December 10, 2007

The Coalition

The Civic Coalition for Defending the Palestinians' Rights in Jerusalem (CCDPRJ) is a non-profit non-governmental community coalition of institutions, societies, associations, and individuals with expertise and interest in human rights. The Civic Coalition was established in 2005 and currently consists of 18 organizations.

The Coalition's vision focuses on preserving the Palestinians' presence and fortitude in Jerusalem and protecting all their rights by mobilizing efforts, capacities and resources to protect the political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights on the basis of the international law and human rights law. Furthermore, the Coalition seeks to coordinate the efforts of human rights organizations in Jerusalem and reinforce Jerusalemites' awareness of laws, procedures and regulations governing the practices of the Israeli occupation's government in order to enable the Palestinians to confront human rights violations practiced by the occupying authorities on daily basis.

The Coalition's goals:

1. Promote Palestinians' awareness of their civil, political, economic and social rights and violations of these rights in Jerusalem.
2. Coordinate and activate advocacy and lobbying on individual and collective human rights issues in Jerusalem.
3. Build the organizational capacity of the Coalition towards achieving its vision and objectives.

INTRODUCTION

Israeli occupation authorities committed more war crimes against the occupied Palestinian territories and against the Palestinian civilians in the Jerusalem Governorate, continued to commit more serious and gross violations of human rights, which are incompatible with the provisions of international law, rules of international humanitarian law, and the International Bill of Human Rights. In this report the National Coalition for the Defense of the rights of Palestinians in Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights (JCDHR), and the Center for Land Research will give a summary of these violations during the month of November 2007. The following are highlights of these violations:

FIRST: LAND CONFISCATION, LAND BULLDOZING, SETTLEMENT EXPANSION, AND CONTINUOUS BUILDING OF THE APARTHEID WALL IN OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

