Aqsanews48

AQSA NEWS
QUARTERLY FREE WWW.AQSA.ORG.UK ISSUE 48 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
Friends of Al-Aqsa newspaper since 1997
Deputy Prime Minister
NickCleggmadeastatement
on Monday 16th January in
which he accused Israel of
‘an act of deliberate vandal-
ism’, referring to the build-
ing of illegal settlements
in the West Bank and Arab
East Jerusalem.
The British government
has made it clear that it
opposes the building of
the settlements, and Clegg
went a step further, stating
“The continued existence
of illegal settlements risks
making facts on the ground
such that a two-state solu-
tion becomes unviable.”
This echoes the beliefs of
increasing numbers of com-
mentators and academics
who argue Israel’s policies
on the ground make a two-
state solution impossible.
Nick Clegg’s statements
were met with a furi-
ous Israeli response. The
country’s Deputy Foreign
Minister, Danny Ayalon
alleged that the remarks
were untrue labelling them
unfortunate, damaging and
irresponsible. The Israeli
reply has been to underplay
the impact of the settle-
ment building, even arguing
against their illegality de-
spite legal and international
consensus on this.
In reference to Israeli’s
deliberate settlement build-
ingpolicies,Cleggcomment-
ed: “Once you’ve placed
physical facts on the ground
that makes it impossible to
deliver something that eve-
ryone has for years agreed
istheultimatedestination....
It is an act of deliberate van-
dalism to the basic premise
on which negotiations have
taken place for years and
years and years.”
Palestinians have in-
creasingly refused to en-
gage in any talks until Israel
proves it is serious about
pursuing peace by halting
the illegal settlement activ-
ity. Israel has failed to do
this and instead periodically
announces plans for new
settlement homes. These
announcements have drawn
criticism and condemnation
from the international com-
munity,includingtheUSwho
calls it ‘counter-productive’.
Continued on page 5
Illegal settlements act of ‘deliberate vandalism’, says Clegg
Icon of peace destroyed
Page 3
Review - Miral Special Feature
Dispossessing
Jerusalem
Page 6
Gaza’s wilting flowers
3
Recipe
14 Page 10
Inside...
Shaykh Raed Salah is
still in the UK pending an
appeal against a highly
contentious decision
reached by the Immigra-
tion Tribunal in Novem-
ber 2011. However, one
of the cases still pending
in Israel which was used
as evidence against him
here in the UK, has been
concluded in his absence
and he was acquitted of all
charges.
Shaykh Raed had been
charged with non-com-
pliance of a legal order in
2007 when he attended a
charity dinner in Jerusa-
lem. Israeli police claimed
that it was a Hamas meet-
ing and attacked the guests
including Shaykh Raed,
who was hospitalised as
a result. His lawyer stated
that the court in Israel had
“given its verdict, and that
the attack on the Shaykh
and those with him was
neither legal nor justified
as the matter was com-
pletely unconnected to
the Hamas Movement and
there is no evidence to the
contrary.”
Shaykh Raed has been
in the UK since June 2011,
when his one week-long
visit was disrupted after
Home Secretary Teresa
May ordered his arrest and
deportation, based on
evidences presented by
the Communities Securi-
ties Trust. Despite the
difficulties he has faced in
remaining in Britain, he is
determined to fight against
the Deportation Order
which he believes amounts
to an infringement on the
rights of all Palestinians to
speak openly about what is
happening to them under
Israeli occupation.
Israeli court acquits
Shaykh Raed Salah
My neighbour is the
head of JNF
Israel’s covert
war on Iran
Palestinians
‘don’t exist’
Page 3 Page 4 Page 5
SPONSORED WALK 2012 • SUNDAY 6TH MAY • PEAK DISTRICT - DERBYSHIRE • REGISTER TODAY • WWW.FOA.ORG.UK/WALK
Travel to Palestine
Travelling in solidarity,
returning with humility
By Ghazala • Page 17
Misery as homes demolished
See pages 2 and 3

INSIDE PALESTINE
02 AQSA NEWS | ISSUE 48 / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
European Diplomats
call for urgent ‘radical
action’ over Jerusalem
European diplomats
have reported that Israeli
actions in Jerusalem are
“systematically undermin-
ing the Palestinian pres-
ence” in the city and making
it “increasingly unlikely and
unworkable” for the city to
be a shared capital in the
future. As a result, they are
undermining the possibil-
ity of the two-state solution
they are seeking.
Of special concern is the
deliberate move to ‘empha-
sise the Jewish identity of
the city at the expense of
Muslim and Christian resi-
dents’. The discrimination
extends beyond historic
religious sites, and on a
social/political level, they
point out that only 10 per
cent of the city’s resources
are spent on services for
Palestinians, even though
they represent 37 per cent
of the population. Israeli
authorities are also failing
to provide schooling for all
Palestinian children, with
less than half now attending
municipal schools. As Israel
controls the city and the tax
revenues, it is obliged to
provide schooling for the
city’s children, regardless of
their religious beliefs.
House demolitions con-
tinue, as the Israeli authori-
ties only grant about 200
planning permissions per
year to Palestinians. The
actual need stands at 1,500
per year. As a result, Pales-
tinians are forced to build
houses without permis-
sion to accommodate their
families and these homes
are then demolished. At
present, it is thought that up
to 90,000 Palestinians live
under threat of having their
homes demolished. This is a
very large percentage of the
population.
Israeli apartheid over
water resources
A report by the French
Parliament’s Foreign Af-
fairs Committee said that
Israel was guilty of practic-
ing ‘apartheid policies’ over
water resources in the West
Bank. The report further
stated that water was now
being used as a weapon
against Palestinians. Dur-
ing the war on Gaza, Israel
is said to have deliberately
bombed water reservoirs.
In the West Bank,
450,000 illegal Israeli set-
tlers use more water than
the 2.3 million Palestin-
ian population. In times of
drought, the settlers also
get priority over the water
which is an illegal practice
under international law. The
report also detailed how the
Separation Wall was delib-
erately being routed so that
Israel can control under-
ground water resources in
the West Bank. Thus, they
are deliberately stealing Pal-
estinian water resources. As
a result, any discussions of a
two-state solution will need
to take water resources into
account
Demolitions
According to the United
Nation, Israel demolished
431 Palestinian buildings
throughout 2010 and anoth-
er 356 in the first six months
of 2011. More than 1000
Palestinians were displaced
due to the demolitions in
2011 alone. While Palestin-
ian homes and buildings
are being destroyed on the
one hand, Israel continues
its rapid building of illegal
Jewish-only settlements on
Palestinian land.
Bamboo furniture
- keeping the
family tradition
alive in Gaza
Abu Raed al-Mathloum
and his son live in Gaza
and are the descendents of
generations of Palestinian
bamboo-furniture makers.
Despite the blockade on
Gaza which restricts the
import of bamboo to ‘black
market’ smuggling through
the tunnels, Abu Raed and
his son continue to perse-
vere to keep their families
tradition alive.
“We look forward to
continuing this work for
our lifetime,” Abu Raed says,
adding, “This is work that I
myself am proud of and my
children should be proud
of too.” The al-Mathloum
story is one of enduring
courage and determination
to continue their way of life
against the odds.
Illegal immigrants
to get 3 years in
prison
Anyone found to have
crossed into Israel illegally
can now be imprisoned for
3 years without trial. This
latest anti-democratic law
has been passed by the Is-
raeli government despite
the misgivings of its legal
advisors, and public opinion
in the country.
This detention without
trial is likely to affect people
who pose no security threat
to Israel and are simply at-
tempting to earn money
through employment. De-
porting them back to their
country of origin would be
a far more humane step,
which does not breach their
human rights to such a pal-
pable degree. The Preven-
tion of Infiltration Law is
believed to be an extension
of a law which in the 1950’s
stopped Palestinians from
returning to their homes af-
ter they fled during the war.
Israel killed 180
Palestinians in
2011
Statistics show that during 2011, Israel perpetrated the
following acts:
● 180 Palestinians killed (including 21 children)
● 3,300 Palestinians arrested
● 495 homes demolished
● 18,764 olive and fruit trees uprooted
● 26,837 settlement units across the Occupied
Territories approved, including 1,664 housing units in
and around Occupied Jerusalem (despite international
condemnation)

