A profile of Israeli Violations in Jerusalem during the month of November

INTRODUCTION  
Israeli occupation authorities continued to commit more war crimes against the occupied Palestinian territories and against the Palestinian civilians in the Jerusalem Governorate, which are considered serious and gross violations of human rights, incompatible with the provisions of international law, rules of international humanitarian law, and the International Bill of Human Rights. In this report a summary of these violations during the month of October 2007 will be given. The following are highlights of these violations:

 

FIRST: LAND CONFISCATION, LAND BULLDOZING, SETTLEMENT EXPANSION, AND CONTINUOUS BUILDING OF THE APARTHEID WALL IN OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

The occupation authorities continued to confiscate and destroy Palestinian land and property in Jerusalem, contrary to international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. The seizure of Palestinian property constitutes a flagrant violation of article 52 of the Hague Regulations of 1907. And the construction of the apartheid wall in occupied Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, which causes massive destruction to Palestinian property, is a blatant violation of article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 on the protection of civilians under occupation.

 

Land Confiscation and the Wall of Annexation

 

An Israeli court legislated Nabi Samuel residents transfer:

During a field visit, LRC's human rights supervisor met 12 families of Abu Dahouk tribe (Jahalin Bedouins), who face fear of transfer after the Israeli magistrate court decided to displace them for the sake of annexation wall. Those 90 Nabi Samuel residents live their since the late 1960s and have its address registered in their IDs, moreover, the annexation wall is at least 300 m away from the nearest congregations. One of the vulnerable families is headed by Mr. Ibrahim Abu Dahouk, 53-year-old, comprising14 individuals (including 11 children), and he is neighbored by 4 other families (42 persons). Abu Dahouk got Nabi Samuel address on his ID in 1970, however, he is now living in great danger of being transferred, and the Israelis plan to gather up all Bedouins in two locations: the first one in Abu Dees town east of Jerusalem, and the second one in Nabi Musa mountainsides near the Dead Sea in Jerusalem desert.

 

(Photo 1: Nabi Samuel- Abu Dahouk's children outside their threatened dwelling)

 

In his affidavit to LRC's human rights supervisor, Mr. Ibrahim said, 'We, a branch of Jahalin tribe that includes Abu Dahouk, Salamat, and Saraya'ah families, used to live in Arad hill (Naqab area in south Israel), have been transferred by the Israelis in 1952 to Hebron, and most of us departed to Jordan. My family has settled down in the Dead Sea area, but the Israeli declared this area a 'closed military zone' and dispelled us right after 1967 occupation, so we eventually sat down in Al-Khan Al-Ahmar (the Red Inn) crossroads near Jerusalem-Jericho road. We have suffered a third Diaspora because of the construction of 'Kefar Adumim' settlement, some went to Beit Hanina, Al-Jeeb, and Nabi Samuel, my family settled down in the latter, got Israeli IDs since 1970, and started new life by cultivating land and grazing livestock. Now, we are facing the threat of being refugees for the fourth time in our life due to the construction of the annexation wall this time'.

(Photo 2: Nabi Samuel- Wall works approaching the Abu Dahouk tribe's dwellings)

 

 

SECOND: CLOSURE, SIEGE, AND SYSTEMATIC POLICY OF ETHNIC CLEANSING AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST JERUSALEMITE
Occupation authorities maintained the policy of closures and siege in Jerusalem and surrounding areas, violating the Palestinians'  right to movement and residency, and pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination in all aspects of life, contrary to Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

 

Barriers and blockade

 

Sunday, 25 November 2007:

Israeli occupation forces imposed a choking ring around Jerusalem from the early morning to 06:00 p.m., where all checkpoints between the city and its environs were closed before traffic. Many Palestinians spent considerable time on these checkpoints, and reached home only after the sun set. Flying checkpoints were heavily deployed, and caused roads to be clogged with hundreds of vehicles, even between the city's inner quarters. A Beit Hanina resident reported that he was not able to reach a kindergarten in Shu'fat (less than one kilometer) to pick up his child, and the same happened to many parents. In brief, what took place that day was a blatant infringement against freedom of movement, 150,000 Palestinians were entrapped on roads just because of a 'false alarm', in opposition, the Israeli settlers still had freedom to travel wherever they want.

