29 july 2015
By Khalid Amayreh in Occupied Palestine
I was not surprised a bit when a Jewish settler woman in Jerusalem this week bad-mouthed the Prophet of Islam. Talmudic education is completely void of any modicum of respect for the religious symbols of other faiths and traditions.
Contempt for other faiths is intrinsic to and characteristic of Talmudic traditions. Even today, this contempt is rife in the curricula of Talmudic seminaries throughout Israel where non-Jews in general are demonized and not recognized as bona-fide humans.
We all remember the late religious mentor of Haredi Jews Ovadia Yosef who a few years before his death described all non-Jews as mere "donkeys" which he said the Almighty created so that they serve the master race, the Chosen people, the Jews.!!!
To be sure, not everything written in the Talmud is irredeemably evil. However, no honest student of the Talmud, the ultimate book of reference for Orthodox Judaism, can deny the vast body of literature which can be described as decidedly evil.
This is not anti-Semitism. This is telling the truth.
A Muslim is offended and pained upon hearing epithets being hurled at the greatest man to ever walk on earth as far Muslims are concerned.
But Muslims shouldn't allow themselves to be provoked by these racist thugs who claim to follow the Torah of Moses when in fact they are following the Bible of Satan.
A few years ago, I was shocked when a particularly "enlightened" rabbi, with whom I was discussing the prospects of peace in the region, referred to Jesus as "The Hitler of Bethlehem." See my article: the Hitler of Bethlehem.
I reasoned that if an enlightened rabbi was capable of calling Jesus, the Word of God and one of His greatest messengers, the Hitler of Bethlehem, one could imagine the satanic mindsets of other "un-enlightened" rabbis.
I realize that many Christians would be shocked upon learning how Jesus is portrayed in Jewish religious literature, especially the Talmud.
But there are many other Christians who would still grovel at Israel's feet, irrespective of how much Jews insult Jesus. These are the type of people whom Jesus described as "having eyes but they see not, and having ears, but they hear not, nor do they understand."
Jewish apologists use many tactics to try to distract attention away from scandalous Talmudic literatures such as the brashly anti-Christian text known as Chesronot Shas.
Such tactics include claims that the translation from Aramaic is not accurate and many of the scandalous texts are actually deliberately misinterpreted by anti-Semites.
However, an objective examination of Talmudic texts does reveal widespread demonizing of Jesus and Christianity.
Here are some examples of how Talmudic texts view Jesus and his mother:
• Mary committed adultery with a Roman soldier, and Jesus was the illegitimate child of that adulterous relationship.
• Jesus committed apostasy and blasphemes and had to be killed.
• Jesus is now in hell boiling in a cauldron of human semen.
• Whenever the name Jesus is mentioned, a Jew should say the following "May his name be damned, and his memory erased."
• When a Jew passes by a Church, he or she should spit towards it seven times.
The purpose of this article is not really to make non-Jews, especially Christians and Muslims, hate Jews. Anti-Semitism is inherently unacceptable.
However, Jews, who I recognize are not carbon copies of each other, should realize that the weapon of hate they now train at Muslims and their prophet can be turned against them at any moment.
I also know that many Zionist Jews would love to see a surge of anti-Semitism in Europe and North America as this would force more Jews to immigrate to Israel and fulfill Zionism. These people have little to do with true Judaism. Their true God is not the God of Israel (Jacob), but power and money.
Yes, Palestinians and others are direct victims of the brutal ugliness of this hateful, satanic mentality.
But Jews themselves and Judaism are also amongst the ultimate victims of this evil ideology which actually represents the anti-thesis of authentic Judaism.
After all, Zionism has transformed many Jews into perpetual liars, irredeemable criminals and land thieves in utter violation of the Ten Commandments.
Khalid Amayreh is a veteran journalist and current affairs political commentator living in Occupied Palestine.
I was not surprised a bit when a Jewish settler woman in Jerusalem this week bad-mouthed the Prophet of Islam. Talmudic education is completely void of any modicum of respect for the religious symbols of other faiths and traditions.
Contempt for other faiths is intrinsic to and characteristic of Talmudic traditions. Even today, this contempt is rife in the curricula of Talmudic seminaries throughout Israel where non-Jews in general are demonized and not recognized as bona-fide humans.
We all remember the late religious mentor of Haredi Jews Ovadia Yosef who a few years before his death described all non-Jews as mere "donkeys" which he said the Almighty created so that they serve the master race, the Chosen people, the Jews.!!!
To be sure, not everything written in the Talmud is irredeemably evil. However, no honest student of the Talmud, the ultimate book of reference for Orthodox Judaism, can deny the vast body of literature which can be described as decidedly evil.
This is not anti-Semitism. This is telling the truth.
A Muslim is offended and pained upon hearing epithets being hurled at the greatest man to ever walk on earth as far Muslims are concerned.
But Muslims shouldn't allow themselves to be provoked by these racist thugs who claim to follow the Torah of Moses when in fact they are following the Bible of Satan.
A few years ago, I was shocked when a particularly "enlightened" rabbi, with whom I was discussing the prospects of peace in the region, referred to Jesus as "The Hitler of Bethlehem." See my article: the Hitler of Bethlehem.
I reasoned that if an enlightened rabbi was capable of calling Jesus, the Word of God and one of His greatest messengers, the Hitler of Bethlehem, one could imagine the satanic mindsets of other "un-enlightened" rabbis.
I realize that many Christians would be shocked upon learning how Jesus is portrayed in Jewish religious literature, especially the Talmud.
But there are many other Christians who would still grovel at Israel's feet, irrespective of how much Jews insult Jesus. These are the type of people whom Jesus described as "having eyes but they see not, and having ears, but they hear not, nor do they understand."
Jewish apologists use many tactics to try to distract attention away from scandalous Talmudic literatures such as the brashly anti-Christian text known as Chesronot Shas.
Such tactics include claims that the translation from Aramaic is not accurate and many of the scandalous texts are actually deliberately misinterpreted by anti-Semites.
However, an objective examination of Talmudic texts does reveal widespread demonizing of Jesus and Christianity.
Here are some examples of how Talmudic texts view Jesus and his mother:
• Mary committed adultery with a Roman soldier, and Jesus was the illegitimate child of that adulterous relationship.
• Jesus committed apostasy and blasphemes and had to be killed.
• Jesus is now in hell boiling in a cauldron of human semen.
• Whenever the name Jesus is mentioned, a Jew should say the following "May his name be damned, and his memory erased."
• When a Jew passes by a Church, he or she should spit towards it seven times.