INSIDE PALESTINE
ISSUE 48 / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 | AQSA NEWS 03
Gaza’s wilting flowers
Gaza’s farmers are con-
tinuing to feel the effects of
Israel’s export restrictions,
which is strangling their
businesses. Ayman Siam
grows flowers and this year,
he was forced to stop grow-
ing carnations, and instead
grow limonium and statice
flowers which would sur-
vive longer.
His difficulties are not
with growing flowers as he
has large farmlands, and
there is abundance in de-
mand for the flowers from
Europe. What stands in the
way is Israel’s refusal to al-
low Gazan’s to export. Only
a few paltry lorry loads are
allowed to cross the bor-
ders.
Last year, he only used
1/3 of his farmland to grow
flowers as the rest was sure
to be wasted and it was not
a financial risk he can bear.
Before the siege was im-
posed in 2005, Gazan farm-
ers used to export 50-60
million flowers to Northern
Europe. In 2011, they only
exported 15-16 million.
“Our lives are so depend-
ent on the Israeli crossings,
we hope we get our own
independent sea port to
export our goods straight
from Rafah to the Nether-
lands,” he said.
My neighbour is the
head of the JNF
Hashem Azzeh is a
Palestinian who lives in
Hebron with his family. He
regularly takes interna-
tional solidarity activists
on tours of the West Bank,
and during one recent visit
by British activist Ghazala,
he took the group to his
home.
Ghazala: Hashem
lives near Tel Rumeida, an
Illegal Israeli settlement
built amongst thousands
of Palestinian inhabitants
in Hebron. To get to Tel
Rumeida, we went through
a checkpoint onto Shuhada
Street, which locals have
named “Apartheid” Street.
Shuhada Street was once
a vibrant, busy Palestinian
market place. Today it is
deserted,withemptyshops
riddled with bullet holes
and broken windows. The
street is lined with Israeli
flags, Israeli propaganda
posters and pro Israeli
graffiti.
While walking down
the street we spotted a
group of Palestinian chil-
dren waving from inside
their first floor home,
behind a caged window.
As a result of settler vio-
lence they are not allowed
to play outside and their
houses are protected by
wire mesh and metal bars.
The children were cheer-
ing with excitement as we
stopped to wave back and
say hello. It was deeply dis-
tressing to see that these
children were prisoners in
their own homes, unable to
enjoy their childhood out
of fear that settlers may at-
tack them.
Hashem’s house is sur-
rounded by Israeli settle-
ments and his neighbor is
Baruch Marzel the head of
the JNF. Hashem took us
into his back garden where
Marzel’s house can be seen
just a few meters away,
raised far above Hashem’s
home. We were warned
not to touch any of the fruit
trees on Hashem’s land as
Israeli settler’s had poi-
soned all of them includ-
ing grapes, figs, olives and
almonds. The fruit are left
rotting on the trees, ined-
ible. Hashem clearly lives
a tormented life as he and
his family receive death
threats on a daily basis
and suffer extreme settler
violence.
He told us stories about
his experiences with the
settlers, how his wife lost
her babies twice when
she was pregnant as a
result of being attacked.
Settlers also attacked his
nine-year-old nephew by
putting a rock in his mouth
and smashing his teeth.
When Hashem’s father
passed away, they had to
take the body through the
checkpoint and it was put
through the scanner many
times, before the Israeli
soldiers broke the bones
of his father’s hand to get a
watch off.
Hashem himself has
been beaten with a rifle
butt, the scars on his face
and damaged teeth act as
clear evidence. Hashem
explained to us that he has
to clean his garden every-
day of the rubbish thrown
from settlers living nearby.
On one occasion a settler
threw down a washing ma-
chine, intending to hurt or
even kill Hashem. He was
able to jump to safety just
in time as it crash landed
by his feet.
Despite the desper-
ate situation they were
in, Hashem and his fam-
ily welcomed us to their
home. We could not help
but be touched by this fam-
ily and its determination to
survive and live despite all
the terror they have faced
and continue to face.
Icon of peace destroyed
Just before midnight
on Monday, 23 January,
Israeli bulldozers demol-
ished the home of Salim
and Arabiya Shawamreh, in
Anata, near Jerusalem. This
couple is known to many
who met them while they
both toured Britain in 2010
and Salim returned again
in 2011. They came to tell
their story of suffering four
home demolitions by the Is-
raeli authorities. It has now
been demolished for the
fifth time.
The Israeli Supreme
Court had ruled in 2009
that the house was illegal
because it didn’t have a
building permit. This is the
excuse Israel gives as it rare-
ly grants building permits to
Palestinians yet Israel is the
guilty party as it continues
to award permits to Israelis
and the building of illegal
settlements continues. Pal-
estinians need somewhere
to live and are forced to
build without permits.
After each demolition of
the Shawamreh home, the
Israeli Committee Against
House Demolitions (ICAHD)
rebuilt it, as an act of politi-
cal resistance to Israel’s hei-
nous demolition policy and
to demonstrate that there
are Israeli partners for
peace. After the fourth dem-
olition in 2003, the house
was rebuilt as a peace cen-
tre and named Beit Arabiya.
Thousands of internation-
als have been welcomed to
their home and served Ara-
biya’s famous ‘maklouba’.
Hundreds of internationals
have stayed there during
ICAHD’s annual summer
rebuilding camp. But now
even this icon of peace is
reduced to rubble. Not one
of their many fruit and olive
trees remain and every vine
has been uprooted.
ICAHD has rebuilt
185 demolished Palestin-
ian homes in the past 15
years, all funded by dona-
tions. ICAHD will rebuild
Beit Arabiya as well as the
other homes demolished on
Monday night. The coming
together of Palestinian fam-
ilies and community mem-
bers, Israeli activists and
international peace-makers
to rebuild homes is one of
the most significant forms
of resistance, solidarity and
mobilization.
For furthe information, visit
www.icahduk.org.