 

(Photo 3: The Ramallah � Jerusalem road clogged with vehicles near
Shu'fat as a result of the closure of roads)
Photo courtesy of Al Quds newspaper

 

 

Israeli occupation locks Palestinians as well as their water

 

Jerusalem's north-west villages:

LRC's human rights supervisor met local councils' managers of north-west villages (Beddou, Beit Soreek, Beit Ijza, Beit Dokku, Qubaibah, Qatannah, Umm Elllahem, and Beit Anan) to discuss their water issue, and he also interviewed an engineer of water authority for the same purpose. These villages' total area is estimated at 35,000 dunums and contains 30,000 people, but they form a preferable target for Israeli occupation for they adjoin Jerusalem's north-west settlements and 1948 Green Line. Their fertile lands were seized to expand settlements and to get use of them agriculturally.

 

Water was added to their villages' problems, as if they do not have enough problems to live with. The main water source is a reservoir in ' Har Adar (Giv'at HaRadar) ' settlement north of Abu Ghosh and north-west of Qatannah. It belongs to the Israeli water company 'Mekharot' and from which the Palestinian water authority purchases water to distribute to Palestinian areas, but the Israelis insist to play a dirty game of closing and opening the main water lockup temperamentally. By so doing, villages such as Beit Ijza and Beit Soreek did not get water for continual 6 months (from the beginning of April to the end of September this year). The average of the Palestinian individual's water consumption is only 40 liters per day, whereas Israeli settler's is 600, 15 times more than the Palestinian's quota.

 

Sum up for the aqua issue:

1.     Water permanent shortage: the Israeli control makes water proportion shrinks year after year.

2.     Distribution neither considers area's topographical nature nor people allocation.

3.     Water network is very old, very rusty, and very much worn out, making water escape reaches 45%.

Damages:

• From the economical perspective: Palestinians have to get their water through an expensive source: water tankers. Each cubic centimeter is priced at 20 NIS instead of 4, which forced some people to buy extra roof tanks, while others dug cisterns to collect rain, but this whole situation affected agriculture, whether it deals with crops or with animals.

• From the medical perspective: shortage of water made health issues to exacerbate for it left serious effects on individuals' own hygiene, plus social and administrative problems between thirsty people and local councils.

Violation of the right to get proper education

The problem of school students' dropout in Jerusalem is excessively boosting, since the city never witnessed such a disaster. Number of students touched an overset rate (79,000), meaning there is a 56% increase, and 'Yaroshalem' weekly paper (9/11/2007) indicated that municipal schools are losing 45% of their students, which exceeds the rate of Jewish schools by 12%. The paper also mentioned that most of dropout cases occur when students move from sixth to seventh grade or from ninth to tenth grade.

 

The National Coalition for the Defense of the rights of Palestinians in Jerusalem carried out a work shop entitled 'right to educate', and participants stated that 85,000 students aged 5-19 are studying at schools run by the Israeli municipality, many of them lack education simplest needs such as libraries, sports yards, and science labs, other schools are congested with pupils of both genders for they are located in residential buildings not suitable for educational purposes. Beit Safafa School is capable to have room for 700 students, but it is loaded with 1200, in addition to the lack of qualified cadres. Only 5% of students are being taught mathematics by qualified teachers, and there is an urgent need for 1300 classrooms, but the municipality has constructed 2 new schools out of 6 planned, consequently, schools' incapability to accept students made drug use, sexual harassment, and physical violence to overrun Jerusalem.

 

Israeli occupation authorities are responsible for this tragic situation as they consider themselves to have full control over Jerusalem. When it comes to taxes and different kinds of dues, they do not preserve effort to collect (Palestinians spend more than 35% of their income on municipal taxes and get only 5-7% as services). As an occupying power, these authorities are obliged to get the city out of these miserable conditions, otherwise, why Palestinians bother themselves to pay Israelis what they order while they receive nothing?

