there should be no business with Israel

In Occupied Palestine

Zionism in practice

Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property

(Compiled by Leslie Bravery, Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Auckland, New Zealand www.palestine.org.nz) [If you have difficulty with the display of this report, it may be better viewed on our website]

NB: We shall always do our utmost to verify the accuracy of all items in these IOP newsletters/reports wherever possible – but please forgive us for any errors or omissions (not of our own making) that may occur! L & M.

IOP Report {Number 2 for October 2017}

Captive Jerusalem teenager

tortured before release

Transport for London

bans ads displaying

Palestinian objections

to Balfour Declaration

Refugees plan to sue Britain

over the infamous

Balfour Declaration

Israeli Ministers end call

for 'peace talks' after

Fatah-Hamas unity deal

8 European countries

demand Israel pay for

West Bank facilities

it destroyed

Ken Loach donates Israel

screening profits to BDS

Israeli terrorists attempt to

set fire to Hebron mosque

Palestinian women

are symbols of heroism

Israeli settlers plunder

Palestinian olive harvest

New Israeli law to shield

Netanyahu from

corruption charges

Netanyahu pushes for bill

to ban Breaking the Silence

and BDS

The Truth is out there

Recent news updates:

Captive Jerusalem teenager tortured before release. On 15 October, the Israeli police set free a Palestinian teenager from the al-Isawiya area, in Occupied East Jerusalem, after he had undergone interrogation and torture. Mohammad Abdul-Raouf Mahmoud (18) told the Wadi Hilweh Information Centre in Silwan of his being tortured in Israel's al-Maskobiyya Prison. He added that the soldiers also placed him in a waiting cell, after a court hearing this past Friday, before one of them entered and started kicking and punching him all over, including his face and head, until he lost consciousness. The soldiers poured water on him but failed to revive him and he was later moved to Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem. Mohammad had been abducted by Israeli soldiers three days earlier, in the evening, as he walked down the street of his home town. After a hearing, allegations of throwing stones and petrol bombs at Israeli Army Jeeps were apparently so flimsy that the court ordered the youngster's immediate release.

Transport for London (TfL) bans ads displaying Palestinian objections to Balfour Declaration. Advertisements highlighting Palestinian objections to the Balfour Declaration of 1917 have been blocked by Transport for London on the grounds that the issue is politically controversial. Organisers had hoped to see the adverts displayed at key underground stations and on buses in the run-up to the centenary of the First World War pledge on 2 November. Theresa May and her Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, are expected to be the guests of honour at a London dinner celebrating the occasion, the most high-profile of several events. There are planned protests demanding that the UK, which has refused to apologise for the Declaration, work to advance Palestinian rights and recognise the injustice and continuing consequences of its promise. The advertising campaign, called Make It Right, was commissioned by the Palestine Mission to the UK. It included contrasting images of Palestinian life before and after 1948, when Israel declared its 'independence' after 700,000 Palestinians had fled or had been driven from their homes. Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, has accused TfL of censorship. In a statement he said: “Palestinian history is a censored history. There has been a 100-year-long cover-up of the British Government’s broken promise, in the Balfour Declaration, to safeguard the rights of the Palestinians when it gave away their country to another people. TfL’s decision is not surprising as it is, at best, susceptible to or, at worst, complicit with, all the institutional forces and active lobby groups which continuously work to silence the Palestinian narrative. There may be free speech in Britain on every issue under the sun but not on Palestine.” Read more:

Refugees plan to sue Britain over the infamous Balfour Declaration. 19 October 2017 | The Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) Refugee Department condemned British Government plans to celebrate the centennial of the infamous Balfour Declaration of 2 November 2017, saying it was the cause of the expulsion and displacement of the Palestinians from their homeland. Zakaria al-Aga, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee and head of its Refugee Department, strongly protested against, in a Press statement, the British Government’s celebrations of 100 years for the Balfour Declaration and its invitation to Israeli officials to attend the celebrations. The PLO promised to sue Britain if does not go back on the celebrations. “Holding the celebrations is considered a hostile act toward the Palestinian people and portrays Britain as an enemy of what is right, justice and of humanity,” al-Aga said, adding that instead of celebrating the Balfour Declaration, Britain should apologise to the Palestinian people for it, which it has refused to do so far. He warned that the Palestinians will be compelled to pursue this case in international forums if Britain fails to apologise to the Palestinian people, acknowledge that the Balfour Declaration was a historic mistake and recognise the Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He said the Palestinians have started a series of activities at home and abroad to commemorate this infamous event, which will culminate in a central activity on 2 November through sit-ins in front of British embassies all over the world. The British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour's, promise to Europe’s Jews of a homeland in Palestine was made in total disregard of its indigenous Palestinian Arab population. The promise was used by the world Zionist movement to compel Britain to allow Jewish immigration to Palestine during the British Mandate occupation of Palestine from 1922 until 1948, after which it handed the land over to Israel after ending its Mandate on 15 May 1948. Israel's declaration of 'Independence' and the war that followed enabled the Zionists to control 78% of the area of Palestine and expel 700,000 of its Arab population. The remaining 22% were Occupied in Israel's war of June 1967. The Palestinian refugee tragedy continues and the official number of refugees has risen to four million people living in dozens of refugee camps in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Read more:

