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Title: Olympics

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Name: Motaz Abuthiab
Txt: .........................!!!??
Url\Email: http://www.fashcool.com/
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Title: STRIKE / Sciopero

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Name: Motaz Abuthiab
Txt: PALESTINA
Prigionieri in sciopero della fame
Sono circa 4000 su 7500 i prigionieri palestinesi reclusi nelle carceri israeliane che hanno iniziato, da qualche giorno, lo sciopero della fame.
http://italy.indymedia.org/archives/display_by_id.php?feature_id=1672
Url\Email: http://www.sallati.com
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Title: «Israele come Abu Ghraib, le torture sono la norma»

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Name: Motaz Abuthiab
Txt: ALESSANDRA GARUSI
«Israele come Abu Ghraib, le torture sono la norma». Parla l'avvocato Talhami, che ha presentato all'alta corte di Tel Aviv una petizione contro gli abusi nelle carceri.
«La maggioranza degli oltre 7mila palestinesi, attualmente detenuti nelle carceri israeliane, ha subito torture durante gli interrogatori - afferma Maher Talhami - ma, a differenza di quelle commesse da soldati Usa nel carcere di Abu Ghraib, qui non esistono immagini. Solo centinaia di deposizioni scritte e giurate».
Parla con cognizione di causa questo avvocato arabo-israeliano. La sua organizzazione - Physicians for human rights-Israel (Phr) - si batte dal 1988 per la tutela del diritto alla salute; lo scorso 8 giugno, ha presentato all'Alta corte di Israele una petizione contro il Sistema carcerario israeliano (Ips), chiedendo che si ponga fine agli abusi sistematici commessi ai danni dei prigionieri nel carcere «Sharon». La sentenza è attesa per questi giorni.
Avvocato, dove si trova il carcere «Sharon»?
Nel centro del paese, a mezz'ora di auto da Tel Aviv. È un vecchio istituto detentivo (risale al 1953); ironia della sorte, porta lo stesso cognome dell'attuale premier israeliano. Mentre l'ala femminile è stata spostata, quella maschile resiste ed è sempre più grande, tanto che sono stati costruiti nuovi locali. Le torture da noi denunciate avvengono comunque in prevalenza nella parte vecchia.
Che genere di abusi subiscono i detenuti?
Si inizia lasciandoli in celle piccolissime senza luce, né servizi igienici. Quindi i detenuti vengono privati del sonno; a volte restano fuori al freddo, o sotto il sole cocente, per ore. Alcuni raccontano di essere stati costretti a sedersi su sgabelli bassi con le mani legate dietro la schiena (una procedura nota sotto il nome di «shabah»), o a stendersi sulla pancia con i polsi stretti alle caviglie. Ma la lista delle variazioni possibili è lunga, dai rumori assordanti agli incappucciamenti con stracci imbevuti di vomito o di urina. Quel che è peggio è che i detenuti non ricevono alcun tipo di assistenza medica. Un problema serio, viste le percosse, le ferite e le contusioni riportate durante gli interrogatori.
Nel 1999, in seguito a sette petizioni presentate da organizzazioni dei diritti umani, l'Alta Corte d'Israele non mise fuori legge la tortura?
Sì. Vietò l'uso delle torture fisiche su tutti i detenuti, a parte i kamikaze e gli aspiranti tali. E questa scappatoia ha permesso di reintrodurla in moltissimi casi. Inoltre, non disse nulla sugli abusi psichici. Oggi i detenuti palestinesi vengono terrorizzati con minacce del tipo: «Bombarderemo la tua casa, la raderemo al suolo. Andremo a prendere tua moglie e i tuoi figli».
Le torture sono praticate da «poche mele marce», o sono piuttosto una routine?
Le cito il caso recente di un ragazzo che è stato colpito otto volte al petto, prima di finire in ospedale. E lui stesso ha detto: «Avrebbero potuto arrestarmi senza sferrare un colpo, invece...». Il dramma è proprio questo: oggi un soldato israeliano può sparare a chiunque voglia e non gli succederà nulla, a meno che non ci siano delle foto potenti ad inchiodarlo. Una volta poi che un palestinese entra in carcere, sperimenta l'inferno. Il cibo fa schifo e nelle celle mancano i servizi igienici. Il carcere di Gilboa, a nord, ad esempio è nuovissimo. Viene chiamato «la cripta», perché da lì è difficilissimo fuggire. L'ho visitato: si mangia decentemente, ma il problema è che gli agenti trattano i detenuti con il massimo disprezzo, come se fossero animali. Rendono loro la vita impossibile.
Con quale frequenza gli avvocati possono incontrare i loro clienti?
Dipende. Dopo essere stati interrogati, possono vederli quando vogliono. Prima invece ci sono moltissime restrizioni. I palestinesi vengono definiti «security prisoners». Hanno condizioni diverse su tutto: dalla frequenza degli incontri con i legali alla durata dei colloqui senza una guardia. Anche in sede di processo, quasi sempre davanti a tribunali militari, non si riesce a ottenere molto. Le condanne sono sempre pesantissime; possono aggirarsi attorno a tre ergastoli più 40 anni di carcere. Anche in mancanza di prove, essi possono incorrere nella cosiddetta «detenzione amministrativa»: sei mesi rinnovabili per sei volte in carcere senza che sia stata formulata un'accusa. Può trattarsi di un uomo, una donna o un bambino.
Nel carcere «Sharon» ci sono anche minori?
Penso di no. Ma è difficile avere un quadro preciso dei detenuti minorenni nelle prigioni israeliane. So, ad esempio, che nell'infernale carcere di Hawar, vicino a Jenin, è detenuto un 14enne. È stato arrestato per aver gettato una pietra; il padre si è messo subito in contatto con noi, spiegandoci tra l'altro che il ragazzino ha un handicap psichico. Così ci siamo mossi, abbiamo chiesto di verificare la posizione del detenuto tramite i nostri avvocati, ma le autorità carcerarie hanno continuato a temporeggiare e il rilascio è stato disposto soltanto dopo oltre un mese. Intanto, ogni giorno vissuto là dentro è un giorno vissuto nell'orrore.
È in grado di dirci come sono le condizioni di salute di Marwan Barghuti, il leader di Al Fatah, tuttora detenuto?
Gli abbiamo mandato un medico, un mese e mezzo fa, per un check up generale. C'era stato segnalato un problema alla schiena, che ora almeno in parte è stato risolto. Il suo stato generale resta comunque molto precario.
Url\Email: http://www.aljedar.org
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Title: The International Court of Justice to Declare: THE WALL IS ILLEGAL!