The occupation authorities continued to confiscate Palestinian land and property, to destroy property and to demolish Palestinian houses in the occupied Jerusalem, contrary to international law and international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. The seizure of Palestinian property constitutes a violation of article 52 of the Hague Regulations of 1907. And the construction of the apartheid wall in occupied Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, causing massive destruction of Palestinian property, is a blatant violation of article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 on the protection of civilians under occupation.
Land Confiscation and the Wall of Annexation
An Israeli court legislated Nabi Samuel residents transfer:
During a field visit, LRC's human rights proctor met 12 families of Abu Dahouk tribe (Jahalin Bedouins), who face fear of transfer after the Israeli magistrate court decided to displace them for the sake of annexation wall. Those 90 Nabi Samuel residents live their since the late 1960s and have its address registered in their IDs, moreover, the annexation wall is at least 300 m away from the nearest congregations. One of vulnerable families is Ibraheem Abu Dahouk's, the 53-year-old householder sustains 14 individuals (including 11 children), and he is neighbored by 4 other families (42 persons). Abu Dahouk got Nabi Samuel address on his ID in 1970, however, he is now living in great danger of being transferred, and the Israelis plan to gather up all Bedouins in two locations: Raghabneh hill in Abu Dees, and Nabi Mosa mountainsides. National Coalition for the Defense of the rights of Palestinians in Jerusalem is to shed light on this policy in another part of this report.
In his affidavit to LRC's human rights protor, Abu Ahmad said, "We, a branch of Jahalin tribe that includes Abu Dahouk, Salamat, and Saraya'ah families, used to live in Arad hill (Naqab area), have been transferred by the Israelis in 1952 to Hebron, and most of us departed to Jordan. My family has settled down in Dead Sea area, but the Israeli declared this area a 'closed military zone' and dispelled us right after 1967 occupation, so we eventually sat down in Al-Khan Al-Ahmar (the Red Inn) crossroads near Jerusalem-Jericho road. We have suffered a third Diaspora because of the construction of "Kefar Adumim" settlement, some went to Beit Hanina, Al-Jeeb, and Nabi Samuel, my family settled down in the latter, got Israeli IDs since 1970, and started new life by cultivating land and grazing livestock.
In 2002, patrols of Beit Eil building inspection department came, and an officer told me, "You are to leave as per a court decision, you are living on a national park lands". I assigned attorney Shlomo Lecker to follow up the case, and I've got an inabsentia verdict to evacuate within 5 months, since the attorney never attended, so I hired another one (Ibraheem Shalabi) instead, and he managed to issue an urgent decision from court to stop evacuation and demolition of Bedouins houses. On January 2007, employees of the Israeli defense minister laid down a wall chart that goes in our neighborhood, we called the attorney at once who filed a lawsuit against the ministry and stopped wall construction for 4 months, and then he appealed against ministry decision. Israeli presumed wall construction in the area except for our location of residence, a court issued on 29/10/2007 a decision stated eviction from our lands, and deprivation of residing in Nabi Samuel lands 700 m away from the wall.
10 days later, an employee from the UN OCHA center showed up to have knowledge of our case, she came the next day accompanied by Israeli officers, and said that she spoke to the civil administration of Beit Eil, so there is no need for eviction, one officer told her in English, "the reason of the Israeli procedure has to do with Bedouins' revenge traditional, for a man and his son were murdered by one of their own tribe". I explained to her that Israelis allegations are mere lies, for no such event took place, after that, a nearby quarry started to crush stones, causing massive dust cloud to engulf our houses.
We have been visited by ambassadors of various foreign countries such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the United States. These visitations were arranged by the coordinator of OCHA office, the ambassadors watched how the quarry affects quality of our lives in the presence of an Israeli military officer, who said, "I, as the West Bank commander, oblige to suspend execution of this decision till we have a deal". Nobody came ever since, and border guard patrols annoy us twice or thrice day and night, soldiers keep asking about absentees, which makes children badly terrified, and some of us were already evicted because of that.
Al-Jeeb:
Israeli occupation forces has blocked Al-Jeeb's western entrance in the end of 2004, splitting the entire town from Khalayleh quarter, so residents have no way to go in or out put the annexation wall crossing point west of Qalandia. The wall encloses Al-Jeeb from west, north, and south, as well as Beir Nabala (from east and adjacent to Al-Jeeb).
- Beir Nabala:
LRC's human rights proctor met head of local council, who stated that "annexation wall turned town's situation into complete gloom, it was inhabited with by 6,000 people, but now more than 4,000 fled, including 600 merchants who were the economy's hard core. Only 60 merchants stayed in Beir Nabala, and 1500 people moved to other towns or even other areas, the wall and its road network separated 400 dunums implanted with fig and grapes.

SECOND: CLOSURE, SIEGE, AND SYSTEMATIC POLICY OF ETHNIC CLEANSING AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST JERUSALEMITES

