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40 Palestinian Authority Organizations Attack Bi'tselem
On 21.6.01 B'Tselem issued a press release entitled 'B'Tselem condemns Palestinian statements supporting attacks against settlers'. As Palestinian organizations, we believe that the timing of this release, which coincides with an intense and misleading media campaign in support of illegal settlement by the Israeli Occupation Authorities, is inopportune and only serves to give the impression that settlers are "civilians" on par with the indigenous Palestinian population. Moreover, the release came as a response to the settlers' appeals for Israeli human rights organizations to take a position against the killing of "innocent" and "civilian" settlers, and to issue a statement condemning the positions and statements of the PNA officials regarding attacks on settlers. Instead of rushing behind the security establishment and responding to the settlers' pressure, we believe that B'Tselem should focus its attention on the ongoing gross human rights violations that are occurring in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and should remain independent by maintaining an honest and unbiased position based on international humanitarian law and human rights principles. A clear major problem with this release is the way in which it divides the issues of the illegality of settlements, settler violence, and settlers illegal status from the issue of violence against settlers, and how its wording plays with the legal provisions of international law. The press release effectively places the blame for current violence on Palestinians who are the victims of the settlements and settlers' acts. The release does say that settlements are illegal, but qualifies this by stating that, "the settlers have no right to settle there permanently". This in effect legitimized the settlers "temporary" presence in the Occupied Territories and does not pay attention to the relevant legal provisions. B'Tselem should explicitly declare that international law bans the occupied country from transferring its citizens to the occupied territory, and must state that the presence of settlers in the occupied territories is illegal, even for an interim period. Consequently, B'Tselem should take responsibility towards Israeli society by addressing it in brave and clear language that reveals the illegality of settlements and the agony they cause to the Palestinian people. Contrary to all legal conventions the press release also says that, "the demand to evacuate the settlements in the context of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement is legitimate." No qualifications should be placed upon the right to demand the removal of settlements. They are blatantly illegal under international law and B'Tselem should demand that the Israeli Occupation Authorities dismantle the settlements and return the settlers to Israel even without an agreement. Until this is done, all settlers should be held liable for their crimes, which include the act of settlement, committed in the occupied territories, and must bear the consequences of their actions, which include Palestinian acts taken in self defense against their illegal aggression. If B'Tselem had lain down the various "legal" and "human rights" it would be clear that the relationship between the law and its provisions and the issue of settlers and settlements can not be divided. By leave all legal provisions out of the content its release and dividing the illegality of settlers' actions from the consequences of these actions, B'Tselem indicates two things. First, they indicate either a failure to understand or a disregard for the legal provisions that relate to settlement, and second, they seem to be attempting to turn around the relevant provisions by stripping them of their content disregarding their objectives. In this case, B'Tselem's release in effect, "legalizes" the "illegal" settlements, and justifies the Interim presence of settlers in the Occupied Territories, in effect giving settlers an open door to continue to commit crimes and undertake illegal acts against Palestinians. In our attempt to further explain our dismay over this release, and the political implications of the language used in the release, we will primarily depend on humanitarian law and international human rights standards to indicate the potential risks that are inherent in the B'Tselem release. The rules and the provisions of humanitarian international law are set forth through the following legal standards: First Article 49 (6) of the 4th Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in time of War states that "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies". Under this explicitly clear provision all steps that have been taken by the Israeli Occupation Authorities in relation to the transfer and settlement of its citizens to the Palestinian Occupied Territories are illegal. Actions taken in contravention of this Article have resulted in severe violations of the rights of the Palestinian residents of the Occupied Territories. These violations include, but are not limited to the confiscation