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Mohamed Abu Khudeir, 16, june 12 2014 Burned alive by settlers
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11 july 2014
One of the suspected killers of 16-year old Mohammed Abu Khdair
A controversial Israeli organization that is representing the six men recently arrested in the recent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager is receiving thousands of dollars in tax-deductible support from Americans. The group, called Honenu (which roughly translates to "pardon"), supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians.
Honenu's work goes well goes beyond legal aid.
The group says it also provides "spiritual" and "financial" assistance to prisoners and their families. Among those Honenu has helped: Yigal Amir, assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; an Israeli convicted of murdering seven Palestinians at a bus stop; and an Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter and obstruction of justice after shooting a British photographer in Gaza.
The tax-exempt donations do not appear to run afoul of U.S. law. But they do put U.S. taxpayers in the position of subsidizing aid to Israelis convicted of politically motivated violence.
Asked about the group's work, Honenu spokesman Eran Schwartz said the organization "provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense." Schwartz declined to answer our other questions, including about the group's financial support that goes beyond legal defense. (See their full statement below.)
A suspect (L) connected to the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir is seen covering his face at the court house in Petah Tikva, central Israel. (Xinhua/JINI)
Honenu's latest filing to the Israeli government shows it overall budget for 2012 was nearly $600,000, about $120,000 of which went to legal aid, $34,000 to "financial assistance," and the rest to salaries and overhead. (Here is Honenu's filing, in Hebrew.)
The group, which was founded in 2001, uses an American nonprofit as conduit for donations. Honenu's website, which advertises that "your contribution is tax-deductible," says checks should be made out to "Central Fund of Israel," or CFI. As the New York Times detailed in 2010, the Central Fund of Israel serves as a "clearinghouse" for donations to hundreds of groups in Israel, some of them supporting settlements.
CFI has grown almost continuously since it was founded in 1979 by members of the Marcus family, who own a New York textile company.
Operating from Manhattan's garment district, CFI received about $16 million in 2012, according to the Fund's latest filing with the Internal Revenue Service. Jay Marcus, who now runs CFI, said donations in 2013 reached about $19 million.
In the Fund's filings with the IRS, it lists donations to Israeli groups as going to "social services, humanitarian aid, and aid to the poor."
Marcus confirmed in a phone call that his organization transfers donations to Honenu. "They are a legal aid society," he said.
Honenu's filing with the Israeli government shows the group received about $120,000 from CFI in 2012. The documents identify another $12,000 coming from "Honenu USA." A nonprofit organization with that name operated from Queens, New York and last filed a report to the Internal Revenue Service in 2010, stating it had received contributions of $33,000. It is not clear if Honenu USA is still active.
Marcus Owens, a lawyer who ran the IRS's nonprofit unit in the 1990s said such donations can fall into a tricky area: "While providing legal assistance to those accused of crimes is a long-standing charitable purpose (e.g. the American Civil Liberties Union), providing assistance to relatives of those convicted of crimes has been viewed by the US government as potentially encouraging further criminal action."
The State Department's recent annual report on terrorism included, for the first time, attacks by Israelis against Palestinians, citing a rise in "violent acts by extremist Jewish individuals and groups in retaliation for activity they deemed to be anti-settlement."
If you have experience with or information about American nonprofits supporting extremists in Israel, email Uri Blau or tweet him @uri_blau. Blau is an Israeli investigative journalist specialized in military and political affairs, corruption and transparency. He was a 2014 Nieman Fellow for Journalism at Harvard University.
Full response from Honenu
As our article details, Honenu is an Israeli group that received tax-deductible donations from the United States and supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians. We asked Honenu for comment prior to our article. This is their full response:
Honenu's response to article by Uri Blau. The reporter, Uri Blau was convicted of severe crimes of espionage against Israel which attests to his motives and his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic interests. To date, we have not heard him expressing regret for his criminal actions. Honenu provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense. We will not cooperate with a convicted criminal whose goal is to damage Israelis and Jews.
The author of our article, freelancer Uri Blau, was convicted in 2012 in Israel of holding classified military documents he received as a reporter. The International Press Institute condemned the case against Blau as "undermining press freedom in general and investigative journalism in particular" in Israel. Here is more on Blau's case and press freedoms in Israel.
