Palestine Update 597
For years; Israel has had its eyes on Golan for strategic military reasons. It also wants a monopoly of the tourism sector in The Golan Heights because there are massive profits in this arena. Israel annexed Golan in 1981 through a Knesset resolution. Even though that was nullified by a Security Council Resolution, Donald Trump in some of his most bizarre decisions gifted Israel, Jerusalem, the Golan and then the settlements! Zionism has not hidden its greed in the Golan since 1918, as David Ben-Gurion drew his conception of the “State of Israel”. In a document in which he stated that the borders of “the Jewish state” should include the entire Negev and part of the Sanjak of Damascus and the districts of Quneitra, Wadi Anjar and Hasbaya. The Zionist entity occupied Golan in 1967 and sought from the first day of its occupation to change its geographical and demographic features, destroying its villages and farms, establishing settlements, displacing its residents, tampering with its monuments, extending its control over all water resources, and laying mines in Agricultural areas and in the vicinity of populated areas and worked to convert many sites and villages into military sites. Any space that Israel eyes as helpful to its interests become part of its design for occupation and colonization. Syrian citizens in Golan refuse to surrender and are steadfast in the face of the Zionist occupation authorities. To them it is their conviction that the Golan will return to their homeland, Syria sooner or later.
On another difficult front we are informed by Sada Social Center, a Ramallah-based social media rights group, that there have been 130 violations against Palestinian digital content on the social media in September 2022, including the permanent removal of 93 accounts. The platforms run by Meta came at the top of the platforms censoring the Palestinian content, with 91 violations on Face book, which varied between deleting posts, restricting access, preventing posting, preventing the use of some features such as live broadcasts and advertisements and participation in groups for a certain period of time, and the permanent removal of accounts. Still on the question of reporting news, WAFA has recorded 26 Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists and media in the occupied territories during September. WAFA stated in its monthly report on Israeli violations against journalists and media outlets that the Israeli occupation forces continued to deliberately target Palestinian journalists with an aim to limit their coverage of the Israeli army practices and violations against the defenseless Palestinian citizens.
Israeli occupation forces have been ruthless in their killing of innocent Palestinians during military assaults. The targets have been young people and those killings are aimed to remove liberation fighters from the younger age group. 175 Palestinians, including at least 29 children, were injured by Israeli occupation forces across the West Bank, of whom 17 were hit by live ammunition. Israeli settlers protected by soldiers also injured eight Palestinians and damaged Palestinian property in 11 instances. During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted 120 search-and-arrest operations and arrested 216 Palestinians, including at least 10 children across the West Bank. The UN has called for an investigation, said OCHA. The UN report also reports confiscation of Palestinian-owned structures in Area C of the West Bank citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits; four of the structures had been provided as donor-funded humanitarian aid. Citizens and were displaced, and the livelihoods of about 270 others were affected. Israeli authorities seal off wells without prior notice. These wells are the sole irrigation source for about 4,000 dunums of cultivated land and are also used for drinking water. These indiscriminate acts affect more than 8,000 Palestinians in surrounding villages.
Other vicious Israeli acts include seeking to diminish the voices of those who speak out socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture. Despite growing strides the Palestinian cause in the USA, criticism of the Israeli government and its treatment of the Palestinians is still the major taboo in US political discourse. Left-Wing Journalist Katie Halper Has Been Fired for Calling Israel an Apartheid State.
The Resistance rages on. The Islamic Movement Hamas organized a mass rally on Saturday under the title “Al-Aqsa is in Danger”, to emphasize the centrality of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Hamas representatives denounced the escalation of Israeli aggressions and violations of the sanctity of the holy mosque. The rally attracted thousands of Palestinians from across the besieged Gaza Strip, brought together a large number of Palestinian political leaders and dignitaries.
Ranjan Solomon
For MLN Palestine Updates
3 October 2022
Source: Palestine Update