 

There is clear discrimination in the way that municipality deal with city's residents, according to Moshe Amirav �a municipal member-, it spends 10 NIS on Jewish quarters while Arabs get 1. All international laws and conventions stated that occupation authority has full responsibility to insure the best quality of live for territories under its control; therefore, levying 'Arnona' tax (property tax) since 1/4/1968 from Palestinians contradicts item 42 of Hague Regulations and item 54 of Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

 

THIRD: ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS SHRINES AND VIOLATIONS OF FREEDOM OF WORSHIP AND THE EXERCISE OF RELIGIOUS RITES
The Israeli occupation authorities continue to carry out excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, under Al-Aqsa Mosque, and near a building adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Wall in violation of the sanctities of religious sites; and maintains closures that violate Palestinians� freedom of worship and access to the holy places, which constitute a serious violation of their religious freedoms guaranteed under all international laws and conventions, especially the International Bill of Human Rights, article (53) of the Geneva Protocol I of 1977, and article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this respect LRC filed work and GIS unit reports the following violations:

 

Thursday, 15 November 2007:

Groups of settlers, accompanied by representatives of Israeli right wing parties and Knesset (parliament) deputies, carried out a provocative tour around Jerusalem's old city. The tour included visiting tunnels which were secretly ditched by Israeli archaeology authority, and ruins belong to the Umayyad and Ottoman eras in Silwan and the Western Wall. Keenest deputies entered tunnels that archaeology authority has recently widened, and authority's employees explained alleged findings of David city ruins. According to an Israeli guide, there is a new tunnel few meters away from Al-Aqsa mosque's walls, and this one forms the rachis of a series of sub-tunnels extend beneath the old city, especially the Islamic quarter, and reach Silwan and the Magharbeh ( Moroccan) Gate. Deputies and settlers viewed tunnels' work progress, along with preparations for a planned bridge near the Western Wall.

 

Friday, 16 November 2007:

Rafi Etan, 85 years old, member of governmental committee of Jerusalem and minister of pensioner affairs, entered Al-Aqsa mosque from the Magharbeh ( Moroccan) Gate, protected by a police force, and roamed its eastern side near the Marwani mosque. It is worth to mention that Israeli police has the Magharbeh Gate's key since 1967 occupation.

 

The director of Jerusalem Islamic Wakf, Mr. Azzam al Khatib, said 'The timing of these breakings proves that Israelis intended to incite Muslims all over the world, and these actions are ultimately rejected. Al-Aqsa mosque is an Islamic property, and Israelis must keep themselves away from it, for breakings endanger security of the city and the whole region. Extremist groups show up to sabotage any hope to bring peace by deliberate provoking of Muslims' feelings'.   

 

FOURTH: DEMOLITION AND SEIZURE OF HOUSES, DENIAL OF BUILDING PERMISSIONS, AND RIGHT TO HOUSING VIOLATIONS

Destruction of property and demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities is contrary to international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and incompatible with article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The following violations were reported:

 

The right to housing violations

• Jabal Mukabber: 27 November 2007: the Israeli bulldozers shoveled bases of two 300 sq m apartments belong to Gheith family under the usual pretext: not having a building permit. Gheith property is located beneath a municipal park.

• – Beit Safafa: Salah family lives east of Beit Safafa for more than 40 years, but 50 of them are nowadays living in great danger because of extremist groups who attack them, with full support by occupation authorities. During the third week of November, 2007, some members of these groups attempted to hand over households â��in the absence of husbands- payment notices of 12,000 NIS every month, but women refused either to take notices or to sign them, so group members simply through them at houses' doorsteps. On November 11th, 2007, families received evacuation notices, but their attorney got a hold up decision from court until it determines land ownership. A session Court is fixed on December 25th 2007.

 

(Photo 4: Beit Safafa- one of Salah's family houses threatened with demolition)

 

 

Beit Hanina:

Israeli magistrate court issued on 25/11/2007 a decision that allows the Israeli municipality to destroy walls surrounding the Abu Eisheh residential building to make way for  bulldozers to  demolish it. The abovementioned buildings dwell 30 members divided on 7 families.

 

The Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem has previously destroyed bases of licensed buildings, and justified that for 'out bounding license limits', such as what happened to Abdul-Muhsen Hasan Natsheh's house in Beit Hanina, Abu Lafi's building in the very area, as well as 85 dwellings demolished in the period between the beginning of the year 2007 and the end of November 2007.

