#KHAN AL-AHMAR VILLAGE

[documenting-apartheid]

Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags in front of Israeli troops as they protest against Israel's plan to demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan Al Ahmar. September 30th 2018. EPA

[hostor-infotech]

Palestinians in Khan al-Ahmar stand ground amid displacement plan | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Khan al-Ahmar, occupied West Bank –  Yusra Abu Eid stands to lose not just her house, but the entire village of Khan al-Ahmar that she has, for years, called home. The Palestinian village on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem faces a potential imminent demolition by Israeli authorities that would forcibly displace the 34-year-old, along with its 220 other residents living in tents and tin…

[rnewspost]

Palestinians in Khan al-Ahmar stand ground amid displacement plan | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Khan al-Ahmar, occupied West Bank –  Yusra Abu Eid stands to lose not just her house, but the entire village of Khan al-Ahmar that she has, for years, called home. The Palestinian village on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem faces a potential imminent demolition by Israeli authorities that would forcibly displace the 34-year-old, along with its 220 other residents living in tents and tin…

[cryptosecrets]

Palestinians in Khan al-Ahmar stand ground amid displacement plan | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Khan al-Ahmar, occupied West Bank –  Yusra Abu Eid stands to lose not just her house, but the entire village of Khan al-Ahmar that she has, for years, called home. The Palestinian village on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem faces a potential imminent demolition by Israeli authorities that would forcibly displace the 34-year-old, along with its 220 other residents living in tents and tin…

[arun-pratap-singh]

Protests after Israeli threats to remove Palestinian village | News

Dozens of Palestinians have protested against threats made by top Israeli politicians to imminently carry out the forced displacement of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem, home to at least 180 people. The protest took place on Monday after far-right politician and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would push ahead with the…

[riyadhvision]

Israel gives Bedouin villagers until end of month to leave

Israel gives Bedouin villagers until end of month to leave

The fate of the Palestinian Bedouin village Khan Al-Ahmar, above, has drawn international concern, with European countries calling on Israel not to move ahead with plans to demolish it.

:: Israeli authorities issued a notice to residents of a Bedouin village in a strategic spot in the occupied West Bank on Sunday informing them they have until the end of the month to leave.

The fate of Khan…

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Those who enjoy slandering Israel may want to read this article, which shows just how complex and contentious planned demolitions may be, even if Israel has a legal basis to do so. 

What I find more shocking is that the European Union funds illegal Bedouin villages in Judea and Samaria. Can anyone explain to me why the European Union sends money here, despite the violation of Israeli law? What possible benefit does this bring to Europe? 

Did the populations of European countries who form part of this union authorise the European Union to fund those villages? If not, by whose authority was money paid by member nations sent to illegal villages far outside the European continent. If authorisation was given, who by and for what reason? 

I find the interference of the European Union in the ongoing conflict officious, contradictory, and destructive. Israel is not a member of the European Union, nor does the European Union have any jurisdiction over Israeli law and policy. On top of that, the European Union is not a country, and in my view, should stop behaving like one. 

[halalchampagnesocialist]

After Israel’s Netta Barzilai won the competition last year, Israel is set to host Eurovision in Tel Aviv from May 14. The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement has called for a boycott of Eurovision to protest Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian Territories.

Eurovision is known for having a strong LGBTIQ fanbase with several competitors identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. For its gay fans, Eurovision has always been a glitter-filled party and a symbol of diversity and tolerance.  Israel’s third and previous win was in 1998 when trans woman Dana International represented the country. Concerns have been raised, however, that the Israeli government will use Eurovision to pinkwash its human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza.

Pinkwashing involves the use of LGBTIQ rights to cover up human rights abuses by projecting a ‘progressive’ image. Through various PR campaigns – known collectively as the Brand Israel strategy – Israel markets itself as a ‘gay haven’ and promotes Pride events in Tel Aviv to boost tourism. Cultural events such as Eurovision are no exception. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has even called Netta Barzilai a ‘cultural ambassador’ following her win.

LGBTIQ communities around the world have also protested Israel using Eurovision as a pinkwashing opportunity to cover up its human rights abuses. More than 60 queer and trans groups across nearly 20 countries – including Palestinian groups al-Qaws, Aswat and Pinkwatching Israel – have called on global LGBTIQ communities to boycott Eurovision in Israel. As Haneen Maikey and Hilary Aked wrote in the The Independent, despite Israel’s efforts to use Eurovision as cultural propaganda to show the world its ‘prettier face’, many LGBTIQ people are now saying ‘There is No Pride in Apartheid’.

Whether Israel is actually a ‘gay haven’ for Palestinians is debatable. Israel routinely blackmails gay Palestinians into becoming informants, threatening to out them to their families and their communities if they don’t co-operate, thus endangering their lives. Queer acceptance in Israel is also wrapped up in nationalism – what Jasbir Puar terms ‘homonationalism’ – and queer Palestinians in Israel face discrimination from other queer Israelis. As Israel posits itself as ‘enlightened’ and ‘progressive’ compared to its ‘backwards’ Middle Eastern neighbours by holding Pride parades and allowing openly-gay soldiers to serve, it reinforces orientalist notions of the superiority of Israeli and Western cultures. Acceptance of queer Palestinians by Israel is conditional as long as – as Jason Ritchie puts it – they ‘mute or repudiate their Palestinianness’. It is an acceptance specifically constructed to be apolitical and avoid criticisms of the occupation. Despite Eurovision being beloved and attended by many gay fans, gay Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza would require permits in order to be able to attend.

