardianship.
Palestinian security sources told PNN reporter that Ya’alon broke into the mosque heavily guarded, whereas the mosque gates were closed and worshipers were denied entry.
On t he other hand, the Israeli media claimed that Ya’alon’s visit was to “check up” on different areas in Hebron, where he will meet with generals and soldiers, adding that he will also “visit” other areas including the old city and the illegal settlements built in it.
Local sources said that IOF announced the mosque will be closed in the face of Muslims Thursday early morning, until the evening, but will be opened for Israeli Jewish settlers.
The mosque is regularly closed down by Israeli forces under the same pretext, but Jewish settlers are given full privilege to break into the mosque whenever desired.
IOF set checkpoints on the entrances of the mosque and worshipers are fully inspected on the gates.
IOF have often prevented the call for prayers (Adan) from the mosque, violating the religious freedom of Muslims.
The Israeli minister of army, Moshe Ya’alon on Tuesday morning broke into the mosque “to carry out Jewish prayers” in midst of tight security guardianship.
Palestinian security sources told PNN reporter that Ya’alon broke into the mosque heavily guarded, whereas the mosque gates were closed and worshipers were denied entry.
On t he other hand, the Israeli media claimed that Ya’alon’s visit was to “check up” on different areas in Hebron, where he will meet with generals and soldiers, adding that he will also “visit” other areas including the old city and the illegal settlements built in it.
The Israeli authorities are planning to build a multi-story building inside the Western Wall plaza in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem, a Palestinian academic told Ma'an on Wednesday.
Dr. Jamal Amr, a professor of urban planning at Birzeit University and Jerusalem Foundation member, said that the six-story building would celebrate the heritage of the Jewish Temples, and would comprise a museum, prayer halls, and offices for right-wing Jewish organizations.
The organizations are funding the project together with the Israeli government, Amr said, although his claims could not be verified. Amr said that the blueprints for the building were prepared in secret and revealed only after those leading the project began the application process for the needed license.
The building is expected to cost $13 million, at a size of 1,400 square meters and a height of 23 meters high, with two of the six floors underground, he said. The complex will include a museum "housing antiquities and belongings stolen from Jerusalem," Amr said, many of which he claimed date to the Abbasid and Umayyad eras, from roughly 660 to 1260 CE.
The complex will also be connected to the series of underground tunnels which run beneath the Old City and to the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
In the past, excavations inside the tunnels have damaged Islamic antiquities and even collapsed, threatening Palestinian buildings above. Amr warned that the new project would further "efface" Arab and Islamic features inside the Old City.
The Western Wall is the last remnant of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It borders the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is the third holiest site in Islam, and has historically been a flash point in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Dr. Jamal Amr, a professor of urban planning at Birzeit University and Jerusalem Foundation member, said that the six-story building would celebrate the heritage of the Jewish Temples, and would comprise a museum, prayer halls, and offices for right-wing Jewish organizations.
The organizations are funding the project together with the Israeli government, Amr said, although his claims could not be verified. Amr said that the blueprints for the building were prepared in secret and revealed only after those leading the project began the application process for the needed license.
The building is expected to cost $13 million, at a size of 1,400 square meters and a height of 23 meters high, with two of the six floors underground, he said. The complex will include a museum "housing antiquities and belongings stolen from Jerusalem," Amr said, many of which he claimed date to the Abbasid and Umayyad eras, from roughly 660 to 1260 CE.
The complex will also be connected to the series of underground tunnels which run beneath the Old City and to the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.
In the past, excavations inside the tunnels have damaged Islamic antiquities and even collapsed, threatening Palestinian buildings above. Amr warned that the new project would further "efface" Arab and Islamic features inside the Old City.
The Western Wall is the last remnant of the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It borders the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is the third holiest site in Islam, and has historically been a flash point in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Rabbi David Stav
A group of Israeli rabbis has launched a movement of conversion courts challenging the ultra-Orthodox establishment's monopoly on conversions to Judaism, organizers said Tuesday.
