27 nov 2016
Yair Grinshpan
Thirty persons have been arrested on suspicion of arson and five for incitement, including a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva who was granted conditional release.
Yair Grinshpan, a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva near Petach Tikvah, was arrested on Saturday night after calling on his Facebook page “to burn Arab villages,” one of five persons arrested thus far for online incitement to violence following the recent wave of fires.
Grinshpan was granted conditional release by the Tel Aviv Magistrates' Court for of his suspected offenses of incitement to violence. He was ordered not to use his mobile phone or computer for the next month.
The suspect was arrested at midnight Sunday after writing, among other things: "What happened in Haifa and Jerusalem will happen in Umm al-Fahm," he wrote in reference to the Arab town located northwest of Jenin, "to burn the sons of bitches back."
"Just burning Arab villages in return; this is war," read another of his inflammatory posts. "To all the leftists who believe in piece, know that in the Palestinian Authority they're happily calling to burn more places here."
The accused's lawyer, Limor Bramli, claimed that her client was not permitted to consult with a lawyer before his arrest and protested the fact that his computer was taken without a warrant. "My client expressed his opinion on Facebook with a group of a lot of other people who expressed their opinion," she told Ynet. "There were opinions that were a lot more extreme than his opinions, but he was chosen as a scapegoat without a justified reason. He expressed an opinion and didn't tell others to commit a physical act. He wrote words in the framework of freedom of expression."
At the time of publication, the Israel Police have arrested 23 suspects for arson relating to the wave of fires that plagued the country over the past week, 18 of whom are Arab Israelis, with the rest being Palestinians. Twenty-three of them remain jailed. They have also arrested five persons—three Jews, including Grinshpan, and two Arabs—for online incitement.
The arrests for online incitement were carried out following the instructions of Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, who called on the police to work to curtail this trend.
The police reported to the government in the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that some residents of Deir Hanna and Umm al-Fahm confessed to having intentionally started fires, the first admissions of guilt in the investigation.
Thirty persons have been arrested on suspicion of arson and five for incitement, including a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva who was granted conditional release.
Yair Grinshpan, a 37-year-old resident of Ganei Tikva near Petach Tikvah, was arrested on Saturday night after calling on his Facebook page “to burn Arab villages,” one of five persons arrested thus far for online incitement to violence following the recent wave of fires.
Grinshpan was granted conditional release by the Tel Aviv Magistrates' Court for of his suspected offenses of incitement to violence. He was ordered not to use his mobile phone or computer for the next month.
The suspect was arrested at midnight Sunday after writing, among other things: "What happened in Haifa and Jerusalem will happen in Umm al-Fahm," he wrote in reference to the Arab town located northwest of Jenin, "to burn the sons of bitches back."
"Just burning Arab villages in return; this is war," read another of his inflammatory posts. "To all the leftists who believe in piece, know that in the Palestinian Authority they're happily calling to burn more places here."
The accused's lawyer, Limor Bramli, claimed that her client was not permitted to consult with a lawyer before his arrest and protested the fact that his computer was taken without a warrant. "My client expressed his opinion on Facebook with a group of a lot of other people who expressed their opinion," she told Ynet. "There were opinions that were a lot more extreme than his opinions, but he was chosen as a scapegoat without a justified reason. He expressed an opinion and didn't tell others to commit a physical act. He wrote words in the framework of freedom of expression."
At the time of publication, the Israel Police have arrested 23 suspects for arson relating to the wave of fires that plagued the country over the past week, 18 of whom are Arab Israelis, with the rest being Palestinians. Twenty-three of them remain jailed. They have also arrested five persons—three Jews, including Grinshpan, and two Arabs—for online incitement.
The arrests for online incitement were carried out following the instructions of Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, who called on the police to work to curtail this trend.
The police reported to the government in the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that some residents of Deir Hanna and Umm al-Fahm confessed to having intentionally started fires, the first admissions of guilt in the investigation.
The Israeli government has been waging a frenzied incitement campaign through the media against the Palestinians for days, accusing them of being responsible for recent fires in the country.
In recent media remarks, Israel’s public security minister Gilad Erdan threatened to demolish homes of Palestinians proved to be involved in igniting fires in Israeli areas.
He also said the Israeli government would work on taking harsher punitive measures against arsonists through enacting relevant laws.
