Aqsa News, Issue 56, September 2014 by Friends of Al Aqsa

AQSA NEWS | ISSUE 56 | SEPTEMBER 2014

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AQSA NEWS

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Travel Dreaming of Palestine Page 17

Friends of Al-Aqsa newspaper since 1997

SPECIAL FEATURE

Buildings destroyed in Gaza

Shuja’iyya - The pinnacle of Israel’s barbarity

Fearing political Islam: Why Arabs betrayed Gaza

51 DAYS OF WAR

Cost of War to Israel - $2.5 billion Cost of Rebuilding Gaza - $7.8 Billion • Israel destroys life and lives in Gaza • 2,145 Palestinians killed • 12,000 injured • 15,670 homes destroyed • 190 mosques bombed • Half a million people displaced Israel’s attack on Gaza will be remembered for its ferocity and brutalityin 51 days of attacks, which began during the holy month of Ramadhan, Palestinians in Gaza faced more suffering than ever before. “Now is the time to remember the people of Palestine,”News said FOA ChairmanIsraeli Ismail navy Patel in the afkills termath of the bombs and bullets.fisherman “The ceasefire has come, but the misery remains unabated. The level of suffering in Gaza PAGE 2 is unparalleled and they look to the outside word for justice. It is up to us to THIS RAMADHAN bring Israel to account.”

News

Travel to Palestine

Interview & Review

Special Feature

Lights, Camera.. Cook

Egyptian army destroys 1,700 Gaza tunnels

A witness to the Palestinian struggle

Where should the birds fly

In their silence, Israeli academies collude with occupation

Palestinian food and culture evening

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2 51 DAYS OF WAR

Gaza, lest we forget On 7 July 2014, Israel launched a bombing campaign against Gaza that lasted 51 days before a ceasefire was reached on 26 August—by this time the tiny enclave was left looking like the aftermath of an earthquake.

Attacking UN schools – Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of War Crimes ‘A moral outrage and a criminal act’

Ariel photographs show images of entire regions that have been turned into rubble and ash. Images which would be more closely associated with a deadly earthquake or other natural disasters are the reality faced by 1.8 million people in Gaza. The difference? The world cannot freely send humanitarian relief teams and supplies to re-build Gaza, as Israel’s blockade is still in place. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Rights (UNOCHA) described the scale of the damage as “unprecedented since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967.”

The people of Gaza continue to suffer in agonised silence, while business continues as usual for Israel. How the international community reacts during the ceasefire will determine whether war crimes and crimes against humanity go unchallenged, or whether justice is achieved.

Those who have been left homeless now face the threat of disease from overcrowded conditions. A World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Gaza said, “I am particularly worried about the risk of water-borne and communicable disease in such settings where overcrowding, poor hygiene and lack of access to clean drinking water predispose to dis‘We’re only targeting ease outbreaks.” militants in Gaza’, Israel continuously said during the bombing , yet the overwhelming number of those killed were civilians, a quarter of them children. Protected buildings such as schools were not spared, and those sheltering within schools run by the UN found

za a G in n e r d il h c Over 1,000 disabled for life Bombing of Mosques

that their refuge was perilous. Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigated the bombing of three UN schools and concluded that Israel had committed war crimes. 45 people were killed when the schools were bombed despite repeated warnings to the Israeli army about the

location of the schools which were sheltering displaced people. The targeting of schools was followed by international condemnation, including from Israel’s long-time ally, the USA. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called the bombing “a moral outrage and a criminal act.”

Israel ignored the usual rules of engagement as it targeted protected buildings including mosques. 161 mosques were bombed, of which at least 41 were totally destroyed.

Explosive force Israel dropped on Gaza equivalent to that of th e Hiroshima atomic bo mb

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51 DAYS OF WAR 3

Buildings destroyed in Gaza Israeli targets in Gaza spared no one and no thing. High-rise buildings which housed people and businesses were completely destroyed, including the 15-story Basha Tower. The Italian Complex, a 13 storey building which was overwhelmingly used as homes, was also destroyed. The target for that strike was a Hamas office allegedly housed in the building. As a result, Israel destroyed the homes and lives of hundreds of people to target one small office. Such disproportionate violence was repeated relentlessly during the 51-day attack. 134 factories were also destroyed. “The Israeli war machine deliberately destroyed the infrastructure of the Palestinian national economy by targeting factories which posed no security threat to the occupation,” said the Union of Palestinian Industries. Thousands have been left jobless in the wake of the war.

89 families completely

The baby who lived and died at war Shayma was Gaza’s miracle baby—she lived five short days during the incessant bombing attack. Shayma was delivered by caesarean section from her dead mother who was killed in an Israeli air strike. Dr Fadi Al-Khrote, one of the doctors who initially saved her, told Al Jazeera that Shayma’s mother, 23-year-old Shayma al-Sheikh Qanan, had been clinically dead for ten minutes before the caesarean procedure had finished. The baby was a “miracle.”

“The baby suffered an oxygen deficiency in the womb after her mother’s heart stopped. The ongoing electricity shortages played a role [in her death] because her oxygen tubes did not work properly and we had to resuscitate her more than once manually,” said Dr Abdel Karem al-Bawab, head of the maternity ward at Nasser hospital. Shayma died after 5 days in hospital and was buried close to her mother. Her death was mourned by millions all over the world.

wiped out

Israelis celebrating the spectacle of war In an act condemned as despicable by millions around the world, Israelis in the town of Sderot treated the Gaza war as light entertainment. Numerous reports emerged showing Israelis—in a carnival-like atmosphere—gathering on hilltops to watch bombs being dropped on Gaza, cheering and jeering as Palestinian lives were shredded apart. This was entertainment— even small children were brought along to watch. Journalists who witnessed the sick display were

quick to condemn the Israelis, and some described being threatened if they reported on the issue. Pictures were circulated showing Israelis sitting on sofas which they had brought to the hill-side, eating popcorn and drinking as they watched events through binoculars. CNN reporter, Diane Magnay, tweeted: “Israelis on hill above Sderot cheer as bombs land on #gaza; threaten to ‘destroy our car if I say a word wrong’. Scum.” She was quickly pulled from Gaza and re-assigned.

