Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses. Share the link of this article with your facebook friends

 

Israeli Occupation Apartheid Regime Continues Abduction of Palestinians, Siezes Tax Funds to the Palestinian Authority

April 30, 2020 

Editor's Note:

While brutal force has been used to create Zionist Israel and sustain it thus far, Zionist claims to Palestine are false. Actually, from the five thousand years of known written history, there has been a continuous Palestinian-Canaanite presence in the Holy Land. Despite the Zionist false claims, the ancient Israelites ruled part of the land for only 85 years (during the reign of David, Solomon, and Solomon's son).

 After that, the Egyptians conquered Palestine-Canaan in 925 BC, followed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, before the Arab Muslim rule, starting from 636 AD.

By the Time Jesus started his mission, the three population groups of Canaanites, Palestinians, and Israelites were melted together in religion and language. Most of them became Christians when Constantine converted in 313 AD. Then, most of them became Muslims in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

So, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews are the ones who have the right to claim descent from ancient Israelites, Palestinians, and Canaanites, not Zionists from other continents.

The following news stories are just examples of the Israeli occupation government violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis.

More detailed news stories can be found at the following sources:

http://english.wafa.ps/, https://english.palinfo.com/, https://imemc.org/, https://paltoday.ps/ar/

 

Israeli occupation soldiers abducting Palestinians in the West Bank, file, April 30, 2020	Israeli Apartheid Wall in Qalandiya, file, April 28, 2020

Israeli Occupation Forces Abducted 40 Palestinians during First 6 days of Ramadan

 April 30, 2020 4:34 AM  IMEMC & Agencies 

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Studies, said on Wednesday, that Israeli occupation troops abducted 40 Palestinian residents, since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, last Friday.

Spokesperson for the center, Riyad Alashqar, was quoted as saying that the Israeli occupation forces have exposed lives of Palestinian prisoners to danger, by continuing to abduct them under the spread of the coronavirus, across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Alashaar strongly criticized the Israeli authorities for conducting their abductions during the holy month of Ramadan, in which Palestinian families celebrate, gathering together in prayer and around 2 important meals, one prior to beginning a fast, and the other to break the fast.

“Among those abducted during the holy month of Ramadan, were 6 Palestinian teens from occupied East Jerusalem. In addition, Israeli authorities in east Jerusalem summoned the wife of late Palestinian, Misbah Abu Esbaih and took her to the Maskoubiya interrogation center”, the center’s spokesperson maintained.

The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Studies called on all relevant local and international prisoners institutions to pressure the Israeli government to halt all its oppressive policies against the Palestinian people, mainly the continued arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of Palestinian civilians.

Israeli Occupation Forces Abduct Five Palestinian Youths in East Jerusalem Neighborhood

 April 28, 2020 7:39 PM  IMEMC & Agencies 

Israeli occupation troops in East Jerusalem, southern occupied West Bank, abducted five Palestinian youths, early on Tuesday, from the al-‘Isawiya neighborhood.

Local media sources and witness said that Israeli troops invaded the al-‘Isawiya Palestinian-populated neighborhood and invaded several homes.

Sources added that the soldiers conducted thorough searches of homes, before abducting five young men, identified as Adel Mahmoud, Mahmoud Dawood, Majd Mahmoud, Mohammad Altutanjy and Hussein Obaid.

The youths were reportedly taken to the Almaskoubiya detention and interrogation center in the old city of Jerusalem.

Over the past several weeks, Palestinians have rejected the increased arrests campaigns by Israeli forces in the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel has increasingly conducted abductions of Palestinians in the occupied city of East Jerusalem, over what Israel calls official intervention in Palestinian neighborhoods, with respect to stopping the spread of the Coronavirus.

Palestinian Youth Abducted from Qalandia, Several Suffer Tear-gas Inhalation in Hebron

 April 28, 2020 7:08 AM  Ali Salam Hebron

Israeli occupation forces attacked, on Sunday night, several Palestinian youths in al-Fawwar refugee camp in southern Hebron, southern occupied West Bank, in addition to abducting one in Qalandia, in the Jerusalem district, Days of Palestine reported.