The purpose of this article is not really to make non-Jews, especially Christians and Muslims, hate Jews. Anti-Semitism is inherently unacceptable.
However, Jews, who I recognize are not carbon copies of each other, should realize that the weapon of hate they now train at Muslims and their prophet can be turned against them at any moment.
I also know that many Zionist Jews would love to see a surge of anti-Semitism in Europe and North America as this would force more Jews to immigrate to Israel and fulfill Zionism. These people have little to do with true Judaism. Their true God is not the God of Israel (Jacob), but power and money.
Yes, Palestinians and others are direct victims of the brutal ugliness of this hateful, satanic mentality.
But Jews themselves and Judaism are also amongst the ultimate victims of this evil ideology which actually represents the anti-thesis of authentic Judaism.
After all, Zionism has transformed many Jews into perpetual liars, irredeemable criminals and land thieves in utter violation of the Ten Commandments.
Khalid Amayreh is a veteran journalist and current affairs political commentator living in Occupied Palestine.
The alledged arsonists in court
Shin Bet says two young men are followers of 'extremist ideology' that believes 'only someone who fights Christianity can call himself a Jew'.
Two Israeli men, described by authorities as Jewish extremists, were charged on Wednesday with torching part of a church at the site where Christians believe Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
The June 18 arson attack followed more than 40 suspected hate crimes committed against churches, mosques and monasteries in Israel and then West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2009, with only a handful of indictments handed down.
In a statement, the Shin Bet identified the two suspects, aged 19 and 20 and wearing kippahs in court, as followers of an "extremist ideology" that believes that "only someone who fights Christianity can call himself a Jew".
No pleas were entered during the court hearing in Nazareth. The limestone Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, was constructed in the 1980s and is overseen by the Benedictine Order.
It was built on the site of 4th and 5th century churches that commemorated what Christian faithful revere as Jesus's miraculous feeding of 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The fire damaged the church's roof, and a verse from a Hebrew prayer denouncing the worship of "false gods" was spraypainted in red on a wall.
Father Matthias Karl, a German monk from the church, said a souvenir shop, an office for pilgrims and a meeting room were badly damaged, and Bibles and prayer books were destroyed in the fire.
"It's totally destroyed. The fire was very active," he said.
A monk and a church volunteer were hospitalized from smoke inhalation, but the prayer area of the church was unaffected by the fire, he said.
Shin Bet says two young men are followers of 'extremist ideology' that believes 'only someone who fights Christianity can call himself a Jew'.
Two Israeli men, described by authorities as Jewish extremists, were charged on Wednesday with torching part of a church at the site where Christians believe Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
The June 18 arson attack followed more than 40 suspected hate crimes committed against churches, mosques and monasteries in Israel and then West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2009, with only a handful of indictments handed down.
In a statement, the Shin Bet identified the two suspects, aged 19 and 20 and wearing kippahs in court, as followers of an "extremist ideology" that believes that "only someone who fights Christianity can call himself a Jew".
No pleas were entered during the court hearing in Nazareth. The limestone Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, was constructed in the 1980s and is overseen by the Benedictine Order.
It was built on the site of 4th and 5th century churches that commemorated what Christian faithful revere as Jesus's miraculous feeding of 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The fire damaged the church's roof, and a verse from a Hebrew prayer denouncing the worship of "false gods" was spraypainted in red on a wall.
Father Matthias Karl, a German monk from the church, said a souvenir shop, an office for pilgrims and a meeting room were badly damaged, and Bibles and prayer books were destroyed in the fire.
"It's totally destroyed. The fire was very active," he said.
A monk and a church volunteer were hospitalized from smoke inhalation, but the prayer area of the church was unaffected by the fire, he said.
In victory to settlers, prime minister okays building of homes promised after the evacuation of Givat Ulpana in 2012; Sa-Nur squatters agree to leave, if commission is formed to examine return to settlement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu green lighted on Wednesday the construction of 300 housing units in Beit El, mere hours after destruction began of the Draynoff buildings that have been at the center of a dispute between settlers and the Israeli government and High Court of Justice.
Hundreds of settlers gathered on Monday night outside the two buildings, which the High Court of Justice ruled were illegally built on private Palestinian land, and remained there throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. The protesters, egged on by settler leaders and right-wing politicians, clashed with Border Police and Police forces sent to scene to prevent them from entering the two buildings. On Wednesday morning, the demolition of the two buildings began following a ruling by the High Court of Justice.
The housing units that were approved on Wednesday were promised by the Israeli government three years ago following the evacuation of the Givat Ulpana neighborhood in the settlement. In June 2012, settler leaders agreed to evacuate five buildings in the neighborhood - also built on private Palestinian land - in exchange for 300 new housing units to be built in another part of the settlement. Since then, the construction of these housing units has been stuck, awaiting the approval of the political echelons.
The prime minister also approved hundreds of housing units in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the Green Line, including the construction and marketing of 91 housing units and the planning of 24 homes in Pisgat Ze'ev, as well as the planning of 300 housing units in Ramot, 70 in Gilo and 19 in Har Homa. The 91 homes in Pisgat Ze'ev are also part of a past decision that was awaiting a green light from the political echelons.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) called the decision "a worthy, right, Zionist response," asserting that "the High Court's job is to judge, the government's job is to build." Earlier, ministers from the hard-line Bayit Yehudi party protested the destruction of the Draynoff buildings, with Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel saying, "I turned to the prime minister and firmly demanded that he immediately approve the construction of the 300 housing units that were being delayed. I informed the prime minister I expected to receive a positive answer within an hour."
Bennett himself has also demanded Netanyahu follow through on his promise to build the 300 housing units in Beit El. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of Bayit Yehudi, said following the court's decision to demolish the homes that "We are living under the rule of law, and we must accept the ruling of the High Court and with that harsh verdict. The homes in Beit El will be destroyed, and immediately rebuilt after. This is the Jewish way. We don't lose hope."
The Palestinian Authority condemned the decision to build the 300 homes in Beit El. A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said that Israel's settlement policy is "destructive to all the efforts being put forward since September by the United States and the European Union in an attempt to find an way out of the current crisis."
Abu Rudeineh called on the international community to immediately intervene in order to stop "this dangerous Israeli policy that would result in a further deterioration of the situation, which conveys an Israeli message to the international community that Israel is not interested in peace or any efforts aimed at creating the appropriate environment conducive to peace."
Netanyahu's decision to give the go-ahead for the 300 new units in Beit El followed a tensed day in the settlement. More violence erupted in wake of the court's decision as tractors arrived in Beit El to tear down the Draynoff buildings. Rioters lit fires, pelted security forces with stones and hurled tables and chairs at the Border Police troops who were standing between them and the buildings. Police used crowd dispersal measures, including water cannons. Ten of the rioters were arrested, and at least six were lightly hurt.