Occupation authorities maintained the policy of closures and siege in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, violating the right of Palestinians of movement and residence, and is pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination in all aspects of life, contrary to Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Barriers and blockade
Sunday, 11 November 2007: Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint withheld the Palestinian negotiation staff, leaded by Ahmad Qraei, while on way to a meeting with the Israeli foreign minister, Tsevi Levni.
Sa'eed Abu Hilal, one of Qraei's escorts, said in his affidavit to the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights that "soldiers positioned at Azzayyem checkpoint stopped Qraei's car for an hour, then they told him to go back". Abu Hilal told the center that Qraei was to resume negotiations in Jerusalem with Tsevi Levni, the Israeli foreign minister.
Sunday, 25 November 2007: Israeli occupation forces imposed a choking ring around Jerusalem from the early morning to 06:00 p.m., where all checkpoints between the city and its environs were closed before traffic. Many Palestinians spent considerable time on these checkpoints, and reached home only after the sun sat down. Flying checkpoints were heavily deployed, and caused roads to be clogged with hundreds of vehicles, even between the city's inner quarters. A Beit Hanina resident reported that he was not able to reach a kindergarten in Shu'fat (less than one kilometer) to pick up his child, and the same happened to many parents. In brief, what took place that day was a blatant infringement against freedom of movement, 150,000 Palestinians were entrapped on roads just because of a "false alarm", in opposition, the Israeli settlers still had freedom to travel wherever they want.
Israeli occupation locks Palestinians as well as their water
Jerusalem's north-west villages:
LRC's human rights proctor met local council's managers of north-west villages (Beddou-Beit, Soreek-Beit, Ijza-Beit, Dokku-Qubaibah-Qatannah-Umm, Elllahem, and Beit Anan) to discuss their water issue, and he also interviewed an engineer of water authority for the same purpose.
These villages' total area is estimated at 35,000 dunums and contains 30,000 people, but they form a preferable target for Israeli occupation for they adjoin Jerusalem's north-west settlements and 1948 Green Line. Their fertile lands were seized to expand settlements and to get use of them agriculturally.
Water was added to their villages' problems, as if they do not have enough problems to live with. Main water source is a reservoir in "Haradar" settlement (north of Abu Ghosh and north-west of Qatannah) belongs to the Israeli water company "Mekorot", and from which the Palestinian water authority purchase water to distribute on Palestinian areas, but the Israelis insist to play a dirty game, which closing and opening the main water lockup temperamentally, villages such as Beit Ijza and Beit Soreek did not get water for continual 6 months (from the beginning of April to the end of September). The average of the Palestinian individual's water consumption is only 40 liters per day, whereas Israeli settler's is 600, 15 times more than the Palestinian's quota.
Sum up for the aqua issue:
1- Water permanent shortage: the Israeli control makes water proportion shrinks year after year.
2- Distribution neither considers area's topographical nature nor people allocation.
3- Water network is very old, very rusty, and very much worn out, making water escape reaches 45%.
Damages:
From the economical perspective: Palestinians have to get their water through an expensive source: water tankers. Each cubic centimeter is priced at 20 NIS instead of 4, which forced some people to buy extra roof tanks, while others dug wells to collect rain, but this whole situation affected agriculture, whether it deals with crops or with animals.
From the medical perspective: shortage of water made health issues to exacerbate for it left serious effects on individuals' own hygiene, plus social and administrative problems between thirsty people and local councils.
Violation of the right to get proper education
The problem of school students' infiltration in Jerusalem is excessively boosting, since the city never witnessed such a disaster. Number of students touched an overset rate (79,000), meaning there is a 56% increase, and "Yaroshalem" weekly paper (9/11/2007) indicated that municipal schools are losing 45% of their students, which exceeds the rate of Jewish schools by 12%. The paper also mentioned that most of infiltration cases occur when students move from sixth to seventh grade or from ninth to tenth grade.
National Coalition for the Defense of the rights of Palestinians in Jerusalem carried out a work shop entitled "right to educate", and participants stated that 85,000 students aged 5-19 are studying at schools run by the Israeli municipality, many of them lack education simplest needs such as libraries, sports yards, and science labs, other schools are congested with pupils of both genders for they are located in residential buildings not suitable for educational purposes. Beit Safafa School is capable to have room for 700 students, but it loaded with 1200, in addition to the lack of qualified cadres. Only 5% of students are being taught mathematics by qualified teachers, and there is an urgent need for 1300 classrooms, but the municipality has constructed 2 new schools out of 6 planned, consequently, schools' incapability to accept students made drug use, sexual harassment, and physical violence to overrun Jerusalem.
Such catastrophic reality of municipal schools does not mean that schools run by Palestinian establishments have much better circumstances; Palestinian Authority is not working hard to improve education in Jerusalem, as well as other life aspects (health-economy).
Israeli occupation foundations hold responsibility for they consider themselves to have full control over Jerusalem, when it comes to taxes and different kinds of dues, they do not preserve effort to collect (Palestinians spent more than 35% of their income on municipal taxes and got only 5-7% as services), but they are also obliged to get the city out of these miserable conditions, otherwise, why Palestinians bother themselves to pay Israelis what they order while they receive zero?
There is clear discrimination in the way that municipality deal with city's residents, according to Moshe Amirav –a municipal member-, it spends 10 NIS for Jewish quarters while Arabs get 1. All international laws and conventions stated that occupation authority has full responsibility to insure the best quality of live for territories under its control; therefore, levying "Arnona" tax since 1/4/1968 against Palestinians contradicts item 42 of Hague Regulations and item 54 of Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

