Aqsa News
QUARTERLY | ISSUE 44 | RAMADHAN EDITION
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The Gaza Freedom Flotilla
NEW: Letters to the Editor
Friends of Al-Aqsa Update
Special Feature: Israel Turns its Guns on Internationals
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The Gaza Flotilla: Why We Will Never Accept Israel’s Investigation
Inside...
Demolition of Homes Illegal says UN
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Turkey Threatens to Sever Israel Ties Page 5
Update: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Page 8
BY ISMAIL PATEL Israel’s Tirkel Commission began its investigation into the attack on the Gaza Flotilla in a bid to subdue international outrage over the killing of 9 peace activists on board the
Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010. However, its many shortcomings have made it a mockery to Turkey, and to those who were on board the Flotilla, me included. In Israel, the peace bloc moved to challenge the Commission, calling
for judicial intervention which would take the investigation away from the politicians and put it in the hands of the trusted independent judiciary in Israel. This, Gush Shalom says, is the only way to ensure that the people of Israel
save themselves from a fate the politicians are pushing them towards. Former Israeli statesman Uri Avnery stated in support of Gush Shalom’s initiative that the Tirkel Commission intended to do nothing more than “appease at
the cheapest price the world governments and public opinion.” So even within Israel, the Tirkel commission is not trusted by anyone beyond the politicians and possibly the military – the very same people who made
the decisions leading to the disastrous and deadly interception of the Flotilla. On June 2nd, the UN Human Rights Council voted to set up an independent fact-finding
Comment by Shafik Firoz Page 9
Book Reviews
Continued on Page 4
Ken Clarke Announces Change in Universal Jurisdiction On July 22nd, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke made a statement in which he confirmed that the new British government will change the laws of universal jurisdiction. The proposed changes would mean that any private applications made to mag-
istrates for the issuing of an arrest warrant for suspected War Criminals would require the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before a warrant is issued. In his statement, Ken Clarke defended this change to the law
on the basis that “universal jurisdiction cases should be proceeded with in this country only on the basis of solid evidence that is likely to lead to a successful prosecution - otherwise there is a risk of damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to
pursue a coherent foreign policy.” The result of the change in law would be that the very foundations of universal jurisdiction are thwarted as it would allow any government of the day to ignore well documented war crimes in the interests of ‘di-
plomacy’. Thus, despite the number of accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity levelled against Israeli politicians and military personnel, they will be free to visit Britain without fear of being brought to trial for these crimes.
Many had hoped that such a change in the law, brought about by intense Israeli pressure, would not be implemented due to the Liberal Democrat position in the coalition government. However, they have been disappointed.
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AQSA NEWS
02 Inside Palestine
Palestinian MPs Threatened with Expulsion from Jerusalem
In a move that has been highly criticised, Israel is trying to expel four Palestinian MPs from their home city of Jerusalem. In June, Israel arrested Muhammad Abu-Teir, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) because he refused to leave Jerusalem after being ordered to do so by Israeli officials. Palestinians in Jerusalem are fearful of losing their residency rights which is tightly controlled by Israel. Over 7,000 Palestinians have had their permits revoked and been forced to leave the city, a process that Palestinians believe is ethnic cleansing. The four men, Abu Teir, Ahmad Attoun, Muhammad Totah Khaled and Abu Arafeh (former Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem Affairs) tried
to get an injunction on June 15 against deportation. This was rejected by the Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Dorit Beinish. Israel claims that they are all members of Hamas – a party that Israel, the EU and US consider to be a “terrorist” organisation despite being democratically elected by the Palestinians in 2006. Richard Faulk, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories said that he saw this to be part of “a larger, extremely worrying pattern of Israeli efforts to drive Palestinians out of East Jerusalem - all of which are illegal under international law.” The four men had been given until the end of July to leave their homes in Jerusalem.
Israeli Soldier charged with Murder of Palestinian Mother and Daughter An Israeli soldier has been charged with manslaughter after the killing of a Palestinian mother and daughter during the Gaza War in December 2008 and January 2009. The killings took place on January 4 which was the first day of the ground offensive. Numerous eyewitness testimonies stated that 27-year-old Majda Abu Haj and her 64-year-old mother Raya were amongst a group of approximately 30 women and children, when they were shot at. The family had taken shelter in the house of their neighbour, Mohammed al-Safadi afdter a shell had
landed on their home. The Israeli Military then broke into radio broadcasts, instructing those in the border areas to leave their homes. As the group did so, they were fired upon by Israeli soldiers. Several witnesses said that Majda had tied a white flag to a stick and was leading the group forward when the shooting began. She was shot in the back and died instantly. Her mother was also shot and died from her wounds soon after. Their bodies could not be recovered until January 19 due to Israeli incursions, and thus they were denied a dignified burial for over two
weeks. Military police are said to have the launched the investigation after receiving eyewitness testimonies from Israeli rights group B’Tselem and after the incident was documented in the UN fact-finding mission lead by Richard Goldstone. There have only been two indictments over Israel’s War on Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 Palestinians. The first was for theft and unlawful use of a credit card, and the second was for misconduct when soldiers ordered a child to open up suspicious bags.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Egypt Responsible for Deaths in Gaza Tunnels
In late April, it was reported that Egypt used gas canisters and dynamite to blow up a smuggling tunnel between Egypt and Gaza, killing four Palestinians. The tunnels, used mainly for smuggling in basic supplies prohibited
by the siege on Gaza, are poorly constructed and often collapse. Palestinians in Gaza say they have no choice but to use the tunnels due to the crippling blockade imposed by Israel.
Palestinian Medical Students Pressured to Spy or Have Visas Withdrawn Certain aspects of the training Palestinian medical students are required to undertake can only be completed at East Jerusalem hospitals. The refusal of visas means that the ability of students to qualify in the medical profession becomes threatened. Rights groups in Palestine and Israel have written to Israeli Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Attorney General with regards to the treatment of Palestinian medical students completing internships in hospitals within East Jerusalem. The demands made by the rights group in a letter dated 13 June 2010, stated that Israeli officials must ensure that the General Security Service (GSS) do not coerce the students to collaborate with Israeli secu-
Human Rights Groups Denounce Minor Reprimand of Israeli Officers
rity services by threatening refusal of visas. The GSS has been reported to use both psychological and physical pressure to recruit the students to the security service. Refusal has resulted in withdrawal of visas and thus, they can no longer continue their studies. This is especially worrying in light of the increasing needs for better healthcare in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Two senior officers, a colonel and a lieutenant colonel received minor reprimands following a shooting incident in the West Bank which left four Palestinians dead. Israeli human rights groups denounced the decision made late in April, stating that Israel is failing to hold its soldiers accountable
and continues to uphold the culture of impunity within the army. Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for Israeli NGO B’Tselem stated: “It is extremely rare for the Israeli security forces to be held accountable in cases where they have killed or injured Palestinian civilians..”
AQSA NEWS
03
Aid Agencies say Gaza Blockade Still Intact
Peaceful Protests against Israel’s ‘Apartheid’ Wall Criminalised Many Palestinians take part in weekly protests against the building of Israel’s separation Wall on their land. Dubbed the ‘Apartheid Wall,’ its route snakes into Palestinian towns and villages up and down the West Bank. Activists engaging in peaceful protests against the Wall are now facing prosecution and imprisonment. Adeeb Abu Rahmah, a grassroots activist who has already spent 11 months behind bars has been sentenced to two years imprisonment. The decision at a military court hearing on June 30 is
being seen as a concerted effort by Israel to criminalise grassroots popular resistance to the occupation and peaceful protests. Abu Rahmah, a founding member of the Bilin Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was arrested on July 10 2009 and later indicted on grounds of “incitement,” “activity against public order,” and “being present in a closed military zone.” Although his release was ordered on July 16 2009, the prosecution later appealed and Abu Rahmah was held in custody for the duration of
Arab-Israeli Human Rights Defender Indicted Based on ‘Secret Evidence’
Israeli-Arab human rights defender and Director of Palestinian NGO Ittijah, Ameer Makhoul, was charged in May with ‘contact with a foreign agent’ amid allegations of supposed links with Hizbullah. Amnesty International criticised the charges which were based on ‘secret evidence’. Ittijah is an umbrella organisation for Arab human
rights groups in Israel. Makhoul was arrested from his home in a dawn raid and held incommunicado by Israeli secret police during which period he is believed to have been subject to torture. Amnesty International called for Israeli Authorities to end their harassment of the human rights activist. Makhoul pleaded not guilty in court.
the legal proceedings. Abu Rahmah denies all charges, aside from acknowledging his participation in the weekly demonstrations at Bilin. Many have expressed concern over the fairness of any Israeli investigation. Human Rights Watch in a report published on March 5 2010 highlighted the lack of fairness with which Palestinian anti-wall demonstrators are treated, citing charges based on “questionable evidence and allegedly coerced confessions.” For the past five years,
since the first olive trees were uprooted in 2005, residents of Bilin have staged weekly demonstrations in opposition of the construction of the Wall which has annexed much of their agricultural land, and threatens the village economy. In the village of Bilin alone, 1,300 protestors have been injured in the weekly demonstrations since 2005. Many fear that the charging of Abu Rahmah could set a dangerous precedent for criminalising popular resistance.
Demolition of Homes Illegal says UN The Jerusalem City Council in June approved plans to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in the East Jerusalem district of Silwan in order to make room for a tourist park. The decision was met with criticism both from the UN and the Obama administration. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said that the plan is “contrary to international law” and “unhelpful” in the way of peace negotiations. The approval also came just months after the announcement of plans to build a further 1,600 housing units in illegal Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, which was made during US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the area. At the time, there was intense friction between the two nations as a
Israel has claimed that the blockade on Gaza is being eased following intense international pressure to lift the inhuman siege which has crippled Gaza for over three years. However, the replacement of the list of permissible goods with a list of prohibited good has been criticised by aid agencies as being ‘inadequate’. In a statement made in early July, Israel said that all items will be allowed in, with the exception of “weapons, war-material and dual-use items”. Therefore, items such as concrete and iron will be allowed in only when supervised by Israel and used in projects overseen by the UN or other international bodies. Aid agencies and rights groups continue to call for a
complete lifting of the siege rather than an ‘easing’ in order to allow the Palestinian economy to flourish. Many heavily doubt how effective the alleged ‘easing’ will be. Jonathan Cook, a journalist based in Nazareth stated that since Israel remains in control of the border crossings, the new list of permissible items will remain nothing more than an “aspiration”. He states, “..until Gaza’s borders, port and airspace are its own, its factories are rebuilt, and exports are again possible, the hobbled economy has no hope of recovering.” Restrictions on movement of people within Gaza will remain, as will the naval blockade of the coastal enclave. The sheer inadequacy of the move has frustrated many. “Simply easing the blockade by allowing more goods in is not enough. What about sick children who need life-saving medical attention out of Gaza? Will they and their families be allowed to move freely across the border?” said Salam Kanaan of Save the Children. Malcolm Smart of Amnesty International further stated, “This announcement makes clear that Israel is not intending to end its collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population, but only ease it. This is not enough.” Whilst this news is positive to many, the reality on the gorund tells a different story.
