Sorry, Democrats: Your NRA Is Spelled AIPAC

Bought is bought.

10/05/2017 12:47 pm ET Updated 1 day ago

CHIP SOMODEVILLA VIA GETTY IMAGES

Congressional Democrats really hate the National Rifle Association and its success in shutting down debate on gun policy through intimidation — from cutting off campaign contributions, to funding opponents, to launching primaries, to simply making legislators’ lives miserable through harassment.

Leading gun control Democrats, like Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), rightly understand that, in his words, “we must break the grip of the NRA” if we are ever going to see Congressional action on guns.

Meanwhile Blumenthal, and most of his Democratic colleagues in both Houses, are in the grip of a foreign policy lobby as powerful as the NRA, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC. (Republicans, who come to their militant support for Israeli policies instinctively, don’t warrant AIPAC arm-twisting but Democrats, invariably dovish on all foreign policy issues except Israel, certainly do.)

AIPAC uses the same tactics as the NRA to ensure that the United States never deviates from support for whatever policy the Israeli government is pushing at the moment. These days those policies are: undermining President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, suppressing efforts by Americans to use selective boycotts to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza, and, as always, to prevent anypressure on Israel to advance peace with the Palestinians despite the fact that the United States provides more aid to Israel than to any other country.

Having worked in the House and Senate for 20 years, I saw all of AIPAC’s tactics first hand. I also worked at AIPAC itself where, in the very office in which I sat, I watched my colleagues working hard and effectively to end the careers of politicians who deviated from the AIPAC line. (In the interests of honesty I should admit that I had no problems with AIPAC when I worked there. It was only years later, while working on Capitol Hill, that I came to understand that the policy of undeviating support for the Israeli government was not in American interests and that AIPAC sustained that support through rather scary intimidation).

But that is a whole story on its own. I want to focus on how some of the same Democrats who, rightly, are outraged that their Republican colleagues appear to be owned by the NRA act precisely the same way when it comes to the lobby that keeps them on a leash, AIPAC.

As I wrote here in HuffPost in July:

The latest evidence of that slavishness {to AIPAC] comes in the form of growing support among Democrats in both Houses for legislation sponsored by Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and co-sponsored by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that would make it felony for Americans to support the international boycott against Israel, commonly known as BDS. Anyone guilty of violating the prohibitions will face a minimum civil penalty of $250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison.

According to the ACLU, the Cardin legislation would “bar U.S. persons from supporting boycotts against Israel, including its settlements in the Palestinian Occupied Territories (emphasis mine) conducted by international governmental organizations, such as the United Nations and the European Union. It would also… include penalties for simply requesting information about such boycotts. Violations would be subject to a minimum civil penalty of $250,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison….This bill would impose civil and criminal punishment on individuals solely because of their political beliefs about Israel and its policies.”

The Cardin bill is frightening and, if applied in any other context but the Israeli one, would be inconceivable. But all rules are suspended when it comes to the country about which former Vice President Joe Biden said “there must be no daylight, no daylight” between its policies and those of the United States. Yes, he actually said “no daylight” twice and, no, it is inconceivable that any American leader would say that about any other country, including Canada!

So, naturally, some Democrats — including Senators Schumer (NY), Cantwell (WA), Bennett (CO), Hassan (NH), and Wyden (OR)—and House members including Hoyer (MD), Kennedy (MA), Lieu (CA), Lowey (NY), Schiff (CA), Sinema (AZ)) — are supporting this unconstitutional legislation because AIPAC tells them to. Worst of all, in both houses, it is Democratic support that will enable the legislation to pass and become law.

But it’s not all bad news. First, the number of Democratic co-sponsors for this AIPAC initiative is much lower than for past efforts when it has usually approached 100 percent. That is because the ever growing progressive base of the Democratic party (Sanders and Clinton supporters both) is finally challenging legislators who are progressive on everything but the Middle East.

In the case of the Cardin bill, one Democratic senator, Kristin Gillibrand (NY), took the unusual step of formally removing her name as co-sponsor after meeting with constituents including ACLU lawyers. And Sen. Cardin’s fellow Maryland senator, Chris Van Hollen, in his first year in the Senate, took the unusual step of breaking with his senior colleague over the bill despite heavy AIPAC lobbying and because his progressive constituents did not allow AIPAC to monopolize the debate as it usually does. Maryland opponents of the Cardin bill have been showing up wherever Maryland legislators appear for months now, including at Cardin events.