Israeli Ministers end call for 'peace talks' after Fatah-Hamas unity deal. Israel’s top-level security cabinet on Tuesday said the government would no longer hold 'peace talks' with the Palestinian Authority following the reconciliation agreement it reached with Hamas. In a statement, the security cabinet, made up of senior ministers, listed a number of conditions that must be met before Israel would resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians, including the disarming of Palestinian Resistance; the return of Israeli citizens and bodies of Israeli soldiers being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip; the restoration of PA control in Gaza, including at border crossings; continued action by the PA to suppress Palestinian acts of Resistance in the West Bank; and the end of Hamas’s ties with Iran. The ministers said Hamas must forswear terrorism (while making no such pledge regarding Israeli terrorism and violence) and recognise the Jewish state in accordance with the conditions of the Middle East Quartet, which comprises the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. The Zionist state made no mention of its own disregard for international law and recalcitrance regarding UN Security Council Resolution 2334. It also said any aid or humanitarian equipment destined for Gaza must pass through the PA and the systems in place meant to thwart smuggling to what it calls the “terror group”. While the statement said Israel would no longer engage in peace talks until the conditions are met, it did not say Israel would cut ties with the PA or end the PA's collaboration with Occupation forces. On Sunday, London-based Pan-Arab daily As-Sharq al-Awsat also reported that there was an “implicit understanding” between Hamas and Fatah that Hamas would extend its current ceasefire with Israel from Gaza to the West Bank. Israel, however, continues to violate the ceasefire almost daily. The chief Hamas negotiator, Saleh al-Arouri, said Hamas signed the agreement in order that all Palestinian forces can “work together against the Zionist enterprise.”

8 European countries demand Israel pay for West Bank structures it destroyed. Eight European Union member states are demanding that Israel pay them back for the destruction and confiscation of buildings and other installations installed for the benefit of Bedouin encampments in Area C of the West Bank by the EU’s mission in Israel. A letter from the EU member states, led by Belgium, setting out the demand will be handed to the Israeli Foreign Ministry in the coming days, according to the Haaretz newspaper, citing an initial report in France’s Le Monde daily newspaper. In August, Israel destroyed two structures in the West Bank Bedouin Arab village of Jabal al-Baba, one intended for use as a kindergarten for 25 children and a another to house a small primary school in the southern West Bank. In addition, Israel seized solar panels on another structure being used as a school in the southern West Bank. Besides Belgium, the seven other signatories to the letter are France, Spain, Sweden, Luxembourg, Italy, Ireland and Denmark. According to the report, each country’s government is demanding Israel return to them the equipment it confiscated when destroying the structures, and if it refuses, to pay them 30,000 Euros. “The destruction and confiscation of humanitarian equipment, including infrastructure for schools, and disrupting the transfer of humanitarian aid contradict Israel’s commitments under international law and cause suffering for the Palestinian residents” of the area, the letter says, according to a Hebrew-language translation by Haaretz. Israel is reportedly set to reject the demand out of hand. According to Israeli officials, the EU’s structures are not humanitarian aid, but amount to development activities carried out without co-ordination and unlawfully in a bid to strengthen Palestinian claims to the areas where it is taking place. Anywhere from 150,000 to 300,000 Palestinians live in Area C, which includes all Israeli settlements and covers about 60% of the West Bank’s land area. Area C Palestinians live in some 180 villages, most of which are not recognised by Israel. Unrecognised villages often lack basic infrastructure and planning, and are under threat of demolition. Israel annually destroys dozens to hundreds of Palestinian buildings in Area C, according to Bimkom, a group of Israeli planners and architects that advocates for Palestinian construction rights. https://www.timesofisrael.com/8-european-countries-demand-israel-pay-for-west-bank-structures-it-destroyed/

Ken Loach donates Israel screening profits to BDS. British director Ken Loach donated the proceeds from the screenings of his latest film in Israel to the anti-Zionist Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The film, I, Daniel Blake, was widely acclaimed and screened in front of audiences at packed theatres in Israel last spring. At the end of the week, the British branch of the boycott group published a statement revealing it had been the recipient of all proceeds from the film's screening in Israel donated by Loach. “Ken Loach, thank you for the support and generosity, it gives us strength”, the organisation's members told the British Director. They did not specify the amount they received from him. I, Daniel Blake came out last year and won the Golden Palm Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best British Film award at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), as well as being nominated and named best film in many other prestigious festivals. The film tells the story of Daniel Blake, a working-class man who was crushed under the weight of bureaucracy after suffering a heart attack and being denied benefits despite his inability to work, forming a unique friendship with a single mother in the process. The film's director, Ken Loach, is considered to be one of the best directors working in Britain today. Alongside Roger Waters, Loach is also the most prominent supporter of BDS in Britain. Loach has signed numerous letters calling for a boycott of Israel and has even approached artists such as Radiohead demanding that they cancel their planned performances in Israel in the past. His efforts, however, were to no avail with the show going ahead at full volume. Read more:

Terrorists attempt to set fire to Hebron mosque. 16 October 2017 | Israeli settlers tried, on Sunday at dawn, to set fire to the Eltona Mosque in Moshafer Yatta, south of Hebron governorate, Occupied West Bank. Local sources reported, according to Al Ray, that residents of nearby Ma’on settlement raided the village mosque and tried to burn it down before being discovered by Palestinian residents. Israeli forces intervened in support of the settlers, firing stun grenades and tear gas at Palestinian residents.

