Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A bitter taste in my mouth and not only from tear gas / Un gout amer dans ma bouche et pas seulement a cause du gaz lacrimogene








(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Nilin, Land Day, 30.03.2009.

The West Bank village of Nilin commemorates Land Day by helding a demonstration on 30.03.2009. A group of Palestinians, Israelis and internationals walked through the fields holding a banner with some pictures of the Warsaw Ghetto. They were stopped by Israeli soldiers who prevented them to go further and reach the fields which belong to the village. The demonstrators refused to leave and sat on the ground. In the meantime Palestinian youth from the village started to throw stones and Israeli soldiers fired scores of tear gas inside the village.


un gout amer dans la bouche: des gaz lacrimogene mais aussi un peu d'autre chose.

Il y a des jours ici ou on se demande vraiment ce que nous faisons en Palestine, ou l'amertume et le desespoir nous gagne. Il y a des jours ou nous avons l'envie de plier bagages et de trouver une autre cause perdue. Il y a des jours ou tous les signes semblent s'accumuler vers un panneau: EXIT.
Aujourd'hui est un des ces jours. Demain qui sait?
Aujourd'hui c'etait la journee de la Terre “Land Day”. Chaque annee les Palestiniens organisent des manifestations en commemoration d'une manifestation en 1976 en Israel ou six Palestiniens avaient ete tues. L'annee derniere les manifestations avaient ete puissantes et avaient rencontre une nouvelle fois la brutalite policiere. Une des mes amies photographes avait ete battue et s'etait retrouvee a l'hopital. Cette annee je couvrais pour mon collectif activestills la manifestation de Nilin. Nilin est devenu un des points centraux de la resistance avec des manifestations organisees toutes les semaines. En une annee quatre jeunes ont ete tues et il y a deux semaines, un Americain a ete tres grievement blesse en prenant une grenade lacrymogene a haute velocite dans la tete.
Je ne partais donc pas a Nilin avec l'esprit tres tranquille.
La journee precedente on m'avait contacte quatre fois pour m'indiquer l'heure de la manifestation. Je suis arrivee pile a l'heure, mais on m'annonce alors que la manifestation va commencer a 14h. J'en profite pour visiter le vieux quartier de la ville, tandis que les journalistes et photographes des grandes agences arrivent. Je les connais tous a force de les croiser mais ils ne me parlent pas vraiment. Je lis un livre avec des citations de Martin Luther King, ces paroles puissantes resonnent et j'ai envie de les lire a haute voix. Apres tout, nous sommes a une manifestation qui est censee s'inspirer des methodes non-violentes de resolution des conflits.
A 14h il y a plus de photographes et de cameramens que de manifestants. Comme c'est Land Day les medias doivent presenter quelque chose, or il y a peu de choses organisees en Cisjordanie.
Une de mes sources m'a dit qu'il y avait une petite manifestation a Qalandia.
Pendant en moment de flottement, tous les photographes se demandent s'ils vont partir ou non devant le peu de personnes presentes. Un photographe declare avec un air tres decu qu'il n y a “meme pas de soldats”. Evidemment les confrontations c'est tres vendeur.
Moi cela fait plus de deux heures que j'attends et je me dis que cela est vraiment mal organise. Est ce les habitants de Nilin se sont lasses? Est-ce qu'ils ont ete decourages par les quatres morts? Les centaines de blesses? Les arrestations et les incursions militaires incessantes?”. Est-ce que les Palestiniens ont baisse les bras? Est-ce qu'ils penchent pour d'autres methodes? La resistance non-violente a-t-elle un avenir ici?