THIRD: ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS SHRINES AND VIOLATIONS OF FREEDOM OF WORSHIP AND THE EXERCISE OF RELIGIOUS RITES

The Israeli occupation authorities continue to carry out excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, under Al-Aqsa Mosque, and near a building adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Wall in violation of the sanctities of religious sites; and maintains closures that violate Palestinians' freedom of worship and access to the holy places, which constitute a serious violation of their religious freedoms guaranteed under all international laws and conventions, especially the International Bill of Human Rights, article (53) of the Geneva Protocol I of 1977, and article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this respect the monitoring unit reports the following violations:
Thursday, 15 November 2007: groups of settlers, accompanied by representatives of Israeli right wing parties and Knesset deputies, carried out a provocative tour around Jerusalem's old city. The tour included tunnels which were secretly ditched by Israeli archaeology authority, and ruins belong to Umayyan and Ottoman eras in Silwan and the Western Wall. Keenest deputies entered tunnels that archaeology authority has recently widened, and authority's employees explained alleged findings of David city ruins. According to an Israeli guide, there is a new tunnel few meters away from Al-Aqsa mosque's walls, and this one forms the rachis of a series of sub-tunnels extend beneath the old city, especially the Islamic quarter, and reach Silwan and the Magharbeh Gate. Deputies and settlers viewed tunnels' work progress, along with preparations for a planned bridge near the Western Wall.
In an affidavit to the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Ekermah Sabri, chief of Supreme Islamic authority and imam of Al-Aqsa mosque, revealed that "Islamic Wakf (mortmain) department did not know about those offensive go rounds, and Israeli allegations of changing the mosque's layout are void, as our authority is executing maintenance and restoring works. Israeli archaeology department has nothing to do with mosque's affairs, and the timing of tour coincided with Annapolis peace summit, which means Israelis are not interested in keeping peace whatsoever, and they attempt to derange the air to gain Palestinian abdications".
Friday, 16 November 2007: Ravi Etan (85), member of governmental committee of Jerusalem and minister of pensioner affairs, entered Al-Aqsa mosque from the Magharbeh Gate, protected by a police force, and roamed its eastern side near Marwan mosque. It is worth to mention that Israeli police has the Magharbeh Gate's key since 1967 occupation.
Azzam Khatib, director of Jerusalem Islamic Wakf, said in his affidavit to the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights, "timing of these breakings proves that Israelis intended to incite Muslims all over the world, and these actions are ultimately rejected. Al-Aqsa mosque is an Islamic property, and Israelis must keep themselves away from it, for breakings endanger security of the city and the whole region. Extremist groups show up to sabotage any hope to bring peace by deliberate provoking of Muslims' feelings".

