Archives for 14 September 2015

Excellency,

I write to draw your urgent attention to the rising tensions in Occupied East Jerusalem. The illegal actions and constant provocations and incitement by Israel, the occupying Power, including in particular by right-wing Israeli government officials, extremist settlers and religious zealots, against the Palestinian people, their land and their holy places are aggravating already-high tensions, religious sensitivities and the fragile situation on the ground, threatening to ignite religious conflict and further destabilize the region, which is already experiencing unprecedented instability and upheaval.

For two consecutive days, extremist Israelis escorted by occupying forces broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Al-Haram Al-Sharif), the third holiest site in Islam, in Occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli occupying forces injured and detained Palestinian worshipers, prevented the entry of Palestinian worshipers and instigated violent confrontations, using tear gas, stun grenades and rubber coated steel bullets.  At least 110 Palestinian civilians, including worshippers, Mosque guards, reporters and cameramen, have been injured and occupying forces obstructed ambulances from reaching the injured.  20 of the injured have been transferred to the hospital, with three in critical condition suffering injuries to the head and chest areas, including Anas Siyam, a Palestinian boy, who was hit with a rubber coated steel bullet in the chest.  Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, Director of the compound, was also assaulted by Israeli occupying forces. Reports indicate that an elderly man was shot with a rubber coated steel bullet in his eye and Tamer Khalaf, age 29, was assaulted and sprayed with toxic gas prior to being detained by occupying forces. [Read more…]

Excellency,

Yesterday, 10 September 2015, the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of the resolution on the raising of flags of non-member Observer States at the United Nations, namely the flags of the State of Palestine and the Holy See. It is without a doubt, that yesterday’s historic vote reaffirms the legitimacy of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, of their existence among the nations of the world and their right to self-determination in their own independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We realize that raising our flag will neither end the occupation or the cruel subjugation of the Palestinian people but it will help restore some hope to the Palestinian people and its leadership as they continue on the peaceful, non-violent, political, legal path to fulfill their rights.  This is ever so important, especially given light of the deteriorating situation on the ground in the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, as a result of Israel’s illegal actions and practices.

In this regard, it is with great sadness that we must include in our letter today the tragic news that Riham Dawabsha, age 27, has become the 3^rd member of her family who has succumbed to her wounds and died as a result of the heinous terrorist arson attack that engulfed her home in the West Bank town of Duma in flames on 31 July. Riham, the mother of 18-month old Ali who was burned alive and wife of Saad, who died of his wounds on 8 August, sustained third-degree burns on 90 percent of her body.  She fought for her life in a hospital bed for five-weeks until her condition took a turn for the worse. Riham is survived by her son, Ahmad, age 4, the only living member of the family, who lies in a hospital bed suffering from massive burns to his small body. Ahmad, like so many Palestinian children, is now an orphan without a mother, father or siblings-a fate that sadly many more Palestinian children will suffer from if Israeli settler terrorists are not held accountable for their crimes.  [Read more…]