29 aug 2015
Orthodox Archbishop Atallah Hanna was among a number of political and religious leaders to take part in a march Saturday protesting the purchase, by Israeli settlers, of a Christian church compound in the southern occupied West Bank.
The 38-dunam (9.3 acre) compound, known as Beit al-Baraka, is located to the north of al-Arrub refugee camp in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, according to Ma'an.
An investigative report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz in May alleged that an American millionaire, Irving Moskowitz, purchased the site through a Swedish company in 2012 with the intention of turning it into a settlement outpost.
Popular resistance committees organized Saturday's march, which was attended by political figures including MP Fayez al-Saqqa and Fatah spokesperson Osama al-Qawasma, in addition to well-known Palestinian popular resistance activists and religious leaders.
The protesters performed a mass prayer led by Attalah Hanna, the archbishop of the Sebastian Greek Orthodox Church, and Father George Awad.
Awad urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to support Beit al-Baraka in its battle against Israeli violations.
Participants said that Israeli forces suppressed the march and prevented them from reaching the church compound.
It was reported in June that Israeli authorities prevented Archbishop Hanna from taking part in another march at the church compound by summoning him to the Russian Compound detention center in Jerusalem.
Haaretz's investigation earlier this year alleged that a Swedish company established in 2007 had been used to cover up the sale and transfer of Beit al-Baraka in 2012 to a settler organization funded by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz.
A pastor who headed the church that previously owned the compound, Keith Coleman, told Haaretz he thought it had been sold to a Swedish company called Scandinavian Seamen Holy Land Enterprises in March 2008 that would revive its use as a church.
Haaretz discovered however that, "the Swedish group was established in Stockholm in 2007, and seems to have been used as a cover for transferring the ownership of the compound to the settlers. The group does not seem to have any offices."
The Swedish company registered the purchase with the Israeli Civil Administration in 2012.
The company was then dissolved, with ownership handed over to an American nonprofit organization, American Friends of the Everest Foundation, funded by Irving Moskowitz and working towards the eventual "Judaization" of occupied East Jerusalem.
The church lies in a sensitive location, which when settled, will see Israeli settlements stretch all the way from the Gush Etzion settler block south of Jerusalem to the cluster of settlements around Hebron.
There are more than 500,000 Israelis living in illegal settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The 38-dunam (9.3 acre) compound, known as Beit al-Baraka, is located to the north of al-Arrub refugee camp in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, according to Ma'an.
An investigative report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz in May alleged that an American millionaire, Irving Moskowitz, purchased the site through a Swedish company in 2012 with the intention of turning it into a settlement outpost.
Popular resistance committees organized Saturday's march, which was attended by political figures including MP Fayez al-Saqqa and Fatah spokesperson Osama al-Qawasma, in addition to well-known Palestinian popular resistance activists and religious leaders.
The protesters performed a mass prayer led by Attalah Hanna, the archbishop of the Sebastian Greek Orthodox Church, and Father George Awad.
Awad urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to support Beit al-Baraka in its battle against Israeli violations.
Participants said that Israeli forces suppressed the march and prevented them from reaching the church compound.
It was reported in June that Israeli authorities prevented Archbishop Hanna from taking part in another march at the church compound by summoning him to the Russian Compound detention center in Jerusalem.
Haaretz's investigation earlier this year alleged that a Swedish company established in 2007 had been used to cover up the sale and transfer of Beit al-Baraka in 2012 to a settler organization funded by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz.
A pastor who headed the church that previously owned the compound, Keith Coleman, told Haaretz he thought it had been sold to a Swedish company called Scandinavian Seamen Holy Land Enterprises in March 2008 that would revive its use as a church.
Haaretz discovered however that, "the Swedish group was established in Stockholm in 2007, and seems to have been used as a cover for transferring the ownership of the compound to the settlers. The group does not seem to have any offices."
The Swedish company registered the purchase with the Israeli Civil Administration in 2012.
The company was then dissolved, with ownership handed over to an American nonprofit organization, American Friends of the Everest Foundation, funded by Irving Moskowitz and working towards the eventual "Judaization" of occupied East Jerusalem.
The church lies in a sensitive location, which when settled, will see Israeli settlements stretch all the way from the Gush Etzion settler block south of Jerusalem to the cluster of settlements around Hebron.
There are more than 500,000 Israelis living in illegal settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
28 aug 2015
Protesters marched following Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in condemnation of “dangerous Israeli escalations" at the holy site, locals said.