GLOBAL NEWS
Iceland recognises
Palestine
In December 2011,
Iceland became the first
Western European state
to officially recognize Pal-
estine as an independent
state. A unanimous motion
was passed recognizing ‘an
independent and sovereign
state’ based on borders pre-
dating the 1967 war.
Israel’s covert war on Iran
Over the past two years,
Iranianscientistshavebeen
targeted for assassination
and its nuclear facilities
rocked by bomb blasts.
Iran’s Vice-President Mo-
hammad Reza Rahimi said
the attacks were ‘evidence
of foreign government
sponsored terrorism’ with-
in Iran.
The latest victim was
Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan,
killed when assassins
placed a bomb on his car
and drove off on a motor-
bike. Both Mostafa and his
driver were killed. Iran has
pointed the finger of blame
specifically at Israel, and it
appears that with its track-
record of assassinations on
foreign soil and sabotage
missions, Israel has not
seen fit to deny the claims.
Recently, an article
written by Israeli journal-
ist Ron Ben-Yishai, who
reportedly has close ties to
the military-intelligence es-
tablishment, suggests that
Mossad is behind the spate
of murders of Iranian nu-
clear scientists. He wrote:
The assassination of
Iranian experts is meant to
deter other scientists, in-
cluding foreign ones, from
getting involved in such
projects. The elimina-
tions also slow down these
projects and force Tehran to
reorganize.Moreover,killing
key figures in vital projects
greatly embarrasses the
Iranian regime and security
forces. Such operations por-
tray the establishment as
an incompetent bunch that
time after time fails in safe-
guarding vital interests.
All indications show that
a state organ is behind the
assassinations. Only a state
has the resources required
to carry out the kind of op-
erations executed in Iran.
This includes investment in
intelligence gathering that
identifies the targets and
prioritizes them, the invest-
ment of time and sophisti-
cated means in preparing
an operation against people
or locations that are usu-
ally under heavy guard, as
well as the recruitment and
training of the perpetrators.
National spy agencies are
virtually the only ones that
possess such capabilities.
For these reasons, the
Iranians and the interna-
tional media tend to point
to the CIA or Israel’s Mossad
as the parties responsible
for the assassinations and
blasts in Iran. However,
official American and Is-
raeli spokespeople have not
claimed responsibility for
such operations.
UNESCO welcomes Palestine
In December 2011,
Palestine made history
when its national flag was
raised above UNESCO in
Paris – the first UN agency
to fly it. The UNESCO vote
to recognize Palestine was
seen as a reflection of in-
ternational will, although
Israel and the US responded
with anger. The US cut off
millions of dollars in fund-
ing to the body and Israel
withheld Palestinian tax
revenues which it collects
on behalf of the Palestin-
ian Authority. Both moves
turned out to be futile as the
wave of international opin-
ion has swept Palestine on
the international stage as a
recognized state.
President Mahmoud Ab-
bas’ bid for UN recognition
is still ongoing.
Thought
Many media com-
mentators and politicians
refer to the goods coming
though Gaza’s smuggling
tunnels as ‘illegal imports’.
There is a need to question
the use of the term ‘illegal’
in this context. For whom
is it illegal? Perhaps for
Israel who is imposing the
illegal and immoral col-
lective punishment of the
people of Gaza through the
blockade? It is certainly
not illegal for the Palestin-
ians.
The elected govern-
ment in Gaza collects taxes
on tunnel goods, so the
smuggling of goods cannot
be labeled as “the black
market”. The costs are
high, due to the demand
being high – a product of
the blockade. The most ac-
curate way to refer to the
goods coming through the
tunnels is – the forced di-
version of import through
underground tunnels due
to the harsh and illegal
blockade placed on 1.5
million people in Gaza by
its neighbour.
International boycott
of Sodastream grows
Israeli company Sodas-
tream is being targeted by
boycott campaigners in nu-
merous countries including
Italy, Sweden and the UK.
Sodastream’s main produc-
tion factory has been built
on the Mishor Adumim
illegal settlement, reinforc-
ing the illegal occupation of
Palestinian land.
When contacted, Sodas-
tream responded by stating
that it was providing Pales-
tinianwithvaluablejobsand
good working conditions.
While many Palestinians
have little choice but to take
any jobs they are offered,
even on illegal settlements,
the marvellous working
conditions Sodastream de-
scribe have been disputed.
A 2009 Report outlined
how workers had been fired
without wages. Palestinians
are not given the luxury of
unions or other institutions
which can protect their jobs
and income, and as a result,
they are at the mercy of the
Israeli companies who hire
them, and have no job secu-
rity at all.

GLOBAL NEWS
Belgian Activists file war crimes
complaint following Israeli
‘Flytilla’ mistreatment
A number of European
peace activists took part in
a ‘Flytilla’ in summer 2011,
in order to demonstrate
Israeli restrictions on Pales-
tinians. The efforts of many
were thwarted in a number
of ways, including refusal
by airlines to allow them
to board flights to Tel-Aviv.
For those who did make the
trip, their treatment in Is-
raeli detention before being
deported was reportedly
cruel and violent.
As a result, two of the
Belgian activists have filed
war crimes complaints
with federal prosecutors
in Belgium, against Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and other Israeli
officials.
Hajar Moumni and
Muhammad Najar say they
were detained, mistreated,
beaten and harshly inter-
rogated. Belgium’s univer-
sal jurisdiction law was
changed by its government
after citizens attempted to
prosecute former Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
about a decade ago. Now,
the law limits prosecutions
to victims of crimes alleg-
edly committed outside the
country who are Belgian
nationals.
Mossad poses as CIA to recruit
jihadists in war against Iran
On 13 January 2012,
Mark Perry published an
article on foreignpolicy.com
where he detailed how a
series of CIA memos report-
edly describes how Israeli
Mossad agents posed as CIA
spies to recruit members of
the Iranian terrorist organi-
sation Jundallah, in order
to fight their covert war
against Iran.
The memos were writ-
ten during the last years of
President George W. Bush’s
administration, and de-
scribe how ‘Israeli Mossad
officersrecruitedoperatives
belonging to the terrorist
group Jundallah by passing
themselves off as American
agents.’ Perry further writes
in his article that, ‘Accord-
ing to two U.S. intelligence
officials, the Israelis, flush
with American dollars and
toting U.S. passports, posed
as CIA officers in recruiting
Jundallah operatives - what
is commonly referred to as a
“false flag” operation. ‘
The US was being ac-
cused of covertly support-
ing Jundullah and encourag-
ing them to destabilise the
Iranian government, a claim
which the US denied. How-
ever, it is thought that US
operatives were aware that
Israel was engaging with
them. The US government
now lists Jundallah as a ter-
rorist organisation, as does
the Iranian government.
Palestinians ‘don’t exist’
In the run up to the
selection of the Republican
candidate to run in the
Presidential elections in
the US this year, the level of
hostility to Palestinians has
reached an all time high.
Statements to appease the
pro-Israel lobbyists, who
are notorious for funding
election campaigns, have
included denying that the
Palestinians even exist,
calling them an ‘invented’
people (Former Speaker
of the House of Repre-
sentatives, Newt Gingrich).
While pro-Israelis may
wish this to be the case, it is
far from reality. Following
the comments by Gingrich,
he reportedly received a
$5 million campaign con-
tribution from billionaire
Sheldon Adelson, a staunch
Israel supporter.
The level of delusion
went even further with
some candidates, includ-
ing Rick Santorom who
claimed, ‘All the people
who live in the West Bank
are Israelis. There are no
Palestinians.’
It is increasingly wor-
rying to note how impor-
tant the Israel/Palestine
issue seems to be in the US
elections, despite issues
such as the economy and
healthcare being such ma-
jor issues in voters’ every-
day lives, which would be
expected to take priority.
Students face backlash for
all-expenses paid Israeli
propaganda tour
British students who
are members of the Labour
Party have faced a back-lash
from members of the NUS
following an all-expenses
paid tour of Israel, which
included visits to illegal Is-
raeli settlements.
During the visit, the
students met with Captain
Barak Raz, an Israeli army
spokesperson and other
Israeli officials, including
spokesman Mark Regev.
The visit became public
when several students and
Captain Barak tweeted mes-
sages about it. The tweets
have since all been deleted,
but not before screen shots
were obtained.
One of the delegates, Joe
Vinson, defended the trip
saying they were told both
sides of the story. However,
it appears that they only
met one Palestinian or-
ganization during the trip
– OneVoice Palestine –an
organization set up by an
Israeli business man, which
Palestinians have heav-
ily criticized. This suggests
that a balanced perspective
was impossible to achieve
during the trip.
James Haywood is a
member of the NUS Ex-
ecutive Council and he
denounced the tour, say-
ing, “for elected officers to
accept all-expenses-paid
trips to Israel is scandalous,
all the more so that it was
arranged by an openly pro-
Israel organization. I’m not
surprised that these officers
didn’tmeetPalestinianrefu-
gees, students and activists
— because they would have
seen the truth of the racism
and oppression they suffer
from daily.”
continued from front page
However, there is a clear
lack of will on the part of
the US and its allies to en-
force any settlement-freeze
against Israel despite the
cataclysmic impact it is hav-
ing on peace efforts.
Where the legal posi-
tion is concerned, the In-
ternational Court of Justice
reiterated in July 2004
that, “Israeli settlements
in the Occupied Palestin-
ian Territory, including
East Jerusalem, are illegal
and an obstacle to peace
and to economic and social
development [... and] have
been established in breach
of international law.” Israel
is guilty of breaching Arti-
cle 49, paragraph 6 of the
Fourth Geneva Convention
which stipulates that “the
occupying power shall not
deport or transfer parts of
its own civilian population
into the territory it occu-
pies”. Israel is attempting to
change the narrative by call-
ing land ‘disputed’ instead
of occupied.
US Judge dismisses
pro-Zionist students’ claims
A Judge in the US has
thrown out a case brought
by pro-Zionist students who
claimed that the Univer-
sity of California, Berkley,
allowed a climate of anti-
Semitism to develop on
campus. The case targeted
the ‘Students for Justice
in Palestine’ and ‘Muslim
Students Association’ so-
cieties. However, the judge
dismissed the case as the
pro-Zionist student’s failed
to support their case with
evidence.
This was the latest in
legal moves by pro-Zionists
to stifle legitimate criticism
of Israeli policies on cam-
puses and the decision has
been gratefully received by
student activists.