The move is being seen as a serious challenge to ultra-Orthodox control over key aspects of Israeli life. The new conversion courts now join the debate in Israel over who can be converted to Judaism and how. An initial conversion of six children, not authorized by the chief rabbinate, took place on Monday.
And while the conversions are not expected to be recognized officially, organizers of the new movement hope that pressure on the government will increase as more people take part. "The idea is to create a more moderate, open conversion system which is more connected to Israeli society and realizes the Zionist dream of Jews coming from all around the world," said Elad Caplan of ITIM, one of the organisations behind the initiative.
Media reports spoke of a serious challenge to the ultra-Orthodox establishment, with Haaretz newspaper calling it "the first act of mutiny against the chief rabbinate's restrictive control over the conversion process." The new conversion courts, which include 12 rabbis, allow for a simpler process that organizers say will make it easier for immigrants.
They also say it will allow those who consider themselves Jews culturally, but who have been unable to convert officially, to do so. The current process is stringent, requiring a commitment to a strict, religious way of life.
Potential converts also face difficulties including demonstrating lineage, such as proving that one's mother was Jewish. Some 364,000 Israelis of Jewish ancestry -- mostly immigrants from the former Soviet Union -- are not considered Jewish and are defined as "religionless."
Israel also does not allow civil or interfaith weddings, meaning that those considered "religionless" cannot marry in Israel. The challenge to the religious establishment comes after ministers last month struck down a bill that would have overturned the chief rabbinate's monopoly on conversions.
Rejecting the bill was a condition of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas for joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government. Netanyahu has a majority of just one seat in parliament.
Opponents reject the conversion movement and say it could lead to a dilution of the Jewish community. A spokesman for the chief rabbinate declined comment when contacted by AFP Tuesday.
However, a former spokesman said he strongly opposed the initiative, saying it would "open the door for assimilation." "The Jewish state has responsibility not only for its current citizens, but also the historical phenomenon regarding the Jewish nation," Ziv Maor told AFP.
A group of Israeli rabbis has launched a movement of conversion courts challenging the ultra-Orthodox establishment's monopoly on conversions to Judaism, organizers said Tuesday.
The move is being seen as a serious challenge to ultra-Orthodox control over key aspects of Israeli life. The new conversion courts now join the debate in Israel over who can be converted to Judaism and how. An initial conversion of six children, not authorized by the chief rabbinate, took place on Monday.
And while the conversions are not expected to be recognized officially, organizers of the new movement hope that pressure on the government will increase as more people take part. "The idea is to create a more moderate, open conversion system which is more connected to Israeli society and realizes the Zionist dream of Jews coming from all around the world," said Elad Caplan of ITIM, one of the organisations behind the initiative.
Media reports spoke of a serious challenge to the ultra-Orthodox establishment, with Haaretz newspaper calling it "the first act of mutiny against the chief rabbinate's restrictive control over the conversion process." The new conversion courts, which include 12 rabbis, allow for a simpler process that organizers say will make it easier for immigrants.
They also say it will allow those who consider themselves Jews culturally, but who have been unable to convert officially, to do so. The current process is stringent, requiring a commitment to a strict, religious way of life.
Potential converts also face difficulties including demonstrating lineage, such as proving that one's mother was Jewish. Some 364,000 Israelis of Jewish ancestry -- mostly immigrants from the former Soviet Union -- are not considered Jewish and are defined as "religionless."
Israel also does not allow civil or interfaith weddings, meaning that those considered "religionless" cannot marry in Israel. The challenge to the religious establishment comes after ministers last month struck down a bill that would have overturned the chief rabbinate's monopoly on conversions.
Rejecting the bill was a condition of the ultra-Orthodox party Shas for joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government. Netanyahu has a majority of just one seat in parliament.