A controversial Israeli organization that is representing the six men recently arrested in the recent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager is receiving thousands of dollars in tax-deductible support from Americans. The group, called Honenu (which roughly translates to "pardon"), supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians.
Honenu's work goes well goes beyond legal aid.
The group says it also provides "spiritual" and "financial" assistance to prisoners and their families. Among those Honenu has helped: Yigal Amir, assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; an Israeli convicted of murdering seven Palestinians at a bus stop; and an Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter and obstruction of justice after shooting a British photographer in Gaza.
The tax-exempt donations do not appear to run afoul of U.S. law. But they do put U.S. taxpayers in the position of subsidizing aid to Israelis convicted of politically motivated violence.
Asked about the group's work, Honenu spokesman Eran Schwartz said the organization "provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense." Schwartz declined to answer our other questions, including about the group's financial support that goes beyond legal defense. (See their full statement below.)
A suspect (L) connected to the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir is seen covering his face at the court house in Petah Tikva, central Israel. (Xinhua/JINI)
Honenu's latest filing to the Israeli government shows it overall budget for 2012 was nearly $600,000, about $120,000 of which went to legal aid, $34,000 to "financial assistance," and the rest to salaries and overhead. (Here is Honenu's filing, in Hebrew.)
The group, which was founded in 2001, uses an American nonprofit as conduit for donations. Honenu's website, which advertises that "your contribution is tax-deductible," says checks should be made out to "Central Fund of Israel," or CFI. As the New York Times detailed in 2010, the Central Fund of Israel serves as a "clearinghouse" for donations to hundreds of groups in Israel, some of them supporting settlements.
CFI has grown almost continuously since it was founded in 1979 by members of the Marcus family, who own a New York textile company.
Operating from Manhattan's garment district, CFI received about $16 million in 2012, according to the Fund's latest filing with the Internal Revenue Service. Jay Marcus, who now runs CFI, said donations in 2013 reached about $19 million.
In the Fund's filings with the IRS, it lists donations to Israeli groups as going to "social services, humanitarian aid, and aid to the poor."
Marcus confirmed in a phone call that his organization transfers donations to Honenu. "They are a legal aid society," he said.
Honenu's filing with the Israeli government shows the group received about $120,000 from CFI in 2012. The documents identify another $12,000 coming from "Honenu USA." A nonprofit organization with that name operated from Queens, New York and last filed a report to the Internal Revenue Service in 2010, stating it had received contributions of $33,000. It is not clear if Honenu USA is still active.
Marcus Owens, a lawyer who ran the IRS's nonprofit unit in the 1990s said such donations can fall into a tricky area: "While providing legal assistance to those accused of crimes is a long-standing charitable purpose (e.g. the American Civil Liberties Union), providing assistance to relatives of those convicted of crimes has been viewed by the US government as potentially encouraging further criminal action."
The State Department's recent annual report on terrorism included, for the first time, attacks by Israelis against Palestinians, citing a rise in "violent acts by extremist Jewish individuals and groups in retaliation for activity they deemed to be anti-settlement."
If you have experience with or information about American nonprofits supporting extremists in Israel, email Uri Blau or tweet him @uri_blau. Blau is an Israeli investigative journalist specialized in military and political affairs, corruption and transparency. He was a 2014 Nieman Fellow for Journalism at Harvard University.
Full response from Honenu
As our article details, Honenu is an Israeli group that received tax-deductible donations from the United States and supports Israelis charged with or convicted of violence against Palestinians. We asked Honenu for comment prior to our article. This is their full response:
Honenu's response to article by Uri Blau. The reporter, Uri Blau was convicted of severe crimes of espionage against Israel which attests to his motives and his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic interests. To date, we have not heard him expressing regret for his criminal actions. Honenu provides much help to Israeli police, soldiers and citizens who are entitled, as are all people, to legal defense. We will not cooperate with a convicted criminal whose goal is to damage Israelis and Jews.
The author of our article, freelancer Uri Blau, was convicted in 2012 in Israel of holding classified military documents he received as a reporter. The International Press Institute condemned the case against Blau as "undermining press freedom in general and investigative journalism in particular" in Israel. Here is more on Blau's case and press freedoms in Israel.
10 july 2014
The Hebrew newspaper M’areev said Wednesday that Israeli police have released the three settlers accused of the grisly murder of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir The settlers were put under house arrest, the paper reported.