Sa-Nur families raise their own proposal
Not far from the rioting in Beit El, settler families who have been squatting in the ruins of the settlement of Sa-Nur, which was evacuated as part of the disengagement in 2005, agreed on Wednesday afternoon to willingly evacuate on the condition a state-appointed inquiry commission examines the possibility of re-establishing the settlement.
The squatters in Sa-Nur, who entered the evacuated settlement on Monday night, ignored an ultimatum set for them on Tuesday to leave the area by 2pm.
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the forced evacuation of 2005, the settlers decided to send a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, in which they pleaded with him: "Please spare us, our children, and the entire people of Israel, the unnecessary sights of destruction and eviction."
The settlers were also concerned with the fact security forces closed off all access to the area, raising the fear they would have to stay in the settlement for days without food or water in the rising summer temperatures.
"A decade ago we were banished from Sa-Nur and the settlements of the northern Samaria, and with God's will we returned home two days ago," the settlers wrote. "Our stay here over the past two days proves that it is possible (to return)."
They demanded the prime minister form an impartial commission which will examine the security and legal aspects of re-populating the evacuated settlements in the northern Samaria. "We are certain that any objective commission will determine that there was no reason that after a decade we cannot return home," they wrote.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu green lighted on Wednesday the construction of 300 housing units in Beit El, mere hours after destruction began of the Draynoff buildings that have been at the center of a dispute between settlers and the Israeli government and High Court of Justice.
Hundreds of settlers gathered on Monday night outside the two buildings, which the High Court of Justice ruled were illegally built on private Palestinian land, and remained there throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. The protesters, egged on by settler leaders and right-wing politicians, clashed with Border Police and Police forces sent to scene to prevent them from entering the two buildings. On Wednesday morning, the demolition of the two buildings began following a ruling by the High Court of Justice.
The housing units that were approved on Wednesday were promised by the Israeli government three years ago following the evacuation of the Givat Ulpana neighborhood in the settlement. In June 2012, settler leaders agreed to evacuate five buildings in the neighborhood - also built on private Palestinian land - in exchange for 300 new housing units to be built in another part of the settlement. Since then, the construction of these housing units has been stuck, awaiting the approval of the political echelons.
The prime minister also approved hundreds of housing units in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the Green Line, including the construction and marketing of 91 housing units and the planning of 24 homes in Pisgat Ze'ev, as well as the planning of 300 housing units in Ramot, 70 in Gilo and 19 in Har Homa. The 91 homes in Pisgat Ze'ev are also part of a past decision that was awaiting a green light from the political echelons.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) called the decision "a worthy, right, Zionist response," asserting that "the High Court's job is to judge, the government's job is to build." Earlier, ministers from the hard-line Bayit Yehudi party protested the destruction of the Draynoff buildings, with Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel saying, "I turned to the prime minister and firmly demanded that he immediately approve the construction of the 300 housing units that were being delayed. I informed the prime minister I expected to receive a positive answer within an hour."
Bennett himself has also demanded Netanyahu follow through on his promise to build the 300 housing units in Beit El. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of Bayit Yehudi, said following the court's decision to demolish the homes that "We are living under the rule of law, and we must accept the ruling of the High Court and with that harsh verdict. The homes in Beit El will be destroyed, and immediately rebuilt after. This is the Jewish way. We don't lose hope."
The Palestinian Authority condemned the decision to build the 300 homes in Beit El. A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said that Israel's settlement policy is "destructive to all the efforts being put forward since September by the United States and the European Union in an attempt to find an way out of the current crisis."
Abu Rudeineh called on the international community to immediately intervene in order to stop "this dangerous Israeli policy that would result in a further deterioration of the situation, which conveys an Israeli message to the international community that Israel is not interested in peace or any efforts aimed at creating the appropriate environment conducive to peace."
Netanyahu's decision to give the go-ahead for the 300 new units in Beit El followed a tensed day in the settlement. More violence erupted in wake of the court's decision as tractors arrived in Beit El to tear down the Draynoff buildings. Rioters lit fires, pelted security forces with stones and hurled tables and chairs at the Border Police troops who were standing between them and the buildings. Police used crowd dispersal measures, including water cannons. Ten of the rioters were arrested, and at least six were lightly hurt.
Sa-Nur families raise their own proposal
Not far from the rioting in Beit El, settler families who have been squatting in the ruins of the settlement of Sa-Nur, which was evacuated as part of the disengagement in 2005, agreed on Wednesday afternoon to willingly evacuate on the condition a state-appointed inquiry commission examines the possibility of re-establishing the settlement.
The squatters in Sa-Nur, who entered the evacuated settlement on Monday night, ignored an ultimatum set for them on Tuesday to leave the area by 2pm.
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the forced evacuation of 2005, the settlers decided to send a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, in which they pleaded with him: "Please spare us, our children, and the entire people of Israel, the unnecessary sights of destruction and eviction."
The settlers were also concerned with the fact security forces closed off all access to the area, raising the fear they would have to stay in the settlement for days without food or water in the rising summer temperatures.
"A decade ago we were banished from Sa-Nur and the settlements of the northern Samaria, and with God's will we returned home two days ago," the settlers wrote. "Our stay here over the past two days proves that it is possible (to return)."
They demanded the prime minister form an impartial commission which will examine the security and legal aspects of re-populating the evacuated settlements in the northern Samaria. "We are certain that any objective commission will determine that there was no reason that after a decade we cannot return home," they wrote.
The Joint List of Arab parties at the Knesset has warned that the Israeli government's intents to divide the Aqsa Mosque spatially and temporally between the Muslims and Jews would lead to a religious conflict and a bloody war in the region.
This came in press remarks made by Knesset member Ayman Odeh who visited along with other Arab members on Tuesday the Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem.
Odeh affirmed that the attempts by the Israeli government to turn the political issue in Jerusalem into a religious conflict over the Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews would escalate the tension in the city and lead to further fighting in the region.
"The Aqsa Mosque with all its courtyards and premises inside al-Haram al-Sharif of Jerusalem is a sacred place for the Muslims and a pivotal site for the Palestinian people, and it has to be preserved and protected," he emphasized.
The MK deplored the recent "provocative" visit of agriculture minister Uri Ariel to the Aqsa Mosque and the protection provided by the Israeli police for such visits by Jewish settlers and officials.
This came in press remarks made by Knesset member Ayman Odeh who visited along with other Arab members on Tuesday the Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem.