 

 j

(Photo 5 & Photo 6: two scenes from an anti- house demolition march held in Jerusalem on Nov 6th, 2007)

 

Demolition & Dredging

– Al Walajeh: On November 18th, the Israeli bulldozers tore down part of a hennery belonging to Mr. Khalil Shala'ab (aged 70). His property's area is 35 sq m and located in Khallet Assamak south of Walajeh, the wife told LRC: 'we established the hennery 15 years ago, and it was 260 sq m to contain poultry and livestock, in addition to fodders. We needed to add 12 sq m to original area two years ago, since our 15-member-family (including 12 children) living depends on it. One month ago, a search patrol of the Israeli construction and organization authority showed up, and handed over a notice issued by Israeli civil administration that stated an ultimatum ends within 3 days, in which we have to submit objections against a demolition order, which we did, but a huge force stormed our property on November 18th and swept the farm. Israeli officers told us they did so because it was unlicensed, plus they did not validate the added part. While leaving, Israelis said that we have to move farm remains and evacuate all poultry and livestock for they are going to destroy it completely next month'.

 

(Photo 7: Al Walajeh- ruins of the destroyed hennery)

Photo courtesy of Al Ayyam newspaper

 

 

The same day, the Israeli bulldozers blocked with earth mounds the road that links Khallat Assamak quarter to the new UNRWA school (1000 m) in the village of Al Walaja, making pupils and teachers transportation extremely difficult.

 

 

Photo 8: Al Walajeh-the blocked road that leads to UNRWA school

Photo 9: Al Walajeh-the UNRWA school located in Khallat Assamak

Beit Hanina: On November 27th, the Israeli bulldozers destroyed a metal and concrete horse stable owned by Mr. Eid Fayyek Joulani's family and located in the teachers' quarter. The establishment was demolished under the frequent and dull pretext of un-licensing and the whole operation took place in the absence of its owner.

 

(Photo 10: Beit Hanina- Mr. Eid's horse stable after demolition)

 

Bir Nabala:

The Israeli so-called civil administration at Beit Eil – Construction and organization department- handed over an ultimatum to stop construction of Bir Nabala's public park. Works of the aforementioned park have been ceased since the Beit Eil's first ultimatum, and its case is still reviewed before court, thus, Beit Eil's issue is illegal and forms an encroachment of court's jurisdiction.

 

Photo 11: A copy of the military order – June 2nd, 2007

 

Photo 12: Bir Nabala â�� A general view of the threatened  park

 

 

El-Wad quarter- the old city:

Israeli occupation authorities persisted on ditching new tunnel of 100 meters long, and heads to Al-Aqsa mosque. The Tunnel's starting point is a shop seized by the Israeli 'Ateiret Kohanim' settlement  group, which aims to take over as many old city estates as possible. It also claimed that the shop was purchased from its tenant and turned it into a library of its own. Ditching works have been initialed ever since, and encircle Al-Aqsa mosque from east and west, meanwhile, Israeli occupation authorities started building a synagogue on rooftops of buildings on Khalidi family land in the same area.

 

Photo 13: Al Wad quarter, Old city � Tunnel digging works near Al Aqsa mosque.
Photo courtesy of Al Quds Newspaper

Photo 14: Al Wad quarter, Old city � the under construction synagogue over the Khalidi family's property

Sheik Jarrah:

Staff of the Israeli ministry of transportation continued setting down the infrastructure of electrical tram project. Tramways were being fixed south-west of Sheik Jarrah sports field, and go all the way to Mount Scopus. Tramways are planned to connect 'Pisgat Ze'eiv' settlement east of Jerusalem to route No.1, and that means they will penetrate Beit Hanina lands, go through Shu'fat, and then south along Jerusalem-Ramallah road. This is all to serve Israeli settlers by connecting settlements together, on one hand, and connecting them with  west Jerusalem, on the other hand.

 

(Photo 15: A copy of the rail way itinerary  released by the Israeli ministry of transport)

 

As a result of electrical tram workings, traveling on Jerusalem-Ramallah road became one of the worst practices in Palestinians' lives, for the road is piled up with vehicles stuck because of detours and roadblocks. Employees, workers and students are facing great difficulty to get to their destinations on time; contractors said everything will be accomplished in few months; still, workings lasted for more than a year, progressing very slowly, and affected movement and trade. The Israeli municipality would show no mercy if this situation occurred in a Jewish quarter, but when it comes to an Arab quarter, Palestinians get nothing but negligence.

 

(Photo 16: Shu'fat- railway diggings works in the middle of the main Ramallah- Jerusalem road)

 

Route No.21 eats more of Beit Hanina properties:

Works at Neve' Yakouv-Beit Hanina-Hizma ring road are stepping forward insistently, the road goes west and along Hizma street, crosses Jerusalem-Ramallah road, and head up west of the religion college garden (teachers institute formerly).