Israel’s Eurovision date coincides with the anniversary of its founding and establishment, an event known to Palestinians as the Nakba or ‘catastrophe’ which saw over 750 000 Palestinians flee or be expelled from their homes in present-day Israel, which they are unable to return to. Since 2018, Palestinians in Gaza have been leading marches called by organisers the ‘Great March of Return’ to the Gaza-Israeli border to demand a right to return to their homes in Israel.  Israel has recently faced international condemnation, including by human rights NGOs, for responding to these marches by shooting unarmed protestors in Gaza, including journalists and medics. Since the protests began, over two hundreds Palestinians have been killed and over eighteen thousand injured.

In the West Bank, Israel continues its illegal settlement project, with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu saying he plans to annex West Bank settlements. This would involve huge land grabs and lessen the chances of the establishment of a Palestinian state. Palestinians in the West Bank face Apartheid-like conditions with Jewish-only roads, Jewish-only settlements, and rights and privileges enjoyed by Israeli citizens afforded to Jewish settlers while Palestinians remain without rights. Vulnerable Palestinian communities like the village of Khan Al Ahmar are at risk of demolition by Israel and its residents face forcible displacement. The Israeli army also continues to kill and injure unarmed Palestinians with impunity, as in the case of paramedic Sajed Muzhe, shot and killed after the Israeli army raided a refugee camp in Bethlehem.

Music has a history of being used as a form of protest. The cultural boycott of Israel takes after the South Africa Sun City boycott, led by Steven Van Zandt. Many artists such as Lorde, Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Elvis Costello have refused to perform in Israel due to its appalling human rights record, while Pink Floyd front man Roger Waters has called onAustralia’s Kate Miller-Heidke to pull out of this year’s Eurovision.

Other celebrities, including Stephen Fry and Sharon Osbourne, signed a letter against the boycott this week, claiming that it is an attack on Eurovision’s ‘spirit of togetherness’ and an ‘affront to Palestinians and Israelis working to advance peace.’ The letter has been released by Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a not-for-profit organisation which was exposed last year as a front to be for the right-wing pro-Israel advocacy organisation StandWithUs. It is evident that organisations like CCFP use the idea of ‘peace’ to block any criticisms or action against Israel, reinforcing the status quo of Israel’s domination over Palestinian lives and land.

BDS Australia have called on SBS and Kate Miller-Heidke to boycott Eurovision. Their petition has garnered over 2 500 signatures so far.

Eurovision should be about coming together to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Building solidarity between LGBTIQ people and Palestinians to achieve equality and justice for people everywhere must be a priority, and embracing this boycott is just the start.

Hello, I wrote a little something. Check it out.

[canadianabroadvery]

“ ... Israeli forces had set up several checkpoints on roads leading to the village, earlier during the day, and interrogated several Palestinian drivers and passengers.

On December 3, the Israeli authorities had issued a military order to extend the period of the closure of roads, leading to the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem district in the central occupied West Bank.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee said, at the time, that the Israeli military order seeks to seize Palestinian-owned lands for military purposes. ...”

[save-palestine]

Palestinians protest against demolishing of Khan al-Ahmar

Israeli policemen detain a Palestinian as they protest against Israel's plan to demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, in the occupied West Bank.

[documenting-apartheid]

OCTOBER 3 2018 - "Israeli settlers flooded Khan Al-Ahmar with waste water, storming the Palestinian Bedouin village and confronting residents."

"The settlers came from the illegal Israeli settlement of Kfar Adumim, located east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. They stormed the village of Khan Al-Ahmar but were confronted by international and local activists, along with residents of the village, the Palestine Chronicle reported. However, the settlers “managed to flood the area with wastewater before activists and residents were able to stop them,” the report added."

"Local Palestinians shared images of the flooding on social media, with the waste water clearly visible against the otherwise arid landscape."

"Khan Al-Ahmar has been slated for demolition this week, after an Israeli court gave the residents of the village until 1 October to evacuate their homes. The demolition is expected imminently, with the delay thought to be due only to Jewish holidays taking place earlier this week."

"Israel’s policies of settling Israeli civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, wantonly destroying property and forcibly transferring Palestinians living under occupation, violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and are war crimes listed in the statute of the International Criminal Court." - Amnesty International

Amnesty added: “Since 1967, Israel has forcibly evicted and displaced entire communities and demolished more than 50,000 Palestinian homes and structures.”

Situated east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, Khan Al-Ahmar is home to Al-Jahhalin Bedouins who are refugees from the Negev desert. They have lived in the area since their displacement by the Israeli army in 1967. Israel has refused to recognise Al-Jahhalin Bedouin communities or grant them building permits, a strategy often used by Israel to term any Bedouin home illegal.

