The Closure of Palestinian Organizations in Jerusalem

Violation: closing four developmental organizations in the Occupied City of Jerusalem.

Location: Dahiyet al Bareed, Shu’fat, and Kafr ‘Aqab.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.

Victims: Arab residents of Jerusalem.

Date: October 25 and 27, 2011.

 

Israeli troops raided the offices of two Palestinian Organizations; Jerusalem Institute for Development and Shuaa Organization. They stuck one-month-closure orders with the ability to extend for a year on the doors of the organizations. On October 25, 2011, the Israeli Police broke into two branches of the Jerusalem Institute of Development, both in Dahiet al Bareed, claiming that their activities are guided by ‘Hamas’ movement.

 

The police arrested Kifah Sarha, head of the Social Department, and confiscated computers, cameras, and a number of files before leaving the place a complete mess. They stuck an extendable one-month closure orders on the doors of both branches.Jerusalem Institute for Development is a charity active in the fields of aiding the poor and providing educational services to the youth. Coherently, Israeli troops raided Shuaa Female Society in Shu’fat on the pretext that its activities are guided and supported by the ‘Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’. The order was an extendable one-month.

 

In addition they closed Sa’ed Instition located in Kafer ‘Aqab; SA’ed provides educational services for students and schools. The latest victim of the Israeli campaign was ‘Work without Borders’, a Palestinian Organization that provides job opportunities via the internet.

 

 

 

Dr. Nofouth Almaslamani, Shuaa Director, stated to an LRC observer:’ an Israeli Intelligence officer called us and informed us of the closure order; he threatened to arrest whoever remains in the site. Soon afterwards, the Police broke into our headquarters and evicted everyone. They put the closure order on the door. The order had no registration number and the appendix belonged to another organization with a different name. We have all the right to be active in the city as a civil society organization, a right granted by the International laws and conventions’.

 

This is not the first time that such closures take place; the Israelis had previously closed tens of Palestinian educational and social organizations as well as a number of charities. The Israeli justification has always been ready, which is the support of ‘terrorist organizations’.35 Palestinian organizations were closed and banned from 1967 till 2000 while 40 others were closed after 2000; these included the Orient House, Arab Studies Society, Land Research Center â�� LRC, the Palestinian Geographic Center, and many others.

 

LRC view the Israeli racist, unjust and justifiable laws and measures as an act designated to destroy the Palestinian heritage which the Palestinians have been trying to preserve for a long time; they are trying to wipe off their identities and remove the symbolic value of Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.

 

In 1994, Faisal al Huseini, stated in response to the Israeli accusations:’ the existence of the Palestinian organizations in the city is a reflection of the Palestinian people existence. The Palestinians are not trying to impose themselves, they are not trying to put facts in the ground, and the Palestinian existence is a de facto. In fact, it is them [the Israelis] who are trying to change the facts on the ground and create a new orderâ�¦.’

 

The Israeli measures are a violation of the Geneva Fourth Convention which prohibits changing the laws or the rules of any occupied territory.