For his part, Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett said, during a visit to Halamish settlement which sustained extensive fire damage, that Israel would respond to its burning by building more and larger homes for its residents.
For her part, Israel's culture and sports minister Miri Regev called for stripping those who were behind the recent fires of their citizenship, referring to the Palestinians living inside the green line and possess Israeli documents.
The Israeli police, for their part, said they would ask courts on Sunday to extend the detention of Palestinians suspected of igniting blazes during the last five days.
The Israeli security and military forces had arrested 35 Palestinian citizens accused of lighting fires in Israel (the 1948 occupied lands) and the West Bank, in addition to many others for allegedly expressing personal contentment over the fires on social media websites.
In a related development, the Israeli authorities announced Sunday that their firefighters, with help from other countries, have extinguished blazes that ravaged Israel and the occupied West Bank for about five days and forced tens of thousands to flee homes.
In recent media remarks, Israel’s public security minister Gilad Erdan threatened to demolish homes of Palestinians proved to be involved in igniting fires in Israeli areas.
He also said the Israeli government would work on taking harsher punitive measures against arsonists through enacting relevant laws.
For his part, Israeli education minister Naftali Bennett said, during a visit to Halamish settlement which sustained extensive fire damage, that Israel would respond to its burning by building more and larger homes for its residents.
For her part, Israel's culture and sports minister Miri Regev called for stripping those who were behind the recent fires of their citizenship, referring to the Palestinians living inside the green line and possess Israeli documents.
The Israeli police, for their part, said they would ask courts on Sunday to extend the detention of Palestinians suspected of igniting blazes during the last five days.
The Israeli security and military forces had arrested 35 Palestinian citizens accused of lighting fires in Israel (the 1948 occupied lands) and the West Bank, in addition to many others for allegedly expressing personal contentment over the fires on social media websites.
In a related development, the Israeli authorities announced Sunday that their firefighters, with help from other countries, have extinguished blazes that ravaged Israel and the occupied West Bank for about five days and forced tens of thousands to flee homes.
Arab Knesset member Aida Touma strongly denounced the Israeli government for holding the Palestinians responsible for the wave of fires in the country, describing official remarks in this regards as “racist.”
Touma accused the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of Israel’s right-wing parties of using every chance regardless of the circumstances to incite against the Palestinians in Israel.
“The recent wave of incitement against the Palestinians inside the green line has been launched by Netanyahu and government circles because they want to shirk their responsibilities and cover up their failure to deal with the fires,” the lawmaker said.
“We inside the green line have been facing an escalating incitement campaign for two years or more led by the racist right-wing government, which has made the racial incitement [against the Palestinians] its daily message,” she added.
Touma accused the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of Israel’s right-wing parties of using every chance regardless of the circumstances to incite against the Palestinians in Israel.
“The recent wave of incitement against the Palestinians inside the green line has been launched by Netanyahu and government circles because they want to shirk their responsibilities and cover up their failure to deal with the fires,” the lawmaker said.
“We inside the green line have been facing an escalating incitement campaign for two years or more led by the racist right-wing government, which has made the racial incitement [against the Palestinians] its daily message,” she added.
Despite a total lack of evidence of any human cause of the wildfires that have burned in Israel for nearly a week, Israeli troops have detained 23 Palestinians. This follows a statement Thursday by Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who claimed “only someone who this land does not belong to would be capable of setting fire to it”.
By this statement, he pointed blame at Palestinians, who have continuously lived on the land and had connection to it for thousands of years prior to the displacement of hundreds of thousands when Israel was created on their land in 1948.
Both Israeli and Palestinian fire crews have come together to fight the wildfires, which have broken out in several parts of Israel and the West Bank. On Saturday, new fires ignited in the Nablus area, in the northern part of the West Bank, endangering the homes of a number of Palestinian families from the village of Qousin.
On Friday, Israeli journalist Meron Rapoport opined on the Middle East Eye website that “the wave of fires has certainly shown how ready the Israeli leadership is to use any opportunity to portray the Palestinian minority as the enemy within, without waiting for evidence or even trying to pretend that it seeks cooperation with its 1.5 million Arab citizens.”
Also Friday, Israeli troops detained a Palestinian citizen of Israel following a mistranslation of a Facebook post he had made, and charged him with “incitement”.