In short, while the NRA’s chokehold on Republicans seems tighter than ever, AIPAC’s grip on Democrats is loosening as younger and more progressive activists flex their political muscles. This is all good. And bodes well for the future.

The job. however, is to make all Democrats understand that while we support their positions on other issues, Middle East policy is the real litmus test.

After all, most Democrats are not subject to unrelenting pressure from lobbies and donors who oppose their positions on equal rights, guns, climate change, choice, etc. And even if they did, they almost always come from states or districts where the progressive position dominates.

That is why, for them, the test case is the Middle East: supporting peace, sovereignty, and security for Israelis and Palestinians both, as well as supporting the Iranian nuclear deal which is opposed by Israel and its lobby but viewed as indispensable by every other nation on the planet.

Otherwise, they can just shut up about Republicans being owned by the NRA. Bought is bought.

Natalie Portman is right to criticize Israel: A reader explains

After the ‘Black Swan’ actress declined to attend a ceremony in her honor, she was the target of backlash. But she’s right to denounce Israel’s practices, says one reader.

Letter to the editor: 

I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Recently, Natalie Portman notified the Genesis Prize Foundation, which awards what it calls the “Jewish Nobel,” that she would not take part in the ceremony taking place this June in Jerusalem. Portman said NO to the prize, which comes with $2 million, because recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her, and she doesn’t feel comfortable participating in any public events in the region.

Portman added that she could not “in good conscience” move forward with the ceremony. How could she?

Just in the last three weeks, the Israeli Defense Forces used gun fire to disperse peaceful Palestinian protesters near the Israeli border killing men, women and children, and injuring thousands.

More: On Jerusalem, Donald Trump ended a quarter century of lies

Portman, who was born in Jerusalem and left for the U.S. at age 3, never served in the IDF. One can safely argue that she never killed or injured a Palestinian.

The slaughter by IDF in the Gaza Strip has shocked Jews around the world. Yet, some call her a self-hating JewIf Israeli Jews can criticize the U.S. government, why can’t Portman? Truth is, Portman represents the conscience of the silent Jewish American majority. She refused to be honored by the blood-soiled hands of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Worst President In The History of The U.S.A.

In an article I read recently on the pages of the internet, the author, supported research findings on data, ranked the presidents of the United States from the first one to the current. The ranking was from # 1 (the worst) to # 45 (the best).

Just when I thought that George W. Bush was, and will forever be, the worst president this country has ever had and will ever have, Donald Trump proved me wrong. Congratulation Mr. President, you always want to be #1, now you are.

Not a day goes by without watching on different TV shows and programs,  the hosts and guests dissing and making fun of Donald Trump. You almost want to feel sorry for the guy, but when you hear what he said and see what he did, you would ask yourself, is that all they have to say about him?

If we were to list all the stupid decisions and the blatant lies this narcissistic, full of sh*t person has ever made, we will write a 1000 page book. In his statements, he shows his ignorance, stupidity, racism…. here’s a video to give you an idea.

When Donald Trump was running for President of the United States, he said: I know people, a lot of good people that will help me run the country. When he won the election and became President, he hired in his cabinet, the incompetent, the immoral, the unethical, the liar, the thief, the raciest, and the ignorant, just to name a few of their qualifications. You see….Donald Trump wanted to hire people who have comparable qualities to his own.

Among the most disheartening and saddest things he’s done is ordering the separation of the children from their parents at the southern borders. To make the matter worse, his government kept no records of the kids’ whereabouts, which makes it very difficult, if not impossible to reunite them with their parents someday. How sad!! I wonder, how would he feel if someone takes his grand kids and lock them up in cages?? Not only that he defended this despicable action but he claims that Obama did it and he’s the one who freed them.

The things he and his goons say and do blow my mind and makes me wonder, the people who elected him, what in the world were they thinking? or were they? They were definitely misled, lied to and deceived. Everyone makes mistakes and I hope this was a mistake that they regretted and wished they could take back. Because he is a rich man, some working class people thought that he will change their lives and make them rich like him or at least better off. Hopefully, they realize by now the errors in their thinking and will never do it again. It’s very doubtful that Donald Trump will win a second term after his true color was revealed to the public. It’s doubtful that he will even finish his first term. Hillary Clinton said that half of his supporters should be put in a basket of deplorables. I disagreed with her then, but if he runs for a second term, whether he wins or loses, all his supporters surely belong in Hillary’s basket.

