Opinion

‘Palestinian Lives Matter,’ shout Israeli protesters over killing of Iyad Hallak

June 5, 2020 Opinion 0

The killing of autistic Palestinian man Iyad Hallak is arguably a perfect example of brutality by a police force that sees all Arab civilians as suspects. By Afif Abu Much Israeli border police shot and killed Iyad Hallak, 32, of East Jerusalem, at the Old City’s Lions’ Gate on May …

The police were designed to take Black and Palestinian lives, not protect them

June 5, 2020 Opinion 0

The knee that choked George Floyd is part of the same oppressive force that walked away from Ayman Safiah and that pulled the trigger on Iyad al-Hallaq. By Ashraf Ghandour* It has been a week of shocking police misconduct in Israel-Palestine and the United States. For Palestinians, the saga began …

The New York Times: the West Bank Is a Brazen Violation of International Law

June 2, 2020 English, Opinion 0

It would also render the territory into a patchwork of simmering, unstable Palestinian areas, forever threatening a new intifada. For his next act, after surviving a yearlong political struggle that he needed three national elections and a health crisis to overcome, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has announced that …

Pro-Israel censorship takes a hit – pro-Palestine voices won’t be silenced

February 27, 2020 Opinion 0

Nada Elia With a Harvard Law Review legal opinion, opposition to the muzzling of pro-Palestine speech is growing, in both academia and wider society For Palestine rights activists, the 10 February Harvard Law Review editorial board statement that BDS is not a discriminatory practice, and should not be banned as …

The IDF Spirit: These Aren’t Human Beings. They’re Palestinians

February 23, 2020 Opinion 0

By: Gideon Levy We ought to thank the driver of the military tractor who went crazy on the streets of Kfar Qaddum the other day, even give him a citation: He drew an amazingly accurate picture of reality for Israelis and the outside world. Take a look at the video …

Israel to annex Palestinian land after the upcoming Knesset elections

February 17, 2020 Opinion 0

By: Madeeha Araj/ NBPRS/ The National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that US President Donald Trump’s adviser, Jared Kushner recently announced that Israel won’t annex Palestinian lands before the upcoming Knesset elections, thereby, explained the controversy among Likud, the government, and …

Farmers expect a good olive harvest season this year

September 18, 2019 Opinion 0

By Ehab Rimawi Farmers and specialists said they expect a promising season of olive oil production this year compared to last season following abundance in rainfall and late blooming and budding, which could make it the best season since 2006 when production reached 34,000 tons of olive oil. Available figures …

After Jordan Valley and Northern Dead Sea, Netanyahu Plans to annex 75% of Areas C

September 18, 2019 Opinion 0

By: Madeeha Araj, The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements said in his latest weekly report , that Israeli PM Netanyahu announced at a press conference held last week , his intention to impose Israeli sovereignty on the Palestinian Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea should he …

Middle East Monitor: Nariman and Ahed Tamimi: Icons of Palestinian Resilience

March 21, 2018 Opinion 0

By: Bassem Tamimi The incarceration of the two most important women in my life, my wife Nariman and daughter Ahed, is not an extraordinary or exceptional case. On the contrary, Palestinians have continued to endure such atrocious behaviour from Israel as an occupying power since the Nakba of 1948. Perhaps …

Roger Waters Releases Song Bashing Trump for Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

March 19, 2018 Opinion 0

Called ‘The Penultimate Speech of the Red Indian to the White Man’, the song features verses written by Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish Itamar Zohar Former Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters released a new song on Tuesday in which he swats at U.S. President Donald Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as …

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Appeal from Palestine to the Peoples and States of the World

For many years, Israel has remained an occupying power, occupying the territory of another state and controlling its people. It is a colonial state enforcing settler colonialism, including confiscating land, transferring its population to the territory it is occupying, and enacting a separate living system therein. It is a State that commits grave violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law. It is a State that denies the Palestinian people their right to self-determination and national independence and denies the rights of Palestine refugees, including their right to return, ownership and compensation. It is a State that has ignored international will, rejected and violated all relevant United Nations resolutions and conventions.

Recently, the situation has worsened considerably. We have seen an increasing Israeli shift toward extremism, fundamentalism and even fascism. We have also seen a complete reversal of concluded agreements and attempts to take settler colonialism to another level. Israeli officials have publicly voiced positions that reject the Palestinian people’s existence and national rights and confirm the desire to seize all of the Palestinian territory.