Odeh affirmed that the attempts by the Israeli government to turn the political issue in Jerusalem into a religious conflict over the Aqsa Mosque between Muslims and Jews would escalate the tension in the city and lead to further fighting in the region.
"The Aqsa Mosque with all its courtyards and premises inside al-Haram al-Sharif of Jerusalem is a sacred place for the Muslims and a pivotal site for the Palestinian people, and it has to be preserved and protected," he emphasized.
The MK deplored the recent "provocative" visit of agriculture minister Uri Ariel to the Aqsa Mosque and the protection provided by the Israeli police for such visits by Jewish settlers and officials.
Minister Naftali Bennett in Beit El
High Court's order to destroy Draynoff buildings in West Bank community follows an ongoing litigation between State of Israel and a Palestinian petitioner over private land seized by the IDF in 1970.
A dispute over piece of land seized by the IDF in 1970 is back in the headlines following recent clashes between security forces and settlers in Beit El and the High Court's order to tear down two controversial housing structures, known as the Draynoff buildings, in the West Bank community. When and how will this dispute end? Only time will tell.
Three years after the Six-Day War, a private piece of land north of Ramallah was seized for military purposes. Eight years later, the government approved the establishment of the Beit El community on that land.
Thirty-two years later, in 2010, Abd al-Rahman Qassem petitioned the High Court of Justice through Attorneys Michael Sfard and Shlomy Zachary of the Yesh Din human rights movement, claiming that some buildings in the western part of Beit El were built on private land which belonged to him. The buildings' construction was illegal, and that very year the Civil Administration issued an order to stop the construction work and demolish the buildings.
During the first High Court discussions, the government promised to enforce the demolition order by April 2012, but the order was not enforced. The petitioner asked the court to enforce the demolition order and the order to halt the construction of those homes in Beit El. The State then requested several extensions before implementing the orders, and later said it was considering a certain planning procedure in the area which might legitimize the buildings retroactively.
Then-Supreme Court President Asher Grunis did not accept the State's stance and ordered the demolition of the buildings, as they had been constructed illegally.
"There is no dispute that the buildings' construction on the petitioner's lands is illegal," Grunis stated in 2014. "In light of the appellees' repeated commitments to demolish the buildings, and because a suggested plan has not been submitted more than three years after the first petition was filed, I believe there is no room to accept the request to exhaust the planning procedure."
Justice Miriam Naor, today's Supreme Court president, stated as the minority opinion that the attempt to regulate the buildings through a planning procedure should be given another year. But the court did not accept her opinion and ruled that the buildings should be demolished within half a year.
Another High Court petition was filed in February 2015 by the entrepreneur who planned the buildings. He asked the judges to stop the demolition. President Naor criticized the State for the "changes" in its stance, and eventually ruled that the discussion was closed and the ruling could not be overturned.
"At first, the State promised to demolish the buildings and asked the court for time to do so. At a later stage, the State noted that there was a possibility for a planning procedure regarding the land the buildings were constructed on. And finally, the State asked for the court's permission to exhaust the planning possibility before implementing the demolition orders," Naor stated in her decision.
'Building on private land is a risk'
The State supported the petitioners' stance, claiming that the buildings' planning procedures had made progress in the past few months, and asked to leave the building untouched for another six months. President Naor did not accept the State's stance.
"Speeding up the planning procedures shortly before the end of the last date for the buildings' evacuation raises difficult questions," she noted. The High Court eventually ruled that the case could not be reopened and rejected the petition. Justice Naor was joined by Deputy Supreme Court President Elyakim Rubinstein, who wrote in the ruling that "at the end of the day, a person who builds on private land does it at his own risk and takes the risk, which can be prevented in advance.
I regret the litigation, I regret the political touch involved in the matter due to the circumstances we live in, and I regret an outcome which could have been prevented, and I'm afraid there no escape from it." The State fulfilled their obligations on Wednesday, but destroying the buildings. The Yesh Din movement says that the buildings should not only be destroyed, but that no reconstruction can be performed on the land.
High Court's order to destroy Draynoff buildings in West Bank community follows an ongoing litigation between State of Israel and a Palestinian petitioner over private land seized by the IDF in 1970.
A dispute over piece of land seized by the IDF in 1970 is back in the headlines following recent clashes between security forces and settlers in Beit El and the High Court's order to tear down two controversial housing structures, known as the Draynoff buildings, in the West Bank community. When and how will this dispute end? Only time will tell.
Three years after the Six-Day War, a private piece of land north of Ramallah was seized for military purposes. Eight years later, the government approved the establishment of the Beit El community on that land.
Thirty-two years later, in 2010, Abd al-Rahman Qassem petitioned the High Court of Justice through Attorneys Michael Sfard and Shlomy Zachary of the Yesh Din human rights movement, claiming that some buildings in the western part of Beit El were built on private land which belonged to him. The buildings' construction was illegal, and that very year the Civil Administration issued an order to stop the construction work and demolish the buildings.
During the first High Court discussions, the government promised to enforce the demolition order by April 2012, but the order was not enforced. The petitioner asked the court to enforce the demolition order and the order to halt the construction of those homes in Beit El. The State then requested several extensions before implementing the orders, and later said it was considering a certain planning procedure in the area which might legitimize the buildings retroactively.
Then-Supreme Court President Asher Grunis did not accept the State's stance and ordered the demolition of the buildings, as they had been constructed illegally.
"There is no dispute that the buildings' construction on the petitioner's lands is illegal," Grunis stated in 2014. "In light of the appellees' repeated commitments to demolish the buildings, and because a suggested plan has not been submitted more than three years after the first petition was filed, I believe there is no room to accept the request to exhaust the planning procedure."
Justice Miriam Naor, today's Supreme Court president, stated as the minority opinion that the attempt to regulate the buildings through a planning procedure should be given another year. But the court did not accept her opinion and ruled that the buildings should be demolished within half a year.
Another High Court petition was filed in February 2015 by the entrepreneur who planned the buildings. He asked the judges to stop the demolition. President Naor criticized the State for the "changes" in its stance, and eventually ruled that the discussion was closed and the ruling could not be overturned.
"At first, the State promised to demolish the buildings and asked the court for time to do so. At a later stage, the State noted that there was a possibility for a planning procedure regarding the land the buildings were constructed on. And finally, the State asked for the court's permission to exhaust the planning possibility before implementing the demolition orders," Naor stated in her decision.
'Building on private land is a risk'
The State supported the petitioners' stance, claiming that the buildings' planning procedures had made progress in the past few months, and asked to leave the building untouched for another six months. President Naor did not accept the State's stance.
