ARAB AND WORLD

Tue 25 Jul 2023 10:15 pm - Jerusalem Time

Al-Assad accuses Washington and the West of "fabricating a global political and economic crisis" to undermine Russia's standing

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused today (Tuesday) the United States of America and the West of "fabricating a global political and economic crisis" to undermine Russia's position and international presence, according to the Syrian official media.


The official Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted President al-Assad as saying, during a meeting with the special envoy of Russian President Alexander Lavrentiev, that America and the West fabricated a global political and economic crisis, and caused a state of global instability with the aim of undermining Russia's standing and international presence, and they used Ukraine as a tool for this purpose.


He continued, "The effects of this crisis are deepening in their countries (America and the West) in terms of living, social and economic life."


Al-Assad affirmed, "Russia's steadfastness in its stances towards the West and America is one of the most important factors heralding the birth of a multipolar world, which all countries and peoples that adhere to international law and defend their sovereignty, independence of decision, and national interests aspire to."


During the meeting, they discussed the file of the return of Syrian refugees and the steps taken in this field, in addition to ideas and proposals that are being discussed at the Arab and international levels to solve this file, according to the agency.


Lavrentiev conveyed to President al-Assad the greetings of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing Russia's continued support for Syria to enhance the security and stability of the Syrian people, as well as cooperation between the two countries to secure a decent return for Syrian refugees.


The Russian official stressed that Russia and Syria adhere to the humanitarian dimension of the Syrian refugee file, and categorically reject all attempts to politicize it.


The agency stated that the meeting also dealt with "Turkish intransigence in the issue of withdrawal from Syrian territory, and cross-border humanitarian aid for Syrian civilians living in areas controlled by terrorist organizations, in accordance with the rules of sovereignty and international humanitarian law."


Lavrentiev arrived in Syria earlier today for talks with Syrian officials.
Russia is Syria's main international ally in the bloody conflict that has been taking place in the country since March 2011.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 9:56 pm - Jerusalem Time

A young man died of his wounds in a shooting crime inside the occupied territories

Hussein Abbas (25 years), died on Tuesday evening, of his wounds, in a shooting crime in the town of Kafr Kanna in the occupied Lower Galilee.


According to the Israeli Arabic-speaking Makan Radio, Abbas was shot last Saturday, as a result of being shot, and his condition was described as critical.


He was in the hospital until his death was announced this evening.

ARAB AND WORLD

Tue 25 Jul 2023 9:53 pm - Jerusalem Time

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrives in North Korea

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to attend celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice in the inter-Korean war, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.


"The Russian military delegation, headed by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General Sergei Shoigu, has arrived in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," specifically in Pyongyang, adding that North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam was receiving his counterpart at the airport.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 6:49 pm - Jerusalem Time

Palestinian President Abbas meets Erdogan in Turkey

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.


Abbas briefed the Turkish president about the ongoing Israeli attacks against Palestinians, the acceleration of settlement expansion in the West Bank, and the desecration of Islamic and Christian sites, and the foreclosure of a political solution to the conflict. He also thanked Erdogan for his support of Palestinians, including backing the Palestinian cause in international forums and providing aid to the Palestinian people.


In turn, the Turkish president affirmed the right of the Palestinian people to freedom and the establishment of state on their own soil. 


They also discussed the bilateral ties between the countries, as well as other international issues of common concern.


President Erdogan had received President Mahmoud Abbas with an official ceremony in the Turkish capital, Ankara, that included a gun salute.


Following the meeting between the two leaders, a broader meeting with be held with the rest of the delegation, including  Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Muhammad Mustafa, head of the General Intelligence Service Major General Majid Faraj, Chief Justice of Palestine, Advisor to the President for Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations Mahmoud Al-Habash, Advisor to the Diplomatic President Majdi Al-Khalidi, and Palestinian Ambassador to Turkey Faed Mustafa.


PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 6:19 pm - Jerusalem Time

Major U.S. academic association votes to boycott Israel

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) voted to boycott Israeli academia over its complicity with human rights abuses against Palestinians on Monday, in a major victory for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 


The motion slammed Israeli "apartheid" and was passed by a majority of 71% of the votes.


The decision prevents any member of the association from dealing with Israeli academic institutions, or participating in its conferences or using its facilities. It does not, however, extend to bans on individual academics.




PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 6:09 pm - Jerusalem Time

Israeli FM accuses Jordan of impeding Jewish tourism to Kingdom

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen accused Jordan of impeding the travel of Israelis to the Kingdom on Tuesday by confiscating religious Jewish apparel. 


Slamming the "unacceptable" measures, he said that Jordan had prevented Israelis from bringing items related to Jewish faith, such as religious books, teffilin and kippot.


He said that his ministry is working with the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv, as well as with the relevant authorities in Amman, to resolve the issue. 


