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Welcome to this Week in Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for September 10th to 16 2011.
Palestinian President confirm going to the UN security council to request a full UN membership, meanwhile Israeli military and settlers escalate assaults against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, these stories and more are coming up, stay tuned
The Nonviolence Report
Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent activities in the West Bank. Israeli troops attacked the anti wall protests with tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets. This week protesters marched in support of the of UN resolution 194 and in support of the state bid at the UN later next week. IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura with the story:
This Friday Protests were reported in the villages of al-Nabi Saleh, Bil’in and Nil’in in central West Bank, addition to al-Ma’ssara in the southern West Bank.
In al- Walaja, people marched after the midday prayers joined by international and Israeli supporters and reached the local farmers lands were Israeli is building the wall. Israeli troops stopped the march and settlers arrived and harassed protesters. Before leaving Palestinian youth managed to raise flags with 194 written on them on the wall.
At the village of al-Ma’sara Villagers Troops attacked the protest before it left the village with rifle buts and batons and tear gas. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation. no injuries were reported.
In central West Bank, Israeli soldiers used a bulldozer against anti wall and settlement protesters in the village of al-Nabi Saleh. International and Israeli supporters joined village and marched towards the lands were Israeli is building a new settlement there. Soldiers used tear gas and the bulldozer to force people back into the village. Troops arrested also Ashraf Abu Rahmeh during the protest.
At the nearby village of Bil’in and Nil’in, many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked protesters as they reached the gats of the wall separating local farmers from their lands.
For IMEMC.org this is Ghassan Bannoura
The Political Report
Despite of US threats to use Veto power, The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirms that the Palestinians are going to submit a request to the UN Security Council for full UN membership. IMEMC’s Rami Almeghari has more:.IMEMC’s Rami Almeghari has more:
The Palestinian Authority argues that the move is intended at making the international community involved in the peace process that has not achieved peace for the past two decades. Palestinians are determined to submit their request by next week.
Dr. Ghassan Elkhateeb is a spokesperson for the Palestinian government in Ramallah.
Actuality “In English’
‘ I think the essence of the Palestinian move is an attempt to attract the engagement and involvement of the international community to try to help in collectively the Palestinians and Israelis to move forward observe implementation of the international vision of peace which is based on a two-state solution’
Washington has said outright it would use it’s Veto power in case the PA submits the request to the UN Security Council. Washington contends that a Palestinian state recognition should come through bilateral Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. Meanwhile, some European countries have announced their favor of resumed peace negotiations between Israel and Palestinians.
Catherine Ashton, representative for the European Union, will be extending a visit to the region , in an attempt to push the pasties back to the negotiations table that Palestinians have abandoned due to continued Israeli settlements building on occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip including political factions and ordinary people have had different views towards ensuring a UN recognition of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders that encompasses West Bank , East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.
In an interview with the editor, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesperson for the ruling Hamas party in the coastal territory, announced that his part is neither supportive or opponent of the move.
Islamic Jihad group in Gaza told IMEMC that the UN bid for a statehood would not help Palestinians attain their legitimate rights including the right of return for millions of refugees to territories occupied by Israel in 1948. The group warns also of what it terms further Israeli actions against the Palestinian people.
Leftist Palestinian factions within the Palestine Liberation Orgnisation agree on basis that such a declaration by the UN would guarantee Palestinian legitimate rights including the UN-issued right to return, 194.
For IMEMC.org, this is Rami Almeghari in Gaza.
The Israeli Attacks This week, the Israeli military conducted at least 51 invasions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, during which they arrested 23 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children. IMEMC’s Carmen Rodriguez reports The Israeli Attacks
:
On Sunday, two Israeli gunboats surrounded two Palestinian fishing boats, on board of which were 8 Palestinian fishermen, including two children, opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli naval troops opened fire at the boats wounding two fishermen lightly. Israeli naval troop then arrested the eight fishermen, but released them several hours later.
This week Israeli gunboats also fired at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported. Also this week in Gaza Israeli forces positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at Palestinian civilian communities, but no casualties were reported.
On Saturday Israeli soldiers arrested 3 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip who attempted to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs. They interrogated the children and released them several hours later.
Elsewhere on Monday, Israeli settlers who forcefully occupied part of the house of Rifka Al-Kurd in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem burned the protest tent setup in the backyard of the house. The lady reported that her son noticed some noise near the house after midnight and confirmed that the settlers set the tent on fire. Neighboring youth managed to put the fire out, but all the contents of the tent where charred.
Israeli military forces demolished the house of Issa Nasser near the village of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The house is 80 square meters and was still under construction. Military bulldozers also destroyed a car parts workshop that belongs to Saber Abu Maria and bulldozed the area and destroyed the cars there. A local source said all the cars in the workshop are legal and some of them are good to use. As a result of the destruction the workshop caught fire and cause more damage to the property.
On Thursday, in the Jordan Valley village of al-Aqaba two houses and a barn were demolished by the Israeli military. Al-Aqaba village was subjected to a series of demolitions in April of this year, destroying homes and roads, and all but seven houses in the village have demolition orders outstanding. Also, demolition orders have been given to five families in the village of Khallet al-Hajjar, near Hebron, and all concern each family’s home. Popular committee coordinator in Yatta, Rateb al-Jabour, told media that all orders stated that the homes would be demolished for security reasons.
For
IMEMC.org this is Carmen Rodriguezb.
And that was just some of the news from this week in Palestine, for more updates; please visit our website at www.imemc.org. Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, This report has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and George Rishmawi