of Palestinian natural resources, including land and water, for use by settlers. These actions are also in violation of International Law and the provisions of international humanitarian law, which prohibit the confiscation of property and resources for reasons other than security. Consequently, the presence of settlers in the occupied territories, and all forms of settlement are illegal. Second: The Israeli Occupation Authorities have used all means within their power to illegally take possession of Palestinian owned lands, to build settlements, and to transfer settlers to these locations. The land acquired by Israel for the building of settlements was often confiscated after being declared "government property", "absentee property", or after being sealed for use as closed military zones. In most cases the Israeli government then built military posts on these lands, as with the so called "MAHAZ", "MAHOLA B" and "Warrior Youth Pioneer". These posts often later evolved into settlements. An example of this is the expropriation of the lands surrounding "Beit El" military post, following the Supreme Court decision in case No. 606/78. These lands were later turned into a large civil settlement, which swallowed much of the surrounding Palestinian territory. Additionally, settlements are considered an integral part of the "territorial defense" system, the Hagana Merhavat, in Hebrew, and often serve both military and civilian functions. Settlements, and therefore settlers cannot be viewed as truly "civilian". In view of the above, we the undersigned Palestinian organizations, condemn B'Tselem's position that ignores the fact that all forms of settlement are illegal and qualify as war crimes. We also reiterate the Palestinians People's right to resist the occupation and its consequences by all available legal means guaranteed by international customs and conventions. Statement signed by:
Text of Knesset Members Letter to EU Complaining of Interference With Israeli Internal Affairs
The European Union represents democratic states. Its democratic character is an inherent part of its nature. As such, it should refrain from any attempt to influence the internal democratic process of another democratic state. We, the undersigned members of the Israeli Knesset, would like to express our shock and outrage at this attempt at achieving political purposes by extending financial support to Israeli citizens and groups. As the elected representatives of a democratic, free society, we strongly oppose such attempts at influencing our state's domestic politics and the policies of our government, by financial means. In light of the gravity of these activities, we expect the European Union to take the following measures: Discontinue the financial support to Israeli non-profit organizations that are politically oriented; Publicly disclose the list of Israeli groups/institutions/organizations which receive financial support from the European Union. The citizens of Israel will thus be informed as to those organizations that are influenced by, or are serving foreign interests, and EU member-states will be apprised of the objectives of the of the expenditure of their money. Considering that the European Union is a democratic institution, that represents free and democratic nations, we are certain that it will act out of similar respect for the sovereignty and freedom of the State of Israel. Respectfully yours, No./Title/Name/Faction in the Knesset
Iranian airlift sends more arms to Hezbollah - via Damascus Int'l Airport
The equipment was then transported to the storage facilities of the Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon, and to the Hezbollah. Security experts estimate that some of the equipment will be smuggled to Palestinian organizations in the territories. Iranian assistance via Hezbollah to Palestinian organizations that attack Israel, is increasing. In addition to extensive efforts to smuggle equipment, weapons and ammunition, the Hezbollah has also started training Palestinian guerrillas in Hezbollah bases in the Beka'a Valley in Lebanon. Intelligence also shows that the Hezbollah had direct links with Palestinian cells operating in the territories - in addition to the ties it cultivates with Fatah. One center for such links is the city of Nablus in the West Bank. It is thought that the guerrilla infrastructure the Hezbollah is setting up in the territories is intended to be deployed to disrupt any future cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The large airlift is believed to be a response to the urgent need of the Revolutionary Guards and the Hezbollah for additional equipment in Lebanon. The previous route used by the Iranians to airlift equipment to the Hezbollah in Lebanon crossed over Turkey. However, following a request by Ankara that Iranian flights over Turkey en route to Damascus declare the nature of their cargo, the flights were stopped. The current airlift is believed to have crossed over Saudi Arabian and Jordanian airspace on its way to Syria. The pace of weapons transfers to the Hezbollah in Lebanon was shown in the past to be dictated by security developments in Lebanon. Following the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from south Lebanon in May last year, Iran sought to replenish the military stores of the Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guards stationed in Lebanon According to Israeli estimates, the Hezbollah has some 7,000 Katyusha rockets. This essay appeared in Ha'aretz on July 17, 2001
