Pulse of Palestine News Check-Up: 12th April 2019
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News Topics:
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Prisoners
- 06.04.19 Palestinian Prisoners to Begin Hunger Strike
Gaza
- 07.04.19 Israeli Forces Open Fire on Farmers, Fishermen in Gaza
- 12.04.19 15-year-old Gazan Killed by Live Israeli Gunfire in Border Protests, Palestinians Report
West Bank
- 08.04.19 Israeli Military Invades Nabi Saleh, Abducts Child from Tamimi Family
- 10.04.19 Israel to Seize Agricultural Land in Jordan Valley
East Jerusalem
- 11.04.19 Israel Delivers Demolition Notices to 13 Residential Structures in Jerusalem
Settlers and Settlements
- 05.04.19 Jewish Settler Runs over Palestinian Teen in West Bank
- 08.04.19 Jewish Settler Rams Vehicle into Palestinian near Bethlehem
- 10.04.19 Airbnb to allow listings from illegal Israeli settlements
Boycott Divestment Sanctions
- 10.04.19 If Madonna really wanted to support Palestinian children, she’d cancel her Eurovision performance in Tel Aviv
Domestic Affairs
- 08.04.19 Palestinian PM Shtayyeh to Form New Government without Hamas
Foreign Affairs
United States
- 09.04.19 Beto O’Rourke says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘racist’
- 10.04.19 Pompeo will not publicly back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians
Israel
- 07.04.19 Netanyahu vows to annex Jewish settlements in occupied West Bank
- 09.04.19 He’s back! Netanyahu wins fifth term as prime minister of Israel, Gantz concedes
- 10.04.19 PR Firm Behind Likud’s Hidden Cameras in Arab Polling Sites Boasts of Lowering Voter Turnout
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Prisoners
06.04.19 Palestinian Prisoners to Begin Hunger Strike
‘Palestinian prisoners are to begin a mass hunger strike tomorrow, April 7, in protest against the deteriorating situation inside Israel’s prisons and its recent crackdowns on inmates.
The prisoners said in a statement yesterday: “In light of heated dialogue between the prisoners’ leaders and the administration of Israel’s prisons, we are waiting for 7 April 2019 second by second.”’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
Gaza
07.04.19 Israeli Forces Open Fire on Farmers, Fishermen in Gaza
‘Israeli forces opened heavy fire towards Palestinian farmers and fishermen, on Sunday, in the besieged Gaza Strip.
A Ma’an reporter said that Israeli forces deployed in military watchtowers opened fire towards Palestinian agricultural lands east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, targeting farmers.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
12.04.19 15-year-old Gazan Killed by Live Israeli Gunfire in Border Protests, Palestinians Report
‘Eight more Palestinians reportedly sustained gunshot wounds in clashes east of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip.
A 15-year-old Palestinian was killed Friday after being shot in the stomach by live Israeli gunfire during border protests along the border with Gaza, the health ministry in the Strip said. ‘
Read the rest of the article at Haaretz
The West Bank
08.04.19 Israeli Military Invades Nabi Saleh, Abducts Child from Tamimi Family
‘Israeli soldiers invaded, on Monday before dawn, Nabi Saleh village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and abducted a child, identified as Mohammad Bassem Tamimi, 15, after breaking into the property and searching it.
As the child was getting dressed to go with the soldiers, his mother Nariman Tamimi was talking to him, telling him to remain silent, not to talk with the interrogators without legal representation, and not to sign anything they try to get him to sign.’
Read the rest of the article at International Middle East Media Center
10.04.19 Israel to Seize Agricultural Land in Jordan Valley
‘Israel yesterday distributed notices to Palestinians informing it of its plan to seize 95 acres of Palestinian agricultural land in the northern Jordan Valley.
Mutaz Bisharat, a Palestinian official who monitors settlement activity in the Jordan Valley/Tubas district, told Ma’an that the Israeli Civil Administration staff distributed notices to Palestinian residents of Tubas, Tayasir, and Tamoun regarding seizure of their lands.Bisharat confirmed that 384.49 dunams (about 95 acres) of Palestinian-owned lands would be seized by Israeli authorities.
He added that Israel intends to build new roads for Israeli settlers on the land.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
East Jerusalem
11.04.19 Israel Delivers Demolition Notices to 13 Residential Structures in Jerusalem
‘The Israeli municipality of Jerusalem delivered demolition notices to residential structures in the Issawiya neighborhood yesterday.
Muhammad Abu Al-Hummus, a member of a local follow-up committee, said that joint teams from the Israeli municipality and police raided the neighborhood and delivered demolition notices for 13 residential structures, under the pretext that they were built without the necessary building permits.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
Settlers and Settlements
05.04.19 Jewish Settler Runs over Palestinian Teen in West Bank
‘A 16-year-old Palestinian on Friday was seriously injured after being run over by a Jewish settler in the southern West Bank, according to a Palestinian official.
Ibrahim Abu Zara, governor oh Hebron’s Yatta municipality, told Anadolu Agency:
“Ays Mahmoud Houshiyeh, 16, from the city of Hebron [Al-Khalil] was run over by an Israeli settler while he was walking down the city’s main street.” Houshiyeh has since been taken to a nearby hospital, Abu Zara said, where he is being treated for serious head injuries.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
08.04.19 Jewish Settler Rams Vehicle into Palestinian near Bethlehem
‘A Jewish settler ran over a Palestinian youth on Route 60 near the illegal Jewish settlement of Gush Etzion in the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem.
