My Agenda

Friday, July 13, 2012

Torture story from 2003!

A few days ago a friend posted a meme on facebook, the meme was made of a Picture of a Palestinian art student playing violin at Beit Eiba checkpoint near Nablus. The meme has the good intention of showing how brave Palestinians are, facing the Israeli military oppression with music. Yet remembering the year 2004, when this picture was taken, we and the student appearing in the picture considered it a huge insult to the Palestinians in general and to us, students in particular, it was nothing but another attempt by the Israeli fascist to humilate the Palestinians!

As we argued about the picture, I remembered a story in which the victim encountered an extreme brutality reflected by the Israeli fascist. When I went back home I looked up the report my friends wrote about this case, after reading it, I decided to Post it again. So here you go;

Qasem arm with Star of David curved on it

Qasem used to leave the city of Nablus once every two weeks in order to visit his family in Qalquilia for the weekend, after attending classes at An-Najah National University. At the end of last week, on Wednesday April 30th 2003, he was passing through the Surrah checkpoint on his way back home, when he was faced by two Israeli soldiers. One of them was a Captain. Qasem was one of 6 male students and 20 female students, all returning to their families in Qalqilia.

Qasem was asked by one of the soldiers if he spoke Hebrew, answered in the affirmative. He was then asked to tell all the students to go back, that they were not allowed to pass the checkpoint. Qasem complied. The male students obeyed the order, while the female students did not move. The soldier spoke again, this time ordering Qasem to move the girls too, all the while cursing him.

The Israeli soldier was angry with Qasem, questioning him, checking his bags as well as his body. While he was checking the student's body, he noticed a spot on his arm, a burn mark. “It is the result of joking between me and my friend,” said Qasem. The soldier, laughing at his ability to bear pain, then took a piece of glass and broke it and, taking Qasem`s arm, began to cut into it a Star of David.

Qasem, feeling pain, started to move. The soldier, who was also the Captain, beat him on his legs, and pulling the arm to him continued his “painting”. Qasem noticed that the soldier drew the star perfectly. With the mutilation completed, Qasem saw that he was losing much blood, but he was not allowed to scream or even to complain. The Captain told Qasem that was enough, and “Isn't this star more beautiful than the other mark?” “Right?” He was then permitted to leave, not properly through the checkpoint but on a rough road. The soldier was apparently angered at news of a new resistance operation in Tel Aviv.

Throughout this two hour experience, Qasem was alone with the Israeli soldiers, terrified that he would be killed, his family knowing nothing of his whereabouts. It was especially difficult, given that he had not been home for a month. He was completely humiliated and a great deal of his time was wasted.

Qasem the Law student is again in Nablus, attending his classes at An-Najah University, but he will not go back to see his family until he has finished this semester. He also has a very embarrassing tattoo to live with, on top of everything else.

Best

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

No Pride in the Israeli Apartheid

It was a good day, beside the fact my dentist put me in pain! but in general it was a Good day.

Let me start with the first reason, Mahmoud Sarsak is finally home, after 3 years of unlawful detention, and the longest hunger strike in the history of the Palestinian prisoners movement, as his hunger strike lasted 96 days.

I will shut up now, main point is Mahmoud Sarsak is back to embrace his mother!

The second reason was this video Surf_Fox sent me less than hour ago, I must admit, at first I ignored it, but when I started watching, I couldn't stop smiling!

Its from London world pride, in the video participants in the pride expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people, and their opposition to the Israeli pink washing policies.

The video is the result of No pink washing efforts. No pink washing is a group of Palestine campaigners, trade unionist and socialist based in Britain, as they described themselves in the website.

Best
A

Sunday, May 13, 2012

“Molkho’s” Visit to Occupied Ramallah in Light of the Prisoners Strike

May,13,2012

Occupied Ramallah- Local and international news agencies informed us last night, 12 May, that the Palestinian political establishment met with the representative of the Israeli apartheid regime, Isaac Molkho, in Ramallah to deliver the latter’s response to a previous letter that was sent by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on 17 April.

This visit coincides with the ongoing open-ended hunger strike waged by Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons for 27 consecutive days, in a crucial and strategic battle in which the role of the prisoners’ movement in the Palestinian national struggle is restored. This movement is raising fair demands to guarantee the treatment of political prisoners and detainees according to international humanitarian law, especially the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions.

Rather than boycott and isolate the Israeli apartheid regime for their unrelenting crimes against our people, and foremost against our prisoners, the Palestinian political establishment decided to receive and honor the representative of the Israeli apartheid regime, the same regime our prisoners are fighting against, as if the crimes committed against our prisoners are perpetrated by someone else.

Our political prisoners are waging an immense battle on their own, because they have no illusions that the "peace process" can set them free or guarantee their dignity. They are armed only with their willpower and unity. Neither we nor they expected the PLO to choose Palestinian Prisoners Day, 17 April, which also coincided with the day of the beginning of the hunger strike, to deliver a letter to the Israeli prime minister nor to receive a representative of the apartheid regime.