21 Year Old Shot at Peaceful Protest
result. US State Department spokesperson PJ Crowley stated, “This is expressly the kind of step that we think undermines trust that is fundamental in making progress to the proximity talks and ultimately in direct negotiations..” East Jerusalem is occupied territory under international law and the building of Israeli settlements is therefore illegal. Israeli Arabs are demanding a criminal investigation into the killing of 21-year-old Ahmed Deeb who was shot during a peaceful protest near the ‘buffer zone’ in Gaza. The demonstration was in protest of the ever-widening no-go military ‘buffer zone’ which cuts into a large proportion of Palestinian land, effectively annexing the area. Twentytwo people have been killed
as a result of Israeli violence in the ‘buffer zone’ and dozens injured. According to witnesses and video footage, Israeli soldiers opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators and began firing indiscriminately. Deeb was shot in the groin area and was taken to Al-Shifa hospital. He died later as a result of his injuries.
AQSA NEWS
04 Global News (From page 1) mission to look into what the member states called violations of international law which took place when Israeli troops raided the Mavi Marmara. Despite a refusal to cooperate by Israel, it is reported that this fact-finding mission will go ahead. Independent of this, legal and political pressure continues to grow on Israel. As a civilian passenger on the Mavi Marmara, I witnessed first hand the brutality on board. I watched a man get shot in the head and another one die as blood gushed from his wound. Both needlessly taken away from their family and loved ones. Men who were shot in their heads and upper bodies were intended to be killed. Later on, as the shots moved lower to their legs, there was clearly a decision not to kill any more people. This was not the actions of an army caught off guard by an ‘attack’, this was an army using established protocols to attack a civilian convoy – protocols that no doubt their political and military leaders had put in place in the days running up to the Flotilla attack, when Israel stated it would stop the aid convoy at all costs. Did they factor in a few fatalities along the way to ensure once and for all that no further humanitarian convoys would gather on the Mediterranean? They misjudged us, and they misjudged the
world. Thousands of people are readying themselves for the next convoys – by land and sea. Israel’s army has not deterred them, it has spurred them on. The difference between the civilians on board the Flotilla and the Israeli soldiers was that this was the first time most of us had witnessed the taking of precious life, wanton violence and the attempt to dehumanise fellow humans. I had never seen a man die before and it has affected me deeply. The Israeli soldiers who we encountered did not bat an eyelid. These men in uniform, who are no doubt fathers, husbands and sons, transformed into callous creatures before our eyes. In Israel, it seems, society has sanctioned killing by men and women in uniform which has led to the creation of a class of people who are engineered and indoctrinated to view every resistance as a threat to their lives, and so respond with merciless killing and degradation of those who appear to threaten them, regardless of how shallow the threat. Thus, children in the Occupied Territories routinely get shot for throwing stones. The nephew of a Palestinian friend of mine was shot in the stomach at the age of 15 for throwing a stone. He survived, but only because his twin brother dragged him away. For years afterwards, he was in and out of hospital for treatment to damaged
digestive organs. All this for being a ‘threat’ and throwing a stone. The killing of innocent civilians tells its own story, but as a civilised intellectual society we need to question why and how it has become possible for a so called democratic ally to use as a first line of action, a two inch block of metal 9mm in diameter to kill a six foot tall man – not injure or debilitate him, but kill him. The Tirkel Commission will not ask these questions. In fact, it will not ask any of the pertinent questions of any of the key players. It will not ask the soldiers why they fired because it will not have access to the soldiers. It will not ask the civilians on board what happened because they will not be interviewed. It will not investigate the key decisions which were made by the military and political command structure, other than to question Binyamin Netanyahu. However, there is little hope in impartial questioning of him by a group of his cronies. The Tirkel Commission failed before it even started, because it is not truly independent and impartial and it is flawed on its basic premise. We will continue to push for an UN led independent inquiry regardless of the findings of this Commission and regardless of whether our Government puts its trust in it.
OECD Conference to be Held in Israel
Acquittal for Activists who Attacked Arms Factory Seven campaigners, who caused £180,000 worth of damage to an arms factory supplying equipment to the Israeli military, were acquitted at a trial held in July. The seven ‘decommissioners’ argued that they had a “lawful excuse” to take direct action, against the factory responsible for supplying the Israeli military with equipment used to kill Palestinian men, women and children during the Gaza War. 30 year old Chris Osmond, one of the decommissioners, said, “During Operation Cast Lead 1,400 people were killed, 350 of which were children. The international community appeared to be completely helpless. The UN could not even protect
its own compounds. The only light at the end of the tunnel for the people of Palestine is if ordinary people like us take direct action on their behalf.” The seven were ecstatic when the jury found them not guilty. The seven individuals admitted breaking in and sabotaging the factory but maintained they were justified in doing so. They believed that EDO MBM, the firm that owns the factory, were breaking export regulations by manufacturing and selling equipment to the Israeli military which would be used in the Occupied Territories, thereby constituting what they believed was a war crime. Judge George Bathurst-
Norman highlighted the statement made by Green Party leader and Brighton MP Caroline Lucas in saying that “all democratic paths had been exhausted” before taking direct action. Lucas expressed her joy at the decision taken to acquit the activists, stating “I am absolutely delighted the jury has recognised that the actions of the decommissioners were a legitimate response to the atrocities being committed in Gaza. I do not advocate nonviolent direct action lightly. However, in this situation it is clear the decommissioners had exhausted all democratic avenues and, crucially, that their actions were driven by the responsibility to prevent further suffering in Gaza.”
Israel-US Relations Suffer “Tectonic Rift” Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren stated in June that relations between Israel and the US had suffered a “tectonic rift”. Oren described how the crisis in diplomatic relations had moved beyond one that eventually passes and that the “continents are drifting apart”. The statement came ahead of a planned visit between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July, at a time when Israel’s image globally continues to plummet. Particularly after the deadly raid on the Gaza Flotilla.
Turkey Closes Airspace to Israeli Military Flight
Turkey closed its airspace to an Israeli military flight carrying over 100 officers en-route to a tour of memorial site at Auchwitz, Poland. Turkish officials stated that each Israeli military flight was to be assessed on a case-
by-case basis until there was some resolution between the two countries on the issue of the Gaza Flotilla, where nine Turkish citizens were killed. The move was seen as a step to demonstrate the country’s anger at Israeli
aggression on board the humanitarian aid ship MV Mavi Marmara. Relations between the two nations since the incident have been strained, despite attemps by other nations to help patch up them up.
Noam Chomsky Barred from West Bank
An official three-day conference of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to be held in Israel later this year. The decision to have the conference in Israel follows a vote taken in May which allowed the state to join the 30
other member states, despite failing to fulfil the requirements for admission. Israel’s accession to the OECD has enabled it to become part of what Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has described as “one of the most prestigious international clubs.”
Campaigners were dismayed that European states failed to take Israel’s human rights record in the Occupied Palestinian Territories into account and instead choose to reward Israel in this way.
82-year-old political thinker and academic Noam Chomsky was denied entry to the West Bank in May, where he was to deliver a series of lectures at Birzeit University and the Institute for Palestine Studies in Ramallah. Chomsky, who had been invited to speak by Palestinian opposition leader Mustafa Barghouti was travelling with his daughter and two Jordanian friends as they tried to cross the Israeli-controlled border from Jordan to the West Bank. The friends were allowed through, but both Chomsky and his daughter
were denied entry. Over the course of the three-hour questioning, Chomsky was told via frequent contact between the interrogator and the Interior Ministry, that they “didn’t like the kind of things [he] said about Israel”. The academic has described Israel as acting in a “paranoid” fashion, reminiscent of apartheid South Africa. “I really don’t know of any other examples outside of totalitarian states where people are denied entry because they are going to talk at a university. It may in part be
just a reflection of the change in climate in Israel; the country has visibly got much more paranoid, circling the wagons and so on. In fact, it is rather reminiscent of South Africa in the early 1960s, when it began to be recognised that they were becoming a pariah state and reacted pretty much in the way that Israel is reacting now,” said Chomsky. Chomsky was also due to visit the area where demonstrations take place against the illegal security barrier being erected by Israel which has cut in to large parts of Palestinian land.
AQSA NEWS
05 Islington Unison Condemns Israel Attack Turkey Threatens to Sever Israel Ties An emergency motion submitted by Islington UNISON to the national conference condemned the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla while it was sailing in international waters. Islington UNISON repeated the demand made at its conference in 2009 to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza and made note of the fact that all passengers on board were civilians, including a “Nobel Peace Prize winner, a holocaust survivor, parliamentarians, activists, artists and other non-combatants”. It further went on to describe the attack as “an act of piracy” and
called for an “independent, international enquiry”. The motion called upon UNISON to join numerous other unions who have endorsed the Palestinian United Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel. Other demands included calling for an immediate end to UK arms sales to Israel, recognition of the Palestinian election results of 2006 and the return of all seized property to the passengers on board the flotilla. Countless moves similar to this have been echoed in trade unions and councils globally.
Calls for Israeli Diplomats to be Expelled from Ireland and Australia Both Ireland and Australia have called for the expelling of Israeli diplomats after investigations revealed that Israel was responsible for the
use of forged Irish and Australian passports in the killing of Hamas official Mahmoud al Mabhouh early this year. Britain expelled the most
senior Mossad agent in Britain after British passports were found to have been used.
Action Against UK Government Dismissed
Turkey has threatened Israel with severing diplomatic ties if Israel fails to either apologise for its actions, or accept an international investigation into the attack on the Gaza-bound aid ship, in which nine peace activists were killed by Israeli soldiers. The statement from Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu came amid flaring tensions between the two nations, which previously shared common interests and were close allies. Following the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla, the ambassador from Ankara was immediately withdrawn from Tel Aviv after reports
surfaced that nine Turks on board had been killed. Turkey took a number of steps including banning an Israeli military flight from travelling through its airspace and cancelling joint military exercises with Israel in response to the attack. However, the comments were met with surprise by some, as it seemed that there was a patching up of relations marked by a meeting between Davutoglu and Israeli trade minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer in Brussels. The Israeli Prime Minister has made it clear that no apology will be forthcoming, repeating the astonishing claim that its soldiers were
“defending themselves”. Further to this, he stated that no compensation would be paid to the families of those killed or injured. Davutoglu’s response was that “ties will never be repaired. They are aware of our demands. If they do not want to apologise, then they should accept an international investigation.” The US has been urging Israel and Turkey to resolve the quarrel, but Turkey seems to be standing firm in its demands. Davutoglu has stated that Turkey is not willing to wait for Israel’s response indefinitely.
