#Biet Safafa witnesses Israel's arbitrary acts of violence committed by #Israeli settlers Here are
Today, nearly five million Palestinians who live in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip are trying to survive day-to-day life, without any real long-term hopes or expectations. In the 25 years since the signing of the Oslo Accords and the founding of the Palestinian Authority, Israel has expanded and entrenched its control over Palestinians' lives in every way imaginable and now, it is pushing ahead with a more extreme agenda than ever before - it is hoping to forever eradicate Palestinian hopes of achieving either a sovereign state at the 1967 borders or becoming equal and dignified citizens in a single bi-national state.
A divided West Bank
With the proliferation of Jewish-only settlements, permanent checkpoints, and settler-only roads, the West Bank is no longer a cohesive unit. The looming cleansing of Bedouin communities, such as Khan Al-Ahmar, threatens the permanent dissection of the West Bank into separate units.
Every road that connects major population centres in the West Bank is now dominated by an average of three to five permanent checkpoints. The journey between the cities of Hebron and Ramallah (43km), for example, takes a minimum of two hours for a Palestinian due to the nature of the roads we are allowed to use. For comparison, an Israeli could drive the same distance on wide, safe and well-lit roads in half the time.
With planned settlement expansion in E1 area (Jerusalem), Palestinians will soon be forced to use more remote and treacherous bypass roads. Those roads include Al-Mu'arajat, Wadi Al-Nar and the new Anata-Ezariye bypass, which were all built to keep Palestinians off Israeli roads that cut through the West Bank, such as Highway 1 and Highway 60.
Forgotten in Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, the governing Israeli authority's negligence of the Palestinian population of the city is staggering. In the city, 72.9 percent of the Palestinian population lives below the poverty line and less than 10 percent of its municipal funds are spent on the Palestinian residents, despite their high municipal tax contributions. Areas such as Kufr Aqab and Shufat Refugee Camp, which fall within Jerusalem municipal boundaries, are literally walled out and left to rot without any municipal services.
Over 320,000 Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem are not considered citizens by Israel. They are unable to move anywhere else, because if they do so, they may permanently lose their legal right to reside in Jerusalem. They are facing an overwhelming lack of housing, an inadequate school system, high municipal taxes (that they do not see a return on), and an overall rough standard of living.
Palestinians in the city are worried that they may be further victimised in the coming days as result of new Israeli policies regarding municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. They are also concerned that President Trump's looming deal of the century may force them to give up their residency in the city and get full Jordanian or Palestinian citizenship. They fear no one is trying to stop the Israeli efforts to cleanse Palestinians from Jerusalem.
Second-class citizens
Meanwhile, Palestinian and other non-Jewish citizens of Israel are faced with their own wave of discrimination, highlighted most recently by controversial the Jewish Nation-State Law. The law turned their marginalisation into a de jure matter, rather than de facto, as it had been before. By diminishing their status as citizens and stripping Arabic of its designation as an official language, the law left no room for anyone to claim Israel is a democracy that treats all its citizens equally.
The official response by the Palestinian leadership to this law has been weak, to say the least. In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority failed to put forward a coherent response. So far, it merely engaged in cycles of loyalty campaigns whenever its legitimacy was questioned. Most recently, in the build-up to the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, it repeatedly broadcast slogans emphasizing Palestinians' national duty to support the leadership at this historic moment.
The situation in Gaza is even worse. The besieged strip's economy is in free fall, says a recent report from the World Bank, citing the 11-year Israeli blockade as the reason, along with internal political rivalries plaguing the strip
The Rural Electrification of 5 Villages in Palestine
Another tiny-film by Comet-ME.
Our work between December 2009 - March 2010
See Comet-me.org, visit us on facebook - and twitter @cometme
Settlers are celebrating on Palestinian privet land in Hebron
Tel Rumeida, Hebron, 7.11.2015
Health Clinic for Isolated Palestinian Villagers in the Hebron Hills [CARE and ECHO]
Cut off by settlements and no-go roads, Palestinian villagers in the south near Hebron must rely on mobile clinics for their health needs. These are run by CARE International and funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO). SInce new building
permits are rarely issued by officials, community services are run from schools and private homes.