It seems that the president thrives on bad deeds and making people in this and other countries angry and disgusted at his actions. Just hearing the mention of his name or seeing him on TV makes me cringe. His policies and decisions made the United States the laughing stock of other countries. He claims to love this country and the people but he has done nothing but hurt the people he claims to love.

LRC: Israel demolished 6,000 homes in Jerusalem

Land Research Center states that Israel has been systematically demolishing Palestinian neighborhoods since 1967.

A Palestinian boy looks on as municipality workers demolish a house in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Tzur Baher, Tuesday, October 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)
A Palestinian boy looks on as municipality workers demolish a house in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Tzur Baher, Tuesday, October 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

A new Palestinian report reveals that Israel demolished five thousand homes in Jerusalemsince 1967 as well as the demolition of neighbourhoods in the eastern part of the city.

The report, issued by the Land Research Center (LRC), also noted that the 380,000 Jerusalemite Palestinians need 2,000 new housing units annually, and that half of them today live in unlicensed homes.

Permits

According to the report, Jerusalem’s municipality has put in place a series of procedures that would make Palestinian construction in Jerusalem impossible.

  • According to UN data, Israel approved only 1.5 percent of all requests for building permits submitted by Palestinians between 2010 and 2014.
  • According to the LRC report, only 12% of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem can be used for urban development, of which only 7% is zoned for residential housing.
  • An earlier report by the Israeli NGO B’tselem confirms those findings, saying that “some 15% of the land area in East Jerusalem (about 8.5% of Jerusalem’s municipal jurisdiction) is zoned for residential use by Palestinian residents, although Palestinians currently account for 40% of the city’s population.”
  • As of 2017, more than 20,000 housing units have been built without permits in East Jerusalem.
  • The cost of a permit is estimated at $30,000 a home.

Displacement

  • In 1948, Israeli forces demolished 39 villages around Jerusalem and displaced about 198,000 Palestinian residents.
  • The report also says that about 6,500 Jerusalemites left before the 1948 war and about 30,000 after the war.
  • 16,000 Jews were housed in homes and dwellings whose Palestinian owners were expelled between September 1948 and August 1949.
  • In 1967, 70,000 Jerusalemites were displaced, including Jerusalemites who were outside the city and were prevented from returning to it.
  • Since 2000: According to the detailed report, Israel demolished 1,706 homes between 2000 and 2017, displacing 9,422 Palestinians, including 5,443 children.
Shock: The First Crusade and the Conquest of Jerusalem

How Stephen Hawking supported the Palestinian cause

The renowned scientist, who has passed away, will be remembered not only for his work, but his support for Palestine.

Hawking made headlines in May 2013 when he decided to boycott a high-profile conference in Israel where he was scheduled to speak [File: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]

Stephen Hawking, the world-renowned scientist who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 76, was known not only for his groundbreaking work but also for his support for Palestine.

Hawking, who had motor neurone disease, made headlines in May 2013 when he decided to boycott a high-profile conference in Israelwhere he was scheduled to speak.

The physicist was working at the Cambridge University in the UK at the time.

The Presidential Conference, an academic event held in Jerusalem, was being hosted by the late Israeli President Shimon Peres.

In a letter Hawking sent to the organisers on May 3, he said the “policy of the present Israeli government is likely to lead to disaster”.

“I accepted the invitation to the Presidential Conference with the intention that this would not only allow me to express my opinion on the prospects for a peace settlement but also because it would allow me to lecture on the West Bank.

“However, I have received a number of emails from Palestinian academics. They are unanimous that I should respect the boycott. In view of this, I must withdraw from the conference.

“Had I attended, I would have stated my opinion that the policy of the present Israeli government is likely to lead to disaster,” the letter read.

And, with the approval of Hawking, the British Committee for Universities of Palestine, an organisation of UK-based academics to support the academic boycott of Israel, said in a statement at the time: “This is his independent decision to respect the boycott, based upon his knowledge of Palestine, and on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts there.”

Hawking’s decision was widely celebrated by Palestinian activists and academics.

“Palestinians deeply appreciate Stephen Hawking’s support for an academic boycott of Israel,” Omar Barghouti, a founding member of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement (BDS), said.

“We think this will rekindle the kind of interest among international academics in academic boycotts that was present in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.”

Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian-American journalist, wrote: “When we look back in a few years, Hawking’s decision to respect BDS may be seen as a turning point – the moment when boycotting Israel as a stance for justice went mainstream”.