Cohen said the crisis must be solved quickly with "thousands" of Israelis wishing to visit Jordan each year. He also emphasized the importance of peaceful relations between Jordan and Israel.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 3:18 pm - Jerusalem Time

Shtayyeh: We want the Cairo meeting to succeed, and we will work to achieve its outputs

Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said today, Tuesday, "President Mahmoud Abbas, and we with him, want success for the Cairo meeting, and we are working towards that, and we are committed to achieving its outputs."


This came during his meeting with the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Palestine, Ihab Suleiman, where they discussed with him the political and field developments in the Palestinian arena, in light of the continued aggression of the occupation against the Palestinian people.


Shtayyeh stressed the role of the brotherly Arab Republic of Egypt in supporting the rights and interests of the Palestinian people, especially efforts to achieve national unity, through Cairo hosting the meeting of the general secretaries of the Palestinian factions to reach a comprehensive national vision and strengthen the Palestinian ranks.


The meeting dealt with following up the results of the visit of the Prime Minister and a ministerial delegation to Cairo, especially the deepening of trade relations and the development of relations with the private sector, in addition to the opening of Azhar institutes in Palestine, and the visit of a delegation of Egyptian businessmen to Palestine to view investment opportunities.


For his part, Ambassador Suleiman affirmed Egypt's readiness to provide all forms of support and aid to the State of Palestine and the Palestinian people, to help them achieve their legitimate rights, in accordance with international resolutions and international law.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 1:41 pm - Jerusalem Time

From "Al-Qassam" .. "Hamas" mourns the martyrs of Nablus

Today, Tuesday, the "Hamas" movement mourned the three martyrs of Nablus, who were killed by the Israeli occupation bullets in Nablus.


Hamas described its three martyrs as "Qassamin" Saad Maher al-Kharraz (43 years), Montaser Bahjat Salameh (33 years), Noureddine Tayseer al-Arda (32 years).


"Hamas" called on our people to mobilize to repel the occupation's aggression, and to prepare to confront the settlement march in Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 12:49 pm - Jerusalem Time

Israel arrests Palestinian minister Shaaban in Salfit raid

Israeli occupation forces arrested the head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Minister Moayad Shaaban, in the village of Deir Istiya, west of Salfit.


According to local sources, Israeli forces arrested Minister Shaaban while he was participating in the march against the appropriation of the town's lands. 


At the march, Israeli occupation soldiers fired tear gas canisters at the participants, assaulted the press crews, and prevented them from covering the incident.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 12:35 pm - Jerusalem Time

Sources to Al-Quds: Abbas, Haniyeh to meet in Turkey

Palestinian sources confirmed on Tuesday that a meeting will likely be held between President Mahmoud Abbas and the leader of the Hamas movement Ismail Haniyeh in Turkey.


Sources close to the Palestinian presidency told Al-Quds that President Abbas agreed to a request from the Hamas leadership to hold the meeting, and the agreement was mediated by several other parties.


Abbas is currently on a three-day visit to Ankara, where he will meet with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. Hamas' leadership splits its time between Turkey, Qatar and Lebanon. 


According to the sources, the request from the Hamas leadership was mediated by several parties and was approved by President Abbas.


The sources indicated that the meeting will be attended by Haniyeh, his deputy Saleh Al-Arouri, Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook and Husam Badran, members of the Hamas political bureau.


If the meeting goes ahead, the meeting will discuss topics in preparation for the general secretaries meeting in Cairo at the end of this month.


PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 11:09 am - Jerusalem Time

The occupation causes 3 children to lose their eyes since the beginning of this year

Since the beginning of this year, Defense for Children International has documented three Palestinian children who were deliberately targeted by the occupation, who caused them to lose their eyes.


In a statement, the World Movement referred to the case of the child Khaled Malalha (5 years) from Bazariya village in Nablus governorate, who lost sight in his left eye as a result of being shot by the occupation.


An eyewitness told the World Movement that the occupation soldiers fired bullets at the vehicle in which the child Malha was traveling with his father on the 23rd of last June, while they were at the village crossroads, where clashes were taking place at around 6:00 pm that day.


The eyewitness added that the distance between the occupation soldiers and the vehicle at the time of the shooting was about 200 meters, confirming that the vehicle was parked, noting that the live bullet hit stones near the vehicle before its fragments scattered and one of them hit the left eye of the child, Malha.


The child Malhaha was immediately transferred to a hospital in Nablus by an ambulance that was present at the place, and there it was found, after examinations and photographs, that the left eye of the child was severely damaged and he would not be able to see in it again.


As for the child Omar Assi (16 years), from the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit, he was injured by shrapnel from a sound bomb fired at him by the Israeli occupation soldiers, on the twenty-fourth of last April, during clashes that broke out in the town. As a result, he lost sight of his right eye, while his left eye was severely damaged.


