This Week in Palestine -Week 22 2009

As Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas visited Washington this week, the Israeli siege on Gaza leaves two people killed in the Gaza strip and troops kill a man in the West Bank. These stories, and more, coming up, Stay tuned.

Nonviolent Activities

Let's begin our weekly report with the nonviolent activities in the West Bank with IMEMC's Ghassan Bannoura:

Bil'in

Residents of Bil'in, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah marched on Friday after midday prayer in the weekly protest. They were joined by international and Israelis activists.

Demonstrators marched through the village towards the wall waving Palestinian flags, to protest the theft and destruction of around 60 percent of the village lands.

A delegation from the general union of women committees participated in the demonstration. They were joined by a member of the Palestinian Parliament Qais Abu Laila, and the minister of social affairs Majida Al-Masri.

When the protestors arrived at the wall, they were greeted by a barrage of sound bombs, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets from the Israeli soldiers. The protestors demanded the soldiers to stop this strategy since the demonstration, involving internationals, was peaceful and nonviolent.

The soldiers, however, continued to fire upon the protestors, injuring three Palestinians: the minister of social affairs Majeda el Masri, AP camera man Abed Khabesa and local farmer Rani Burnat. In response, Palestinian demonstrators threw balloons filled with animal dung to counter the Israeli military's use of poisonous gas.


Nil'in

Also near Ramallah Israeli soldiers on Friday attacked Palestinian and international peace activists holding the weekly non-violent protest against the Wall in Ni'lin village. The villagers along with their supporters gathered at homes at the village entrance and stopped Israeli soldiers from occupying them as the army attempts each Friday to halt the protest.

When the troops left the village, people marched towards the village lands where Israel is building the wall.

As soon as the crowd reached the lands, troops attacked them with batons and tear gas. Three protestors were injured and dozens were treated for the effects of gas inhalation.

For IMEMC.org this is Ghassan Bannoura.


The Political report

This week in Palestine, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas visits Washington and affirms the basic principles for peace with Israel. IMEMC's Jessica Hulsey reports:

Abbas' remarks comes as Washington calls on Israel to stop all settlement activities on occupied Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, national unity talks between Hamas and Fatah parties are still bearing no fruit. In her latest statement, U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, called on Israel to stop all settlement activity on occupied Palestinian territory, with no exceptions, argued by Israel.

Israeli government's spokesman, Mark Rgev, was quoted reacting to the issue of settlements being solved within negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Currently, approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers are living in more than 120 Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. International law considers settlements illegal for being built on occupied territories.

The U.S.'s drive for peace between Israelis and Palestinians faces a hard-line position by Israeli rulers. In his last weeks visit to Washington, Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Natanyahou, did not focus talks with President Barak Obama, on peace with the Palestinians but rather on what Israel calls 'Iranian nuclear threats'.

Upon returning back from the visit, Natenyahou, declared that Jerusalem , with its two parts, the occupied East Jerusalem and Western Jerusalem, will remain the united capital of Israel. Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, from his side, told his American counterpart that any peace negotiations should be proceeded by Israel's recognition of Palestinian rights.

Also in Israel, the government approved a new bill that would hold accountable all those Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin. The bill says ' commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba or catastrophe of 1948, when Israel displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Palestine or what is now 'Israel'.
Dr. Jamal Zahalka, an Arab member of the Israeli parliament commented on the new bill:

"This is a stupid, racist and very rude law that is unprecedented in the world. This law will control the feelings of people. It's a rude law in particular because Israel has expelled our people and destroyed our villages, and then now they want to steal our cry of pain."
Nadeem Nashif, President of the Association for Arab Youth, Baladna, a Palestinian NGO in Israel, sys that this law will not stop the commemoration of the Nakba.

"We will continue to commemorate the Nakba. No one can force use not to do so, for us it is an important part of our history and heritage. As we have commemorated the Nakba in the past, we will do it in the future."
On another related note, the current Israeli government has reiterated a demand from the Palestinians that the latter should recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The demand is viewed by observers as an Israeli deviation on and internationally-enforced obligation that Israel allows return of Palestinian refugees.