FOURTH: DEMOLITION AND SEIZURE OF HOUSES, DENIAL OF BUILDING PERMITS, AND RIGHT TO HOUSING VIOLATIONS

Destruction of property and demolition of Palestinian homes in occupied Jerusalem by the occupation authorities is contrary to international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and incompatible with article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The following violations were reported:
The right to housing violations
- Jabal Mukabber
27 November 2007: the Israeli bulldozers shoveled bases of two 300 sq m apartments belong to Gheith family under the usual pretext: not having a building permit. Gheith property is located beneath a municipal park.
- Wadi Joz:
Israeli Supreme Court decided to hold demolition of a third storey apartment south of central grocery market owned by Farid Jaber. Jaber's attorney managed to delay execution for one year (8/11/2007-8/11/2007), this is the second delay since the first one was held up when Jaber paid the municipality 30,000 NIS as bulldozers haulage fees.
- Beit Safafa:
Salah family lives east of Beit Safafa for more than 40 years, but 50 of them are nowadays living in great danger because of extremist groups who attack them, with full support by occupation authorities. During the third week of November 2007, some members of these groups attempted to hand over households –in the absence of husbands- payment notices of 12,000 NIS every month, put women refused either to take notices or to sign them, so group members simply through them at houses doorsteps. On November 11th 2007, families received evacuation notices, but their attorney got a hold up decision from court until it determines land ownership. Court is to be set on December 25th 2007.
- Ein Jouaizeh quarter-Walajeh:
In the first hours of Tuesday, 27 November 2007, 9 employees of the Israeli interior ministry showed up, accompanied by security personnel, then they deployed into 3 squads, each carried out a census for the quarter's residents. The whole thing lasted to 14:00 p.m., squads' supervisor introduced himself to residents as "the manager of interior minister's office", and the employees he led as ministry employees, they got files which they updated and overviewed, and they particularly asked about absentees (reason of absence and date of the last visit). Israeli interior ministry used to execute censuses once every 10 years starting from 1969; the second census was in 1979, while the latter was in 1999.
- Beit Hanina:
Israeli magistrate court issued on 25/11/2007 a decision that allows the Israeli municipality to destroy walls surrounds Abu Eisheh buildings in order to let bulldozers in to demolish them. Abovementioned buildings dwell 30 members divided on 7 families.
Israeli municipality has previously destroyed bases of licensed buildings, and justified that for "outbounding license limits", such as what happened to Abdul-Muhsen Hasan Natsheh's house in Beit Hanina west of Shoman mosque, Abu Lafi's building in the very area, as well as 85 dwellings demolished in the period between the beginning of the year 2007 and the end of November 2007.
Demolition & Dredging
- Walajeh:
On November 18th, the Israeli bulldozers tore down part of a hennery belongs to Khalil Shala'ab (aged 70). His property's area is 35 sq m and located in Khallet Assamak south of Walajeh, the wife told LRC, "we established the hennery 15 years ago, and it was 2,60 sq m to contain poultry and livestock, in addition to fodders. We needed to add 12 sq m to original area two years ago, since our 15-member-family (including 12 children) living depends on it.
One month ago, a search patrol of the Israeli build and organization authority showed up, and handed over a notice issued by Israeli civil administration that stated an ultimatum ends within 3 days, in which we have to submit objections against a demolition order, which we did, but a huge force stormed our property on November 18th and swept the farm, Israeli officers told us they did so because it was unlicensed, plus they did not validate the added part. While leaving, Israelis said that we have to move farm remains and evacuate all poultry and livestock for they are going to destroy it completely next month".