Talks Compromise EU Position on Occupied Jerusalem An appeal by an independent Palestinian nongovernmental human rights organisation to take the UK to court over inaction in upholding its human rights obligations has been dismissed. Al-Haq, based in the West Bank, stated that Britain had the power to prevent much of the illegal activities perpetrated by Israel such as extensive settlement building and targeting of civilians in operations such as those in Gaza. Al-Haq calls for the suspending of arms-related exports and the EU preferential trading agreements, as well as
the handing over of evidence of war crimes to the British police. Al-Haq argued that if the UK were to stand by their international obligations, the result would be a great improvement to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The appeal came approximately six months after the original application for a judicial review to hear the case was rejected late in 2009. The West Bank based group were represented by Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) who included in their case, evidence from the UN sponsored Goldstone Report which highlighted a great number of human
right violations, particularly breaches of the Geneva Conventions and the perpetration of War Crimes. One of the individuals present at the hearing was a representative from Friends of Al-Aqsa who commented: “The appeal was well received by the Judge in the Court of Appeal but was dismissed on the basis that the Court does not have the power to say whether Israel committed a breach in International Law nor does it have an influence on the Foreign Office’s response on these matters.”
Britain’s Largest Union Votes Unanimously for Boycott
Unite, Britain’s largest union has voted unanimously in favour of a boycott of Israeli companies at its annual conference held in Manchester in June of this year.
The motion called on the union to support its policy of divestment from Israeli companies, and described how a boycott of Israeli goods will be similar to the boycott of
South African goods during the South African apartheid. The move has been seen as a hugely significant step and has been welcomed by rights groups.
Talks between the European Union (EU) and Israel aimed at reaching an intelligence sharing agreement have avoided the issue of whether the Israeli national police headquarters will be located on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem. Europol, the European police agency has acknowledged that the issue has not been properly addressed.
The EU has never recognised Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem. A report published by EU diplomats in March 2009 criticised the rapid spreading of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem, “Israel is, by practical means, actively pursuing the illegal annexation of East Jerusalem.” However, as Israel is one of several countries to have
entered talks on informationsharing with Europol, it will be expected to have Europol representatives stationed at the Israeli national police headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem. If this were to go ahead, it would signify a reversal of decades of EU policy and recognise Israel’s illegal annexation of East Jerusalem.
Israeli General Accused of ‘Cover Up’ in Rachel Corrie Case Major-General Doron Almog has been accused of suppressing the testimony of a commander giving evidence during the investigation over the death of Gaza peace activist Rachel Corrie. Corrie was crushed under a bulldozer in 2003 whilst trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. She was wearing a fluorescent jacket and shouting through a loudspeaker to the driver of the bulldozer, but to no avail as he deliberately ran
over and then reversed back over her. In a military investigators report, the commander of the bulldozer was giving testimony when a colonel dispatched by Major-General Doron Almog interrupted proceedings and cut short the evidence. The report states, “At 18:12 reserve Colonel Baruch Kirhatu entered the room and informed the witness that he should not convey anything and should not write anything and this at the
order of the general of southern command.” Craig Corrie, the father of Rachel Corrie described the alleged interruption as “outrageous”. He further stated, “When you see someone in that position taking those steps you not only have to be outraged, you have to ask why is he covering up, what has he done that he needs to take these steps to cover it up?” Corries parents continue to campaign for justice.
AQSA NEWS
06 Gaza Flotilla
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla 31st MAY 2010
THE JOURNEY OF THE GAZA FREEDOM FLOTILLA 6 Ships: Challenger 1 (US flag) MS Eleftheri Mesogeios and Sfendoni (Greek flag) MV Marmara (Turkish, flying Comoros Flag) Gazze (Turkish flag) Defne Y (Turkish, flying Kiritabi flag) In total there were over 600 passengers from 37 countries aboard the flotilla. The main passenger ship was the MV Marmara where the attack took place, even thought this ship expected to be the safest, as the number of civilians on board was expected to ensure that Israel did not attack it.
All ships convened near Cyprus. On board were filmmakers, journalists, activists, politicians and authors - including Swedish best-selling crime author, Henning Mankell. The cargo consisted of 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid including, food, medicine, wheelchairs, books, toys, electricity generators, as well as building materials such as cement. Israel banned building materials from entering Gaza forcing people to live in makeshift shelters for months and years after Israel bombed
and destroyed their homes. The Organisers checked all cargo and passengers who boarded the ships. There were no weapons or anything similar taken on board any of the ships. Audrey Bomse of The Free Gaza Movement said in a statement to the BBC: “I can tell you that there were no firearms - all the boats were carefully inspected by the government before they left the port of departure.”
Sunday 30th May
On this day, Israel took one further step in flouting international law – it attacked a humanitarian aid vessel sailing in international waters bound for Gaza with a convoy of aid. Israel killed 9 aid workers in the horrors that followed its storming of the MV Marmara. This was not just an attack on the civilian convoy, it was an attack on 37 countries across the world who had nationals on board. All of the men killed were Turkish nationals (one holding dual Turkish-US nationality), the youngest of whom was a nineteen year old teenager. The sad truth is that those peace activists aboard the Freedom Flotilla represented the Palestinian struggle in every way. They experienced death, injury, cruel treatment, and imprisonment - usually reserved solely for Palestinians. In this special report, Friends of Al Aqsa looks at the peaceful humanitarian mission which ended so brutally.
IHH and The Free Gaza Movement Monday 31st May The Attack on the Freedom Flotilla At approximately 2am local time, organisers informed one of the journalists on board that they intended to re-route the ships so that they sailed as far away as possible from Israel and remained clearly in international waters. A con-
frontation with the military, particularly by night was neither safe nor advisable. The early morning Fajr prayer was announced at 4am. Some passengers were sleeping. Others congregated on the second deck where the prayer was to be performed. Upon completion of the first unit of prayer, dozens of
Soldiers fire at Ship before commandoes descend on upper deck The flotilla was organised by The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (also known as IHH), together with the Cyprus-based organisation The Free Gaza Movement – a registered charity endorsed by well known international figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire. Turkish NGO IHH was established in 1992 and provides humanitarian relief in over 120 countries affected by natural disasters, poverty and conflict. They recently had a presence in Haiti following the large-scale earthquake, which left hundreds of thousands dead. The IHH, which owned and operated three of the six flotilla ships, including the main passenger ship MV Marmara, has also held Special Consulatative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2004. Despite this, Israel began to make allegations against IHH of links with terrorist organisations soon after the attack on the flotilla, in what many believe to be an attempt to seek justification for Israeli aggression. Most or all of those killed were members or volunteers of IHH, a fact that is not surprising on a ship that was owned by IHH and which has 500 Turkish nationals on board (as well as over 100 other nationals including British civilians).
Saturday 29th May
A helicopter appeared overhead and began firing ammunition, before any soldiers had descended onto the ship. This is confirmed by multiple testimonies from passengers. Approximately five minutes into the shooting, organisers raised the white flag and surrendered the ship, in the knowledge that an unarmed civilian aid ship was no match to the might of the Israeli army. However, live fire from Israeli soldiers continued. Passengers gathered in the sleeping quarters of the ship where doctors were trying desperately to do what they could for those critically injured. Blood lined the deck
of the ship and passengers relate how cries of pain, anguish and anger could be heard. Loudspeaker announcements in English, Hebrew and Arabic were made, in desperate attempts to get treatment for the wounded that otherwise would die. At this stage, the ship was surrounded by soldiers pointing their rifles and guns in the direction of the passengers. Over half an hour later, Israeli soldiers allowed passengers to carry the injured out. There were no stretchers and they were held by their arms and legs. Some testimonies relate that due to the lack of urgency in responding to the injured, three people died from their wounds.
The 6-ship flotilla sailed its way from Cyprus towards the Gaza Strip. At approximately 9.30pm, one of the crew members informed a passenger on board that four warships had been detected on the ship’s radar. By 10pm, three Israeli warships were visible by their lights. At this stage, helicopters or drones above could be heard though they were not visible. Organisers asked that all passengers put on life jackets and remain indoors. The blocking of telecommunications began around this time also. Passengers
stated that the GPS signal was lost at around 10pm, followed by the satellite phone signal, and finally feeds from the boats. As the ships were about 80 miles off the coast of Gaza in international waters, Israel would be in contravention of international law if it attacked the ship and so the crew concluded that any confrontation would occur much later, they hoped in daylight. The ships were not sailing towards Gaza at this stage, they were sailing parallel to Gaza.
speedboats surrounded the ship, each carrying 15-20 armed masked soldiers. Tear gas, stun grenades and sound bombs were fired at the ship. The prayer was rapidly completed. The attack was unannounced and therefore caused chaos on board the ship. Women and elderly people were rushed down to the lower deck whilst others made
futile attempts to defend the ship. A passenger reports in his eyewitness testimony that he saw people throwing “tomatoes”, “broomsticks” and “shoes” whilst others tried to deter the speedboats by “banging the banisters of the ship”. The speedboats retreated. Passengers did not know what to expect next.
Passengers confined on upper deck of ship All passengers were made to go to the upper deck of the ship one by one. Each had their hands tied using plastic cable ties. One individual had his hands tied so tight, that they were losing colour. When he asked that they be loosened, an Israeli soldier tightened the cable even further causing the man to scream in pain. Passengers were searched and belongings seized. On the upper deck people were lined in rows and were
made to kneel on the floor for five hours, regardless of age or medical condition. Any sort of communication between passengers was forbidden. Requests to answer the call of nature were granted intermittently and some soiled their clothes due to the stressful situation. The peace activists were stripped of their dignity and treated inhumanely. For many of the passengers, this was the most mentally and physically straining moment.
Arrival at Ashdod The ship was taken to the port of Ashdod where it arrived at some point on Monday evening. However, passengers were not allowed to disembark from the ship until approximately 6am on Tues-
day 1st June. By this time, passengers had had little or nothing to eat or drink and had spent the last twenty-four hours under the loaded barrels of IDF guns.
AQSA NEWS
07
Upon arriving at the port of Ashdod, Israeli army officers and police personal began clapping and cheering as soldiers took trophy photographs. Passengers were searched again upon leaving the ship. Shoes were checked and socks were taken off. Passengers were told that their belongings would be given back – this never happened. They were also asked to sign a declaration written in Hebrew with no translation. Those who refused were threatened with longer imprisonment.