The child, Asi, told the World Movement that the clashes broke out that day after the occupation forces stormed the town, amid live bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas. He added that while he was sheltering with a number of citizens in a school, the occupation soldiers surrounded them and fired gas and stun grenades at them, and a stun grenade exploded directly in his face.


He continued: "I felt severe pain in my face, and I no longer saw in my eyes at all, and I also felt that blood was pouring from my face, so a number of those present carried me and walked me about 100 meters until we moved away from the soldiers, and then they took me in a private vehicle to the entrance of the town, and from there by an ambulance to a hospital in Nablus."


The child, Asi, said: "In the hospital, it was found that there was severe bleeding in my right eye with some shrapnel, as well as in my left eye, but to a lesser extent. I underwent surgery to stop the bleeding in my right eye and close it so that it does not become inflamed more, and currently I do not see at all in it, but in my left eye I see in it very lightly."


The "global movement" returned and mentioned the case of the child Ashraf Mahmoud Farahti (16 years) from the city of Jenin, who was shot by the occupation forces during their storming of Abu Bakr Street in the city center at rush hour, on the sixteenth of last March (2023).


The child, Farahti, was wounded in his right eye while he was hiding behind a Palestinian vehicle at the scene of the accident. Shrapnel from the bullet lodged in his brain stem. Because of the seriousness of his health condition, he was taken to a hospital in Ramallah, where he stayed for 65 days, including 20 days in intensive care, during which medical staff were unable to surgically remove the shrapnel due to the dangerous location.


After that, Farahati was transferred to the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation, due to his complete loss of movement, while he was being fed through a tube.


His father says that he does not know whether his child knows him or not, as he is unable to move or even express his facial features.


The World Movement confirmed that the Israeli occupation soldiers deliberately target Palestinian civilians, including children, from a close distance and towards the upper parts of the body, with the aim of killing them or causing them permanent disabilities, taking advantage of the protection from accountability within the policy of impunity provided by the occupation to them, noting that these crimes rise to the level of a war crime and a crime against humanity according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 10:26 am - Jerusalem Time

Palestinian President Abbas to meet Erdogan today

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday as part of an official three-day visit.


The diplomatic adviser to President Majdi Al-Khalidi said that "important talks" with occur between the two leaders, ahead of a joint press conference. On the agenda, Al-Khalidi explained, will be the bilateral ties between the countries, international protection and mobilization for the Palestinian people, and other regional and international issues of common interest.


He stressed the importance of private sector cooperation as well, especially in regard to the industrial zone being developed in Jenin.


Al-Khalidi also revealed that President Mahmoud Abbas will meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, at the end of July. The meetings, he said, are intended to "fortify the Palestinian and Arab front, and the friends of our people, in the face of the fascism and racism of the occupying state, and to work as an international front under the umbrella of the United Nations in order to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine."



OPINIONS

Tue 25 Jul 2023 10:19 am - Jerusalem Time

Do Israeli high-tech projects constitute an economic breakthrough in the heart of Jerusalem?

Rasim Obeidat

Rasim Obeidat

Opinion Writer

The "IzzTech" project is a joint technological initiative between the entity's municipality headed by Moshe Lion and what is known as the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Meir Brosh. It is based on an investment of ten million shekels on the sixth floor of the "Mall" of the house on Al-Isfahani Street, with an area of ​​​​100 square meters, on the corner of Salah Al-Din Street in Jerusalem. My hand is in the Wadi al-Joz area, or as an extension of it.

We always have to look at the entity's state projects in the city with its interior and not with its appearance, as it carries malicious economic, political, security and educational goals, meaning that there is a hill behind it, and hell is paved with good intentions, and I am not afraid of anyone that the project of what is known as Silicon Valley "which the entity will establish in the Wadi al-Joz region, is a Judaization enveloped economically and technologically, and it will permanently write off 200 commercial and industrial workshops in the region, The entity talks about a project to bridge the gaps economically and socially between the residents of the eastern and western parts of the city, and also talks about providing job opportunities for tens of thousands of Arab residents of the city within a five-year plan. It is part of an Israeli program, and Silicon Valley is part of the slicing of Palestinian neighborhoods.

The occupation seeks to bring about demographic changes and reduce the number of the Palestinian population in return for increasing the number of settlers, which is the greatest concern for the Israeli occupation.

I see in the "Izzetc" technological project that it constitutes an economic breakthrough in the heart of the city, as it is accompanied by a feverish effort by the entity municipality to control the commercial space in the city, especially the old town and its main streets, through the proliferation of many shops, with the "Israeli" brand, these stores are able to provide "Israeli" goods at prices that Arab shops cannot compete with, due to the weakness of the Palestinian economy, and this may open the way for the possibility of the entity and its municipality controlling the commercial movement in the city and its old town...

We may find that the "Isatec" project has been extended to the settlement outpost that is being built in place of the post office at the beginning of Salah El-Din Street.