 

Many buildings east of the Roman church were swept to pave that road, and church dormitories were separated from their original property. Spacious lands were seized for the same purpose, but the irony is that the road is not meant for Palestinians use, but it is allocated exclusively for Israeli settlers, and provides them access to Route No.4 near Qalandia airport and Jerusalem downtown.

 

(Photo 17: Settlers' road number 21 cutting off the historical road in

Beit Hanina that links between Jerusalem and Ramallah )

 

FIFTH: INCURSIONS, RAIDS, AND ARREST CAMPAIFNS AGAINST TOWNS, NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOMES AROUND JERUSALEM

Occupation authorities continue to raid towns and neighborhoods in Jerusalem, breaking into homes to arrest citizens in contravention of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the principles of the International Bill of Human Rights, and contrary to Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

Raids, arrests, torture, and trials

Friday, 9 November 2007: Israeli occupation troops arrested Mr. Shadi Tariq Mohammad Aysawi, resident of Aysawyyeh quarter east of Jerusalem for suspicions of constituting contacts with Hezbollah party in Lebanon. Our center learned that he was accused of attempting to insure that one of his two captive brothers is to be included within 'release-and-swap deal' between Israel and Hezbollah.

 

In his affidavit to LRC field worker, Tariq Mohammad Aysawi â�� father of the detainee- stated that: 'Shadi was arrested under weak pretexts, for proclaims of connections with Hezbollah are void. Shadi spent 5 years behind bars, and he was released 6 months ago. Israelis took him at night to the Russian compound  Interrogation Center in west Jerusalem, where he was kept under arrest till his 'secret' list of accusations issued'.

 

Monday, 12 November 2007: Daowd Fahd Mashahreh, from Al-Sawahreh Sharqiyeh east of Jerusalem, was detained by Israelis lately at night.

 

Daowd's father, Fahd Mashahreh, gave an affidavit to LRC foled worker, in which he stated the following: ''At 12,30 a.m., armed Israeli soldiers broke into the house, pulled Daowd out, and impounded the whole family for one hour and a half. The house was thoroughly searched with police dogs as soldiers got a chance to smash some belongings. Daowd has two children, as well as health problems that made him unemployed'.

 

Monday, 19 November 2007: Israeli troops invaded Abu Dees, broke into dormitories, and left after arresting number of AL-QUDS University students; one of them is Imad Ismael Abu Hawwash (aged 22, resident of Al-Tabqah village near Hebron).

 

Monday, 19 November 2007: Israelis Central Court issued a verdict against Chief Justice, Dr. Tayseer Tamimi, by which he is to receive a suspended sentence of 6 months for entering Jerusalem without a permit from Israelis. Tamimi considered court's verdict as 'unfair and invalid', and disparaged its jurisdiction.

 

Dr. Tamimi stated in his affidavit to the LRC filed worker that 'Trial procedures initiated last year during the holy month of Ramadan, and continued with several respites. Final verdict was issued, along with a 10,000 NIS fine. Such judgments are fully political and meant to talk down national and religious personalities for they keep exposing Israeli violations and excavations against Al-Aqsa mosque and the attempts of extremist Jewish groups to take over the mosque and bring it down as a result'.

 

Monday, 24 November 2007: Murad Ali Rabei (aged 20 from Abu Dees) received a 3 years sentence and a suspended sentence of 3 years from Ofer military court near Ramallah for throwing stones at Israelis. Qasim Ismael Dahdoul (aged 20) got 19 months detention and a 3000 NIS fine for the same accusation.

 

SIXTH: ASSAULT ON THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND PHYSICAL INTEGRITY

Israeli occupation authorities attacks on the right to life and physical integrity did not stop or slow down recently, and torture and assault on people under occupation routinely continue; contrary to article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that �Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.' In this framework this report lists the following violations:

 

Tuesday, 13 November 2007: Israeli occupation forces broke into Abu Dees and assaulted Palestinians at streets, soldiers installed a flying checkpoint in the middle of the university street, at which they stopped passer-bys, inspected IDs, and force them to stand in the cold weather.

 

Ibrahim Hdaidoun, owner of 'Yaffa' coffee shop in the very street, said in his affidavit:  'A number of Israeli soldiers waylaid passer-bys and motorists, beat Mohammad Msaitef and Omayr Halabiah before people's sight, and forced them to get their arms and feet up. Soldiers aggressively ordered shop owners to close and threatened them to smash their properties if they did not'.