Wednesday 2nd June
Detention in an Israeli Prison
Hero’s Welcome in Istanbul
In prison, passengers were finally allowed to shower and change into prison clothing. They also received their first meal in 48 hours. Passengers were held overnight and the following morning were taken to the airport. This journey should have taken approximately one hour but they were kept on board the bus for 8 hours, again with no access to toilets and no food.
Dozens of peace activists aboard were injured and subsequently hospitalised. The funerals of those killed were held on Thursday 3rd of June and attended by huge crowds of people. Ismail Patel, Chair of Friends of Al Aqsa who was aboard the flotilla stated in a press conference on his return that the number of shots fired equated to one activist being shot every minute during the
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When the passengers finally arrived in Turkey, it was to a hero’s welcome. Despite being 3am, the streets were lined with thousands of well-wishers who were welcoming the Gaza Freedom
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Flotilla passengers back. This marked the end of the physical ordeal. But the mental and psychological trauma suffered by the peace activists aboard the flotilla will not be forgotten easily.
confrontation. This statistic alone reflects the brutal nature of the attack. In a report published by the Guardian newspaper, an Algerian activist aboard the ship accused Israel of taking a one-year-old child hostage in order to prevent the flotilla going any further. She states, “They point a gun to his head in front of his Turkish parents to force the captain of our ship to stop sailing.”
There was live ammunition flying around and I could hear the sounds of the bullets flying and the whirr of the helicopter blades as people were dropped down onto the roof. What I saw was guns being used by the Israelis on unarmed civilians. I saw a bullet wound in someone’s head. It was very clear it was live ammunition.
Sarah Colborne, director of campaigns and operations at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
During my whole time in Israel, no-one from the British Consulate came to see me. The entire experience was shocking and everything I witnessed will be a scar in my memory for years to come.
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Ismail Patel, peace activist aboard MV Marmara
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VIOLENCE, INJURIES, DEATHS
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Tuesday 1st June
Response to the Attack
I am shocked by reports of killing of people in boats carrying supply to Gaza. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon I unequivocally condemn what appears to be disproportionate use of force, resulting in the killing and wounding of so many people attempting to bring much-needed aid to the people of Gaza, who have now been enduring a blockade for more than three years. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay
The Israeli Response In the immediate aftermath of the attack, in what can only be described as ‘damage control’, Israel released video footage of the peace activists on board beating Israeli soldiers with socalled ‘weapons’. The mere notion that unarmed civilians on board an aid ship could be branded as terrorists whilst the soldiers of a highly developed army who descended upon the ship firing live ammunition be called the victims was thought by many to be preposterous.
Nevertheless, spokespersons representing Israel were dispatched to conduct media interviews with countless news channels in an attempt to justify the Israeli attack on the ship. In the first 24 hours after the attack, this was the only version of events that the world heard as Israel prevented any of the aid workers from contacting the outside world. When testimonies eventually emerged from peace activists, they consistently told a very different story.
Soldiers who were disarmed of their weapons were treated by a doctor on board the ship. Live fire was used against the ship from helicopters in the air, and there were no weapons on board the ship. Israel showed images of what they called weapons, including knives used in the kitchens on the ship and also for cutting ropes; and axes which are usually found at emergency alarm points. Not weapons, but rather, the usual fittings on a large ship.
Legal Action against Israel
Israeli forces appear clearly to have used excessive force, Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle East and North Africa A prompt, credible, and impartial investigation is absolutely essential to determine whether the lethal force used by Israeli commandos was necessary to protect lives and whether it could have been avoided... Given Israel’s poor track record of investigating unlawful killings by its armed forces, the international community should closely monitor any inquiry to ensure it meets basic international standards and that any wrongdoers are brought to justice. Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch The EU condemns the use of violence that has produced a high number of victims among the members of the flotilla and demands an immediate, full and impartial inquiry into the events and the circumstances surrounding them. Catherine Ashton EU Foreign Policy chief, on behalf of the EU Both the Spanish government and in its role as current president of the EU wishes to express its utmost condemnation of this action. Spanish Secretary of State for the EU Diego Lopez Garrido
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I completely condemn this deadly attack on the humanitarian aid convoy. This attack is a serious infringement of the principles of international law. Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader
Many of the British nationals who were on board the flotilla have met with the Foreign Office demanding that all possessions which were illegally seized by the Israeli’s are returned to the owners. Mobile phones, clothing, money and the recording equipment of journalists on
board was taken and not returned. This equipment will contain essential evidence which is necessary if a case is to be brought against the Israeli military command. Activists are also calling for an independent inquiry to take place as the internal inquiry conducted by Israel
is not credible, is not independent and has serious limitations. One such example is that the soldiers involved in the operation will not be interviewed as part of the investigation, nor will the passengers be providing testimonies.
AQSA NEWS
08 Update: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
FoA Launches Boycott Israeli Dates Campaign 2010 In the run up to the holy month of Ramadhan, during which millions of Muslims across Europe break their daily fasts by eating dates, Friends of Al-Aqsa launched its annual ‘Boycott Israeli Dates’ campaign in London on July 15th. Supported by a dozen organisations including the PSC, and thousands of individuals across the country, the campaign hopes to build on last year’s success. Shamiul Joarder, who is heading up the campaign for Friends of Al-Aqsa, stated:
“Israeli settlers in illegal settlements make profits of millions of dollars from the sale of their dates in Europe. We have to remember that these dates are produced on stolen land, land from which Palestinians have been evicted, yet made to work on for paltry wages. Settlements in the Jordan valley neighbour Palestinian communities living in abject poverty. We want people to stop supporting this injustice, and by boycotting Israeli dates, they will be doing their bit.” While the boycott grows,
City Councils & Trade Unions Speak Out Scotland’s Trade Unions Reaffirm BDS Support
The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), an umbrella body for Scotland’s trade unions, voted in April to reaffirm its support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaign against Israel. The vote, taken at the annual conference in Dundee was in response to Israel’s “failure to comply with international laws and agreed principles of human rights.” STUC stated “Following extensive debate and deliberation, the Scottish trade unions have endorsed a report recommending STUC support a boycott and disinvest from Israeli companies, call
for sanctions against Israel, and encourage positive investments in the occupied Palestinian territories.” STUC General-Secretary Grahame Smith clarified that the decision was not simple a “knee-jerk reaction”, but rather a carefully considered decision made over a two year period. After the conference, Smith added “The STUC is deeply concerned at the daily violations of human rights experienced by Palestinian people.” A visible change in the number of organisations supporting the calls for BDS has occurred over the last few months.
Bristol City Council Condemns Israeli Action Against Gaza Flotilla Following an extensive debate, Bristol City Council carried a motion condemning Israeli aggression and its blockade of Gaza at a full council meeting in June. The council expressed its support for sanctions to be imposed on Israel until it abides by international law and ceases to violate human rights, in
addition to support for an immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the grounds of human rights. This move was being echoed by other city and county councils across Britain, in what many believe is a reflection of the true feelings on the ground.
Swansea City Council Swansea City Council made an historic decision in July this year when it decided to bar any future contracts with international trading company Veolia, due to its illegal activities in the West Bank. It will join other cities
who have already taken similar action – including Dublin, Stockholm and Melbourne. This is the first time that a UK council has passed such a resolution though others are already taking steps to follow suit.
people are also being encouraged to purchase Fair Trade Palestinian dates, which are often very expensive due to Israeli restrictions on the export of Palestinian produce. Despite the added cost, Zaytoun, which imports and supplies Palestinian produce in Britain, has stated that demand is now higher than ever. For more information on the availability of Palestinian produce including olive oil, dates, almonds, and soap, please visit www.zaytoun. org.
Check the Label Campaign Logo
Boycott Israeli Dates www.checkthelabel.org.uk
Churches Speak Out UK Methodist Church Votes for Boycott The UK Methodist Church has voted unanimously in favour of a boycott on Israeli produce from the West Bank, in protest against the illegal settlements in the area. The church extended the call for boycott to Methodists across the UK at its annual conference. The motion was put forward in response to calls from the World Council of Churches, Palestinian civil society and a growing number of organisations in Israel and globally. In 2009, the church set up a working group seeking an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories and an end to the blockade of Gaza and urged that Israel comply with international law. A 54page report was produced as
a result by the working group entitled “Justice for Palestine and Israel”. The church has been subject to criticism from proIsraeli groups for the brave stance taken. In one instance the church was accused of jumping on a “fashionable bandwagon” for having favoured boycott action, to which Anna Drew, head of media relations replied “We are the first church... to do this... so we are not being fashionable.” The church’s secretary for external relationships, Christine Elliot, further stated that the decision “has not been taken lightly, but after months of research, careful consideration and finally, today’s debate at the conference.”
US Methodist Church Votes for Divestment The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) at its annual conference in June voted to divest all its holdings in three international corporations that support the occupation of Palestine. In doing so NIC have reiterated calls of the UMC in the Book of Discipline which states that one should “avoid investments that appear likely, directly or indirectly, to support violation of human rights.” The affected corporations who will lose out on investments from the UMC will be Caterpillar (CAT), General Electric (GE) and Terex (TX). The companies are just three such companies amongst some 20 others that are being targeted by UMC conferences across the US
due to their presence on occupied land, their involvement with illegal settlements, checkpoints and the separation wall, or their support of activities conducted by the Israeli Military in the occupied territories. The NIC is to send the list of 20 companies to approximately 400 churches in Northern Illinois encouraging them to divest from any of the companies listed. Connie Baker, from End the Occupation Task Force of the Board of Church and Society which brought forth the resolution, stated: “We are resolute in our support of peace for both Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land and the rights of each to coexist according to the principles set forth in the Geneva Conventions. It is a small step, but an important one.”
