Palestine Israel at the Mercy of Israel in East Jerusalem
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4 October 30, 2015 News & Analysis Palestine Israel At the mercy of Israel in East Jerusalem Malak Hasan barriers to protect Jews living there and stem Palestinian violence in the communities. Jerusalem In all, 19,000 Palestinians are under Israel’s mercy as it isolates hortly before dawn on Oc- Jerusalem’s Arab neighbourhoods. tober 18th, Huda Darwish, The Israeli moves have turned Al- 65, awakened her husband Issawiya, like many other Arab vil- pleading for help, saying lages around Jerusalem, seemingly she couldn’t breathe prop- into one big prison. Serly. Palestinians entering or leaving Mohammed Darwish quickly tel- Al-Issawiya queue for two hours be- ephoned his son, Youssef. “Bring fore they are thoroughly searched. your car quickly. We must take your Entry restrictions are not limited to mother to the hospital,” the father a certain age or sex. Young students, urged. women, men and the elderly are all His mother started choking as subject to the same restrictions, Youssef sped towards the closest which they see as “collective pun- hospital, which was just outside ishment”. their village of Al-Issawiya in north- Al-Issawiya’s four entrances were east Jerusalem. With him were his blocked off with cement barriers on father and brother Kareem. October 18th. Israeli soldiers set up There were about 100 vehicles makeshift checkpoints for Palestini- ahead of them at the village’s en- ans to pass through as instructed by trance waiting to cross an Israeli Israel’s security cabinet. The moves checkpoint recently set up to sepa- effectively separated Al-Issawiya rate Jewish neighbourhoods from from the adjacent neighbourhoods the disputed traditionally Arab of Sur Baher, Jabel al-Mukaber and eastern sector of the city. the Old City of Jerusalem. “Cars let them pass but when they The decision came shortly after arrived at the roadblock, Israeli sol- the security cabinet permitted Is- diers fired shots in the air, warning raeli soldiers to “impose a closure them not to come closer,” Marhan on, or to surround, centres of fric- Darwish, another brother, said. tion and incitement in Jerusalem, in accordance with security considera- The Israeli cabinet tions”, Israeli media reported. said it approved On October 19th, local, national and Islamic factions in Al-Issawi- placing cement ya announced a general strike to barriers around protest the Israeli roadblocks and Al-Issawiya because delays they said caused Darwish’s it overlooks the death and the Israeli encroachment of Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, Is- illegal settlement of lam’s third holiest shrine. Ma’ale Adumim’s The Israeli cabinet said it ap- road. proved placing cement barriers around Al-Issawiya because it shot him, Abu al-Hummus added. ning of October, Palestinians from hoods,” Mahran Darwish said. While Kareem tried to resuscitate overlooks the illegal settlement of Even though the village has the West Bank, Jerusalem and the “I went through many check- his mother, Youssef pleaded with Ma’ale Adumim’s road. It said the been relatively calm since Dar- Gaza Strip took to the streets to points in the West Bank but I’ve the soldiers to allow them to pass, barrier will prevent Palestinians wish’s death, Abu al-Hummus said protest what they regard as official never witnessed this level of humil- Marwin Darwish said. from throwing rocks at passing ve- all entrances to the village remain Israeli attempts to divide al-Aqsa iation,” he said, noting that soldiers “My brothers shouted that they hicles. blocked and access to the village is mosque to allow Jewish prayers at mock, provoke and yell at Palestin- had an emergency that my mother The restrictions followed Israeli “extremely difficult”. the site, also revered by Jews ians. is sick and needed instant medical claims that five stabbings or at- Clashes ensued. The Palestin- Hani al-Issawi, a member of a lo- attention but the Israeli soldiers re- tempted stabbings by Palestinians The Israeli moves ian Health Ministry said on Octo- cal committee established to defend fused and ordered my two brothers took place October 17th in Jerusa- have turned ber 22nd that Israeli forces killed 57 Al-Issawiya, accused Israeli police to leave the car, put their hands up lem and in the West Bank. Palestinians, including 12 children, of cracking down on residents. in the air and place their feet apart,” Mohammed Abu al-Hummus, an Al-Issawiya, like a pregnant woman and her 2-year- “Israeli soldiers raid our houses at he said. Al-Issawiya town committee mem- many other Arab old and caused hundreds of injuries night to detain our youth,” he said. “Meanwhile, my mother died in ber, said villagers “didn’t attack villages around with bullets or tear gas. Eight Israeli “They blow up doors and break into the car.” anyone”. He said two villagers