REVIEW
Review ‘Miral’
Miral is a film that many
would have missed when it
was released in 2010, de-
spite its leading role being
played by actress Frieda
Pinto (Slumdog Million-
aire), and being directed by
Academy Award nominated
director Julian Schnabel. It
is a story that spans genera-
tions and attempts to nar-
rate the human toll of over
40 years of conflict.
Based on Rula Jebreal’s
hugely successful novel by
the same name, Miral is Ru-
la’s personal tail about life
in a Jerusalem orphanage,
Dar El-Tifel. The film begins
in 1948 following the war
which saw the end of Pal-
estine and the creation of
Israel. The greatest victims
of the war were the children
left orphaned. In the open-
ing scenes, Hind al-Husseini
stumbles upon a group of
scared children in an al-
ley. They are the orphaned
children of Deir Yassin,
one of the many massacres
committed by Zionist forces
during the months of war.
Hind is a prominent
figure throughout the film,
and within Miral’s life. She
established an orphanage in
Jerusalem for the children
of the war, which grew to ac-
commodate 2,000 orphans.
Miral was taken to this or-
phanage by her father when
her mother died. In an act
of tremendous courage and
sacrifice - he chose to give
his child a chance most Pal-
estinian children are denied
– a good quality education
and a real chance in life.
This required sacrificing his
own role in his daughter’s
life. This crucial decision
shaped Miral’s future and
eventually allowed her to
leave Palestine and become
a leading international jour-
nalist.
The film journey’s
through Miral’s mother’s
life and then to her own.
Some of the scenes make
for uncomfortable view-
ing and the film shows the
abuse suffered by Miral’s
mother, which eventually
leads to her tragic end. It
shows human sacrifice and
the destruction the creation
of Israel caused for Pales-
tinians, and there is a sharp
focus on the role of women
in the struggle.
The most challenging
portrayal is the uneasy re-
lationship between Arab/
Palestinian and Israeli Jew.
Both sides hold prejudices
and for Palestinians, these
are sustained by their daily
suffering.
Miral (2010)
Freida Pinto, Hiam Abbass & Willem Dafoe
A drama centered on an orphaned Palestinian girl
growing up in the wake of the Arab-Israeli war who
finds herself drawn into the conflict.
Images courtesy of IMDb.com
As expected, any cinematic portrayal of the Israel/Palestine conflict attracts
political association, and Miral was no difference. When it was premiered at the
Venice Film Festival in 2010, it received a 15 minute standing ovation. It
premiered in the USA in the United Nations’ General Assembly Hall – the first
film to ever do so. Despite this, it was largely critiqued as a ‘messy melodrama’
within the American press, perhaps reflecting the US sensibilities and biases
over the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Miral is not a film for beginner’s and it is more likely to confuse than clarify
those who do not have a solid understanding of the background. Those with
detailed knowledge about the conflict and the history will appreciate the
portrayal of the conflict through the eyes of Palestinian youth.
“There is no future for them unless
there’s one for us.”
Miral’s involvement in
the conflict is shaped by the
First Intifada from 1987. In
thehazeofpassionateyouth,
she takes incredible risks to
support the uprising and in
the ensuing violence, loses
her closest friend and faces
torture in Israeli detention.
After making her own sac-
rifices, Miral finally accepts
that negotiations may lead
to peace. Sadly, this peace
still evades the region.

