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Occupation magazine - Jerusalem

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Coronavirus? Police, army and settlers continue with harassing Palestinians
From Michal Hai
via m.michal.hai@gmail.com


This week – March 29-April 4, 2020 – in the Occupied Territories

Israeli Police, Border Police and army persisted in their systemic
harassment of the Issawiya neighborhood of East Jerusalem this week, in the
midst of the worsening Corona-virus crisis: placing checkpoints, firing
sponge rounds and teargas, arresting locals and fining them; Hooligans from
Havat Maon outpost were busy this week stealing from their Palestinian
neighbors; Israeli soldiers violently arrested a Palestinian youth picking
Ka`ub (globe thistle) near Palestinian Susya, even though it is no longer
prohibited; settlers from the West Bank hill-range outposts are widening a
path they have cleared around Rashash, inside a nature reserve and firing
zones, as well as founding a new outpost – Israeli police and army called to
the site responded by chasing away Palestinian shepherds, and fining
activists and NGO workers who are permitted (by of the Israeli Ministry of
Health regulations) on the ground in order to document illegal works;


Issawiya

This week too, in blatant violation of the Ministry of Health’s regulations
and any logic and fairness, large forces of the Jerusalem District Police
continued their systemic harassment of inhabitant so this East Jerusalem
neighborhood, in an attempt to provoke and incite them. Daily, large
military forces entered Issawiya, put up checkpoints, caused crowding, and
responded with massive firing of sponge rounds and teargas. Nearly every
day, arrests were carried out. Most of the detainees were released the very
same day. To the usual harassment, the policemen this week also added the
emergency health restrictions to their usual claims and fined many
inhabitants with thousands of shekels. In one case a boy was fined 5,000
shekels although he was found 30 meters from his own home.



South Hebron Hills

In the area of the violent outpost Havat Maon near Palestinian Tawane
village, bands of settlers dismiss the emergency movement restrictions and
come out to harass Palestinians. On Wednesday a group of them came down into
privately owned Palestinian land in Humra valley and stole a bucket from the
local water hole. On Friday a group of settlers chased Palestinians picking
herbs near Tuba and stole all the herbs they had picked. On Thursday it was
soldiers from the army base near Susya who arrested a boy picking the same
herb, restrained him and, according to him, beat him as well. A Palestinian
activist passing by saw the goings on and intervened, reminding the soldiers
that this specific plant is no longer on the protected list, and insisted
the boy be released.

On Friday, Palestinian farmers from Susya were successfully plowing Hadar-
family land close to “Flag Hill”. The plowing was coordinated with the army,
whose troops were present and did not enable settlers to disturb the farmers
in their plowing.



Palestinian Jordan Valley and West Bank hill range

The support provided by the Israeli army and police to the illegal outposts
of settlers on the West Bank hill range reached new heights this week, and
they did not even hesitate to make illegal use of the emergency health
regulations in order to harm activists.

Since earlier in the week settlers have renewed their work on the track
around Rashash, including breaking into the fence of the army base there,
and continuing the track through a nature reserve and a firing zone. On
Thursday they were reported to bring construction materials and begin a new
outpost, extension of the older one. An activist who is employed by an
association permitted to act on the ground by the Ministry of Health came
out to document this. ON his way he was stopped by army and Border Police
forces who claimed they were taking care of the new outpost and forbade him
access. In retrospect we found out that they did not even approach the new
outpost. According to reports from afar, the new outpost already consists of
tents, sheep pens and fences.

Consequently, on Friday, April 3, two activists of the same association went
to the site. Their way there was blocked by a settler shepherd who summoned
police, army and Border Police. They did not enable the activists to reach
the new outpost and document it. The policemen claimed that the activists
were forbidden to be there by emergency health regulations and fined them
500 shekels each although the activists explained that this was their job.
The policeman on the ground refused to listen to a recorded conversation
with the HQ approving the association workers arriving on the ground. Later
when the activists came to Binyamin Police Station to lodge their complaint,
a policeman refused to accept it. At the same time, the soldiers who claimed
that they were on their way to prevent construction of the new outpost not
only refrained from doing so, but instead chased away Palestinian flocks
from the area.

After checking with lawyers the activists found out that there was no legal
basis for the fines they received, and a request for trial is filed in order
to prove this.

On their way to the police station, the activists noticed a settler from the
outpost near Rimonim settler-colony, who as is his wont in recent weeks,
entered sown Palestinian-owned land with his flock. They managed to document
him, and presented the documentation to the police – that as usual did not
bother to look into the matter.

On Tuesday, March 31, the occupation forces demolished a dwelling structure
in the village of Jiftlik, northern Palestinian Jordan Valley.



The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah continues to take place every Friday,
adhering to emergency procedures. The residents of Sheikh are protesting
their violent evictions from their homes, the taking over of the
neighborhood by the settlers, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem. They
call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them

We will meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at at
4 p.m






Ta`ayush

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