During his talks with President Barak Obama this week , President Mahmoud Abbass, reaffirmed the Palestinian Authority's commitment to the Arab peace initiative of 2002 that is based on normal ties with Israel, in return for allowing return of refugees and Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories. Israel has yet rebuffed the initiative.

On the internal level, representatives of both Fatah and Hamas parties, confirmed that probably a final round of national unity talks in Cairo will be held by early July. The two parties are still not close to an agreement.


For IMEMC.org this is Jessica Hulsey.


The Gaza Strip Report

As the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip continues, three Palestinians were reported dead this week including one child. From Gaza IMEMC's Rami Al Megari reports:

A Palestinian infant was reported dead on Monday afternoon after he was unable to leave the Gaza Strip for life saving medical treatment he needed.

One year old, Mohamed Nufal had hart failure; he needed medical care that Gaza hospitals were unable to provide him due to the ongoing Israeli siege on Gaza. Israel started its siege on Gaza in June 2007. Doctors in Gaza reported that with Nufal's death, the death toll due to the Israeli siege now reaches 337.

On Wednesday morning, Hamas reported that one if its fighters died in a mission in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

On their website, the armed wing of Hamas, the Al Qassam Brigades, stated that 25-year-old Mohammad Abu-Karim Al Madhoun, from Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, died during a special mission. The brigades provided no further detail on his death.

In other related news, Dr. Moawiya Hassanen, head of the emergency unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that the body of one resident was moved to a hospital in the Gaza Strip after a tunnel collapsed on him. Dr. Hassanen added that another resident was also injured in the incident.

Amnesty International issued a new report on Thursday charging Israel of repeatedly violating the laws of war during its "Cast Lead" assault on Gaza.

The operation started on December 27th, 2009 and ended on January 18th, 2009. The operation left 1500 Palestinians dead and at least 6,000 others injured. The report comes less than a week before a UN fact-finding mission arrives in Israel and Gaza to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

For IMEMC.org this is Rami Al Meghari in Gaza.


The West Bank Report

This week, the Israeli military conducted at least 30 military invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those attacks troops killed one man and kidnapped 30 other civilians, including five children. IMEMC's Katharine Orwell reports:

This week attacks were focused on the southern West Bank cities of Hebron and Bethlehem and the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

On Friday, Israeli police and soldiers tried to shut down the Palestine Festival of Literature during its final night at the Palestinian National Theatre in East Jerusalem.
Richard Makepeace, the British Consul, went to the theatre for an explanation of the army's actions. He was informed of a court order pinned to the door of the theatre. After he read it, he announced that the event would instead be held at the British Council. The British Council was one of the main sponsors of the festival.
The Israeli military assassinated a wanted Palestinian fighter in the West Bank town of Dura, south of Hebron, on Thursday. According to Israel, 45-year-old Abd Al-Majid Doudin, a leader in Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed during an invasion of the village. Israel accuses Doudin of planning suicide attacks in Israel in the 1990s.
A Palestinian worker was arrested on Wednesday by the Israeli police at the entrance to the settlement of Ma'ale Adomim, near the city of Jerusalem. Police reported that the worker was trying to attack security guards at the gate with a knife.

A Palestinian woman sustained moderate wounds on Tuesday afternoon after she was attacked by an Israeli settler in the northern West Bank.

21- year old Hiba abed Al Hak, was going from her city Salfit to Ramallah. She was stopped at the Za'tara military checkpoint near Nablus. Local sources reported that while she was waiting at the checkpoint, she was attacked and beaten up by a settler.

Medical sources reported that Al Hak was moved to a hospital for treatment. They said that soldiers at the checkpoint were watching as she was being attacked.

On Sunday, a Palestinian youth was shot and wounded near a military road block installed at the eastern entrance of Tammoun village, near the West Bank city of Tubas.

Dozens of youth were reportedly hurling stones at soldiers who were near the newly installed road block. Soldiers fired back with concussion grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets. One of the rubber-coated bullets struck the youth in the head.

For IMEMC.org this is Katharine Orwell.


Conclusion

And that's just some of the news this week in Palestine. For constant updates, please check out our website, www.IMEMC.org. Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. This week's report has been brought to you by Dina Awwad.