Tout a coup les quelques Palestiniens presents deploient une banderole ou se trouvent des photos du ghetto de varsovie avec une phrase ecrite en Allemand, en Arabe, en Anglais et en Hebreu “Pourquoi devons-nous, nous Palestiniens payer pour l'Holocauste?” (apparemment la banniere avait du etre faite lors d'une visite de la chanceliere allemande). Le groupe de manifestants, en gros une trentaine de personnes se dirige avec un peu la force du desespoir vers leurs terres en direction du Mur. Autour d'eux, comme des abeilles, les photographes et cameramens, presque aussi nombreux qu'eux essayent de prendre la meilleure photo avec en premier plan la photo emblematique du gamin de varsovie qui levent les bras. Sur le chemin, les soldats israeliens font barrage, a leur vue je me depeche de mettre de l'alcool sur mon bandana afin de me proteger des gaz lacrimogenes. Les manifestants avancent fermement a la rencontre des soldats israeliens, Un commandant s'approche et demandent aux manifestants de partir. Un Palestinien apparait tout-a-coup, fait son show en criant tres fort et apres part en disant un “massalama” au commandant israelien. J'aimerais bien comprendre tout ce qui se dit. J'ai aussi envie de crier au soldat qui tient dans sa main une grenade lacrimogene prete a etre lancee sur la foule: “Mais pourquoi tu veux faire cela? Et d'abord pourquoi es-tu la, dans un village palestinien?” Mais je reste muette, crispee sur mon appareil photo, dans l'attente de la suite qui ne pourra etre que violente. Les Palestiniens continuent de parler aux soldats, et puis ils reculent un peu et s'assoient par terre, tandis que plus loin, dans le village, nous entendons de plus en plus des tirs. Les soldats sont surment rentres dans le village. Les photographes quittent la scene et je les suis. Dans ces situations dangereuses, il vaut mieux etre a plusieurs. Sur le chemin je remarque les fleurs du printemps et la beaute des oliviers.

Nous tombons nez-anez avec des soldats qui nous ont fait signe de bien vite partir, puis nous avons trouve les lanceurs de pierre qui nous ont fait signe de se depecher car nous etions sur leur ligne de mire. Pierres et gaz lacrimogenes comment a pleuvoir. Le gaz penetre partout, il brule la peau, irrite les yeux vous donne envie de vomir. Je reste un peu au loin, je ne me sens pas trop d'attaque aujourd'hui. Apres une heure, je decide de partir. Sur le parking je retrouve un Israelien assez age et nous parlons un peu. Il me demande ce qui se passe avec les lanceurs de pierre car lui est reste avec les manifestants et leur banderole. Il m'explique qu'ils se sont assis. Les soldats ne savaient pas trop quoi faire, alors ils auraient tire au loin du gaz lacrimogene et explique a leur superieur qu'ils ont ainsi disperse la foule, alors qu'une dizaine d'individus continuaient a les defier en restant tout simplement assis sur leurs terres. Ils avaient reussi a bousculer le petit schema bien etabli des soldats, et ont ouvert ainsi une breche d'humanite.
Je ne pouvais pas croire mes oreilles que j'avais loupe cela. Moi j'avais suivi tout betement, comme un mouton, la dizaine de photographes en quete d'adrenaline et d'images choc, et j'avais delaisse ce pour quoi j'etais justement venue: la couverture des actions non-violentes contre l'occupation, dans l'espoir que cela inspire d'autres actions.
Soudain, un gout amer m'a envahi la bouche, et ne m'a pas quitte jusqu'a present, Je n'avais pas ete meilleure que ces photojournalistes en quete de sensationnel que je n'arrete pas de complaisamment critiquer. Et la fameuse maxime de Gandhi me revient en tete: “sois le changement que tu veux voir dans le monde.”
Je vais essayer de faire mieux la prochaine fois et je viens de lire un article sur des bergers Palestiniens dans le sud de Hebron, qui ont refuse de laisser leurs terres malgre les menaces des colons: ils se sont tout simplement assis. Puissent-ils, ainsi que toutes les actions non-violentes qui existent en Palestine servir d'inspiration a tous, et meme aux photographes en quete d'adrenaline.

Monday, March 30, 2009

The boycott begins to be felt by Israeli industry

Israeli poll indicates 21% of exporters have felt effects of boycott

author Monday March 30, 2009 09:25author by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News Report this post to the editors


A report published Sunday in the Hebrew-language business paper 'The Marker', 21% of Israeli exporters say that they have been directly impacted by a boycott of Israeli products since the beginning of 2009.

Article from 'The Marker' business paper
Article from 'The Marker' business paper

The poll was conducted by the Israeli Union of Industrialists, and the percentage was extracted from a sampling of 90 companies from a variety of industries, including high tech, construction, textiles and food products.



The global call to boycott Israeli products, which began in 2005, gained traction in January 2009 after Israeli forces invaded the Gaza Strip with massive force, killing 1400 people, over 400 of whom were children. Across the world, Palestinians in diaspora and human rights advocates joined together in protests, marches and actions, focusing attention on a boycott of Israel. Some groups have called for a boycott of products exported from Israeli settlements and businesses that make profits from the Israeli military occupation, but other boycott groups have called for all Israeli products to be boycotted.



