Occupied Palestinian territories constitute ‘single territorial unity’: ICJ

Israel's settlement policy in occupied Palestinian territories is in breach of 4th Geneva Convention, says top UN court

Ahmet Gencturk and Beyza Binnur Donmez

19.07.2024

ATHENS / GENEVA

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday ruled that the occupied Palestinian territories constitute a "single territorial unity," which will be protected and respected.

Stressing that The Hague regulations have become part of customary international law, and are thus binding on Israel, the court said, “Protection offered by the Human Rights Convention does not cease in case of armed conflict or occupation.”

In reference to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, the court noted that Israel's “exploitation of natural resources” in occupied Palestinian territory is "inconsistent with its obligation” to respect Palestinians' right to sovereignty.

More particularly on the forcible evictions in Eastern Jerusalem and West Bank, the court stressed that Israel's policies and practices violate the 4th Geneva Convention's prohibition on forcible transfer of protected populations.

“Israel's settlement policy is in breach of the 4th Geneva Convention,” it said.

The court said Israel's policies and practices amount to the annexation of large parts of occupied Palestinian territory, and that it is "not convinced" that extending Israeli law to the West Bank and East Jerusalem is justified.

ICJ also maintained that Israel has been able to exercise key authority over the Gaza Strip despite the withdrawal of its military presence in 2005.

ICJ rules Israel has illegally annexed large parts of Palestinian territory

• Barak Ravid  AXIOS

JULY 19,2024

Israeli soldiers stop a woman at a checkpoint near the West Bank city of Hebron. Photo: Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated in an advisory opinion published on Friday that Israel's policies and practices in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem amount to annexation of large parts of the Palestinian territories.

Why it matters: While the legal opinion is non-binding, it is one of the most significant determinations by an international court since the Israeli occupation began in 1967.

• Israeli officials are extremely concerned the advisory opinion will be used by Western countries, including the U.S., to impose sanctions against settlers, private entities which operate in the settlements, and the Israel government itself.

Flashback: The court was tasked with determining whether the Israeli occupation amounted to annexation by a UN General Assembly resolution, initiated by the Palestinian Authority, which passed in December 2022.

• Last February, the court held several days of hearings. Israel didn't actively cooperate with the legal proceedings but worked with its allies behind the scenes to register its own legal arguments with the court.

Driving the news: Friday's opinion finds that the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank — and by extension the Israeli government — are in violation of international law.

• "Israel's policies including expansion of settlements and associated infrastructure and exploitation of natural resources... are designed to remain in place indefinitely. These policies amount to annexation of large parts of the Palestinian territories," the court said.
• The court said Israel's presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are unlawful and must be ended as soon as possible, including by evacuating Jewish settlers from the territories.

The court added that Israel's legislation and measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem constitute a violation of the Convention against Racial Discrimination.

• It stressed that Israeli settlements policy led to violence against the Palestinian civilian population, which the Israeli government failed to address.
• The court said Israel must provide reparations to Palestinians damaged by those policies and practices.
• It called all countries not to recognize as legal the Israel presence in the West Bank.

What they're saying: A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Israel rejects the opinion, arguing it "mixes politics and law" and is "detached from the reality of the Middle East."

• "While Hamas, Iran and other elements are attacking Israel from seven fronts... the court ignores the atrocities that took place on October 7, as well as the security imperative of Israel to defends its territory and its citizens," the spokesperson said in a lengthy statement.
• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office welcomed the ICJ ruling and called it "a victory for justice." It called on the international community to compel Israel to end its occupation "completely and immediately, without any conditions."

State of play: Current U.S. policy is that the settlements are illegal under international law. Most western countries also deem the settlements illegal.

What's next: The court said the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council need to consider taking further action in light of its advisory opinion in order to end the Israeli occupation.

• The rulings is unlikely to lead to a policy change from the Israeli government, which includes prominent advocates for expanding the settlements.
• Two far-right members of the government quickly issued statements after the ruling calling for the outright annexation of the West Bank.