Hospitals – Killing those who survived the first attack

Destroyed Severe/Moderate Damage Northern Gaza (July 25) Nuseirat (July 12) Southern Gaza (Aug 1)

“Targeting hospitals and their surroundings is completely unacceptable and a serious violation of international humanitarian law,” said Tommaso Fabbri, Medicine Sans Frontier’s Head of Mission, Palestine Israel bombed Gaza’s main hospital, Al-Shifa, on 28 July. Not only was the hospital overwhelmed with injured people and the dead, thousands of people were also using it as a place of refuge thinking they would be safe from Israeli bombs. The most atrocious attack was on the Al Durrah Children’s Hospital in Gaza City where a two-year-old toddler in intensive care was killed. Many were deeply dis-

tressed by the fact that Israe- surgeons, anaesthetists and paedic trauma surgery and li bombs followed the little paramedics specialising in plastic surgery. boy to the hospital. 30 more emergency medicine, orthochildren were also injured in the attack. Israel shelled 15 hospitals and 29 ambulances. Five medical staff were also killed despite being protected persons under international law. WHO visited Gaza during the peak of the attack and called for the international donor community to respond to the dire situation in Gaza’s hospitals. The war has left the health services in Gaza on the verge of collapse. The UK deployed a team of NHS staff directly to Gaza, consisting of doctors, nurses,

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4 51 DAYS OF WAR

Shuja’iyya - the pinnacle of Israel’s barbarity

that day alone, in that single neighbourhood. Families were not given time to flee from the violence and eye witness accounts reveal that mortars were used to attack mothers with their children who were trying to escape from their homes only to be decimated by bombs. Israel’s attack on Shujaiyya was not proportionate to any threat and was intended to destroy the area. 7,000 high explosive shells were used in total, leading to 65 deaths and approximately 300 injuries. The long-term impact of the destruction is yet to be estimated with thousands left homeless. The misery inflicted in Shujaiyya will live on for years.

displaced, y ll a rn te in le p o e p 2 1 60,8 living in UN shelters

450,000 households (2 0-30%) still unable to access wate r

An end to electricity

“

The human toll of the violence is horrific. Children, women, men – nobody has been safe from indiscriminate bombing. Israel says it targeted ‘Hamas operatives’ but most of the dead are civilians.

Human Rights Watch

“If there were one attack that could be predictAttacks targeting civilians or civilian property are unlawful, as are attacks ed to endanger the health that do not or cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants. and well-being of the The presence of a single, low-level fighter would hardly justify the appalling greatest number of people obliteration of an entire family. Israel would never accept an argument that in Gaza, hitting the terriany Israeli home of an Israel Defence Force member would be a valid tory’s sole electricity plant military target. would be it. Deliberately attacking the power plant would be a war crime,” United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs said Eric Goldstein, Deputy Middle East and North As the primary care givers in Gaza, women will have to deal with the large Africa Director, Human numbers of family members killed and injured and the long-term impact of Rights Watch.

“

damaged infrastructure and reduced services, while themselves suffering from psychosocial stress.

Defence for Children International

“

Israeli forces continue to target and kill children and civilians on a daily basis, making Israeli military statements claiming that these deaths are tragic mistakes simply meaningless.

“

d, le il k n re d il h c n ia n ti s 501 Pale 1 Israeli child killed

“

treatment of sewage, both of which require electric power. It also caused hospitals, already struggling to handle the surge of war casualties, to increase their reliance on precarious generators. It further affected the food supply because the lack of power meant refrigerators were not working and bakeries were unable to produce bread.

Amnesty International

“

Gaza’s single power plant was shelled on 29 July, igniting a fireball which forced the entire plant to shut, adding to the misery of Gazans who were now left without electricity . Human Rights Watch said the attack was unlawful and wholly disproportionate. The impact was beyond measure. It drastically reduced the pumping of water to households and the

What did they say? “

Israel began an attack on the Shujaiyya neighbourhood in Gaza, where 110,000 people live, on 20 July. With 60 percent of homes destroyed, the barbarity of the indiscriminate attack will remain etched in Palestinian memories for all time,. The level of destruction was unprecedented, and the use of mortars, guided missiles, machine guns and sniper fire meant no one was safe. “The appalling stories of mothers and fathers scouring the rubble for the body parts of their children and loved ones, so that they could have some semblance of a burial, were heart wrenching to read,” Anonymous 17 children were killed

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51 DAYS OF WAR 5 Nowhere was safe

Reactions to attack

Israel kills boys playing football on beach

Who would think playing a simple game of football on the beach could be fatal? On 16 July, the world witnessed the Israeli navy murdering four Palestinian boys playing on a beach in Gaza. The attack occurred as the boys kicked a ball around in full view of photographers and journalists along the beach. There were two airstrikes—the first killed Is-

mail Muhammad Subhi Bakr, aged 9, as he ran to retrieve a football. The second followed quickly, killing his three friends as they tried to flee . Ahed Atef Ahed Bakr, 10, Zakariya Ahed Subhi Bakr, 10, and Muhammad Ramez Ezzat Bakr, 11, were all killed, leaving their families inconsolable with grief. The killing was witnessed by reporters from