Official Palestine News Agency terms Orient House "the Palestine Liberation Organization's headquarters in East Jerusalem"
Husseini, who held the portfolio for Jerusalem in the PLO, died in Kuwait of a heart attack about 40 days ago. The Orient House issued a statement calling the occupation banning order "a provocation and a slander against the legacy of peace and tolerance represented by the late Faisal al-Husseini". It said it would defy the ban and go ahead with the memorial ceremony. The late Husseni , was the man who symbolized the Palestinian hopes of making the holy city the capital of a future state of Palestine, was buried at Haram al-Sharif. This release was issued on July 17, 2001 and available at: www.wafa.pna.net/EngText/17-07-2001/page002.htm
Israel Internal Security Chief Avi Dichter:
In his semi-annual briefing to the MKs, the head of Israel's secret service said that the deaths of Israeli Arab demonstrators and subsequent incitement by the leadership of Israeli Arabs brought about the outbreak of the hostilities in the territories. He said that there is a "worrisome" separatist movement growing in the Israeli Arab community, for both religious and nationalist reasons. According to Dichter, MK Azmi Bishara is one of the key leaders of the nationalist movement. He said that most Israeli Arabs regard the events of last September and October as a mistake, but there is a growing emotional identification - within legal means - with the Palestinian Authority among Israeli Arabs. Dichter gave the MKs a tour d'horizon of the state of the Palestinian organizations involved in hostilities against Israel. He said that Tawfik Tirawi's General Intelligence force "co-opted" the Tanzim and Force 17, which were responsible for dozens of terror attacks against targets in the West Bank and inside Israel proper. But since last month's cease-fire arrangements brokered by CIA chief George Tenet, Tirawi's groups have ceased their terror activities, Dichter said. Tirawi's people have begun taking preventive action, except that they don't put suspects in jail but rather in "hotel-like" conditions. Furthermore, he said, the Palestinians are not conducting interrogations or investigations, which means there's a limited intelligence picture about planned terror attacks. By April 2000, there were indications that trouble was already brewing, he said, when some rank and file members of Palestinian security organizations, such as Mohammed Dahlan's Preventive Security force in Gaza, began conducting terrorist activity. Eventually, Dahlan began commanding those operations. But since the Tenet agreement, he said, Dahlan's organizations has ceased involvement, except for a few individuals. A similar phenomenon took place with regard to the Tanzim, Fatah-related youth movement, which Dichter said was under the complete command of Yasser Arafat. Two organizations that have not taken part in any of the terror activity against Israel have been Jibril Rajoub's Preventive Security force in the West Bank and the National Security force. Dichter surprised the committee by saying that he favored a fence between Israel and the West Bank, similar to the one between Israel and Gaza. A Jewish terror cell, not an underground A Jewish terror cell is already operating in the territories, Dichter told the MKs, but he refrained from referring to it as a Jewish underground similar to the 27-member conspiracy that existed in the early 1980s and was eventually arrested by the Shin Bet. He said that the cell has committed three shooting attacks on Palestinians in the Ramallah and Halhoul areas. One Palestinian was killed and four others wounded, he said. Up until a few months ago there was a large measure of self-restraint on the part of Jews in the territories, but there has been an upsurge of anti-Palestinian activity, mostly in the form of vandalism, he said. The violent line in the settlement movement is led by members of Kach and Kahane Hai, as well as others in the radical right. Dichter said that he handed over to the police the investigation into the explosion in Kach activist Noam Federman's car, after reaching the conclusion that there were no "strategic" arms involved. The weapons found in the car on Monday were mostly "the type of equipment reservists who don't respect the law take home from the army," including smoke grenades, stun grenades and flares. He said the explosion was probably the result of poor handling of the material. Grim numbers Dichter summed up the Intifada's statistics for the MKs, telling them that since the outbreak of the Intifada 136 Jews have been killed and 1,308 wounded by attacks, while 531 Palestinians have died, with 68 of them under the age of 16. This article ran in HaAretz on July 18, 2001
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