Israel occupies Gaza, East
Jerusalem, and the West Bank illegally. Its settlements, closed military
zones, tourist sites, and commercial areas control over 40% of the West
Bank, including its most valued resource rich parts - notably water.
Its expanding settlements steal more. When completed, its Separation
Wall will control about 12% of the West Bank. In 2004, the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled it illegal.
It said its route and associated gate and permit system violate international
law. It ordered completed sections dismantled, and "all legislative
and regulatory acts related thereto" repealed or rendered "ineffective
forthwith."
It also mandated reparations for the "requisition and destruction of
homes, businesses, and agricultural holdings (and) to return the land,
orchards, olive groves, and other immovable property seized."
In addition, it mandated member states reject the illegal construction
and demand Israel comply with international law. Few have. Israel defied
the ruling. Construction continues.
When completed, it'll extend over 800km. It'll be twice the length of
the Green Line, four times as long as the Berlin Wall, and in some places
twice as high. Palestinian communities are destroyed. Many are isolated.
Thousands of Palestinians are displaced. Weekly protests are held. Israeli
security forces confront them violently. Land theft continues daily.
Israel wants all valued areas and Jerusalem as its exclusive capital.
Palestinian rights don't matter. Neither do international laws or ICJ
rulings. Only what it wants counts. That's how police states rule -
through barrel of a gun ruthlessness against opposition.
On March 30, Haaretz reported new information in an article headlined,
"Israel Defense Ministry plan earmarks 10 percent of West Bank for settlement
expansion," saying:
"For years Israel’s Civil Administration has been covertly locating
and mapping available land in the West Bank, and naming the parcels
after existing Jewish settlements, presumably with an eye toward" expanding
them.
Through Freedom of Information Law requests, anti-settlement activist
Dror Etkes found out. In some areas, parcel boundaries coincide with
Separation Wall routes. State authorities claim national security necessity.
False! It's land theft, nothing else. Moreover, Civil Administration
maps and figures "suggest the barrier route was planned in accordance
with the available land in the West Bank." It's near settlements to
expand them.
"Available," of course, means portions Israel wants to steal, besides
all previously expropriated.
In total, another 569 parcels were chosen. They include about 620,000
dunams, or about 10% of the entire West Bank. Stealing it along with
Separation Wall land when completed and what Israel now controls, comprises
well over 50% of the territory with more added daily. It continues en
route toward leaving Palestinians isolated in separate bantustans on
worthless scrubland.
Haaretz said Israel's Civil Administration wants Shvut Rahel, Rehelim,
Hayovel, Migron, and other outposts legalized. Its own High Court ruled
Migron illegal. Months ago it ordered dismantling and its residents
evicted. If challenged, it suggests similar rulings against all 100
unauthorized outposts would follow.
Of course, all Israeli settlements are illegal, as well as 12 annexed
Jerusalem neighborhoods and East Jerusalem settler enclaves. International
law is clear and unequivocal. Fourth Geneva's Article 49 states:
"The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian
population into the territory it occupies."
Israel spurns it, other international laws, and its own when it comes
to Palestine.
Etkes thinks settlers knew Civil Administration plans when building
outposts. If so, it shows government complicity in what it calls "unauthorized."
Maps obtained, in fact, name communities that don't exist. They include:
Shlomzion on Palestinian Aqraba community land:
Lev Hashomron in Kafr Haja;
Mevo Adumin in Azariya and Abu Dis; and
Mitzpeh Zanoah and Mitzpeh Lahav in south Mount Hebron.
Maps marked 81 sites on 114,000 dunams in Palestinian controlled areas
A and B. The remaining 506,000 dunams are in Israeli-controlled Area
C. Over 90% of the land is east of the Separation Wall.
According to Dror Etkes, it "means the administration flouts the peace
process, which is based on the two-state principle." Stealing all valued
land excludes the possibility. Of course, Israel always rejected Palestinian
independence and does now.
Most earmarked Area C areas are classified state lands, despite all
of them belonging to Palestine. About 7,600 dunams are called "Jewish
land" and 12,800 remain unclassified.
In response to information now known, Israel's Civil Administration
said maps are a data bank. Occasionally they're updated, and don't reflect
settlement expansion plans. Haaretz exposed CA lies.
On March 30, a Haaretz editorial headlined, "Listen to Marwan Barghouti,"
saying:
"Jerusalem would do well to listen to" his prison call to resist Israeli
repression, boycott its products, and stop negotiating with an all take/no
give state.
Before Palestine's second Intifada began, he warned it was coming. Oppressed
people only take so much before reacting. "His words fell on deaf ears.
No one heeded his warning," and Palestine's more brutally repressed
today than then, especially besieged Gaza.