Israeli police had arrested six extremist Jews from occupied Jerusalem following the abduction of Abu-Khdeir from Sho’fat refugee camp, and the later discovery of his charred body, which also bore signs of torture.
The Israeli killers admitted their crime, and re-enacted it for the police. They said they were searching for any Palestinian child in revenge for the death of three Israeli settlers who went missing while hitchhiking, and whose bodies had been discovered two days earlier.
Meanwhile, over 500 Palestinians are still being held in Israeli jails - most without charge, for murder or anything else - after being rounded up during the search for the missing settlers. Israel has named the two suspects in their disappearance, leaving no justification for the continued detention of these 500+ Palestinians.
If confessed murderers are suitable for release to house arrest, surely so too must be the 500+ Palestinians who have not committed or been charged with any crime at all.
Presumably we can now expect their prompt release by the Israeli authorities, in the interests of equality before the law.
Israeli police had arrested six extremist Jews from occupied Jerusalem following the abduction of Abu-Khdeir from Sho’fat refugee camp, and the later discovery of his charred body, which also bore signs of torture.
The Israeli killers admitted their crime, and re-enacted it for the police. They said they were searching for any Palestinian child in revenge for the death of three Israeli settlers who went missing while hitchhiking, and whose bodies had been discovered two days earlier.
Meanwhile, over 500 Palestinians are still being held in Israeli jails - most without charge, for murder or anything else - after being rounded up during the search for the missing settlers. Israel has named the two suspects in their disappearance, leaving no justification for the continued detention of these 500+ Palestinians.
If confessed murderers are suitable for release to house arrest, surely so too must be the 500+ Palestinians who have not committed or been charged with any crime at all.
Presumably we can now expect their prompt release by the Israeli authorities, in the interests of equality before the law.
7 july 2014
The Arabs48 news website quoted Israeli sources stating that the six Jewish Israelis, who have been arrested in connection with the abduction, torture and brutal killing of Palestinian teen, Mohammad Abu Khdeir, have carried out a premeditated murder, pushed by nationalistic motives.
The sources said the suspects are practically tying themselves to the crime whenever they talk to the interrogators, and affirmed that the killing of Abu Khdeir, who was eventually burnt to death, did not just happen, but was a premeditated crime.
After being kidnapped by fanatic Israelis, Abu Khdeir, 16, was taken to a forest in Jerusalem, where he was tortured and burnt to death.
One of the six Israelis confessed to being involved in the crime, and directly linked the five other Israelis.
The Police believes that six Israeli fanatics are the perpetrators due to the overwhelming evidence against them, but claims the murderers “are not connected to any extremist right wing group.”
It said the six are friends, most of them underage, and that there is enough evidence to convict them.
An Israeli security official said the killers are Jewish extremists, and that it is believed they are also connected with the botched abduction of a Palestinian child, 9 years of age in occupied Jerusalem, before they managed to kidnap Abu Khdeir later on.
The Arabs48 said the Israeli Internal Security Agency tried to pressure the family of Abu Khdeir into stating that the motive of the killing was criminal.
The family refused the Israeli pressures, and even handed the police a surveillance tape showing fanatic settlers kidnapping Mohammad.
The Police gradually retreated from its initial stances and demands, and said the attack “was likely pushed by nationalistic motives”. An Israeli security officer said he believes “the chances are %70-80 that attack carried a nationalistic motive”.
The Arabs48 said the time it took between the abduction of Khdeir, and locating his burnt body was approximately two hours, while one of the investigators said the police managed to know what happened in those two hours.
The autopsy also revealed that the child was still breathing when he was burnt, especially since charred materials were where found in his esophagus and lungs.
In addition, first to fourth degree burns covered around %90 of Abu Khdeir’s body, while his skull was fractured, indicating he was struck on the head.
Two days ago, Palestinian General Prosecutor, Mohammad Abdul-Ghani al-‘Oweiwy, stated autopsy confirms the child was burnt alive.
Israeli Police Arrest Suspected Murderers of Mohammad Abu Khdeir
Chris Carlson - Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:34:58
The Israeli police have arrested, this morning in Jerusalem, individuals suspected of kidnapping and killing Mohammad Abu Khudeir, according to media reports and Israeli officials.