ICJ says Israel’s presence in Palestinian territory is unlawful

International Court of Justice says Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territory amount to annexation.

Published On 19 Jul 202419 Jul 2024

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”.

Nawaf Salam, president of the ICJ in The Hague, read out the nonbinding advisory opinion issued by the 15-judge panel on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory on Fridaend of list

The judges pointed to a wide list of policies – including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, use of the area’s natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands and discriminatory policies against Palestinians – all of which it said violated international law.

The court said Israel has no right to sovereignty of the territories, is violating international laws against acquiring territory by force and is impeding Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

It said other nations were obliged not to “render aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the territory. It said Israel must end settlement construction immediately and existing settlements must be removed, according to a summary of the more than 80-page opinion read out by Salam.

Israel’s “abuse of its status as the occupying power” renders its “presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful”, the court said.

“Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,” the court said.

The court’s opinion was sought in a 2022 request from the United Nations General Assembly.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the highest UN body for hearing disputes between states.

Judge Nawaf Salam, president of the International Court of Justice [File: Yves Herman/Reuters]

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem – areas of historic Palestine that the Palestinians want for a state – in a 1967 war. It has since built settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and steadily expanded them. It also had settlements in Gaza before a 2005 withdrawal.

The UN and the vast majority of the international community consider the Palestinian territory as Israeli-occupied.

‘Watershed moment’

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki told reporters in The Hague that the ruling signalled a “watershed moment for Palestine, for justice and for international law”.

“The ICJ fulfilled its legal and moral duties with this historic ruling. All states must now uphold their clear obligations: no aid, no assistance, no complicity, no money, no arms, no trade, no nothing – no actions of any kind to support Israel’s illegal occupation,” he said.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said the ruling was a “significant step” in the direction of ending the occupation and attaining the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination, statehood and the right of return.

The right to return is a demand that Palestinians who were forced from their homes in the 1948 Nakba and the 1967 Arab-Israeli war be allowed to return to them.

Mansour said his team would study the entire opinion and “dissect every sentence”.

“We will consult with an army of friends at the United Nations and in all corners of the globe,” he said, adding, “We will produce a masterpiece of a resolution” at the UN General Assembly.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the opinion as “fundamentally wrong” and one-sided.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement in which it called the ruling a “decision of lies” that distorted the truth and asserted that “the Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land”.

Jeffrey Nice, a human rights barrister, told Al Jazeera that it will be hard for world leaders to completely “disregard” the ICJ ruling even though it is nonbinding.

“This is one part of the legal system saying enough is enough,” he said.

He said it would also be “difficult for the interested, informed, concerned public not to say, ‘It’s time Israel put its house in order.'”

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara, said: “There is a lot of room for hope that this ruling will support a movement, an international movement, across the board in the West and elsewhere in the world in favour of more sanctions, more pressure on Western governments to put more pressure on Israel.”

In a separate case brought by South Africa, the ICJ is considering allegations that Israel is committing genocide in its war on Gaza.

A preliminary ruling has already been made in that case with the court ordering Israel to prevent and punish incitement to genocide and to increase provisions of humanitarian aid.

In May, the ICJ had also ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, citing “immense risk” to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians taking shelter there. But Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, including Rafah, in defiance of the UN court.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Top UN court says Israel's presence in occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and must end

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top U.N. court says Israel's presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is “unlawful” and called on it to end.

Mike Corder, The Associated Press

FILE - A view of the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, on Jan. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Post, File)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The top U.N. court says Israel's presence in the Palestinian occupied territories is “unlawful” and called on it to end.

The International Court of Justice said in its non-binding opinion issued Friday that Israel has abused its status as the occupying power in the West Bank and east Jerusalem by carrying out policies of annexing territory, imposing permanent control and building settlements.

It said such acts render "Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.” It says its continued presence was ”illegal" and should be ended as “rapidly as possible.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

The top United Nations court said Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank and east Jerusalem violates international law, as it delivered a non-binding advisory opinion on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, a ruling that could have more effect on international opinion than it will on Israeli policies.