Sep 12, 2012 West Bank_Fuel price cuts fail to appease Palestinian protesters
Palestinians are on a wave of protests and demonstrations against the economic stagnation caused by strict Israeli trade controls and a decline in Western aid.
In this year's largest display yet of public discontent with the Palestinian Authority, Palestinians across the West Bank voice their frustration over recently implemented austerity measures, unpaid salaries and rising prices.
The majority of public discontent was directed against Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. On Tuesday, protesters in Hebron hurled shoes at a poster of the US-educated politician with the words Depart Fayyad scrawled underneath. Activists then tore the poster down, trampled it and set it on fire.
The prime minister claimed that the austerity measures were due to a budgetary shortfall caused by the failure of the US and Arab countries to deliver an expected $1.2 billion in financial aid. In response to violent clashes he lowered the price of fuel. Previously, the price of petrol in Palestine was $8.18 per gallon, more than double the US $3.59 per gallon.
Head of Masar research center Nihad Abu Ghosh is positive on the step, but thinks the issue is much bigger.
I think these steps are good, the government is moving in the right direction, which would eventually lead to a way out of the crisis. But the government should look at the problem on a larger scale. It should rethink its economic policy and should get rid of any factors that restrict it and submit it to Israeli one. The key to the issue is the Paris economic convention, which should be reviewed, he said.
The decision to respond quickly to the demands from people on the street backlashed in a new wave of protests, just hours after the premier's speech.
I think the steps taken are not enough, they are more like cosmetic changes, made up to calm the angered people, said one of the protesters.
The roots of the problem are in the wrong economic policy, not just the fuel prices, said another demonstrator.
Radical changes have to happen to make us stop talking about the issue of lowering prices for fuel and bread, said another.
Most of the protesters are going beyond demanding bringing down prices and want a review of the economic policy, increasingly targeting the treaties with Israel. And thus the protest movement has a potential to increase in scale and anger.
The Great Day of Annihilation
facebook.com/thegreatdayofannihilation
Day/night activity B'hem, Hebron damage, reax
Bethlehem - 4th April
Nightshots
1. Long shot of Nativity church area
2. Zoom in on flare above Church of Nativity, audio gunfire
Bethlehem - 5th April
Dayshot
3. Wide shot Church of Nativity
4. Soldiers walking through streets
5. Wideshot tanks on outskirts of Bethlehem
6. Various Israeli soldiers
7. Various Israeli soldiers on tanks
Jerusalem - 5th April
8.SOUNDBITE: (English) Arie Mekel, Israeli government spokesman:
The United States is a friend of Israel, it's our best friend in the world. We know that they understand what terror is, what muslim terror is, and they have been supportive all this time they will continue to be the best friends of the state of Israel. Right now the President has decided to send the Secretary of State as I said we think this is a positive move and we will do anything we can to facilitate the success of General Powell in his visit here.
Hebron - 5th April
9. Tanks driving along street
10. Mid shot Israeli soldier
11. Man walking past shop
12. Star of david spray-painted on wall
13. Truck driving past
STORYLINE:
A standoff at the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem entered its fourth day on Friday after a night of gun battles and Israeli raids in the West bank city.
In the morning, Israeli army forces were at the outskirts of the biblical town and reserve soldiers secured the area outside the city.
Another firefight occurred overnight in the West Bank city of Hebron in what Israeli military sources said was a small, pinpoint operation that continued early Friday.
Two houses in Hebron were destroyed in the incursion and on Friday, distressed residents were inspecting the ruins.
A planned meeting between US envoy Anthony Zinni and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat raised hopes on Friday that cease-fire talks might soon begin.
Israel initially refused to allow the American mediator to visit Arafat earlier this week.
They eventually agreed to the visit after a speech by US President George Bush, which urged Israel to stop the incursions into Palestinian territory and withdraw from the West Bank.
Palestinians and Israel have both responded positively to Bush's statement, which includes plans to send US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, to the region next week.