When the bombs started to drop on Gaza, the global community was outraged. For the first time in the history of the conflict, there was a global shift in people’s opinions. This latest attack was one step too far for many, and social media was flooded with people’s comments and condemnations. For the first time, it seemed

that everyone was willing to talk about Palestine. This extended to celebrities and well-known figures from around the world. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianluigi Buffon showed their support through antics on and off the pitch. While Penelope Cruz, her spouse Javier Bardem and others sent an open letter to the EU condemn-

ing the actions of the Israeli army, referring to it as “mass genocide”. Everyone who spoke out faced the backlash of the pro-Israel camp, however, most have withstood their ferocious attacks. From Brian Adams to Selena Gomez, each has stood by their support for peace.

across the world who were staying at a hotel nearby. These included journalists from the AFP, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. NBC journalist Ayman Mohyeldin tweeted: “Minutes before they were killed by our hotel, I was kicking a ball with them.”

373,000 children in ne

ed of psychosocial su

pport

The ceasefire terms The terms of the ceasefire replicate those from 2012 when Israel last attacked Gaza. • Israel will allow humanitarian aid and construction materials to enter Gaza through its own borders • The fishing zone off the coast of Gaza is extended from 1 mile to 6 miles • The Rafah crossing with Egypt will be opened As in 2012, Israel quickly began breaching these agreements. Although the ceasefire was intended to be a starting point for further negotiations, this has not been the case.

Israel breaches truce within days— fires on fishermen

least 142 t a f o rs e b m e m re o Three or m d, accounting for e ill k s e ili m fa n ia in st Pale 739 fatalities Within two weeks of the truce being agreed, Israel had already breached the agreement. Fishermen in Gaza were given a short reprieve from the 1 mile fishing limit illegally imposed by Israel, with the 6 mile limit agreed in the truce. Although this is still far below the international legal standard

for Gaza’s maritime zone, Israel already began to restrict the fishing limit to 5 miles by firing on fishing vessels and arresting fishermen who ventured towards the 6-mile boundary. “Israel has historically agreed to concessions and within weeks revealed that it never intended to abide by

them. This deceit can be seen already—and the Gaza fishermen are the first victims,” said Shamiul Joarder, head of PR at Friends of Al-Aqsa. Israel is also set to profit from the war on Gaza, as rebuilding materials will have to be purchased in Israel.

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6 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Social Media - Changing War Narrative In the new age of constant technological advances and tools of social media, the world is a much smaller community. For Gaza, it has brought the conflict into our lives like never before. The rise of social media threatens media and news institutions, and we receive updates immediately as events occur. Now, we are in control of the news and can choose our own sources. Platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and FaceBook give us access to ordinary people in the ground, often before bulletin updates on 24-hour news channels. Thus, censored or bias me-

dia coverage is challenged far more effectively. Accessing immediate global news stories is now a simple swipe on a smartphone device. During the attack on Gaza, 1000’s of tweets were sent hourly updating followers around the world on the unfolding events. Many people chose to boycott news channels such as the BBC on charges of bias coverage. Genuine sources on the ground were deemed more ‘trustworthy’. One source Farah Baker, a 16 year old teenager living in Gaza who used her account to tweet sound clips, videos and pictures of Israeli

air bombardment of her neighbourhood during the night. “This is in my area. I can’t stop crying. I might die tonight,” Farah writes in one of her tweets on the 28th of July which was subsequently retweeted over 16,000 times globally. As a result of her tweets during the 51 day war, Farah now has a massive following of over 200,000 people unified in their quest to find out more from the human faces behind the shocking statistics and publicised destruction. Farah is by no means the first nor will she be the last Gazan to take to twitter.

Former LSE University student Mohammed Suliman from Gaza also tweeted during the bombardment and is being followed by a large number of users anticipating his informed tweets.

Thanks to brave individuals like Farah and Suliman, it is now becoming increasingly harder for states to cover up crimes committed against civilians.

Review

Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land U.S. Media & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land U.S. Media & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Released in 2004 Documentary

IMDb.com rating: 7.9 ‘Does news coverage reflect the reality on the ground? This is the question the documentary Peace, Propaganda & the Promised Land attempted to answer in 80 minutes. Written and directed by Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff, the documentary follows how the effects of American foreign policy interests together with Israeli public relation strategies influence the American narrative on the Middle East conflict. Overlaying examples of past U.S. media coverage with coverage of the same event from British media outlets leaves a strong message. At times the American narrative is so skewed that the same event within two reports are unrecognisable. Analysis by various individuals including experts such as Professor Noam Chomsky, Robert Jensen and Hanan

Ashrawi accompanies these examples helping to explain the ‘strategies’ used within the media to favour a Pro-Israeli narrative. The bias of the American media narrative is highlighted with a clear, systematically built case revealing the true depths to which the Palestinian struggle is hidden. The documentary highlights how repeated use of sanitised terminology, defensive positioning, missing context and selective reporting has helped to maintain Israel’s pristine image within the US. Thus this is a compelling piece which illustrates the way in which the American public via their media have viewed the Israeli – Palestinian conflict allowing this reviewer as a non-American to better understand why the majority of Americans are unwittingly Pro-Israel.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT PALESTINE HEART T-SHIRT 7 This new Palestine t-shirt was designed with the moto 'always in our hearts’ (Also available in kid’s sizes)