Protesters held signs reading “Al-Aqsa is a symbol of our religion," and "We support Al-Aqsa with our souls and blood,” witnesses said, according to Ma'an News Agency.
Demonstrators condemned ongoing restrictions at the holy site on Friday, which locals said include restricted accessfor women and youths, the holding of ID cards of elderly men who have been allowed entry, closing the gates of the mosque and setting up barricades, allowing Jewish worshipers to tour the site, and assaulting Muslim worshipers at the entry gates.
During the march, protesters also called upon Islamic and Arab countries to start “serious work and action” to prevent dividing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to intervene before "it is too late."
A holy leader at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Salim Mohammad Ali, condemned the alleged Israeli violations at the site.
Following Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967 -- considered illegal under international law -- Israel has maintained a compromise with the Islamic trust that controls the Al-Aqsa compound to not allow non-Muslim prayers in the area.
However, Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the site, leading to tension with Palestinian worshipers.
The third holiest site in Islam, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood.
Protesters held signs reading “Al-Aqsa is a symbol of our religion," and "We support Al-Aqsa with our souls and blood,” witnesses said, according to Ma'an News Agency.
Demonstrators condemned ongoing restrictions at the holy site on Friday, which locals said include restricted accessfor women and youths, the holding of ID cards of elderly men who have been allowed entry, closing the gates of the mosque and setting up barricades, allowing Jewish worshipers to tour the site, and assaulting Muslim worshipers at the entry gates.
During the march, protesters also called upon Islamic and Arab countries to start “serious work and action” to prevent dividing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to intervene before "it is too late."
A holy leader at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Salim Mohammad Ali, condemned the alleged Israeli violations at the site.
Following Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967 -- considered illegal under international law -- Israel has maintained a compromise with the Islamic trust that controls the Al-Aqsa compound to not allow non-Muslim prayers in the area.
However, Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the site, leading to tension with Palestinian worshipers.
The third holiest site in Islam, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood.
A Palestinian journalist was shot and injured with a rubber-coated steel bullet, while another was abducted during clashes which erupted, in Ramallah’s village of Bil'in, between Palestinian locals and the Israeli army, as the latter suppressed the weekly and peaceful anti-settlement demonstration. Injuries were also reported east of Qalqilia.
The popular committee against the separation wall in the village said that journalist Mohammed Basman Yasin was hit with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the foot, while he was covering the event.
According to WAFA correspondence, Israeli forces also took another journalist, identified as Hamza Yasin, into custody. Head of the popular committee, Iyad Birnat, was also taken.
Meanwhile, forces suppressed another peaceful demonstration organized in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, shooting and injuring a child with a rubber-coated bullet in the foot, and causing many others to suffocate due to inhaling tear gas fired at them by the Israeli soldiers.
Many others sustained light injuries after being hit with rubber-coated bullets. They were all treated at the scene.
The soldiers further abducted Palestinian local Mahmoud al-Tamimi, along with an Italian activist.
The popular committee movement in Nabi Saleh said that soldiers attempted to nab a child, who sustained fractures in his arm during an Israeli army’ raid on the village two days ago; forces reportedly beat him, along with other locals. The child was identified as Mohammed Bassim.
Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured with rubber-coated steel bullets, while a youth was shot with live ammunition as Israeli forces quelled the weekly and peaceful anti-settlement demonstration in the village of Kufr Qaddoum, to the east of Qalqilia, according to a local activist.
Coordinator of the popular resistance committee in the village of Kufr Qaddoum, Murab Shtawi, said that Israeli forces violently suppressed demonstrators, who also rallied to protest Israel’s closure of the main road that has connected the village of Kufr Qaddoum with the city of Nablus since 2003, spurring clashes between them.
Forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters and stun grenades at demonstrators, shooting and injuring a youth from Shtawi family with a live bullet in his foot, while dozens others were treated at the scene for rubber bullet injuries. The youth was transferred to hospital for treatment.
Forces also employed the use of chemically treated waste water against demonstrators.
“Before 2003, the residents of Kufr Qaddoum would use a shorter road to the east in order to come and go to nearby cities and villages. However, as the settlements expanded so that they overwhelmed the road, it became closed for Palestinian use, said Addameer Human Rights Association.
The only alternative road is roughly six times longer than the previous route, disrupting the villagers’ ability to attend university, their jobs, and other vital aspects of their economic and social wellbeing, noted Addameer.
