The Right to Residency… Demolition Threats
Israeli Troops break into Al Bustan
On August 29, 2012, Israeli troops broke into Al Bustan neighborhood and handed 7 demolition orders. They warned the owners that if they do not demolish the houses themselves, the Municipality will on the owners’ expenses. The residences are properties of:
Fayez abu Thiab
Omar Abu Rajab
Burhan Maragha
Shafe’ Shafe’
Sh’aib abu Snaina
Zyad Odeh
Yasin al Rajabi
The Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City named the site ‘Gan Hamelekh’ as it does not recognize Al Bustan as the name of the target location. The Palestinians fear that the demolition of these residences would be a step towards the demolition of the whole neighborhood which has been threatened for years. The Israeli Supreme Court set September, 2012 as an irrevocable date for demolition of tens of houses there.
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The notification
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A view of some of the threatened residences in Al Bustan
On August 26, 2012, a large force broke into Izzat al Kiswani (75) residences before messing it up and terrorized all the residence. Over 50 armed officers set a peremeter around the area known as ‘Kabbaneyet um Haroon’ and broke into the 3-storey-building, inhabited by 3 families (16 people including 10 children). The building was raided while everyone was asleep; the children were terrified and the women were not given the chance to cover themselves. Izzat fainted during the attack and was taken to hospital while an Israeli soldier hit his daughter Itaf (45) on the head with the rifle buttock. The operation lasted for three hours.
Izzat said: ‘they are trying to drive us out from our houses in order to capture them; every time they have different excuses while in truth their actions are intended to serve the colonists who dream about taking over our building, the same way they did to many others in the neighborhood‘.
Attacks on Religious Sites
Cemeteries are included in the Israeli Colonial Plans:
The Israeli Supreme Court announced that it has confiscated part of ‘Bab al Rahma’ Cemetery which extends along the eastern wall of Al Aqsa Mosque, nearby the Umayyad palaces; an area which was included the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City Talmudic parks project.
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Bab al Rahma is a cemetery named after the gate which has been closed for a long time. It was renewed and enlarged in Saladin’s time. Fakhri abu Diab of Silwan Defense Committee said: ‘the Israeli attack on the cemetery started in 1967 when part of it was captured and turned into a road. In 2004, an 80-meter-long section along the southern part of the cemetery was captured; Arieh King claimed that they are part of what he called ‘the Temple’s Purifiers’ while in fact they are part of the Umayyad Palaces. In 2005, the Israeli Police prohibited burying people in the cemetery and banned any renovations. They also prohibited people from visiting the cemetery. In 2011, the colonists demanded that any Islamic or Arabic traces shall be erased claiming that this cemetery is part of the ‘Temple’. This month, the Israeli Supreme Court announced that part of the cemetery is confiscated because it is part of the temple while claiming that it is Jewish lands. This is a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the graves and the dead because any confiscation must be followed by plowings and removal of graves‘.
This is only a part of the Israeli plan which includes capturing the area extending along the eastern walls. The Jews believe that this will be their entrance to the ‘Temple’ when the time comes.
By orders of the Israeli Supreme Court, the Israeli Police prevent burying a Palestinian in Bab al Rahma Cemetery:
The Israeli Police prohibited burying Aicha Qara’een of Silwan who died at the age of 80, in Bab al Rahma cemetery. Husen Qara’een, her son, said: ‘my mother died on August 15, 2012. We sent some of her grandson to prepare a grave for her. At 8:00 am, and while preparing the grave, an Israeli Police car showed up and ordered them to leave, claiming that burying in the specified area is disallowed. However, we did not take it seriously as the same thing happened when my brother passed away a year earlier but we managed to bury him without any disruptions. At 10:00 am, I received a phone call from a police officer who said that his name was Saleh, he told that they require his immediate presence at Qishla precinct. They told me that we are not allowed to bury the lost one there because the area has been confiscated and they drove me to the area and showed me marks showing the confiscated area. I told him that the burial is planned after the noon prayers and that he is preventing me from burying her. He called Mr. Azzam al Khatib of the Islamic Waqf to try to persuade him to find me another grave but he replied that the Waqf has nothing to do with the case. In the end, he said that I will be responsible for burying her here and made me sign a paper proving that I have been informed before they left. We found no other solution but to bury her in another grave‘.
It is apparent that the Israelis are trying to detach the locals from the area with such measures; they even suggested to allocate a plot to be used as an alternative cemetery in al Khan al Ahmar; a suggestion that was rejected by the owners because of its distance from the neighborhood.