Opponents reject the conversion movement and say it could lead to a dilution of the Jewish community. A spokesman for the chief rabbinate declined comment when contacted by AFP Tuesday.
However, a former spokesman said he strongly opposed the initiative, saying it would "open the door for assimilation." "The Jewish state has responsibility not only for its current citizens, but also the historical phenomenon regarding the Jewish nation," Ziv Maor told AFP.
Dozens of Palestinian children on Wednesday morning formed human chains to prevent Israeli vandals from desecrating Muslims’ holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
According to the Q-Press center, which monitors violations against al-Aqsa, a group of summer campers formed human chains after a horde of fanatic Israelis, escorted by police officers, stormed the Mosque at the early morning hours.
Muslim sit-inners, worshipers, and summer campers kept chanting “Allah the Greatest” in protest at the break-in.
Over the past three days the Israeli occupation forces have come down heavily on the Muslim summer campers, denying them the right to enter the Mosque to perform their prayers.
The Israeli police have also prevented a number of peaceful Muslim worshipers, mostly women, from entering the Mosque.
According to the Q-Press center, which monitors violations against al-Aqsa, a group of summer campers formed human chains after a horde of fanatic Israelis, escorted by police officers, stormed the Mosque at the early morning hours.
Muslim sit-inners, worshipers, and summer campers kept chanting “Allah the Greatest” in protest at the break-in.
Over the past three days the Israeli occupation forces have come down heavily on the Muslim summer campers, denying them the right to enter the Mosque to perform their prayers.
The Israeli police have also prevented a number of peaceful Muslim worshipers, mostly women, from entering the Mosque.
Palestinian researcher in settlement affairs, Ahmad Sob Laban, has reported that the Israeli colonization organization “Ateret Cohanim”, based in the Muslim Quarter in occupied Jerusalem, has presented a construction plan to the Jerusalem City Council, in preparation to build a new illegal colony near Bet Yonatan colony, in Silwan town, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Sob Laban said the new plan aims to construct three outposts, each composed of four floors, in addition to expanding the road between Bet Yonatan (illegally installed on Palestinian property in 2004) and the new outpost, which would also be built on illegally-seized Palestinian property adjacent to Bet Yonatan.
He added that Silwan, especially Batn al-Hawa neighborhood, is facing serious threats from Ateret Cohanim, an organization that is responsible for the construction of 71 illegal outposts in the Old City, in both the Muslim and Christian Quarters, since 1967.
The official also said that Batn al-Hawa became a target for colonization in 2004, when Bet Yonatan was illegally established in a building consisting of six floors through forged sale documents, while at the same time the organization established another outpost, known as Beit al-'Asal, in the heart of the neighborhood.
Last year, Ateret Cohanim managed to control two residential buildings, each composed of ten apartments, and a plot of land in Batn al-Hawa, after Israel removed the owners, the Abu Nab Family, and Palestinian renters of the apartments, allegedly because "the land it was built on used to contain a synagogue, and was inhabited by Jews, before 1948."
Sob Laban said Ateret Cohanim enjoys the full support of the settler-led government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and various wealthy Zionist organizations and individuals, especially in the United States.
He also stated that various members of the Abu Nab family have been evicted, and now danger looms for two remaining family members (Abu Jawad and Abdullah Abu Nab.)
He added that Ateret Cohanim is still trying to evict dozens of families by taking control of more than 100 properties inhabited by nearly 1300 Palestinians, and that nine families have already received eviction notices.
Israel's colonization activities in occupied Jerusalem, and the rest of occupied Palestine, come in direct violation of International Law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory.
Sob Laban said the new plan aims to construct three outposts, each composed of four floors, in addition to expanding the road between Bet Yonatan (illegally installed on Palestinian property in 2004) and the new outpost, which would also be built on illegally-seized Palestinian property adjacent to Bet Yonatan.