“Three Palestinian deaths relating to the road’s closure occurred between 2004 and 2005,” it said.
Although Kufr Qaddoum’s Popular Resistance Committee took their case to the Israeli High Court in 2003, the legal status of the road remains unchanged, stressed Addameer. After all legal appeals failed, villagers decided to organize weekly demonstrations in July 2011, a step that was met with violent suppression by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, extremist settlers, late Thursday night, cut off the electricity supply to the village after they broke the locks of the village’s power distribution station located near the Israeli settlement of Qedumim, built illegally on the village’s land. As a result, the village locals were left without electricity for hours.
The popular committee against the separation wall in the village said that journalist Mohammed Basman Yasin was hit with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the foot, while he was covering the event.
According to WAFA correspondence, Israeli forces also took another journalist, identified as Hamza Yasin, into custody. Head of the popular committee, Iyad Birnat, was also taken.
Meanwhile, forces suppressed another peaceful demonstration organized in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, shooting and injuring a child with a rubber-coated bullet in the foot, and causing many others to suffocate due to inhaling tear gas fired at them by the Israeli soldiers.
Many others sustained light injuries after being hit with rubber-coated bullets. They were all treated at the scene.
The soldiers further abducted Palestinian local Mahmoud al-Tamimi, along with an Italian activist.
The popular committee movement in Nabi Saleh said that soldiers attempted to nab a child, who sustained fractures in his arm during an Israeli army’ raid on the village two days ago; forces reportedly beat him, along with other locals. The child was identified as Mohammed Bassim.
Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured with rubber-coated steel bullets, while a youth was shot with live ammunition as Israeli forces quelled the weekly and peaceful anti-settlement demonstration in the village of Kufr Qaddoum, to the east of Qalqilia, according to a local activist.
Coordinator of the popular resistance committee in the village of Kufr Qaddoum, Murab Shtawi, said that Israeli forces violently suppressed demonstrators, who also rallied to protest Israel’s closure of the main road that has connected the village of Kufr Qaddoum with the city of Nablus since 2003, spurring clashes between them.
Forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas canisters and stun grenades at demonstrators, shooting and injuring a youth from Shtawi family with a live bullet in his foot, while dozens others were treated at the scene for rubber bullet injuries. The youth was transferred to hospital for treatment.
Forces also employed the use of chemically treated waste water against demonstrators.
“Before 2003, the residents of Kufr Qaddoum would use a shorter road to the east in order to come and go to nearby cities and villages. However, as the settlements expanded so that they overwhelmed the road, it became closed for Palestinian use, said Addameer Human Rights Association.
The only alternative road is roughly six times longer than the previous route, disrupting the villagers’ ability to attend university, their jobs, and other vital aspects of their economic and social wellbeing, noted Addameer.
“Three Palestinian deaths relating to the road’s closure occurred between 2004 and 2005,” it said.
Although Kufr Qaddoum’s Popular Resistance Committee took their case to the Israeli High Court in 2003, the legal status of the road remains unchanged, stressed Addameer. After all legal appeals failed, villagers decided to organize weekly demonstrations in July 2011, a step that was met with violent suppression by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, extremist settlers, late Thursday night, cut off the electricity supply to the village after they broke the locks of the village’s power distribution station located near the Israeli settlement of Qedumim, built illegally on the village’s land. As a result, the village locals were left without electricity for hours.
27 aug 2015
Allan's family visit son at Barzilai hospital, 87-26-15.
Israeli forces, Wednesday evening, took into custody three youngsters during clashes between Palestinian youth and Israeli settlers outside the Barzilai Hospital, in Ashkelon, where Mohammad Allan lies in ICU, after ending his recent hunger strike.
Activist Marwan Abu Freeh said that the clashes broke out in front of Allan’s Room in Barzilai, after verbal clashes between the hospital security and Palestinians wanting to visit Allan, including relatives.
After the denial of the visit, clashes broke out between Palestinian youths and Israeli settlers.
Activists also reported that soldiers also took Allan’s brother and two other Palestinians to Ashkelon police station.
Israeli forces, Wednesday evening, took into custody three youngsters during clashes between Palestinian youth and Israeli settlers outside the Barzilai Hospital, in Ashkelon, where Mohammad Allan lies in ICU, after ending his recent hunger strike.
Activist Marwan Abu Freeh said that the clashes broke out in front of Allan’s Room in Barzilai, after verbal clashes between the hospital security and Palestinians wanting to visit Allan, including relatives.