Infiltration operations by the entity’s municipality and the institutions and companies associated with it are increasing and reproducing in the city, and in all fields schools, educational institutions, community centers, community police, cultural institutions, social services, etc., and the goal is to seek to integrate the city’s Arab residents into Israeli society and the economy, and perhaps the five-year plan announced by the entity’s government with a capital of 2 billion and one hundred million shekels from 2018 to 2023, for this purpose is nearing completion, and work is underway to renew it, and pump more money For the purposes of Judaization and Israeliization, foremost of which is the Israeliization of the entire educational process in the city, to end the Palestinian curriculum in the city, and I am not discussing the war on Palestinian educational institutions and the Palestinian curriculum, but rather the risks arising from the economic infiltration operations in the city, through joint economic, commercial, and industrial Judaization and normalization projects, stripping the city of its identity, history and culture. The entity, is the issue selective or is it related to dimensions related to the individual and family and clan weight...etc.


Perhaps the reaction by the Jerusalemite forces and actors to the process of renting a floor of the “mall” of the house to the entity municipality, for the Hi-Tech project and technological industries, is linked to several factors, in the forefront of which is that the person who rented a floor of the building is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jerusalem, and occupies several positions in the management or honorary presidency of many Palestinian institutions, and he is one of the Jerusalemite businessmen, and by virtue of his position in the Chamber of Commerce or the management and honorary presidency of those institutions, he is supposed to play a major role in defending the interests of merchants and the economic movement This would create a state of indirect normalization, not to mention the marginalization of the role of the Chamber of Commerce that the entity closed, and what is intended is to work on activating it and for it to be a true expression of the concerns and aspirations of merchants, and in a way that curbs and exposes the voices calling for the affiliation of Jerusalem merchants to the entity’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, not to mention that this person, with his weight and societal presence, must be a A model in combating economic and commercial penetration, and not a contributor to it, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in a manner that paves the way for the weak-minded of the beneficiaries and beneficiaries to walk in it, who are waiting for the opportunity and waiting to engage in this path.

It is true that the volume of penetration is increasing and the hernia is widening, but we must not involve ourselves in inaccurate or instrumental approaches and comparisons, but we must work seriously in order to build and define clear standards on how to deal with such issues, on a unified national basis and not linked to personal, family, factional dimensions...etc, in a way that creates a state of reassurance among the members of the Jerusalemite community.

OPINIONS

Tue 25 Jul 2023 10:18 am - Jerusalem Time

What after certifying unreasonableness?

Jerusalem Hadith

Jerusalem Hadith

Opinion Writer

The internal situation in the occupying state is going from bad to worse, especially in the aftermath of the Israeli Knesset's final approval yesterday of canceling the pretext of unreasonableness affecting the Israeli judiciary, especially the powers of the Supreme Court, in favor of the prime minister, ministers and other officials in the current government coalition, which is more right-wing, extremist and racist than the previous Israeli governments and perhaps the subsequent ones as well.


Strikes and protests will pervade the occupying state, starting today, which will paralyze economic life, in addition to the deterioration of relations between the coalition and the opposition, which will be reflected on Israeli society in general and on the relations of families with each other.


We have said more than once that the Israeli society based on the ruins of our people is moving rapidly towards right-wing and extremism, which found its repercussions not only on our people and the crimes committed against them, whether by the occupation forces or by herds of settlers, both of whom are supported by the government. Rather, this extended to the Israeli society itself, where internal contradictions emerged between Westerners and Easterners and between secularists and religious people who want to transform the occupying state into a religious one that derives its laws from the Torah and other religious books.


The endorsement of the abolition of the pretext of unreasonableness came despite the weekly and non-weekly demonstrations and the opposition of the United States of America and many Western countries that established the occupying state on Palestinian land and are still providing it with support and all elements of survival, including weapons that are used against our people.


Despite the multiplicity of possibilities, the transformation of the Israeli internal contradiction into a major contradiction is unlikely at the current stage, just as America's abandonment of the occupying state is also excluded at the current stage. The United States, through the Zionist lobby in America, will try not to escalate this internal contradiction, but to keep it within the framework of assimilation and not turn it into a major contradiction, especially since America is still counting on the occupying state to preserve its interests in the Arab region.


The occupying power can also freeze this contradiction by carrying out a new aggression against the Palestinians or southern Lebanon, and perhaps also Syria and Iran, which will unite the aggressive army and the opposition, as we saw in the attack on Jenin camp, where the opposition supported this aggression.


Therefore, we should not rely too much on the Israeli internal contradiction, even if benefiting from it is for the benefit of our people and its national cause, and the broad movement at all levels to reveal the reality of this aggressive and racist state that seeks to transform the conflict from political to religious may not remain or be left behind.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 10:03 am - Jerusalem Time

Condemnations for the murder of 3 young men in Nablus

Today, Tuesday, official and factional bodies condemned the assassination of three young men by the Israeli occupation forces who were riding in a vehicle in the vicinity of Al-Tur Gate area in Nablus.