"Apparently, the people arrested in relation to the case belong to an extremist Jewish group," an official said to reporters with Haaretz newspaper. The paper reported six arrests in connection with the case.
The kidnapping and brtual murder of the young Palestinian, on Wednesday, has led to four straight days of protests riots beginning in annexed East Jerusalem, according to several local media sources.
By Saturday, the violence had spread to more than half a dozen Palestinian towns within the region.
The Israeli police have refused, until now, to officially confirm that the killing was in revenge for the murder of three Israeli youths in the West Bank last month, the PNN reports.
Mohammad Abu Khdeir was kidnapped last Wednesday, at dawn, near his home in Shu'fat, by a group of right-wing Israelis. His body was found hours later in the Jerusalem Forest. Initial autopsy reports show that he was tortured and burnt while still alive.
The identities of the suspects, as well as details about the investigation or the circumstances of the arrest, so far have not been revealed.
The sources said the suspects are practically tying themselves to the crime whenever they talk to the interrogators, and affirmed that the killing of Abu Khdeir, who was eventually burnt to death, did not just happen, but was a premeditated crime.
After being kidnapped by fanatic Israelis, Abu Khdeir, 16, was taken to a forest in Jerusalem, where he was tortured and burnt to death.
One of the six Israelis confessed to being involved in the crime, and directly linked the five other Israelis.
The Police believes that six Israeli fanatics are the perpetrators due to the overwhelming evidence against them, but claims the murderers “are not connected to any extremist right wing group.”
It said the six are friends, most of them underage, and that there is enough evidence to convict them.
An Israeli security official said the killers are Jewish extremists, and that it is believed they are also connected with the botched abduction of a Palestinian child, 9 years of age in occupied Jerusalem, before they managed to kidnap Abu Khdeir later on.
The Arabs48 said the Israeli Internal Security Agency tried to pressure the family of Abu Khdeir into stating that the motive of the killing was criminal.
The family refused the Israeli pressures, and even handed the police a surveillance tape showing fanatic settlers kidnapping Mohammad.
The Police gradually retreated from its initial stances and demands, and said the attack “was likely pushed by nationalistic motives”. An Israeli security officer said he believes “the chances are %70-80 that attack carried a nationalistic motive”.
The Arabs48 said the time it took between the abduction of Khdeir, and locating his burnt body was approximately two hours, while one of the investigators said the police managed to know what happened in those two hours.
The autopsy also revealed that the child was still breathing when he was burnt, especially since charred materials were where found in his esophagus and lungs.
In addition, first to fourth degree burns covered around %90 of Abu Khdeir’s body, while his skull was fractured, indicating he was struck on the head.
Two days ago, Palestinian General Prosecutor, Mohammad Abdul-Ghani al-‘Oweiwy, stated autopsy confirms the child was burnt alive.
Israeli Police Arrest Suspected Murderers of Mohammad Abu Khdeir
Chris Carlson - Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:34:58
The Israeli police have arrested, this morning in Jerusalem, individuals suspected of kidnapping and killing Mohammad Abu Khudeir, according to media reports and Israeli officials.
"Apparently, the people arrested in relation to the case belong to an extremist Jewish group," an official said to reporters with Haaretz newspaper. The paper reported six arrests in connection with the case.
The kidnapping and brtual murder of the young Palestinian, on Wednesday, has led to four straight days of protests riots beginning in annexed East Jerusalem, according to several local media sources.
By Saturday, the violence had spread to more than half a dozen Palestinian towns within the region.
The Israeli police have refused, until now, to officially confirm that the killing was in revenge for the murder of three Israeli youths in the West Bank last month, the PNN reports.
Mohammad Abu Khdeir was kidnapped last Wednesday, at dawn, near his home in Shu'fat, by a group of right-wing Israelis. His body was found hours later in the Jerusalem Forest. Initial autopsy reports show that he was tortured and burnt while still alive.
The identities of the suspects, as well as details about the investigation or the circumstances of the arrest, so far have not been revealed.
The mother and family of 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir, kidnapped and killed in possible revenge attack early Wednesday
Three of six Israelis held over the abduction and killing of a Palestinian teenager last week have confessed to the murder, a source close to the investigation said on Monday.