The activists involved in the Boycott movement say that they were inspired by the model created in opposition to South African apartheid in the 1980s, and argue that there are many similarities between the South African system of apartheid, which discriminated against the indigenous African population of the country, and the Israeli occupation, in which different laws apply to the indigenous Palestinian population than to the Israeli population, which has, for the most part, moved into the country over the last 60 years.



The groups point to other parallels between the Israeli occupation and South African apartheid, including pass laws, forced removal of populations, checkpoints and discriminatory laws and practices. According to the Stop the Wall campaign, “Apartheid began and is rooted in the very establishment of the colonial Israeli regime, set up as a state for Jews only, both in law (de jure) and in the implementation of its goals on various levels (de facto). This includes those mechanisms that are used to justify its practices to avoid its legalization. Apartheid is characterized by forcible transfer of populations, land control, labor exploitation, humiliation, and mass murder.”



Some of the companies that are being boycotted in the campaign include Motorola, which produces fuses for the M80 series of rockets, Caterpillar, which produces the D9 bulldozer which is used in the demolition of Palestinian homes, Connex and Alstom, which won the bid to construct a high-speed rail through Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem – destroying the homes of all Palestinians along the route with no compensation or legal recourse, Agrexco, which exports fruit and vegetables under the trade name Carmel which come from Israeli settlements in the West Bank.





Some of the actions that have already taken place since January include the dumping of Israeli products from supermarket shelves in Paris, blockading of ports in South Africa, mass protests in Jordan and Turkey against Israeli imports, and many more.

The Israeli website:

http://www.whoprofits.org

has been maintaining and updating a database of companies that either profit from the Israeli occupation or export products that come from Israeli settlements. The global BDS Movement has called for a boycott of these companies.



A full analysis and translation of the recent poll of Israeli exporters will be produced by the Alternative Information Center in the coming days.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Land Day in Hebron / "Jour de la Terre" a Hebron.







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Hebron, 28.03.2009.

Demonstrators stand in front of an Israeli military tower and the gate leading to Tel Rumeida settlement during a demonstration for land day in the Old city of Hebron, on 28.03.2009. The demonstration commemorates Land day and demands an end to the settlements, with the participation of Hadash Party-affiliated Knesset member, Mohammad Baraka, . The Israeli soldiers attacked the crowed which resulted in two injuries. One German international was arrested.


Les manifestants se tiennent devant une tour militaire israélienne et la porte menant à la colonie de Tel Rumeida lors d'une manifestation pour la terre, dans la vieille ville de Hébron, le 28/03/2009. La manifestation commémorait le jour de la terre et a exige la fin des colonies, avec la participation Mohammad Baraka, un membre de la Knesset du parti Hadash. Les soldats israéliens ont attaqué les manifestants ce qui a entraine deux blesse. Un international allemand a été violemment arrêté.

Friday, March 20, 2009

demo against the Wall in Al Masara / Manif contre le Mur a Al Masara, 20.03.2009







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Al Masara, 20.03.2009.

"Even the sheep cannot pass"
Around one hundred Palestinian, Israeli, and international demonstrators participate to weekly demonstration against the Wall in the village of Al Masara, on 20.03.2009.
The demonstration was dedicated to the women for international mothers'day. Many Palestinian women participated and they were offered red roses. the Israeli soldiers prevented the demonstration to continue by blocking the road with some barbwire. Some sheep panicked and rushed into the barbwire but the Israeli soldiers refused to remove it and one Israeli soldier even beat one sheep.

«Même les moutons ne peuvent pas passer»
Une centaine de palestiniens, israéliens et internationaux ont participe à la manifestation hebdomadaire contre le Mur dans le village d'Al Masara, le 20/03/2009.
La manifestation a été consacrée à la femme a l'occasion de la fete des meres. Beaucoup de femmes palestiniennes ont participé et ont leur a offert des roses rouges. les soldats israéliens ont bloque la route des manifestants avec des fils barbeles a travers de la route. Des moutons qui etaient sur la route ont paniqué et se sont précipités dans les barbeles mais les soldats israéliens ont refusé de les enlever et un soldat israélien a même battu un mouton.

Israeli soldiers talk about Gaza / Des soldats israeliens parlent sur Gaza

Israeli soldiers say lax rules of engagement allowed them to kill innocents in Gaza

Date: 19 / 03 / 2009 Time: 17:39

Bethlehem – Ma’an
– Israeli forces killed Palestinians under lax rules of engagement during the three-week offensive on Gaza in December and January, soldiers testimonies published on Thursday indicate.

