Saturday May 19 02:22pm64 – Tribute
Poster remake inspired by the original 1980 poster “The Land”… Link http://goo.gl/HEXN8
And they called themselves “Zochrot” (Hebrew for Remembering)
Alt text: Activists arrested while reading names of Palestinian villages (Activestills)
Israeli police arrest three for reading a list of Palestinian villages destroyed in the Nakba
When demonstrators on both sides of the fence started reading out aloud the names of destroyed villages – the refugees of which are still living in refugee camps in neighboring countries, Gaza and the West Bank – police started beating them and making arrests.
Under the current right-wing government, a law was passed last year forbidding any state-sponsored organization from marking Israel’s Independence Day as a day of mourning, and any mention of the Nakba is kept out of schools by the Ministry of Education.
ONLY DEMOCRACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Sunday May 6 08:45amWow, see I wouldn’t put that past them. They totally would do that. AstaghfurAllah.
A Palestinian woman waves her national flag after she managed to climb atop an Israeli military vehicle during a demonstration by hundreds of people gathered outside Ofer military prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 1, 2012 in a show of support for thousands of prisoners held in Israeli jails, many of whom are on hunger strike protesting for their basic human rights.
She, along with other protesters, were sprayed with ‘skunk’ water and pepper spray (video) — from just a few inches away — by the Israeli army, who also fired tear gas and rubber bullets. (Photos: Abir Kopty / Reuters)
From Mondoweiss:
Now in its second week, a mass hunger strike is spreading across Israeli prisons with some 2,000 Palestinians protesting for their basic rights: an end to solitary confinement and imprisonment without charge, and access to education, media and family visits. And while prisoners in the Karameh (dignity) hunger strike have yet to achieve their goals, after 14 days without food, they have successfully mobilized Palestinian society and pressured Israeli authorities—in ways that are reminiscent of the first Intifada.
Known as the “battle of the empty stomachs,” the open-ended strike began on April 17, 2012, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, with an initial 1,200 protestors. Within days the strike spread to other prisoners. Now the number of strikers has increased to over 2,000, with new groups joining daily. 105 Fatah affiliated prisoners held in Israel’s Eshel detention facility are the latest group to announce their participation, which will begin tomorrow.
The sudden increase in protesting Palestinian prisoners is also accompanied by hunger striking Egyptians who are held in Israeli detention. Last Friday 40 of the 63 imprisoned Egyptians joined the protest to demand their release, which was planned to take place that same day. However, after negotiations between Egypt and Israel on a gas pipeline failed, Israel punitively canceled the prisoner release, inciting the protest.
Thursday May 3 04:40pmWhy Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike?
1.1 - The issue of Palestinian prisoners is one of the worst consequences of the Israeli occupation. Since 1967, over 700,000 Palestinians, 20% of the population of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip have been detained. This number represents approximately 40% of the total male Palestinian population in the occupied territories.
1.2 - Today, there are about 6,000 prisoners in 17 Israeli jails and detention centres. They include six women and more than 200 minors.
1.3 - 330 Palestinians are being held in administrative detention with no formal charges having been brought against them in a court of law. 28 elected members of the parliament, and three former ministers fall within this category.
1.4 - Israel is currently holding all these Palestinian prisoners far away from their homes, and outside of the occupied territory. This constitutes a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Article 76 of the Convention states:
“Protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences therein.”
Article 49 also states:
“Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive.”
1.5 - Article 32 specifically prohibits “murder, torture, corporal punishments, mutilation and … any other measures of brutality whether applied by civilian or military agents”. Since 1967, 202 Palestinians prisoners have died while being tortured in Israeli jails.
1.6 - Israel routinely tries Palestinians before military courts, none of which meet the most basic standards of international law; particularly the laws relating to the treatment of prisoners of war and people under occupation.
1.7 - In light of the above, there are now calls for the prosecution of Israeli officials at an international tribunal.
Friday Apr 27 03:31pmPicture of the Day: A Palestinian protester from the University of Birzeit covers her face during smoky clashes over the continued hunger strike of prisoners in Ofer Prison.
News: Clashes also broke out in Jerusalem between settlers and protesters over the eviction of a family of 14 from Beit Hanina on April 18th.
Credit: Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images. Via.
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