"Speeding up the planning procedures shortly before the end of the last date for the buildings' evacuation raises difficult questions," she noted. The High Court eventually ruled that the case could not be reopened and rejected the petition. Justice Naor was joined by Deputy Supreme Court President Elyakim Rubinstein, who wrote in the ruling that "at the end of the day, a person who builds on private land does it at his own risk and takes the risk, which can be prevented in advance.
I regret the litigation, I regret the political touch involved in the matter due to the circumstances we live in, and I regret an outcome which could have been prevented, and I'm afraid there no escape from it." The State fulfilled their obligations on Wednesday, but destroying the buildings. The Yesh Din movement says that the buildings should not only be destroyed, but that no reconstruction can be performed on the land.
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Tractors enter West Bank settlement after High Court upholds previous decision to destroy Draynoff buildings; hundreds clash with police overnight; settlers return to evacuated town of Sa-Nur.
Destruction began Wednesday after the High Court upheld a decision to tear down two controversial housing structures known as the Draynoff buildings in the West Bank settlement of Beit El after nearly two days of violence between settlers and police at the scene. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in wake of the riots and destruction that 300 new housing units would be approved for Beit El along with new construction in Jerusalem. |
More violence erupted in wake of the court's decision as tractors arrived in Beit El to tear down the Draynoff buildings and water cannons fired on rioters in the streets.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked pointed out that despite the court's decision, the Draynoff buildings will most likely be reconstructed shortly after being torn down. Land permits from the structures were only acquired after their construction, making them illegal according to the court's ruling. Subsequently acquired land permits mean makes reconstruction likely.
Clashes continued periodically throughout the night on Tuesday, as right-wing activists pelted police with stones and chairs. Police responded with smoke grenades and arrested at least nine people. Rioters tried to break into the Draynoff buildings repeatedly, momentarily breaking through police barricades, but were pushed back by Border Police.
The head of the regional council encouraged the protesters to break into the buildings, claiming that the government intended to tear down the buildings Tuesday night. "If the buildings go down, the government should too," he said.
Violent encounters first began late Monday night when activists barricaded themselves in the Draynoff buildings and resisted police attempts to remove them.
Arrests were made and the rest of those inside the buildings were removed using riot dispersal measures. The activists claimed that security forces used tear gas inside the buildings in an attempt to remove those present.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to the crowd in Beit El Tuesday afternoon, decrying the government's use of the military in the settlement overnight on Monday.
"In the early morning hours I spoke to the prime minister. I demanded that during the day, the government of Israel issue an official message to the High Court that it opposes the destruction of homes, and we're following up on that now," Bennett said.
Angry settlers in the crowd called on Bennett to quit the government, a move that would lead to either a new coalition or new elections.
The state later issued its official response to the High Court of Justice, saying that the court should accept the appeal, and provide an injunction that would prevent the razing of the contested structures.
Among the other politicians who arrived to the settlement on Tuesday were Ministers Ze'ev Elkin and Yariv Levin (Likud) and Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), MKs Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) and Oren Hazan (Likud) and former minister Eli Yishai.
The area has been designated as a closed military zone until August 1, and the Border Police occupied the Draynoff buildings in order to prevent the violent protesters from occupying the structures again.
Return to Sa-Nur
Meanwhile, some 250 people, including dozens of families that were removed from the Sa-Nur settlement in the West Bank during the disengagement in 2005, returned to the village Monday night without approval from Israeli security forces.
The settlers remained in Sa-Nur into Wednesday morning, despite an ultimatum from security forces that the settlement would be evacuated by force if the activists did not leave of their own free will by 2pm on Tuesday.
Government officials joined the group, including Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and former MK Professor Aryeh Eldad. They entered the fort-like structure that remains standing in Sa-Nur with the announced intention of permanently rebuiding the settlement.
"Ten years after the disengagement, it's about time to fix things. And that begins here, in northern Samaria," said Smotrich in a press release. "Families have begun settling into the rooms of the fort with the intention of staying for some time. We don't intend to move from here."
Many families came to the settlement early Tuesday morning in response to the violent events of Monday night in Beit El, demanding that security forces and the government allow the renewal of settlement in the place.
Children who arrived at the settlement drew on the walls of the structure and wrote "Death to Arabs," "Greater Israel," "Sa-Nur = Redemption," among other things.
Political storm
The events in Beit El also led to a political storm Tuesday, with leaders on the political right, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming they were doing their utmost to strengthen settlements and prevent the destruction of the Draynoff buildings.
While making similar comments himself, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's decision to send troops into the settlement on Monday night drew criticism from his political partners from Bayit Yehudi and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman who called for Ya'alon's resignation.
From the other side of the settlement debate, Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid called for the full support of IDF troops on the ground in Beit El.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked pointed out that despite the court's decision, the Draynoff buildings will most likely be reconstructed shortly after being torn down. Land permits from the structures were only acquired after their construction, making them illegal according to the court's ruling. Subsequently acquired land permits mean makes reconstruction likely.
Clashes continued periodically throughout the night on Tuesday, as right-wing activists pelted police with stones and chairs. Police responded with smoke grenades and arrested at least nine people. Rioters tried to break into the Draynoff buildings repeatedly, momentarily breaking through police barricades, but were pushed back by Border Police.
The head of the regional council encouraged the protesters to break into the buildings, claiming that the government intended to tear down the buildings Tuesday night. "If the buildings go down, the government should too," he said.
Violent encounters first began late Monday night when activists barricaded themselves in the Draynoff buildings and resisted police attempts to remove them.
Arrests were made and the rest of those inside the buildings were removed using riot dispersal measures. The activists claimed that security forces used tear gas inside the buildings in an attempt to remove those present.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to the crowd in Beit El Tuesday afternoon, decrying the government's use of the military in the settlement overnight on Monday.
"In the early morning hours I spoke to the prime minister. I demanded that during the day, the government of Israel issue an official message to the High Court that it opposes the destruction of homes, and we're following up on that now," Bennett said.
Angry settlers in the crowd called on Bennett to quit the government, a move that would lead to either a new coalition or new elections.
The state later issued its official response to the High Court of Justice, saying that the court should accept the appeal, and provide an injunction that would prevent the razing of the contested structures.
Among the other politicians who arrived to the settlement on Tuesday were Ministers Ze'ev Elkin and Yariv Levin (Likud) and Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), MKs Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) and Oren Hazan (Likud) and former minister Eli Yishai.
The area has been designated as a closed military zone until August 1, and the Border Police occupied the Draynoff buildings in order to prevent the violent protesters from occupying the structures again.