[diaryofanangryasianguy]

07/07/18

Israel Assaults Palestinians Ahead of the Demolition of West Bank Bedouin Village

Israel has been preparing to demolish the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank. Activists and area residents have responded by boarding up buildings and blocking bulldozers set to demolish the village.

Demolition of the village would include the forcible transfer of an indigenous population that was previous forced to leave their homeland during the Nakba, or catastrophe, in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee. The residents of Khan al-Ahmar, who fled there over 50 years ago, had vowed to never abandon their land again.

[icymirss]

Israeli forces have assaulted dozens of Palestinians protesting the demolition of a Bedouin village near occupied East Jerusalem and the forcible transfer of the entire community. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, at least 35 Palestinians were wounded, including four who were hospitalised, during the events which took place on Wednesday at the Khan al-Ahmar village. Videos taken by witnesses and circulated online showed Israeli forces beating and attempting to arrest men, women and children.... The Jahalin Bedouin community that lives in Khan al-Ahmar set up camp in the area as early as 1953, long before two Jewish-only settlements were built around it. The community believes they are being forcibly removed to allow Israel to expand its settlements on their land.

[welcomeqatarr]

At least 35 Palestinians wounded as Israeli forces prepare to demolish the entire Khan al-Ahmar village near Jerusalem. 15 HOURS AGO Israeli Rights group B’Tselem says that the forcible transfer of an entire Palestinian community in the occupied territories would be ‘virtually unprecedented’ since 1967. MOHAMAD TOROKMAN/REUTERS Israeli forces have assaulted dozens of Palestinians protesting the …

[abdel-hamidd]

Israeli forces have assaulted dozens of Palestinians protesting the demolition of a Bedouin village near occupied East Jerusalem and the forcible transfer of the entire community.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, at least 35 Palestinians were wounded, including four who were hospitalised, during the events which took place on Wednesday at the Khan al-Ahmar village.

Videos taken by witnesses and circulated online showed Israeli forces beating and attempting to arrest men, women and children. In one video, Israeli forces were seen violently dragging a Palestinian woman on the ground and pulling off her headscarf.

[libertariantaoist]

Israel finally built an access road to the West Bank village of Khan Al Ahmar last week, after half a century of delays. But Israel only allows vehicles like the bulldozers scheduled to sweep away its 200 inhabitants’ homes.

If one community has come to symbolize the demise of the two-state solution, it is Khan Al Ahmar.

It was for that reason that a posse of European diplomats left their air-conditioned offices late last week to trudge through the hot, dusty hills outside Jerusalem and witness the preparations for the village’s destruction. That included the Israeli police beating residents and supporters as they tried to block the advance of heavy machinery.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain submitted a formal protest. Their denunciations echoed those of more than 70 Democratic lawmakers in Washington in May – a rare example of US politicians showing solidarity with Palestinians.

It would be gratifying to believe that Western governments care about the inhabitants of Khan Al Ahmar – or the thousands of other Palestinians who are being incrementally cleansed by Israel from nearby lands but whose plight has drawn far less attention.

After all, the razing of Khan Al Ahmar and the forcible transfer of its population are war crimes.

But in truth, Western politicians are more concerned about propping up the illusion of a peace process that expired many years ago, than the long-running abuse of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. 

Western capitals understand what is at stake. Israel wants Khan Al Ahmar gone so that Jewish settlements can be built in its place, on land it has designated as “E1”.

That would put the final piece in place for Israel to build a substantial bloc of new settler homes to sever the West Bank in two. Those same settlements would also seal off West Bank Palestinians from East Jerusalem, the expected capital of a future Palestinian state, making a mockery of any peace agreement.

The erasure of Khan Al Ahmar has not arrived out of nowhere. Israel has trampled on international law for decades, conducting a form of creeping annexation that has provoked little more than uncomfortable shifting in chairs from Western politicians.

Khan Al Ahmar’s Bedouin inhabitants, from the Jahalin tribe, have been ethnically cleansed twice before by Israel, but these war crimes went unnoticed.

The first time was in the 1950s, a few years after Israel’s creation, when 80 per cent of Palestinians had been driven from their homes to make way for a Jewish state.

Although they should have enjoyed the protection of Israeli citizenship, the Jahalin were forced out of the Negev and into the West Bank, then controlled by Jordan, to make way for new Jewish immigrants.

A generation later in 1967, when they had barely re-established themselves, the Jahalin were again under attack from Israeli soldiers occupying the West Bank. The grazing lands the Jahalin had relocated to with their goats and sheep were seized to build a settlement for Jews only, Kfar Adumim, in violation of the laws of war.

Ever since, the Jahalin have dwelt in a twilight zone of Israeli-defined “illegality”. Like other Palestinians in the 60 per cent of the West Bank under Israeli control, they have been denied building permits, forcing three generations to live in tin shacks and tents.

[Read More] (https://consortiumnews.com/2018/07/09/israel-bulldozes-khan-al-ahmar-and-buries-the-two-state-solution/)