Muhammad Awad, head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), confirmed that the Palestinian youth, identified as Hamza Shihadeh Najajra, from the Nahhalin village in the Bethlehem district, was run over by a Jewish settler. Awad said that Najajra suffered a critical injury in the head and was taken to a hospital in Jerusalem City, in the central West Bank.
Local sources said the Jewish settler fled the scene.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
10.04.19 Airbnb to allow listings from illegal Israeli settlements
‘Home-sharing platform Airbnb has announced it will back off a plan to remove Jewish settler homes in the occupied West Bank from its rental listings to end lawsuits brought by the hosts. Arvind Ganesan, of New York-based Human Rights Watch, called Airbnb’s retreat from the decision disappointing. “Donating profits from unlawful settlement listings, as they’ve promised to do, does nothing to remedy the ‘human suffering’ they have acknowledged that their activities cause,” said Ganesan.
“By continuing to do business in settlements, they remain complicit in the abuses settlements trigger.”‘
Read the rest of the article at Al Jazeera
Boycott Divestment Sanctions
10.04.19 If Madonna really wanted to support Palestinian children, she’d cancel her Eurovision performance in Tel Aviv
‘Even superstars like Madonna are human. And she has not remained oblivious to the suffering Israel inflicts on Palestinians in Gaza.
But it seems when it came to agreeing to support an event that many see as a threat to the wellbeing of Palestinians, she may not have thought through the implications.
In summer 2014, during one of several intense episodes of Israeli state violence in recent years, the Queen of Pop tweeted that “no-one” had a right to “destroy” the lives of “the innocent children of Gaza”. While bombs rained down on the illegally besieged Gaza Strip, she called for “CEASE FIRE”.
Palestinians – who call for a global boycott of Israel to hold it accountable for its violations of international law and human rights – might therefore have hoped Madonna’s 2012 performance in Israel would be her last.’
Read the rest of the article at The Independent
Domestic Affairs
08.04.19 Palestinian PM Shtayyeh to Form New Government without Hamas
‘Palestinian prime minister-designate Mohammed Shtayyeh will announce the makeup of his new government in the coming days, which rival faction Hamas have already accused of being a “power grab” by Fatah.
The new Ramallah-based administration is likely to exclude all members of Hamas, which rules the Palestinian Gaza territories.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
Foreign Affairs
United States
09.04.19 Beto O’Rourke says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘racist’
‘Democratic White House hopeful Beto O’Rourke has branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “racist” and an obstacle to peace in the Middle East.
The former Texas congressman launched the scathing attack while discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli leader’s vow to annexe Jewish settlements in West Bank if voters return him to power, CNN reported.
Speaking at the University of Iowa, Mr O’Rourke condemned Mr Netanyahu for not representing the US’ best interests.
“The US-Israel relationship is one of the most important relationships that we have on the planet,” he said.
“And that relationship, if it is to be successful, must transcend partisanship in the United States, and it must be able to transcend a prime minister who is racist.”‘
Read the rest of the article at The Independent
10.04.19 Pompeo will not publicly back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians
‘WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined on Wednesday to publicly say the Trump administration still backs a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine asked Pompeo, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives, if he thought a peace agreement including one state for Israel and one state for the Palestinians was an outdated idea.
“It’s certainly an idea that’s been around a long time, senator,” Pompeo responded. “Ultimately the individuals in the region will sort this out,” the secretary of state said. ‘
Read the rest of the article at Reuters
Israel
07.04.19 Netanyahu vows to annex Jewish settlements in occupied West Bank
‘Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has pledged to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if he wins his country’s election on Tuesday, a dramatic last-minute rallying call to his nationalist base.
In interviews with domestic media ahead of the polls, Netanyahu repeated his promise and said he would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state by “controlling the entire area”.
Hundreds of thousands of settlers live in outposts in the West Bank, which Israel’s military captured in a war more than half a century ago and continues to rule, controlling the lives of more than 2.5 million Palestinians.’
Read the rest of the article The Guardian
09.4.19 He’s back! Netanyahu wins fifth term as prime minister of Israel, Gantz concedes
‘Israeli voters appear to have given Benjamin Netanyahu a fifth term as prime minister, as challenger Benny Gantz conceded Wednesday. “We respect the decision of the people, of the president. We will serve them from any position that we will be in the future,” Gantz said in a televised statement.’
Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss
10.04.19 PR Firm Behind Likud’s Hidden Cameras in Arab Polling Sites Boasts of Lowering Voter Turnout
‘An Israeli public relations company headed by a settler leader boasted Wednesday that it was behind the Likud initiative to place 1,200 hidden cameras in Arab polling stations on Election Day. The firm added that it was to thank for the historically low turnout among Arab voters. “Thanks to us placing observers in every polling station we managed to lower the voter turnout to under 50 percent, the lowest in recent years!” the PR company, Kaizler Inbar, posted on Facebook.’
Read the rest of the article at Haaretz