3 Israelis in custody 'admit Palestinian teen murder'
"Three out of six suspects in custody have confessed to the murder and burning of Muhammed Abu Khdeir, and performed a re-enactment of the crime" in front of officers, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Israel arrested six Jewish extremists on Sunday in connection with the killing of 16-year-old Abu Khdeir on July 2, in a gruesome attack that triggered days of clashes in East Jerusalem and Palestinian towns in Israel.
The attack is believed to have been in revenge for the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank last month, and the twin attacks have ratcheted up tensions throughout Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Authorities have placed a gag order on most aspects of the investigation into Abu Khdeir's murder.
But Honenu, a legal organization which defends right-wing Jewish extremists, said it was representing six people -- three of them minors -- whose remand was extended by the Petah Tikva magistrates court, just outside Tel Aviv, on Sunday.
Attorney General Muhammad Abd al-Ghani Uweili told Ma'an Saturday that Abu Khdeir's autopsy showed soot in the victim's lungs and respiratory tract, indicating he was burnt alive.
Israeli commentators on social media falsely circulated rumors that Muhammad had been killed as part of a family feud, or because he was gay, following news of his murder.
Three of six Israelis held over the abduction and killing of a Palestinian teenager last week have confessed to the murder, a source close to the investigation said on Monday.
3 Israelis in custody 'admit Palestinian teen murder'
"Three out of six suspects in custody have confessed to the murder and burning of Muhammed Abu Khdeir, and performed a re-enactment of the crime" in front of officers, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Israel arrested six Jewish extremists on Sunday in connection with the killing of 16-year-old Abu Khdeir on July 2, in a gruesome attack that triggered days of clashes in East Jerusalem and Palestinian towns in Israel.
The attack is believed to have been in revenge for the kidnap and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank last month, and the twin attacks have ratcheted up tensions throughout Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Authorities have placed a gag order on most aspects of the investigation into Abu Khdeir's murder.
But Honenu, a legal organization which defends right-wing Jewish extremists, said it was representing six people -- three of them minors -- whose remand was extended by the Petah Tikva magistrates court, just outside Tel Aviv, on Sunday.
Attorney General Muhammad Abd al-Ghani Uweili told Ma'an Saturday that Abu Khdeir's autopsy showed soot in the victim's lungs and respiratory tract, indicating he was burnt alive.
Israeli commentators on social media falsely circulated rumors that Muhammad had been killed as part of a family feud, or because he was gay, following news of his murder.
A large-scale operation is reportedly off the table for now, but official says cabinet 'prepared to broaden' operation if rocket fire does not stop
Israel's security cabinet late Monday has reportedly given approval to military forces to escalate their attacks against Gaza.
A large-scale military operation against the Palestinian enclave is off the table for now, but the cabinet has ordered the Israeli army to significantly expand its operations, senior officials told Israeli daily Haaretz.
“The blows will be harder,” one of the senior officials told Haaretz. “We will escalate the attacks to make it clear to [Hamas] that it is in their interest to stop the rocket fire. We are prepared to broaden the operation in case the rocket fire does not stop.”
An Israeli officer told the newspaper that the army is preparing to call up 1,500 reservists for the escalation.
Tensions with Gaza have increased since mid-June, after Israel launched a major series of searches and arrests in the occupied West Bank after the disappearance of three Israeli teenagers, whose bodies were found last week.
The announcement of Israeli's escalation on Gaza follows a week of increased rocket fire from both sides as tensions have flared first in East Jerusalem and then in the West Bank following the suspected revenge killing of a 16-year-old Palestinian on Wednesday.
Earlier Monday, three Israeli suspects arrested the day before for the killing of a Palestinian teenager confessed to the kidnapping and killing the teen, Mohammed Abu Khdeir.
An autopsy report released on Saturday concluded that Abu Khdeir was burned alive before his charred body was found in Jerusalem Forest on Wednesday morning.
The three who confessed performed a re-enactment of the crime, a source told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Following the suspects' arrest on Sunday, officials indicated on their suspicion that the crime was “nationalistic", but further details have not been released, nor have the identities of the suspects.
Authorities have placed a gag order on most aspects of the investigation into Abu Khdeir's murder.
But Honenu, a legal organisation which often defends right-wing ultra-nationalists, said it was representing six people - three of them minors - whose remand was extended by the Petah Tikva magistrates court, just outside Tel Aviv, on Sunday.