The soldiers testimonies were made at the Oranim Academic College in Tivon, and appeared in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The Israeli military says it has launched an investigation into the killings, but at least one human rights group, Yesh Din, has called for an outside probe.

The soldiers’ testimony runs counter to the Israeli military’s own claims that it went to lengths to protect civilians during the war. According to the Palestinian center for human rights, more than two-thirds of the 1,434 Palestinians killed during the offensive were civilians. Three Israeli civilians and 10 soldiers were killed.

One testimony describes an incident in which an Israeli sniper shot a Palestinian woman and her two children after telling them they were safe to go.

"There was a house with a family inside .... We put them in a room. Later we left the house and another platoon entered it, and a few days after that there was an order to release the family. They had set up positions upstairs. There was a sniper position on the roof," the soldier said, according to Haaretz.

"The platoon commander let the family go and told them to go to the right. One mother and her two children didn't understand and went to the left, but they forgot to tell the sharpshooter on the roof they had let them go and it was okay, and he should hold his fire and he ... he did what he was supposed to, like he was following his orders."

One squad leader said he argued with his commander over the permissive rules of engagement, Haaretz reported. After the orders were changed, the squad leader's soldiers complained that "we should kill everyone there [in the center of Gaza]. Everyone there is a terrorist."








Des soldats israéliens accusent Tsahal de crimes de guerre
LEMONDE.FR avec AFP | 19.03.09 | 10h50


es témoignages de soldats israéliens ayant participé aux combats dans la bande de Gaza, confirment que des militaires israéliens ont tué des civils palestiniens sans défense durant l'offensive dans la bande de Gaza.

Des soldats qui sortaient d'une académie militaire portant le nom d'Yitzhak Rabin, ont publié leurs récits dans la lettre d'information publiée par cette institution. Parmi les témoignages repris par les médias israéliens - Haaretz, les radios publique et militaire -, figurent le cas d'une mère palestinienne abattue avec ses deux enfants par un sniper israélien parce qu'elle s'était trompée de chemin en sortant de chez elle.

Dans un autre cas, une vieille femme palestinienne a été tuée alors qu'elle marchait à 100 mètres de sa maison. D'autres témoignages font également état d'exactions, d'actes de vandalisme et de destructions dans des maisons.

Le directeur du collège, Dany Zamir, a réagi à la radio publique en affirmant qu'il s'agissait de "témoignages très durs sur des tirs injustifiés contre des civils, de destructions de biens qui dénotent une atmosphère dans laquelle on se croit permis d'utiliser la force sans restriction contre les Palestiniens". Il a précisé qu'il avait transmis ces témoignages à l'état-major pour qu'une enquête soit diligentée.

Un commentateur de la radio publique, Moshé Hanegbi, spécialisé dans les questions juridiques, a estimé que ces témoignages étaient "d'autant plus inquiétants qu'ils ne viennent pas de Palestiniens, mais de soldats qui n'ont aucun intérêt à ternir la réputation de leurs camarades". Pour lui, "il ne faut pas que l'armée enquête sur elle-même car une telle enquête ne serait pas crédible alors qu'Israël est accusé de crime de guerre à l'étranger et que des officiers pourraient été poursuivis dans le monde".

Un porte-parole de l'armée a indiqué qu'il n'était pas au courant des faits rapportés. L'offensive de l'armée israélienne contre la bande de Gaza a fait plus de 1 300 morts et 5 000 blessés palestiniens, selon un bilan des services médicaux palestiniens. Parmi les morts figurent 437 enfants âgés de moins de 16 ans, 110 femmes et 123 personnes âgées, ainsi que 14 médecins et quatre journalistes. L'offensive de 22 jours (27 décembre-18 janvier) a fait 1 890 blessés parmi les enfants, et 200 blessés graves tous âges confondus.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Homeless / sans abri







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Al-Ezariya, 16.03.2009.

see article below/ voir article ci-dessous

Ongoing Ethnic cleansing around Jerusalem- demolition in al-Eziryiah / Nettoyage ethnique autour de Jerusalem- Demolition a al-Eziryiah







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Al-Ezariya, 16.03.2009.