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8 BRANCH UPDATES London

A Message The tears, the emotions and the anguish we all felt as we witnessed Gaza being devastated by Israel yet again will remain with us until justice is achieved, the blockade lifted and the occupation brought to an end. Those goal posts will not move. While the horror of Gaza is no longer being uploaded to our social media streams minute by minute, or day by day; the suffering continues. With thousands of unexploded devices scattered on the ground, the lack of medicine and restrictions on transporting the injured out of Gaza; the death toll has increased in the days of truce, with some saying it may even double. This is not Israel’s first relentless violent attack on Gaza, and we at FOA and all of those working in solidarity with the Palestinian people have vowed to bring Israel to account in any way we can and help end the blockade. Bringing Israel to account can take many forms, and the pressure will only come from ordinary citizens – you and me – on the ground. Our politicians

will not act, and that has been apparent from the response to the war. It is our civil action which will bring about change - god willing. On the legal front in order to achieve this, first and foremost, we cannot forget Israel’s crimes. The UN, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and a whole array of others, have recorded the innumerable war crimes committed during 51 days of war. There is a record of those acts and each one requires a prosecution for War Crimes. We must pressure for ICC intervention, increase our efforts to spread the boycott (BDS Movement), and dissemination of the facts of Palestinian life under occupation. These will all help build the momentum required to isolate Israel as a first step in bringing justice for the Palestinians. I urge everyone who was appalled with the Israeli atrocities committed in Gaza and its continued occupation to become an activist and take pro-active steps. Only then will Palestine be free and by working together, this can happen sooner.

For FOA London, this was a summer of unprecedented support, and we encouraged and welcomed people to the streets of London to demonstrate their opposition to the UK government’s support of Israel and its attack on Gaza. A hundred thousand

Ismail Patel Follow on Twitter: @Ismailadampatel

Walsall Aqsa United FC Reaches new Heights Over the past few years, Aqsa United has come a long way. We have set up 3 other clubs named after Palestinian towns. Jerusalem Rangers FC, Bil’in Angels FC and Hebron Warriors FC respectively. These are all under the Aqsa United FC Umbrella. Aqsa United’s clubs are now recognised by the National FA and on 25 May 2014, we were awarded

CDC status. The National FA recognises the community work of Aqsa United and our junior team Jerusalem Rangers was covered by BBC Midlands News in August 2014. Aqsa United’s vice Captain Nathan Timmins is currently raising funds for Gaza by taking part in The Colour Run & Born Survivor on 27th September.

Glasgow It’s been a tremendous year for FOA Glasgow and we have witnessed awareness grow globally. Our list of annual events is ever growing, including the sponsored walk in spring, the annual ladies dinner in Winter and with FoA becoming a household name we are blessed with more volunteers than we know what to do with! A new dimension of education was added to our work with the highly successful Political Workshop held in Glasgow Univer-

sity concentrating on Media Monitoring, Political Lobbying and most important of all Boycott Divestment and Sanctions. This was a huge success and many ordinary people developed the skills to become effective campaigners. We invited along author Avigale Abarbanel, an ex-Jewish citizen who has bravely given up her nationality in protest at Israeli actions. She provided an insight into the Isreali Zionist mindset.

attended demonstrations which FOA helped organise. The issue of Gaza has never before drawn such a large crowd of protestors, and we hope that the hundreds who volunteered to help will remain committed to this cause.

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BRANCH UPDATES 9

Coventry

Edinburgh FOA Edinburgh has been involved in a number of events recently from film showings, fund raising and workshops to empower people with the knowledge about the true facts on Pal-

estine and Israel. We have also been campaigning, protesting, pushing Boycott Divestment and Sanctions and challenging the politician to take more action.

FOA Edinburgh hosted its own Question Time on Gaza, where we gave the public a chance to lobby MPs in person and challenge them to do more for the cause of Palestine. MPs from across the political spectrum were invited and politicians such as Kenny MacAskill Secretary for Justice attended,

along with others from SNP, Labour and Liberal democrats. The Tories declined. All the politicians came out in support of Palestine, some even expressing support for the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. The crown called for an Arms embargo on Israel.

Question Time on Gaza

A strong group of FOA volunteers in Coventry have had a very busy couple of months. Working with Coventry Friends of Palestine, and in solidarity with other cities, we held protests outside the Council House every Friday during the conflict. Protests also occurred outside the BBC studios against their bias reporting. Further vigils were held outside the Cathedral where we distributed our FOA literature to the general public as well as at Charity Events, Group Meetings and Masajids.

We worked with people from all backgrounds and sections of the community, showing that the issue of Palestine is not about religion but about justice. In one protest, we read out all the names of those who were killed in Gaza. Our actions now will focus on the BDS Movement to ensure that people know exactly what to boycott and the reasons behind it. Our lobbying is widespread and we have engaged 50 local Councillors using FOA information packs to educate them about the conflict.

Dewsbury and Batley The dedicated branch in Dewsbury and Batley have been busier than ever. From radio shows to boycott campaigns, to community magazines, we have done it all since Ramadhan began. When the war on Gaza started, the community support was overwhelming. Our focus turned towards increasing awareness of the boycott issue, participating in the national protests, and vigils in the town. We were supported by an array of people including Nick

Ruff from the Stop the War Coalition; Jane Gregory from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign; Mike Wood, MP for Batley and Spen; Coun Darren Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donovan (Lab, Dews West); Mohammed Shafiq from the Ramadhan Foundation, Rochdale and Iqbal Bhana OBE. The vigil was attended by nearly a thousand people from all backgrounds and faiths. We extend our thanks to everyone who has supported the branch.