In History “Three people have been killed on board a ship enroute to Palestine, carrying Jewish immigrants, some of them survivors of the Holocaust. The ship, called ‘Exodus’, was boarded in international waters by the British Royal Navy who used force against passengers resisting the boarding. Dozens have been reported to be injured.” This may well have been the top story circulating through newspapers and radio channels across Britain on July 18 1947. This news item bears striking similarities to the recent Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza which resulted in the deaths of nine peace activists. However, the difference between the ship of 1947 and the flotilla of 2010 could not be greater. It was 1947, the year before 78% of historic Palestine was seized and hundreds of thousand of Palestinians expelled from their homes to make way for the creation of the State of Israel. The British had a Mandate to rule over Palestine from the First World War. Whilst Jews had for some time been making ‘aliyah’ or the migration to the land of Palestine, it was at this point that the number of immigrants to the land was rapidly increasing, particularly in the wake of Jewish persecution in Europe and the Holocaust. The British were now faced with the problem of keeping faith with the Arab majority in Palestine, and the
promise made to the Zionist movement for the establishment of a national homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. Jewish immigration was controlled by the British. However, many continued to travel illegally and Britain therefore imposed a naval blockade in order to halt illegal immigration. Armed Zionist groups organised boats to counter this. It was in this backdrop that the Exodus ship made its journey to Palestine. The ship was boarded approximately 40km from the shore, in international waters where the British Royal Navy had no jurisdiction. Passengers resisted the boarding and this resulted in clashes between soldiers and those on board. As a result, three were killed and many others injured. Following the attack, passengers were deported to Germany. The world was outraged, and rightly so. Golda Meir, who was later to become the Israeli Prime Minister, declared following the affair: “To Britain we must say: it is a great illusion to believe us weak. Let Great Britain with her mighty fleet and her many guns and planes know that this people is not weak, and that its strength will stand it in good stead.” Many would argue that today, we simply need to replace word ‘Britain’ with ‘Israel’ and we have a reflection of the exact same scenario.
AQSA NEWS
Comments 09
The Tirkel Commission Failed Before it Began By Shafik Firoz It is an uncanny coincidence that the same week the Saville Inquiry found British soldiers had unjustifiably killed thirteen innocent people in Northern Ireland, Israel announced its own investigation into the deaths of nine activists on board an aid flotilla. It took nearly four decades for the truth of Bloody Sunday to be established but Israel’s Tirkel Commission is more likely to find precedent in earlier reports, which whitewashed the actions of British soldiers. The line peddled by the British government in the aftermath of the massacre is eerily similar to the one used by the Israeli PR machine today. In Derry in 1972, the IRA infiltrated a civil rights march and took aim at British soldiers. In May on the Mavi
Marmara, violent activists with links to Al Qaeda and Hamas boarded an aid ship intent on confronting Israeli troops. In both, the perpetrators claimed that the supposedly benign exterior of a rally and aid convoy masked a sinister intent, one that required the use of deadly force. The Widgery report, commissioned in the aftermath of Bloody Sunday accepted British troops had acted recklessly, while placing blame entirely on the organisers of the march. The Tirkel Commission has little hope of reaching a conclusion that is generous in its condemnation of Israeli soldiers. It is telling that Israel has rejected calls for an independent investigation conducted by the United Nations. The Goldstone Report warned the
Israelis of the condemnation it risks in allowing impartial scrutiny of its actions; Tirkel is intended to prevent a repeat. The inquest has all the ingredients of a farce and the list of requisites would work well if it had been written as satire. The stringent restrictions placed were so farcical the former Israeli Supreme Court Judge Tirkel placed in charge of the investigation threatened to quit before he even began unless he was given wider powers. The Israelis had initially prevented Tirkel from asking soldiers who participated in the attack to give testimony. Instead they offered summarised statements collated by their military. They relented eventually; perhaps comforted by the fact he still won’t
be allowed to investigate the chain of command responsible for the attack. In any case Tirkel has stated on Israeli Army Radio that he is no fan of dismissing those responsible for failures. Interrogating those who committed the killings forms just one aspect of a thorough investigation. For an accurate picture, eye-witness reports from passengers on board the flotilla must also be taken in to account. These are likely to be ignored, as will all the recordings and photographs taken by passengers, which were later confiscated by Israeli authorities. The report aims to give a chain of events based almost entirely on the narrative given by the people accused of misconduct. Anything else and the Israelis would claim
it was biased. The composition of the investigating committee is also designed to prevent such ‘bias’. It does not include any non-Israelis and of the two international observers; one is an ardent supporter of Israel. David Trimble, the former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party is a founding member of the Friends of Israel Initiative, a Zionist advocacy group which proudly states on its website that ‘Israel’s fight is our fight’. Those familiar with the conflict in Northern Ireland will be acutely aware of the irony in appointing Trimble as an observer in an investigation into a disputed massacre. They will remember that he had opposed the Saville Inquiry when it was announced in 1998, saying ‘opening old
wounds would do more harm than good’. How the Israeli government can expect the world to attach any credibility to this sham is mind-boggling. Even the Israeli left-leaning newspaper Haaretz has demanded that Tirkel return his mandate to the Israeli Prime Minister and insist on an inquiry with power to investigate freely. Calling the Tirkel Commission a plot to conceal the truth would be charitable to the Israelis, rather this is a brazen attempt to mislead international and internal opinion. The Israeli Defence Force’s own investigation placed the blame entirely on the activists, Tirkel is unlikely to deviate from that script. Shafik Firoz is a freelance journalist.
Letters - To The Editor,
I have just finished reading my first copy of Aqsa News, I cannot emphasise enough the great work you are doing. Unfortunately many of us will only remember Palestine when there is some international incident, and forget the injustices that are happening everyday. I liked the fact that the newsletter discussed different ways to get involved -particularly lobbying our MPs. Voting is an issue that can polarise people, but if only the Muslim community considered working
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Aqsa News has been one of the foundations of my knowledge about the plight of the Palestinian people, and when I heard that readers’ letter would be included, I had to write. As a Journalism student, I see the benefits of media that are not linked to the mainstream. Aqsa News is able to freely highlight the truth about the occupation.
I paid more attention to the many articles in the last edition to help prepare myself for my trip to Palestine. Hopefully I will return with my own stories to tell. Keep up the good work.
together to put those people in power who would be sympathetic to the Palestine issue, it may make a difference. If we are sincere then we need to be working on many many different levels to help the situation, the least of which is being fully informed of the situation (which you are helping with) and making du’aa.
On reading the article ‘An Israeli Experiment in Human Despair’, specifically on the health conditions in Gaza, I felt compelled to write. The collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza is a many-pronged fork of abuse. Israel’s prolonged blockade has increased malnutrition in the entire population. It is obvious, with reference to studies and the demographic, that child malnutrition is most manifest. Anaemia is widespread and over a third of pregnant mothers also suffer from it.
Yours, Dr. Omar Araeem Whitechapel, London
It is obvious, with reference to studies and the demographic, that child malnutrition is most manifest.
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Claims that Israel is somehow doing the Palestinians a favour by “easing” the blockade of Gaza are ridiculous.
The UN found credible evidence last year that the Israeli’s were guilty of “war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity” during their assault on Gaza.
Yours, S Sader Writing from Jerusalem.
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Egypt’s construction of the underground wall to block the underground tunnels is appalling. The fact is that the Gazans have to get desperately needed supplies from somewhere.
With food remaining inadequate and medicines still unobtainable, those who are complicit in the blockade need to be brought to account as well as Israel – namely, the US and Egypt. Egypt’s construction of an underground wall to block the underground tunnels is appalling. The fact is that the Gazans have to get desperately needed supplies from somewhere. Z. Chaudhary Student, Leicester
...working together to put those people in power who would be sympathetic to the Palestine issue, it may make a difference.
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Yours, Ibrahim Hewitt Senior Editor, Middle East Monitor
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Letters to the Editor can be sent to: editor@aqsa.org.uk
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tion is still illegal. The UN found credible evidence last year that the Israelis were guilty of “war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity” during their assault on Gaza. Unlike the case being pursued by the International Court against the Sudanese president, nobody is even daring to issue warrants for the arrest of the Israelis responsible for those crimes. On the contrary, the current British Prime Minister still wants to change the law to allow those so accused to enter Britain freely. That double standards are being applied when Israel is involved is clear. The question is, why? Can anyone explain why Israel is able to act illegally with apparent impunity? Unless and until clear answers are provided, Israel’s founding ideology, Zionism, will remain a threat to world peace.
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The killing of a Palestinian mother of five, Ne’ema Abu Said, by Israeli artillery in the Gaza Strip brings to 23 the number of Palestinians killed by Israel in what is called its “buffer zone” in the past few months. Ne’ema is yet another dead Palestinian, a phenomenon which is clearly not newsworthy any more; as far as I am aware, only the Guardian reported this incident in the UK. Israel claims to have withdrawn from Gaza in 2005 and yet it still controls all of the territory’s air space, access to its port and all of the land crossings (with Egyptian assistance). It has also created this “buffer zone”, another example of the de facto annexation of Palestinian land. Claims that Israel is somehow doing the Palestinians of Gaza a favour by “easing” the blockade of Gaza are ridiculous. If someone is acting illegally (and the blockade is a collective punishment of a civilian population, an act forbidden by international law) and promises to behave slightly less illegally, the ac-
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AQSA NEWS
10 Friends of Al-Aqsa Message
Update from Friends of Al-Aqsa Branches
“How plainly will they see and hear, the Day that they will appear before Us! But the unjust today are in error manifest!” Surah 19, Verse 38 Since the last edition of Aqsa News was published, a lot has changed. For the first time, Israel’s actions drew unified condemnation from the international community. Its crimes on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla will not be forgotten, least of all by me and my fellow passengers on board the MV Marmara. The struggle to bring Israel to justice for its crimes has been going on for decades. The foreseeable future will no doubt see a continuation of that struggle, especially as our government has promised a change in the application of Universal Jurisdiction in Britain to allow Israeli politicians and generals accused of War Crimes to continue to visit our country. The announcement of the change in law has been disappointing to say the least. We had hoped to at least have some open debate about it, but this appears to have been
bi-passed. We had hoped that we could rely on the Liberal Democrats to play a role which would ensure that Britain did not become a safe haven for suspected war criminals, but once again, we have been proven wrong. However, what is clear is that millions of voices are now unified across the world in denouncing Israel’s human rights abuses, including journalists, lawyers, presidents and prime ministers. Israel is going to find it increasingly difficult to white wash its crimes, and I hope, in the coming months and years, Israeli leaders will finally be brought before the International Criminal court to answer for their crimes against the Palestinians, against international law, and against me and my fellow passengers on board the MV Marmara.
London The London branch was overwhelmed with support from the community following the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla on the morning of May 31st. A demonstration outside Downing Street was called on the same day, in protest of the attack. This was followed by further demonstrations outside the Israeli Embassy and Downing Street on June 1st and June 5th. The role of the London branch has also been central to the media coverage, especially following the flotilla attack. Shamiul Joarder, head of Public Affairs visited Jerusalem in June, and met with Al-Kaf, who are responsible for taking care of Masjid
Bradford
Al-Aqsa. Other activities have included involvement in a variety of conferences including that of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and competing in and reaching the final of the Gaza Cup. The London branch has been responsible for the launch of the Check the Label boycott Israeli dates campaign which was launched just weeks ago in London. Watch out for more information on the campaign. Anyone wishing to join the branch and offer any support they can, can contact us by emailing arif@aqsa.org.uk
The Bradford branch have been busy campaigning in recent weeks over the Israeli attack on the Gaza bound Freedom Flotilla. Mohammed Bhaiyaat from Bradford was on board the flotilla and the branch were doing what they could to support him. A demonstration in protest of what occurred on board the flotilla was held on June 5th and was attended by some 1,500 people.