 

Hdaidoun added that Israeli soldiers frequently provoke residents of that area which is full of shops and student dormitories.

 

Friday, 3 November 2007: an Israeli occupation force installed a barrier at the entrance of as-Sawahreh ash Sharqiyeh, searched two young men, and beat them brutally.

 

Asma'a Al-A'araj, an eyewitness, said that:  'an Israeli military vehicle hindered Thaer Al-A'araj and Firas Khaili's way, soldiers searched them in front of their houses, and then beat them all over the body. 4 soldiers forced Firas's head into an iron gate till he fainted, and, then, moved him to the Russian compound  Interrogation Center in west Jerusalem'.

 

Saturday, 15 November 2007: Israeli employers fired 45 Palestinians from Jericho who work in Meshor Adumim industrial zone.

 

Secretary General of Workers Union of Palestine, Shaher Sa'ad, condemned that step, which emerged as a result of Israeli Supreme Court's issue last month. Court's issue stated the implementation of Israeli labor law in borderline industrial zones, which affects wages and production incentives, health and safety conditions, work injury compensations, and medical insurance.

 

Saturday, 17 November 2007: an Israeli force includes police and border guard stormed houses in Shu'fat refugee camp, and threw residents outside in the freezing weather with no clear reason.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS  
Israel has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1966, and went in force in 1976. Israel therefore is obliged to apply its provisions in relation to the occupied Palestinian Territories, including Jerusalem. And Israel is also obliged, as the occupying military power, to abide by the provisions enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, on the protection of civilians under occupation. The Land Research Center determined to:

• Call on Israel, the occupying power, to put an end to violations of international humanitarian law and principles of the International Bill of Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the occupied city of Jerusalem.

• Call on Israel, the occupying power, to cease forthwith the work on construction of the separation wall being built in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem and its environs, to dismantle forthwith the structure therein situated, and to repeal or render ineffective all legislative and regulatory acts relating thereto, pursuant to paragraphs 133, 152, 153 of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on 9 July 2004.

• Urge the Palestinian National Authority to present the advisory opinion on the separation wall, issued by the International Court of Justice on the 9th of the month of July, 2004, to the United Nations bodies, particularly the General Assembly and the Security Council for consideration and implementation.

• Demand that Israel stop the policy of Judaization, displacement and ethnic cleansing practiced against Palestinians of occupied city of Jerusalem, lift the closures and blockades on the city, stop the separation and dispersal of Palestinian families, institute family unification policy for Palestinians, cease and reverse all illegal actions and measures that violated the right of families and individuals as a result of the wall construction or other discriminatory measures, and to allow Palestinians freedom of movement and residence in any part of the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.

• Urge the occupation authorities to cease the practices of raiding neighborhoods and civilian facilities, the closure of Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem and to allow Palestinians (teachers, students, workers, and sick people) to access the City unconditionally, to stop the policy of racial discrimination against the educational process in occupied Jerusalem, to stop the arrest campaign of citizens and public officials and enable them to exercise their right and duty of democratic representation of their constituents, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and to apply the principles of the International Bill of Human Rights, and relevant Charter of the United Nations resolutions.

• Demand that the occupation authorities stop drilling activities, construction and demolition of buildings and of archaeological historical Arab and Islamic sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, under and around Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the vicinity thereof, and to stop construction of Jewish-only structure on stolen Palestinian land, and stop the violation of religious sanctities in Jerusalem and in other occupied Palestinian areas.

• Call on the occupying power stop interfering with the freedom of worship, and to allow the worshipers access to the holy places to perform prayers, and practice religious rites in full freedom and without conditions.

• Call on all parties, signatories to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to assume their legal and ethical responsibilities and fulfill their obligations, including action to compel Israel to respect and apply the Convention in the occupied Palestinian territories, under Article I of the Convention, and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians from the continuing Israeli aggression.

• Call on the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal obligations contained in Article (146) of the Convention relating to the prosecution of those responsible for grave breaches of the Convention, including war crimes, and in particular the prosecution of Israeli officials who perpetrate such crimes against the Palestinian people.

• Urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations and all international organizations and bodies, regional organizations, Amnesty International, the Red Cross and other organizations concerned about human rights, to expose and to denounce these Israeli violations.

 

Prepared by
The Land Research Center – Jerusalem
LRC