Honenu attorneys told Arutz Sheva 7, an Israeli television station, that their clients have been subjected to hours of intensive interrogation and have been denied sleep, food, water "and the opportunity to relieve themselves in a dignified way."
The attorneys also said they plan to appeal their clients' remand extension.
An official told the Associated Press on Sunday that evidence points towards the perpetrators being "Jewish extremists", Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
Israel's security cabinet late Monday has reportedly given approval to military forces to escalate their attacks against Gaza.
A large-scale military operation against the Palestinian enclave is off the table for now, but the cabinet has ordered the Israeli army to significantly expand its operations, senior officials told Israeli daily Haaretz.
“The blows will be harder,” one of the senior officials told Haaretz. “We will escalate the attacks to make it clear to [Hamas] that it is in their interest to stop the rocket fire. We are prepared to broaden the operation in case the rocket fire does not stop.”
An Israeli officer told the newspaper that the army is preparing to call up 1,500 reservists for the escalation.
Tensions with Gaza have increased since mid-June, after Israel launched a major series of searches and arrests in the occupied West Bank after the disappearance of three Israeli teenagers, whose bodies were found last week.
The announcement of Israeli's escalation on Gaza follows a week of increased rocket fire from both sides as tensions have flared first in East Jerusalem and then in the West Bank following the suspected revenge killing of a 16-year-old Palestinian on Wednesday.
Earlier Monday, three Israeli suspects arrested the day before for the killing of a Palestinian teenager confessed to the kidnapping and killing the teen, Mohammed Abu Khdeir.
An autopsy report released on Saturday concluded that Abu Khdeir was burned alive before his charred body was found in Jerusalem Forest on Wednesday morning.
The three who confessed performed a re-enactment of the crime, a source told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Following the suspects' arrest on Sunday, officials indicated on their suspicion that the crime was “nationalistic", but further details have not been released, nor have the identities of the suspects.
Authorities have placed a gag order on most aspects of the investigation into Abu Khdeir's murder.
But Honenu, a legal organisation which often defends right-wing ultra-nationalists, said it was representing six people - three of them minors - whose remand was extended by the Petah Tikva magistrates court, just outside Tel Aviv, on Sunday.
Honenu attorneys told Arutz Sheva 7, an Israeli television station, that their clients have been subjected to hours of intensive interrogation and have been denied sleep, food, water "and the opportunity to relieve themselves in a dignified way."
The attorneys also said they plan to appeal their clients' remand extension.
An official told the Associated Press on Sunday that evidence points towards the perpetrators being "Jewish extremists", Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
Israel threatened to hit Hamas with a final deathblow in case any other projected rocket attacks were launched on Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip in response to Israeli raids. According to Israeli sources, the threat was handed over to Hamas by the Egyptian mediator.
“This is the final red card ever issued to Hamas… Israel will now have all go-aheads to fire back,” Israeli 0404 website said quoting army sources.
“Israel will take aggressive revenge of Hamas,” it added.
In a related event, dozens of Israeli extremist settlers rallied in Ashdod so as to urge the Israeli occupation authorities to press ahead with their retaliation threats and drive Arab MK Hanin Zoabi out of the Knesset.
The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), for its part, warned the Israeli occupation of any potential repercussions to be generated by its military escalation against the Gaza Strip, slamming PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for his pre-planned participation in an Israeli conference to be held Tuesday.
PLC chairmanship said in a press release Sunday: “We have all the reasons to appeal to international courts to take legal action against such Israeli military escalation, which has not only been targeting Palestinian civilians with random kidnaps, torture, and murders but also burned a 16-year-old child alive just a few days ago.”
Israelis were contriving a new plan by which Palestinians would remain chained hand and feet, defenseless before such terror acts and bloodshed, the statement added.
The PLC called on Egypt, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the UN, and other international human rights institutions to immediately step in so as to halt Israeli aggressions against Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The PLC further spoke against Abbas’s normalization with the Israeli occupation and his apathy regarding the agony of Palestinians.
“This is the final red card ever issued to Hamas… Israel will now have all go-aheads to fire back,” Israeli 0404 website said quoting army sources.
“Israel will take aggressive revenge of Hamas,” it added.