Return to Sa-Nur
Meanwhile, some 250 people, including dozens of families that were removed from the Sa-Nur settlement in the West Bank during the disengagement in 2005, returned to the village Monday night without approval from Israeli security forces.
The settlers remained in Sa-Nur into Wednesday morning, despite an ultimatum from security forces that the settlement would be evacuated by force if the activists did not leave of their own free will by 2pm on Tuesday.
Government officials joined the group, including Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and former MK Professor Aryeh Eldad. They entered the fort-like structure that remains standing in Sa-Nur with the announced intention of permanently rebuiding the settlement.
"Ten years after the disengagement, it's about time to fix things. And that begins here, in northern Samaria," said Smotrich in a press release. "Families have begun settling into the rooms of the fort with the intention of staying for some time. We don't intend to move from here."
Many families came to the settlement early Tuesday morning in response to the violent events of Monday night in Beit El, demanding that security forces and the government allow the renewal of settlement in the place.
Children who arrived at the settlement drew on the walls of the structure and wrote "Death to Arabs," "Greater Israel," "Sa-Nur = Redemption," among other things.
Political storm
The events in Beit El also led to a political storm Tuesday, with leaders on the political right, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming they were doing their utmost to strengthen settlements and prevent the destruction of the Draynoff buildings.
While making similar comments himself, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's decision to send troops into the settlement on Monday night drew criticism from his political partners from Bayit Yehudi and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman who called for Ya'alon's resignation.
From the other side of the settlement debate, Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid called for the full support of IDF troops on the ground in Beit El.
A number of armed Israeli extremists invaded, on Tuesday evening, Palestinian farmlands in Turmus Ayya town, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and burnt piles of wheat that the Palestinians have harvested earlier.
Media sources said the extremists came from the Adi Ad illegal Israeli colony, built on privately own Palestinian lands.
The attack led to excessive losses, especially since the villagers rounded their harvest to prepare it for grinding and processing, before the fanatics invaded the area and burnt the harvest.
Israeli soldiers arrived in the area, and observed the devastating outcome of the attack.
There have been dozens of similar attacks against Palestinian farmlands, and orchards, in addition to physical assaults against the Palestinian property, while the Israeli army fails to even open a proper investigation.
Such attacks frequently led to burning and defacing several mosques and churches, in addition to graveyards, in different parts of occupied Palestine, including in Jerusalem.
Media sources said the extremists came from the Adi Ad illegal Israeli colony, built on privately own Palestinian lands.
The attack led to excessive losses, especially since the villagers rounded their harvest to prepare it for grinding and processing, before the fanatics invaded the area and burnt the harvest.
Israeli soldiers arrived in the area, and observed the devastating outcome of the attack.
There have been dozens of similar attacks against Palestinian farmlands, and orchards, in addition to physical assaults against the Palestinian property, while the Israeli army fails to even open a proper investigation.
Such attacks frequently led to burning and defacing several mosques and churches, in addition to graveyards, in different parts of occupied Palestine, including in Jerusalem.
Officials join families in defiantly repopulating Sa-Nur, a settlement abandoned in the disengagement, as youths battle security forces for control of Beit El near Ramallah.
Settlers clashed with Border Police and police forces throughout the day in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, as security forces kept hundreds of settlers from occupying the Draynoff buildings, two housing structures which the High Court ordered be torn down Sunday night.
Clashes continued into the night on Tuesday, after several hours of calm. Right-wing activists pelted Border Police and Yasam forces with stones, and physically confronted the troops. The rioters set a trash container on fire and threw a police barricade inside. Some tried to break into the Draynoff buildings repeatedly, momentarily breaking through police barricades, but were pushed back by Border Police.
The head of the regional council encouraged the protesters to break into the buildings. "Unfortunately, someone is trying to take advantage of the situation and tear down the buildings now, while we could sort it out in the morning... the difference is between 1am and 7am. Pick up the phone, bring your mom and dad here to come with truth in their hearts. If the buildings go down, the government should too."
The clashes calmed down Tuesday evening when singer Shlomi Shabat performed nearby in solidarity with the protesters. After the concert, however, the 1,800 spectators made their way back to the Draynoff buildings. Activists were making preparations to stay the night in the area, including getting out sleeping bags and setting up tables with food. Police Yasam forces arrived in Beit El at around 11:20pm, causing the rioters to overturn a trash container in order to block the police forces from reaching them.
Violent encounters began late Monday night when activists barricaded themselves in the Draynoff buildings and resisted police attempts to remove them.
Security forces arrested 50 of the activists on Monday according to Honenu, an organization that offers legal help to Israelis. The rest of those protesting in Beit El were removed using riot dispersal measures. The activists claimed that security forces used tear gas inside the buildings in an attempt to remove those present.
The renewed violence on Tuesday came just after Education Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to the crowd, decrying the government's use of the military in the settlement overnight.
"In the early morning hours I spoke to the prime minister. I demanded that during the day, the government of Israel issues an official message to the High Court that it opposes the destruction of homes, and we're following up on that now," Bennett said. Angry settlers in the crowd called on Bennett to quit the government, a move that would need to either a new coalition or new elections.
Seconds after Bennett finished speaking, the violent clashes with police resumed when settlers tried to break into the Draynoff buildings. The settlers were shouting at police, "You've destroyed a home in Israel" and "A Jew doesn't evict a Jew".
The state later issued its official response to the High Court of Justice, saying that the court should accept the appeal, and provide and injunction that would prevent the razing of the contested structures.
In its response, the state said that the planning process had been completed, and only a building permit remains to be issued
Around noon time on Tuesday, several protesters lied down in front of Border Police vehicles, calling out "We're fighting for the land of Israel." At least five of them were held for questioning.
Among the other politicians who arrived to the settlement on Tuesday were Ministers Ze'ev Elkin and Yariv Levin (Likud) and Uriel Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), MKs Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) and Oren Hazan (Likud) and former minister Eli Yishai.
The area has been designated as a closed military zone until August 1, and the Border Police occupied the Draynoff buildings in order to prevent the return of the violent protesters.
Meanwhile, some 250 people, including dozens of families that were removed from the Sa-Nur settlement in the West Bank during the disengagement in 2005, returned to the village overnight without approval from Israeli security forces.
Government officials joined the group, including Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and former MK Professor Aryeh Eldad. They entered the fort-like structure that remains standing in Sa-Nur with the intention of permanently returning to the settlement.
"Ten years after the disengagement, it's about time to fix things. And that begins here, in northern Samaria," said Smotrich in a press release. "Families have begun settling into the rooms of the fort with the intention of staying for some time. We don't intend to move from here."