Support for Palestinian students

Hawking’s sympathy with the Palestinian cause extended beyond a boycott of Israel.

Last year, he asked his millions of Facebook followers to contribute financially to the Palestinian Advanced Physics School – a physics lecture series for masters students in the occupied West Bank.

“I support the rights of scientists everywhere to freedom of movement, publication and collaboration,” he wrote.

Screenshot from Stephen Hawking’s official Facebook page calling on his followers to raise funds

Hawking also publicly congratulated in a video on his Facebook page Hanan al-Hroub, a Palestinian woman who won the Global Teacher Prize for 2016.

“You are inspiration to people everywhere,” he said.

“In a society torn apart by conflict, where children are regularly exposed to violence, Hanan Al Hroub is building trust and supporting children suffering psychological trauma – from the heart of her classroom.”

More than 100 Jewish studies scholars sign petition opposing Trump declaration

More than 100 Jewish studies scholars sign petition opposing Trump declaration
© Getty

More than 100 Jewish studies scholars have signed a petition condemning President Trump‘s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

In a petition released Thursday — just days after Trump’s declaration — more than 110 signatories from universities and colleges around the country called on Trump to rescind the declaration.

“We write as Jewish Studies scholars to express our dismay at the Trump administration’s decision to reverse decades of bipartisan U.S. policy by declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and authorizing the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv,” the petition reads.

“A declaration from the United States government that appears to endorse sole Jewish proprietorship over Jerusalem adds insult to ongoing injury and is practically guaranteed to fan the flames of violence.”

The petition, which links to the Israeli human rights advocacy group  B’Tselem, accuses the Israeli government of perpetrating “systematic inequalities” against the Palestinian people.

“Palestinian residents of Jerusalem endure systematic inequalities, including an inequitable distribution of the city’s budget and municipal services, routine denial of building permits that are granted to Jewish residents, home demolitions, and legal confiscation of property for Jewish settlement,” the petition argues.

“In addition, Palestinians in the West Bank, unlike Jewish Israelis resident in that territory, require a special permit to visit Jerusalem’s holy sites,” it adds.

In an event at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said that declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s recognized capital was “the right thing to do.”

“This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It’s also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done,” Trump said.

Trump also announced a plan to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Avis to Jerusalem.

The decisions have sparked criticism from Arab and world leaders and violence in Gaza.

As secretary of state, Kerry blamed Israel for lack of peace with Palestine: reports

By Ray Downs  |  Nov. 8, 2017 at 11:13 PM

Tuesday, Israel’s Channel 10 aired recordings of Kerry blaming Israel for the lack of peace between it and Palestine. File Photo by Daniel Bockwoldt/EPA
Nov. 8 (UPI) — Israel’s Channel 10 published recordings Tuesday of former Secretary of State John Kerry blaming Israel for the lack of peace between it and Palestine.

The recordings are said to have been made during a conference in Dubai in 2016. Kerry is heard praising the Palestinian Authority for its commitment to nonviolence while the majority right-wing Israeli government refuses to engage in peace talks.

“This is overlooked by the general [Israeli] population because it is not a topic of discussion. Why? Because the majority of the cabinet currently in the current Israeli government has publicly declared they are not ever for a Palestinian state,” Kerry said, according to the Times of Israel.

Kerry also accused Israel of not allowing Palestinians to freely exercise their civil rights, which he said could backfire.

“If you see 40,000 kids marching up to the wall everyday with signs saying ‘give us our rights,’ I mean, I don’t think Palestine is going to be immune forever to the civil rights movements that have swept other nations in the world, and somehow, Israel is ignoring this today.” Kerry said, according to i24News.

He added: “If you don’t have leaders who don’t want to make peace, if the equation doesn’t change, I’ll be amazed if within the next 10 years if we don’t see some young [Palestinian] leader come along who says we have tried non-violence for the last 30 years and look, it hasn’t gotten us anything.”

In a response to Kerry’s remarks, the office for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will continue its policy on Palestine, despite “those who tried to prod [Israel] to make dangerous concessions and failed.”

‘It’s an injustice’: Life after Israeli demolitions

Families of Palestinian attackers struggle to adapt after Israel razed their homes in a controversial, punitive policy.

A small portion of Umm Nidal’s home was left intact after the Israeli demolition [Jaclynn Ashly/Al Jazeera]

by: 

Ramallah, occupied West Bank – Hassan Ankush leaned on his cane as he limped through the charred rubble of the home he lived in for four decades in the village of Deir Abu Mashaal.

