Palestinian/ Israeli update 11/19/2016..Two Palestinian members deliver ‘azan’ the call to prayer in Israeli parliament

Palestinian man shot dead in protest near Gaza-Israeli border

https://www.rt.com/news/367466-gaza-protest-idf-palestinian-killed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

A 26-year-old Palestinian was killed and another two injured as Israeli troops fired shots at protesters gathered near the Israeli-Gaza border, Palestinian health authorities said. The IDF says it was retaliating after Palestinians violently stormed a fence. Ashraf al-Qidra, a Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman, said in a statement that Mohammad Abu Seada, a Palestinian protester, died “after being shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers in clashes east of the Al-Bureij camp,” i24news reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) justified the shooting by saying that Israeli soldiers opened fire at demonstrators “during a violent riot” after they stormed into a buffer zone separating Gaza from Israel, damaged the security fence at the border in an attempt to “infiltrate” the Jewish state. The demonstration had been originally called in protest of the new Israeli bill, which, if approved by the Parliament, would impose ban on loudspeakers at mosques, which transmit the call for Muslim prayer, supposed to be performed by every Muslim five times a day.

The bill, initially proposed by Moti Yogev, MP from The Jewish Home, a religious Zionist party known for strong Orthodox beliefs, has sparked an outrage among ordinary Palestinians, who took to the streets to protest the bill on Friday. A large demonstration was held in the southern Israeli city of Rahat with mostly-Bedouin population. Another rally was organized in the Israeli Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa. Speaking at the rally, Ahmed Tibi, MP from the Joint List, an alliance of Arab parties in Knesset, chastised the controversial bill, which had already gone through first hearing on Sunday, as “provocation” and “act of coercion.” Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs Sheikh Yousef Ides has criticized the bill, warning it could descend “the entire region into religious war,” as cited by the Palestinian broadcaster Wafa.

Yogev, however, rejected the criticism of his proposal, saying on Twitter that his party harbors “no intention to harm freedom of religion but rather to prevent the harming of people’s sleep,” according to the Times of Israel. Although the legislation supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will concern not only mosques but all religious institutions, it is perceived by the Palestinian community as an encroachment on their rights.Evacuation of the new Palestinian village Yasser

Violence against Israeli activist, in evacuation of the new Palestinian village Yasser in Jordan Valley

Two Palestinian member delivers ‘azan’, the call to prayer proclaimed five times a day, in Israeli parliament

Two Palestinians member of parliament raised ‘azan’ in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to protest a controversial bill which, if passed, would bar mosques from using loudspeakers for delivering call to prayer (azan) in occupied East Jerusalem. Ahmad Tibi, member of the Knesset, raised the azan during his speech in the parliament and said the proposed bill demonstrated the Israeli government’s ‘Islamophobia’. Another member Taleb Abu Arar also started the azan and went on to complete it, despite attempts by the other members of the parliament to stop him.

The proposed bill has drawn criticism from various circles, with many Palestinians calling it a blatant violation of their freedom to worship.

Earlier, Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned that the bill would escalate conflict in the region. “The Israeli actions are completely unacceptable,” he said in a statement. “The Palestinian leadership will go to the UN Security Council and to all international institutions to stop the escalating Israeli measures.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian group Hamas described the bill as “an outrageous provocation to the sentiments of Muslims everywhere and unacceptable interference in worship and religious practice.”

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Manuel Hassassian on Trump and Middle East

Palestinian Issue Needs to Come Back Under Spotlight

The Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians have been pushed into the sideline after the rise of the Saudi-backed Wahhabi terrorism in the region, but now after the election of Donal Trump who has intimate ties with the Zionists as the new US president, the Palestinian issue needs to come back to center stage.

An American citizen who has traveled to the Palestinian refugee camps in the Middle East tells Fars News Agency that the humanitarian aid being allocated to the Palestinian refugees, especially in Lebanon and Jordan, is insignificant and they’re living under dire, excruciating conditions.

Lousia Lamb has studied the situation of Palestinian refugees who have been displaced from their homeland since 1948 and living as refugees across the Middle East. Figures indicate that there are currently more than 5 million Palestinians living outside their communities as refugees.

Lamb, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the Salisbury University in Maryland, writes articles on online journals about the conflicts of the Middle East including in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.

Ms. Lousia Lamb shared her experiences in the Palestinian refugee camps and her viewpoints about the prospects of the life of Palestinians, including the people of beleaguered Gaza Strip, in an interview with FNA.

Q: The Israelis still refuse to recognize the Palestinian refugees’ right of return, while the right of return is clearly recognized and protected under the international law. How should the UN or other responsible bodies take action to help more than 5 million Palestinian refugees living under dire conditions across the Middle East and pave the way for them to return to their homeland?

A: It is clear that Israel is unwilling to compromise. Despite the brutal ethnic cleansing that started on May 15, 1948 – including seizing historic Palestinian towns and renaming them, continuous bulldozing of homes, destruction of schools and hospitals and airstrike attacks in Palestinian territories since 2008 until last summer in Gaza – the Israelis are relentless in their efforts to eradicate all Palestinians from the region, so Israel will no longer feel threatened by the right to return. I would suggest the UN persist to push for a two-state solution and restore some Palestinian territories, while encouraging the international community to continue their support, reminding that the right to return is under international law and what Israel is doing is illegal, not to mention inhumane. 66 years is too long for a group of people to be living as refugees, and Palestinians need a home to call their own where they can have basic human rights and live with dignity. I believe one action the United Nations, and the global community should take to hold the Israeli government accountable would be to enact boycott, divestment, and sanctions. Like the measures taken against apartheid South Africa, Israel should also be compliant with international humanitarian norms. As South African Bishop Desmond Tutu has frequently observed, Israel treats the Palestinians in their country Palestine as badly, if not worse, that the Afrikaners treated blacks in South Africa……………read the rest of the interview here………Palestinian Issue