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10 BOYCOTT

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BOYCOTT ISRAEL

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Boycott is a tool that people around the world can use to disengage from Israel and send a clear message that we oppose Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and their oppressive treatment of Palestinians. By boycotting, we are saying that we will not be complicit with Israel’s repeated breach of international law. As politicians fail to bring Israel to account yet again, the power of boycott is in the hands of the people. The more people that implement it in their daily lives the more successful it will become.

SodaStream products are labelled as “Made in Israel,” yet its main production facility is in the industrial zone of Mishor Edomin, an illegal settlement in the West Bank. As a result, SodaStream benefits from cheap land and water, stoeln from the indigenous Palestinian owners. It employs Palestinians as a cheap labour force that is given no job security. It enjoys tax benefits; and lax regulation of environmental and labor protection laws.

G4S provides equipment and services to Israeli prisons in which Palestinian prisoners, including child prisoners, are illegally held and tortured. It also supplies equipment and services for Israel’s illegal settlements and illegal separation wall. Palestinians want to hold G4S to account for its role in profiting from the detention of Palestinian political prisoners, 1,600 of whom recently held a mass hunger strike.

Veolia is a French company whose business activities in Jerusalem and the West Bank directly serve Israel’s occupation and its illegal settlements. Veolia is both complicit in the occupation and is profiting from it by providing transport services to illegal settlers. TEVA is an Israeli pharmaceutical manufacturing company, and is one of the major generic medicines manufacturers and exporters in the world. TEVA’s net revenue in 2013 was $20.3 billion, and it is the biggest supplier of drugs to the NHS. TEVA is one of the main contributors to Israel’s economy, and 5.5% of Israel’s GDP goes to the Israeli Defence Force.

Ahava products come from stolen Palestinian natural resources in the Occupied Territory in the West Bank, and are produced in the illegal settlement of Mitzpe Shalem. They label their products as “Made in Israel”. Buying Ahava products means supporting the theft of Palestinian resources.

HP signed a $74m contract with the Israeli Ministry of Interior and has installed and maintained a $5 million biometric ID card system to monitor Palestinians at the checkpoints, helping to sustain the oppressive occupation. HP also provides technologies and services to the Israeli army, and administers the Israeli Navy’s IT infrastructure. Israel’s navy routinely shoots at Palestinian fishermen who are simply trying to make a living.

#icheckthelabel

In July 2014, Coca Cola announced that it was partnering with the America Israel Business Connector (Conexx) to help Israeli entrepreneurs reach the global market. Titled ‘The Bridge’, Coca Cola is undertaking a 6 month programme to help promote Israeli companies around the globe. Thus, it is defying the global ‘Boycott Israel’ call, by carrying out the opposite action and promoting Israel instead. Coca Cola also has ties with illegal settlement company Tara Dairies.

M&S continue to source products from companies which operate in illegal Israeli settlements such as Delta Galil which has warehouses in the Barkan Settlement, with whom Israeli trade has amounted to hundreds of millions of pounds. They use Hadiklaim as their exclusive dates distributor, which exploits stolen Palestinian farmlands and Palestinians desperate for employment are made to work farms in dangerous conditions, receiving well below the minimum wage.

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APPEAL UPDATES 11

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12 FUN AND GAMES COMPETITION! Design your own ‘Free Palestine’ t-shirt to win £20 shopping voucher! Use the t-shirt on the left to design your own, and send it to us at FOA for a chance to win. We may even print your t-shirt! Entries must be received by Friday 24th October to Friends of Al-Aqsa, P.O. Box 5127, Leicester, LE2 0DT TIP: To save costs, why not ask a grown up to take a picture of your design and send it to us by email to info@foa.org.uk

Palestinians denied access to water

Name: _____________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ Postcode: __________________________________________________ Age: _______________________________________________________

Can you help Ibrahim get home?

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FUN AND GAMES 13 Colour Corner

ARAFAH HAJJ ISMAEEL

MUZDALIFAH DHULHIJJAH IBRAHEEM

KABAH QURBANI

Hajj Wordsearch and Word Puzzle

Across 2. Who whispered to Ibraheem (AS) 3 times 3. The son of Ibraheem 4. The clothing for Hajj 6. The thing needed before performing the action of Hajj 7. The month when hajj takes place 8. The arabic term for sacrificing an animal Down 1. The section which has the foot imprint of Ibraheem (AS) 3. He was ordered to kill his son 5. Shaving ones hair completely

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14 SPECIAL FEATURE

Fearing political Islam: Why Arabs betrayed Gaza By Ramzy Baroud

Some Arabs wish to see Israel crush any semblance of Palestinian resistance.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meeting with Egyptian Minister of Defense General Abdul Fatah Khalil al-Sisi Ask any Arab ruler, and they will tell you of the great sacrifices their countries have made for Palestine and the Palestinians. However, both history and present reality are testaments, not only to Arab failure to live up to the role expected of them and stand in solidarity with

their own oppressed brethren, but also to the official Arab betrayal of the Palestinian cause. The current war on Gaza, and the dubious role played by Egypt in the ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel are cases in point.

David Miller, a scholar at the Wilson Center in Washington appreciates the depth of the unmistakable Arab betrayal. “I have never seen a situation like it, where you have so many Arab states acquiescing in the death and destruction in Gaza and the pummeling of Hamas,” Miller told the New York Times. “The silence is deafening.” Miller explains Arab silence in relations to their loathing of political Islam

which rose to prominence following the so-called Arab Spring. Such rise saw the advent of movements like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and al-Nahda in Tunisia to the centres of power. The ‘Arab Spring’ challenged and, at least temporarily, disabled the hegemony over power by corruption-ridden, pro-western Arab elites, unleashing the energies of civil societies that have been historically marginalized.