At 2pm, an ultimatum given by security officials to Smotrich and the others in Sa-Nur to evacuate the settlement expired. The commander of the Menashe Central Division threatened to evacuate the protesters by force if they do not leave of their own free will.
Smotrich told Ynet that "no decision has been made to withdraw. We believe that the ban on staying in the area does not apply. We are not taking the law into our own hands, we're leading a super-legitimate public move at a democratic state."
Many families came to the settlement early Tuesday morning in response to the violent events of Monday night in Beit El, and they are demanding security forces and the government to allow the renewal of settlement in the place.
Many youth who arrived in Sa-Nur lied down on blankets and mattresses. Some of them conducted Torah lessons while others cooked lunch as the police's ultimatum expired. Children who arrived at the settlement drew on the walls of the structure and wrote "Death to Arabs," "Greater Israel," "Sa-Nur = Redemption," among other things. All of this was done while Border Police forces were looking on.
Political storm
The events in Beit El also led to a political storm Tuesday, with leaders on the political right claiming they were doing their utmost to strengthen settlements and prevent the destruction of the Draynoff buildings.
"Our stance on this issue is clear," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We oppose their destruction and we're acting through the courts to prevent this step."
While making similar comments himself, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's decision to send troops into the settlement drew criticism from his political partners from Bayit Yehudi and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman who called for Ya'alon's resignation.
In Jerusalem, Likud faction members who opposed the disengagement 10 years ago met at Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein's office.
Welfare Minister Haim Katz said Israel had an obligation "to renew the settlement and recover the destruction we were a part of."
Among the Likud members who attended the meeting were Gilad Erdan, Gilad Gamliel, David Levy and others.
From the other side of the settlement debate, Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid called for the full support of IDF troops on the ground in Beit El.
Settlers clashed with Border Police and police forces throughout the day in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, as security forces kept hundreds of settlers from occupying the Draynoff buildings, two housing structures which the High Court ordered be torn down Sunday night.
Clashes continued into the night on Tuesday, after several hours of calm. Right-wing activists pelted Border Police and Yasam forces with stones, and physically confronted the troops. The rioters set a trash container on fire and threw a police barricade inside. Some tried to break into the Draynoff buildings repeatedly, momentarily breaking through police barricades, but were pushed back by Border Police.
The head of the regional council encouraged the protesters to break into the buildings. "Unfortunately, someone is trying to take advantage of the situation and tear down the buildings now, while we could sort it out in the morning... the difference is between 1am and 7am. Pick up the phone, bring your mom and dad here to come with truth in their hearts. If the buildings go down, the government should too."
The clashes calmed down Tuesday evening when singer Shlomi Shabat performed nearby in solidarity with the protesters. After the concert, however, the 1,800 spectators made their way back to the Draynoff buildings. Activists were making preparations to stay the night in the area, including getting out sleeping bags and setting up tables with food. Police Yasam forces arrived in Beit El at around 11:20pm, causing the rioters to overturn a trash container in order to block the police forces from reaching them.
Violent encounters began late Monday night when activists barricaded themselves in the Draynoff buildings and resisted police attempts to remove them.
Security forces arrested 50 of the activists on Monday according to Honenu, an organization that offers legal help to Israelis. The rest of those protesting in Beit El were removed using riot dispersal measures. The activists claimed that security forces used tear gas inside the buildings in an attempt to remove those present.
The renewed violence on Tuesday came just after Education Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to the crowd, decrying the government's use of the military in the settlement overnight.
"In the early morning hours I spoke to the prime minister. I demanded that during the day, the government of Israel issues an official message to the High Court that it opposes the destruction of homes, and we're following up on that now," Bennett said. Angry settlers in the crowd called on Bennett to quit the government, a move that would need to either a new coalition or new elections.
Seconds after Bennett finished speaking, the violent clashes with police resumed when settlers tried to break into the Draynoff buildings. The settlers were shouting at police, "You've destroyed a home in Israel" and "A Jew doesn't evict a Jew".
The state later issued its official response to the High Court of Justice, saying that the court should accept the appeal, and provide and injunction that would prevent the razing of the contested structures.
In its response, the state said that the planning process had been completed, and only a building permit remains to be issued
Around noon time on Tuesday, several protesters lied down in front of Border Police vehicles, calling out "We're fighting for the land of Israel." At least five of them were held for questioning.
Among the other politicians who arrived to the settlement on Tuesday were Ministers Ze'ev Elkin and Yariv Levin (Likud) and Uriel Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), MKs Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) and Oren Hazan (Likud) and former minister Eli Yishai.
The area has been designated as a closed military zone until August 1, and the Border Police occupied the Draynoff buildings in order to prevent the return of the violent protesters.
Meanwhile, some 250 people, including dozens of families that were removed from the Sa-Nur settlement in the West Bank during the disengagement in 2005, returned to the village overnight without approval from Israeli security forces.
Government officials joined the group, including Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and former MK Professor Aryeh Eldad. They entered the fort-like structure that remains standing in Sa-Nur with the intention of permanently returning to the settlement.
"Ten years after the disengagement, it's about time to fix things. And that begins here, in northern Samaria," said Smotrich in a press release. "Families have begun settling into the rooms of the fort with the intention of staying for some time. We don't intend to move from here."
At 2pm, an ultimatum given by security officials to Smotrich and the others in Sa-Nur to evacuate the settlement expired. The commander of the Menashe Central Division threatened to evacuate the protesters by force if they do not leave of their own free will.
Smotrich told Ynet that "no decision has been made to withdraw. We believe that the ban on staying in the area does not apply. We are not taking the law into our own hands, we're leading a super-legitimate public move at a democratic state."
Many families came to the settlement early Tuesday morning in response to the violent events of Monday night in Beit El, and they are demanding security forces and the government to allow the renewal of settlement in the place.
Many youth who arrived in Sa-Nur lied down on blankets and mattresses. Some of them conducted Torah lessons while others cooked lunch as the police's ultimatum expired. Children who arrived at the settlement drew on the walls of the structure and wrote "Death to Arabs," "Greater Israel," "Sa-Nur = Redemption," among other things. All of this was done while Border Police forces were looking on.
Political storm
The events in Beit El also led to a political storm Tuesday, with leaders on the political right claiming they were doing their utmost to strengthen settlements and prevent the destruction of the Draynoff buildings.
"Our stance on this issue is clear," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We oppose their destruction and we're acting through the courts to prevent this step."
While making similar comments himself, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon's decision to send troops into the settlement drew criticism from his political partners from Bayit Yehudi and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman who called for Ya'alon's resignation.
In Jerusalem, Likud faction members who opposed the disengagement 10 years ago met at Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein's office.