After the denial of the visit, clashes broke out between Palestinian youths and Israeli settlers.
Activists also reported that soldiers also took Allan’s brother and two other Palestinians to Ashkelon police station.
The five-story building, according to the center, consists of 12 apartments. The settlers took control of four floors as one of the Jerusalemite tenants refused to evacuate his apartment.
The five-story building is considered the seventh and biggest settler outpost in Batn al-Hawa. The first one was established in 2005 after Israeli settlers seized a building known as Yonatan. Beit HaDvash (Honey House) was the second settler outpost. Three more outposts were established in 2014 and one in 2015.
The five-story building is considered the seventh and biggest settler outpost in Batn al-Hawa. The first one was established in 2005 after Israeli settlers seized a building known as Yonatan. Beit HaDvash (Honey House) was the second settler outpost. Three more outposts were established in 2014 and one in 2015.
26 aug 2015
580 incidents against both civilians and security forces recorded in June-July 2015, including hundreds of stone and firebomb throwing, as well as desecration of graves on the Mount of Olives.
Jerusalem has seen a sharp increase in violent security incidents, with 580 such incidents against civilians or security forces recorded over the past two months, according to new data released on Tuesday.
The data, gathered by the Construction Ministry, only includes security incidents that occurred in the Old City Basin - the three neighborhoods inside the walls: The Mount of Olives, Silwan and the City of David. The data does not include security incidents that occurred in villages and neighborhoods in East Jerusalem - including Shuafat, Beit Hanina, Isawiya, Jebel Mukabar and others - meaning that the situation in the capital is likely much worse than this data indicates.
During June and July of 2015, 477 incidents of stone-throwing at vehicles were recorded, as well as 28 incidents of Molotov cocktail throwing at Jewish-owned vehicles and homes. Other incidents included hurling of empty glass bottles, firing fireworks and vandalism.
Out of the 359 incidents recorded in June, 213 were in the City of David, 125 were on the Mount of Olives and 21 in the Old City. In addition to throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails, four instances of tombstone desecration occurred on the Mount of Olives, while six Jews were attacked in the Old City (five civilians and one Border Policeman). July saw a decline in incidents, with 108 of the total 221 incidents occurring in the City of David, 92 on the Mount of Olives, and 21 in the Old City. In addition to 170 cases of stone-throwing and 16 of Molotov cocktail throwing, one grave was desecrated, there were four instances of glass bottles being thrown at Jews in the Old City, and there were also several incidents of fireworks being fired at security forces.
Despite the decline noted in July, Jerusalem is still facing a difficult reality, in which not a day goes by without several violent incidents happening in the Old City Basin area. Jerusalem city councilman Aryeh King claimed that the increasing terrorism in the city is happening because the political leadership "ties the hands of security forces." He said police can't respond properly to violent incidents, while the judicial system either releases suspects or gives them lenient punishments. He called on the government to open police stations in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, residents from the Ma'ale ha-Zeitim neighborhood started an organization called "Anti-Terror TV," that aims to document the violent incidents on video and distribute it to increase awareness of the situation in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Police said in response: "We are operating based on a plan that includes the deployment of increased forces, both covert and public activity, the incorporation of special units to conduct arrests and the incorporation of many technological measures against rioting in East Jerusalem, in order to protect the residents of the city and its visitors and increase their security.
"Police operates determinedly, and holds a dialogue with local leaders, which has led to an ongoing decline in stone and firebomb throwing incidents in recent months. Most of the violent incidents are done against security forces due to the friction with rioters in East Jerusalem neighborhoods.
"It's important to stress that despite the ongoing trend of decline, dealing with rioters cannot be done only by police enforcement. The violence is a general problem, and therefore should be handled by police, as well as the judicial system, the prosecution, the municipality, welfare, education and more - persistently and long-term."
Jerusalem has seen a sharp increase in violent security incidents, with 580 such incidents against civilians or security forces recorded over the past two months, according to new data released on Tuesday.
The data, gathered by the Construction Ministry, only includes security incidents that occurred in the Old City Basin - the three neighborhoods inside the walls: The Mount of Olives, Silwan and the City of David. The data does not include security incidents that occurred in villages and neighborhoods in East Jerusalem - including Shuafat, Beit Hanina, Isawiya, Jebel Mukabar and others - meaning that the situation in the capital is likely much worse than this data indicates.
