By: Madeeha Araj,
Ahead of Israel’s March 2 Knesset elections, the Israeli far-right leaders made statements that reflected their intention to annex the Jordan Valley and area C in the West Bank, their expansionist mentality, and their hatred to peace. We also noticed that the extremist Kahol Lavan party leaders accused the Likud party of stealing their ideas about the annexation of the valleys, and imposing Israeli sovereignty over it. Moreover, the Israeli occupation continues to demolish Palestinian houses in areas C, as they were classified under the Israeli – Palestinian agreements. Knowing that areas C constitute 61% of the occupied West Bank area, including Jerusalem. As for the Israeli Civil Administration, it only approved 21 building permits out of 1485 permits in these areas submitted by the Palestinians, which means rejecting 98.6% of the permits. We have noticed over the last decades that expanding the demolition of Palestinian homes is a programs for the upcoming Israeli elections Israel uses the Palestinian in their elections agendas
In 2016 – 2018, the Occupation Authorities issued 2,147 demolishing orders of Palestinian houses in area C under the pretext of not having building permits. During this period, Israel claimed the issuance of 56 building permits, of which 35 were rejected. Worth mentioning that the Israeli occupation prevented the building of a school in the Jahali area, which resulted in transferring the Jahalin’s students into another remote schools in Al-Eizariya, adding that in 2000 – 2018, the Palestinians submitted 6,532 applications for building permits in area C, but only 210 of them i.e. 3.2% were approved, knowing that about 240 Palestinian villages located in areas C.
The Occupation Forces also issued orders to evacuate 22 houses due to settlement excavations in the Bab Al-Silsilah Neighborhood, resulted in the displacement of about 200 people of 22 families, as well as, forcing the vacation of building of Nasser al-Rajabi family in the Batn al-Hawa Neighborhood in the Silwan town. On the other hand, in the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Israeli Authorities demolished more than 200 Palestinian houses in 2019, 177 houses in 2018 and 142 houses in 2017.
On the other hand, Presidents of Sates of more than 40 countries came to Israel in order to mark the 75th anniversary of the Holocaust committed by the Nazis against the Jews at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp in Poland. In the presence of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, whose country had the greatest credit for victory over Hitler Germany and the liberation of mankind from the evils of the Nazi monster, who put on his agenda at that time the purification of Europe from Jews, Gypsies and Slavic peoples, passing through the American Vice President, Mike Pence and ending with the French President, Macron. The President of Poland, Andje Doda, whose Holocaust took place in his country did not participate in the ceremony, refused to attend and considered the ceremony an unnecessary hypocrisy because the main ceremony should take place in Poland and in Auschwitz camp in particular, but not in a place where no crime against the Jews occurred. The Occupying State has tried to use the occasion and exploit it politically and informally, forgetting that it occupies the land of another country, and practices crimes against the Palestinian people that rise to the level of war crimes against humanity.
Within the context, the representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rose Marie DiCarlo reiterated the illegalness of Israeli settlement under international law, knowing that the annexation of some or all of the land in the West Bank is a blow to the possibility of reviving negotiations and peace between them. For his part, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolai Mladenov, also considered the Israeli plans to annex the Jordan Valley as a blow for the negotiations and peace process.
For his part, the Minister of the Israeli Occupation Army, Naftali Bennett, issued an administrative order to deport Israeli leftist activists from the West Bank and prevent them from entering it. Bennett’s decision includes about 30 Israeli activists in the “Anarchists against the Apartheid Wall ” Movement, among them the movement’s most prominent leader, Yonatan Pollack. Bennett also instructed the occupation forces to confront their rallies.
A list of Israeli Occupation and Settlers’ Assaults over the Last Week, Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
– Closing Abdullah bin Al-Hussein Secondary School for Girls in the Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood in Jerusalem, and transferring its students to other schools.
– Forcing a Jerusalemite to demolish his own house in Jabal Al-Mukaber Village in Jerusalem under the pretext of building without a permit.
– Torching a mosque in the Sharafat Village near Beit Safafa Town, south of Jerusalem, and writing racist slogans.
Jericho:
– Handing over demolition orders to 18 houses in the Village of Umm al-Khair in Musafir Yatta, belonging to the families of Al-Hathalin, Al-Masry, Al-Tebnah and Al-Faqir, under the pretext of building without permits.
– Daily houses and tents demolition in Musafer Yatta Town, as well as, spoiling crops, and assaulting citizens and farmers. Handing over demolition and stop orders to eight residences, including the village council headquarters in the Perrin Village, southeast of Hebron.
– Attacking citizens’ homes and properties in the Jaber Neighborhood, east of Hebron.
Nablus:
– Handing over notices of land confiscation from the Villages of Til, Madama, and Burin.
Salfeet:
– Mixing the Ariel settlement’s wastewater in Salfeet Governarate with Hares archaeological’s well, which in terms polluted the Wadi al-Mutawi and Sha’ab Ghanas, as well as, the farmers’ lands in the villages of Salfit. The archaeological well located in area C, where the occupation prevented the Palestinians from restoring or maintaining the well.
– Chopping about 15 large, fruitful olive trees in the Kafr Al-Dik Village, west of Salfit belonging to the Qaoud family.