Saturday, February 21, 2015

Palestinian activists establish Jerusalem Gate Protest Camp

Dear friends,
Due to other commitments, I have not had time to post about the Jerusalem Gate protest camp which was set up on 8th February. My apologies for the lateness of this post.  Please find below the original press statement issued by the activists, as well as some photos. As you will no doubt be aware, Israeli occupation forces have sought on numerous occasions over the last two weeks to dismantle the camp. Each time the activists have returned.  I will follow this post up as soon as I can with more updates from the camp.

in solidarity, Kim

PRESS RELEASE


 February 2015

Popular Resistance activists are rebuilding tents of Jerusalem Gate on the lands of Abu Dis and Al Eizarieh for the Fourth time post being demolished by the Occupation.

 The Popular Resistance activists and the people of Jerusalem on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 were able to construct a number of tents. They called them "Jerusalem Gate". These tents were constructed as a manifestation to protest against the occupation and colonial settler policies which are practiced on Palestinian lands in East of Jerusalem, Abu Dies and Al Eizarieh, which are threatened to be confiscated. The Israeli occupation forces announced that they will demolish these tents hours after their construction.
 In the early morning hours of February 4/ 2015, a day after the establishment of the Jerusalem Gate, the area was raided by the Israeli army’s bulldozers. The occupation army used gas bombs and stun grenades against the activists. The occupation army demolished the tents and the iron structure which the activists used to sleep in. After the brutal assault on the protesters and activists, they returned immediately to the land of Jerusalem Gate and rebuilt the tents including the remaining ones.
They declared that the battle against the occupation will continue until their schemes are foiled. The popular resistance activists and the residents of the threatened land in Al Eizarieh and Abu Dis East of Jerusalem will continue to construct these tents aiming to express their rejection of and the struggle against the policy of the occupation army and its decisions which are leading to the confiscation of the Palestinian lands and the expulsion of Bedouin communities in East Jerusalem. The activists and the community managed to build several tents under the name of Jerusalem Gate in the area of Khalet Al Qamar in Abu Dis.
 This activity or initiative is a first step to protest against the policy of the Israeli colonial occupation. Activists will support the residents of these areas and will continue the struggle with them against the threats of the occupation army to confiscate the land.
The Israeli Occupying continues its daily assault against Palestinians in these areas through the demolition of their homes, as was the case of the demolition of houses of Arab Al Ka’abneh two weeks ago. The residents of Arab Al Ka’abneh were expelled to join a larger collective of people in the Jordan Valley against their will and without any consultations with the community 
.
The Israeli occupation, using its armyare planning to deport the community of Jabal Al Baba towards Arab Al Jahaleen area East of Jerusalem. The violations committed by the Israeli occupation continues using various tools and methods including forcing harsh living conditions on the residents of certain areas to force them to leave their land. The Israeli army uses various excuses to expel people from their land such as the unlicensed building and that the community is building their property on ‘absentees property

This Israeli plan aims to control the land for the benefit of the colonial settlements in Jerusalem from the eastEspecially large settlements like " Maale Adumim ", aiming to link east Jerusalem area in preparation for the establishment of Greater JerusalemThe Israeli occupation is working on keeping the largest possible number of Palestinians outside the city of Jerusalem to ensure a Jewish majority .

This new racist plan started in the year 2007, it is threatening more than 15,000 Palestinians, half of them are children, all living in 45 communities since Al Nakba in the year 1948, The European Union has condemned the demolitions and forced expulsion from areas occupied by "Israel”.

UNRWA has expressed its concern about the threat of forced displacement, and the forced displacement of people from the territory under occupation as that is a violation of International humanitarian law
.




Photos by Popular Struggle Coordination Committee via Alternative Information Centre

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