He added that Silwan, especially Batn al-Hawa neighborhood, is facing serious threats from Ateret Cohanim, an organization that is responsible for the construction of 71 illegal outposts in the Old City, in both the Muslim and Christian Quarters, since 1967.
The official also said that Batn al-Hawa became a target for colonization in 2004, when Bet Yonatan was illegally established in a building consisting of six floors through forged sale documents, while at the same time the organization established another outpost, known as Beit al-'Asal, in the heart of the neighborhood.
Last year, Ateret Cohanim managed to control two residential buildings, each composed of ten apartments, and a plot of land in Batn al-Hawa, after Israel removed the owners, the Abu Nab Family, and Palestinian renters of the apartments, allegedly because "the land it was built on used to contain a synagogue, and was inhabited by Jews, before 1948."
Sob Laban said Ateret Cohanim enjoys the full support of the settler-led government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and various wealthy Zionist organizations and individuals, especially in the United States.
He also stated that various members of the Abu Nab family have been evicted, and now danger looms for two remaining family members (Abu Jawad and Abdullah Abu Nab.)
He added that Ateret Cohanim is still trying to evict dozens of families by taking control of more than 100 properties inhabited by nearly 1300 Palestinians, and that nine families have already received eviction notices.
Israel's colonization activities in occupied Jerusalem, and the rest of occupied Palestine, come in direct violation of International Law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory.
11 aug 2015
Planned visit canceled after Rivlin's pro-LGBT statement and condemnation of terror attack against Palestinians; school considers president 'unwanted personality', says source.
A haredi school announced on Tuesday that it had rescinded an invitation for President Reuven Rivlin to visit the school next Sunday.
The visit to the Kehilat Ya'akov school in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem was planned to coincide with the beginning of the haredi sector's school year, but on Monday the school sent President Rivlin the message, through the Jerusalem mayor's office, that his visit had been canceled.
Sources in the Jerusalem mayor's office said the decision to cancel President Rivlin's visit was made following his condemnation of the the terrorist attack against the Dawabsheh family and his pro-LGBT words following the murder of Shira Banki at the Jerusalem pride parade.They also claimed that pressure to make the decision came from rabbis.
Last year, during his early days in office, President Rivlin visited schoolchildren at the start of the school year in the city of Beit Shemesh, saying: "I came to Beit Shemesh at the start of the year amid controversy overwhether the year starts at the first of Elul or the first of September, out of an understanding that there is a controversy, but this city is one city, and it's time that these disagreements be smoothed out". A haredi source at the Jerusalem municipality stated that the school canceled President Rivlin's visit because they consider him an unwanted personality.
The president's office said it the statement unfortunate and only hoped the school's lessons on loving thy neighbor would be well-attended.
"I regret the Kehilat Ya'akov school's decision," said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. "We've been blessed with a president who's rooted in Jerusam, a true friend of the city who is cinstantly working for unity, and we're honored to host him at any place and in any time within the city of Jerusalem.
"The school's choice does not match our duty, especially these days, to educate our children, of every segment in our society to love their neighbor, accept those who are different, be tolerant, and work to promote closeness," said the mayor.
A haredi school announced on Tuesday that it had rescinded an invitation for President Reuven Rivlin to visit the school next Sunday.
The visit to the Kehilat Ya'akov school in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem was planned to coincide with the beginning of the haredi sector's school year, but on Monday the school sent President Rivlin the message, through the Jerusalem mayor's office, that his visit had been canceled.
Sources in the Jerusalem mayor's office said the decision to cancel President Rivlin's visit was made following his condemnation of the the terrorist attack against the Dawabsheh family and his pro-LGBT words following the murder of Shira Banki at the Jerusalem pride parade.They also claimed that pressure to make the decision came from rabbis.