“Killing my son was not enough for the Israelis,” he told Al Jazeera. “They had to come and destroy my home, too.”

Like other Palestinian families whose relatives committed attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis, Ankush is not accused of any wrongdoing. He is among the latest victims of Israel’s widely condemned policy of punishing families of Palestinian assailants by demolishing their homes.

According to Israeli rights group B’Tselem, thousands of Palestinians have been displaced by home demolitions. The Israeli government claims the goal is deterrence, but B’Tselem spokesman Amit Gilutz describes it as a form of “collective punishment” and a blatant violation of international law.

‘Nothing else they can do to hurt us’

Ankush recalls the day he learned of his 18-year-old son’s death during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “We were having iftar at a neighbour’s house when we heard the news that three Palestinians were killed after carrying out an attack in Jerusalem,” Ankush told Al Jazeera, his large, sad eyes wandering across the scattered remnants of his old home.

Ankush’s other son, Tareq, called him several minutes later, telling him that his brother, Adel, could be one those killed.

“I didn’t believe it,” Ankush said. “Adel is still just a kid. What could drive him to carry out an attack like that?”

But when Ankush arrived home that evening, the neighbourhood was gathered around his house. “May your son rest in peace,” his neighbours told him.

“My body became frozen,” Ankush said. “I didn’t think my son was capable of something like this.”

‘Killing my son was not enough for the Israelis. They had to come and destroy my home, too’ [Jaclynn Ashly/Al Jazeera]

On June 16, Adel, along with two other youths from Deir Abu Mashaal – Osama Atta, 19, and Baraa Atta, 18 – carried out an attack around the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem, fatally stabbing Hadas Malka, a 23-year-old Israeli police officer. All three were shot dead by Israeli forces at the scene.

Ankush learned all of this from the local news. The Israelis have not provided any information to him personally. “The only official information provided to me was Israeli forces raiding my home and handing me a notification declaring that my house would be demolished.”

While Muslims around the world celebrated the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which follows Ramadan, the residents of Deir Abu Mashaal cancelled all festivities. Instead, they donned black T-shirts with images of Adel, Baraa and Osama and marched silently through the village.

Last month, Israeli forces raided Deir Abu Mashaal and razed all three families’ homes. Ankush’s house was blown up after Israeli forces placed explosives around the premises.

“Of course, we will feel a loss and face difficulties after our home was demolished,” Ankush said. “But they killed our son. There’s nothing they can do that will hurt us any more than that.”


INTERACTIVE: Broken Homes – A record year of Israeli demolitions


Ankush’s home housed six people, including Adel’s 11-year-old sister, Maisa. Even before the demolition, it was hard for the family to make ends meet. Now, they must rent a house in the village. Ankush is still recovering from a stroke that paralysed him four years ago, so it is up to his wife to support the family.

Maisa’s temperament has abruptly changed since Adel’s death and the home demolition. According to Ankush, she has become quick to anger and suffers from anxiety. Asked about Israel’s punitive home demolition policy, Maisa bluntly told Al Jazeera: “It’s an injustice.”

The home demolition is just one of a string of punishments meted out to the family in the wake of Adel’s death. One week after the attack, Ankush’s wife was detained for 15 days by Israeli authorities, and she now faces charges of alleged incitement following the attack. Ankush himself was detained and interrogated for four days, but no charges were brought.

Israel has also withheld the bodies of Adel, Osama and Baraa since the attack. Although a case to release their bodies, along with six others, was pending in Israel’s Supreme Court, Israeli authorities buried four of the bodies this month in the “cemetery of numbers” – graves in Israel marked only by numbers, where hundreds of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces are believed to be buried.

Ankush has no idea whether his son’s body will ever be returned, and he believes Israel’s policies are an attempt to “torture” Palestinian families. “My son committed a crime, and they killed him. They [Israelis] got their justice. Why do they still have to steal his body from us and destroy our home?”

‘They want to destroy his memory’

Baraa was the youngest of his siblings. Israeli authorities only once permitted him to visit Jerusalem, when he was eight, said his mother, Umm Nidal. The second time he visited Jerusalem, he entered without permission and died there.

Shortly before his death, Baraa had spent around four months in Israeli prison for working in Israel without proper documentation. He was detained alongside his older brother, Mohammad, and his brother-in-law, Munther. A week after he was released, he carried out the attack.