The same day, the Israeli bulldozers dredged the main street that links Khallat Assamak quarter to the new UNRWA school (1000 m), making pupils and teachers transportation extremely difficult.
Adel Atrash, deputy of Walajeh local council, told LRC that "3 military jeeps and 2 troop carriers broke into the town, demolished Shala'ab's farm, and turned to damage the main and only street that provide access to the new school".
- Beit Hanina:
On November 27th, the Israeli bulldozers destroyed a metal and concrete horse stable owned by Eid Fayyek Joulani's family. The hapless establishment is located in teachers' suburb quarter under the frequent and dull pretext: no license issued, and the whole operation took place in the absence of property owner.
- Beir Nabala:
The Israeli civil administration of Beit Eil (organization department) handed over an ultimatum to stop construction of Beir Nabala's public park. Works of the aforementioned park have been ceased since the Beit Eil's first ultimatum, and its case is still reviewed before court, thus, Beit Eil's issue is illegal and forms an encroachment of court's jurisdiction.
- El-Wad quarter- the old city:
Israeli occupation authorities persisted on ditching new tunnel of 100 meters long, and heads to Al-Aqsa mosque. Tunnel's starting point is a shop seized by "Ateiret Kohanem" settling group, which aims to take over as many old city estates as possible, it also claimed that the shop was purchased from its tenant and turned it in to a library of it own. Ditching works have been initialed ever since, and encircle Al-Aqsa mosque from east and west, meanwhile, Israeli occupation authorities started building a synagogue on rooftops of buildings on Khalidi family land.
- Sheik Jarrah:
Staffs of the Israeli ministry of transportation continued setting down the infrastructure of electrical tram project. Tramways were being fixed south-west of Sheik Jarrah sports field, and go all the way to Mount Scopus. Tramways are planned to connect "Pisgat Ze'eiv" settlement east of Jerusalem to route No.1, and that means they will penetrate Beit Hanina lands, go through Shu'fat near Qeimari motor show, and then go south along Jerusalem-Ramallah road. This is all to serve Israeli settlers by tagging settlements together and with west Jerusalem downtown.
- Jerusalem-Ramallah road works confuse Palestinians' lives:
As a result of electrical tram workings, traveling on Jerusalem-Ramallah road became on of the worst practices in Palestinians' lives, for the road is piled up with vehicles stuck because of detours and roadblocks. Employees, workers and students are facing great difficulty to get to their destinations on time; contractor said everything will be accomplished in few months; still, workings lasted for more than a year, progressing very slowly, and affected movement and trade. The Israeli municipality would show no mercy if this situation occurred in a Jewish quarter, but when it comes to an Arab quarter, Palestinians get nothing but negligence.
- Route No.21 eats more of Beit Hanina properties:
Workings of Neve' Yakouv-Beit Hanina-Hezma ring road are stepping forward insistently, the road goes west and along Hezma street, crosses Jerusalem-Ramallah road, and head up west of religion college garden (teachers institute formerly).
Many buildings east of Roman church were swept to pave that road, and church housing was separated from its original property. Spacious lands were seized for the same purpose, but the irony is that the road is not meant for Palestinians use, but it is allocated exclusively for Israeli settlers, and provides them access to Route No.4 (near Qalandia airport), Allud airport, and Jerusalem downtown.

