12/3/2014 Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling ­ The WCLAC Bulletin ­ October 2014

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The WCLAC Bulletin ­ October 2014

Testimony – A woman describes being attacked by settlers during the Olive harvest ­ On 11 October 2014, a woman and her husband are attacked by a group of Israeli settlers as they harvested their olive trees. Alla lives with her husband and three daughters in the West Bank village of Yasuf. The village is surrounded by three Israeli settlements of Tappuah, Kfar Tappuah and Rechalim. “On 11 October, at about 10:30 a.m., my husband and I were picking olive trees on our land located near the settlement of Tappuah. We were alone that day as the rest of the village had already finished picking their olives in this area. I was filling sacks with olives as my husband was picking a tree on another terrace nearby. When I looked up I saw around seven Israeli settlers crawling on the ground heading towards me. They were wearing traditional Jewish wear and they had covered their faces with cloths. The settlers were carrying wooden clubs.” Read more

Sweden becomes first European state to recognize Palestine – On 30 October, the Swedish government officially recognized Palestine as a state. In doing so, it became the first European state to recognize a Palestinian state. "Today the government takes the decision to recognize the state of Palestine," Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said in a statement published in the Dagens Nyheter daily, AFP reported. "It is an important step that confirms the Palestinians' right to self­determination," she added. "Through our recognition we want, first of all, to give our support to moderate forces among the Palestinians," Wallstrom wrote, according to DPA. Sweden considered that criteria in international law for recognizing a Palestinian state "are met," she said. Although the borders are not defined, there is a government that can "show inner and outer control." Read more

UK Parliament votes in favour of recognising the State of Palestine ­ On 13 October a non­binding motion was brought before the lower chamber of the UK Parliament that: “this House recognise the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel". Following the debate, the House voted 274 in favour of the motion, with 12 votes against. In what has been described as the most important contribution to an emotional debate, the Conservative chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, Richard Ottaway, stated that: “[L]ooking back over the past 20 years, I realise now Israel has slowly been drifting away from world public opinion. The annexation of the 950 acres of the West Bank just a few months ago has outraged me more than anything else in my political life. It has made me look a fool and that is something I deeply resent. Such is my anger with the behaviour of Israel in recent months that I will not be opposing this motion. Read more

Ex­PLO legal adviser says “two­state” solution is dead ­ A former legal adviser for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas believes the so­called "two­ state solution" will not resolve the Palestine­Israel conflict, citing Israel's ongoing construction of Jewish­only settlements on Arab land. "The two­state solution died a long time ago," Diana Butto, a Palestinian­Canadian national, told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview. She said that a glance at a map of Palestine and the numerous Jewish­only settlements that have been built there made it clear to anyone that a "two­state" solution to the conflict was no longer viable. Read more

http://www.wclac.org/english/etemplate.php?id=1409 1/2 12/3/2014 Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling ­ The WCLAC Bulletin ­ October 2014 An American nonprofit is making peace even less likely ­ At 2 a.m. one day last week, a group of Israeli settlers, protected by riot police, moved into 25 apartments in seven Palestinian­owned buildings in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Some of these apartments were vacant or recently constructed. In other cases, residents were away from home for the night. In one case, a young man had purchased an apartment to move into with his bride following their wedding. Instead, the couple is now enmeshed in a legal struggle with the settlers who have set up residence in their marital home. The biggest surprise of all? You may have helped fund this takeover. Elad, the settler group that organized this incursion, raises $6 million a year in the United States through the Friends of Ir David Foundation. Read more

A photo journalist in Gaza: the courage to tell a hidden story ­ Eman Mohammed is one of the few female photojournalists in the Gaza Strip. Though openly shunned by many of her male colleagues, she is given unprecedented access to areas denied to men. In this short, visual talk, the TED Fellow critiques gender norms in her community by bringing light to hidden stories. When I turned 19, I started my career as the first female photo journalist in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. My work as a woman photographer was considered a serious insult to local traditions, and created a lasting stigma for me and my family. The male­dominated field made my presence unwelcome by all possible means. They made clear that a woman must not do a man's job. Photo agencies in Gaza refused to train me because of my gender. The "No" sign was pretty clear. Watch the talk

Stone Cold Justice wins two awards ­ ABC’s Four Corners documentary – Stone Cold Justice – has won in two categories at the annual United Nations Association of Australia’s media awards (UNAA). The awards, which have been described as Australia’s “Oscars” for human rights journalism, were announced in Melbourne on 24 October. Stone Cold Justice won in the categories of best TV Documentary and Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Children’s Rights and Issues (John Lyons, Janine Cohen and Sylvie LeClezio).The documentary highlighting the prosecution of children in Israeli military courts aired on Australian national television in February 2014. A representative from WCLAC was interviewed for the programme and describes the devastating effect repeated night raids and the arrest of children has on women and families. Watch the film

UN International Day of the Girl Child – 11 October marked the UN International Day of the Girl Child. In recognition of the importance of investing in and empowering girls during adolescence and preventing and eliminating the various forms of violence they experience, the theme of International Day of the Girl Child for 2014 is Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence. To take efforts to end all forms of violence against girls and women to the next level, it is important that we focus on adolescent girls and move beyond awareness­raising to investments in and support for this critical group that will shape the present and the future. Building on the United Nations Secretary­General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, we must look at the opportunities initiatives such as Education for All and the global movement to end child marriage provide to empower adolescent girls and must ensure that they are protected from harm, are supported by family and friends, and are able to act in their own interest. Read more

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