The official spokesman for the presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said, "The assassination of the three young men is a "war crime," and a continuation of the policy of collective punishment to which our Palestinian people are subjected.


Abu Rudeineh stressed that the Israeli occupation government is the only one that bears the consequences of what is happening in terms of aggression and crimes, whether by the occupation forces or the settler terrorism that takes place under the eyes and protection of the occupation army.


Abu Rudeineh pointed out that the international impotence and the silence of the American administration is what encourages the occupation to continue its crimes against the Palestinian people, calling for immediate American intervention to stop this aggression, which aims to drag the region into the square of violence, tension and instability.


In turn, Munther al-Hayek, a spokesman for the "Fatah" movement, said, "The government of killing and terrorism will not prevent our people from continuing the struggle until the occupation is defeated and the Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital."


Hayek added, "The occupation is still persevering in committing crimes, believing that it is able to break the will of the Palestinian people. After every crime, the Palestinian people come out stronger and give a message of challenge and determination to accomplish the national project."


For his part, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said, "The assassination and escalation of the occupation's aggression against our holy sites, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque, confirms the inevitability that the meeting of the general secretaries of the factions in Cairo will produce a comprehensive and unified national plan to confront the terrorism of the fascist settler government."


While the Democratic Front affirmed that the assassination crime will not intimidate our people and its resistance, nor will it discourage it from continuing its struggle and resistance in all forms against the occupation and settlers, noting that it will not be a lifeline for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to escape from its internal crises, but rather it will pay the price for its terror.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 9:46 am - Jerusalem Time

Demolition of a house and agricultural facilities in occupied Jerusalem

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces forced a citizen to demolish his house, while demolishing agricultural facilities in occupied Jerusalem.


According to local sources, these forces forced Mohammed al-Saud to demolish his house in Beit Hanina, in which he and his family of 5 live, in order to avoid the exorbitant costs of demolition.


The sources indicated that the house has existed for several years, and the family fears that two other houses they own will be demolished, under the pretext of not having a permit.


The occupation forces demolished agricultural facilities, such as barracks and sheep pens, and uprooted olive trees belonging to the Al-Saedi family and other families from Al-Isawiya.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 9:31 am - Jerusalem Time

A group of prisoners continue their hunger strike

Today, Tuesday, the Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority reported that a group of prisoners are continuing their open-ended hunger strike inside the occupation prisons.


According to the commission, the two prisoners, Ataf Jaradat and Fatima Shaheen, are engaged in an open-ended hunger strike for the third day in a row, in protest of their arbitrary transfer to the criminal prisoners' section in Ramla.


While the two prisoners, Omar Al-Sanajel and Ismail Halabiya, continue their open-ended hunger strike (for the 13th and 7th day), respectively, in protest against their administrative detention and the extension policy.


The two prisoners, Iyad Radwan "Al-Tabanja" and Samer Abu Diak, continue their hunger strike for the third day in a row, in protest against the transfer of the two prisoners, Jaradat and Shaheen, to the section of criminal prisoners.


The commission confirmed that the sick prisoners languishing in the so-called "Ramla" prison hospital are continuing their escalatory steps, in protest against the transfer of the two prisoners, Jaradat and Shaheen, to the section of criminal prisoners.


The commission indicated that the captive movement is studying today mechanisms to respond to the crime of abuse of the two captives, Jaradat and Shaheen, and transfer them to the section of criminal prisoners.


While she indicated that the prisoner, Muhannad Abu Alia, from the town of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, suffers from infections in the esophagus and difficulty swallowing, and he is given only painkillers, noting that he needs a hospital and a specialized doctor to examine and diagnose his condition.


PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 8:56 am - Jerusalem Time

The Hebrew newspapers are blackened

The Israelis were surprised, on Tuesday morning, when the major Hebrew newspapers printed their front pages in black, without any other writing.


This step comes as a protest against the Israeli Knesset passing yesterday evening amendments to the controversial “reasonableness” law, which aims to limit compliance with judicial decisions.


And "Israel" has been witnessing a major crisis for 7 months due to these passes that the extremist government led by Benjamin Netanyahu sought, and succeeded in reaching yesterday.


Israel suffers from a state of severe division, in light of the continued protests rejecting these amendments, which last night was the climax, during which more than 30 demonstrators and 10 Israeli police officers were injured, while 18 protesters were arrested.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 7:46 am - Jerusalem Time

Protests persist after Israel's gov't passes law weakening judicial oversight

Protests continued into the night after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government passed a law to prevent the courts from overturning decisions that they deem "unreasonable" on Monday.


The Israeli Medical Association also announced a 24-hour strike to protest the law, which passed in a heated Knesset session boycotted by the opposition. 