Molkho's “visit” comes at a time when, Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, have gone for 76 days without food in protest of the Israeli administrative detention policy. Additionally, Hasan Al-Safadi has gone without food for 70 days, Omar Abu Shallal for 68 days, Mahmoud Al-Sarsak for 56 days, Mohammad Taj for 57 days, Jafar Ezzedine for 53 days, and Abdullah Al-Barghouthi for 32 days.

Our political prisoners have struggled for our dignity and have sacrificed their lives to make the PLO the sole representative of the Palestinian people, and they deserve that we stand honorably to support them.

Therefore, we demand that the PLO:

· Stop all negotiations and meetings with the Israeli apartheid regime.

· Use its political, economical and moral weight in support of the prisoners’ strike and formulate a national strategy to liberate the prisoners.

· Respect and protect, at the next PLO Executive Committee, the free will of our political prisoners and the sovereignty of the prisoners’ movement in its decisions.

Palestinians for Dignity

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

UN Closed

Today a group of Activist closed the entrance of the UN offices building in Ramallah, demanding a direct and serious actions from the UN to help saving the lives of the Palestinian prisoners in hunger strike.

UN closed Poster

Before taking this actions the protesters sent a message to the UN with their demands, the message "see below" asked the Ban Ki-Moon and the UN to help saving the Palestinian hunger strikers in the Israeli prison complex.

Their inaction triggered our action.

Police was there

Prisoners families joined us too

Leaving marks

The Message we sent to the UN

May 10, 2012

His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon

Secretary-General of the United Nations

New York

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

We, Palestinians for Dignity, represent a network of movements and individuals united in the struggle to achieve equality, justice and freedom for the Palestinian people wherever they reside. In your capacity as the United Nations Secretary General and in support of the rule of International law, we are writing to urge you to take urgent action to stop Israel’s continued violations of the rights of the over 4,600 Palestinians currently held in Israeli jails.

Over 1,600 Palestinian prisoners initiated on April 17^th an open-ended hunger strike to protest abuse at the hands of the Israeli Prison Service and to demand that their basic rights be respected. Hundreds more prisoners joined the hunger strike since then bringing the number of hunger strikers up to an estimated 2,500 prisoners. Their plight has become even more urgent with the deteriorating health condition of eight prisoners, five of whom are held under the illegal practice of administrative detention, and some of whom have been on hunger strike for over two months.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel said yesterday that the lives of Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla are in danger, and demanded that Israel transfer them to a civilian hospital, without moving them back and forth to the prison. Israel has thus far refused to do so, highlighting Israel’s disregard for the lives of Palestinians. The cruel, inhuman and degrading practices that Palestinian prisoners are subjected to include denial of access to medical care, torture, solitary confinement, limits to family visitation, violations of children’s rights and bans on education, not to mention hundreds of them were never charged or given legal due process and are being held in Administrative Detention..

We note with disappointment your silence ever since this protest movement began in December 2011 with Khader Adnan’s arbitrary arrest and subsequent hunger strike. This stands in stark contrast to your vocal and persistent remarks in support of formerly incarcerated Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Though Shalit has been released, Palestinian prisoners are still suffering under the so-called “Shalit Law”, which imposed harsher measures on their conditions of detention.

We remind you of your responsibilities as Secretary-General of the UN. We invoke the norms of international law that guarantee basic rights to Palestinian prisoners, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions, the UN Convention Against Torture and the World Medical Association Malta Declaration on Hunger Strikers.

We urge you to take a firm and vocal position in opposition to Israel’s abuse and violation of Palestinian prisoners’ rights and encourage, through UN mechanisms at your disposal, measures of accountability for these violations. We urge you to take an official position in linewith the Palestinian prisoners’ demands and to encourage member states to stand against these gross human rights’ violations. We await your urgent response.

Sincerely,

Palestinians For Dignity

Copied:

Navanethem Pillay UN Commissioner for Human Rights

Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process

...

REMEMBER:

Bilal Diab 72 days of hunger strike

Thaer Halahleh 72 days of hunger strike

Hassan AlSafadi 66 days of hunger strike

Omar Abu Shalal 64 days of hunger strike

Muhamad Taj 53days of hunger strike

Mahmoud Sarsak 52 days of hunger strike

Jaafar Azzedien 49 days of hunger strike

Abduallah Al Barghoti 28 days of hunger strike

more than 1500 23 days of hunger strike

Sunday, April 15, 2012

What a shame he didn't mash his face!

An Israeli Army officer was caught on tape beating a Danish citizen during the the bicycle protest that took place last Saturday, April 14,2012.

the video

Israeli right wing newspaper Ynet-"yediot ahronot"-ran the story about the video both on it's Hebrew and English website, the piece is very normal, witness said so and so, IDF spokesperson: Blah Blah Blah, its not why I write this post.

When I read the article "I read the English one" I didn't pay any attention to the comments section, but my fellow tweep @Palestine52, who read the Hebrew version was outraged with the Israeli comments on the incident, so in attempt to expose the rooted racism in the Israeli society against everything related to Palestine, he started and translate and post those comments on the hashtag #YnetTalkbacks.

Before I leave you with some of the translated comments check out the comments on the English version.

Link to the article

Translated comments, you can find many others on #YnetTalkbacks

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