Local sources said that Israeli soldiers invaded al-Fawwar camp and brutalized some Palestinian civilians near a local cemetery.

Residents of the refugee camp revealed that the troops were provoking Palestinian volunteers monitoring citizens for coronavirus, according to the Palestinian WAFA News Agency.

The soldiers tried to coerce the volunteers to leave, leading to confrontations, which troops reacted to by opening fire towards the local Palestinian civilians with tear-gas canisters and rubber-coated metal rounds.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said they provided medical treatment to 6 Palestinians suffering the toxic effects of tear-gas inhalation and transported them to Yatta Hospital.

Also of note, in the Jerusalem district, Israeli forces in a civilian vehicle, stormed an apartment building in Qalandia, where they assaulted a Palestinian youth prior to abducting him, Days of Palestine further reports.

Important to note that another Palestinian youth was abducted by Israeli forces in Bethlehem, southern occupied West Bank.

~ WAFA, Days of Palestine

Israeli Occupation Troops Abduct a Palestinian Youth from Bethlehem

 April 27, 2020 8:31 PM  IMEMC & Agencies 

Israeli occupation troops abducted, on Monday, a Palestinian young man from the southern occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Local media sources and witnesses said that Israeli soldiers broke into and vandalized the home of Laith Youman, 19, before they abducted him.

The sources, on Alsaf Street, noted that the Israeli troops stormed the street, before they invaded the Youman family home.

Almost on daily basis, Israeli occupation forces invade Palestinian villages, towns and cities and carry out abduction operations of local Palestinian youth.

Currently, Israel holds around 5,000 Palestinian prisoners, inside more than 20 Israeli detention centers and facilities in Israel and the West Bank.

The detainees include the elderly, patients with chronic disease, women and children under the age of 18.

Image: Addameer

Illegal Israeli Settlers Uproot Dozens of Palestinian-owned Olive Trees

 April 27, 2020 8:11 PM  IMEMC & Agencies 

Illegal Israeli settlers, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, uprooted on Monday, at least 40 Palestinian-owned olive trees.

Chief of the Israeli settlements profile, Ghassan Daghlas, reported that the settlers invaded the Saqya village, south of Nablus city and began uprooting 40 old olive trees, owned by local Palestinian farmer, Mohammad Yousef.

Colonial settlers’ attacks on Palestinian farm lands have been frequent over the past several years, with Israel accelerating illegal settlements construction on Palestinian-owned lands.

In related news, a group of illegal settlers, invaded As-Sawiya town, south of Nablus and chopped off 33 olive trees belonging to local farmer, Hamad Saleh Jazi.

Image: WAFA

Two Palestinians Shot, Injured by Israeli Occupation Army Fire in Kufur Qaddoum

 April 26, 2020 9:01 PM  Ali Salam Human rights

Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire, on Saturday, towards local Palestinian civilians in Kufur Qaddoum, wounding two with rubber-coated metal rounds, while intentionally shooting at and damaging water tanks on rooftops of homes, local sources reported.

Morad Eshteiwi, Coordinator of the Popular Committee in Kufur Qaddoum, told Quds News Network that a large army force invaded the village in the Qalqilia district of the occupied West Bank.

Eshteiwi added that the troops showered Palestinian homes with live and rubber-coated metal bullets, injuring two Palestinians. One was reportedly struck in the neck while the other was shot in the face, both men were rushed to the local hospital by locals.

Important to note that a young Palestinian man was struck with a rubber-coated steel bullet, fired by Israeli forces during weekly protests in Kufur Qaddoum village, on Friday.

~ QNN

Image: Days of Palestine

Israeli Occupation Troops Abduct Several Palestinians from Hebron and Jerusalem

 April 26, 2020 7:33 PM  IMEMC & Agencies 

Israeli occupation troops reportedly abducted, on Sunday at dawn, several Palestinian youth from both the West Bank city of Hebron and the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem.

Palestinian sources in Hebron said that both Ali Fatafta and Kayed Fatafta, were abducted by Israeli troops who broke into and vandalized their homes in the Tarqoumia village, south of Hebron.