Israeli forces raided Umm Nidal’s house on a nightly basis following the attack. According to the family, at least 15 of Baraa’s friends in the village were detained by Israeli forces, three of whom remain in jail.

After Israeli prison authorities realised that Mohammad and Munther were related to Baraa, their status was updated to “security prisoners” and Munther was placed in solitary confinement, Tahani, Baraa’s sister and Munther’s wife, told Al Jazeera.

During the raids, Tahani said that soldiers tore down posters the family had pasted on the walls of the home, along with other images of Baraa, Adel and Osama posted around the village. At times, Israeli soldiers stabbed the images of the attackers’ eyes with a knife, Tahani said.

Baraa’s sister, Tahani, stands next to posters of the three slain Palestinians [Jaclynn Ashly/Al Jazeera]

When Israeli forces came to demolish the family’s home, there were only women and children inside.

“A soldier asked me to get the children out of the house. As I was trying to calm the children down, the soldier was screaming at me,” Umm Nidal said. “The soldier, standing right in front of me, shot me with a sound bomb in my hip.”

Dozens of Israeli soldiers then rushed the house, shooting tear gas at the family, she said, noting that even the children began choking from the gas. An Israeli bulldozer then uprooted their two-storey house.

“A house will never be as valuable to me as my son’s life,” Umm Nidal said, sitting in front of her other son’s house, where she now resides. Rows of posters displaying images of the three slain Palestinians have been plastered to the walls. “But each corner of that house reminded us of Baraa. Now, it’s all gone.”


READ MORE: Why does Israel keep the bodies of Palestinians?


During the demolition, Umm Nidal said she pleaded with the soldiers not to uproot the tiled floor of the courtyard, constructed by Baraa – but regardless, they partially destroyed it during the demolition process.

“I was devastated when the soldiers did this,” she said. “It was like they wanted to destroy any sign that Baraa had existed.”

In the days after the demolition, village residents got together and helped to reconstruct the tiles. Umm Nidal said that while the demolition has affected her family psychologically, the tight-knit community in Deir Abu Mashaal has been a comfort. “No one here will ever be sleeping on the streets,” she said.

For Tahani, the demolition of the family’s home has eroded her memories of Baraa. “Baraa was such a shy kid,” she said. “That house was filled with memories of him. Even the bathroom; that’s where Baraa would hide if my mom or I invited other women to the house while he was home … He would only come out once our guests were gone,” she added with a laugh.

The family described Baraa as a quiet, well-behaved young man, but despite this, they were not surprised he had carried out an attack.

“Israeli policies do nothing but build up hatred,” Umm Nidal said.

“Look at all these kids,” she added, gesturing to a group of children playing in the open area where their house once stood. “They are growing up seeing their friends and siblings detained and killed. Almost every night, they witness soldiers raid the village and break into people’s homes.

“Israel demolished their house right in front of them,” she continued. “These kids from a very young age realise what is going on around them. So why are Israelis surprised when they grow up to hate them?”

UN slams Israel for ‘de-development’ of Palestine

New report reviews effects of Israel’s 50-year occupation of the Palestinian territories and settlement growth.

by: 

Zena al-Tahhan is an online journalist and producer for Al Jazeera English.

A new UN report has strongly condemned Israel for the “de-development” and “deteriorating humanitarian conditions” of the Palestinian territories of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, brought about by Israel’s 50-year occupation.

The report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), published on Tuesday, said the performance of the Palestinian economy is “far below potential”, while unemployment has persisted at levels rarely seen worldwide since the Great Depression.

“2017 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; the longest occupation in recent history. For the Palestinian people, these were five decades of de-development, suppressed human potential and denial of the basic human right to development, with no end in sight,” the report states.

Key findings
  • Israeli settler population growth rate has surpassed the Palestinian population growth rate; current settler population stands between 600,000 and 750,000
  • 10 percent of the Palestinian labour force is employed in Israel and the settlements
  • Unemployment rates are 42 percent in Gaza and 18 percent in the West Bank
  • In 2016, imports from Israel into the occupied Palestinian territories exceeded exports to Israel by $2.6bn
  • Since 1995, GDP in Gaza has shrunk by 23 percent
  • Restrictions by Israel on importation of fertilisers adds $28.6m to agricultural production costs
  • Donor support to the Palestinian economy dropped by 38 percent between 2014 and 2016

“Instead of the hoped-for two-State solution envisaged by the United Nations and the international community, occupation is currently even more entrenched, while its complex socioeconomic toll has worsened over time.”