Palestinian women are symbols of heroism. 13 October 2017 | At just 26 years of age, Yousra Badwan is Palestine’s youngest female mayor after being elected to the post in the Azzun municipality of the Occupied West Bank earlier this year. Badwan tells MEMO about her reasons for pursuing political office, and how she hopes to help her community in the face of the Israeli Occupation. Having graduated from Palestine’s Technical University with a degree in Electrical Engineering, a career in politics was not the obvious choice for West Bank resident Yousra Badwan. As she observed the struggles of those in her community, though, particularly those faced by women, her desire to make a difference led her to aim high. “I wanted to participate effectively in the community and prove that a young Palestinian woman is able to run alongside the men and can bear responsibilities and make decisions,” she explains. In 2017, Badwan fulfilled her ambitions and ran in the local election, securing a majority vote for the position of mayor in May of this year. She is now a full-time politician. Despite the rarity of young women in politics, Badwan does not see her achievement as unique amongst Palestinian women. “Palestinian women are symbols of heroism, sacrifice, perseverance and creativity. They are the mothers of prisoners and martyrs. They continue to fight in all aspects of life and have proven themselves successful in various positions. They are capable of change and ingenuity.” Read more: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171013-palestinian-women-are-symbols-of-heroism-says-palestines-youngest-female-mayor/

Israeli settlers plunder Palestinian olive harvest. 17 October 2017 | Militants from the illegal Israeli Occupation settlement of Havat Gilad in the West Bank district of Nablus, robbed villages of the harvest from more than 450 olive trees. Ghassan Daghlas, an official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that Israeli settlers stole the harvests from the villages of Jit, Surra and Fara'ata. The Israeli Occupation withheld permission for Palestinian harvesters to enter the olive groves until the plunder had been accomplished. Similar reports of Israeli settlers stealing olive harvests emerged on Sunday, with the NGO, Rabbis for Human Rights, reporting that the arrest of settlers in a rare case of Israeli authorities holding settlers to account for crimes committed against Palestinians. The Palestinian Government has no jurisdiction over Israelis in the West Bank, and acts carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military forces, who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents. Only 1.9% of complaints submitted by Palestinians against Israeli settler attacks result in a conviction, while 95.6% of investigations of damage to olive trees are closed due to failures of Israeli police, according to the Israeli human rights group, Yesh Din. Yesh Din, along with Israeli rights group B’Tselem, have previously condemned Israeli authorities for failing to protect Palestinians from settlers violence or investigate attacks, particularly during olive harvest season, when incidents of attacks on harvesters and olive groves have been a near-daily occurrence in past years. https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=779338

Gaza Crossings’ Operations Status: Monthly update | September 2017. Long-standing restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have undermined the living conditions of approximately two million Palestinians. Many of the current restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s, were intensified with the imposition of a blockade after Hamas won the election and assumed control of Gaza in June 2007. Israel's oppressive restrictions continue to reduce access to livelihood, essential services and housing. They disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future. Egypt has compounded the suffering since June 2013 with further restrictions imposed at the Rafah Crossing, which became the main crossing point for Palestinians. Click here to view the full report.

New Israeli law to shield Netanyahu from corruption charges. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party intends to propose a bill for a law to give immunity to Knesset members from any investigations of corruption.

Netanyahu pushes for bill to ban Breaking the Silence and BDS. New legislation, supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would shut down any organisation that seeks to have IDF soldiers tried in international courts. The bill would also ban NGOs that promote a boycott of Israel or any area in its controls, meaning that it would apply to settlement boycotts, Israel's Channel 2 reported on Monday night. Closing down Breaking the Silence, which collects testimony from former Israeli soldiers relating to war crimes, was reportedly specifically mentioned in discussions of what the legislation should entail.

The Truth is out there. Breaking the Silence’s executive director, Avner Gvaryahu, said his organisation “is here to stay, now and after Netanyahu,” and argued that the “persecution” of his NGO is a distraction from the investigations into alleged corruption by Netanyahu. “This is yet another pitiful witch-hunt from a right-wing government that knows its days are numbered,” he stated. “Yet again, Netanyahu chooses to use IDF soldiers, who have broken the silence and oppose the Occupation, as a human shield, deflecting the consequences of his own criminal entanglements. Neither a commission of inquiry nor legislation will deter us. There is only one way to stop Breaking the Silence: end the Occupation.” http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahu-pushes-for-bill-to-ban-Breaking-the-Silence-BDS-NGOs-507659

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The Palestine Yearbook 2015

The genocide the world ignores

by Diana Lodge

Everyone should have a copy

of this invaluable resource!

To order the book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Palestine+Yearbook+2015

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