In the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem, local sources reported that Israeli soldiers abducted, on Sunday afternoon, three Palestinian youth and then transferred them to an interrogation facility.

Palestinian media sources reported that the Israeli police in East Jerusalem, abducted youth Mohammad Halaby, after they broke into and vandalized his home in the old city of east Jerusalem. The sources said that Halaby was taken to an Israeli interrogation center nearby.

By this latest Israeli abduction, the number of those abducted by Israeli troops in occupied East Jerusalem, has reached five in the past 24 hours.

Earlier, Israeli troops had abducted two youth from al-‘Isawiya and Altour neighborhoods.

Israeli Occupation Troops Open Fire on Palestinian Farmers in Southern Gaza

 April 25, 2020 8:54 PM  IMEMC & Agencies 

Israeli occupation troops opened heavy fire, earlier Saturday, towards Palestinian farmers east of Khan Younis city, south of the Gaza Strip.

Local media reports said that Israeli soldiers, stationed on the Israeli side of the border fence between Gaza and Israel, fired tear-gas canisters and some live ammunition, towards local farmers, while the latter were bending down in labor.

The reports added that the farmers fled their farm lands immediately after Israeli troops opened fire. No causalities were reported.

Frequently, Israeli army forces, stationed along the Israeli border, open fire towards Palestinian farmers in eastern and northern besieged Gaza Strip.

Very often, the Israeli gun fire causes casualties and forces local farmers to leave their workplaces, in fear, making it very difficult to tend to their land, negatively affecting their ability to make a living.

Image: Ma’an 

***

Palestinian Officials Denounce Israeli Seizure of Tax Funds

 April 27, 2020 7:58 AM  IMEMC & Agencies 

A number of Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah, condemned on Sunday, the Israeli occupation apartheid regime seizure of Palestinian Authority’s (PA) tax funds, considering this piracy against the Palestinian people.

Hussien Elsheikh, Minister of Civil Affairs with the PA, confirmed today that the Israeli Magistrate Court in the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem, issued a verdict, allowing the Israeli government to seize a sum of 450 million Israeli shekels (Around 110 Million US Dollars).

Elsheikh’s statement comes just a few weeks after Israel seized a sum of 59 million Israeli shekels.

The funds are tax money, collected by Israel on behalf of the PA under the Oslo Accords, signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), back in 1993.

Recently, Israel has indicated its intention to seize the tax funds, as a percentage of the money goes to the families of Palestinian martyrs and prisoners inside Israeli jails.

Last week, Israel sent a warning that it would impose a penalty on Palestinian banks that deliver monthly salaries to families of those martyrs killed by Israel, and those imprisoned by Israel, who Palestinians consider heroes of freedom.

Meanwhile, member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Dr. Ahmad Majdalani, was quoted as saying “We reject such a decision and we will start moving against it, worldwide, for this violates international legitimacy resolutions and international law”.

Majdalani asserted that those deducted funds are exclusively Palestinian and therefore, the Palestinian leadership should go for all possible options to restore them.

Over the past few years, Israel has repeatedly warned the PA against giving monthly stipends for Palestinian families, whose members have been either killed or imprisoned by Israel.

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has responded firmly by saying that his authority would continue paying those families, and considers the Israeli seizure as piracy and in stark breach of Palestinian internal affairs.

Image: Days of Palestine

***

The Israeli apartheid regime may ask for doubling its usual $3.8 billion from the U.S this year

 April 28, 2020 2:53 AM  If Americans Knew 

Defense magazine reports that the Israeli occupation apartheid regime may ask to get its yearly aid ahead of time, and possibly twice as much as usual… But 26 million Americans out of jobs and U.S. companies closing due to coronavirus might object… A petition proposes: ‘Israel has received over $10 million per day, year after year. This year it’s time to keep our money home.’

By Alison Weir – If Americans Knew

Breaking Defense, a digital magazine that covers military issues, reports that Israel may ask for its U.S. aid early, possibly in a lump sum that could be as high as $7.6 billion.

This would work out to almost $21 million per day from American taxpayers, even though the U.S. is approaching a $4 trillion deficit (the largest in the world), and Israel typically has a lower unemployment rate than the United States.