Review & Interview Selma Dabbagh - ‘Out of It’
Selma Dabbagh is a Brit-
ish-Palestinian writer who
lives in London. Her first full
length novel, ‘Out Of It’ was
published by Bloomsbury in
December 2011. In the con-
text of the Arab Spring, the
picture of revolutionaries is
now the daily staple within
news feeds in Europe.
However, the story of the
Palestinians depicts a dec-
ades old conflict in which
generation after generation
of Palestinian families have
sacrificed a normal exist-
ence for the sake of their
peoples’ future.
Selma has been closely
tied with the Palestinian
struggle throughout her life.
As a result, it has been a
highly visible theme in her
writing. It is not surprising
that her first novel delves
into the social and political
fabric of the struggle with
such poignant accuracy and
detail. Out of It is already in
print in the Middle East and
due to be published in the
US in June 2012. Selma has
been acclaimed as an ‘excit-
ing emerging writer’ (The
Independent on Sunday) and
is certainly one to look out
for. She is a talented writer
in her own right, but also a
champion of the Palestin-
ian struggle for freedom on
many fronts internationally.
Aqsa News caught up
with Selma for a quick in-
terview
Thank you for agreeing
to speak to us. Your first
novel ‘Out of It’ is the nar-
rative of a family of five
in Gaza. What made you
decide on this setting for
your first novel?
My father is Palestinian,
he is a refugee who was
forced out of Jaffa in 1948
when he was ten years old.
He left on a stretcher in a
truck. He had been hit by
a grenade thrown by the
Jewish militant groups.
My mother is English, but
growing up, the Palestinian
situation informed our poli-
tics and our outlook. I also
work as a human rights law-
yer and much of my work is
focused on the situation in
Palestine. When I started
writing fiction, in the form
of short stories, I retained
a focus on Palestine and a
recurring theme of political
consciousness kept emerg-
ing.
Gaza is the main setting
for this novel, but it is not
the only setting. There are
three: Gaza, London and the
Gulf and of the three, Gaza
is the one I am least familiar
with. It is however, in many
ways, the most extreme ex-
ample of Palestinian exist-
ence on their own land, due
to the nature of the occupa-
tion, the siege and the aer-
ial bombardments inflicted
upon it. I also wanted to
have a family that reflected
the multiple political, class,
geographic and experien-
tial identities of Palestinian
people today.
I wanted these disparate
places partly because very
few Palestinians from the
same family are based in
the same country any more,
that is part of the Palestin-
ian reality, Palestinians are
continually being divided
up, dispersed, disenfran-
chised and I wanted not just
to reflect that, but also to
consider what still connects
Palestinians wherever they
are, which I would loosely
call ‘the cause’.
Are the characters
completely imaginary and
fictional or do they reflect
people who you have met
in Palestine struggling
against occupation?
The characters are
fictional, but there are, of
course, aspects of people
I know, some of whom live
in the West Bank or Gaza
whose characteristics are
embodied in characters
found in the novel. I did try
to communicate as much
as possible, the difficulties
that friends and former col-
leagues of mine faced living
under occupation and the
particular peer pressure
that can be found when
living in a state of political
struggle.
The nature of the oc-
cupation is to create pow-
erlessness and a sense of
hopelessness yet the people
I knew and met showed au-
dacity, bravery and tenacity.
They managed to keep their
humanity in dehumanized
circumstances and refused
to accept what was forced
upon them. These were the
characteristicsthatIwanted
to convey in the book.
Although Out of It is
about Palestinians and the
conflict, it does not feature
Israelis, was this deliber-
ate?
The Palestinians rarely
have visibility in the pub-
lic arena in a positive way.
There is a definite image
problem with the depiction
of Palestinians. In contrast,
Israelis are the masters
of disguise and have this
ability to commit the most
horrendous of international
crimes, yet to emerge from
having done so appearing
heroic. The creation of the
State of Israel was the great-
est PR stunt of the 20th
century and it was only ac-
complished by making the
Palestinians invisible or at
least dispensable by depict-
ing them as being less than
human. Out of It focuses on
the Palestinians living now,
and seeks to represent them
as thinking, feeling indi-
viduals dealing with moral
choices in a situation of po-
litical tyranny and despair.
What impression do
you think your book will
leave on readers, espe-
cially those who are unfa-
miliar with the conflict?
I hope that for a reader
unfamiliar with the situa-
tion in Palestine, that the
novel will make them more
able to visualize the lives of
the people affected when
they read about house
demolitions for example, or
aerial bombardments. The
situation is a mess, no two
ways about that, a disas-
trous mess at the moment,
but it is one that has been
broughtaboutbysystematic
policies that can be changed
and should be changed. The
power of the people to insti-
gate change should never be
underestimated.
You have said that
you expect the novel to be
highly criticized, has this
come to fruition or have
you been pleasantly sur-
prised by the reception it
received?
In the main I have been
extremely pleased by how
interested and praising
people have been of my
book. There have been fea-
tures in the Metro, reviews
in the Guardian, the Inde-
pendent, the Daily Mirror,
the Independent on Sunday
and by bloggers. I have been
interviewed by BBC Radio 4
and invited to give readings.
This is all great.
I needed Out of It to be a
good read. A fast, energetic
youthful account of people
with hopes for life and love
and a better existence, not
for it to be another carefully
researched tome of all the
UN Resolutions that have
not been adhered to, there
are so many books like that,
most of them only read
by those who are already
familiar with the situation
and sympathetic to the Pal-
estinian struggle.
Do you think the events
of the Arab Spring will help
people in Europe and the
West better understand
the Palestinian struggle or
eclipse it?
It is too early to tell.
The balance of power shifts
from day to day. The dynam-
ics are electric. It is hard to
know whether one should
be cheering or weeping
sometimes. 2011 was a year
of unprecedented change,
which is still ongoing. It was
inevitable that media at-
tention would get deflected
away from Palestine, due to
seismic changes that were
occurring elsewhere across
the region, but this does not
mean that the Palestinian
struggle has been forgotten
or that it has diminished in
importance.
I do believe that the im-
age of the Arab world has
been changed and that the
bursting forth of multi lin-
gual, articulate, secular and
non secular, well educated
Arab youth into the interna-
tional media has provided a
better understanding of the
diversity, energy and ability
contained within the region
as a whole.
Thank you.
Out of It
By Selma Dabbagh,
Bloomsbury Publishing,
ISBN 978-‐1408821305, £12.99
Games to Gaza (G2G) 2012 is a two week summer project. A team of volunteers from the UK
will work closely with the Palestinian community in Gaza to host a fun summer camp for the
children.
We will facilitate a range of exciting workshops, including a mixture of educational and
recreational activities such as sports, arts, crafts and creative writing.
The project has been inspired by the Olympic Games, which will be celebrated in London at
the same time. The aim is to celebrate childhood and create as many smiles as possible.
Games to Gaza 2012
How you can get involved
Make a donation
One off donation or set up a standing order of £1 a week or £5 a month
Can you sponsor one Palestinian child and be the reason behind their smile?
If you are a business owner – would you consider making a charitable donation to G2G?
Purchase our merchandise
100% off the profits raised will go towards the cause.
Visit the site for more details and prices: www.gamestogaza.co.uk
Help us to fundraise
Are you a teacher or a governor or know someone who is?
Visit the site or get in touch for more details.
Can you and a group of friends help us bucketeer in your local area?
Can you get 10 friends/family members to donate £10 (or any other sum) each?
Host an event of your own and donate all or part of the proceeds to this cause.
Are you hosting an event? Is there potential for G2G to have a stall there? Do invite us along!
We have a number of events lined up - stay tuned for more info and attend these events.
Facebook - beLive: Games to Gaza 2012
Twitter - @Ri_Games2Gaza
Have any comments/ideas/suggestions regarding the project?
Leave a comment on our website www.gamestogaza.co.uk/whos-game

UPDATE FROM FRIENDS OF AL AQSA
This year marks the
15 anniversary since the
founding of Friends of Al-
Aqsa. I recall in 1997 when
a couple of dozen of us
gathered in a room to dis-
cuss the need for a cause
dedicated to reminding
Muslims across Britain,
and perhaps one day the
wider world; about the
importance of Masjid al-
Aqsa.
In the decade and a
half which has ensued, our
mission has grown and
developed significantly.
While remaining faith-
ful to our objectives in
defending the sacred al-
Aqsa Sanctuary, we have
also dedicated much of
our time and resources to
defending the rights of the
occupied Palestinian peo-
ple. We realized early on
that these two objectives
go hand in hand, as the Is-
raeli threat against the al-
Aqsa Sanctuary is equaled
by the threats posed to the
lives and well-being of the
Palestinian people.
The climate in which
we work has changed sig-
nificantly over this time.
We have gathered hun-
dreds of dedicated volun-
teers across the country,
and they are all part of
the FOA family, helping
to draw greater attention
to the suffering faced by
Palestinians on a daily ba-
sis. These volunteers have
established 13 branches
across the UK. We have
also directly been involved
in helping set up 5 inter-
national organisations on
the issue. This was no easy
feat, however, the obvious
injustices faced by Pales-
tinians was the driving
force for so many becom-
ing involved in this cause.
Today the majority of
people in the UK are sym-
pathetic to the Palestinian
causeandtheMuslimcom-
munity has become more
aware of their religious
heritage in Jerusalem and
Masjid al-Aqsa itself. We
also enjoy the support of
large numbers of people
who do not share this re-
ligious affiliation, but who
support our human rights
endeavors. FOA welcomes
people from all walks of
life to support this very
human cause.
While 2012 marks 15
years of FOA, we must
remember that this is the
64th year since Palestine
waswipedoffthemapwith
the destruction of over
500 villages. It has also
been 45 years since Masjid
al-Aqsa came under oc-
cupation. The Palestinian
population in Jerusalem
is being slowly removed
from the ground. However,
Palestinian heritage over
their homeland will not be
wiped from our memories,
and the fight for restitu-
tion will continue.
I would like to take
this opportunity to thank
everyone who has shared
this journey with us over
the years. It is a battle we
must continue until the oc-
cupation ends.
Ismail Patel
Do they not look at the sky above
them? How We have made it and
adorned it, and there are no
Flaws in it?
And the earth We have spread it
out, and set thereon mountains
standing firm, and produced
therein every kind of beautiful
growth (in pairs)—To be observed
and commemorated by every
devotee turning (to God).
► Branches Update
DEWSBURY & BATLEY
● “We have been focusing
on educating children on
the significance of Palestine
and Jerusalem to Muslims. It
has been great fun engaging
and interacting with young
people and helping them
to understand a complex
history. Activities including
flag making and quizzes. We
hope this is just the start!
We have also been busy with
stalls around the towns to
give the public access to in-
formation on Palestine”
COVENTRY
● FOA would like to wel-
come our new branch in
Coventry!
After years of working
with individual volun-
teers, we finally have
an official branch which
was launched in Decem-
ber with an event which
drew a large crowd.
Anyone who would like
to join the branch and
help it get on its feet can
contact:
info@aqsa.org.uk
LONDON
● “Three years after the
bombing of Gaza, we held a
demonstration in London in
conjunction with other soli-
darity groups in December.
It was attended by hundreds
of people despite being on a
bank holiday weekend. This
shows the spirit and com-
mitment that so many of us
have to this cause.”
GLASGOW
● The Glasgow girls and boys have been busy with their
own projects. From football to fundraising, they have done
a lot over the past few months.
In the Community
“FOA London attended the
Twins of Faith conference
at London’s Excel Centre in
November. The Team spoke
to hundreds of people en-
couraging them to become
politically active on the is-
sue of Palestine. To raise
awareness, we distributed
just under 1,000 pieces of
literature concerning the
various aspects of Israel’s
occupation of Palestine. Vis-
itors to the stall also signed
the petition asking UEFA to
reverse the decision to allow
Israeltohostthe2013under
21’s championship. It was
a busy and bustling day!”
● Goal 4 Peace - 28 teams - 1 winner
The Al-Durrah Cup - “28 teams from all over Scotland took
part in this year’s Friends of Al-Aqsa football tournament at
Soccer World, Glasgow. The tournament was named after
Muhammad Al-Durrah, a 12 year old Palestinian boy shot
dead by the Israeli army in 2000. From Syrians to Somalis,
and Algerians to Pakistanis; they were all there flying the
flag of Palestine.
The winners of this year’s trophy, Glasvegas, were present-
ed with a glass model of the Dome of the Rock given to their
proud captain Shujahat Munir. Friends of Al-Aqsa Glasgow
will be sending photos of the event to the Al-Durrah family
as an act of solidarity and to remind them that their loss is
not forgotten.”
Lending a Hand
“As part of our commu-
nity outreach programme,
Friends of Al-Aqsa Glasgow
supported the Positive Ac-
tion In Housing Scheme, a
local charity, by collecting
and donating food, clothing
and blankets to distribute to
the homeless and destitute.
We also collaborated with
Al-Khair in a local com-
munity project to ‘Feed the
Homeless’. During Christmas week the ladies volunteered
to cook and pack hot meals whilst the men delivered and
distributed them at an established soup kitchen for the
homeless in Glasgow city centre.”
Diamonds
“During November, the Glasgow girls held a hugely success-
ful fundraising event called ‘Diamonds’. It was an evening of
fashion, fine food, and light entertainment, providing an op-
portunity for the women to let their hair down, while stay-
ing focused on the important issue of Palestine. We raised
over £2,500! Thanks you to everyone for their support.”
FOA hosted an event in honor of lifelong peace activist Tony Benn
in January 2012.
While the boys were play-
ing, the girls were working
hard to raise funds and
lend a hand to the needy.