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Bab al Rahma Cemetery (burial is disallowed because part of it is confiscated)
Falling of a Palm Tree
On August 5, 2012, a palm tree fell in the western section of Al Aqsa Mosque yard. Al Aqsa institution suggested that the tree might have fallen because of the excavations beneath the mosque or it might have a result of some chemicals that were sprayed by colonists who raid the Mosque’s yards every once and a while knowing that several similar incidents happened before. On the other hand, several cracks were found in a number of houses around the house due to the continuous diggings beneath the Old City.
Excavations continue in the Ummayad Palaces:
On August 7, 2012, the Israeli Antiques Authority excavations in the Umayyad palaces area, edging al Aqsa Mosque; an area which was declared in June as what the Israelis called ‘the Temple Purifiers’.
The Umayyad Palaces – Jerusalem
Excavations are done in an area near Bab al Rahma Cemetery. It is obvious that the Antiques Authority has embarked on a large-scale operation to modify the area and add buildings to support the ‘Biblical Narrations’.
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Sheikh Muhammad Husein said that the Israeli Occupation Authorities have been removing large rocks and antiques that were built in the Umayyad era to forge history and remove their traces. The Israeli attack on the Old City has become more brutal and more dangerous than before. In the past few years, excavations were done to search for the ‘remains’ of the ‘Temple’ but nowadays, and after being unable to locate any remains or any proof of the Temple’s existence in this area they are still looking for ways to modify its status and forge its history.
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Raids:
Penalties for Palestinians:
On August 7, 2012, the Israeli Police issued several penalties for drivers parked in Nablus road near Damascus Gate. Tens of 250-ILS penalties were issued on claims that drivers parked in prohibited sites despite the fact that they always do. On the other hand, huge parking lots are designated for Jews going to the Old City; sometimes, whole Arab neighborhoods are blocked for that sake.
Violations Against Individuals:
Colonists attack a young Palestinian in Jaffa Road:
On August 16, 2012, Israeli colonists brutally beat Jamal al Joulani (17) of Ras al Amoud in Jaffa Road. He suffered from a stroke because of being hit several times on the chest area. He is still receiving treatment in Hadassa Hospital.
On 23:00, Jamal was heading to Jaffa Road along some of his friends to buy clothes. While walking down the road, Jamal was heading his friends when they suddenly heard a group of colonists shouting (Aravim) Arabs and ran towards them and attacked them. Soon afterwards, an Israeli Police patrol stopped by and the colonists, around 50 people, were scattered. The police called for an ambulance to pick the injured. The Police investigated the matter and interrogated the victims.
Haaretz newspaper said later that the Israeli Police arrested a 19-year-old colonists but no further details were given. These attacks against the Arabs are usually overlooked despite the fact that such assaults are criminal according to the Israeli ‘law’. However, the punishment they get can go no further than punishing a spoiled kid knowing that the Israeli Judicial system have always protected such criminals.
These criminals or murderers include the bulldozer driver who cold-bloodedly squashed Rachel Corrie in addition to sentencing an Israeli soldier 45 days in prison for murdering Raya abu Hajjaj and her daughter who were holding white flags when they were shot alongside many other cases.
Israel bans Abdul Latif Gayth from traveling for a period of 6 months:
On August 4, 2012, Eli Yishai, the Israeli Minister of Interior ordered banning Abdul Latif Gayth (70), a Palestinian human rights activist, from travelling outside ‘Israel’, claiming that he might pose a threat on national security. On August 2, 2012, Abdul Latif received a phone call from an intelligence officer who demanded his immediate presence in the Interrogation Center (Maskobiyya) in West Jerusalem.
There he was handed an order banning him from traveling for a period of 6 months effective immediately claiming that his traveling pose a threat to national security without giving any further details. Mr. Gayth said: ‘I accuse Israel of considering any human rights activist who reveal its crimes and violations as an enemy or a threat to its security. Israel wants a clean occupation. It is not an individual case, it is a case for all Palestinians.‘
Mr. Gayth was banned from entering the West Bank for 6 months which were extended to another 6 earlier. The banning of Mr. Gayth is because he is regarded as an influential Palestinian figure. He is the director of Al Damir Organization which defends the rights of political prisoners and the rights of Palestinians living in the Occupied City. He has been arrested several times before.
There is no doubt that the Israeli Government is limiting the abilities of human rights activists who vowed to expose the abuses and violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Fourth Convention.