According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the Israeli police arrested 18 demonstrators over claims that they attacked police, behaved in a disorderly manner and set off fires. 


Israel Police also arrested a motorist who rammed into three protests in the city of Kfar Saba.



PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 7:37 am - Jerusalem Time

The White House regrets the passage of Israeli "judicial reforms".

The White House on Monday expressed its disappointment over the Israeli Knesset's passage of the so-called judicial reforms, calling on the Israeli government to adhere to the necessity of (Israeli) consensus on issues that "affect democracy."

And the White House issued a statement saying: “As an enduring friend of Israel, US President Joe Biden has publicly and privately expressed his views that major changes in democracy that must be sustained should depend on as broad a consensus as possible.”

"It is unfortunate that (to see) the vote (which) took place today with a narrow majority, and we understand that the talks are ongoing and are likely to continue over the coming weeks and months to reach a broader compromise even with the Knesset recess," the statement added, in an unusual tone.

The White House pledged, according to the statement: "The United States will continue to support the efforts of President Herzog and other Israeli leaders as they seek to build a broader consensus through political dialogue."

On Monday, the Israeli Knesset approved the draft amendments to the controversial so-called "reasonableness" law, which relates to judicial amendments.

According to the Israeli Knesset Channel, 64 members of the government coalition voted in favor of the project, while no one objected or abstained after the opposition members withdrew from the hall, after all attempts by Israeli President Isaac Herzog failed, since Sunday evening, to bridge views and postpone the vote or reach a compromise that would allow for negotiations at a later time.

According to experts, the amendments to the law will allow any government to ignore any decisions of the Israeli judiciary, whose decisions will not obligate the government to cancel any decision taken by it.

It is noteworthy that the American “CNN” network said that US President Joe Biden is very disappointed with the Knesset’s proceeding to approve fundamental changes in the Israeli Supreme Court, and stated that he sent a message about that, through the American journalist in the newspaper “The New York Times”, Thomas Friedman, to the Prime Minister of the occupation, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The network claimed that Biden warned in his message of the repercussions of the decision, and of the decline in the bilateral relationship to low levels, indicating that he prefers continued consultations between the various Israeli forces in order to reach a broad consensus among them on it.

Friedman had published an article on Sunday under the title "Only Biden can save Israel now," in which he called on the US president to build a bridge "urgently to save Israel from destruction from within," recalling former US President Richard Nixon, who ordered an air bridge to support the occupation with ammunition, after the Israeli army's ammunition ran low in the October 1973 war, when the Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a surprise attack on the occupying entity.

"Israel, 55 years after the Nixon Bridge, needs another airlift to save it. It needs an urgent resupply of hard realities," Friedman emphasized.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 7:33 am - Jerusalem Time

An Israeli settler miraculously survived in Hebron

Last night, fire devoured a settler's vehicle while he was driving it near the so-called "Zif" junction, south of Hebron.


According to the Hebrew channel Reshet Kan, the settler escaped from the vehicle that was hit by a Molotov cocktail, without being injured. According to her claim.


It indicated that the Israeli army carried out a combing operation in the area in search of the Molotov cocktail throwers.


PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 7:31 am - Jerusalem Time

The occupation launches a campaign of arrests and raids in the West Bank

The Israeli occupation forces launched, at dawn and Tuesday morning, a campaign of arrests and raids in several separate areas of the West Bank.


According to local sources, those forces arrested Nasser Abu Mazen and editor Salloum Ghanem from the town of Beita, south of Nablus, after raiding and searching their homes.


According to the same sources, these forces searched a number of shops, warehouses and houses in the town and confiscated many camera recordings.


In Jenin, a young man, Abd al-Hadi Hababiyeh, from the town of Sanour, was arrested after his house was stormed and searched thoroughly.


The occupation forces also stormed the Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah, and searched many homes.


And stormed the Dheisheh refugee camp, south of Bethlehem, and raided many homes.

PALESTINE

Tue 25 Jul 2023 7:15 am - Jerusalem Time

Israeli army kills three Palestinians in Nablus

Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinian men in the city of Nablus on Tuesday.


An Israeli military spokesman said that they "neutralized" the Palestinians after they had opened fire at them. According to the Israeli public broadcaster Kan, the men fired at the soldiers from a vehicle, instigating a gun battle. The army reportedly found weapons in the car.


Eyewitnesses said troops were heavily deployed in the area, and that an Israeli ambulances arrived and transported those inside the vehicle to an unknown destination.


PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 9:36 pm - Jerusalem Time

Shooting at a settler bus south of Nablus

On Monday evening, resistance fighters opened fire at a bus of settlers, south of Nablus.


According to the correspondent of the Hebrew channel Reshet Kan, 8 bullets hit the bus, without any injuries.


The Israeli army began a combing operation in the area.