Last year, during his early days in office, President Rivlin visited schoolchildren at the start of the school year in the city of Beit Shemesh, saying: "I came to Beit Shemesh at the start of the year amid controversy overwhether the year starts at the first of Elul or the first of September, out of an understanding that there is a controversy, but this city is one city, and it's time that these disagreements be smoothed out". A haredi source at the Jerusalem municipality stated that the school canceled President Rivlin's visit because they consider him an unwanted personality.
The president's office said it the statement unfortunate and only hoped the school's lessons on loving thy neighbor would be well-attended.
"I regret the Kehilat Ya'akov school's decision," said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. "We've been blessed with a president who's rooted in Jerusam, a true friend of the city who is cinstantly working for unity, and we're honored to host him at any place and in any time within the city of Jerusalem.
"The school's choice does not match our duty, especially these days, to educate our children, of every segment in our society to love their neighbor, accept those who are different, be tolerant, and work to promote closeness," said the mayor.
Jewish Israeli settlers, at dawn on Tuesday, used molotov cocktails in an attempt to set fire to a public park in the northern West Bank village of Qaryut.
Local Palestinian sources said that a number of settlers arrived in three vehicles at 2 am and threw several molotov cocktails into the park before fleeing the scene.
According to Days of Palestine, number of Palestinian youth spotted them and tried to chase them, but the perpetrators sped away in a vehicle. The fire was immediately extinguished. No casualties were reported.
Residents of the nearby village of Beita said that settlers tried to carry out a separate attack there, but locals noticed them and managed to quell the attack.
Settler violence has come under international scrutiny in recent days following a deadly attack on the village of Douma, on July 31, which killed an 18-month-old Palestinian toddler and his father.
The crime sparked international outrage, although many Palestinians have pointed out that settler attacks are common and often go unpunished by Israeli authorities.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 126 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank since the start of this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Palestinian olive groves, along with other agricultural lands and structures, are regularly targeted by Israeli settlers, most often with full complicity and even protection of Israeli soldiers and police.
According to Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, only 1.9 percent of complaints submitted by Palestinians against Israeli settler attacks ever result in a conviction.
Local Palestinian sources said that a number of settlers arrived in three vehicles at 2 am and threw several molotov cocktails into the park before fleeing the scene.
According to Days of Palestine, number of Palestinian youth spotted them and tried to chase them, but the perpetrators sped away in a vehicle. The fire was immediately extinguished. No casualties were reported.
Residents of the nearby village of Beita said that settlers tried to carry out a separate attack there, but locals noticed them and managed to quell the attack.
Settler violence has come under international scrutiny in recent days following a deadly attack on the village of Douma, on July 31, which killed an 18-month-old Palestinian toddler and his father.
The crime sparked international outrage, although many Palestinians have pointed out that settler attacks are common and often go unpunished by Israeli authorities.
Israeli settlers have carried out at least 126 attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank since the start of this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Palestinian olive groves, along with other agricultural lands and structures, are regularly targeted by Israeli settlers, most often with full complicity and even protection of Israeli soldiers and police.
According to Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, only 1.9 percent of complaints submitted by Palestinians against Israeli settler attacks ever result in a conviction.
Israel police questioned and freed, on Tuesday, a Jewish extremist leader who condoned torching churches amid an uproar over recent attacks carried out by Israeli settlers, including the deadly firebombing of a Palestinian home.
Benzi Gopstein, who heads far-right group Lehava, has not been linked to any recent attacks, but his comments regarding churches came at a time of heightened sensitivity over Jewish extremism and drew outrage from Roman Catholic officials.
Israeli police spokesperson Luba Samri said Gopstein had been called in for questioning "about his comments regarding the burning of churches."
He was later allowed to go free, she added.
During a debate with religious students last week, Gopstein defended the idea of burning churches, reportedly invoking a medieval Jewish commandment to destroy places of idol-worship, according to a widely broadcast recording of the event.
A formal complaint to Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein was later filed by the body in charge of Catholic properties in the Holy Land.
