freepalestine
7th February 2011, 01:09
January 2011: Wadi Hilweh Information Center Report
Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Silwan
http://uruknet.info/pic.php?f=28silwanic7.jpg (http://uruknet.info/pic.php?f=28silwanic7.jpg)
February 5, 2011
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- The first month of 2011 was marred by escalations in the ongoing political crises of Jerusalem, with increasing numbers of demolitions, arrests, violence and repression of Palestinian protest. This repression has been wanton but by no means random, aimed at several prominent local activists and their families, particularly in Silwan.
In January 2011 the Wadi Hilweh Information Center counted 65 arrest, detention and interrogations in Silwan, 25 of them children. An unknown number of youth were also stopped by Israeli forces on the streets of Silwan, who were subjected to on-the-spot background checks. Two homes were demolished during the month, in addition to a hotel, a kiosk, 2 animal barns and a water well. The latter was cleared along with the 40 dunums of land surrounding it in East Jerusalem, belonging to over 6 Palestinian families.
Frequent clashes between armed Israeli troops, police, settlers and settler guards and Silwan residents resulted in a high number of injuries of Palestinians such as over 30 cases of injury from rubber bullets (including 2 journalists and 3 children under 13 years) and widespread exposure to toxic tear gas fumes (including several pregnant women).
Clashes and injuries
Jerusalem has witnessed sustained periods of violent clashes throughout several areas of East Jerusalem between Palestinians and Israeli armed forces. Clashes were concentrated around Silwan, which saw by far the highest number of injuries. Northern regions of the city also witnessed heavy confrontation in the camps of Shuafat and Anata in addition to Issawiya village, which remains in a perpetual state of tension.
In Silwan alone, injuries sustained due to rubber bullets exceeded 30 cases, including several children and 2 journalists. Many more suffered asphyxiation as a result of tear gas inhalation, including 2 pregnant women. One 10 year old girl was hit in the hand during clashes, sustaining a deep wound. A number of Palestinian properties and their contents have been damaged during violent military raids, including the torching of 2 homes in Baten al-Hawa by gas grenades fired inside. A minimarket in Bir Ayyub and its wares were damaged twice by raiding Israeli troops during clashes in the neighborhood during the month of January.
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baten-elhawa4.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baten-elhawa4.jpg)
Arrests and Detentions
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center recorded 65 arrests and detentions in Silwan alone, including 25 children, who were subjected to police interrogation whilst under detention on pretexts of involvement in clashes or stone-throwing. These figures do not take in to account the greater number of youth who have been stopped and searched or interrogated in the streets of Silwan by Israeli police. A high number of children report violent attacks and beatings during their arrests. Clear collusion has been identified between Israeli police and settlers, who are known to photograph Palestinian youth during clashes in Silwan village or try to obtain photograph evidence of youth on bail breaking their conditions of house arrest, etc.
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic7.jpg
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic6.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic6.jpg)
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic8.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic8.jpg)
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic9.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic9.jpg)
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/silwannet1.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/silwannet1.jpg)
Targeting of Activists
January 2011 was defined by the widespread targeting of Palestinian activists in East Jerusalem in general, and Silwan in particular. Family members of these activists were also targeted by Israeli authorities. The popular committees of Silwan have denounced this escalation in political repression as a new tactic employed by authorities to exert pressure on the community from another angle (as opposed to military presence) to achieve the same end of a Jewish settler majority in Silwan and the eradication of Palestinian identity.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center held a press conference in January to address this issue. The Center called for the support and urgent action of EU diplomats to assist in the protection of the Palestinian right to assembly and expression of their identity in Jerusalem.
The Israeli military invoked a British mandate emergency law to issue an order banishing Al-Bustan Popular Committee member and Silwan secretary-general of Fatah Adnan Ghaith from the Jerusalem area for a period of four months. Israeli forces raided the home of Ghaith after the order had become active, attempting to arrest his eldest son and summoning him to the police station for investigation the same day, and was then subjected to interrogation regarding his father’s political activity.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center director Jawad Siyam was arrested on 4 January and sentenced to house arrest. While Siyam is currently serving his term, Israeli authorities have made clear their intention to indict his nephew. Sheikh Musa Adoueh of al-Bustan Popular Committee was arrested on 26 January and is currently serving a house arrest sentence outside his home in Silwan, in Jabal al-Moukaber village. Two of his sons remain in prison since May of last year. Zuhair Rajabi, an activist from Baten al-Hawa, was arrested and interrogated in addition to several members of his family, most of them children.