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Name: Motaz Abuthiab
Txt: The International Court of Justice to Declare: THE WALL IS ILLEGAL!
Latest News, PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, July 9th, 2004

Palestine Demands: Immediate Sanctions and Boycott of Apartheid Israel!

Contact:
Jamal Juma’: +972-522-85-610;
Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign: +972-258-56-408;
info@stopthewall.org

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague, despite intense pressure from Israel, the US and EU Governments, confirms what Palestinians and the world have known since the beginning of its planning and construction - THE WALL IS ILLEGAL!

In materials obtained by the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign prior to the formal ICJ announcement scheduled for 4:00pm tomorrow in The Hague, the ICJ Advisory Opinion clearly calls for a complete stop and reversal of the Wall.

Citing the Right to Self Determination, the Fourth Geneva Convention, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, relevant human rights and humanitarian law, as well as the Rights to Freedom of Movement, Work, Education, Health, Food and Water, Religion and the Right of the Child, the ICJ voted 14-1 that "construction of the wall and its associated regime are contrary to international law" 14-1 that Israel must immediately cease construction of the Wall in all areas, dismantle parts already build and repeal any legislation or regulation relating to the Wall and 14-1 that Israel must make reparations for damages caused by construction of the Wall.

The ICJ reiterates the illegality of Israeli settlements and their relationship to the Wall’s path, referring to the Wall’s unilateral demarcation of a new border in the West Bank, seizure and destruction of property, the effective annexation of occupied lands and settlements and the demographic changes within Palestine as a result of the Wall’s construction. In an important assertion, the Court fully disregards the relevance of the Israeli position that the Wall is for "security" or "self defense."

In response to the ruling, the illegality of the Wall and the ongoing destruction to Palestinian communities on the ground:
Mass Demonstration will be held today in Ar Ram, at the Protest tent (approximately 100 meters from the Dahiat checkpoint), after the Friday noon prayer. The demonstration will include massive mobilization of Palestinians from the Northern West Bank communities affected by the Wall and the rest of the West Bank.
Internationally, central mobilization has been taking place in The Hague with solidarity Demonstrations being held in many countries around the world.
Of course, we cannot trust that the Court decision alone will make the Wall fall - the international community must take action and demand that the decision have an impact on the ground. Israel has a clear history of violating UN resolutions, as was recognized in the ICJ opinion, and has explicitly stated that it will not accept any ruling of the ICJ. Further it has secured guarantees from the United States that they will veto any action by the UN Security Council to enforce the ICJ opinion.

Should Israel, the US, the European Union or any other country attempt to avoid their legal obligation to stop construction of the Illegal Wall, they would be in clear contempt of the ICJ’s opinion in which a 13-2 vote stated that "all States are under an obligation not to recognize the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction." The court reinforced this point with a 14-1 vote that the "United Nations and especially the General Assembly and the Security Council should consider what further action is required to bring an end to the illegal situation resulting from the wall and the associated regime." In statement number (145), the ICJ also makes the argument that Israel has a responsibility to search for and bring to justice the crimes of any person involved in the "planning, construction and "use of the wall."

"This opinion will only mark an important event in the struggle against the Apartheid Wall and for Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law, if the UN, world governments and the international community demand the implementation of the opinion and act to sanction Israeli Apartheid for its crimes against the Palestinian people, ensuring that the US does not use its veto power to undermine the international judicial process," says the coordinator of the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign.