International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam was expected to take about an hour to read out the full opinion of the panel, which is made up of 15 judges from around the world.

In part of the opinion, he said the panel had found that "the transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence, is contrary to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.” The court also noted with “grave concern” that Israel’s settlement policy has been expanding.

The court also found that Israel's use of natural resources was “inconsistent” with its obligations under international law as an occupying power.

Friday’s hearing comes against the backdrop of Israel’s devastating 10-month military assault on Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel. In a separate case, the International Court of Justice is considering a South African claim that Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide, a claim that Israel vehemently denies.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state.

Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed territory, whose future should be decided in negotiations, while it has moved population there in settlements to solidify its hold. It has annexed east Jerusalem in a move that is not internationally recognized, while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but maintained a blockade of the territory after Hamas took power in 2007. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory.

At hearings in February, then-Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki accused Israel of apartheid and urged the United Nations’ top court to declare that Israel’s occupation of lands sought by the Palestinians is illegal and must end immediately and unconditionally for any hope for a two-state future to survive.

Israel, which normally considers the United Nations and international tribunals as unfair and biased, did not send a legal team to the hearings. But it submitted written comments, saying that the questions put to the court are prejudiced and “fail to recognize Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens,” address Israeli security concerns or acknowledge Israel-Palestinian agreements to negotiate issues, including “the permanent status of the territory, security arrangements, settlements, and borders.”

The Palestinians presented arguments in February along with 49 other nations and three international organizations.

Erwin van Veen, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael think tank in The Hague, said that if the court rules that Israel’s policies in the West Bank and east Jerusalem breach international law, that is unlikely to change Israeli policies but it would “isolate Israel further internationally, at least from a legal point of view.”

He said such a ruling would “worsen the case for occupation. It removes any kind of legal, political, philosophical underpinning of the Israeli expansion project.”

It would also strengthen the hand of “those who seek to advocate against it” — such as the grassroots Palestinian-led movement advocating boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

He said it also could increase the number of countries that recognize the state of Palestine, in particular in the Western world, following the recent example of Spain and Norway and Ireland.”

It is not the first time the ICJ has been asked to give its legal opinion on Israeli policies. Two decades ago, the court ruled that Israel’s West Bank separation barrier was “contrary to international law.” Israel boycotted those proceedings, saying they were politically motivated.

Israel says the barrier is a security measure. Palestinians say the structure amounts to a massive land grab because it frequently dips into the West Bank.

The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin in December 2022 to ask the world court for the advisory opinion. Israel vehemently opposed the request that was promoted by the Palestinians. Fifty countries abstained from voting.

Israel has built well over 100 settlements, according to the anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now. The West Bank settler population has grown by more than 15% in the past five years to more than 500,000 Israelis, according to a pro-settler group.

Israel also has annexed east Jerusalem and considers the entire city to be its capital. An additional 200,000 Israelis live in settlements built in east Jerusalem that Israel considers to be neighborhoods of its capital. Palestinian residents of the city face systematic discrimination, making it difficult for them to build new homes or expand existing ones.

The international community considers all settlements to be illegal or obstacles to peace since they are built on lands sought by the Palestinians for their state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government is dominated by settlers and their political supporters. Netanyahu has given his finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a former settler leader, unprecedented authority over settlement policy. Smotrich has used this position to cement Israel’s control over the West Bank by pushing forward plans to build more settlement homes and to legalize outposts.

Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, a strategic piece of land deep inside the West Bank, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

Mike Corder, The Associated Press

Clashes erupt between Palestinians, Israeli forces in West Bank

Confrontations occur in multiple locations, resulting in injuries from tear gas, rubber bullets

Qais Abu Samra |19.07.2024 -


RAMALLAH, Palestine

Clashes broke out between dozens of Palestinians and Israeli forces on Friday in various locations across the occupied West Bank.