The operation took place between the Za'tara and Hawara checkpoints, south of Nablus.


The occupation forces deployed in the area, obstructing the movement of vehicles, and began searching them in search of the perpetrators of the operation.

PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 7:00 pm - Jerusalem Time

A timeline of the ongoing crisis in "Israel" for 7 months

Israel's controversial package of judicial reforms, of which a key provision was passed Monday, has sparked one of the largest protest movements in the Jewish state.


Agence France-Presse reviews the debate that has been going on for seven months between the far-right government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and the demonstrators, who warned against the plan on the grounds that it undermines democracy.


At the beginning of January, Israeli Minister of Justice Yariv Levin revealed the proposed reforms aimed at reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, as the government believes that it is left-leaning and politically biased.


The proposed amendments give the Israeli parliament the power to overturn some decisions of the Supreme Courts, thus giving the executive authority a greater role in appointing judges.


Centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid, a former prime minister, warned that the reform package "endangers the entire legal system in Israel."


The protest movement against the reform plan began with its opponents taking to the streets on January 7 in a mass demonstration, which soon turned into a weekly movement.


On January 22, according to media estimates, some 100,000 people turned out against what some opponents described as Netanyahu's attempt to bring about a "judicial coup."


The protest movement spread to both Jerusalem and Haifa.


Insiders in the technology sector, one of Israel's main sectors, have warned that the legislation will alienate investors, especially as it undermines the rule of law.


Israeli President Isaac Herzog tried to mediate between the government and the opposition.


On the first of March, the police intervened in dispersing the protests, using sound bombs, water cannons, and cavalry teams, and prevented the demonstrators from blocking the roads.


Netanyahu accused the demonstrators of crossing a "red line".


US President Joe Biden, whose country is the most prominent ally of the Hebrew state, called on Netanyahu to reach a compromise.


On March 14, the Knesset approved, in its first reading, a clause in the reform package that limits the ability of the Supreme Court to annul laws it deems unconstitutional.

In the same month, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant considered that the clause represents a "clear, imminent and tangible threat to Israel's security" with the expansion of protests that reached the security forces.


Gallant's position conflicted with that of Netanyahu, who punished him by dismissing him from office.


And with the threat of a general strike on March 27, Netanyahu decided to suspend the legislation and give an opportunity for negotiations between the parties.


This step did not prevent the continuation of the protests, as opponents of the reform plan want to cancel it completely.

On June 14, the two main opposition leaders in Israel, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, withdrew from talks with the government.
Two weeks later, Netanyahu announced the scrapping of the controversial "disembarkation" clause that would have allowed parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings by a simple majority.


This item is seen as the most controversial of the reforms.

On the tenth of July, the Israeli parliament approved, in its first reading, the "reasonableness" clause, which eliminates the possibility of the judiciary examining the "reasonableness" of government decisions.


Later, more than 1,100 Air Force reservists, including pilots, threatened to stop voluntary service if Parliament approved the item permanently.


On the 23rd of the same month, Biden again urged the Jewish state not to rush to approve the plan, which he described as "divisive."


After returning from a visit to Washington, President Herzog tried to talk with Netanyahu, who was hospitalized to have a pacemaker fitted, to reach a compromise.


On July 24, with renewed protests, the Israeli parliament approved the main item in the reform plan, which will become law.

PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 6:07 pm - Jerusalem Time

The State of Palestine submits its case to the International Court of Justice

Today, Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad Al-Malki, delivered the written pleading of the State of Palestine to the International Court of Justice, at its headquarters in The Hague, so that the court can issue its opinion and legal opinion on the nature of the Israeli colonial occupation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the legal consequences arising from that, and the duties of states and the United Nations.


This came during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad Al-Maliki, and his accompanying delegation, with the Registry, Philippe Gauthier.


Al-Maliki said that this is a historic day for the Palestinian people, and its impact will contribute to the consolidation of international justice, stressing the importance of this event for the Palestinian people and their struggle and quest for justice and freedom.


He stressed that the State of Palestine will carry out all its duties to ensure the progress of work to complete the work and procedures until the court issues its legal advisory opinion, pointing to the high confidence in the efficiency and independence of the International Court of Justice.


Al-Maliki stressed that the State of Palestine submitted the written pleading in implementation of the resolution of the General Assembly, the decisions of the International Court of Justice, and as part of the diplomatic and legal movement led by the State of Palestine to preserve the rights of our people and protect them from crimes committed by Israel, the illegal occupying power, leading to the accountability and accountability of Israeli war criminals, and the lifting of immunity from them.


He said, "Today, by taking this step, we will have accumulated efforts towards accountability, which have been around for a long time."

He stressed the importance and role of the International Court of Justice in considering the legitimacy of the existence and continuation of the Israeli colonial occupation, and the importance of the multilateral international system and its legal institutions, led by the Court, as the highest international judicial body, and the binding of what is issued by it.