During June and July of 2015, 477 incidents of stone-throwing at vehicles were recorded, as well as 28 incidents of Molotov cocktail throwing at Jewish-owned vehicles and homes. Other incidents included hurling of empty glass bottles, firing fireworks and vandalism.
Out of the 359 incidents recorded in June, 213 were in the City of David, 125 were on the Mount of Olives and 21 in the Old City. In addition to throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails, four instances of tombstone desecration occurred on the Mount of Olives, while six Jews were attacked in the Old City (five civilians and one Border Policeman). July saw a decline in incidents, with 108 of the total 221 incidents occurring in the City of David, 92 on the Mount of Olives, and 21 in the Old City. In addition to 170 cases of stone-throwing and 16 of Molotov cocktail throwing, one grave was desecrated, there were four instances of glass bottles being thrown at Jews in the Old City, and there were also several incidents of fireworks being fired at security forces.
Despite the decline noted in July, Jerusalem is still facing a difficult reality, in which not a day goes by without several violent incidents happening in the Old City Basin area. Jerusalem city councilman Aryeh King claimed that the increasing terrorism in the city is happening because the political leadership "ties the hands of security forces." He said police can't respond properly to violent incidents, while the judicial system either releases suspects or gives them lenient punishments. He called on the government to open police stations in the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, residents from the Ma'ale ha-Zeitim neighborhood started an organization called "Anti-Terror TV," that aims to document the violent incidents on video and distribute it to increase awareness of the situation in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Police said in response: "We are operating based on a plan that includes the deployment of increased forces, both covert and public activity, the incorporation of special units to conduct arrests and the incorporation of many technological measures against rioting in East Jerusalem, in order to protect the residents of the city and its visitors and increase their security.
"Police operates determinedly, and holds a dialogue with local leaders, which has led to an ongoing decline in stone and firebomb throwing incidents in recent months. Most of the violent incidents are done against security forces due to the friction with rioters in East Jerusalem neighborhoods.
"It's important to stress that despite the ongoing trend of decline, dealing with rioters cannot be done only by police enforcement. The violence is a general problem, and therefore should be handled by police, as well as the judicial system, the prosecution, the municipality, welfare, education and more - persistently and long-term."
Palestinian residents of the Old City, in occupied East Jerusalem, clashed with Israeli forces on Tuesday, as settlers began construction work on a new door for a synagogue, locals said.
Activist Alaa al-Haddad told Ma'an News Agency that Jewish settlers in the Old City tore down a brick wall and began building a door for synagogue which leads directly into a private alley belonging to the Awad family.
"After the wall had been torn down, it was revealed that the settlers had already prepared a new wall with a steel door already installed behind the brick wall," he said.
Palestinian residents say that the new door will affect access to their homes and impose restrictions on their freedom to move in the area.
Scuffles broke out with Israeli police at the scene, who reportedly threatened to use tasers on the residents.
East Jerusalem was occupied by Israel in 1967 in a move never recognized by the international community, and four decades of Israeli policy in the area have neglected the Palestinian community while fostering the growth of Jewish settlements.
Activist Alaa al-Haddad told Ma'an News Agency that Jewish settlers in the Old City tore down a brick wall and began building a door for synagogue which leads directly into a private alley belonging to the Awad family.
"After the wall had been torn down, it was revealed that the settlers had already prepared a new wall with a steel door already installed behind the brick wall," he said.
Palestinian residents say that the new door will affect access to their homes and impose restrictions on their freedom to move in the area.
Scuffles broke out with Israeli police at the scene, who reportedly threatened to use tasers on the residents.
East Jerusalem was occupied by Israel in 1967 in a move never recognized by the international community, and four decades of Israeli policy in the area have neglected the Palestinian community while fostering the growth of Jewish settlements.
Israeli media outlets on Tuesday claimed that the occupation army had thwarted a planned attack on Jews praying at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.
According to the Shin Bet, which nabbed the four members of the cell in conjunction with the Israeli occupation forces, the alleged attackers were directed and provided arms by an Islamic Jihad operative in the Gaza Strip.
During the interrogation, the captives admitted their intention to carry out the alleged attack at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, Shin Bet further claimed.
Shin Bet further alleged that the four nabbed members are affiliated with different Palestinian resistance factions.
According to a PIC’s expert in Israeli affairs, the version propagated by Israeli media is not only paradoxical but is also at odds with facts on the ground for at least a couple of reasons; one of them is that it is difficult, almost impossible, to have more than one faction operating in the same resistance cell.