The confrontations took place in the city of Bethlehem, the towns of Beit Dajan and Beita south of Nablus, and Kafr Qaddum east of Qalqilya, Anadolu reported.

An Israeli force entered several neighborhoods and positioned themselves on the main streets of Bethlehem, witnesses told Anadolu. The witnesses added that Israeli forces used tear gas grenades during the clashes.

In Beita, skirmishes flared after Israeli forces dispersed dozens of Palestinians who had performed Friday prayers on Mount Sabih, protesting the legalization of the Avitar settlement outpost in the area.

Israeli forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas grenades at the Palestinians, causing several to suffer from tear gas inhalation, according to witnesses.

Israeli troops have been entering various parts of the occupied West Bank regularly for the past few years, but their incursions have increased with the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

At least 576 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,350 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio

Hezbollah targets new Israeli settlements in retaliation for civilian bombings

2024-07-19 
Shafaq News/ 

On Friday, Lebanese Hezbollah bombed three Israeli settlements, which had not been targeted since the start of the mutual attacks in October 2023, in response to the Israeli bombing that targeted some Lebanese villages on Thursday.

“In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and their valiant and honorable resistance, and in response to the Israeli enemy attacks that targeted civilians yesterday in the towns of Safad El Battikh, Majdal Selm and Shaqra, the Islamic Resistance fighters have bombarded on Friday, for the first time, three new settlements which are Aberim, Neve Ziv and Menot with dozens of Katyusha missiles.” Hezbollah's military media stated.

Lebanese Civil Defense reported that "two individuals were killed and 12 others injured in the Israeli airstrike on the town of Safad El Battikh."

In this context, Hezbollah's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday "Continuing to target civilians will push the Resistance to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted."

In addition, Hezbollah mourned the death of Ali Jaafar Matouk, who was killed in the airstrike.

The Israeli military spokesperson confirmed that Israeli warplanes killed Matouk, a field commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Unit, and another commander with him.

Hezbollah, is one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East that has been deeply involved in intense, near-daily cross-border fighting with Israel since October 7, marking the most significant escalation since the 2006 war.

The exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah has resulted in the deaths of 516 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters, but also 104 civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Hezbollah and official Lebanese sources.

Israel claims it is responding to Hezbollah operations by bombing "infrastructure and military" targets associated with the group and targeting the movements of its fighters. However, the strikes have caused extensive destruction, especially in frontline border villages, displacing their inhabitants.

Israel has reported the deaths of 18 soldiers and 13 civilians and remains highly secretive about its losses with Hezbollah, but all settlements in the northern region are devoid of residents, who have either fled elsewhere or sought refuge in shelters. There is also an internal Israeli conflict over the escalating tensions with Hezbollah, given the group's possession of an arsenal of up to 100,000 missiles, including those capable of reaching Tel Aviv, as stated by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

ISRAEL

Eilat Port declares bankruptcy: What awaits the Occupying state?


July 19, 2024

New cars are parked in the port of the southern Israeli city of Eilat, near the border with Egypt, on February 15, 2012. [Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/GettyImages]

by Mustafa Abdulsalam

The Israeli port of Eilat officially declared its bankruptcy, after eight months of complete paralysis of commercial activity and its cessation of receiving ships and containers, especially coming from the Asian countries’ markets, carrying with them the needs of the economy and its industrial sector. This includes raw materials, intermediate goods, production inputs, machinery and equipment, crude oil and fuel, wheat, food, cars and other market needs.

The reason for this was the successive attacks launched by the Yemeni Houthi group on Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, as well as the targeting of ships from countries supporting the Occupation in the genocidal war it is waging against the people of Gaza, most notably American and British ships.

According to the World Cargo website that reports global shipping news, the port of Eilat has officially declared bankruptcy due to the lack of commercial activity. According to data provided by the port’s CEO, Gideon Gilbert, the port has not witnessed any activity or revenues during the past eight months, and attacks by Yemeni forces in the Red Sea caused a decline in shipping traffic by 85 per cent. This sharp decline led to heavy losses for the port, which forced it to request financial aid from the Israeli government to cover its expenses and avoid permanent closure.