In a related event, dozens of Israeli extremist settlers rallied in Ashdod so as to urge the Israeli occupation authorities to press ahead with their retaliation threats and drive Arab MK Hanin Zoabi out of the Knesset.
The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), for its part, warned the Israeli occupation of any potential repercussions to be generated by its military escalation against the Gaza Strip, slamming PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for his pre-planned participation in an Israeli conference to be held Tuesday.
PLC chairmanship said in a press release Sunday: “We have all the reasons to appeal to international courts to take legal action against such Israeli military escalation, which has not only been targeting Palestinian civilians with random kidnaps, torture, and murders but also burned a 16-year-old child alive just a few days ago.”
Israelis were contriving a new plan by which Palestinians would remain chained hand and feet, defenseless before such terror acts and bloodshed, the statement added.
The PLC called on Egypt, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the UN, and other international human rights institutions to immediately step in so as to halt Israeli aggressions against Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The PLC further spoke against Abbas’s normalization with the Israeli occupation and his apathy regarding the agony of Palestinians.
The Israeli police kidnapped overnight 110 Palestinians; around half of them are children, during protests that swept across Arab towns in historic Palestine.
The Arabs48 News Website has reported that massive protests were held in different parts of the country, while protesters also closed various roads, including Tamra-Akka Road and clashed with Israeli police officers who assaulted them.
Ten Palestinians have been kidnapped in the Tamra-Akka (Akko) road area, while the police also used gas bombs, and concussion grenades against the protesters, causing several injuries.
In Nazareth, the police hundreds with dozens of protesters, and violently assaulted dozens, before kidnapping 40 Palestinians.
Thousands also held protests in Arraba al-Batouf, in the Galilee, carrying Palestinian flags, and chanting against the hostile policies of the Israeli government.
Many protesters closed main roads and burnt tires in an attempt to prevent the police from assaulting them,
More protests continued in Arab towns in the Negev, while clashes with the police, have also been reported, as police officers assaulted scores of protesters.
The police continued to resort to the excessive use of force in an attempt to end the protests.
An Israeli military analyst stated that the protests taking place in different Arab areas in the country, from the Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south, with dozens of thousands protesting the kidnapping and brutal murder of Mohammad Abu Kdeir in Jerusalem, are preventing Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, from escalating the aggression and bombardment against Gaza.
The analyst added the protests are preventing Netanyahu from listening to hostile calls from his extremist coalition partners, asking him to launch a large-scale war on Gaza.
Writing for Haaretz Israeli paper, military analyst Amos Harel stated the mass protest across the country are showing Netanyahu why he should, at the current stage, refrain from declaring a comprehensive war on Gaza.
The statement came amidst Israeli aggression and bombardment on Gaza, resulting, on Sunday alone, in the death of nine Palestinians.
The Arabs48 News Website has reported that massive protests were held in different parts of the country, while protesters also closed various roads, including Tamra-Akka Road and clashed with Israeli police officers who assaulted them.
Ten Palestinians have been kidnapped in the Tamra-Akka (Akko) road area, while the police also used gas bombs, and concussion grenades against the protesters, causing several injuries.
In Nazareth, the police hundreds with dozens of protesters, and violently assaulted dozens, before kidnapping 40 Palestinians.
Thousands also held protests in Arraba al-Batouf, in the Galilee, carrying Palestinian flags, and chanting against the hostile policies of the Israeli government.
Many protesters closed main roads and burnt tires in an attempt to prevent the police from assaulting them,
More protests continued in Arab towns in the Negev, while clashes with the police, have also been reported, as police officers assaulted scores of protesters.
The police continued to resort to the excessive use of force in an attempt to end the protests.
An Israeli military analyst stated that the protests taking place in different Arab areas in the country, from the Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south, with dozens of thousands protesting the kidnapping and brutal murder of Mohammad Abu Kdeir in Jerusalem, are preventing Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, from escalating the aggression and bombardment against Gaza.
The analyst added the protests are preventing Netanyahu from listening to hostile calls from his extremist coalition partners, asking him to launch a large-scale war on Gaza.
Writing for Haaretz Israeli paper, military analyst Amos Harel stated the mass protest across the country are showing Netanyahu why he should, at the current stage, refrain from declaring a comprehensive war on Gaza.
The statement came amidst Israeli aggression and bombardment on Gaza, resulting, on Sunday alone, in the death of nine Palestinians.