In a letter seen by AFP Monday, the Custodian of the Holy Land called for Gopstein to be prosecuted and for Lehava to be outlawed.
"To our utter dismay, recent years have witnessed an alarming and frightening increase in violent attacks against Christians, Christianity and Christian institutions in Israel," the letter said, denouncing an "atmosphere of de facto impunity," the letter read.
Gopstein's lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir, speaking on public radio, said "our client has been summoned to interrogation in the wake of pressure from the Vatican."
"I ask myself what the next step will be. Will the pope decide to file charges?"
Gopstein, who lives in the flashpoint occupied West Bank city of Hebron, has previously faced police questioning. He was one of 10 Lehava members detained last year over an arson attack on a mixed Jewish and Palestinian school in Jerusalem.
Lehava claims to fight for Jewish identity, in particular by opposing marriages between Jews and non-Jews. Gopstein's summons Tuesday followed attacks, attributed to Jewish extremists, on Palestinians and Christian holy sites in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
A Palestinian 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha was burned alive and his father was fatally injured when alleged Jewish extremists firebombed their home at the end of last month.
Hours earlier, an ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed six people at a Gay Pride march in Jerusalem, mortally wounding a 16-year-old girl.
On June 18, an arson attack occurred at a shrine on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel where Jesus is believed to have performed the miracle of loaves and fishes.
While Israeli prosecutors have charged three Israeli extremists in the Sea of Galilea arson attack, officials reported Monday that all suspects detained in a probe into the deadly attack on the Dawabsha home had been released.
The suspects had been detained during raids in Jewish outposts nearby the family's village.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelled the arson attack as "terrorism" and pledged to use all legal means to track down the perpetrators, critics argue the legal system is not capable of properly prosecuting Israeli settlers.
Palestinian leadership and rights groups say that Israeli government policies -- including support for settlement expansion and frequent impunity for settlers -- allow such attacks to take place.
Head of far-right group under police investigation
Bentzi Gopstein, chairman of radical anti-assimilation group Lehava, drew law enforcement's attention after recent recording in which he said church arson was legitimate under Jewish law.
Police have been investigating the chairman of the far-right Lehava group, Bentzi Gopstein, for possible incitement, Judea and Samaria District Police said Tuesday.
According to the police department's spokesman, Gopstein was summoned for questioning at the division for nationalistic crimes, where he was asked about his statements about church arsons.
Gopstein's lawyer said the police had submitted to the will of the Vatican, which on Monday called on Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to indict Gopstein.
Just last week, Gopstein was recorded at a haredi panel saying that burning churches was legitimate under Jewish law.
"Do you support burning churches in Israel, yes or no?" by Benny Rabinowitz, a writer for the ultra-Orthodox daily newspaper Yated Ne'eman, Gopstein replied that Maimonedes had ruled that churches should be burned. "Are you for Maimonides or against him?" he asked, rhetorically.
The debate occurred about a month after an arson attack caused extensive damage to the interior and exterior of the Church of Loaves and Fish on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in June. Hebrew graffiti was found at the scene that denounced the worship of idols. Gopstein's statements at the debate shocked many attendees. Rabbi Moshe Klein told Gopstein, "You are on camera and being recorded. If this lands in the hands of the police, you will be arrested." Gopstein answered, "That’s the last thing that worries me. I'm willing to sit in prison for 50 years the truth."
Immediately after the meeting, Rabinowitz exposed Gopstein's remarks on Twitter, igniting a social media frenzy.
Gopstein denied the report, saying he was merely quoting Maimonides as a part of a theoretical debate over Jewish law.
Benzi Gopstein, who heads far-right group Lehava, has not been linked to any recent attacks, but his comments regarding churches came at a time of heightened sensitivity over Jewish extremism and drew outrage from Roman Catholic officials.
Israeli police spokesperson Luba Samri said Gopstein had been called in for questioning "about his comments regarding the burning of churches."
He was later allowed to go free, she added.