Anas Abu Daabis, 24, had posted a statement in Arabic that was critical of Arabs who had praised the wildfires. Abu Daabis pointed out the “idiocy” of some Arabs who believed that the wildfires were God’s revenge on Israel for considering a ban on the Muslim call to prayer inside Israel.
“It’s a wonder”, Abu Daabis wrote, “when the brain stops working and turns into an idiot”. Israeli authorities stormed his home in the southern Negev and arrested him, claiming that somehow his post was inciting people to start fires.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have had to evacuate their homes since the fires began, and at least 12 people have been injured, mainly due to smoke inhalation.
In early November, Israeli authorities warned that the country was on the cusp of an unprecedented drought, with the water flowing from the Jordan River into the Sea of Galilee at a record low.
This is the third year in a row of extreme, record-breaking drought in the region. The rainy season is about to begin, but very little rain has been reported so far. Last year, during the winter rainy season, the Sea of Galilee rose just 8.6 inches, which is seven times below the average rise of 63 inches each winter, according to the Israeli Water Authority.
By this statement, he pointed blame at Palestinians, who have continuously lived on the land and had connection to it for thousands of years prior to the displacement of hundreds of thousands when Israel was created on their land in 1948.
Both Israeli and Palestinian fire crews have come together to fight the wildfires, which have broken out in several parts of Israel and the West Bank. On Saturday, new fires ignited in the Nablus area, in the northern part of the West Bank, endangering the homes of a number of Palestinian families from the village of Qousin.
On Friday, Israeli journalist Meron Rapoport opined on the Middle East Eye website that “the wave of fires has certainly shown how ready the Israeli leadership is to use any opportunity to portray the Palestinian minority as the enemy within, without waiting for evidence or even trying to pretend that it seeks cooperation with its 1.5 million Arab citizens.”
Also Friday, Israeli troops detained a Palestinian citizen of Israel following a mistranslation of a Facebook post he had made, and charged him with “incitement”.
Anas Abu Daabis, 24, had posted a statement in Arabic that was critical of Arabs who had praised the wildfires. Abu Daabis pointed out the “idiocy” of some Arabs who believed that the wildfires were God’s revenge on Israel for considering a ban on the Muslim call to prayer inside Israel.
“It’s a wonder”, Abu Daabis wrote, “when the brain stops working and turns into an idiot”. Israeli authorities stormed his home in the southern Negev and arrested him, claiming that somehow his post was inciting people to start fires.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have had to evacuate their homes since the fires began, and at least 12 people have been injured, mainly due to smoke inhalation.
In early November, Israeli authorities warned that the country was on the cusp of an unprecedented drought, with the water flowing from the Jordan River into the Sea of Galilee at a record low.
This is the third year in a row of extreme, record-breaking drought in the region. The rainy season is about to begin, but very little rain has been reported so far. Last year, during the winter rainy season, the Sea of Galilee rose just 8.6 inches, which is seven times below the average rise of 63 inches each winter, according to the Israeli Water Authority.
21 nov 2016
An Israeli court on Sunday charged a Palestinian child for alleged incitement “to violence and terrorism” in reference to anti-occupation advocacy.
A statement by the Israeli occupation police said officers have embarked, over the past couple of weeks, on a probe into suspicions of “incitement to violence and terrorism on Facebook” by two Jerusalemite minors, in their 15’s of age.
The two children created a Facebook page entitled “the News of Bahaa Alyan”, in reference to the Palestinian youth who carried out an anti-occupation shooting and stabbing attack in the Israeli illegal settlement of Armon Hanatziv built on Palestinian lands in Jabal al-Mukbir, in southeastern Occupied Jerusalem.
The indictment accused the minors of publishing photos of “terrorists” which garnered thousands of likes and comments.
The Israeli police said a third suspect, 32, from Jabal al-Mukbir was arrested on the same allegations.
The Israeli occupation authorities ruled for extending the captives’ remand, with an indictment being filed against one of the minors.
Since the start of the anti-occupation Jerusalem Intifada, in early October, Israel has created over 5,000 fake Facebook accounts to counter anti-occupation postings and chase down Palestinian activists on claims of inciting to violence.
A statement by the Israeli occupation police said officers have embarked, over the past couple of weeks, on a probe into suspicions of “incitement to violence and terrorism on Facebook” by two Jerusalemite minors, in their 15’s of age.