The report is by Breaking Defense Israel correspondent Arie Egozi, an Israeli citizen who served in the Israeli military and is close to the Israeli security establishment.

Egozi’s article states that because of the coronavirus pandemic, “Israel’s Ministry of Defense and high command have hammered out an emergency plan for an appeal to Washington.”

The article, which carries a Tel Aviv dateline, reports: “Sources here say the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing Israel to ask Washington to make major changes to the [aid] agreement, including a request to receive the annual allocation $3.8 billion earlier than planned.”

U.S. aid to Israel is normally disbursed in October, in a lump sum that is deposited to an interest-bearing Israeli account in the New York Federal Reserve Bank. (Since the U.S. has been operating at a deficit, this means that the U.S. government borrows the money and pays interest on it long after it has gone out.)

Potentially $14,000 per minute from American taxpayers

In addition to receiving the aid earlier than usual, a “senior source” quoted by Egozi suggests that Israel may request that the aid expected for 2024 also be disbursed this year.

If that happens, it would work out to nearly $21 million per day, or $14,460 per minute to Israel from American taxpayers suffering from a devastating hit to the U.S. economy.

Moreover, it is highly likely that when 2024 comes around, the advance would be forgiven, as have numerous U.S. “loans” to Israel, and Israel would get the aid again.

The current aid to Israel is based on a 2016 agreement by the Obama Administration to give Israel $3.8 billion annually for the next 10 years – a total of $38 billion, touted as the largest such aid package in U.S. history. Overall, Israel has received more U.S. aid than any other country, on average, 7,000 times more per capita than others.

While the Obama Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a non-binding agreement, Israel has received this sum every year since it was signed. Israel advocates in Congress are currently seeking to cement it into a law that would permit this amount to go even higher in the future.

A ‘wild idea’ that might not appeal to Americans

Egozi reports that the former president of Israel Aerospace Industries, Joseph Weiss, said asking for the money ahead of time is “a wild idea,” but said it “makes sense in the special conditions created [in Israel] by  the pandemic.”

However, it’s unlikely that this would make equivalent sense to Americans, who have been at least as hard hit by the pandemic.

Over 26 million Americans so far have lost their jobs, and many U.S. companies are facing bankruptcy. A comment below Egozi’s article suggests how Americans would respond to a massive outlay to Israel this year:

“Why do Americans put up with all this money going to Israel when millions of them have no healthcare, no job, and are eating from food banks?”

To deflect such outrage, Israel partisans in the U.S. typically defend the aid by saying that it eventually goes to U.S. defense companies. However, they fail to mention that millions of the dollars go to Israeli companies that compete with American businesses, often leading to job losses in the U.S. No other country receiving U.S. military aid is allowed to do this.

In addition, many Americans feel that Israel should use its own money to purchase its weaponry, as the U.S. does. They point out that if Americans wished to subsidize weapons companies, the U.S. government could simply purchase items for American use.

Similarly, a growing number of Americans object to the uses Israel makes of U.S. weapons, regularly deploying them in violation of both international law and U.S. law (also this).

However, the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. is extremely influential in both political parties, and U.S. media rarely report on aid to Israel, so the lump sum could slip through without notice.

An administration official recently said that Israel would not need to worry about money “even if there is a depression.”

Petition by Council for the National Interest

A critic of the aid, former CIA officer Philip Giraldi, points out that Israel is not an ally, and that it has often “done damage to the United States.” Giraldi, who is currently executive director of the Council for the National Interest (CNI), notes that Israel often spies on the U.S. and has stolen American technology. It also tried to sink a U.S. Navy ship, killing 34 Americans and injuring over 170.

Giraldi is asking people to sign a petition by CNI: “Stop the $3.8 Billion to Israel.”

The petition states: “…We need to take care of Americans and not send our tax money to a wealthy foreign country. Israel has already received billions of dollars from American taxpayers. It has received over $10 million per day, year after year. This year it’s time to keep our money home.”

Alison Weir is executive director of If Americans Knew, president of the Council for the National Interest, and author of Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.

***

Share the link of this article with your facebook friends