Palestine Update 639
_Comment_
Israel’s obstinate malice and Palestinian’s obdurate resistance
Israeli forces have developed a new habit of beating up Palestinian
worshipers at the Al-Aqsa mosque recurrently. Any pretext will do as
long as it is punitive and damaging physically and psychologically to
the Palestinians. A UN expert has condemned these brutal attacks by
Israeli forces on Palestinians praying at AlAqsa. Francesco Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur has urged the international community to step up efforts to hold the occupying power accountable before the situation spirals further out of control.
An Israeli [1] foreign ministry tweet scolding Palestinian [2] children
for playing football on the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque has been condemned and branded hypocritical on social media. The Israeli ministry posted a video [3] with the caption: “Meanwhile, soccer matches are being held just next to the mosque. Is this how the sanctity of the place is being maintained?” The retorts came thick and fast: “The irony is so thick! You talk about sanctity while disregarding Palestinian lives”.
International opinion remains prejudiced against the Palestinians thanks to outlets such as the BBC whose reportage ‘propagandises’ for
Israel and, in fact, enables Israeli violence. Francesca Albanese has
also called out the BBC’s awful reporting.
A Middle East Monitor reports how, in the midst of Ramadan, despite
warnings multiple sources; Jewish settler groups announced its menu for conflict and political tension. They asserted they would celebrate
Passover in Al-Aqsa Mosque, where thousands of Muslims will be spending their days and nights in various acts of worship.
Palestinians refuse to be cowed down by all these threats The
Palestinian resistance factions affirmed “that the threats of the
leaders of the defeated and deterred Zionist enemy will not frighten the
Palestinian people and their valiant resistance but will be met with an
escalation of resistance, revolution and uprising in all its forms
against the criminal enemy entity and its settlers. The factions called
for the continuation of the journey to al-Aqsa Mosque and the
intensification of crowds from all cities, villages and camps of the
homeland in order to defend its Islamic sites in the face of the
Zionist-Talmudic attack, especially in the ten days of the blessed month
of Ramadan”. This threat has carried weight because it is expected
that Netanyahu will not allow settlers to enter the mosque complex durng the period. Netanyahu has to cope with variance from the extreme far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who believes that stopping the settlers, is “surrendering to terrorism”.
The struggle remains tense with the ongoing Nakba and the ongoing
‘Intifadas’ happening in tandem.
On behalf of MLN Palestine Updates
Ranjan Solomon
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Al-Aqsa: Israeli tweet scolding Palestinian children for playing
football ‘hypocritical’
_Israeli foreign ministry hit out at Palestinian children for disturbing
‘sanctity’ of holy site by playing football_
An Israeli [4] foreign ministry tweet scolding Palestinian [5] children
for playing football on the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque has been condemned and branded hypocritical on social media. The Israeli ministry posted a video [6] on Saturday night of teenagers playing football with the caption: “Meanwhile, soccer matches are being held just next to the mosque. Is this how the sanctity of the place is being maintained?”
Hundreds of social media users hit out at the use of the word
“sanctity”, given that Israeli forces stormed the site [7] over two
successive nights last week. “Is this your lame excuse to beat the
worshippers up violently, during the holy month of #Ramadan? The irony is so thick! You talk about sanctity while disregarding Palestinian
lives,” one wrote.
Source [8]
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Special Procedures @UN_SPExperts
#Israel: UN expert condemns brutal attacks by Israeli forces on
Palestinians praying at #AlAqsa on Wednesday. @FranceskAlbs urges intl community to step up efforts to hold the occupying power accountable before the situation spirals further out of control:
Full statement: [9]
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John Minto: Israeli attacks on Al Aqsa mosque – and the failings of
media
The last fortnight has seen a series of brutal, deliberately provocative
Israeli attacks on Palestinian worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Needless to say, Israel had no business interfering in Muslim worship at Al Aqsa, the third holiest shrine for Muslims after Mecca and Medina, and an area which is not under their authority or control. Despite this, Israeli attacks on Al Aqsa have intensified in recent years as the apartheid state strives to undermine all aspects of Palestinian life in Jerusalem. It is applying ethnic cleansing in slow motion. Inevitably missile attacks on Israel from Gaza and Southern Lebanon followed and Israel has reveled in once again trying to portray itself to the world as the victim.
Initially reporting here in New Zealand was reasonable and clearly
identified Israel as the brutal racist aggressors attacking Palestinian
civilians at worship. However, within a couple of days media reporting
deteriorated dramatically with the “normal” appalling reporting
taking over — painting Palestinians as terrorists and Israel as simply
enforcing “law and order”. At the heart of appalling reporting for a
long time has been the BBC which slavishly and consistently screws the
scrum in Israel’s favour. The BBC does not report on the Middle East
– it propagandises for Israel. Journalist Jonathan Cook describes how
the BBC coverage [10] is enabling Israeli violence and UN Special
Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, called
out the BBC’s awful reporting in a tweet. There is an excellent
10-minute video in which former Palestinian spokesperson Hanan Ashrawi more than held her own against a hostile BBC interviewer here [11].