But in Bethlehem, protesters planned an anti-American demonstration later in the day.
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Israeli Occupation forces breaking into and taking over Palestinian building
Hawara, Nablus 20.9.2016
Comet-ME, Rural Electrification in Palestine, short film: Persistence
The life of the people in Shaeb Al Buttum, under Israeli occupation and without water, electric power and proper roads, is a little better after installing a solar and wind power system. The community lives off the electricity grid due to political reasons. As part of a development project sponsored by the German Foreign Office and Medico International, Comet-Me was able to install a 40KW total power system for the whole community.
A short film by Tal Pesses.
They don't want to hear Arab talk in a Jewish town, It'll disturb their Sabbath
התקרבות פלסטינים תפריע למרקם התקין שלהם (המתנחלים), הם לא רוצים לשמוע דיבורים ערביים בישוב יהודי
אדמות אום אל עמד הסמוכות להתנחלות עתניאל 6.9.2014
WRAP Extremist Israeli settlers evicted from disputed house by Isr forces ADDS more
1. Tracking shot of riot policemen getting out of vehicles and running towards entrance of disputed house where Jewish settlers are staying, pan to more soldiers arriving and to soldiers at house entrance, AUDIO: Stun grenades
2. Heavily armed riot policemen with Jewish settlers inside disputed house
3. Policemen pulling resisting Jewish settler, UPSOUND (Hebrew) Settler shouting: I will not get out
4. Jewish settlers inside house, pan to clashes inside house
5. Various of Israeli soldiers and riot police dragging settlers out of disputed house
6. Police dragging settler away
7. Emergency workers wheeling injured on stretcher into ambulance
8. Various of riot police clashing with settlers
9. Wide of emergency worker placing injured on stretcher
10. Settler lying on ground and struggling, surrounded by soldiers and emergency workers
11. Soldiers dragging settler
12. Palestinian woman throwing rocks from window
13. Settlers and soldiers at scene
14. Female settlers sitting on ground, crying
15. Girl crying, soldiers in background
16. Close-up of settler girls next to boy lying on ground, tilt-up to settler clashing with riot police
17. Riot police at scene, settlers shouting at them
18. Riot police blocking entrance of disputed house
19. Zoom in on riot police with shield covered with unidentified substance believed to have been thrown by settlers, blocking entrance of disputed house
20. More of scene and face off between police and settlers
21. Young settler boy next another boy lying on ground holding his ear
22. Zoom in on soldiers dragging settler girl
23. Settlers sitting on ground, riot police standing nearby
24. Soldiers carrying settler away
25. Riot police standing in entrance of disputed house with man lying on ground in front of them
STORYLINE:
Israeli security forces stormed a disputed house in the biblical city of Hebron on Thursday, dragging out some 250 settlers who barricaded themselves inside and hurled rocks, eggs and chemicals at their evictors.
Thursday's action at the structure the settlers dubbed the House of Peace, was the first major West Bank eviction since a violent 2006 confrontation that injured dozens.
Settlers attempted to go back into the four-storey structure, but soldiers formed a human chain around the house to keep them from doing so.
An army spokeswoman said the eviction of the settlers from the house, one of the most volatile flashpoints in the West Bank, was completed in about 20 minutes.
There were scenes of violence as some 600 soldiers and policemen started to evict the settlers.
Soldiers and policemen took over the house in a surprise operation and quickly began dragging out the people inside one by one, their hands and legs held by teams of two or four officers.
An AP Television News crew filmed dramatic shots inside the disputed house as the confrontation between settlers and troops peaked.
Security forces in full riot gear used stun grenades and tear gas to repel the settlers.
Israel's rescue service said 20 people on both sides were hurt.
One of the settlers sustained serious head wounds, and he was whisked into an ambulance on a stretcher.
Police spokesman said a policeman was moderately injured after a chemical liquid was tossed in his face.
Nearby, fist fights broke out between settler youths and Palestinians in the area.
Israeli rescue services deployed two helicopters along with a fleet of ambulances to the scene to transport the wounded to nearby hospitals.
