المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Madeeha Araj,
The National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that just days away separate us from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court – ICC, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda’s announcement of the end of the preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine, and accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC over crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories . The Israeli PM canceled a meeting that was scheduled for an inter-ministerial committee to discuss ways of imposing sovereignty over the Palestinian Valley areas and the northern Dead Sea. Furthermore, the Israeli Minister of Security, Naftali Bennett, puts forward arrangements to the lands register, under which the Occupation Authorities can annex more areas in the occupied West Bank to Israel, thus, violating the International Laws and covenants. He also instructed the register lands to register lands in areas C in the Israeli Ministry of Justice instead of registering them in the Civil Administration. Bennett also instructed officials in the Israeli Ministry of Security to find a legal way that allows dealing with land in settlements as if they are in the Green Line.
Within the context, the Israeli reactions to the ICC’s decision occupied a prominent place in the Israeli political arena. The far-right Israeli Minister of Transportation, Tzelel Smritrich, called for demolishing Palestinian villages and eliminate the Palestinian Authority if the investigation process is continued. The Israeli Minister of Security, Naftali Benin, launched a sharp attack on the International Criminal Court in Hague, describing it as a “anti-Semitic factory,” while the leader of the “New Right” party, Elite Shaked, said that, “it is necessary for Israel to face the ICC’s decision with all available means.” He considers that the court has no authority to carry out such investigations. Moreover Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has described the ICC’s decision as “persecution of the State of Israel.”
Leader of the Blue and White party, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s main rival, is also to be investigated at the International Criminal Court, as he was the chief of army during the war on Gaza in 2014, he added that “there is no basis to demand an investigation against Israel.” He stressed that “all Israeli government’s coalition, the opposition, and others, are same and stand together, claiming that Israel and its army don’t commit any war crimes.
American responses also to the International Criminal Court came soon, theUS Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said in a long interview with the Evangelical Radical Broadcasting “CSN” on the 22nd of this month that his decision announced last Nov. to legalize settlement and Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, was right. He claimed that the Israeli civilian settlements in “Judea and Samaria,” the name given by the occupation authorities on the West Bank, are not inconsistent with international law, stressing that the United States stubbornly opposes the opening of the International Criminal Court to investigate Israeli war crimes, and he also said we agree with President Trump that the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank does not in itself contradict international law
It was noted that the occupation government’s intends to move forward with its settlement plans and support for settlerss, the Finance Committee at the Knesset approved a special grant for West Bank settlements amounting to US $10s of millions. The grant includes NIS 34.5 million in favor of settlement councils that “suffer from a financial crisis in the light of private security expenditures”, It also includes the amount of NIS 5.5 million for the purposes of supporting the ambulance and rescue authorities. Whereas, the Chairman of the West Bank Settlements Council, David al-Hayani, of the “Yesha Council” praised the Israeli Prime Minister for the grant, noting the security importance that the West Bank settlements represent to Israel and the need to support its steadfastness.
Nablus, the Governorate witnessed leveling large areas of lands belonging to villages in the Nablus Governorate in order to expand the Shilo and Shvut Rachel settlements, illegaly built on the lands of the Jalod, Qariot and Qasra villages, where bulldozers supported by the military forces carried out extensive bulldozing work to build more settlement units to expand Shvut Rachel settlement over the lands of Jalud village. The sweeping works came despite the decision issued by the Supreme Court of the Occupying Power last year, which the Israeli high court ordered that all construction and expansion work in the Shvut Rachel settlement on the lands of Jalod village shall be stopped.
Qalqilia, the occupation authorities issued a decision to expand a main road located behind the annexation wall near the settlement “Alfei Menashe,” thus restricting movements of the Palestinian farmers and owners of the nurseries behind the mentioned wall, and then to confiscate their lands. The expansion of the road, which extends over 1,300 meters, will confiscate 500 donums there, this will lead to the destruction of artesian wells and damage 11 nurseries behind the wall.
A list of Israeli Occupation and Settlers’ Assaults over the Last Week, Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Demolishing 2 houses in the Jabal Al-Mukaber, south of Jerusalem under the pretext of not having a license.
- Demolishing a two-story house, as well as, 3 shops in Al-Issawiya, under the same pretext.
- Closing Street No. 1, which leads to Al-Masara and Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhoods in the center of Jerusalem.
- Arresting a young Jew carrying a large knife in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, causing fear for worshipers and foreign pilgrims.
Hebron:
- Demolishing a residential room in the Ghwein area, east of the Al-Samou ‘town, south of Hebron, and another room, in the Maghair Al-Abeed area, east of Yatta.
- Seizing a truck as well as a “digger” in the Beit Umar, north of Hebron, and declared the area as a closed military zone.
Bethlehem:
- Bulldozing agricultural lands in the Taqoa town, east of Bethlehem, resulted in cutting down old trees.
- Forcing a number of farmers to leave their 100-donum area in the Kisan village, east of Bethlehem.
- Storming Solomon archaeological area south of Bethlehem and a high mountainous hill overlooking Artas village, classified as area A. Moreover, settlers swam in the pools claiming that it is a holy place for them, and its name was mentioned in the Torah.
Nablus:
- Demolishing housing and agricultural reserves in the Khirbet Tana, east of Nablus, uprooting of 3,000 olive trees planted recently by Beit Furik Municipality.
Salfit:
- Breaking into Ahmad Khofash house in the Marda village, north of Salfit, destroyed its contents, and seized his vehicle.
Jordan valley:
- Seizing a land and forcibly expelling the owner the Al-Hadidia area in Wadi Al-Maleh in the northern Jordan Valley, as well as seizing 2 agricultural tractors in the Ras Al-Ahmar area, southeast of Tubas.
