Pulse of Palestine News Check-Up: 18th April 2019
Sign up to receive The Pulse of Palestine direct to your inbox here:
News Topics:
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Prisoners
- 11.04.19 Conceiving a new form of resistance
- 17.04.19 Palestinian prisoners win a notable battle
- 17.04.19 Calls to pressure Israel to release 22 Palestinian journalists
West Bank
- 12.04.19 Teen Suspect in Duma Terror Attack Offered Plea Deal
- 15.04.19Israeli Forces Detain 10 Palestinians in West Bank
- 16.04.19 ‘Palestinian Prisoners End Hunger Strike after Israel Accepts Their Demands
- 16.04.19 Israel Seizes 51,000 Dunams from Jordan Valley
- 17.04.19 After my imprisonment, my little brother has been jailed in Israel. Who will speak up for Palestinian kids like us?
- 17.04.19 Israel to Demolish 500 Homes, Structures in Silwan (VIDEOS)
Gaza
- 12.04.19 Palestinian Teen Killed, 66 Injured in Gaza Protests
- 15.04.19 Palestinian Succumbs to Injuries Sustained in Gaza Protests
- 15.04.10 Access to clean water is a human right, so why is
- Palestine an exception?
- 17.04.19 Gaza is a children’s prison
Settlers and Settlements
- 16.04.19 Israeli Army Destroyed Evidence of Palestinian’s Killing
Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
- 12.04.19 US Denies Entry to Palestinian Co-founder of BDS Movement
- 17.04.19 If you believe in human rights, Madonna, don’t play Tel Aviv
- 17.04.19 Dublin university students vote to back boycott of Israel
Domestic Affairs
- 13.03.19 Palestine Becomes Full Member of Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer
- 14.04.19 Abbas Loyalists Dominate New Palestinian Government
- 15.04.19 Abbas: Talks with US Administration Useless
- 16.04.19 Fire Breaks out at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (VIDEO)
- 16.04.19 Bereaved by Israel, betrayed by Abbas
Foreign Affairs
United Kingdom
- 16.04.19 Senior shadow minister faces calls to apologise after video reveals ‘Zionism is enemy of peace’ comments he previously denied
United States
- 15.04.19 ‘Deal of the Century’ Does Not Include Palestinian State, Report Reveals
- 17.04.19 US Issues New Map Showing Golan Heights as Israeli Territory
Israel
- 12.04.19 Israel’s Attempt to Reach the Moon Fails
Economics
- 17.04.19 World Bank Calls on Israel to Ease up on Palestinian Economy
- 18.04.19 World Bank: Palestinian economy on the verge of collapsing
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Prisoners
11.04.19 Conceiving a new form of resistance
‘But Ahmad had read about a prisoner from Nablus who successfully managed to have some of his sperm smuggled out of prison. Using in vitro fertilization, or IVF, Ammar al-Zaban and his wife Dalal had a baby boy in 2012.
Ahmad suggested to Shireen that they try this way too.
“I never thought I would have to think about such a thing,” said Shireen. “But when Tariq died I had no choice. I had counseling for three months to prepare for the IVF.”’
Read the rest of the article at Electronic Intifada
17.04.19 Palestinian prisoners win a notable battle
‘Washington DC, April 16 — Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails won a small but significant victory April 15 when the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) agreed to several key demands voiced by 400 prisoners who had been on an open-ended hunger strike. Under the settlement, the IPS agreed to provide three-times-weekly access to (supervised) payphones so prisoners could call their families. It moved numerous prisoners from solitary cells back to the general population and made other concessions to the hunger strikers.’
Read the rest of the article at Mondoweiss
17.04.19 Calls to pressure Israel to release 22 Palestinian journalists
Journalist Support Committee (JSC) has called for putting international pressure on Israel in order to release 22 Palestinian journalists from its jails, Al-Resalah newspaper reported yesterday.
The JSC issued a report as part of a package of activities to mark Palestine Prisoners Day today, stating that there are 22 Palestinian journalists currently in Israeli jails, including three females.
Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor
The West Bank
12.04.19 Teen Suspect in Duma Terror Attack Offered Plea Deal
‘Right-wing activists are pressuring a teen suspected of involvement the Dawabsheh family’s 2015 murder not to sign a plea deal offered by Israel’s State Prosecutor’s Office.
Last week it emerged that Israel’s State Prosecutor’s Office was in talks with the teen – who cannot be named because he was a minor at the time the offense was committed – to offer him a plea bargain in return for confession of his involvement in the case.’
Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor
15.04.19 Israeli Forces Detain 10 Palestinians in West Bank
‘Israeli forces rounded up ten Palestinians in overnight raids carried out across the occupied West Bank, on Monday, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the army said that the individuals had been detained for “suspected involvement in popular hostile activities”.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
16.04.19 Palestinian Prisoners End Hunger Strike after Israel Accepts Their Demands
‘A mass hunger strike staged by Palestinian prisoners over deteriorating conditions in Israeli jails was suspended earlier today after their demands were met by the Israeli Prison Service.
