Israeli occupation Netanyahu government approves new illegal settlements, illegal settlers attack Palestinian farmers

The Netanyahu government approves construction of new settlement

Tuesday May 19, 2009 09:52 by IMEMC & Agencies

Shortly after the meeting between US President, Barack Obama, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli sources said that a new Jewish only settlement would be constructed in the Jordan Valley, less that 20 kilometers away from the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The new settlement plan was seen by several Palestinian and international officials as a clear Israeli message to the US administration that the country does not intend to halt the construction and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The plan comes while Israel is formulating more plans to link major Israeli settlements in the West Bank with Jerusalem in spite of the increasing international condemnation.

The office of Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, slammed the new plan and said that it is a message of challenge to Obama.

Nabil Abu Rudaina, spokesperson of the Palestinian president, said that the this plan reflects intentions of Netanyahu and his government to continue illegal settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.

Abu Rudaina demanded a clear and practical American response, and added that the US must pressure on Israel to halt its settlement activities.  

During the White House meeting between  Netanyahu and Obama, the Israeli PM said that his government is willing to start immediate peace talks with the Palestinians, but preconditioned that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Netanyahu and his government reject the establishment of a Palestinian state, and said they are willing to hold talks on a sort of autonomy for the Palestinians.

They would not hold talks on Jerusalem, settlements, the right of return, natural resources, borders and other essential issues for peace in the Middle East.

The US president demanded Tel Aviv to halt its settlement activities in accordance to its commitments to the Road Mao Peace Plan.

Israel planning settlement after evicting Jerusalem families

Date: 19 / 05 / 2009  Time:  09:33
Jerusalem – Ma’an –

The Israeli occupation government plans to build 250 units of illegal settlement housing after it forcibly evacuates two East Jerusalem families, a lawyer for the Palestinian president’s office said on Tuesday.

Attorney Ahmed Al-Ruwaidi said Israel plans to level a total of 27 homes on the family’s Shiakh Jarrah properties after the families are removed, “while the world talks about human rights, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.”

“Once again, Israeli judiciary proved that it is a tool in the hands of Israeli settlement organizations which are conducting settlement programs in Al-Bustan and other neighborhoods of Jerusalem,” he said.

The remarks come after the Israeli district court decided on Sunday to fine each family 50,000 US dollars, with a further fine of 50,000 shekels (12,500 US dollars) if they do not evacuate by 19 July, the date of a court hearing.

The eviction order was issued by “Hotza Laphoal” the Israeli institution that executes court orders.

The families are two of the 27 that live in a 28-building complex in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. The court ruled in favor of a settler organization, Nahalat Shimon, which claims it is the owner of the buildings. The Palestinians are accused of not paying rent to these self-proclaimed landlords.

Sunday's decision, Al-Ruwaidi said, is a challenge to the US administration and the whole international community. It is also blocks any initiative to renew peace talks as it would be impossible to talk peace in light of “demographic replacement,” demolition of homes, confiscation of properties, and collective expulsion of Palestinian residents.

Al-Ruwaidi added that the Palestinian president acted at international levels, and would file a suit at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Among the laws that apply to Jerusalem, he said, is protection of people under occupation according to Geneva and Hague conventions.

Meanwhile on Monday, the United States and European Union lodged official protests with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the eviction orders.

Illegal Israeli settlers attack farmers near Qalqiliya

Date: 19 / 05 / 2009  Time:  14:31
Qalqiliya – Ma’an –

Illegal Israeli settlers set fire to farmland and assaulted Palestinian farmers and an Israeli activist in two villages east of the West Bank city of Qalqiliya on Tuesday.

Ma’an’s correspondent reports that large areas of wheat fields and olive groves went up in flames in the villages of Jit and Far’ata before firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze.

Local residents said Israeli soldiers also attacked farmers, leaving many of them bruised among them Hani Arman, Othman Al-Sadda, Ahmed Arman, Zakariya Al-Sadda, and an Israeli activist with the organization Rabbis for Human rights.

Soldiers also kidnapped 15-year-old Murad Yamin.

According to farmers, fights erupted after the illegal Israeli settlers from the Gilad outpost attacked a rally in the area protesting previous settler attacks and Israeli Civil Administration’s claims that farmers do not own their land in spite of documents proving ownership.

Hebron youth stop settlers from touring the old city

Monday May 18, 2009 16:32 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Scores of Israeli right wing groups and settlers arrived to southern West Bank city of Hebron on Monday.

Armed Israeli setters near Hebron – photo by Michael Ramallah

The settlers and right wing groups were given permission by the Israeli government on Sunday to tour the Palestinian controlled old city par of Hebron and be granted protection by the Israeli military.

Scores of Palestinian youth from “Youth against settlements”, a local NGO in Hebron gathered at the entrances of the old city to stop the settlers and soldiers from having their tour on Monday.

“there was some international supporters with us, but the majority were Palestinians, we blocked the entrance to the old city, settlers arrived on midday, but stopped at the nearby military checkpoint then left.” Tarik Abu Amirah, an organizer for Youth against settlements, told IMEMC.

The setters left shortly after, some cases of setters attacks on residents were reported during the setters tour to the settlements in some parts of the old city.