who settlers have been killed in Palestin- the houses while the families are An autopsy determined that died were Fadi Alloun, 19, and Dar- Jerusalem, seemingly ian stabbings or gun attacks. asleep. Huda Darwish died of heart failure, wish. into one big prison. Al-Issawiya residents said Israeli “Israel has turned the village into according to hospital officials. “Both didn’t pose any threat,” restrictions do not reinforce secu- a big prison.” Darwish’s is one of scores of cases he said. Alloun was seen in a video Palestinian families in all Jerusa- rity. “The Israelis want to humiliate of hardship endured by Palestinians seeking help from Israeli police lem neighbourhoods have suffered us, collectively, punish everyone Malak Hasan, based in Ramallah, recently as Israel sealed off Jerusa- while being chased by armed Jewish from increasing Israeli restrictions living in Jerusalem and tighten their has covered Palestinian-Israeli lem neighbourhoods with cement settlers. Instead of helping, police for several months. At the begin- control of Palestinian neighbour- issues for more than five years. Jerusalem is on edge but where is Washington? Amal Mudallali favour a renewed uprising — and Ashrawi says the United States that Palestinians are in a state of de- has a major role to play but has been spair, with 80% saying other Arabs “missing in action for a while”. Washington have abandoned them. Ashrawi said: “When the US does Many Palestinians say their not engage there will be a vacuum. he unrest over Haram promised state has been rendered This means Israel will have the up- al-Sharif in Jerusalem unachievable by the situation on per hand because it has the power.” has propelled the Israeli- the ground that Israel is creating, Palestinian conflict to the which violates its commitments Ashrawi says the forefront of the agenda in under various agreements with United States has a TWashington and prompted another the Palestinian Authority, Hanan visit by US Secretary of State John Ashrawi, a member of the Palestin- major role to play Kerry to the region where he met ian legislature, pointed out, adding but has been both sides in an attempt to calm the that Israeli actions “are destroying “missing in action situation — and also demonstrate the two-state solution”. that the United States not only “Jerusalem is a wake-up call,” for a while”. cares but still has influence. said Maen Areikat, the chief repre- In Amman, Kerry announced Is- sentative of the Palestinian Libera- Shikaki also complained that the raeli Prime Minister Binyamin Ne- tion Organisation to Washington at United States is not showing leader- tanyahu’s “reaffirmation” of “Isra- a recent conference of the National ship and Areikat said: “The bilateral el’s commitment to upholding the Council on US-Arab Relations. “We approach by the US has failed. It is unchanged status quo of the Tem- continue to be for a two-state so- not going to work. There has to be ple Mount/Haram al-Sharif both in lution. This is the only ideal way an international multilateral ap- word and in practice”. A Palestinian youth being searched by Israeli police at Damascus out. Unfortunately, Israel today is proach.” After thanking all sides for their Gate just outside Jerusalem’s Old City before Friday prayers, on pushing everybody for a one-state With the US 2016 presidential “seriousness” in “calming things October 23rd. solution. I hope we can still find a campaigns in full swing and the down and ending the violence”, partner in Israel.” White House seemingly viewing the Kerry spoke about the need to “not The crisis comes at a time when Arab-Israeli conflict as intractable, just end violence for a moment but it was Jordanian King Abdullah’s down, according to Khalil Shikaki, the perception that the United Areikat summed up the feelings of create a path to a legitimate future”. idea to install 24-hour cameras to director of the Palestinian Centre States is disengaging from the re- many when he said, “Nothing will Jordanian Foreign Minister monitor Haram al-Sharif. Judeh for Policy and Survey Research, gion is becoming widespread. happen until the next elections” on Nasser Judeh was more specific. also called for focusing on the “root who spoke by teleconference to a Nothing illustrates this more than the Palestinian-Israeli issue. While appreciating “this confir- cause of the entire problem”. Wilson Center briefing in Washing- the cover of the magazine Foreign mation of Israel’s commitment to He highlighted the still-unful- ton. He said there is a dramatic in- Affairs, published by the Council on Amal Mudallali is a Washington the unchanged status quo in word filled promise of a Palestinian state. crease in support for a new intifada Foreign Relations. It reads: The Post correspondent for The Arab and practice”, he emphasised that But support for the creation one is among Palestinians — 71% say they American Middle East.