Another reason why the Israeli version is inconsistent with reality has to do with the nature of the ethics adopted by the Palestinian resistance factions themselves for none of them ever attempted to attack worshipers in a holy place of worship.
In addition, the fact that such allegedly secret data were released for publication is a proof that Shin Bet attempts to incite against the Palestinian people and inflame antagonism perpetrated by such Israeli terror gangs as the price tag, who have been torching synagogues, mosques, and civilian homes to irrigate the germs of their thirst for aggression and sadism.
According to the Shin Bet, which nabbed the four members of the cell in conjunction with the Israeli occupation forces, the alleged attackers were directed and provided arms by an Islamic Jihad operative in the Gaza Strip.
During the interrogation, the captives admitted their intention to carry out the alleged attack at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, Shin Bet further claimed.
Shin Bet further alleged that the four nabbed members are affiliated with different Palestinian resistance factions.
According to a PIC’s expert in Israeli affairs, the version propagated by Israeli media is not only paradoxical but is also at odds with facts on the ground for at least a couple of reasons; one of them is that it is difficult, almost impossible, to have more than one faction operating in the same resistance cell.
Another reason why the Israeli version is inconsistent with reality has to do with the nature of the ethics adopted by the Palestinian resistance factions themselves for none of them ever attempted to attack worshipers in a holy place of worship.
In addition, the fact that such allegedly secret data were released for publication is a proof that Shin Bet attempts to incite against the Palestinian people and inflame antagonism perpetrated by such Israeli terror gangs as the price tag, who have been torching synagogues, mosques, and civilian homes to irrigate the germs of their thirst for aggression and sadism.
25 aug 2015
Mahmoud Rabaiya arrested for staying in Israel illegally, while the Israelis he says beat him with clubs are still free.
A Palestinian claims he was attacked by Israelis in Netanya, but police has arrested him and not his alleged attackers.
Mahmoud Rabaiya, 19 from Jenin, entered Israel illegally and was staying in Netanya. He told police that Israeli civilians who noticed him two days earlier had attacked him, beat him with clubs and seriously wounded him, making him lose consciousness for a short while.
Rabaiya was able to escape his attackers and enter a nearby house to call for help. The woman who lived there saw that he was wounded and bleeding and called the police.
He was taken to the hospital for treatment, where he required stitches for his head injuries.
After receiving treatment, Rabaiya was arrested for illegally staying in Israel and trespassing because he entered the woman's house uninvited. His was stilled dressed in his bloodied clothes on Monday when he was brought for a remand hearing at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court.
A police representative confirmed during the court hearing that Rabaiya was assaulted by civilians who were not in custody, and claimed that police wanted to extend his remand partly in order to investigate the attack.
Rabaiya's lawyer claimed that the attack was "a hate crime, he was attacked only because he is an Arab." "Unfortunately, it's a handful of racist people who did this to hurt an innocent man, who did not do anything to harm them.
They did this solely due to the fact he is an Arab and not a Jew. This is a very serious hate crime. A crime I loathe and so should the court and the police."
The lawyer demanded to know why the police chose to arrest Rabaiya instead of expelling him back to the Palestinian Authority, as is common in cases of Palestinians staying illegally in Israel, and why it did not open an investigation into the attack, which he said was nationalistically motivated.
Judge Eldad Nevo determined that Rabaiya only entered the woman's house because he was escaping his attackers, and rejected the charge of trespassing. He also recommended that police investigate Rabaiya's attackers.
Rabaiya's remand was extended by two days.
A Palestinian claims he was attacked by Israelis in Netanya, but police has arrested him and not his alleged attackers.
Mahmoud Rabaiya, 19 from Jenin, entered Israel illegally and was staying in Netanya. He told police that Israeli civilians who noticed him two days earlier had attacked him, beat him with clubs and seriously wounded him, making him lose consciousness for a short while.
Rabaiya was able to escape his attackers and enter a nearby house to call for help. The woman who lived there saw that he was wounded and bleeding and called the police.
He was taken to the hospital for treatment, where he required stitches for his head injuries.
After receiving treatment, Rabaiya was arrested for illegally staying in Israel and trespassing because he entered the woman's house uninvited. His was stilled dressed in his bloodied clothes on Monday when he was brought for a remand hearing at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court.
A police representative confirmed during the court hearing that Rabaiya was assaulted by civilians who were not in custody, and claimed that police wanted to extend his remand partly in order to investigate the attack.