Some 400 Palestinian prisoners launched a mass open hunger strike on Tuesday last week following the failure of talks with the Israel Prison Services (IPS) over the deteriorating situation in Israeli jails.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
16.04.19 Israel Seizes 51,000 Dunams from Jordan Valley
The Israeli authorities confiscated 51,000 dunams and isolated five villages in the Jordan Valley area in the northern occupied West Bank, an official in charge of Jordan Valley’s Israeli settlements file at the Palestinian Authority (PA) reported.
Mutaz Bisharat told the Voice of Palestine radio station that the Israeli authorities confiscated 51,000 dunams, isolated 5 villages and seized control over water springs, agricultural machinery, and solar cells.
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
17.04.19 After my imprisonment, my little brother has been jailed in Israel. Who will speak up for Palestinian kids like us?
A year ago I was in an Israeli prison, denied my basic rights and stripped of my childhood. The crime that led to eight months of incarceration was not mine, but that of Israel’s continued occupation of Palestine.
As with so many child prisoners who are subjected to the horrors of Israeli military detention, one of the toughest daily struggles was being separated from my family. Last week, my family was torn apart once again: this time, Israeli forces came and took away my 15-year-old brother Mohammed.
This is the price we pay for Israel’s occupation. Every mother and father is forced to live in fear of their children being the next target. Palestinians in the West Bank are subjected to military law, which is used as a tool to repress, silence, and prevent our resistance to occupation.
Read the rest of the article at The Independent
17.04.19 Israel to Demolish 500 Homes, Structures in Silwan (VIDEOS)
Large numbers of heavily armed Israeli forces raided the Silwan neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem, and surrounded several Palestinian-owned structures in preparation for demolition, on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that heavily armed Israeli forces, a number of bulldozers, and the Israeli Civil Administration staff raided Silwan and commenced demolition of two Palestinian-owned structures.
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
Gaza
12.04.19 Palestinian Teen Killed, 66 Injured in Gaza Protests
A Palestinian minor was killed today and at least 66 people were shot and injured with live ammunition as Israeli forces attacked peaceful rallies held at the fence separating besieged Gaza Strip from Israeli, according to medical sources.
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
15.04.19 Palestinian Succumbs to Injuries Sustained in Gaza Protests
A Palestinian youth succumbed to wounds, on Sunday, that he had sustained two weeks ago during protests along the eastern fence, separating besieged Gaza Strip from Israel.
Palestinian security sources confirmed that Israeli authorities informed them that Ishaq Shteiwy sustained serious wounds on April 3, during weekly Gaza protests, east of Rafah, in southern Gaza, and succumbed to his wounds.
15.04.19 Access to clean water is a human right, so why is Palestine an exception?
Free access to clean water is a basic human right. This is not just a common-sense assertion, but also a binding legal commitment enshrined in international law. In November 2002, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted “General Comment No. 15” regarding the right to water: “The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realisation of other human rights.” (Article I.1)
17.04.19 Gaza is a children’s prison
The latest demographic statistics from Gaza will show what medics, aid workers and journalists have long been aware of. That Gaza has an overwhelmingly young population, in fact so young that the majority of its population may well now be children. What does this tell us about Israel’s 12-year siege on the enclave? It tells us Israel’s collective punishment on Palestinians in Gaza is not primarily affecting Hamas operatives, armed combatants or even unemployed men and women, but that it overwhelmingly affects children.
Settlers and Settlements
16.04.19 Israeli Army Destroyed Evidence of Palestinian’s Killing
‘The Israeli army covered up the killing of a Palestinian father by illegal Jewish settlers, Israeli NGO B’Tselem has claimed.
Twenty-three-year-old Muhammad Abd Al-Fatah was killed near Huwara, a village located off route 60 south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on April 3.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
Boycott Divestment Sanctions
12.04.19 US Denies Entry to Palestinian Co-founder of BDS Movement
The US has denied entry to the co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Washington-based advocacy group the Arab American Institute (AAI) said Thursday, Anadolu reports.
AAI said Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian activist, was barred from taking a flight to New York on Wednesday. He was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, according to the institute, which had been coordinating his trip to the US.
Image via Palestine Chronicle
17.04.19 If you believe in human rights, Madonna, don’t play Tel Aviv
‘Until the Israeli government recognises the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, artists should stay away. Madonna’s acceptance of an invitation to perform in Tel Aviv at the Eurovision song contest finals in May raises, yet again, fundamentally important ethical and political questions for each and every one of us to contemplate.’
Read the rest of the article at The Guardian
17.04.19 Dublin City University students vote to back boycott of Israel
‘Students at Dublin City University (DCU) in Ireland have voted in favour of boycotting Israel. They voted by 1,400 votes to 300 to align their students’ union with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.’