The two children created a Facebook page entitled “the News of Bahaa Alyan”, in reference to the Palestinian youth who carried out an anti-occupation shooting and stabbing attack in the Israeli illegal settlement of Armon Hanatziv built on Palestinian lands in Jabal al-Mukbir, in southeastern Occupied Jerusalem.
The indictment accused the minors of publishing photos of “terrorists” which garnered thousands of likes and comments.
The Israeli police said a third suspect, 32, from Jabal al-Mukbir was arrested on the same allegations.
The Israeli occupation authorities ruled for extending the captives’ remand, with an indictment being filed against one of the minors.
Since the start of the anti-occupation Jerusalem Intifada, in early October, Israel has created over 5,000 fake Facebook accounts to counter anti-occupation postings and chase down Palestinian activists on claims of inciting to violence.
18 nov 2016
Facebook administration resumed Friday its policy of targeting Palestinian media pages after blocking Palestine Network for Dialogue's page for the third time.
The Palestine Network for Dialogue, an online discussion board, was blocked without any prior notice although it has 70, 000 followers.
Palestine Network for Dialogue specializes in publishing stories about the plight of Palestinians both in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in addition to those living in 1948 occupied Palestine.
Last September, several pro-Palestinian Facebook pages and accounts were removed including accounts of seven editors of the Palestinian Information Center (PIC).
In a controversial move, the Israeli government and Facebook reportedly agreed to work together to determine how to tackle incitement on social media, aimed primarily at Palestinians.
Not long after Facebook's agreement, several Palestinian pages with millions of readers found themselves closed and administrators locked out, in a move believed to be directly connected to the agreement between Facebook and the Israeli government.
The Palestine Network for Dialogue, an online discussion board, was blocked without any prior notice although it has 70, 000 followers.
Palestine Network for Dialogue specializes in publishing stories about the plight of Palestinians both in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in addition to those living in 1948 occupied Palestine.
Last September, several pro-Palestinian Facebook pages and accounts were removed including accounts of seven editors of the Palestinian Information Center (PIC).
In a controversial move, the Israeli government and Facebook reportedly agreed to work together to determine how to tackle incitement on social media, aimed primarily at Palestinians.
Not long after Facebook's agreement, several Palestinian pages with millions of readers found themselves closed and administrators locked out, in a move believed to be directly connected to the agreement between Facebook and the Israeli government.
The Israeli Magistrate court extended Thursday evening the detention of three Jerusalemite minors till Friday.
The minors’ lawyer Mohamed Mahmoud affirmed that the detention of Ahmed Mahmoud, 14, Samir Atia, 15, and Tareq Firas, 14, was extended till Friday.
The three minors were accused of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers, the lawyer pointed out.
Meanwhile, the minor Noureddine Maher Muheisen, 16, was unconditionally released.
The four minors were arrested at dawn Thursday from their family houses in Issawia town in occupied Jerusalem.
On the other hand, the court also extended the arrest of the young man Shadi Alyan from Jabal Mukaber till next Monday.
Alyan was arrested at dawn Thursday from his house for “incitement” on social media.
His laptop and personal belongings were confiscated during the raid.
Along the same line, Israeli Central court sentenced the prisoner Haithem Taha, 47, for 25 months imprisonment and a fine of 1,300 dollars.
Taha was previously arrested more than once and held under house arrest for several years.
The minors’ lawyer Mohamed Mahmoud affirmed that the detention of Ahmed Mahmoud, 14, Samir Atia, 15, and Tareq Firas, 14, was extended till Friday.
The three minors were accused of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers, the lawyer pointed out.
Meanwhile, the minor Noureddine Maher Muheisen, 16, was unconditionally released.
The four minors were arrested at dawn Thursday from their family houses in Issawia town in occupied Jerusalem.
On the other hand, the court also extended the arrest of the young man Shadi Alyan from Jabal Mukaber till next Monday.
Alyan was arrested at dawn Thursday from his house for “incitement” on social media.
His laptop and personal belongings were confiscated during the raid.
Along the same line, Israeli Central court sentenced the prisoner Haithem Taha, 47, for 25 months imprisonment and a fine of 1,300 dollars.
Taha was previously arrested more than once and held under house arrest for several years.