A Bedouin family waits near the remains of their demolished home after the demolition of three structures of the Jahalin Bedouins consisting of two homes for two families and a shed for animals, in al-Eziryiah, 18.03.2009. The demolition left 17 people homeless. In the last two days, other demolitions occurred around and in Jerusalem, leaving around 40 people homeless. The Bedouins around Male Adumim settlement are particularly targeted, 2000 are being under threat of being displaced.


Une famille de Bédouins attend près des ruines de leur maison demolie. Trois structures des Bédouins Jahalin ont ete au total detruites, comprenant les deux habitations de deux familles et un abri pour les animaux, a al-Eziryiah, 18/03/2009. La démolition a laisse 17 personnes sans-abri. Dans les deux derniers jours, d'autres démolitions ont eu lieu autour et à Jérusalem, qui ont laisse environ 40 personnes sans-abri. Les Bédouins autour de la colone de Male Adumim sont particulièrement ciblés, pres de 2000 sont sous la menace directe de déplacement.

















MAAN NEWS AGENCY
---------------------------


Israel demolishes house, Bedouin camp near Jerusalem

Date: 18 / 03 / 2009 Time: 16:26

Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli bulldozers demolished a house and three temporary Bedouin shelters in the West Bank town of Al-Ezariya, east of Jerusalem, on Wednesday.

“I built the house three years ago after getting all the needed permits from the local council in Al-Eizareyeh,” said Ghazi Al-Qimary, referring to his home, which was located in the Al-Mashtal neighborhood. The building housed 13 people.

The head of the municipal council, Issam Far’on confirmed that Al-Qimary had obtained all the permits he needed, since the house was built within the Palestinian Authority’s jurisdiction.

Far’on said that the Israeli military was “lying” when it said the house was built without permits.

Al-Qimary was assaulted and then detained by Israeli soldiers who forcibly removed the family from the house. He was held until the demolition was finished.

Far’on, the municipal official, said that hundreds of houses are facing demolition in the area, expressing anger at what he said was “humiliation” inflicted by the Israeli army on the Palestinians in Al-Ezariya.

Israeli bulldozers also displaced 29 Bedouins from their encampment on Al-Baba Street in Al-Eizareyeh.

One of the shelter belonged to Muhammad Salman Salameh Al-Basha, with 10 family members, another to Sa’ed Hasan Hawamdeh with 10 members, and a third to Salman Al-Jahalin with 9 members.

Also on Wednesday Hatem Abdel Qader, a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) advisor on Jerusalem affairs, organized an official visit by senior South African diplomats to some of the 88 families in Jerusalem’s Bustan neighborhood who are also facing demolition orders.

Abdel Qader said the demolition orders are an attempt to “empty Jerusalem of its original inhabitents.”

Ongoing Ethnic cleansing around Jerusalem- Home demolition in al-Eziryiah / Nettoyage ethnique autour de Jerusalem- Demolition de maison a al-Eziryiah







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, al-Eziryiah, 18.03.2009.


The remains of a demolished home belonging to the family of Raby'a Al-Kamary are seen outside, in al-Eziryiah, 18.03.2009. The demolition left 10 people homeless. In the last two days, other demolitions occurred around and in Jerusalem, leaving around 40 people homeless. According to the owner, the house was built legally in area B, which is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian authority,, but the Israeli police who came to demolish the house claimed that it was in Area C, without providing any document to justify it.

Les restes d'une maison appartenant à la famille d'Al-Raby'a Kamar, a al-Eziryiah, 18/03/2009. La démolition a laisse 10 personnes sans-abri. Dans les deux derniers jours, d'autres démolitions ont eu lieu autour et à Jérusalem, qui ont laisse environ 40 personnes sans-abri. Selon le propriétaire, la maison a été construite légalement dans la zone B, qui est sous la juridiction de l'autorité palestinienne, mais la police israélienne qui est venue pour démolir la maison, a fait valoir que la maison était situee dans la zone C, sans fournir aucun document pour justifier.




Israeli authorities demolish Palestinian-owned home and structures in Jerusalem
author Wednesday March 18, 2009 16:16author by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News Report


One house, two bedouin huts and an animal shed owned by Palestinians near Jerusalem city were demolished on Wednesday by the Israeli authorities.

All the demolitions took place in al-Eziryiah, a Palestinian town just outside East Jerusalem.

The home, owned by Rabie' al-Qamari, was demolished on Wednesday midday. Rabie' told IMEMC that he had all the necessary papers for his home. "They came today with bulldozers and demolished my home. When my son asked them about the demolition order, they attacked him and beat him up. I have all the required papers for my home; the area is under Palestinian control so they have no right to demolish my home."