Rioting spread quickly to other parts of the West Bank as well.
Settlers set fire around two Palestinian homes, and Palestinians reported one person was injured by settler gunfire.
Police said it arrested 11 rioters who flung stones at its forces.
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Susia Archaeological Site and Road Blocks
Israeli soldier describes his service in the south herbon hills.
This video on our website:
For more Breaking the Silence videos:
Stones and Threats from Emmanuel Eisenberg and Israeli Antiquities Authority Workers
The day after Emmanuel Eisenberg and his team from Israeli Antiquities Authority destroyed retaining walls and damaged an olive tree on Abu Haikal land I filmed them digging under the same olive tree and threatening to bring it down altogether. After getting orders from Emmanuel Eisenberg two of his workers attacked me with stones and chased me off the land. Eisenberg then threatened me and threatened to smash more trees on the Abu Haikal land. In his last fit of childish pique he destroyed one third of the large tree shading their house. He seems to think he is above the law and that Palestinians have no rights whatsoever. The Israeli police were called but failed to turn up as is usual.
Tel Rumeida, Hebron, Palestine
15 May 15
More demolitions threaten impoverished village
(19 Feb 2018) LEADIN
At least 40 people are at risk of losing their homes in the West Bank village of Susya after the Israeli High Court approved a motion submitted by the Israeli army to demolish seven structures in the village.
Meanwhile, an Israeli opposition MK warns that the Israeli government is moving to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.
STORYLINE:
They may be simple structures, but some of the poorest residents of the West Bank call them home.
Seven of these structures are at risk of demolition by the Israeli army.
This is the village of Susya. A rural village at the southernmost tip of the West Bank that is constantly in conflict with the Israeli government and the Israeli settlements.
There is a decision from an Israeli high court to demolish seven structures in the village and we are expecting the Israeli bulldozers to come at any minute and destroy these structures, says resident Naser Nawaja.
Last year, Israel's State Attorney rejected a petition submitted by residents of the village on a proposed community development plan. Instead, it notified the residents of the Israeli state's intention to demolish 19 structures, which is approximately one-fifth of the total number of buildings in the village. The residents took legal action and petitioned the High Court.
In a shock decision to the community, the Israeli High Court rejected part of the petition and approved the state's motion to demolish seven of the structures, including homes, a storage and a water tank.
On Sunday, Joint List MKs visited the beleaguered village.
I came to Susya this small Palestinian village here to support the villagers in their struggle to stay here to stay and to keep their places to stay on their land and to fight against the plans of the Israeli government and Israeli settlers to deport them and to demolish their houses, says Dov Khenin, Israeli MK.
The small community relies on agriculture and livestock for sustenance. If the demolitions are indeed carried out it would leave dozens without shelter in the winter season. Residents say this is private Palestinian land.
Since 1986 the Israeli state has been trying to demolish the village and to expel its residents in order to expand the Jewish settlement of Susya at the expense of the agricultural land belonging to the people of Susya.
Surrounding Susya, many Israeli settlements can easily be seen, including one with the same name.
This one to the south-east is the Karmel settlement.
They are fighting against a political move by the Israeli government that is part of a big plan to actually annex parts, big parts, of the West Bank, the occupied West Bank, says Khenin.
Lawyers defending the village of Susya say 20 additional structures are slated for destruction following the state's unilateral notification. The fate of the entire village depends on, and still awaits, the court's declaration regarding a petition submitted on the matter.
According to the defence, the village has been located in the South Hebron Hills at least since the 1830s.
In the early 1980s, the Israeli Civil Administration declared the village's land an 'archaeological site,' and in 1986 its residents were expelled from the declared archaeological site. Following the expulsion, the residents moved to a nearby location.
Settlements are considered illegal under international law.
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'אני אשחט את האשה והילדים שלך ואותך הדא ארד אל יהוד, רוח על בית' Violent settler threatens Pal
English follows Hebrew
תיעוד וידיאו של מתנחל אלים מנסה לתקוף פלסטינים, מאיים לרצוח אותם ואת ילדיהם וקורא לתלות פעילי זכויות אדם כבר בפורים הקרוב.