Read the rest of the article at The Canary
Domestic Affairs
13.04.19 Palestine Becomes Full Member of Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer
‘Palestine was granted full membership in the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, under the Vienna Convention.
The Palestinian Environment Quality Authority announced, on Thursday, that the approval of the agreement comes after Palestine’s accession to the United Nations agency on March 18, 2019.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
14.04.19 Abbas Loyalists Dominate New Palestinian Government
‘Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday swore in a new government headed by a loyalist from his dominant Fatah party, a move rejected by Hamas as a blow to unity efforts, Reuters reports.
Mohammed Shtayyeh, an economist and longtime Abbas adviser, will serve as prime minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA). Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and Finance Minister Shukri Bishara will continue in their positions.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
15.04.19 Abbas: Talks with US Administration Useless
‘Palestinian Authority (PA), Fatah and PLO President Mahmoud Abbas said talks with the US are “useless”, Arabs48 reported yesterday.
During the first meeting with the new PA government, which sworn in on Saturday, he said:
“The coming days will witness very difficult developments.”’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
16.04.19 Fire Breaks out at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (VIDEO)
‘Palestinian Authority (PA), Fatah and PLO President Mahmoud Abbas said talks with the US are “useless”, Arabs48 reported yesterday.
During the first meeting with the new PA government, which sworn in on Saturday, he said:
“The coming days will witness very difficult developments.”’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
16.04.19 Bereaved by Israel, betrayed by Abbas
Paying the 21-year-old’s fees has proven impossible over the past few months because her family stopped receiving an allowance from the Palestinian Authority.
Foreign Affairs
United Kingdom
16.04.19 Senior shadow minister faces calls to apologise after video reveals ‘Zionism is enemy of peace’ comments he previously denied
Labour shadow cabinet minister Richard Burgon is facing calls to apologise after footage emerged of him claiming that “Zionism is the enemy of peace” – a comment he had previously denied making.
Asked about the reported claims last year, the shadow justice secretary told the BBC that it “was not my view” and that the reports were false, adding: “I didn’t make those comments.”
But footage has now emerged showing that the Jeremy Corbyn ally did indeed make the claims at an event in 2014.
He said: “The enemy of the Palestinian people is not the Jewish people, the enemy of the Palestinian people are Zionists and Zionism is the enemy of peace and the enemy of the Palestinian people.
Read the rest of the article at The Independent
United States
15.04.19 ‘Deal of the Century’ Does Not Include Palestinian State, Report Reveals
‘The long-awaited “deal of the century” does not include plans for a Palestinian state, a new report by the Washington Post has revealed.
The Washington Post spoke to people “familiar with the main elements” of the so-called “deal of the century”, the US peace plan spearheaded by President Donald Trump and crafted principally by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt. In doing so, it found that the plan “stop[s] short of ensuring a separate, fully sovereign Palestinian state” in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip.
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
17.04.19 US Issues New Map Showing Golan Heights as Israeli Territory
‘The US has issued a new map showing the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli territory, just three weeks after US President Donald Trump announced he would recognize the region as belonging to Israel.
The US’ Special Representative for International Negotiations, Jason Greenblatt, yesterday tweeted a picture of the new map with the words “welcome to the newest addition of our international maps system after [President Trump] issued a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights”.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
Israel
12.04.19 Israel’s Attempt to Reach the Moon Fails
Israel’s hopes to be the fourth nation to reach the moon were dashed when spacecraft ‘Beresheet’ failed to land last night.
The privately-funded Israeli organization SpaceIL announced on Twitter that the landing had failed at 9 pm.
Read the rest of the article Palestine Chronicle
Economics
17.04.19 World Bank Calls on Israel to Ease up on Palestinian Economy
‘The World Bank said, on Wednesday, that Palestinian economy is now facing a “severe fiscal shock” due to the tax revenues issue with Israel, calling for a speedy resolution.
The published report, prepared by the World Bank, is due to be presented to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) at its next meeting on April 30 in Brussels.’
Read the rest of the article at Palestine Chronicle
18.04.19 World Bank: Palestinian economy on the verge of collapsing
‘The World Bank stated that the Palestinian economy is now facing a severe shock in terms of public finances because of the clearance crisis with Israel, calling for an urgent resolution of the crisis.
This came in a report that the World Bank has prepared on Wednesday and is due to be presented to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) at its next meeting in Brussels on 30 April.
The report quoted Anna Bjerde, World Bank Acting Country Director for West Bank and Gaza and Director of Strategy and Operations for the Middle East and North Africa Region, as saying: “The economy, which in 2018 saw no real growth, is now facing a severe fiscal shock because of the standoff over clearance revenue transfers.”’
Read the rest of the article at Middle East Monitor