Political Islam, especially that which is affiliated with moderate Islamic ideology known as al-Wasatiyyah (roughly translated as ‘moderation’) swept-up the votes in several democratic elections. Like Hamas’s victory in the Palestinian elections in 2006, other such Islamic movements followed suit the moment the ‘Arab Spring’ pushed open a small margin for democracy and freedom of expression. The danger of political Islamic movements that don’t adhere to an extremist ideology like that of the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, for example, is that they are not easy to dismiss as ‘extremists,’ ‘terrorists’, and such. At times, in fact, often, they seem much more inclined to play the democratic game than self-proclaimed Arab ‘secularist’, ‘liberal’ and ‘socialist’ movements.

Israel’s most recent war on Gaza, starting on July 7, came at a time that political Islam was being routed out in Egypt and criminalized in other Arab countries. It was the first major Israeli military attack on Gaza since the ousting of democraticallyelected Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi on July 3, 2013. Although the

Israeli war morphed in the course of a few days to that of a genocide (thousands killed, thousands wounded, and nearly fourth of the Gazan population made homeless), most Arab countries remained mostly silent. They mouthed-off some random condemnations that meant so very little. Egypt, however, went even further.

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AQSA NEWS | ISSUE 56 | SEPTEMBER 2014

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SPECIAL FEATURE 15

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah al Khalid al Sabah

Soon after the Israeli war ‘Operation Protective Edge’ began, Egypt proposed a most suspicious ceasefire, one that even the Times found peculiar. “The government in Cairo .. surprised Hamas by publicly proposing a cease-fire agreement that met most of Israel’s demands and none from the Palestinian group (Hamas),” wrote David Kirkpatrick on July 30. Hamas, the main Palestinian party in the conflict, which is also declared by Egypt’s government as ‘terrorist,’ was not consulted and only learned about the proposal through the media. But, of course, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the Egyptian proposal; Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a main rival of Hamas, and a strong opponent of armed resistance (and arguably, any form

of Palestinian resistance, really) welcomed the ‘brotherly’ Egyptian gesture; other Arab rulers rushed to commend Egypt’s Abdul Fatah al-Sisi for his astute regional leadership. Of course, the whole exercise was a farce, meant to eventually blame Hamas and the resistance in Gaza for refusing an end to the conflict (which they didn’t start and were its ultimate victim), and to prop up Sisi as the new icon of peace and moderation in the region; the kind of ‘strong man’ with whom the United States government liked to do business. It all failed, of course, for one single reason, the Gaza resistance held its ground, costing Israel serious military losses, and igniting worldwide sympathy and respect.

But no respect came from traditional Arab governments, of course, including those who praise the legendary ‘sumoud’ - steadfastness - of the Palestinian people at every opportunity, speech and sermon. The renewed success of Hamas, which arguably had been fading away into oblivion after the overthrow of Egypt’s brotherhood, and the severing of ties with Damascus and Tehran, was puzzling, and immensely frustrating to these governments. If Hamas survives the Gaza battle, the resistance will promote its endurance before the Middle East’s supposedly strongest army

as a victory. Netanyahu will suffer dire consequences at home. Ties between Hamas and Iran could be renewed. The ‘resistance camp’ could once more rekindle. The moral victory for the Brotherhood and the moral defeat of Sisi (and his prospected regional role) would be astounding. An alliance of sorts was founded between several Arab countries and Israel to ensure the demise of the resistance in Gaza - not just the resistance as an idea, and its practical expressions, but also its political manifestations as well, which are felt far and beyond the confines of Gaza’s besieged borders.

Former Israel lobbyist and current vice president of the Brookings Institution in Washington, Martin Indyk explains: “There’s an ‘alignment of interests’ between nations that aren’t allies, yet have ‘common adversaries’... As they see that the US is less engaged than it was before, it’s natural that they look to each other - quietly, under the table in most respects - to find a way to help each other.” Naturally, the latest round of ceasefire talks in Cairo failed because the party that is hosting the talks deems the leading Palestinian resistance group Hamas, ‘terrorist’ and would hate to see a scenario in which Gaza

prevails over Israel. If the resistance demand of ending the siege is met, especially the demand of reactivating the Gaza seaport and airport, Egypt would be denied a major leverage against Hamas, the resistance, and the Palestinian people altogether. And if the resistance wins - as in holding the Israeli military at bay, and achieving some of its demands - the political discourse of the Middle East is likely to change altogether, where the weak will, once again, dare challenge the strong by demanding reforms, democracy, and threatening resistance as a realistic way to achieve such objectives.

Ramzy Baroud is a PhD scholar in People’s History at the University of Exeter. He is the Managing Editor of Middle East Eye. Baroud is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story (Pluto Press, London).