Ismail Patel
Glasgow
Further to this, following the
safe return of the peace activists, the branch organised an event, which included an eyewitness accounts from the flotilla. The father of Mohammed Bhaiyaat also spoke of the ordeal that the family went through and David Ward MP attended and expressed his support. More recently, the branch has also begun work in preparation for the annual boycott Israeli dates campaign – Check the Label.
Liverpool
The volunteers from the Glasgow branch have been working hard on a range of projects within the last couple of months - from education within the community, to vigils and lobbying. Other activities include lobbying local government to cease trade with Israel and demonstrating against the sale of Israeli produce in supermarkets.
One of the major successes was hosting a Palestinian man named Salim who spoke about his experiences of having his home in the West Bank surrounded and then demolished by Israeli soldiers. Salim’s house has been demolished four times. Each time, they have had to rebuild it. £2000 was raised in order to help Salim and his family rebuild their home once more.
Volunteers from the Liverpool branch have already started work on the Check the Label boycott Israeli dates Campaign in preparation for Ramadan. Over 30 posters have been distributed and displayed in local shops. A number of shops stocking Israeli dates that were approached last year, have Walsall Walsall organises National Peace Cup
2nd
The 2nd National Friends of Al Aqsa Peace Cup took place on Sunday 6th June at Goals in Darlaston, Walsall. The aim of the tournament was to raise awareness of the situation in Palestine to a wider audience. The 5-a-side football tournament organised by the Walsall branch attracted 31 teams- 20 teams up from last year! The teams, which came from as far a field as London and Manchester, were each able to have a squad of 8 players. Each team paid £65 to enter the competition and the participants were from a cross-section of the community with many nationalities represented. At 11.30am the draw was made to decide team groups.
The tournament mirrored the World Cup format with eight groups of 4 teams each. The top two teams from each group went through to the knockout stages. All of the matches were officiated by fully qualified FA registered referees. The final was contested by two local teams: Pleck FC from Walsall vs Park Lane from Darlaston, with Park Lane eventually running out as 2-0 winners. FoA Walsall would like to thank all of the teams, sponsors, volunteers and spectators for their efforts in making the tournament such as success. The tournament was sponsored by Dixy Chicken Walsall, F.B Supermarket, K2 Car Hire, MiJ Performance, Regency Claims, DPI Solutions, iWill Solicitors, Kingdom Appliances, Locks & Fittings, Mogo Grill and Zi-Clone Multimedia.
now decided not to stock the dates. This was clear when the branch found that from 35 shops, only 1 stocked Israeli dates. Volunteers are ecstatic that the message is getting through. Other activities have included fundraising for Medical Aid and Interpal totalling £8110!
AQSA NEWS
11
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Proceeds from the sale of this book goes to Friends of Al-Aqsa Foreword by Friends of Al-Aqsa
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AQSA NEWS
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COMPETITION
12 Fun & Games Wordsearch 12 years old or under? The following wordsearch is based on the story of Joseph (as) WORDS Blessed Dream Forgiveness Jealousy Moon Stars Well Yaqub Yusuf
Prize Winners The winners from the quizzes in the last edition of the newspaper are: Raeesah Seedat and Elwad Saeed Congratulations! You should have now received your prizes. Friends of Al Aqsa Annual Schools Competition Thank you to all of you who took part in this year’s competition. Our panel of judges had a very difficult decision to make, but we are proud to announce that the winners of the Annual Schools Competition 2010 are: Key Stage 2: Ruwayda Abubaker of Masjid Quba Key Stage 3: Zaid Kotwal of Ashrafia Mosque Unfortunately, our judges were not able to award a third prize for the Key Stage 4 category as there were insufficient entries. The judges decisions are final.
Acrostic Age 13 to 18 years old
Storytime
Use the clues below to fill in the boxes. Then rearrange the shaded boxes to make a new word! Clue for your new word: A famous holy city.
The Story of Yusuf (Prophet Joseph peace be upon him) Long ago there was a blessed prophet call Yaqub (Jacob as) who had a son called Yusuf. Yusuf (as) was very beautiful and was his father’s favourite son because of his righteousness. One night Yusuf (as) had a strange dream where he saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing down to him! Yusuf (as) told his father Yaqub (as) about this dream. Yaqub (as) understood that Allah had planned something special for Yusuf (as). Yaqub (as) told Yusuf (as) not to tell his brothers the dream as they would become jealous, however the brothers found out about it and became angry. One day they took Yusuf (as) out with them to play and when no one was looking, they threw him into a well. When they went back to their house, they lied to their father Yaqub (as) and said that a wolf had eaten Yusuf (as) after they left him to watch over their belongings. Yaqub (as) did not believe their story, but decided to be patient and to trust in Allah’s help. Allah listened to Yusuf and Yaqub (as)‘s prayers and Yusuf (as) was found in the well and taken to Eqypt where he lived in the house of a rich man who cared for him. After many trials and tests which Yusuf (as) faced in his life, he finally became the adviser to the King and was very powerful. Many years later, he was finally reunited with his father. Instead of blaming his brothers for what they had done to him and making them feel ashamed, he told them that they were free of blame, and hoped that Allah would forgive them. The story of Yusuf (as) is an inspiration to us as it shows how pious, righteous and patient people are looked after by Allah (swt).
Send your answers with your name, age and address to: Friends of Al-Aqsa, PO Box 5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU. You can also email us your answers on info@aqsa.org.uk but please put ‘competition’ as the subject heading. Deadline for both competitions is 31st of May 2010. Good luck inshallah!
1. To separate a group of people according to race, religion or colour 2. To abstain from buying or using 3. One of the faiths whose people are classed as the people of the book 4. Second largest religion in the world 5. A state created in 1948 which borders the Mediterranean and Egypt 6. This religion uses the star of David as its religious symbol 7. Term of control of a territory by foreign military forces 8. English equivalent of Arabic word - Philistine 9. A person who flees for safety to a foreign country 10. A political ideology founded by Theodor Herzl
AQSA NEWS
13
How often do we complain after reading an article, watching a television programme or the news that the story portrayed is biased, one sided and generally unfair? The real question however is how often do we do something about it? It is important to remember that unless you take positive action – nothing will be done! The media plays an important role in society and goes a long way in influencing the public opinion on Palestine. Writing to newspapers and broadcasting companies is a good way to ensure that your views are taken into account. However the essential points to remember in any letter is to BE POLITE and to argue your opinion factually and calmly to be more effective. Make sure its not all negative! Don’t always complain as it is just as important to highlight the positive aspects of the media as the negative, so write some positive emails too.
Crossword 1
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The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.
How to Write: Letters to be Published 1. Accuracy Ensure that your information is correct. Where possible, support your arguments factually.
Malcolm X
2. Timing The speedier the response, the more chance it will get published. For example, with daily broadsheets, unless letters are received by mid-morning on the day of publishing, it is unlikely that they will be printed
2
3. Brief Remember, the shorter the better, try and focus your letter on one major point and keep it to one simple paragraph of no more than 7 lines in size 12 Times New Roman font. 4. Clear All letters must make sense. Also remember that whilst you may know a great deal about a subject, maybe not all the newspaper readers will so include brief and succinct explanations where necessary. Punctuate your letter properly and use correct grammar. 5. Personal Often letters are more likely to be published if they contain personal knowledge or experience. 6. Constructive Remember to praise coverage that you appreciate as well as criticise or correct that which you dislike.
“
Media Monitoring
3 4
5
7
6 8
9
10 11
12
7. Polite Newspapers will not publish letters if they are offensive. Be polite. DOWN 1. Formal statement of policy by British government 1917 (7, 11)
Can you make each column, each row and each of the nine sub-grids that make up this puzzle contain the numbers 1 to 9? Try your luck – but don’t pull your hair out!
2. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (5) 3. Prejudice against Jews or Judaism (4, 8) 5. Caliph Abdul Ibn Marwan initiated this building (4, 2, 3, 4) 6. Current prime minister of israel (8, 9) 7. Israeli intelligence service (6) 9. Founder of Zionism (7, 5) ACROSS 4. Uprising (Arabic) (8) 8. The standards in international law for humanitarian treatment of the victims of war are found in these (6, 10) 10. A practice of separating or segregating groups. (9) 11. City in West Bank ‘House of Bread’ (9) 12. To abstain from buying or using (7)
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An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. Martin Luther King Jr
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Sudoku
AQSA NEWS
14
Set of 8 Posters
~ Eid Gift Ideas ~
This Eid, give someone a gift they will remember Baking Aid
Children’s Books History of Masjid Al-Aqsa
BAKING AID
for
ren
child
Abu Huzayfa
Proceeds from the sale of this book goes to Friends of Al-Aqsa Foreword by Friends of Al-Aqsa
Masjid Al-Aqsa Model
Various sizes available
Palestine Bracelet
To order, please refer to page 11 (Merchandise)
Dome of the Rock Model
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THIS RAMADHAN BECOME A MEMBER JOIN FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA Become a member of FoA to support us in our efforts to bring a just and lasting peace to the Middle East. Just £10 a year helps us to keep working on behalf of the Palestinian people and their struggle for freedom. PERSONAL DETAILS Name: ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Address: .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................................. Postcode: .................................................................. Tel: .................................................................................................... Email: ........................................................................................................................................... ( Would you like to be added to our mailing list? Yes [ ] No [ ] ) BANK DETAILS Name of Account Holder: ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Account Number: ................................................................................................................ Sort Code: ............................................................................................... Bank Name: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Bank Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................. Postcode: .................................................................. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BANK I would like to become a life member. Please debit annually/monthly (delete as appropriate) £10 or £........ on ........................... (dd/mm) from my bank account to: Friends of Al-Aqsa, Sort Code: 08-92-99, Account Number: 65158078. The Cooperative Bank, Southway, WN8 6VT
Please return the completed form to Friends of Al-Aqsa, P.O Box 5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU 0116 212 5441 | www.aqsa.org.uk | info@aqsa.org.uk
AQSA NEWS
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Gaza Siege Continues in a New Guise Shortly after the attack and subsequent global condemnation, Israel stated that it would ‘ease’ the blockade. However, a report by Electronic Intifada, written by Jonathan Cook, a free-lance journalist based in Nazareth, sheds light on the possible implications of the alleged ‘easing’. Cooks describes the harsh truth that Israel is still in control of the border crossings and therefore although many items will no longer be ‘banned’, they may simply remain an “aspiration” for Palestinians. He expects that the ban on cement will remain thereby leaving the Palestinians in an inescapable situation in terms of rebuilding the infrastructure which was bombed by Israel in its war on Gaza. Aid agencies continue to push for a complete lifting of the blockade to allow the Gazan economy to function effectively in order to support the people of Gaza.