Among other issues, the report reviews the steady decline in gross domestic product (GDP) growth over the past two decades, the imposition of Palestinian economic dependence on Israel, the theft of Palestinian natural resources, and Gaza’s isolation. It reaffirms a previous finding that the Palestinian economy would be at least twice as large if the occupation were lifted.

The primary causes for the economic stagnation include “continuing loss of land and natural resources to settlements and the annexation of land in the West Bank”, along with market fragmentation and Israeli-imposed import restrictions, the report notes.


READ MORE: UN – Israeli occupation stunts Palestinian economy

Palestinians in the occupied territories have not had full control over their economy since 1967 when Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Although the Palestinian Authority (PA) was established in 1994 with the hope of creating an independent Palestinian state and economy, expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and the building of the separation wall have made this goal increasingly difficult to achieve.

Israel also has direct control over more than 60 percent of the West Bank, including most of its natural resources.

All of Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank, numbering around 125, are located in Area C, where at least 300,000 Palestinians live. Israel prohibits Palestinian construction and development in about 70 percent of this area.

“[T]he increasing belligerence of occupation presents a two-fold challenge, because it denies the Palestinian people access to their natural and economic resources and at the same time discourages donor support by minimizing development gains,” the UN report states.

Sami Abdel-Shafi, an independent economic consultant, cited a “massive depletion of the Palestinian human resource, simply because it is unable to practice what it does best”.

“You have hundreds of thousands of people who are unemployed and very few that are actually working,” Abdel-Shafi told Al Jazeera. “So whatever increase you have in the number of people who are working, this is not nearly enough to catch up with the demand that is generated by population growth and new graduates in the market.”

READ MORE: How settlement businesses sustain Israeli occupation


The economies of the occupied Palestinian territories are highly integrated with and dependent on Israel’s economy, as per the terms of the 1994 Paris Protocol signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

The agreement is among a number of factors that make it difficult for Palestinians to establish their own factories to compete with Israeli products. “Palestinian agricultural producers also face unequal competition with subsidized imports from Israel and settlements – in the range of $500 million per year – while producers in Israel operate under normal cost conditions and benefit from a range of supportive government policies,” the report notes.

With Israel’s restrictions on movement and access to goods in the occupied territories, economic growth in the private sector is highly limited. As Israel continues to build the separation wall and confiscate West Bank land to build illegal settlements, the area has morphed into enclaves surrounded by checkpoints, making it difficult to transport goods or raw materials.

The Palestinian economy has thus been transformed into a collection of small, local markets that cannot compete with Israeli monopolies on goods such as dairy. In other cases, Israel has been directly involved in the destruction of Palestinian manufacturing plants.

In Gaza, which has been under an Israeli siege for more than a decade, the situation is markedly worse. Israel directly controls what enters and exits the territory, and keeps the borders largely shut.

READ MORE: A guide to the Gaza Strip


“Before 2007, Gaza used to export internationally. We were a competitor in European markets for furniture and fresh produce, especially strawberries. I think that, compared with 2007, Gaza is only able to export some 15 to 20 percent of its products – and that’s during a good time,” Mohammed Abu Jayyab, the editor-in-chief of an economic newspaper in Gaza, told Al Jazeera.

But economic analysts have also laid the blame for the high cost of living on the governments of the Hamas movement in Gaza and the PA in the West Bank.

WATCH: ICRC president calls on Palestinian Authority to end Gaza sanctions

“It is expected of Israel, as an occupying country, to behave in this manner, but what is needed from the government in Gaza is to help ease the situation,” Abu Jayyab said, adding that Hamas uses excuses such as security, public education and health to impose high taxes.

The rift between the two main Palestinian political parties, Hamas and Fatah, has made the situation worse. Recently, the PA, led by the Fatah movement, requested that Israel reduce the electricity supply to Gaza in an attempt to pressure Hamas to forfeit control of the territory.

Abdel-Shafi maintained that the key to saving the Palestinian economy is to address this political issue.

“The PA needs to seek a political solution so that the Palestinian economy can develop. The division between the West Bank and Gaza is making it much easier for the Israeli government to separate us,” he said.

“So far, Palestinians are in sustenance mode. They are not developing as they should be. No solution will be sustainable unless the political issue is resolved; this goes for internal Palestinian disagreement and the conflict between Palestinians and Israel.”

