West Bank

OSS will be holding an educational seminar on Tuesday 13th July, 15h00-17h00 at Lookout Hill in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

Hagit Ofran from Peace Now Settlement Watch wrote to us:

There is much international controversy right now regarding the building freeze in the settlements. It might seem because of the focus on the building in East Jerusalem, that other than that the building has stopped.

This is not the case, as these examples show:

• In the last couple of months there has been a building boom in Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron (since July 2009).
• In Nofei Mamreh neighborhood over a hundred building units, massive land preparation near the Yeshiva (learning seminary) in Harsina neighborhood, more building in the center of the settlement and digging next to the girls' seminary for a new building.

BTW, the leftover building supplies are thrown onto Palestinian privately owned land, as seen here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9AAH2fqrUM

In recent months, activists across the world have rallied to the defence of Ezra Nawi, a non-violent Israeli activist against the occupation, who faces imprisonment for trying to stop the IDF destroying a Palestinian home.

We want to bring to your attention the story of a non-violent Palestinian activist Mohammed Khatib. Below is a story of Mohammed's imprisonment told by Emily Schaeffer. Since then Mohammed has been released on extremely strict bail conditions including bar through the end of proceedings on participating in or even being in Bil'in on Fridays during demonstration hours.

We need to start a campaign in support of Mohammed. Much Israeli propaganda justifies oppression of Palestinian militants to defend Israel's security. What is not well known or well publicised is the way Israel oppresses non-violent political activism, exemplified by people like Mohammed. The Israeli state has made it extremely difficult for non-violent resistance to be organised in the West Bank.

Here is the story of Mohammed's imprisonment told by Emily:

Norman Finkelstein is currently visiting South Africa and giving a series of talks and participating in discussions/debates. These will likely be interesting, informative and controversial. He is currently in Johannesburg but is also travelling to Cape Town and Durban. Here is the itinerary of his public events:

Raymond Sithole, Deputy Director of Civil & Political Rights in the South African Department of International Relations & Cooperation, has responded to the letter sent by a group of human rights activists about Ezra Nawi.

We believe it is a response Ezra Nawi would appreciate. In particular Mr Sithole writes:

"It is advised that the case of Ezra Nawi be referred to the OHCHR in Geneva for the attention of the secretary of the Mr Richard Falk, UNHRC Special Rapporteur on the OPT. In this manner the Ezra Nawi case would be added to a long list of individuals (many of whom have died at the brutal hands of the Israeli Defence Force and other organs of State Security) whose human rights and fundamental freedoms have been violated and who should be granted appropriate remedies and maximum protection."

Here is the relevant part of Mr Sithole's response: