Jerusalem 2011 Day 4

Jerusalem blog - Day 4 - Monday 11 July

08.00  MPs from Hadash come to the hotel to meet us this morning before the trip to Tel Aviv.  We will go there to meet NGOs and they will go for an important vote on one of the many hugely discriminatory laws that have been passed or introduced in the Knesset over the last period.

The early months of 2011 have seen a number of these laws passed affecting those living in Israel itself as well as those living in the occupied territories of Gaza, West Bank and Jerusalem and more are due to follow.  This theme is taken up by others we meet in Tel Aviv. The laws target the existence and operations of NGOs as well as the human rights of the Arab minority.

The Knesset vote today is likely to be postponed amid fears of an international backlash on the day the Quartet meets. Interestingly, those in the governing opposition proposing the postponement don't seem too worried about the content of the laws, just the timing.

It is not easy to describe how scary the use of these laws are, but the cumulative effect

of a number of them will be to:

- threaten the status of 'citizen' of Arab citizens in Israel and make it much more conditional

- restrict the ability of NGOs and elected representatives to represent anything other than the majority view

- allow for people and NGOs who support a boycott of Israeli goods, or even goods made in the illegal settlements, to be sued for compensation, without the complainant having to show they suffered any actual damages.

- hamper NGOs that give information to the likes of the international Goldstone Commission set up after the 2008 Israeli raid on Gaza

- push more and more for a declaration of loyalty to Israel as a 'Jewish state' ie only for Jews.

- remove any reference to the 'Nakba' or occupation from the curriculum and prevent Arabs who receive state funding from telling their version of what is happening in Palestine.

- hamper and harass organisations that seek EU and other international public funding. The prohibitively expensive requirements under this law will not apply to the private funding that flows in from abroad to fund illegal settlement activity.

As well as the laws that threaten citizenship rights and the right to political participation and freedom of expression, another set of new laws affects land rights and others attack the right to a fair trial.

10.30 In Tel Aviv, we meet with Physicians for Human Rights, with the Womens' Alliance for Peace and with the Mossawa Center, who work on behalf of the Arabs living within Israel, as well as another meeting with the Israeli Communist Party.

Physicians for Human Rights have around 2,000 members. As well as campaigning within Israel against privatisation and for the rights of migrants and asylum seekers they also campaign against physicians not reporting or opposing torture and violence during interrogation.

Their biggest project, however, is in the Occupied Territories where they carry out advocacy and direct medical aid. They could be very badly hit by new legislation against those who report what they have seen to any international investigation of war crimes.

Israeli and Palestinian women are working together in the Coalition of Women for Peace. One of their projects documents who is making a profit from the continued occupation of West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem and how this becomes a pressure on Israel NOT to reach a peaceful solution (http://www.blogger.com/www.whoprofits.org).  They will be particularly badly hit by the new law on those who are can be claimed to support boycott and divestment. Under this anti boycott law they could possibly be deprived of their status of NGO and their income would be taxed.  This would then make them ineligible under EU law for EU funding.

Not surprisingly they are petitioning the Israeli High Court to delay and then to challenge this law.

The Mossawa Center is an advocacy organisation that aims to promote the economic, social, cultural and political rights of the Palestinian citizens in Israel, who make up 20% of the population but who have been left behind in Israel's overall socio-economic development.

Following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, many Palestinians remained in Israel and were granted Israeli citizenship but face considerable discrimination. There are over 1.6 million Arab Palestinian citizens in Israel today and it is their status as citizens that is being targeted by the new laws.

The Mossawa Center works with marginalised groups such as women, youth, and the Bedouin communities of the Negev (Naqab) Desert, in the areas of land and housing, employment, education and infrastructure.

They tell us of huge transportation problems in and out of Arab villages.  Even where the are rail lines passing Arab villages, there are no plans to build a stop or station at those villages.

There are particular problems facing the 'unrecognised' Arab Bedouin villages in the Negev Desert in the South, where the Israeli government wants to move the populations to 'recognised areas' or townships.

The new legislation on organisations that seek EU and other international public funding will hit the work of the Mossawa Center and the need to toe the state line in order to get state funding prevents them from going that route either.

Again I am so impressed by the resilience of people who continue to work in spite of all the obstacles placed in their path.

The Israeli Communist party gives us another examples that suggest that the Netenyahu blocking of the peace process is not supported by all of the population. It is hard to know how much this is wishful thinking, but there are some hopeful signs.

 In spite of the pressure to conform and not to question the government line on the 'national question',  15,000 - 20,000 people,  from a wide spectrum of the population, including members and parliamentarians from Kadeema, took part in a demonstration in favour of recognition of a Palestinian State on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. And a letter was sent by a group of former diplomats and former senior military people to EU leaders asking them to recognise the Palestinian state.

13.00  These inspiring meetings in Tel Aviv bring us to the end of our visit and it is time to leave all the wonderful people we have met behind and to head to the airport, and back to Brussels, where we will highlight what we have seen.

At the airport we are stopped for a very short while. However our status as MEPs and the fact that one of our group carries a diplomatic passport means that we are treated well, spoken to very politely, with apologies for the short delay, and we are soon on our way.  We will fly back through Frankfurt again, reaching Brussels about 21.20.

21.30. It has now come full circle.  As we arrive back in Brussels the airport arrivals area is thronged with pro-Palestinian activists.  They are waiting to welcome home the last of the activists from Belgium who had been arrested in Israel and Palestine and who had then been deported back to Belgium.

One of the organisers tells us that some were quite badly treated, being kept 6 hours in a truck with no food or water and abused if they even asked for water

We give them our contact details and say we will raise this when they send us more information from those arriving back.

Among those waiting to welcome the deportees home are people who were themselves prevented from travelling on Friday.  I also recognise several who were on our flight to Tel Aviv on Friday, but who clearly never made it out of Ben Gurion airport.  There stopped and deported and now they are waiting to welcome the last of their friends home.

People at home tend to think of these people as protesters, yet there is another side to them as well as the important role of peaceful protest. Our delegation met many in Palestine who were waiting for some of these young people to arrive either to rebuild homes that had been demolished or to sit outside their houses to monitor and hopefully prevent evictions, demolitions or attacks by settlers.

From the bottom to the top of society in Palestine, the Palestinians just cannot understand how these young people who come to protect and help them can be treated so badly by the Israelis without even a whimper from their own governments in Europe

Jerusalem 2011 Day 3

Jerusalem blog - Day 3
In our meetings today with President Abbas and with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, they tell us of the initiative of going to the United Nations for recognition of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital
Palestinians see this as a natural step following a year in which a growing number of individuals countries have recognised the Palestinian state.
In the absence of successful negotiations or any sense that the Israeli governement is serious about wanting to find a solution, Palestinians are pursuing this diplomatic strategy through the multilateral UN process.
It is not sure yet exactly what form this approach to the UN will take but thins may be clearer after a number of meetings this week.
For us today's programme of meetings in Palestine began with an international conference in Jerusalem, jointly organised by our group in the European Parliament entitled ' Towards a Palestinian State along 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital'
Time and again in the conference, speakers highlighted how all Israeli policies on Jerusalem are now directed towards cancelling and minimising the presence of Palestinians in Jerusalem.
The 181km of the cement separation wall isolates Palestinians from each other, education policies aim to write Palestinian history out of the curriculum, and planning laws and residency laws are brought to play to push Palestinians outside of the city.
Israelis are given incentives to come and live in Jerusalem, thus growing the Israeli population, but the growth or even the maintenance of the Palestinian population is stunted as Palestinians are constantly refused planning permission to enlarge their homes or to build new ones.
Palestinians therefore face two harsh options. They can stay in Jerusalem,
build homes without planning permission and face the prospect of demolition, or they can go to live outside Jerusalem and lose their right to travel back to Jerusalem without a special visa.
Residency status is a huge question for Jerusalemites. The Secretary General of Trocaire's sister organisation in Jerusalem tells me she can trace her family back Jerusalem to the 12th century. But she is a classified as a 'resident' of Jerusalem not a 'citizen'. Yet any Jewish person who comes to live in Jerusalem today from anywhere in the world will be classified as a 'citizen'.
The difference in the rights of 'citizen' and 'residents' is very stark. A lot of people tell us stories of having to go through a difficult visa process, just in order for man and wife to be together in Jerusalem.
We later get a sense first hand of what this means to them when we see the checkpoints through which they have to pass even to go to Ramallah which is less than 20 minutes drive up the road otherwise.
Another common theme throughout the day is the fact that European governments were content to let Israel dictate which EU citizens could get on a plane in a European city and moreover that EU governments didn't even condemn the arrest and deportation of the EU citizens who did make it through to Israel and Palestine in order to protest peacefully or to monitor the situation with regard to human rights.
What strikes me most when I come here and strikes me again today is the resilience and dignity of the Palestinians in the face of all of the pressure and oppression
Today we had lunch with Hanan Ashrawi, Mustafa Barghouti and a number of other PLC members, we had dinner in a local community where they laid on a meal, a concert and a display of traditional dancing and we met with Prime Minister Fayyad and President Abbas, as well having as our conference opened by the Governor of Jerusalem.
Throughout the day we meet with people who in spite of everything can still keep up their spirit and their hopes, and who have maintained their love of life and their sense of humour as well as an ability to make welcome once again those of us who have come from Europe to talk with them in spite of their overwhelming sense that the international community does not play fair with them or protect them in the way that international law dictates that it should.
And finally in respect of the resilience and dignity of the Palestinian people, our delegations lays a wreath at the grave of former President Yasser Arafat.

Jerusalem 2011 Day 2

erusalem blog Day 2
In the course of our adventurous journey to Jerusalem yesterday we saw the number of activists blocked in the airport in Brussels and refused access to the planes to take them to Palestine.
We also saw the huge step up in security at the airports where they scanned what were clearly a banning list of names sent by the Israelis of people who should not be allowed to board planes bound for Tel Aviv.
In Tel Aviv airport there were police and soldiers everywhere, ready to intercept any activists who made it through.
This morning we met with PLC members and the former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs who have taken refuge in the Red Cross tent in Jerusalem. They tell us that the 2006 elections were fair and free but the international community didn't respect the results.
On 29 June 2006, the Israelis arrested the PLC members and the main charge against them was they were members of PLC. They were elected for the Change + Reform platform.
PLC Member Muhammad I Totah tells us that after he was released, in June 2010 he, like the others in the Red Cross tent were served with the deportation orders that had been made years previously when they were arrested.
The Israelis told them that if they resigned from the parliament they would not be deported. On 30 June 2010 the Israelis arrested and deported. PLC member Muhammed M Abu Tier. So from 1 July last year the others went Into the tent at the Red Cross, so the Israelis could not use them to begin deportations from Jerusalem on the grounds of 'disloyalty to Israeli'
They stress that the formal deportation letter makes clear that they are to be deported because they are 'disloyal to Israel'. "It is because we are members of Parliament, not because are members of Hamas.", they say.
The decision for deportation dates from 5 years ago but was not implemented at that time because they were arrested.
The PLC members ask Europeans to tell the Israelis to respect. Article 2 regarding human rights of the Association Agreement . The also say that Europeans could protest to the embassies of Israel. "A feeling of solidarity is not enough. Actions would be better" they say
After this the MEPs visit Sheikh Jarah quarter where 28 families are under threat. Now 4 have been evicted, and another 7 have received eviction orders from the court. Next month Rfqha Al Kurd (Im Nabil), the elderly lady sitting beside us will be in court, and then others after that..
Most of Palestiniansl in these 28 houses, are refugees from the 1948 war + came as refugees to this neighbourhood, from Haifa etc Some refugees came here to this part of Jerusalem, some to the West Bank, some to Jordan, others still further away. Families were split up from each other

After the 1948 war, when they came here as refugees, the area was being ruled by Jordan. The Jordanian government proposed to them that they give up their UN cards and their refugee status to set up house and live here. They accepted that, construction started on what was empty land and in 1956 they moved in.
In the 1967 war, when Israel occupied this area, they changed all the names from Arabic name to Israeli names. Rfqha Al Kurd (Im Nabil) tells us she and her family moved here and gave up their refugee status. There was no one here before them This land was empty. They moved in in 1956 and encountered no problems until 1972, when settlers came to claim this property was theirs.
This house beside her own house she built for her son some years ago. Settlers came a year ago. The settlers are not ordinary families, they say. There is a group of young thugs who gather and try to drive them out from their property also.
The family tells us that settlers spit on the elderly women whenever they pass, they give them the fingers, call them names and the child tells us "They stole my toys". They also have a dog that has bitten one of the family already.
The settlers are suing Rfqha Al Kurd for her own house that she has lived in since 1956 and she will be in court on 12th July.
Jafar, who later tells me he has had many Irish friends in New York, tells us was born and bred two doors down from the Rfqha Al Kurd family. He went away to work in the United States. Now that he wants to come back they will not give him the right to stay. They will only give him a 90 days visa. He had an Israeli ID, but the Israelis say if you go away from more than 3 years you lose your ID.
Moving on from this area we pass Palestinian houses which will all be demolished to construct a national park. This area has already been designated a national park as a major revenue earner for the Israelis, but also as way of exerting control over more and more of East Jerusalem.
At Shayah we also see a hotel which is owned by a Palestinian who lives on the other side of the separation wall. Although the owner just lives down the street from his hotel, the Israelis say he is an 'absentee' because he is on the other side of their wall. They have used the Absentees' Properties Law to take over his hotel and use it as a military base.
Although the world has become more attuned in recent years to the story of what is happening in Gaza, the relentless and myriad attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem and West bank really threaten any future two state solution with West Jerusalem as the capital of an Israeli state and East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Unless the international community comes to grips with what is happening here, the is no chance of a peaceful solution to the present conflict.
This is reinforced again when we visit the Silwan tent where members of the Bustan Committee defend the homes of Sulwan from the bulldozers.
People we speak to in the Al-Bustan area of Silwan (1,500 population) stress that their families have been here on this land for generations.
They face demolition of their homes and district to make way for a 'national garden' based on the City of David. They say they will chain themselves to the bulldozers if needs be and stay in their homes. They will not go anywhere.. On the wall behind us in the Silwan tent is a banner that reads "what is more important, our lives and us humans or public parks?"
Another tells us of their wish to have proper education for their children, yet the children are afraid to go to school, or to the playground or even to the shop for fear of harassment by the Israeli soldiers. Here the Israelis come in great numbers in the middle of the night even to arrest a 10 year old boy they say was throwing stones.
They thanks us for their visit, but in a familiar pattern, they say they are losing faith in the international community.
They want the EU to take action to defend their neighbourhood which is under attack day by day.
Later today we are due to meet with NGOs active on the protection of Palestinian rights in Jerusalem and to go with them to see the historical landmarks of the old town and to understand the changes affected.

Jerusalem 2011 Day 1

Jerusalem Blog Day 1
10.50
As our plane was rushing along the runway + about to take off from Frankfurt airport, the pilot suddenly braked hard + the plane came to a halt (they didn't say 'brace, brace, but I did anyway)
The pilot explained that he had spotted a possible fault in the landing gear and moreover that the brakes had now become hot + the fire brigade had to cool them down.
So we are now still on the runway, the fire brigade have cooled the brakes + the ground crew are checking the landing gear.
No word yet about what will happen next.
11.40
We are still on the runway.
The crew have now checked the landing gear + it's ok. But there's some other minor problem caused by the sudden braking + they're fixing that now.
The pilot is confident we can continue on our way soonish (20-30 mins)


11.58
Reverse was damaged in one engine after the aborted take-off. They tried to fix it but haven't been able to.
They have to send for a replacement part, but that will take quite a while, so they have to bring us back to the terminal and put us on another plane.
12.30
The terminal is so full that they have no room for the people from our plane. They have asked us to wait on the plane and they will move us directly from one plane to the other.
As it is Friday, some of the people on the plane are concerned that they will not arrive in time for Shabat, which begins at 6pm and is the time they should begin their evening prayers. The airline had still hoped that we could arrive in time for this even if the plane had a considerable delay, but some passengers are concerned + want to disembark.
Buses have now come to collect the passengers who want to disembark, and we have been told that anyone who gets off the plane now will not be let back on this flight. While they are getting the other plane ready, those of us who will still travel on Tel Aviv will be served lunch on board this plane one the runway before we move.
My colleagues Myriam, Vera and I will follow up our lunch with the little individual portions of birthday cake that they gave us at boarding this morning to celebrate the 75th birthday of the airport. We shared a joke with the airport staff at the time because yesterday was Myriam's birthday (although not her 75th!!!) + they said we could celebrate both the birthdays at the same time
Estimated arrival time in Tel Aviv is now 7pm, rather than 3pm.
13.26
The promised lunch has been cancelled - or at least postponed until further notice! Lufthansa have heard from Tel Aviv that if the plane doesn't take off within an hour and a half the airport in Tel Aviv will be closed for the evening.
So, in order to ensure a take-off slot they are going to move us straight away (now a relative term!) to the other aircraft and will then feed us once in the air.
14.10
The saga continues........
We should have arrived in Tel Aviv by now, but still haven't moved from the runway at Frankfurt airport. Lufthansa has decided that they can't make the move in time, so they are now taking us off the plane.
First class were told they would be taken off so they could go to a special lounge where they wouldn't have to go through security again.
The rest of us are ready to revolt. I was going to say air rage, but of course the chances of seeing the air are fairly slim at present. Latest news is that Tel Aviv airport will be closed for three hours this afternoon, so we won't even leave Frankfurt until 4.45pm. They won't let us off the plane yet + have given us nothing to eat, but promise that once we get to the new gate they will feed us there. What they haven't told us is whether we will have to pass through security again to get there!!!!
14.25
Four hours after the aborted take-off we have finally been allowed to get off the plane + at least we got some fresh air on the walk to the bus. Who knows what will await us now when we get to the terminal? We will have missed our initial meetings by the time we arrive, but some of our colleagues who were travelling from other airports will be able to meet the people + we can catch up on business later.
14.45
I spoke too soon. We are still on the bus at this farce gets worse and worse. The bus drove around the terminal for a while and then stopped. Now no one appeared to know what was what as the driver got off + then + then off again. The driver has just told us that when the space upstairs at the is completely empty we will be allowed to get out.
15.42
The promised lunch turned out to be a sandwich + a banana but at least we've now been fed. I am holding off on any comment on other than the immediate circumstances in the airport until we have arrived and I have more to say.