Israel demolishes schools for Palestinians, citing lack of permits

 By Abeer Salman, CNN

Jub El-Thib (CNN)Jana Zawahra sits outside a large tent, sobbing to herself on the ground where her school once stood.

The brand-new building, paid for by the European Union, was constructed just three weeks ago. Now, little more than the concrete floor and an outhouse remain.
“It doesn’t look nice anymore, it’s ugly,” the eight-year-old says, devastated at the loss of her classroom at Jub El-Thib, east of Bethlehem.

Jana Zawahra (c) attends class in a tent after her school was demolished in Jub El-Thib.

She and her classmates — 64 children from the first to the fourth grade — had only been back in class for three days when Israeli forces arrived to demolish the school, which Israel says was built illegally.
Now they’ve been left with only a tent to shelter from the searing heat of the August sun — and no tables to sit and study at.
“Just when they were due to return to the classroom, Palestinian children are discovering that their schools are being destroyed,” said Hanibal Abiy Worku, a director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
“What threat do these schools pose to the Israeli authorities? What are they planning to achieve by denying thousands of children their fundamental right to education?”

The makeshift tent-school in Jub-El-Thib has chairs but no tables.

According to the NRC, three educational facilities for Palestinian children in the West Bank have been demolished or damaged by Israeli authorities in the past two weeks.
A kindergarten for the Bedouin community of Jabal Al Baba was torn down, and a primary school in Abu Nuwar had its solar panels — the only source of power at the school — dismantled and taken away, the NRC says.
The body that looks after civil administration in those parts of the West Bank still totally controlled by Israel — designated as Area C — is known here by its acronym, COGAT; it stands for Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

Children in their school uniforms run towards school.

 Children in their school uniforms run towards school.
COGAT says all the demolished structures were illegal and that the demolitions were carried out lawfully.
In a statement to CNN, COGAT said: “The building in Jub El-Thib was built illegally last weekend, a blatant violation of ‘stop work’ orders, and without receiving the required permits. Therefore, the confiscation was carried out in accordance with the Civil Administration authorities.”
The European Union says about 100 structures — homes, shelters, water networks, as well as schools — in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, for which the EU or EU member states have provided funding, have been demolished or seized over the past year.

Mothers and teachers sit outside the tent in Jub El-Thib.

 Mothers and teachers sit outside the tent in Jub El-Thib.
New building projects in the West Bank’s Area C require a permit from Israeli authorities.
But the NRC says the majority of planning requests are denied; the NRC says that leaves international donors and Palestinians alike with no choice but to build anyway.

Second graders take part in a balloon activity outside the makeshift classroom.

In Jub El-Thib, the atmosphere outside the tent-school was one of tension and growing desperation.
A group of mothers discussed what to do with their children; should they keep them at the school so they could keep learning, or take them home to protect them from the heat?
Sami Mruwwah, the Palestinian director of education, had other ideas: “We will stay here and resist against the occupation,” he said.
“We will rebuild the school soon, what happened against the school and its students violates human rights and childhood in particular,” he added. “It is inconceivable for this world to remain silent in the face of the crimes of occupiers against education in Palestine.”

Teachers instruct children to stand in line before class begins.

 Teachers instruct children to stand in line before class begins.
As the political arguments continued, the children appeared oblivious to the tension surrounding them, playing with balloons, and drawing on large sheets of paper laid out on the concrete foundations of the demolished school.
Jana remained upset, but most of her school friends seemed playful and happy.
“I love school and playing with friends and painting; and the teachers are so nice,” said six-year old Ibtisam Sami.

Ibtisam, a 6-year-old student, said she was excited to get her books for the new school year.

Ibtisam, a 6-year-old student, said she was excited to get her books for the new school year.
Eventually, their mothers decided to take the children home.
“It is so sad that in 2017 we still have to fight to get our children educated,” said mother-of-four Intisar Al Wahsh. “But we cannot keep them out in this heat, and we are also anxious about settlers coming.”
“Most important of all, it’s not the children’s job to resist against the occupation.”
Just imagine the outrage by Israel and the United States had these been Israeli children. Everyone in the world would feel sorry for these children if they were of any other nationality beside Palestinian. We, in the US, support the Israeli monsters and turn a blind eye to everything they do including the inhumane and disgusting actions they do in the West Bank against the Palestinians. The Israelis did not demolish those schools because they were illegally build but because they want the land they were built on. That’s why they deny permits in the first place. Are you happy Mr. Trump??