AQSA NEWS | ISSUE 56 | SEPTEMBER 2014

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16 RECIPE

Lets Bake…Ghraybeh (Middle Eastern Butter Cookies) This crumbly, buttery melt in your mouth goodness is a popular treat in the Middle East and is found in many local shops and cafes. This easy recipe can be made with only three base ingredients and is simple to prepare - go ahead and give it a go…

Ingredients • 1 cup melted Unsalted Butter • 1 cup Caster Sugar • 1 large Egg White • 1 tablespoon Orange Blossom Water (optional) • 2 cups Plain Flour • 1 sprinkle of Salt • Almond pieces or Pistachio pieces to decorate • Icing sugar to decorate Preparation • In a large bowl mix the butter, sugar and orange

American protesters prevent Israeli cargo ship from docking The ‘Block the Boat’ protest in California was led by BDS campaigners and 5,000 people marched on the dock and spent 4 days preventing the Israeli ship Zim Piraeus from off-loading its cargo. This was intended to be an economic boycott of Israel which would send a clear message that Israeli actions in Gaza have appalled the world.

blossom water, blending together until the mixture is a light yellow colour • Add the egg white and blend on medium setting until the egg white dissolves • Add the flour and salt and blend on medium for another minute until the mixture becomes a dough • Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes • Pre-heat the oven to 180oC or 350 F • From the dough shape

little balls (half the size of a golf ball) and place about an inch apart on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper • Add an almond/ pistachio piece in the centre of each ball, pressing lightly into the dough • Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden • Remove tray, allow to cool and then roll baked cookies in icing sugar before serving

Eritreans and Sudanese coerced into leaving Israel, says Human Rights Watch Israel is unlawfully coercing around 7,000 Eritrean and Sudanese nationals into returning to their home countries at great personal risk, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. The 83-page report, ‘Make Their Lives Miserable:’ Israel’s Coercion of Eritrean and Sudanese Asylum seekers to Leave Israel, says Israel’s legal system thwarts Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers’ attempts to secure protection under Israeli and international law. Israel calls Eritreans and Sudanese a “threat” and “infiltrators”, and denies them access to fair asylum procedures. The resulting insecure legal status is used as a pretext to unlawfully detain or threaten to detain them indefinitely, forcing thousands to leave. “Destroying people’s hope of finding protection by forcing them into a corner and then claiming they are voluntarily leaving Israel is transparently abusive,” said Gerry Simpson, the report’s author. “Israeli officials say they want to make the lives of ‘in-

filtrators’ so miserable that they leave Israel, and then claim people are returning home of their own free will,” Simpson said, further adding, “Eritreans and Sudanese in Israel are left with the choice of living in fear of spending the rest of their days locked up in desert detention centres or of risking detention and abuse back

home.” Eritreans and Sudanese began arriving in Israel through Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in large numbers in 2006, fleeing widespread persecution and oppression in their countries. By December 2012, about 37,000 Eritreans and 14,000 Sudanese had entered the country.

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AQSA NEWS | ISSUE 56 | SEPTEMBER 2014

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TRAVEL TO PALESTINE 17

Dreaming of Palestine Last night I had another dream of visiting Masjid Al-Aqsa, surely this must be a sign that I would be visiting this sacred place soon.

Before my trip to Palestine, I had a difficult task convincBy Juwairiya ing my family that it was safe to travel there. Finally, after months my brother agreed to go with me on this journey For a moment I forgot that this blessed place was under which I had longed for and I made the bookings as soon as any occupation. possible after! As I left the masjid my heart sank, I felt sadness, I touched I had heard so much about the interrogation and the border crossing, and I had no illusions about the difficulties the wall of masjid Al-Aqsa and I made the intention and a I might face on this journey. But as someone who trusts in promise to it, that I will spend my life defending you. God, I knew that Allah is with me and that was enough reassurance. The border crossing was in the end quiet easy! Yes, it did test my patience but patience is a part of my character so I coped well.

Living the dream

The next day we walked to the masjid to pray and I was again eager to get there. Then the Israeli soldiers at the gate stopped me, no one was allowed to pray the early morning prayer today. But I was a tourist? I had a British passport………but, there was no access to masjid today. I quickly walked to another gate. I could feel the sweat running down my back. The imam had started to lead the prayer and I was missing it, Again we were denied access. My eyes filled up with tears. The imam continued to lead the prayer and was there no one in the masjid? Was the masjid empty? I asked myself how this day had arrived where there are almost 2 billion Muslims in the world and yet the beautiful blessed masjid al-Aqsa was empty, save for the angels. I was euphoric when I arrived in Palestine. I couldn’t believe I was there. Wow! The land of the prophets, the land over which angels spread their wings, the Blessed Land and its blessed people. Arriving at masjid Al-Aqsa was the culmination of the dream coming true. The sanctuary was beautiful. Words can't describe its beauty. It was like another dimension, another world. Everything was relaxed and calm and peaceful, and it was easy to forget the oppression which lay beyond the walls. My memories of Al-Aqsa are accompanied with a feeling if happiness deep in my heart. With every step I thanked Allah for bringing me here. I remembered the Prophet had been here, on this same sacred ground and that gave me a feeling which of great joy.

As I headed back to the hotel we bumped into another group of British tourists. We all prayed together and the leader of their group reminded us all that this day, we were not only travellers but we were also oppressed because we were denied the right to enter masjid Al-Aqsa. He talked about the beautiful people of Palestine and how on behalf of the whole ummah they protect the masjid. Again, I made my intention that I would come back to visit al-Aqsa, and I would spend my life encouraging people to visit this beautiful place.

Every day I met Palestinians, they asked, “sister where are you from?” I would say Scotland. They would be so happy to hear that, and then they would say “welcome, we thank you for coming to visit al Aqsa” I wanted to say …. don’t thank me, I feel ashamed, I live a life of luxury, a life of safety, a world that God has made easy for me. Even the little hardship I encountered on this journey to Palestine I complained about… yet you have it so difficult, every day you are humiliated, you are oppressed, your life in Jerusalem is so difficult, yet you always find a smile. I thank you for defending al Aqsa. And I hope I can help in some way.

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In history...

In Arab history, ‘Black September’ refers to the time period covering September 1970 to July 1971, describing the events of unrest between Palestinians in Jordan and the Jordanian Government of King Hussein.