OPINION: Who are Yemen’s Houthis?

Major ports and economic and financial facilities are expected to declare bankruptcy in Israel during the coming period, given the almost complete paralysis that has affected economic activities, including vital sectors such as technology, information technology, direct investment, building and construction, real estate, industries, agriculture, domestic tourism and aviation. The bankruptcy may even extend to the financial and banking sector in light of the wave of flight of money and huge deposits from the Occupying state’s markets and banks, the flight of foreign investors, the increase in the rates of bad loans and those that are unlikely to be repaid, and the decline of the shekel, foreign reserves, and the state’s public revenues, especially from taxes.

The danger of the bankruptcy of the Port of Eilat lies in the fact that the port is considered one of the most important Israeli ports. It is actually the only Israeli port overlooking the Red Sea. It represents a main gateway and a vital lung for the Occupying state’s foreign trade with Asia, Africa and some Gulf countries. Its paralysis has disrupted supply chains and burdened the Israeli economy, causing it huge trading losses.

The announcement of the bankruptcy of the port of Eilat is only a drop in the ocean of the huge economic and financial losses that the Occupying state has suffered since the start of the war on Gaza. It also reveals the severe damage that the Houthi attacks have inflicted on the Israeli economy, especially its trade with China, India, South Korea, Singapore, and other Asian and Gulf countries. Were it not for the logistical and commercial support that Israel receives from some countries in the region that supply the Occupying state’s markets with its needs through Gulf ports in Dubai and Bahrain, the impact would have been greater and more painful, and the Occupying state’s economy and markets would have witnessed collapses in vital activities, and unprecedented jumps in the markets, especially in the prices of food commodities and living.

Of course, continuing the Gaza war does not serve the interest of the Israeli economy, the activities of which have been disrupted and which has suffered heavy losses and massive damage. Some of its sectors have even been completely paralysed. According to figures from the Bank of Israel and the Israeli Ministry of Finance, the cost of the war from 7 October until the end of March 2024 reached over 70 billion shekels ($73 billion).

This is just the cost of the war. What about the cost of evacuating about 250,000 Israelis from their homes in the “Gaza Envelope” settlements, the Western Negev and the Lebanese border, and the cost of paying the salaries of the approximately 360,000 reserve soldiers who left their civilian jobs to join the Occupation? They disrupted the work of schools, universities and economic facilities, including tourism, restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues. What about the other repercussions of the war on the Israeli economy, such as the rise in inflation rates, the intensification of the general budget deficit and the increase in government debts? What about the cost of losses to economic facilities, commercial interests, and small and medium businesses in Israel, which witnessed a severe recession due to all government resources and budgets being allocated and utilised for the war?

Children as young as seven years old 'arrested' by German police at pro-Palestine demos

German police have used excessive force against protesters, with the latest developments including children being arrested and women facing sexual violence

Hebh Jamal
19 July, 2024

A child Pro-Palestinian protester chants into a megaphone as he demonstrates after police officers shut down the previous day an event in solidarity with Palestine on April 13, 2024 in Berlin [Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images]

Berlin police is arresting children at pro-Palestinian demonstrations, in what activists say is a shocking escalation of already widespread police violence against pro-Palestinian voices.

The most recent confirmed arrest of children involved the early June detention of a 7-year-old boy for allegedly hitting an officer’s helmet with his flag. In a witness statement shown to The New Arab (TNA), the boy's father said he had been carrying his son on his shoulders at a march when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by officers who lashed out at the crowd and then took the pair away to a police van.

The police confirmed via email that a 7-year-old was arrested on suspicion of "assaulting" a police officer at the same protest in Berlin. Police told TNA that six children under the age of 16 were detained on June 8.

In a video posted on social media, the child can be seen screaming in a state of extreme distress while he and his father are surrounded and grabbed by 11 officers in riot gear.