:: Article nr. 74655 sent on 06-feb-2011 15:52 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=74655 (http://www.uruknet.info?p=74655)
Link: silwanic.net/?p=11607
Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Silwan
http://uruknet.info/pic.php?f=28silwanic7.jpg (http://uruknet.info/pic.php?f=28silwanic7.jpg)
February 5, 2011
Silwan, Jerusalem (SILWANIC) -- The first month of 2011 was marred by escalations in the ongoing political crises of Jerusalem, with increasing numbers of demolitions, arrests, violence and repression of Palestinian protest. This repression has been wanton but by no means random, aimed at several prominent local activists and their families, particularly in Silwan.
In January 2011 the Wadi Hilweh Information Center counted 65 arrest, detention and interrogations in Silwan, 25 of them children. An unknown number of youth were also stopped by Israeli forces on the streets of Silwan, who were subjected to on-the-spot background checks. Two homes were demolished during the month, in addition to a hotel, a kiosk, 2 animal barns and a water well. The latter was cleared along with the 40 dunums of land surrounding it in East Jerusalem, belonging to over 6 Palestinian families.
Frequent clashes between armed Israeli troops, police, settlers and settler guards and Silwan residents resulted in a high number of injuries of Palestinians such as over 30 cases of injury from rubber bullets (including 2 journalists and 3 children under 13 years) and widespread exposure to toxic tear gas fumes (including several pregnant women).
Clashes and injuries
Jerusalem has witnessed sustained periods of violent clashes throughout several areas of East Jerusalem between Palestinians and Israeli armed forces. Clashes were concentrated around Silwan, which saw by far the highest number of injuries. Northern regions of the city also witnessed heavy confrontation in the camps of Shuafat and Anata in addition to Issawiya village, which remains in a perpetual state of tension.
In Silwan alone, injuries sustained due to rubber bullets exceeded 30 cases, including several children and 2 journalists. Many more suffered asphyxiation as a result of tear gas inhalation, including 2 pregnant women. One 10 year old girl was hit in the hand during clashes, sustaining a deep wound. A number of Palestinian properties and their contents have been damaged during violent military raids, including the torching of 2 homes in Baten al-Hawa by gas grenades fired inside. A minimarket in Bir Ayyub and its wares were damaged twice by raiding Israeli troops during clashes in the neighborhood during the month of January.
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baten-elhawa4.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baten-elhawa4.jpg)
Arrests and Detentions
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center recorded 65 arrests and detentions in Silwan alone, including 25 children, who were subjected to police interrogation whilst under detention on pretexts of involvement in clashes or stone-throwing. These figures do not take in to account the greater number of youth who have been stopped and searched or interrogated in the streets of Silwan by Israeli police. A high number of children report violent attacks and beatings during their arrests. Clear collusion has been identified between Israeli police and settlers, who are known to photograph Palestinian youth during clashes in Silwan village or try to obtain photograph evidence of youth on bail breaking their conditions of house arrest, etc.
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic7.jpg
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic6.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic6.jpg)
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic8.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic8.jpg)
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic9.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/28silwanic9.jpg)
http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/silwannet1.jpg (http://silwanic.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/silwannet1.jpg)
Targeting of Activists
January 2011 was defined by the widespread targeting of Palestinian activists in East Jerusalem in general, and Silwan in particular. Family members of these activists were also targeted by Israeli authorities. The popular committees of Silwan have denounced this escalation in political repression as a new tactic employed by authorities to exert pressure on the community from another angle (as opposed to military presence) to achieve the same end of a Jewish settler majority in Silwan and the eradication of Palestinian identity.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center held a press conference in January to address this issue. The Center called for the support and urgent action of EU diplomats to assist in the protection of the Palestinian right to assembly and expression of their identity in Jerusalem.
The Israeli military invoked a British mandate emergency law to issue an order banishing Al-Bustan Popular Committee member and Silwan secretary-general of Fatah Adnan Ghaith from the Jerusalem area for a period of four months. Israeli forces raided the home of Ghaith after the order had become active, attempting to arrest his eldest son and summoning him to the police station for investigation the same day, and was then subjected to interrogation regarding his father’s political activity.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center director Jawad Siyam was arrested on 4 January and sentenced to house arrest. While Siyam is currently serving his term, Israeli authorities have made clear their intention to indict his nephew. Sheikh Musa Adoueh of al-Bustan Popular Committee was arrested on 26 January and is currently serving a house arrest sentence outside his home in Silwan, in Jabal al-Moukaber village. Two of his sons remain in prison since May of last year. Zuhair Rajabi, an activist from Baten al-Hawa, was arrested and interrogated in addition to several members of his family, most of them children.
:: Article nr. 74655 sent on 06-feb-2011 15:52 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=74655 (http://www.uruknet.info?p=74655)
Link: silwanic.net/?p=11607