In response to the ICJ opinion, the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign is calling for immediate action: Construction on the Wall must be stopped immediately, all existing sections must be dismantled and compensation must be offered to those who have suffered from its devastation.

The demands of the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign are that:
the UN to immediately call for a General Assembly Meeting imposing, without further delay, international sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel, as demanded already in November 2003;
the EU to immediately suspend its economic, cultural and scientific association agreements with Israel;
Governments worldwide break off diplomatic relations.
In addition, we are calling upon the People of the World to:
strengthen their support for the Palestinian struggle against the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli Occupation;
pressure their governments to take responsible action and enforce the opinion with continued mobilization;
call for popular boycott of all Israeli goods and institutions until the Wall falls and Israel complies with International Law and all UN resolutions.
An ICJ Advisory Opinion is not merely an opinion, is an official jurisprudence of the highest judicial body in the United Nations Systems and to diminish the weight of the Advisory Opinion is to contradict the principles established in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In reference to the value of their own opinion, the ICJ highlighted the value of their 1971 ruling against South Africa's occupation of Namibia, after which the international community imposed sanctions on the Apartheid State. Popular boycott, International isolation, economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure have supported the South African Anti-Apartheid Movement in its struggle against a racist and colonialist regime and have brought South Africa Apartheid to an end.

Url\Email: http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/637.shtml
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Title: What Does Changing 30 kms of the Wall’s Path Really Mean??

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Name: Motaz Abuthiab
Txt: What Does Changing 30 kms of the Wall's Path Really Mean??

Latest News, PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, July 6th, 2004

This map shows the different, “alternative routes” of sections of the originally planned Wall around the North West Jerusalem villages affected by the recent Israeli High Court ruling:

1- The Apartheid Wall around these villages was planned by the Occupation military in a way that isolates large areas of lands that belong to these villages. It also surrounds them, separating them from Jerusalem and closes them off from Ram and the main road to Ramallah. By Cutting these villages off from Jerusalem and leaving them only a tenuous long linkage to Ramallah, it will mean that the Wall will severely hinder people‘s access to their markets and services in Jerusalem and Ramallah, inducing unsustainable transportation and transaction costs.

2- This map features the “alternative” wall route that was proposed by the retired generals (CPS) (2). This “alternative” Wall route shows that Occupation Forces may not annex Mount Maqtam and Sheikh Zeitun, which would therefore leave Beit Inan and Betunia with some of their lands for cultivation. This “alternative” wall route would also keep Beit Iksa linked to the other villages within the walled area.

3- The map also shows the Wall route as suggested by the village petitioners to the Occupation High Court (3). This Wall's route accommodates all of the existing illegal settlements and much of their planned expansion. It closely follows the line suggested at the Taba talks, which is utterly disadvantageous for Arab Jerusalem and its surroundings.

4- The last important feature on the map indicates the likely scope for an adapted Wall route (red arrows) which would probably meet the criteria of ‘proportionality' set out by the Occupation's High Court in causing Palestinian damages.

The Map illustrates the limitations of only a local community based challenge of the Wall by the proposed “alternative” routes of the Wall.

The Court took SELECTIVE considerations – in proportion to the standards they set - for the villages cultivated lands ending up behind the Wall. It also understood concerns that the Wall would seriously hinder Palestinian road links. However, the Court has now instructed Occupation Army Planners to project an alternative Wall Route that would address ONLY these particular issues, and ONLY in this particular section of the Wall. Thus, the Occupation Court concluded that the only things to be taken into consideration were that some cultivated lands and some linkage to Ramallah be left for Palestinians.

However, the Court's decision will only address the impact of the Wall on these issues in proportion to their standards, that is to say, to a LIMITED degree. The result will most probably mean that the route of the Wall will follow that represented by the red arrows on this map, and will probably be accompanied by some new “alternative” road links, such as the recently constructed Rafat Tunnel.

This means that from the perspective of Palestinian National interests, the most damaging consequences of the Wall remain unconsidered by the Occupation Court.

The Apartheid Wall, in all three “alternative” routes will still severely constrict residential and commercial development of villages and hinder access to cultural-historical-religious sites (for instance: Nabi Samwil). At the same time, these routes also annex all of the settlements in the area, leaving them the space needed for expansion – mainly Giv'at Ze'ev - which would take place on primary Palestinian natural and cultural-historical landscapes (Nabi Samwil Hill Ridge, so-called Ayalon Valley by the Occupation Forces). At the same time, it eliminates the possibility for urgently needed urban development of Metropolitan Arab Jerusalem, the best opportunities for which are located around Bir Nabala and directly south of Ramallah.

This map, in outlining these possible “alternative” routes of the Wall reveals that the case is no more than an attempt by the Occupation Judicial system to enable Israel to portray the “new” Apartheid Wall as “fairly and proportionately” accommodating Palestinian damages in return for “security”.

However, in reality, the court's decision conceals the geo-political drive behind the Wall, which is aimed at accommodating large-scale settlement expansion, while putting Palestinians into ghettos.

Url\Email: http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/632.shtml
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