The father says the child now experiences anxiety and needs psychological treatment because of the incident.

In another incident on the same day, a 13-year-old was handcuffed and dragged away by officers using a controversial "pain grip" after making a rude hand gesture to a police officer. Berlin police have confirmed that a 13-year-old was detained "on suspicion of insult," which is a criminal offence under German law.

A few weeks earlier, on May 29, an incident was reported where two adolescents were punched in the face several times by police officers at a house entrance in Sonnenallee street in Berlin. This incident of police violence was condemned by Amnesty International Germany, and urged an investigation into allegations of unlawful police actions.

Alarming rise in sexual violence

In an open letter addressed to Berlin's interior minister and chief of police, activists charge that this is one of several incidents of police violence against children. “Numerous cases prove that the police do not safeguard and ensure the vital protection of minors by forcibly taking children and young people into custody in handcuffs, sometimes without informing their parents,” their statement read.

Activists have also claimed that women have been subject to sexual violence at the hands of the police where assaults and sexualized insults were reported as well as the violent arrest of a visibly pregnant protestor. The Berlin police press office did not respond to these allegations by the time of publication.

The European Legal Support Center, stated in a press release on June 11, that police violence is simply an intimidation tactic as dozens of cases have been dropped. “Since October of last year, in a wave of escalating state repression, countless criminal charges and misdemeanours have been brought against the Palestine solidarity movement. But as we expected, dozens of cases have since been dropped.”

“The outcome of the legal proceedings shows that the repression serves primarily to intimidate the Palestinian movement. This intimidation particularly affects people financially and/or legally at risk in residency status. This is a form of structural racist violence” the press release said.

Mohammed, a Palestinian who took part in the June 8 protests, said that he believes the police presence increases every time. “I witnessed the arrest of a Jewish man who was detained because of a sign that said “From the river to someplace in the West. The demonstrator was brutally arrested. These attempts to criminalize people on the streets are unfathomable.”

A video of the arrest of a man with a kippa was shared on social media. Berlin police can not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Faisal, who was also witness to the increased police violence on June 8 spoke to TNA.

“The police demand that you move, and can see at times very well that there is absolutely nowhere for you to go. You barely have enough space for your feet to keep you upright.

"If you don't follow orders, the police use force. This force ranged from shoving (enough to push most people over) to direct strikes to the face and neck, kicks to the shins and groin, and headlocks that result in you being literally dragged into custody by your neck.

RELATED

Inside Germany's far-reaching anti-Palestinian crackdown

In-depth

Hebh Jamal

Protesters assured safety, then harmed

In the most recent demonstration in Berlin on July 14th, pro-Palestinian activist, Yasemin Acar recalls that this was the most violent she has ever seen the Berlin police. “Before the demonstration began, there were calls between the police and the organizers who registered the demo, assuring them that this time, things will go smoothly.”

“We wondered if this was an admission that things would change. Could the state finally acknowledge its racism against Palestinians and is attempting to address it?” Acar quickly realised the answer was no, as the police suddenly became aggressive.

She states she was attacked from behind as she was documenting another arrest and that the officers surrounded her: “one pushed me so hard that I fell, hitting my head on the asphalt. My arm, head, and neck were injured, and an ambulance had to take me to the hospital. Many others were also hospitalized, and one person even had their arm broken. We are counting more than 50 arrests.”

“I feel like this was planned," Acar said.

"They provoked demonstrators, arrested people, and cancelled the protest without justification...They needed to create chaos to rationalize their brutal actions.”

Hebh Jamal is a Palestinian American journalist based in Germany.