Black September

By 1970, an estimated 60% of Jordan’s population was Palestinian largely due to the fleeing of refugees from Palestine following the 1948 war as well as the Israeli occupation of West Bank in 1967. Due to the large influx of refugees, the PLO under Yasser Arafat, developed a strong presence within Jordan leading to instability for the Jordanian monarchy. The trigger for the events of Black September occurred with the attempted assassination of King Hussein followed by the hijacking of three international airplanes by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); a sub-group of the PLO. This led to the declaration of martial law by King Hussein and the creation of a military government to restore ‘order and security’.

Heavy fighting broke out between the Jordanian army and members of the PLO lasting for 10 days with an estimated 5,000 casualties. The majority of them civilians as quoted by Palestinian officials. The aftermath of the events of Black September led to the expulsion of the PLO from Jordan and relocation in Lebanon. Jordan’s ties with Israel and the US were strengthened as both countries stood with King Hussein against the PLO. This led to heavy criticism of King Hussein within the Arab world for his actions against the PLO and Palestinians.

In 1971 following the events of Black September Kuwait and Libya both ended financial aid to Jordan, followed by Syria closing its borders to Jordan. Thus Arab unity against Israel fragmented and Jordan became isolated within the Arab world. Whilst Black September was a military loss for the PLO, they went on to gain recognition as a leading representative of the Palestinian people.

Abbas’ betrayal Blocks Palestine ICC application

In what FOA called the ultimate betrayal of the Palestinian nation, President Abbas blocked the Palestinian application to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Middle East Eye reported that Palestinian Justice Minister Saleem alSaqqa and the General Prosecutor of the Court of Justice in Gaza, Ismail Jabr made an application to join the ICC on July 30. Foreign Affairs Minister Riad Maliki then disowned the Palestinian application in a private meeting with ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in The Hague on 5 August—a meeting which occurred after almost a month of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Standing outside the prosecutor’s office, Maliki condemned the previous 28 days of Israeli bombardment as “crimes against humanity” and said he had met the prosecutor to find out what was required for Palestine to get access to the ICC. However, behind closed doors, Maliki, under instructions from Abbas, in fact stopped the application from progressing. ‘Abbass’s actions are inexcusable, and it is appalling that even with 2,140 deaths, 12,000 injured, 150,000 homes destroyed; the Palestinian Authority’s obligation to join the ICC and bring Israel to account is being squandered by a select few of its leaders who put their

own political interests ahead of the needs of their people. This is the ultimate betrayal of the Palestinian people,’ said Ismail Patel, Chair of FOA. This is the second Palestinian application to the ICC to have failed. An application in January 2009 was rejected on the grounds that it was legally not valid. This, however, changed when the UN General Assembly altered Palestine’s status to a non-member observer state. As a result, the only requirement needed for the ICC to consider an application was for the head of state, head of government or minister of foreign affairs to confirm it.

Gaza facts: Electricity in Gaza Gaza is supplied electricity through three sources - 120MW of electricity from Israel, 3 grid lines from Egypt supply 28MW, and the Gaza Power Plant, which has a generation capacity of 140MW. The power plant supplies the residents with electricity generated via fuel imported from Israel and smuggled via the underground tunnels on the Rafah border with Egypt. The Gaza Power Plant has struggled to cope with demand because of the limited fuel coming into the Strip due to the blockade and as a result it only generated 6080MW of electricity. OCHA has reported in March 2014

that only 46% of electricity demand was met. During Israel’s attack, a humanitarian crisis unfolded when they destroyed the Gaza Power Plant, 10 of the 12 Israeli electricity lines and 2 of the Egyptian lines. As a result, most people in Gaza have no electricity for at least 18 hours each day. Furthermore, this has affected the ability of water pumps to operate and 50% less water is now being supplied. Damage to pipes have resulted in 450,000 people with no access to municipal water supplies. And sewage works are no longer able to operate even to the deficient level before the war.

It is estimated that infrastructure damage may need 20 years for repairs to be completed; however, these figures assume that no further bombing occurs. The blockade means that the required re-building materials will not be accessible and thus, Palestinians will live in this misery until enough pressure is exerted on Israel to allow open access to building materials. With the advent of the winter months, the misery faced by Gazans is only set to intensify. By Hanife Moumin

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BOYCOTT ISRAEL

Palestinian football team the ‘Cinderella’ of Asian Cup

Following the Palestinian Football team’s successful qualification for the Asian Cup, they travelled to the Philippines to play in the tournament in September. Rather than a full squad of 23, however, only 14 travelled across. 6 players and the assistant coach, Saeb Jundiyeh, were trapped in Gaza, restricted from leaving.

The Head Coach, Jamal Mahmoud, was denied a visa to the West Bank so the team received no training in preparation for the tournament. The team was affectionately dubbed ‘Cinderella’ as a result. It remains to be seen how the team will perform, but the odds are very much stacked against them.

The University of Illinois has come under intense scrutiny following its decision to withdraw a job offer to professor Steven Salaita, after pressure from pro-Israel donors. Prof Salaita, like many outraged people around the world, posted many tweets condemning Israel’s assault on Gaza. The university came under pressure from a number of quarters including Jewish students and alumni, for his critical tweets. As a result of the pressure, the Universi-

ty’s Chancellor Phyllis Wise refused to approve his appointment to the American Indian Studies Programme. Thousands of academics signed a petition calling for Prof Salaita’s reinstatement, several lecturers cancelled their teaching in protest. A number of university departments have passed votes of no-confidence in the chancellor, Phyllis Wise. A campus walk out was also held, reflecting the level of outrage against the university’s decision.

No academic freedom at University of Illinois

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