How the World Responded to the Attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
There was global outcry when the first news reports emerged early on Monday morning. Israel had imposed a total media blackout except for its own version of events, and the live feed which was broadcast from the ship before Israel intercepted the transmission. It seemed that for the first time, Israeli aggression, this time against a humanitarian aid ship, had caused the international community to be unified in its condemnation. Since the attack, there have been numerous protest globally, both in the form of demonstrations in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and economic actions. A powerful example of such economic action was the prevention of an Israeli ship unloading at a US port. This is the first time in US history that such a protest, attended by approximately 700 protesters was able to prevent workers from unloading Israeli cargo in San Francisco. A similar protest occurred in Sweden where dockworkers staged a week-long protest refusing to handle goods destined for or originating from Israel. Around 1,500 members of the Swedish Dockworkers Union began the boycott across the country’s ports which handle 95% of
Sweden’s foreign trade. • In the UK, trade unions took significant steps in protest of the attack. • Unison, the public service trade union passed an emergency motion condemning the attack. • Britain’s largest union ‘Unite’, voted unanimously in favour of a motion to boycott Israeli companies at its confer-
•
ence in Manchester. The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), the umbrella organisation for trade unions in Scotland reaffirmed its support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
The World Speaks Spain: The city council of Villanueva de Duero, Spain has decided to remove the Eden brand water from Government buildings following lobbying efforts by Spanish activists. The company takes water from the Salukiya Springs, located in the illegally annexed Golan Heights. They have expanded operations to Europe, and now bot-
tle water at springs around the continent. Norway: Cancelled a special operations seminar in June, which was to include an Israeli army officer within the program. The Defence Ministry of Norway were reported to have been unhappy about the Israeli officer delivering a talk in Oslo just weeks after the deadly raid on the Gaza bound Freedom Flotilla.
Italy: Two major Italian supermarkets, COOP and Nordiconad announced their decision to suspend sales from Agrexco – the main exporter of produce originating in Israel and illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories. Nordiconad Director Mr. Covili stated that from the end of April, Agrexco products would no longer be found in their supermarkets.
AQSA NEWS
16 Special Feature
Israel Turns its Guns on Internationals
By Dr Hanan Chehata Press Officer for the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) With every day that passes Israel further establishes itself as one of the world’s leading violators of human rights. To its British and American allies this may be seen as a gross overstatement; after all there are plenty of despotic, third world countries that arguably have worse human rights records. The question is - how many of them model themselves as democratic, advanced, first world, nuclear allies? The cold, hard facts of Israel’s ever worsening track record are well documented by human rights organisations and the UN, and they speak for themselves. ABUSES OF PALESTINIAN RIGHTS Palestinian lives seem to be accorded little, if any, value by the Israeli authorities. Countless human rights reports and investigations have verified the fact that Palestinian children are arrested and abused in Israeli jails; frail and elderly Palestinian men and women are beaten without cause; Palestinian mothers are attacked on the streets; Palestinian men are tortured and executed, family homes are demolished; illegal sieges are imposed as a result of which Palestinian children have died due to restricted access to lifesaving medical treatment and so on... and nothing is done to stop it. The international community has a moral and legal obligation to intervene, yet we have failed to do so. This sad state of affairs has been going on for decades now and is only getting worse. However, it is not only Palestinian lives that are being targeted. Anyone who demonstrates any inclination towards supporting the Palestinian people by standing up for human rights is, by mere association, also being targeted. Thus, international solidarity and humanitarian activists working in the occupied territories have become “legitimate” targets of Israeli hostility and violence, regardless of where in the world they come from. ATTACKS ON SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS The Palestinian territories attracts large numbers of solidarity activists, due to the nature of the suffering that the Palestinians are undergoing and the strong feeling of injustice this has generated amongst millions at the grass roots level globally. Thus, there are a lot of potential targets for nervy, jumpy or seasoned Occupation Force soldiers.
Rachel Corrie (2003)
Tristan Anderson (2009)
Emily Henochowicz (2010)
The most well known death is probably twenty three year old American peace activist Rachel Corrie. Having taken a year off from college, Rachel travelled to Gaza in 2003 where she was working with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) which is a Palestinian-led organisation “committed to resisting the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles.” She was protesting against the forcible and illegal demolition of a local Palestinian doctor’s family home and stood in the way to block the path of the American made Caterpillar bulldozer. Photographic footage shows that Rachel was wearing a bright fluorescent jacket and had a loud speaker in her hands which she was using to shout out to the bulldozer driver to stop. Instead of stopping, the Israeli soldier ran her over before reversing back over her fallen, crushed body. Rachel’s parents have made it very clear that the Israeli investigation into her death was a complete whitewash and they are still fighting for someone to be held accountable for their daughter’s murder.
Of those who survived Israeli attacks, many were left permanently disfigured or injured. California born Tristan Anderson was shot in the head by Israeli forces in 2009 with a tear gas canister and sustained permanent brain injury.
In one shocking case last month, twenty one year old American student, Emily Henochowicz, had her eye removed after she was shot in the face by an Israeli soldier as she protested against the flotilla attack.
Tom Hurndall (2004) Twenty one year old British photography and journalism student Tom Hurndall was killed in 2004. Tom was also an ISM volunteer in Gaza, who was bravely and desperately trying to carry Palestinian children to safety after Israeli troops opened fire. He was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper. After a two hour delay in getting him to hospital, Tom went into a coma from which he never woke up. Nine months later, he died. Although the sniper, Taysir Hayb (a Bedouin Arab in the Israeli army) was prosecuted, there was no accountability for the upper echelons of the Israeli hierarchy who had apparently allowed a shoot to kill policy of civilians to exist. Tom’s father made the comment that “we’re concerned that there is a policy….. amongst the Israeli soldiers and army, that they feel able to shoot civilians really without any accountability whatsoever.” In July 2010, news emerged that Hayb was to be released from prison 2 years early, and would be free by August 2010. Tom’s journals were released by his family after his death, and he had written: “I want to be proud of myself. I want more. I want to look up to myself and when I die, I want to smile because of the things I have done, not cry for the things I haven’t done.”
The Freedom Flotilla Massacre (2010) On May 31st 2010, the world watched in utter disbelief as live video transmissions showed the Mavi Marmara, the main passenger boat in the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, being attacked by Israeli forces. According to reports, 4 Israeli warships, 3 helicopters, 2 submarines and 30 zodiac boats surrounded the flotilla in the early hours of the morning. With the use of such large numbers of army personnel and equipment, there could be little doubt that there would be fatalities. Nine international humanitarian workers were killed as a result of Israel’s illegal attack on the ship. Of the nine killed, collectively they all suffered 31 gunshot wounds.
The Nine Victims from the Flotilla Farrakhan Dogan, Vahri Yildiz, Cengiz Okez, Cengiz Sunqur, Cetin Topkoogelo, Necdet Yildirim, Kovdit Kililar, Ali Heyder Bengi, Ibrahim Bilgen (More details on the next page)
AQSA NEWS
17
ISRAELI VIOLENCE AGAINST MEDIA PERSONNEL
Farrakhan Dogan, aged 19. Farrakhan held dual TurkishUS citizenship. He was a student who wanted to become a doctor. He was shot five times at close range, in the right side of his nose, in the back of the head, in the back and twice in the left leg.
Cengiz Sunqur, aged 47. He was married with seven children. He was shot in the neck.
Kovdit Kililar, aged 38. He was married with two children. He was shot by a single bullet between the eyes when he tried to take photographs of the Israeli attack.
Vahri Yildiz, aged 43. He was a fireman and married with four children. He was shot five times.
Cetin Topkoogelo, aged 54. He was married and his wife was on board the MV Marmara with him. He was shot three times, once in the back of his head, once in his hip and once in his belly.
Ali Heyder Bengi, aged 29. He was married with 4 children. Ali was shot six times.
Cengiz Okez, aged 41. He was a father of three. Cengiz was shot four times, in the back of the head, the right side of his face, his back, and in his left leg.
Necdet Yidirim, aged 32. He was married with a three year old daughter. He was shot in the right shoulder and the back.
It is not just humanitarians and peace activists that are under attack. Even those who try to objectively report the facts on the ground become targets themselves. Journalists, for instance, have often found themselves at the end of Israeli guns. There appears to be a deliberate and systematic targeting of media personnel who are reporting on aspects of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. During the Second Intifada, Reporters Without Borders stated that approximately 40 journalists had been shot by Israeli forces using live or rubber bullets. In some cases, despite being clearly identifiable as press, wearing flak jackets with the word PRESS emblazoned across their chests and even being in the process of live reporting, journalists have been attacked. Israeli soldiers have opened fire on journalists and targeted them with tear gas canisters, rubber bullets, live ammunition and a host of other weaponry. In March 2010 alone, a minimum of eight journalists were shot by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Organisations such as Reporters Without Borders have called for an end to this type of Israeli criminality and disregard for international norms and standards of behaviour. In a report published on 1st April 2010, Reporters Without Borders released a statement in which they said that their organisation “deplores the frequency of press freedom violations by the Israel Defence Forces, which routinely fire on Palestinian journalists.” “The incidents continue with complete impunity.” Reporters Without Borders further said, “The IDF soldiers involved are rarely punished and, less still, disowned by the superiors, who endorse the use of violence against media personnel. It is time this stopped.” Journalists and cameramen have also reported being accosted, threatened, beaten, stripsearched, detained at checkpoints and arrested. James Miller (2003)
Ibrahim Bilgen, aged 61. Ibrahim was a distinguished Turkish politician and was married with six children. He was shot four times, in the right temple, in the right side of his chest, in the back and once in the hip.
While Israel continues to try to excuse itself for these deaths, and refuses to apologise to Turkey or pay compensation to the families of those killed, we see a recurring pattern of behaviour. Israel’s Impunity Israel is showing the world that it is above the law. Israel refuses to be challenged for anything it does, on pain of death. It considers itself to be beyond impunity and experience has taught it that it can attack, maim, kill, imprison and torture civilians and will not be held to account. Israel’s impunity is the collective fault of the nations of the world who have allowed this state of affairs to prevail and who are now allowing it to happen yet again. Had any other country in the world dared to attack a boat with British and American civilians on board in this way, we would probably be at war with them right now.