Illegal surveillance and ‘false allegations’: Activist sheds light on targeting of pro-Palestine students in Australia

University of Melbourne has started disciplinary proceedings against several students involved in pro-Palestine protests

Yasin Gungor |19.07.2024 - 

‘The university is punishing students for standing up against genocide,’ Palestinian student organizer Dana Alshaer tells Anadolu

Charges leveled against protesters are ‘extremely baseless’ and ‘extremely political,’ says Alshaer

CCTV footage and Wi-Fi location tracking data used as evidence by the university raises concerns of illegal surveillance

ISTANBUL

For several months now, Dana Alshaer and hundreds of others at a top Australian university have been raising their voices for Palestinians suffering through Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

Alshaer is one of the founders and main organizers of UniMelb for Palestine, a collective of students, staff and alumni of the University of Melbourne set up last November.

They have staged protests and used all possible avenues to take a stand for Palestine and to force the university to cut ties with weapons manufacturers, divest from Israeli firms and, as Alshaer puts it, “end its complicity in the genocide in Gaza.”

The movement has made an impact, successfully pushing the university to disclose in June its links with weapons manufacturers Lockheed Martin, Boeing and BAE Systems, as well as over $15 million in research partnerships and investments with the US Department of Defense, Alshaer told Anadolu.

That happened after their month-long Gaza solidarity encampment and a sit-in staged at Mahmoud’s Hall, an arts building renamed by the students to honor Mahmoud Alnaouq, a Palestinian student killed in Gaza who was due to join the University of Melbourne.

For their activism, Alshaer and 20 other students are now facing “extremely baseless” allegations of misconduct from the university and the threat of expulsion.

“They targeted five main organizers of UniMelb for Palestine, and they also targeted some prominent students who have been very visibly present during rallies and protests on campus,” said Alshaer.

“These misconduct allegations are a punishment … for students who defied the university’s ties with weapons manufacturers … and challenged the university’s ongoing complicity in the genocide in Gaza. The university is punishing students for standing up against genocide.”

Illegal tracking and right to protest

The University of Melbourne has leveled two main charges against the protesters, the first being violation of health and safety regulations and the second that they used the building improperly by staging a sit-in.

“There were no safety concerns, there was no entries or exits, blockaded, or any obstacles present in the building,” said Alshaer.

“All of these allegations violate our rights as students under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. We have a right to peaceful protest and it’s protected by that charter, and we were peacefully protesting.”

The very nature of these charges of misconduct is “extremely political,” she asserted.

The university’s action against pro-Palestine protesters has also brought to light another critical issue, with students and rights groups raising concerns that illegal surveillance methods were used by the administration.

“In the misconduct allegations, the university included CCTV footage and Wi-Fi location tracking as evidence … so there’s been a use of surveillance technologies against students,” Alshaer explained.

She pointed out that the university, back in 2016, specifically said that “their Wi-Fi tracking cannot and will not be used to identify students.”

“However, what we saw in the misconduct allegations and documents that were sent to us is that Wi-Fi tracking has been used to track students,” she said.

“With the CCTV footage, there’s extremely big concerns over the university’s possible and potential use of facial recognition programs.”

This has even drawn concerns from prominent human rights organizations such as Amnesty International Australia, Human Rights Law Center and Digital Rights Watch, she said.

There have also been more statements of support for students and condemnation of the university from other bodies such as the Jewish Council of Australia, she said.

The University of Melbourne is also “under investigation by the Victorian Commissioner’s Office of Information,” she added.

Futures at stake

Despite being targeted by the university, Alshaer said the students are determined to continue their activism for Palestine, but emphasized that the “false allegations” are jeopardizing their futures.

“They will most definitely affect our students’ life if they are not dropped immediately … When they frame us standing up against genocide and complicity in genocide as an act that required disciplinary action, it means that they are framing the students as being bad in character,” she said.

“This is not the case, so if the university does not drop these allegations, it will affect every single student and will affect our professional future … These allegations will have catastrophic consequences.”

She reiterated that the students remain aware of the responsibility they are shouldering and the reality that their work is far from done.

“There’s no divestment yet. It’s only disclosure. This is definitely only the first step,” said Alshaer.

“Our end goal is full divestment from all weapons’ manufacturers, from all companies and entities complicit in the genocide and oppression of the Palestinian people, and full divestment from the Israeli apartheid regime.”