During a debate with religious students last week, Gopstein defended the idea of burning churches, reportedly invoking a medieval Jewish commandment to destroy places of idol-worship, according to a widely broadcast recording of the event.
A formal complaint to Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein was later filed by the body in charge of Catholic properties in the Holy Land.
In a letter seen by AFP Monday, the Custodian of the Holy Land called for Gopstein to be prosecuted and for Lehava to be outlawed.
"To our utter dismay, recent years have witnessed an alarming and frightening increase in violent attacks against Christians, Christianity and Christian institutions in Israel," the letter said, denouncing an "atmosphere of de facto impunity," the letter read.
Gopstein's lawyer Itamar Ben Gvir, speaking on public radio, said "our client has been summoned to interrogation in the wake of pressure from the Vatican."
"I ask myself what the next step will be. Will the pope decide to file charges?"
Gopstein, who lives in the flashpoint occupied West Bank city of Hebron, has previously faced police questioning. He was one of 10 Lehava members detained last year over an arson attack on a mixed Jewish and Palestinian school in Jerusalem.
Lehava claims to fight for Jewish identity, in particular by opposing marriages between Jews and non-Jews. Gopstein's summons Tuesday followed attacks, attributed to Jewish extremists, on Palestinians and Christian holy sites in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
A Palestinian 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha was burned alive and his father was fatally injured when alleged Jewish extremists firebombed their home at the end of last month.
Hours earlier, an ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed six people at a Gay Pride march in Jerusalem, mortally wounding a 16-year-old girl.
On June 18, an arson attack occurred at a shrine on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel where Jesus is believed to have performed the miracle of loaves and fishes.
While Israeli prosecutors have charged three Israeli extremists in the Sea of Galilea arson attack, officials reported Monday that all suspects detained in a probe into the deadly attack on the Dawabsha home had been released.
The suspects had been detained during raids in Jewish outposts nearby the family's village.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelled the arson attack as "terrorism" and pledged to use all legal means to track down the perpetrators, critics argue the legal system is not capable of properly prosecuting Israeli settlers.
Palestinian leadership and rights groups say that Israeli government policies -- including support for settlement expansion and frequent impunity for settlers -- allow such attacks to take place.
Head of far-right group under police investigation
Bentzi Gopstein, chairman of radical anti-assimilation group Lehava, drew law enforcement's attention after recent recording in which he said church arson was legitimate under Jewish law.
Police have been investigating the chairman of the far-right Lehava group, Bentzi Gopstein, for possible incitement, Judea and Samaria District Police said Tuesday.
According to the police department's spokesman, Gopstein was summoned for questioning at the division for nationalistic crimes, where he was asked about his statements about church arsons.
Gopstein's lawyer said the police had submitted to the will of the Vatican, which on Monday called on Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to indict Gopstein.
Just last week, Gopstein was recorded at a haredi panel saying that burning churches was legitimate under Jewish law.
"Do you support burning churches in Israel, yes or no?" by Benny Rabinowitz, a writer for the ultra-Orthodox daily newspaper Yated Ne'eman, Gopstein replied that Maimonedes had ruled that churches should be burned. "Are you for Maimonides or against him?" he asked, rhetorically.
The debate occurred about a month after an arson attack caused extensive damage to the interior and exterior of the Church of Loaves and Fish on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in June. Hebrew graffiti was found at the scene that denounced the worship of idols. Gopstein's statements at the debate shocked many attendees. Rabbi Moshe Klein told Gopstein, "You are on camera and being recorded. If this lands in the hands of the police, you will be arrested." Gopstein answered, "That’s the last thing that worries me. I'm willing to sit in prison for 50 years the truth."
Immediately after the meeting, Rabinowitz exposed Gopstein's remarks on Twitter, igniting a social media frenzy.
Gopstein denied the report, saying he was merely quoting Maimonides as a part of a theoretical debate over Jewish law.