Israel is in a downward spiral of self-destruction
The sight of Israeli police storming the holy mosque of Al-Aqsa with
their boots and batons, beating worshippers amid clouds of tear gas, was appalling. Hundreds of Palestinians were bound and driven away like cattle in the most inhumane way.
Yes, the holy month of Ramadan is here and what everyone was warning about happened in the worst possible way. “Everyone” includes the Israeli media, the Israeli government, the Israeli security forces, the Palestinians, the Arab states, the Europeans and the Americans, who all anticipated a wave of violence during the fasting month, not least because it coincides with the Jewish Passover (and, this year, Easter). Jewish settler groups announced that they were going to celebrate Passover in Al-Aqsa Mosque, where thousands of Muslims will be spending their days and nights in various acts of worship.
One of the reasons for the Aqaba Summit between the Israelis and the
Palestinians on 26 February was to de-escalate the tension in the
occupied West Bank prior to Ramadan starting. Representatives from
Jordan, Egypt and the US also took part. The US proposed a plan to
de-escalate and stop Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. According
to the US State Department, the Joint Communique following the meeting in Aqaba on 26 February said that Israel and the Palestinian Authority reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground and to prevent further violence; Israel committed to stop discussions about any new settlement units for four months and to stop the authorisation of any settlement outposts for six months; and the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem is to be upheld and
unchanged in word and practice, with an emphasis on the Hashemite
Kingdom’s custodianship and special role in this regard.
Read full article in Middle East Monitor [14]
Resistance factions: Enemy will pay price for any attack, its threats
will not frighten Palestinian people and their resistance The Palestinian resistance factions affirmed on Tuesday that the threats of the leaders of the defeated and deterred Zionist enemy will not frighten the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance but will be met with an escalation of resistance, revolution and uprising in all its forms against the criminal enemy entity and its settlers. The factions called for the continuation of the journey to al-Aqsa Mosque and the intensification of crowds from all cities, villages and camps of the homeland in order to defend its Islamic sites in the face of the Zionist-Talmudic attack, especially in the ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan. It considered that the battle with the Zionist enemy has become fierce and requires concerted efforts to achieve victory over the enemy and thwart all its plans and conspiracies.
The factions saluted the Palestinian people in all squares and fronts,
headed by the steadfast and worshipers in al-Aqsa Mosque, adding that
the steadfastness and painted pictures of glory will remain engraved in
the Palestinian memory, confirming that Al-Aqsa Mosque belongs to
Muslims and Arabs despite the arrogant Zionist enemy. They stressed that this entity will pay the price for any attack and the Palestinian people will continue to teach the enemy lessons in resistance, adherence to rights, and defense of al-Aqsa Mosque, regardless of the sacrifices.
The resistance factions addressed the peoples of the Arab and Islamic
nation and the axis of resistance, headed by the Islamic Republic of
Iran, with salutations, pride, and pride for the effort and active role
in supporting the Palestinian cause and supporting the Palestinian
resistance and the Palestinian people. The resistance factions called on
all the people of the nation to be strong and impenetrable in the face
of all conspiracies and schemes that seek to plunder the nation’s
resources, fragment its unity, and divert its compass from the real and
central enemy of the nation and its people.
Source: [15]
‘Mesaharati’ wakes Gaza’s residents for early Ramadan meal
Every year during Ramadan, Gaza’s residents are woken up by mesaharatis, who drum and sing to make sure people rise in time for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal. Most people now have digital alarm clocks on their mobile phones, but mesaharatis such as Ammar Rajeh are keeping this tradition alive, bringing excitement and joy to children in his neighbourhood every morning before fasting begins.
View images [16]
Al-Aqsa: settlers await Netanyahu nod to storm mosque during last 10
nights of Ramadan
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding discussions
with the heads of the security agencies and police, as well as ministers, regarding Jewish settlers storming Al-Aqsa Mosque during thelast ten nights of Ramadan, which hold particular significance for Muslims. According to Haaretz, he is expected to announce his decision later today.
Observers believe that he will not allow settlers to enter the mosque
complex from tomorrow, Wednesday, which is the final day of the Jewish Passover. However, some security officials are also opposed to allowing the settlers to enter Al-Aqsa today. A compromise is likely, making today the last day that they can do so until after Ramadan. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Netanyahu has held four meetings so far on the issue. It said that these disagreements arise from the opposition of extreme far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who believes that stopping the settlers is “surrendering to terrorism”.
Source [17]
Palestine Updates from Movement for Liberation from Nakba is a clearing house for historical and current information about happenings in the colonised Palestinian territories. It covers news and analysis as well as global campaigns, reports from Israeli peace movement initiatives, and critiques of Israel’s colonialist apartheid policies in Israel and Palestine which impair peoples lives.
13 April 2023