Those killed include British cameraman and award winning producer and director James Miller, who was shot in the neck and killed whilst filming a documentary in Rafah. James was with a colleague waving a white flag when he was targeted. Only one shot was fired by Israeli soldier Captain Hib al-Heib, and it hit James in the neck. The documentary he was working on was about Palestinian children. The Israeli investigation into the shooting absolved the soldier of responsibility, as expected. Raffaele Ciriello (2003) Italian journalist Raffaele Ciriello, a freelance photojournalist working for the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, was shot in the chest six times by an Israeli tank-mounted machine gun in Ramallah. Raffaele was a veteran journalist and had covered stories in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Following his death, the International Press Institute said the shooting seemed to be “part of a concerted strategy by the Israeli army to control reports on the recent surge in armed hostilities in the region.” For both of these journalists, and many more besides, Israeli ‘investigations’ have usually cleared the soldiers of any responsibility, by whitewashing their crime. This impunity will only continue if the international community allows it to.
AQSA NEWS
18 Book Reviews ning sets out to contextualize Hamas’ ideology and its activities – social, political and military – within its own setting and the particular constraints it faces. Hamas, as he says, ‘cannot be reduced to its use of violence’.
Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence By Jeroen Gunning, London: Hurst & Company, 2009, ISBN 9781850658764, pp 320, £20 The Palestinian political and militant group Hamas has been so demonized by the international community as violent, fanatical ‘terrorists’ that it is difficult to gain a more nuanced picture of their ideology, policies and aims. Rather than focusing solely on the more controversial aspects of Hamas’ practice, such as suicide attacks against Israeli civilians or the supposedly ‘oppressive’ treatment of women, Gun-
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One of the key elements, as he stresses, is its ability to change and evolve in response to changing circumstances. Hamas is a pragmatic organization. By analyzing it from a variety of perspectives, in terms of its political philosophy, the question of authority, the peace process and its relationship with other Palestinian political groups and also the larger public, Gunning is able to draw interesting and genuinely illuminating conclusions. Part of the value of his book lies in the many in-depth interviews he has conducted with leaders and members of Hamas, both inside the occupied territories and abroad. Gunning situates his study within broader theoretical understandings of democracy, originating in western political thought. He addresses the debate on the compatibility between Islam and democracy by subjecting both terms to scrutiny and considering them in relation
to Hamas’ structure of authority. While Hamas ‘recognizes that the Shari’ah is primarily a set of general principles, it acknowledges that it is not a sufficient source of law’. Gunning concludes that ‘a sufficient number of Hamas’ practices have come to conform to aspects of democracy’. While there has been an assumption that Hamas oppresses women, for example by ‘imposing’ on them the wearing of the hijab, Hamas women argue that ‘the hijab enables women to operate more freely in a male-dominated public space, while at the same time averting social corruption’. In the 2006 election, women campaigned, voted and were elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council. Rather than treating Hamas as a ‘total spoiler’, Gunning recommends that the West should engage with the pragmatists in the party.
Reviewed by Dr Maria Holt University of Westminster
BAKING AID
Proceeds from the sale of this book goes to Friends of Al-Aqsa Foreword by Friends of Al-Aqsa
Baking Aid for Palestine By Sahema Bapu, pp 43, £4.50
Layered Brownies Milk Chocolate Layer - 5oz butter - chopped - 8oz milk chocolate chopped - 12oz caster sugar - 3 eggs - beaten - 5oz plain flour - 3oz self raising flour - 1 ½ oz cocoa powder White Chocolate Layer - 5oz butter- chopped - 8oz white chocolate chopped - 8oz caster sugar
- 3 eggs - beaten - 3oz plain flour - 3oz self raising flour Preheat oven to 180ºC/Gas mark 4, grease 23cm square cake tin and line base and sides with baking paper. For each layer, melt butter and chocolate in a pan and stir over low heat until mixture is smooth, taking care not to let it boil. Cool until warm. Stir in sugar, eggs, both flours and cocoa until just combined. Spread mixture into prepared pan, and spread white
chocolate layer over the milk chocolate layer. Swirl mixture together with a cocktail stick. Bake in moderate oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, if overbrowning cover pan with foil. Cool in pan then cut into squares. This recipe book can be purchased from our Eid Gift Ideas page. All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Friends of Al Aqsa.
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With Ramadhan just around the corner, we at Friends of Al Aqsa would like to extend our warmest thanks and appreciation to all of you who made last years Ramadhan Campaign such a great success. Because of your help and support, and working together with a charity focussed in Jerusalem, we were able to provide approximately 1,200 iftars during the month of Ramadhan to Palestinians breaking their fasts within Masjid Al-Aqsa. The ‘Feed the Fasting’ project 2009 aimed to help those who could not afford a hot meal as well as to strengthen ties between worshippers and the blessed Masjid. The atmosphere within the Al-Aqsa sanctuary during Ramadhan was peaceful and the ‘Feed the Fasting’ project was said to have made the mosque come alive with joy and hope.
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AQSA NEWS
19
Palestinians Boycott Settlement Goods A campaign encouraging shopkeepers not to stock produce from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank has caused some Israeli factories in the settlements to cut back on production. Approximately 66,000 stores are
to be inspected by a team of volunteers after which, stores successfully meeting the standards will be given certificates and window stickers to display stating that they are free of settlement produce.
Germany Ban IHH Charity Germany has banned Frankfurt-based charity Internationale Humanitaere Hilfsorganisation (IHH) for alleged links to Hamas. The move seems to have been taken following pressure from Israel on countries across the globe to distance themselves
from IHH. However, the German IHH has no relation to the Turkish group with the same name which organised the recent Gaza bound Freedom Flotilla aimed at breaking the siege of Gaza reflecting the absurdity of the move.
Netanyahu Met By Protestors Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the White House in Washington DC to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit on July 6. Protestors demanded that the US government end sending
military aid to Israel. There has been increased global criticism of Israel following its attack on the Gaza-bound aid ship in May which resulted in the deaths of nine peace activists.
IKEA: Goods Delivered To Illegal Settlements Only Swedish radio in June reported that retail giant IKEA will ship to illegal settlements in the West Bank but not to Palestinian cities. The radio’s correspondent based in Israel, Cecilia Udden described her move to Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank and how her request to IKEA Israel to
have her furniture delivered to her new place of residence was denied. The store did notify Udden that her furniture could be delivered to various Israeli settlements across the West Bank. These are settlements that are considered illegal under international law.
White Phosphorus – The Long-Term Consequences During the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip from December 2008-January 2009 in which over 1,400 Palestinians were killed, numerous reports of the use of white phosphorus surfaced from doctors treating patients. Israel repeatedly dismissed the allegations, even when they were repeated by groups such as Human Rights Watch, stating that all munitions used complied with the law. However, due to mounting evidence, coupled with the international outcry, Israel was forced to admit its usage. White phosphorus is dangerously reactive in air and spontaneously catches fire. If allowed to come into contact with skin it causes severe burns. Typically, the chemical is used in war scenarios to create smokescreens, however the Geneva Conventions ban the use of the weapon against civilian populations. This means that the use of white phosphorus in the manner in which it was used during the Israeli attack on Gaza is prohibited under international law. The immediate effects of the weapon when targeted indiscriminately at a civilian population are horrifying. The chemical burns at extremely high temperatures and on direct contact, it can eat through muscle and cut into the bone. Human Rights Group Amnesty International stated that the use of white phosphorus was the cause of
death and injury for dozens of Palestinians during the attack. In a recent report conducted into the use of the weapon during the offensive, Italian experts have warned of long term adverse effects that are now also apparent. The damage caused to agriculture has been devastating. Trees in fields that were shelled with white phosphorus have become noticeably discoloured. Other parts of land have now become barren, and, worse still new plants emerging are showing signs of genetic mutations in addition to the discolouration. Farmers have also complained of stunted growth of crops and erosion to trees. As a result, the produce has been poor and the yield of the har-
vest, low. Following the attack, the Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza sought to prevent farmers from using land that had been shelled due to the health implications. They also warned that water from wells that had been shelled must be avoided. Such implications have understandably exacerbated the situation in Gaza and have caused huge disruption to everyday life for Palestinians who now face further obstacles in earning their livelihood. Genetics Specialist at the University of Genoa Dr. Birch Manduca analysed soil samples following the offensive and discovered the presence of heavy metals due to the effect of Israeli missiles. Molybdenum, a highly toxic
metal which is rarely found in soil, was found in the samples in amounts which are 25 to 3000 times the normal levels. This particular metal can affect fertility and is harmful to unborn babies. Dr. Manduca, who is also a researcher with the Italian team that produced the report, has expressed grave concern at the huge amounts of pollution released during the offensive. The worrying reality is that white phosphorus shells were fired indiscriminately including in densely populated residential areas, thereby causing potentially poisonous and toxic chemicals to be widespread. The long term consequences for the people of Gaza is still unknown.
This Ramadhan, Check the Label.
Don’t Break Your Fast with Israeli Dates
AQSA NEWS
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By Abo Noon
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Palestinians in Jerusalem under Threat For too long now the whole of the Gaza Strip has been under siege, added to this frequent missile strikes and ground incursions have damaged and destroyed pipelines and infrastructure allowing sewage water to contaminate drinking water supplies. This has caused water borne diseases resulting in severe health risks; nonetheless the Palestinians drink this polluted water out of desperation and thirst. Recent months have seen an acceleration in Israeli demolition orders against Palestinian homes in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barakat approved the demolition of 22 Palestinian homes in July. These demolitions will make way for the building of a new tourist park and the announcement was met by international condemnation. Residents of the Silwan district were held by Israeli police whilst bulldozers demolished a horse stable. A short distance away, in Abu Tur, a small warehouse was also demolished by construc-
tion vehicles. These demolitions are seen by Palestinians as active measures being taken by Israel to make living conditions for Palestinians so poor that they choose to leave Jerusalem. Approximately 500 demonstrators, including Palestinian, Israeli and International activists took to the streets of Silwan in protest against the latest demolitions. They were met with brute force by the Israeli forces, who used tear gas, percussion grenades and reported live ammunition. 50 individuals were reported wounded.
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Haneen Zoubi An Arab member of the Israeli Knesset who was on board the Freedom Flotilla was met with fierce criticism and threats on her life on her return from the flotilla. Security guards who are usually reserved for heads of state were to accompany Haneen Zoubi due to the threats of violence against her made by fellow members of Parliament. The Knesset voted in favour of revoking all parliamentary privileges from Ms. Zoubi in what can only be described as a form of pun-
ishment for taking part in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. She will also lose her diplomatic passport and the Knesset will now not cover her legal expenses, according to the decision taken by the House committee. This has been criticised heavily by MPs in Europe, and Ms. Zoubi has been invited to the UK to speak at the House of Commons and raise awareness of what is happening to Arab-Israeli politicians in Israel.
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20/07/2010 14:47