תושב דרום הר חברון תועד על ידי פעילי תעאיוש כשהוא מנסה לתקוף רועה פלסטיני מבוגר, מאיים לשחוט את ילדיו בלילה, וקורא לתלות פעילי זכויות אדם, בעת פעילות לליווי רועה פלסטיני מבוגר.
בשלב מסויים בשיחה מכיר המתנחל הצעיר בכך שלפלסטיני יש שטר בעלות על הקרקע מהתקופה העות'מנית, אך כופר בכלל בזכותו ההיסטורית של השלטון העות'מני להסדיר בעלות על אדמות בארץ ישראל. בכך חושף המתנחל את תפיסתו שלא מכירה למעשה גם בבעלות פרטית של פלסטינים על אדמותיהם - בעלות שנובעת משטרי קניין מהתקופה העות'מנית. תפיסתו עומדת בסתירה למדיניות הרשמית של מדינת ישראל לגבי זכויות הקניין של הפלסטינים, אך תואמת במידה רבה את המדיניות הישראלית בפועל, הנמנעת להתמודד עם תופעת ההשתלטויות על אדמות פלסטינים ולא פעם אף מעודדת אותה.
החקלאים הפלסטינים באזור ממשפחת חושייה, מיוצגים על ידי רבנים למען זכויות האדם בהליכים משפטיים שונים. בנוגע לאדמות הללו, נקבע על ידי בית המשפט כי המתנחלים לא הוכיחו את רכישת הקרקע כפי שטענו ואילו הפלסטינים הראו זיקה לקרקע באמצעות מסמכים; אלא שבגלל שהצבא לא הצליח להוכיח מתי בדיוק פלשו המתנחלים לקרקע הפרטית, החליט בית המשפט שלא להנחות את הצבא להוציאם מאדמת משפחת חושיה באמצעות צו.
בחלקה סמוכה של משפחת חושיה, נחתם צו לפינוי כרם שנטע המתנחל משה דויטש בעקבות הליך משפטי בייצוג רבנים למען זכויות האדם, הכרם ששימש להשתלטות פונה על ידי הצבא והמשפחה הפלסטינית שבה לעבד את חלקתה.
An Israeli resident of the South Hebron Hills was filmed by a Ta'ayush activist as he attempted to attack an elderly Palestinian shepherd, threatened to butcher his children at night, and called to hang human rights activists.
During the conversation, the young settler acknowledged the Palestinian's deed to the land dating back to the Ottoman Empire. However, he outright rejected the historic authority of the Ottoman Empire to regulate land ownership in the Land of Israel.
As such, the settler exposed his worldview that does not acknowledge the private land ownership rights of Palestinians originating from deeds under the Ottoman Empire. This view stands in contradiction to the official standpoint of the State of Israel regarding the property rights of Palestinians, but is aligned with the de facto policy of the state which avoids dealing with land take-overs and often times aids them.
The Palestinian farmers in the area of the Hushiya family are represented by Rabbis for Human Rights in various legal matters. In regards to these lands, the court ruled that the settlers have not proven the purchase of land as they have claimed, while conversely, the Palestinians have shown documents proving their ownership.
Since the army has been unable to determine when exactly the settlers encroached on the private property, the court has refrained from ordering the army to issue a military order to have settlers removed from the land.
Following the legal intervention of Rabbis for Human Rights, a court order was issued to remove a vineyard planted by settler Moshe Deutsch located on another nearby plot belonging to the Hushiya family. In this instance, the vineyard — used to encroach on the Palestinian land — was removed by the army and the Palestinian family was able to return to work their plot.
More on the work of Rabbis for Human Rights:
ISOFOTON RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN ENGLISH.mpg
Explains the potential of photovoltaic energy in rural areas, in places where other sources of energy are not available.
Plug n Play Solar PV System
PnP Solar is meant to address the problem of energy accessibility in our communities especially the rural areas, providing Solar PV (renewable energy) at the go. It is meant to eliminate much technicality in terms of installation and usage. Also, we will seek to make the system low cost and portable