Welfare Minister Haim Katz said Israel had an obligation "to renew the settlement and recover the destruction we were a part of."
Among the Likud members who attended the meeting were Gilad Erdan, Gilad Gamliel, David Levy and others.
From the other side of the settlement debate, Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid called for the full support of IDF troops on the ground in Beit El.
28 july 2015
Sare Nebali 85
A number of Israeli extremists attacked, on Tuesday at noon, an elderly Palestinian woman while walking near the Maali Zeiteim illegal colony, in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood, in Silwan town in occupied East Jerusalem.
Medical sources said Sara Nibali, 85, suffered various cuts and bruises, after the fanatics assaulted while shouting and cursing at her.
The woman was walking, along with her son, when four Israeli settlers started shouting and insulting them, before one of them approached the woman and beat her on her arms and shoulders.
She was moved to the al-Makassed Islamic Hospital for treatment.
The police arrived at the scene, and started pushing and attacking local Palestinian youths that gathered after the fanatics assaulted the elderly women.
The police also attacked another woman walking nearby.
Also on Tuesday, groups on Israeli extremists continued their invasions into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, through the Chain Gate, and started chanting anti-Arab slogans, shouting at the Palestinians, while one of them uttered insults against the Muslim Prophet.
A number of Israeli extremists attacked, on Tuesday at noon, an elderly Palestinian woman while walking near the Maali Zeiteim illegal colony, in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood, in Silwan town in occupied East Jerusalem.
Medical sources said Sara Nibali, 85, suffered various cuts and bruises, after the fanatics assaulted while shouting and cursing at her.
The woman was walking, along with her son, when four Israeli settlers started shouting and insulting them, before one of them approached the woman and beat her on her arms and shoulders.
She was moved to the al-Makassed Islamic Hospital for treatment.
The police arrived at the scene, and started pushing and attacking local Palestinian youths that gathered after the fanatics assaulted the elderly women.
The police also attacked another woman walking nearby.
Also on Tuesday, groups on Israeli extremists continued their invasions into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, through the Chain Gate, and started chanting anti-Arab slogans, shouting at the Palestinians, while one of them uttered insults against the Muslim Prophet.
A number of Israeli extremists attacked, on Monday at night, a Palestinian bus driver, working for the Egged Bus Company, by spraying his face with pepper spray before beating him up, and tried to tie him to his seat.
The driver, Mohammad Barakat, 38 years of age, from the al-‘Ezariyya town in Jerusalem, said the attack was carried out by two Israelis who first used pepper spray before proceeding to assault him.
The two boarded the bus, and remained in it, until it reached its final station in the Ma’alot Dafna illegal settlement, west of Sheikh Jarrah, where they assaulted the Palestinian driver.
Barakat told the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan that the two assailants refused to pay for the tickets, remained in the bus for 45 minutes until it reached its final station, and ran away after assaulting him.
He then appealed to bystanders who called the police; the officers refused to take his statement, and told him he needed to head to their station in Salah Ed-Deen Street, to file an official complaint.
Earlier on Monday, undercover soldiers of the Israeli military kidnapped a young Palestinian man, identified as Ahmad ‘Asaleyya, from occupied East Jerusalem, after he intervened to help a woman who was being harassed by Israeli extremists near the Chain Gate in Jerusalem.
The driver, Mohammad Barakat, 38 years of age, from the al-‘Ezariyya town in Jerusalem, said the attack was carried out by two Israelis who first used pepper spray before proceeding to assault him.
The two boarded the bus, and remained in it, until it reached its final station in the Ma’alot Dafna illegal settlement, west of Sheikh Jarrah, where they assaulted the Palestinian driver.
Barakat told the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan that the two assailants refused to pay for the tickets, remained in the bus for 45 minutes until it reached its final station, and ran away after assaulting him.
He then appealed to bystanders who called the police; the officers refused to take his statement, and told him he needed to head to their station in Salah Ed-Deen Street, to file an official complaint.
Earlier on Monday, undercover soldiers of the Israeli military kidnapped a young Palestinian man, identified as Ahmad ‘Asaleyya, from occupied East Jerusalem, after he intervened to help a woman who was being harassed by Israeli extremists near the Chain Gate in Jerusalem.
Officials join
families in defiantly repopulating Sa-Nur, a settlement abandoned in the
disengagement, as youths battle security forces for control of Beit El
near Ramallah.
Violence erupted in the settlement of Beit El near Ramallah late Wednesday night when a group of approximately 200 young adults took control of the so-called Draynoff buildings, two housing structures which the High Court ordered be torn down Sunday night.
Security forces arrested 50 of the activists according to Honenu, an organization that offers legal help to Israelis. The rest of those protesting in Beit El were removed using riot control measures. The activists claimed that security forces used tear gas was inside the buildings in an attempt to remove those present.
The area was designated as a closed military zone and Israeli Border Police occupied the Draynoff buildings in order to prevent the return of the violent protesters.
Meanwhile, some 250 people, including dozens of families that were removed from the Sa-Nur settlement in the West Bank during the disengagement in 2005, returned to the village overnight without approval from Israeli security forces.
Government officials joined the group, including Bayit HaYehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and Professor Aryeh Eldad. The entered the fort-like structure that remains standing in Sa-Nur with the intention of permanently returning to the settlement.
"Ten years after the disengagement, it's about time to fix things. And that begins here, in northern Samaria," said Smotrich in a press release. "Families have begun settling into the rooms of the fort with the intention of staying for some time. We don't intend to move from here."
Violence erupted in the settlement of Beit El near Ramallah late Wednesday night when a group of approximately 200 young adults took control of the so-called Draynoff buildings, two housing structures which the High Court ordered be torn down Sunday night.
Security forces arrested 50 of the activists according to Honenu, an organization that offers legal help to Israelis. The rest of those protesting in Beit El were removed using riot control measures. The activists claimed that security forces used tear gas was inside the buildings in an attempt to remove those present.
The area was designated as a closed military zone and Israeli Border Police occupied the Draynoff buildings in order to prevent the return of the violent protesters.
Meanwhile, some 250 people, including dozens of families that were removed from the Sa-Nur settlement in the West Bank during the disengagement in 2005, returned to the village overnight without approval from Israeli security forces.
Government officials joined the group, including Bayit HaYehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and Professor Aryeh Eldad. The entered the fort-like structure that remains standing in Sa-Nur with the intention of permanently returning to the settlement.
"Ten years after the disengagement, it's about time to fix things. And that begins here, in northern Samaria," said Smotrich in a press release. "Families have begun settling into the rooms of the fort with the intention of staying for some time. We don't intend to move from here."