Rabaiya's lawyer claimed that the attack was "a hate crime, he was attacked only because he is an Arab." "Unfortunately, it's a handful of racist people who did this to hurt an innocent man, who did not do anything to harm them.
They did this solely due to the fact he is an Arab and not a Jew. This is a very serious hate crime. A crime I loathe and so should the court and the police."
The lawyer demanded to know why the police chose to arrest Rabaiya instead of expelling him back to the Palestinian Authority, as is common in cases of Palestinians staying illegally in Israel, and why it did not open an investigation into the attack, which he said was nationalistically motivated.
Judge Eldad Nevo determined that Rabaiya only entered the woman's house because he was escaping his attackers, and rejected the charge of trespassing. He also recommended that police investigate Rabaiya's attackers.
Rabaiya's remand was extended by two days.
President makes remarks in meeting with settler leaders in the wake of harsh criticism leveled at him during the aftermath of the Duma attack.
President Reuven Rivlin said during talks with settler leaders on Monday that Israel had a "right" to build settlements in the West Bank, his office said in a statement.
"I love the land of Israel with all my heart. I have never and will never give up on this land. For me, our right to this land is not a matter of political debate. It is a basic fact of modern Zionism," Rivlin said,
For Rivlin the "land of Israel" includes the West Bank, where Jewish settlements are considered illegal under international law.
"We must not give anyone the sense that we are in any doubt about our right to our land. For me, the settlement of the land of Israel is an expression of that right, our historical right, our national right," Rivlin said.
"I have no doubt that it is clear to all of us, that in order to realize the ultimate goal of building the land of Israel, we must be sure to do so only with the use of the legal tools available to us. Our sovereignty in this land, means responsibility for all those who live here, and obliges all of us to uphold the strictest of moral codes, which is inherent in each and every one of us," the president continued.
His comments come at a time of heightened tension between Israel and the Palestinians following the death in July of a Palestinian toddler and his father in an arson attack on their home.
In the wake of the firebombing in the West Bank village of Duma, three alleged Jewish extremists were placed in administrative detention.
On Sunday, the Shin Bet domestic security agency said the deadly attack had "emanated" from a wildcat Jewish settlement outpost near Duma.
The agency said "restraining orders" restricting the movement of 10 activists had been issued as a result.
Rivlin condemned "Jewish terrorism" after the July arson attack in a post on Facebook, which was later followed by death threats against him.
President Reuven Rivlin said during talks with settler leaders on Monday that Israel had a "right" to build settlements in the West Bank, his office said in a statement.
"I love the land of Israel with all my heart. I have never and will never give up on this land. For me, our right to this land is not a matter of political debate. It is a basic fact of modern Zionism," Rivlin said,
For Rivlin the "land of Israel" includes the West Bank, where Jewish settlements are considered illegal under international law.
"We must not give anyone the sense that we are in any doubt about our right to our land. For me, the settlement of the land of Israel is an expression of that right, our historical right, our national right," Rivlin said.
"I have no doubt that it is clear to all of us, that in order to realize the ultimate goal of building the land of Israel, we must be sure to do so only with the use of the legal tools available to us. Our sovereignty in this land, means responsibility for all those who live here, and obliges all of us to uphold the strictest of moral codes, which is inherent in each and every one of us," the president continued.
His comments come at a time of heightened tension between Israel and the Palestinians following the death in July of a Palestinian toddler and his father in an arson attack on their home.
In the wake of the firebombing in the West Bank village of Duma, three alleged Jewish extremists were placed in administrative detention.
On Sunday, the Shin Bet domestic security agency said the deadly attack had "emanated" from a wildcat Jewish settlement outpost near Duma.
The agency said "restraining orders" restricting the movement of 10 activists had been issued as a result.
Rivlin condemned "Jewish terrorism" after the July arson attack in a post on Facebook, which was later followed by death threats against him.
40 leading organizations Brazil as well as some members of parliament are calling for a unilateral rejection of the appointment of former Yesha leader Dani Dayan as Israel's ambassador to the South American nation.
Forty leading organizations in Brazil have signed a petition condemning Israel's decision to appoint Dani Dayan, the former head of the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council, to the position of ambassador in Brazil.
The petition, which declares the selection of Dayan as ambassador as a "violation of the international legitimacy and sovereignty of Brazil," was sent to Brazil's president with the demand to reject, demanding that the government reject Dayan's appointment.