"But anyone who thinks, like the government does, that this situation
can go on forever undisturbed, is leading into another cycle of violence."
Barghouti always endorsed nonviolent opposition. "(W)e should listen
to him before it's too late. If a third" Intifada erupts, Israel won't
"be able to feign surprise. Barghouti warned us."
Israel Confronts Peaceful Land Day Demonstrations Violently
Friday, March 30, was Land Day. Annually, Palestinians commemorate the
March 1976 killing of six Israeli Arabs, injuring another 100, and arresting
hundreds more. They were nonviolently protesting land theft.
Earlier this year, organizers called for peaceful rallies against "the
policies and practices of the racist Zionist state." Solidarity protests
were expected in 80 or more countries.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said "(w)hen crowds from 80
countries move towards Jerusalem, they send a strong message to the
Israeli occupation that no one can accept what they are doing in Jerusalem."
Israel confronts peaceful demonstrations and gatherings violently. Friday
was no exception. Haaretz said soldiers and police attacked protesters
in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalandiyah, at various checkpoints, and other
locations throughout the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
Struck by a tear gas canister near Bethlehem's Qubbeh checkpoint, Ali
Arafe's hospitalized in critical condition. So were others with bullet
wounds and injuries from weapons fired at close range.
Thousands gathered around Jerusalem checkpoints, as well as Gaza, Lebanon
and Jordan border areas.
One death was reported. Scores were hurt. Soldiers used tear gas, stun
grenades, rubber bullets, live fire, sound bombs, a "scream" acoustic
device, water cannons, and foul-smelling skunk water so concentrated
a tiny drop can affect a 2,000 square foot house for days. Palestinians
were also beaten.
Reporting live, Maan News said Adham Abu Salmiya was killed in northern
Gaza. Demonstrations throughout the Strip continued all day. From border
areas, Israeli forces used live fire. Protester Ebaa Rezeq said "(p)eople
are falling here like flies. Blood everywhere."
Numerous arrests were made. Critical injuries were reported. "Medics
said the Israeli army used live fire to prevent protesters from approaching
frontier barriers." Israel lied claiming soldiers fired warning shots.
Ebaa Rezeq said she saw them open fire on a crowd. At least six injuries
resulted.
One Palestinian youth was severely injured when struck in the face by
a tear gas canister fired directly at him from close range. The Red
Crescent reported other serious injuries, requiring hospitalization.
A Final Comment
The Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies & Consultations presented its
11th report in its "Am I Not Human" series. This one's a short book
titled, "The Suffering of the Palestinian Patient under the Israeli
Occupation."
It addresses health sector abuse causing Palestinian suffering. Vast
differences exist between what Jews and Arabs get.
Fatima Itani and Atef Daghlas presented a detailed analysis of healthcare
under occupation. They included case study examples of suffering "exacerbated
by Israeli obstacles and the difficult conditions of Palestinian health
care institutions."
They also addressed checkpoint and Separation Wall delays, as well as
obstacles pregnant Palestinian women face reaching hospitals and clinics
in time to give birth. They don’t always make it and must manage on
their own with whatever help they can get. Some die. All suffer needlessly.
Gaza's deteriorated sector's also highlighted. Siege causes critical
shortages of virtually everything needed to deliver care. Since mid-2007,
380 Palestinians died.
The book graphically discusses vast differences between Jewish and Palestinian
care in terms of resources allocated, facilities available, and treatment
adequacy because of what's available to provide it.
Lawless "experimentations performed on Palestinian patients in Israeli
hospitals" are explained. Those affected include children, the elderly
and mentally ill, and others abusively treated. "It reveals the testing
of serious drugs on Palestinian prisoners and the illegal trade of Palestinian
human organs from corpses to treat Israeli patients, including soldiers."
"This conduct fails to respect international covenants which regulate
medical experimentations on patients."
In addition, the book covers Israel's willful prisoner neglect. They're
denied proper treatment. Sickness and disease results even after being
released. Since 1967, dozens of Palestinian prisoners died in prisons.
Many others when freed.
Israel obstructs foreign travel for treatment, as well as the ability
of Gazans to get it in West Bank or East Jerusalem hospitals able to
provide what Gaza facilities can't. Getting permission isn't easy. It
often requires spying on friends, relatives and neighbors. In other
words, collaborating deceitfully to receive vitally needed case. Most
refuse and are denied.
Other topics include affects from frequent Israeli attacks. They target
ambulances, medical personnel, and facilities providing care.
Using testimonies, images and graphs, updated information explains how
Israeli abuse causes needless suffering, especially when vitally needed
healthcare's denied.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge
discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News
Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time
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http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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