FIFTH: INCURSIONS, RAIDS, AND ARREST CAMPAIFNS AGAINST TOWNS, NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOMES AROUND JERUSALEM

Occupation authorities continue to raid towns and neighborhoods of Jerusalem, incursions and raids on homes, arrest campaigns against citizens, in contravention of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the principles of the International Bill of Human Rights, and contrary to Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Raids, arrests, torture, and Kangaroo trials
Friday, 9 November 2007: Israeli occupation troops arrested Shadi Tariq Mohammad Aysawi, resident of Aysawyyeh east of Jerusalem, for suspicions of constituting contacts with Hezbollah. Our center learned that he was accused of attempting to insure that one of his two captive brothers is to be included within "release-and-swap deal" between Israel and Hezbollah.
In his affidavit to the Jerusalem Center of Democracy and Human Rights, Tariq Mohammad Aysawi –father of the detainee- stated that "Shadi was arrested under weak pretexts, for proclaims of connections with Hezbollah are void. Shadi spent 5 years behind bars, and he was released 6 months ago. Israelis took him at night to the Moskobia Interrogation Center, where he was kept under arrest till his 'secret' list of accusations issued".
Monday, 12 November 2007: Daowd Fahd Mashahreh, from Al-Sawahreh Sharqiyeh east of Jerusalem, was detained by Israelis lately at night.
Daowd's father, Fahd Mashahreh, gave an affidavit to the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights, in which he stated, "at 12,30 a.m., armed Israeli soldiers broke into the house, pulled Daowd out, and impounded the whole family for one hour and a half. The house was thoroughly searched with police dogs as soldiers got a chance to smash some belongings. Daowd has two children, as well as health issues that made him unemployed. He spent some time in Jabal Mukabber in order to obtain an Israeli ID".
Monday, 19 November 2007: Israeli troops invaded Abu Dees, broke into dormitories, and left after arresting number of AL-QUDS University students; one of them is Imad Ismael Abu Hawwash (aged 22, resident of Al-Tabqah near Hebron).
At the same day, 6 Israelis military vehicles irrupted Qalandiah refugee's camp north of Jerusalem at dawn and patrolled the area.
Monday, 19 November 2007: Israelis Central Court issued a verdict against Chief Justice, Dr. Tayseer Tamimi, by which he is to receive a suspended sentence of 6 months for entering Jerusalem without a permit from Israelis. Tamimi considered court's verdict as "unfair and invalid", and disparaged its jurisdiction.
Dr. Tamimi stated in his affidavit to the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights that "trial procedures initiated last year during the holy month of Ramadan, and continued with several respites. Final verdict was issued, along with a 10,000 NIS fine. Such judgments are fully political and meant to talk down national and religious personalities, for they keep exposing Israeli violations and excavations against Al-Aqsa mosque, and the attempts of extremist Jewish groups to take over the mosque and bring it down as a result".
Monday, 24 November 2007: Murad Ali Rabei (aged 20 from Abu Dees) received a 3 years sentence and a suspended sentence of 3 years from Ofer military court for throwing stones at Israelis. Qasim Ismael Dahdoul (aged 20) got 19 months detention and a 3000 NIS fine for the same accusation.

SIXTH: ASSAULT ON THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND PHYSICAL INTEGRITY