As well, Trump’s recently issued so-called, “Vision for Peace, Prosperity and a Brighter Future for Israel and the Palestinian People” is in fact not a peace plan, but rather an adoption of the outrageous ideologies that advance greater Israel, deny Palestinian national existence, and
attempt to find possible solutions for the “Palestinian inhabitants” in a disconnected entity that they can call a state – if they meet many additional and impossible conditions. The plan paves the way for Israel to annex large swathes of the West Bank, including the areas of illegal settlements, the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea, and areas west of the Wall – which the International Court of Justice affirmed the illegality of and the need to dismantle and make reparations for the damage caused by its construction in 2004.

The Israeli Prime Minister has now and in many instances declared his intention to annex these areas, a position that was stated expressly in the partnership agreement of the current Israeli government – which makes it part of official government policy – along with the annexation of occupied East Jerusalem, which the international community has unanimously rejected and deemed to be null and void. Such Israeli policies and procedures constitute a grave violation of the principles and relevant provisions of international law – even annul international law and the conduct of States, upon which the international system as a whole is based – extinguish the possibility of a negotiated settlement between the two sides, and thus inevitably provoke a long confrontation with catastrophic results.

It is the duty of the international community, its States, people and civil society organizations to confront this, prevent it from happening and, if it does, to take punitive and deterrent measures. Reluctance to seriously confront all of this would be a shameful abrogation and would create repercussions in the region as well as the international system. Inaction would be a betrayal of values and principles, a retreat from a negotiated settlement and the establishment of peace in the region based on partition into two states.

As concerns the aforementioned, we, Palestinian leaders from all walks of life, including academics, former officials and civil society, appeal to the international community to take the necessary positions and measures to confront and stop this injustice, to preserve the goal of establishing peace and a secure and viable future for the people of the region, including the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, each in their independent state. We specifically ask that immediate action be taken to affirm:

1. By various means, the position against any annexation by Israel of the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a grave violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as well as in flagrant violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

2. The need for all States of the world to abide by relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2334 (2016), specifically to not recognize any changes to the 1967 borders. Additionally, that all States with relations or cooperation agreements with Israel commit to the principle of distinction between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to reject any attempt by Israel to disparage this principle.

3. The need for all States to take specific measures against settlements, settlers and settlement products, including preventing such products from entering their markets, in implementation of the legal contractual obligations of States (third parties) in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention, 1949.

4. The need for political entities and civil society organizations to confront the attempt by a few governments to criminalize the above measures, as such criminalization would constitute a violation of international law, or to criminalize support for boycotting Israel on the basis of political and moral considerations, as such criminalization would constitute a violation of values of democracy and fundamental rights of citizens in the concerned States.

5. The need for all States that have relations or cooperation agreements with Israel to take punitive measures in regard to these agreements, in the event Israel takes any step to implement annexation.

6. The need for the States that have not yet recognized, to extend recognition to the State of Palestine, on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in compliance with the principle
of partition into two states, acknowledging the existence of two states, and upholding a politically negotiated two-state solution – a step that will guarantee the above.

7. Support the steps taken by the State of Palestine and other countries before the International Criminal Court, and national courts throughout the world that allow such legal challenges, against Israeli officials responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including annexation.

8. Support Palestinian, Arab and international efforts in the UN Security Council, General Assembly and other international institutions against any Israeli move toward annexation, in the event such step is taken. In addition, to condemn and declare this move illegal, null and void; to call on all States of the world to renounce and refuse recognition, and to deem Israel an outlaw state.

9. Reaffirm opposition to the so-called Trump Vision and reject all positions by right-wing extremists and settlers in Israel and extreme religious right in America – all of whom aim to achieve greater Israel, deny the national rights and even the national existence of the Palestinian people.

10. Support the Palestinian people, Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority in their continuing struggle to confront annexation in the face of Trump’s Vision and achieve their national goals, freedom and independence.

We, the undersigned, well aware of the great responsibilities placed upon us and the Palestinian people to strengthen our capacities, first and foremost the unity of the Palestinian people and its institutions in confronting the aforementioned, hereby address this appeal to all components of the international community to uphold their responsibilities and take the necessary positions and measures at this historic juncture.

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