A few members of the Brazilian parliament have joined the condemnations and described the step as a challenge to Brazilian sovereignty and the country's official diplomatic positions – which view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law. The members of parliament labeled the appointment as an "attack on Brazilian diplomacy."
According to diplomatic protocols, after the Israeli government officially confirms Dayan's appointment, it will send the Brazilian government a request to approve the appointment as well.
Theoretically the Brazilian government reserves the right to reject the appointment; however this would be seen as a very unusual move, which is only reserved for the most extreme cases in which an appointment harms the host nation's national interest.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Dayan's appointment a mere three weeks ago.
Brazil, a large South American nation with a population of 200 million, is the seventh largest economy in the world. Israel views the creation of strong economic and trade ties with South America, and Brazilian markets specifically, as of the upmost importance. The country is also home to a growing population of over 40 million Evangelical Christians who support Israel. Dayan, 59, served as the head of the Yesha council in the years 2007-2013, and dealt with hasbara activities in Israel and abroad on a daily basis.
Officials in the Foreign Ministry responded to the petition saying: "We have no doubt that at the end of the process, including the Israeli government's official approval of the appointment, and the request for confirmation from the Brazilian government, Dayan will usher stronger ties between the countries. His appointment expresses the special importance Israel places on its relations with its friend Brazil."
Forty leading organizations in Brazil have signed a petition condemning Israel's decision to appoint Dani Dayan, the former head of the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council, to the position of ambassador in Brazil.
The petition, which declares the selection of Dayan as ambassador as a "violation of the international legitimacy and sovereignty of Brazil," was sent to Brazil's president with the demand to reject, demanding that the government reject Dayan's appointment.
A few members of the Brazilian parliament have joined the condemnations and described the step as a challenge to Brazilian sovereignty and the country's official diplomatic positions – which view Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law. The members of parliament labeled the appointment as an "attack on Brazilian diplomacy."
According to diplomatic protocols, after the Israeli government officially confirms Dayan's appointment, it will send the Brazilian government a request to approve the appointment as well.
Theoretically the Brazilian government reserves the right to reject the appointment; however this would be seen as a very unusual move, which is only reserved for the most extreme cases in which an appointment harms the host nation's national interest.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Dayan's appointment a mere three weeks ago.
Brazil, a large South American nation with a population of 200 million, is the seventh largest economy in the world. Israel views the creation of strong economic and trade ties with South America, and Brazilian markets specifically, as of the upmost importance. The country is also home to a growing population of over 40 million Evangelical Christians who support Israel. Dayan, 59, served as the head of the Yesha council in the years 2007-2013, and dealt with hasbara activities in Israel and abroad on a daily basis.
Officials in the Foreign Ministry responded to the petition saying: "We have no doubt that at the end of the process, including the Israeli government's official approval of the appointment, and the request for confirmation from the Brazilian government, Dayan will usher stronger ties between the countries. His appointment expresses the special importance Israel places on its relations with its friend Brazil."
A horde of Israeli settlers stormed on Tuesday morning the plazas of Muslims’ holy al-Aqsa Mosque via the Maghareba Gate under police escort.
The setters have come down heavily on the non-violent Muslim worshipers and sit-inners who have been maintaining vigil at the Mosque.
The Israeli settlers attended zealous sermons on the history of the alleged temple mount.
The Muslim sit-inners kept chanting “Allah the Greatest” in protest at the desecration break-in.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police cracked down on the Palestinian women and students, denying them the right to enter the Mosque to perform their prayers.
The Israeli officers further ordered the male Muslim worshipers to leave the Mosque in 30 minutes’ time so as to set the stage for their abduction under the pretext of obstructing police work.
The Israeli occupation forces also barred Muslim girls from attending their religious classes at al-Aqsa.
The setters have come down heavily on the non-violent Muslim worshipers and sit-inners who have been maintaining vigil at the Mosque.
The Israeli settlers attended zealous sermons on the history of the alleged temple mount.
The Muslim sit-inners kept chanting “Allah the Greatest” in protest at the desecration break-in.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation police cracked down on the Palestinian women and students, denying them the right to enter the Mosque to perform their prayers.
The Israeli officers further ordered the male Muslim worshipers to leave the Mosque in 30 minutes’ time so as to set the stage for their abduction under the pretext of obstructing police work.
The Israeli occupation forces also barred Muslim girls from attending their religious classes at al-Aqsa.