Witnesses said that municipality bulldozers from the nearby Israeli settlement of Ma'ali Adomem demolished the house. The municipality told al-Qamari that his home is in an Israeli controlled area. "I have maps showing that my house is located in the Palestinian controlled area; it is not even close to the settlement, so they have no right to do this," Rabie' al-Qamari said.

"Before building the house I went to the Israeli army civil administration and they told me the area is controlled by the Palestinian authority and not by them," al-Qamari added. Earlier on Wednesday morning, the Israeli Army demolished two bedouin huts and an animal shed that belong to Palestinians from al-Eziryiah.

The army told the owners that it was built in an area where the separation wall will be built. The owner, Kaled al-Jahaleen, told IMEMC that the army gave him no warning. "They came today without any warnings and demolished the structures. They did not allow us to move our stuff first." al-Jahaleen said.

In related news, Hateem Abed al-Qader, Jerusalem Affairs Adviser to the Palestinian Prime Minister, announced on Wednesday that Israelis have handed out 80 new demolition orders for homes owned by Palestinians in Jerusalem city. On Tuesday, bulldozers belonging to the Israeli municipality demolished a Palestinian owned home, located in the Beit Safafa neighborhood of the city.

The flat is part of a seven story-high building owned by Abu Khalaf, a Palestinian from Jerusalem. Israeli troops arrived at Beit Safafa on Tuesday morning and surround the building. Shortly after, troops forced everyone out and demolished the seventh floor. The Israeli municipality says the flat was built without the necessary permission.

Israel has intensified its campaign of demolishing Palestinian-owned homes in the city since the start of 2009. The Jerusalem municipality handed out demolition orders to 96 Palestinian families in the first week of March. In February, demolition orders were issued for 88 homes in the al-Bustan neighborhood, located immediately south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's old city. If these orders are carried out, thousands more Palestinians will become homeless.

Israel has occupied the city of Jerusalem since 1967 and the authorities have rarely given Palestinian residents permission to build homes. The Israeli government has continued to build Jewish settlements in and around Jerusalem and throughout the West Bank, an act which violates international law, Geneva Conventions and all peace agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Ongoing Ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem- Home demolition in Beit Safafa / Nettoyage ethnique a Jerusalem- Demolition de maison a Beit Safafa







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Beit Safafa, Jerusalem, 17.03.2009.

Demolished Home. Broken family.

Today they watched, for hours and hours, their homes being taken away from them. stone by stone. How can these children grow up normally with these images in their head. How can they believe in peace?


Israeli demolition crews finish destruction of Beit Safafa home

Date: 17 / 03 / 2009 Time: 12:08

Jerusalem Maan- Israeli forces withdrew from Beit Safafa after five oclock Tuesday evening after demolishing the sixth floor of a multi-family home on Ar-Rakhma Street in East Jerusalem.

The floor was home to seven Palestinians from one family. The fourth and fifth floors of the building also have demolition orders against them, though it is unclear if and when Israeli troops and demolition crews will return to the location.

Demolition began in the late hours of the morning, with crews removing the tile roof of the building and knocking down walls on the Ar-Rakhma street building. The demolition stalled when demolition workers attempted to dismantle the elevator to the top floor. Eyewitnesses said several methods of destruction were attempted, and that the elevator and likely the elevator shaft were permanently damaged.

Earlier in the day armed soldiers blocked the entrances to both the Gilo and Beit Safafa streets, prohibiting press from entering the area and warning residents that if they leave with their cars they will not be permitted to re-enter the area. Others are able to enter the area but only on foot.

Soldiers have prevented those who live in the building from coming within 200 meters of the site. Those who wish to remove personal items from their homes in advance of the demolition are being removed from the area.

The six-story building belongs to Mahfoudh Abu Khalaf, who is reportedly refusing to leave the building, which houses 50 people, from several different families. Some were seen taking suitcases and furniture out of the building.

The first three floors of the building were built with permits, but the fourth, fifth and sixth were denied permits and are considered illegal. The sixth floor is home to seven people.

Israeli soldiers told locals that only the sixth floor will be destroyed Tuesday, though the other two have demolition orders pending. They have been assured that special equipment will be used to ensure that only the top floor of the building will be destroyed.

Witnesses said it was likely the demolition would damage the other floors of the home.