He stressed that the pleading presented irrefutable evidence and facts of Israel's illegal policies and practices, and painted a clear picture of the crimes and suffering suffered by the Palestinian people over the decades and since the Nakba. The situation creates legal consequences and obligations for Israel first, and for the countries and organizations of the international community to combat these illegal actions.


Minister Al-Maliki appreciated the principled role of brotherly and friendly countries that have submitted and will present their written pleadings, and thanked them for their positive involvement in working with the International Court of Justice to issue its legal opinion.


He called on the parties that decided to be on the sidelines of history, by presenting pleadings hostile to international law and the rights of the Palestinian people seeking justice, to review their positions and not encourage Israel to persist in its crimes, and that their positions will offend them and will not stop the wheel of justice.

PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 5:10 pm - Jerusalem Time

A young man was killed in a new crime in Western Galilee

A Palestinian youth was killed, on Monday evening, as a result of being shot by unknown assailants in Western Galilee.


According to the Hebrew website Ynet, the dead man was Tamer Ibriq, 34, from the town of Abu Sinan in the western Galilee, noting that the Israeli police opened an investigation into the incident.

PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 3:58 pm - Jerusalem Time

The Israeli Knesset passes the judicial amendments after failing to reach a compromise

On Monday afternoon, the Israeli Knesset approved the draft amendments to the controversial so-called "reasonableness" law, which relates to judicial amendments.


According to the Israeli Knesset Channel, 64 members of the government coalition voted in favor of the project, while no one opposed or abstained after the opposition members withdrew from the hall.


And all attempts by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, since yesterday evening, to try to bridge views and delay the vote or reach a compromise that allows for negotiations later, have failed.


It was observed on live air that the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, was speaking with the leaders of the coalition and the opposition and trying to reach a compromise before the start of voting on the amendments to the law in the second and third readings.


The amendments to the law will allow any government to ignore any decisions of the Israeli judiciary, whose decisions will not obligate the government to cancel any decision taken by it.


The vote on the law took place amid widespread protests in the Israeli street in recent days, since the hours of this morning.


It is expected that the protests will escalate in the coming hours and days in light of this development, which seems to pose a political, security and economic threat to Israel, in light of the threats from the opposition and protesters, as well as economic companies and investors, and the major division that the Israeli army is witnessing for the first time in "Israel's history".

PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 3:41 pm - Jerusalem Time

Two prisoners continue their hunger strike

Today, Monday, the Prisoners Authority reported that the two prisoners, Omar Kamil Al-Sanajel and Ismail Halabiya, are continuing their open hunger strike, in rejection of their administrative detention.


Prisoner Omar Kamil Al-Sanajel continues his strike for the 12th day in a row, noting that he is the father of the hero martyr Mahmoud Omar Al-Sanajel, and he was isolated by the Negev prison administration in solitary cells.


While the prisoner, Ismail Halabiya, from the town of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem, continues his strike for the sixth consecutive day against his administrative detention, which was renewed for the fourth time in a row.

PALESTINE

Mon 24 Jul 2023 1:24 pm - Jerusalem Time

The deterioration of the health conditions of three prisoners in Al-Naqab prison

Today, Monday, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Prisoners revealed, after the visit of its lawyer Fadi Obeidat, a group of sick cases of a number of Palestinian prisoners languishing in the Negev prison, including:


The case of the prisoner Munther Ikbariya (61 years) from the town of Shweika/Tulkarem, who is still suffering from a difficult health condition, as he suffers from many health and disease problems, part of which he received treatment for and the other part did not receive treatment, as he underwent laboratory tests and analyzes of the prostate and it was found that there is a defect in the functioning of the prostate, and he was informed that he will be referred to a specialist, but the prison administration deliberately neglects him medically, and the prisoner also complains There is a fatty cyst inside his left eye and he is in dire need of medical examinations. However, the prison administration still practices a policy of keeping the situation as it is, which increases the suffering of prisoners, especially those with high sentences, and indifference to their health.


As for the prisoner, Acid Jaghoub (22 years), from the town of Beta / Nablus, he suffers from diabetes. He undergoes tests and is given insulin. He began to suffer from poor eyesight as a result of high blood sugar. He needs an eye test. He also complains of severe pain in his teeth as a result of diabetes.


As for the prisoner Khaled Nawabit (46 years) from the town of Burqa / Nablus, who is currently in the Negev prison, he suffers from heart health problems, and he was scheduled to undergo an open heart operation in Ramallah Hospital on 11/27/2022 to replace the mitral valve, but he was arrested five days before the date of the operation. General wasting of the body, constant exhaustion and inability to move.


The Commission held the Israeli prison administration fully responsible for the continuation of the series of medical negligence against Palestinian detainees, and called on international institutions, human rights institutions and the Red Cross to play their necessary role towards the issue of detainees to the fullest.