UPDATE FROM FRIENDS OF AL AQSA
Join today!
For just £10 a year, support the Free Palestine
campaign. Send an email to info@aqsa.org.uk and we
will send you a direct debit form to set up your
membership.
Donate
You can make one-off donations:
1. Online - through Paypal to payments@aqsa.org.uk
(via our web-site)
2. By cheque, made payable to ‘Friends of Al-Aqsa’, to
PO BOX 5127, Leicester, LE2 0DT
3. By direct bank transfer: Friends of Al-Aqsa,
Sort Code 08-92-99, Account No. 65158078,
The Cooperative Bank, Southway, WN8 6VT
FOAONLINESHOP
VISITTHE
www.foa.org.uk
CLICK‘SHOP’
£7.50
Made in Palestine Kufiyeh
Available in Black and white, khakhi, blue, grey and in
Palestine colours
The Hirbawi factory, located in Hebron (Al-Khalil) is the
only kufiyeh factory in Palestine.
The Kufiyeh Project aims to ensure that Palestine’s only
kufiyeh factory stays in business (and hopefully help
it grow), by regularly buying from them in bulk and
distributing worldwide.
WALSALL
● GOAL!!!
“We have spent years build-
ing up our football team
Aqsa United, which was of-
ficially launched in March
2011. Finally, we are unveil-
ingournewEmblemandan-
nouncingapartnershipwith
Palestine Sports for Life!
With interest from sponsors
and players increasing, we
are quickly becoming well
established.
We are training once a week
and play regular 5/7/8 a
side games. We aim to break
into full 11 a side football in
September 2012.”
● About Aqsa United
Aims to provide organised football
for both boys and girls from the
ages of 6 to 15, and 16+ in a safe and
healthy environment. This will ena-
ble us to develop football athletes to
a semi professional level while also
educating, inspiring and creating a
sense of well being through football
for young or old alike.
Aqsa United are currently recruiting in management and
coaching. For further details, search ‘Aqsa United FC’ on
Facebook.
A
Q
S
A
UNITE
D
F
C
E
S T. 2 0 11
● New Partnership - Palestine Sports for Life (PS4L)
PS4L is a Palestine based organisation established in 2010
by a group of athletes on a mission to support the develop-
ment of Palestinian sports at all levels.
Tamara Awartani Masri (General Director)
“We provide a range of services to support our mission
including facilitating or conducting education, training
programs and sports schools, community sports programs,
supporting elite athlete development and other research
and activities.
We hope that the partnership with Aqsa United will allow
us to build exchange programs for the coaches and young
athletes, where they get to experience a foreign culture
firsthand, make new international friends and keep in
touch, sharing their thoughts on the game they love.
In the short two years since PS4L began, we have faced sev-
eral obstacles but this has just made us stronger and more
resolute. Our major achievements include partnering with
Rise Global organization in Australia who give us strategic
technical advice. We also became members in the interna-
tional camping fellowship. We also help facilitate basketball
coaches’ clinics in Palestine and have taken 28 coaches rep-
resenting 13 clubs to the international basketball clinic run
by Ganon Baker in Amman, Jordan.
Other work within schools
and the community is tak-
ing place, however, the lack
of adequate facilities are
constraining us. Despite the
difficulties, we look forward
to having our new friends
from Aqsa United here.
Virtues of Jerusalem Palestine Beginner’s Guide Al-Isra’wa Al-Mi’raj
The Night Journey
Ismail Adam Patel
£5.95
Ismail Adam Patel
£9.95
Ismail Adam Patel
£7.95
‘Orderonlineatwww.foa.org.uk,click‘Shop’