Israeli occupation authorities attacks on the right to life, and physical integrity did not stop or slow down recently, and torture and assault on people under occupation routinely continue; contrary to article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." In this framework report lists the following violations:
Tuesday, 13 November 2007: Israeli occupation forces broke into Abu Dees and assaulted Palestinians at streets, soldiers installed a flying checkpoint in the middle of the university street, at which they stopped passer-bys, inspected IDs, and force them to stand in the cold weather.
Ibrahim Hdaidoun, owner of 'Yaffa' coffee shop in the very street, said in his affidavit to the Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights, "Number of Israeli soldiers waylaid passer-bys and motorists, beat Mohammad Msaitef and Omayr Halabiah before people's sight, and forced them to get their arms and feet up. Soldiers aggressively ordered shop owners to close and threatened them to smash their properties if they did not so". Hdaidoun added that Israeli soldiers frequently provoke residents of that area that is full shops and student dormitories.
Friday, 3 November 2007: an Israeli occupation force installed a barrier at the entrance of Al-Sawahreh Sharqiyeh, searched two young men, and attacked them brutally before passer-bys.
Asma'a Al-A'araj, an eyewitness, said that "an Israeli military vehicle hindered Thaer Al-A'araj and Firas Khaili's way, soldiers searched them in front of their houses, and then beat them all over the body. 4 soldiers forced Firas's head into an iron gate till he passed out, and moved him to Moskobia Interrogation Center".
Saturday, 15 November 2007: Israeli employers fired 45 Palestinians from Jericho who work in Meshor Adumim industrial zone.
Secretary General of Workers Union of Palestine, Shaher Sa'ad, condemned that step, which emerged as a result of Israeli Supreme Court's issue last month. Court's issue stated the implementation of Israeli labor law in borderline industrial zones, which affects wages and production incentives, health and safety conditions, work injury compensations, and medical insurance.
Saturday, 17 November 2007: an Israeli force includes police and border guard stormed houses in Shu'fat refugees' camp, and threw residents outside in the freezing weather with no clear reason.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Israel has signed and ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1966, and went in force in 1976. Israel therefore is obliged to apply its provisions in relation to the occupied Palestinian Territories, including Jerusalem. And Israel is also obliged, as the occupying military power, to abide by the provisions enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, on the protection of civilians under occupation. The Civic Coalition for Defending Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem determined to:
1) Call on Israel, the occupying power, to put an end to violations of international humanitarian law and principles of the International Bill of Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the occupied city of Jerusalem.
2) Call on Israel, the occupying power, to cease forthwith the work on construction of the separation wall being built in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem and its environs, to dismantle forthwith the structure therein situated, and to repeal or render ineffective all legislative and regulatory acts relating thereto, pursuant to paragraphs 133, 152, 153 of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on 9 July 2004.
3) Urge the Palestinian National Authority to present the advisory opinion on the separation wall, issued by the International Court of Justice on the 9th of the month of July, 2004, to the United Nations bodies, particularly the General Assembly and the Security Council for consideration and implementation.
4) Demand that Israel stop the policy of Judaization, displacement and ethnic cleansing practiced against Palestinians of occupied city of Jerusalem, lift the closures and blockades on the city, stop the separation and dispersal of Palestinian families, institute family unification policy for Palestinians, cease and reverse all illegal actions and measures that violated the right of families and individuals as a result of the wall construction or other discriminatory measures, and to allow Palestinians freedom of movement and residence in any part of the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.
5) Urge the occupation authorities to cease the practices of raiding neighborhoods and civilian facilities, the closure of Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem and to allow Palestinians (teachers, students, workers, and sick people) to access the City unconditionally, to stop the policy of racial discrimination against the educational process in occupied Jerusalem, to stop the arrest campaign of citizens and public officials and enable them to exercise their right and duty of democratic representation of their constituents, in accordance with international humanitarian law, and to apply the principles of the International Bill of Human Rights, and relevant Charter of the United Nations resolutions.
6) Demand that the occupation authorities stop drilling activities, construction and demolition of buildings and of archaeological historical Arab and Islamic sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, under and around Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the vicinity thereof, and to stop construction of Jewish-only structure on stolen Palestinian land, and stop the violation of religious sanctities in Jerusalem and in other occupied Palestinian areas.
7) Call on the occupying power stop interfering with the freedom of worship, and to allow the worshipers access to the holy places to perform prayers, and practice religious rites in full freedom and without conditions.
8) Call on all parties, signatories to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to assume their legal and ethical responsibilities and fulfill their obligations, including action to compel Israel to respect and apply the Convention in the occupied Palestinian territories, under Article I of the Convention, and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians from the continuing Israeli aggression.
9) Call on the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal obligations contained in Article (146) of the Convention relating to the prosecution of those responsible for grave breaches of the Convention, including war crimes, and in particular the prosecution of Israeli officials who perpetrate such crimes against the Palestinian people.
10) Urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations and all international organizations and bodies, regional organizations, Amnesty International, the Red Cross and other organizations concerned about human rights, to expose and to denounce these Israeli violations.
CCDPRJ member institutions:
1. Land Research Center . www.lrcj.org
2. Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights . www.jcser.org
3. Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center. www.mosaada.org
4. Arab Thought Forum . www.multaqa.org
5. Al-Haq . www.alhaq.org
6. The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, MIFTAH www.miftah.org
7. The Jerusalem Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry . www.jerusalemchamber.org
8. The Palestinian Counseling Center www.pcc-jer.org
9. Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling . www.wclac.org
10. Defense for Children International – Palestine Section www.dci-pal.org
11. Arab studies society, Maps and GIS Department .
12. The Society of Saint Yves.
13. The Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign . www.stopthewall.org
14. Union of Health Work Committees, Nidal Center . www.hwc-pal.org
15. Jerusalem Society for Welfare and Development
16. Jerusalem Center for Democracy and Human Rights . www.jcdhr.ps
17. Jurists Coalition for Human Rights.
18. Welfare Association . www.welfareassociation.org
JERUSALEM –Dahiat ALBarid
Tel:972(2)2343930
Fax:972(2)2343936
Email: info@ccdprj.ps
http://www.ccdprj.ps