FRANCAIS

Maisons detruites, familles brisees.

Aujourd'hui les quatres enfanbts de la famnille Abu Khalaf ont regarde leur appartement, leur foyer, le centre de leur vie, se faire detruire. Il etait situe au sixieme etage d'un immeuble palestinien, a beit safafa, a Jerusalem. L'operation a dure toute la journee. D'abord la police est arrivee le matin et a fait evacuer tout l'immeuble. des travailleurs ont ramasse leurs vetements qui ont ete mis en tas par terre. pas le temps de sauver les meubles ou d'autres biens. la zone a ete fermee et les habitants de l'immeuble ne pouvaient pas s'approcher. puis des travailleurs sont ensuite alles casser les murs a l'interieur de l'appartement. d'autres sont ensuite alles sur le toit pour enlever les tuiles, une a une...enfin les bulldozers sont arrives pour commencer leur sale besogne, mais cela n'a pas ete facile pour detruire l'appartement et ils ont du se reprendre a plusieurs reprises. Pendant ce temps, les Palestiniens se so t tu, petit-a-petit. l'adolescente qui avait fait une crise d'hysterie s'est calmee. mais ce silence etait encore pire a entendre.
La municipalite a dit que dans cette zone les immeubles ne pouvaient pas depasser trois etages. donc non seulement il est interdit pour les palestiniens de construire (il est impossible d'obtenir des permis de construire pour les palestiniens), mais ils ne peuvent construire des nouveaux etages. quelle ironie, derriere l'immeuble qu'ils demolissaient, on pouvait voir les nouveaux immeublesm tres hauts de Jerusalem ouest, dans les quartiers juifs.
Israel continue sa politique de nettoyage ethnique a petit feu a Jerusalem.
Que vont penser ces enfants en grandissant et en ayant dans la tete ces images de leurs maisons qu'on a demoli?

Ongoing Ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem- Home demolition in Beit Safafa / Nettoyage ethnique a Jerusalem- Demolition de maison a Beit Safafa







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Beit Safafa, Jerusalem, 17.03.2009.

The pile of clothes that you can see on the third picture is what all remains from their belongings/ la pile de vetements sur la troisieme photo est tout ce qui reste des biens de la famille.

Ongoing Ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem-Sheikh Jarrah/ Nettoyage ethnique a Jerusalem- Sheihk Jarrah







(c) Photo by Anne Paq/Activestills, Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, 16.03.2009.

As one of the owner of a house threatened of being evicted, "Jerusalem has become the capitale of the tents". Indeed there are five protest tents at the moment in Jerusalem: two in Silwan, one on the mountain of olives, one in Sheikh Jarrah and
New waves of eviction orders have recently affected many areas in Jerusalem. Two Sheikh Jarrah families, the Al-Hannoun and El-Ghawi have received an eviction order valid from 15.03.2009 until 22.03.2009. This will affect 51 people. A tent has been erected in Sheikh Jarrah months ago following the eviction of the Al Kurd Family. The tent, after having been demolished 5 times is still standing. In total 28 families in the area are under threat of being evicted.

Comme un des proprietaire d'une maison dont tous les habitants sont menaces d'expulsion l'a affirme: "Jerusalem est devenue la capitale des tentes." Il existe en effet deja cinq tentes de protestation a Jerusalem qui s'elevent contre les recentes vagues d'avis de demolitions et d'expulsions: deux a silwan, une a sheikh jarrah, une sur le mont des oliviers et une a shufat.
Deux familles a Sheikh Jarrah sont directement menacees, et ont juste recu des avis d'expulsion qui, si ils sont appliques, vont mettre une cinquantaine de palestiniens a la rue. La tente de Sheikh Jarrah a ete erigee il y a des mois apres l'expulsion de la famille Al-Kurd. Elle est toujours debout, apres avoir ete demolie cinq fois.
Au total, 28 familles de Sheikh Jarrah sont menacees.

Ongoing Ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem- Silwan / Nettoyage ethnique a Jerusalem- Silwan







(c) Anne Paq/Activestills.org, Silwan, 14.03.2009

Homeless soon?
88 houses from Silwan in Jerusalem recently received demolition orders. 1500 people are affected. The inhabitants erected a protest tent which is open everyday.

Sans domicile bientot?
88 maisons du quartier de Silwan a Jerusalem ont recu des avis de demolition. 1500 personnes sont affectees. Les habitants se sont mobilises et ont construit une tente de protestation.