SPECIAL FEATURE
Dispossessing Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the heart
of Palestine. It is a city that
is holy to the three mono-
theistic faiths and houses
Muslim, Christian and Jew-
ish cultural and religious
heritage. During the 1948
war, Jerusalem was split
into two, with West Jeru-
salem falling within the
borders of Israel, and East
Jerusalem falling within the
West Bank. After the 1967
war during which the West
Bank was occupied, Israel
illegally attempted to annex
East Jerusalem.
The United Nations
Security Council passed a
ResolutiondeclaringIsrael’s
move to be “a violation of
international law” and re-
quested all member states
to withdraw all remaining
embassies from the city.
Over the past 44 years,
Israel has taken a number of
bold steps to fortify their at-
tempted illegal annexation
of East Jerusalem. This has
included building a large
ring of illegal settlements
around the east of the city,
cutting it off from the West
Bank. In 2002, they began
constructing the Separation
Wall around the belt of set-
tlements,furtherostracising
the city from the rest of the
Palestinian territories. The
establishment of these irre-
versible facts on the ground
are seen by many as delib-
erate moves to devastate
any Palestinian claim over
a city that they have lived in
for centuries. Deputy Prime
Minister Nick Clegg recently
called the settlements
deliberate vandalism.
Facts By Firdous Patel
The Palestinian
population within Jerusalem
has reduced drastically since
1948. Israel’s current
policies have seen an
increase in the number of
illegal settlers invading
Palestinian homes in Arab
neighbourhoods of East
Jerusalem. The result has
been misery for Palestinian
families forced out of their
homes or confined to a few
rooms within it.
The Old City of Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is to the right, and the Mount of Olives in the background.
Palestinian heritage
within Jerusalem is con-
tinually being threatened.
The Mamilla cemetery is
one example of how cen-
turies of history are being
swept away by Israeli bull-
dozers to further plans for
building a Museum.
The Mamilla cemetery
has been a Muslim burial
ground since the 7th cen-
tury, when companions
of the Prophet Muham-
mad (peace be upon him)
were reputedly buried
there. In later times, dur-
ing the 12th century, the
remains of soldiers and
officials of Salah’addin
were also buried there.
Since then, generations of
Jerusalem families have
buried their dead in this
cemetery.
The cemetery grounds
also contain numerous
monuments, structures,
and gravestones attest-
ing its history, including
the ancient Mamilla Pool,
which dates back to the
Herodian period, or the
1st century B.C. Since
1860, the cemetery has
been clearly demarcated
by stone walls and a road
surrounding its 33 acres of
land.
The antiquity of the
cemetery was confirmed
by the Chief Excavator
assigned to excavate the
Museum site by the Is-
raeli Antiquities Authority
(IAA), who estimated that
some of the remains date
back to the 11th century.
Despitethesefacts,over
several decades, Israel has
progressively encroached
upon the cemetery with
the construction of roads,
buildings, parking lots and
parks. Israel has ignored
the repeated protests from
many quarters, including
Israelis themselves, and
international bodies such
as UNESCO. The plans to
build a ‘Museum of Toler-
ance’ on the cemetery have
angered many. As a result
of the construction, hun-
dreds of graves have been
desecrated with reports
that the remains were
treated with great disre-
spect, some being dumped
within card board boxes.
This has shocked both Pal-
estinian and Israelis alike.
Despite protests and
legal actions, the plans for
building the Museum are
going ahead.
Despite having an area of only 0.9 square kilometres,
Jerusalem’s Old City is home to key religious sites
including the al-Aqsa Haram, the Wailing Wall and
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. During its long
history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice,
besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured
and recaptured 44 times.
The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th
millennium BCE, making Jerusalem one of the oldest
cities in the world. The old walled city is a World
Heritage site, has been traditionally divided into
four quarters, although the names used today - the
Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters,
were introduced in the early 19th century.
Due to Israeli excavations, the Old City was
nominated for inclusion on the List of World Heritage
sites in Danger by Jordan in 1982.
The Old City
Today, Palestinians in
East Jerusalem are plagued
with restrictions. These
include the impossibility of
legally building a home as
building permits are rarely
granted to Palestinians. The
Separation Wall has severed
Palestinian neighbourhoods
and villages from each other
and from the main city. ID
cards are routinely con-
fiscated preventing travel.
Familyunificationisblocked
for Palestinians with family
outside Jerusalem as travel
between the Occupied Ter-
ritories and Jerusalem is
heavily restricted, and mi-
gration to Jerusalem from
the West Bank or Gaza Strip
is impossible.
Further to these restric-
tions, Palestinians also face
escalating settler aggression
against which they are virtu-
ally powerless, house demo-
litions, poverty, contemptu-
ousandviolenttreatmentby
the border police, archaeo-
logical digging in disputed
areas and an abysmal lack
of municipal services (de-
spite the payment of taxes).
Despite Israel’s attempts to
annex the city and extend its
municipal control over it, it
is clear that Palestinians do
not have the same rights as
Israeli Jews.
East Jerusalem under
Occupation
The Mamilla cemetery

SPECIAL FEATURE
There are now some 50,000 Palestinians with Jerusalem residency who find themselves on the wrong side of the Wall.
Reports of Palestinian
families being forced
out of their homes by
illegal Israeli settlers
have increased rapidly
in the past few years. In
2009, United Nations’
Secretary General Ban Ki
Moon called Israeli
actions ‘provocative’ in
response to the eviction
of yet another
Palestinian family.
He further noted that
“These actions stoke
tensions, cause suffering
and further undermine trust.”
Settlers use the pretext of the houses being built
illegally to act above the law. Where property rights
are being disputed through the courts, Settlers
are increasingly harassing the Palestinian families
living within the homes. Palestinians on the other
hand point out that no home can ever be built
legally by them in Jerusalem where the authorities
refuse to grant planning permission.
In December 2009, the Al-Kurd family home was
invaded by illegal Israeli settlers protected by
armed guards. The family was evicted and the
settlers took over. They reportedly destroyed the
family’s possessions and freely moved in and out of
the property while the family was held back from
re-entering. Sadly, this is just one example of a
Palestinian family who’s lives are shattered by the
actions of Illegal Israeli settlers.
Settlers occupy Al-Kurd
family home
During Christmas, many
Christians would have con-
sidered travelling to Bethle-
hem on a spiritual journey.
Those who were able to
make the trip would have
found Bethlehem isolated
and alone, unable to reach
out and touch its spiritual
and historic neighbour – Je-
rusalem.
Bethlehem is the heart
of Christian Palestine and
every Christmas Manger
Square is transformed into
a grotto of lights crowned
by a towering Christmas
tree. The celebratory atmos-
phere stops abruptly just
a few minutes’ drive to the
north. Here, a strip of illegal
settlements cover what was
once northern Bethlehem.
A narrow corridor of land
between Har Homa and
another settlement, Gilo,
still connects Bethlehem
to Jerusalem. However,
the construction of Givat
Hamatos, a new settlement
announced in October, will
fill this in a matter of years.
As a result, Bethlehem will
finally be severed from Je-
rusalem altogether.
Jerusalem and Bethlehem -
unravelling the ties that bind
Jerusalem is in danger of being robbed from
Palestinians irreversibly. Each year, deliberate
Israeli policies ensure that the number of
Palestinians in the city is gradually reducing.
During a recent trip to Palestine, peace activist
Ghazala visited the Al Kurd Family in Jerusalem.
This is what she had to say:
The Al Kurd family home is in the East Jerusalem
Neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, which has become
notorious with settler activity. As we got closer
to Sheikh Jarrah, we saw Israeli flags on rooftops.
The watchtowers and CCTV cameras amongst the
houses became more visible, an indication that the
Israeli setters are constantly being protected while
a close watch is kept on Palestinians.
The Al Kurd home has been partly occupied by
Israeli settlers since 2009. At the time this caught
the attention of many international activists who
held daily non-violent protests outside the house
in support of the Al Kurd family. A few of these
activists were beaten and arrested by Israeli police.
Since then, many internationals still visit the Al
Kurd family. The settlers live in the front part of
the house while the Palestinian family is confined
to the back. Nabil Al Kurd greeted us outside his
house, while a couple of settler youths sat in the
front garden smoking, drinking and mocking us.
These particular settlers are used to visits from
internationals however they did not suppress their
aggressive nature, in fact the “settler” stereotype
was reinforced when they started shouting at us,
telling us to leave and threatened to call the police.
Nabil was not deterred by this and continued his
story, showing us photos from the takeover.
Eventually the settler youths got tired of us and left
us, throwing their empty beer cans on the pavement
as they walked off.
The family and their belongings were literally
thrown out of their home when the settlers moved
in, with the help of the Israeli armed guards. For
the Al Kurd family, living alongside the settlers is
clearly psychological torture. Apart from seeing
strangers living in their home, they have to deal
with constant harassment, verbal abuse, settler
rubbish, smoking, and drinking and loud music. It
is clear that the settlers’ main objective is to drive
Palestinians out of their homes. However the Al
Kurd family, like all Palestinian families, has hope
and continues to welcome visitors.
The Al-Kurd family

