Israeli military set to demolish 55 Palestinian homes in Nablus Saturday
By Guest Post • Sep 23rd, 2009 at 21:56 • Category: Action Alert, Counter-terrorism, No thanks!, Israel, Maps, Newswire, Palestine, Zionism
WRITTEN BY Saed Bannoura – IMEMC News
Despite the outcry raised by Palestinian and international human rights organizations, the Israeli military announced this weekend it plans to go ahead with 55 home demolitions in Nablus — a city deep inside the West Bank which is supposed to be under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
The homes in question are located in the Sawiya district in the city of Nablus, in the northern West Bank, an area with few Israeli settlements — although Israeli settlers have announced plans to expand the settlements located there.
“The Israeli decision constitutes a serious turning point in the development of Israeli attacks on Palestinian human rights,” said the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in a statement released on Friday. The group said that it is concerned that these 55 demolitions will set a precedent for further demolitions in areas that are supposed to be under Palestinian control.
Israeli forces have recently stepped up the rate of home demolitions, mainly in the East Jerusalem area, with the stated aim of creating "facts on the ground" that will be difficult to turn back if peace negotiations begin between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli home demolitions of Palestinian homes have been condemned on multiple occasions by the United Nations, as such demolitions are grave violations of international law. Home demolitions nearly always accompany Israeli construction and expansion of settlement colonies on the areas where the demolitions take place. (end)
The following is a letter sent by a Palestinian to an Israeli activist and forwarded on.
Dearest friends
Reading Al-Jazeera and another Arab website, the people of As-Sawiyah have been shocked to learn of the ruling by the Israeli High Court that 50 homes in As-Sawiyah and Yutma (another village nearby) are fated for demolition by the Israeli authorities.
It must be noted that the Israeli authorities have issued the people living in these homes a warning to stop building and refrain from any additions to the existing structures. The Israeli Civil Administration has directed these people to take up legal procedures in order to obtain permission to protect their homes. I know such procedures have been undertaken since my own sister is one such case. If the Israeli government will go ahead and implement this decision, this will mean despair for these poor families and create a real crisis.
On behalf of all these families I'm turning to you as Israeli friends and legal NGOs, peace activiest, UN, international agencies which offer human rights & legal services, Embassies, Consults also and peace activists to make efforts to spare us such a catastrophe. We invite you to visit tent support which is set up in the our village Assaweyah
My best wishes,
Abed Khalil
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My militancy and activism increase with a vengeance, for this outrageous and self seeking act of demographic destruction, my entire existence now is devoted to the elimination of Israel, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, wait and see Israel.
No doubt with the support and cover from the Palestinian Authority's Security Forces. Few days ago, the PA Security Forces provided the Israeli commander of the Judea and Samaria ( West Bank) police escort as he and his commanders took a closer close at the Israeli activities south of Jerusalem. This is the same commander who orders and enforce house demolitions, commands the more than 650 security checkpoints, orders targeted killings, arrest and imprisonment of Palestinians. Thank you Arafat and Abbas for a job well done. Oslo is working very well for you, your families, your cronies and is working much better than expected for the Israelis. Your dreams of destroying whatever left of Palestine is coming true.
Nothing good will come of these stolen homes. May mould infest the new homes, may there be no peace and tranquility in the new homes, may the new residence feel the same fear, and anxiety that the evicted felt. May the foundations crumble, may the new home experience no happiness, may the new residence have no good health. May the new residence see the truth of what they are. May the new homes not be sturdy. May the new homes be eyesores. May the new homes be cursed. May the bulldozers rust and become useless. May the evictors' hate and vengence turn towards themselves. May the plants refuse to grow in the gardens of such evil creatures. If the evictors are justified then all will be well with the new residence. If the evictors are not justified, then let the new residence prove to be liars and let justice be just with them. An ancient curse invoked in modern times.