FUN AND GAMES
COMPETITION
WIN!
£20
ARGOS
VOUCHER!
Send
your
entries
with
your
name,
age
and
address
to:
Friends
of
Al
Aqsa,
P.O
Box
5127,
Leicester,
LE2
0WU.
Deadline:
30th
March
2012.
Anyone
aged
17
and
under
can
enter
this
competition.
Good
Luck!
Sunday 6th May 2012
TO
HELP
RAISE
FUNDS
FOR
FRIENDS
OF
AL-AQSA
Peak District - Derbyshire
15km walk - about 4 hours to complete
8km walk - about 2 hours to complete
Sponsored Walk
REGISTER TODAY
www.foa.org.uk/walk
Sunday 6th May 2012
SPONSORED WALK 2012 • SUNDAY 6TH MAY • PEAK DISTRICT - DERBYSHIRE • REGISTER TODAY • WWW.FOA.ORG.UK/WALK
REGISTER
TODAY
Only registered
participants may take part
in the Sponsored Walk.
Register as early as
possible, All participants
must register by Friday
20th April 2012.
All sponsorship money
must be sent to Friends
of Al-Aqsa no later than
Wednesday 2nd May
2012.
All money raised will go
to Friends of Al-Aqsa, in
order to help us continue
with our campaigns.
Full instructions can be
found on our website:
www.foa.org.uk

BOOK REVIEW
► Prophet Ibrahim (AS)
I’ve learnt so much about Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) from this story…did
you know he was also called Father of the Prophets (A.S.) because all
the later Prophets came from Ibrahim’s (A.S.) family? I have learnt that
Allah(S.W.T) is the most powerful; even when Prophet Ibrahim (A.S)
was thrown into a fire, Allah protected him by making the fire cool.
► Prophet Sulayman (A.S)
Wow! Once I’d started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down because it was so
exciting. There are so many amazing things I learnt about Prophet Sulayman’s (A.S)
kingdom, but my favourite was his flying carpet. Allah (S.W.T) allowed Sulayman (A.S)
to fly at incredible speeds all over Palestine on a flying carpet. That’s super cool!
► Prophet Isa (A.S)
This story is so interesting because there are so many fascinating
miracles that took place during Prophet Isa’s (A.S) time. My favourite
miracle was when I read that Prophet Isa (A.S) could talk as a baby
and explained to the people that he had been sent as a Prophet of Allah
(S.W.T).
► Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)
I found learning about the Night Journey to Jerusalem amazing, During the Night Journey
the Prophet (S.A.W) travelled at high speeds on a special animal called Al-Buraq from
Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa , where he led all the previous prophets in prayer. Allah (S.W.T)
then took Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) up to the heavens, where he was given the gift of
Salah. This was definitely my favourite part of the story!
► Prophet Dawud (A.S)
Prophet Dawud (A.S) was gifted with a melodious voice by Allah (S.W.T).
When Dawud (A.S) would recite the Zabur people, animals, birds and even
mountains would gather to praise Allah (S.W.T). My favourite part was
when Dawud (A.S) used a slingshot to kill Jalut, the leader of Philistine
army, even though Jalut was much taller and older than him.
► Prophet Musa (A.S)
I have learnt how important it is to make dua to Allah (S.W.T) when we need His help. Musa
(A.S) was tested many times by Allah (S.W.T) as he called people to Islam. Throughout his
tests, Prophet Musa (A.S) prayed to Allah (S.W.T) and was strengthened by Allah (S.W.T).
There are so many interesting miracles I learnt about too. My favourite was when Musa (A.S)
struck the Red sea with his staff, and Allah (S.W.T) commanded the sea to part so Musa (A.S)
and the Banu Israel could walk through and escape the Pharaoh. Isn’t that amazing!
► Prophet Yusuf (A.S)
After I read the story of Yusuf (A.S) I’m trying my hardest to be patient like him.
Even when Prophet Yusuf (A.S) was sold as a slave and was separated from his
father, he still trusted Allah (S.W.T) and had patience. The part I enjoyed most
was reading about how when Prophet Yusuf’s shirt was placed over his father’s
face, his father was able to see again. I thought that was amazing!
Interesting and enjoyable to read, this series of books helps to
inspire young children and increase their understanding of the
importance of Palestine in relation to the Prophets (A.S). Captivating
illustrations and easy to read text helps little readers to understand
the stories.
Don’t let your children miss out on these amazing stories! Here’s
what our little reader’s had to say about the books….

RECIPES
Kunafa | try this delicious Palestinian recipe
► THIS IS AN EASY RECIPE
to prepare kunafa
desserts. Kunafa originated
in the Palestinian city of
Nablus then spread to
Arab and middle eastern
countries. Kunafa is a
traditional Middle Eastern
desert made from white
melted cheese and
shreded wheat. It is
delicious and light!
INGREDIENTS
Kataifi (can be found in most
middle eastern grocery
stores) - 1 full package or
fine vermicelli
Butter - 200g melted
FOR SYRUP
Sugar - 1 and 1/2 cup
Water- 1 cup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Orange blossom or rosewa-
ter - 1 tsp
Blanched whole almonds &
pista - 1/4 cup
Walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 5 tbs
Granulated sugar - 2 and 1/2
tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Soft ricotta cheese - 800 g
Butter, for greasing
PREPARATION
● Prepare sugar syrup with 1
cup of water and 1 1/2 cup
of sugar along with lemon
juice. Bring to boil, and
simmer for 15 to 20
minutes until it forms a
syrupy consistency.
● Remove from heat and
allow to cool. Add rosewater,
and keep aside.
● Pre -heat the oven to 180
degree centigrade.
● In a large bowl gently
loosen the kataifi dough (or
fine vermicelli) and mix well
with the butter.
● Grease the baking pan
with butter and place half
the dough at the bottom
pressing down evenly.
● Spread bits of ricotta
cheese all over, then cover
with the remaining kataifi
dough, pressing gently.
● Sprinkle fine pieces of
walnuts, almond, and pista
all over. Sprinkle cinnamon
powder and granulated
sugar. Place another thin
layer of remaining kataifi on
top and press well.
● Bake in the oven for about
30-40 minutes, untill the
surface is golden brown.
● Remove from oven and
pour sugar syrup all over the
hot kunafa. Allow it to cool
completely.
● Turn the Kunafa over on
to a serving plate. Decorate
with remaining nuts.
● Serve Kunafa warm for a
better texture.
ITIKAF IN MASJID AL-AQSA DURING
THE LAST 10 DAYS OF RAMADHAN
2 Nights in Jordan
14 Nights in Masjid Aqsa (10 nights Naﬁl Itikaf)
Luggage will be left in hotels during the Itikaf period – 10 to a room
Bring your own sleeping bags and necessities
Including Ziyarat (Jordan & Al-Aqsa)
Suhur & Iftar is provided from Masjid Aqsa
during the Itikaf
Visa Fees inc
Transportation within Jordan and Jerusalem
Price is aprox £550 - £600 ﬂights included
from London to Amman
For more details please contact
Br Ilyas on 07735627544
ilyasmaster98@hotmail.com

“We had no idea of
what was going on. We
just knew that something
really bad had happened,
and that we were not safe
walking on the streets
with the lack of safety
procedures and shelters.”
Rafat Abushaban
Rafat was a student
sitting a university exam
when the first bombs were
dropped by Israel on 27 De-
cember 2008. At first, the
students continued with
their papers, as hearing ex-
plosions from Israeli bombs
being dropped is nothing
unusual in Gaza. After the
third loud boom, however,
they were all running for
cover.
Within hours, the bomb-
ing of Gaza was on the news
all over the world. 40 people
were killed in the first air-
strikes and hundreds more
followed, until the eventual
death toll exceeded 1,400.
The people of Gaza lived
through three weeks of hell
and utter despair. At the
sametime,Israelipoliticians
such as Tzipi Livni were tell-
ing the world that there was
no humanitarian catastro-
phe in Gaza – a statement
that can only be made if one
views the people of Gaza as
less than human.
During the bombings,
Gazans rallied together,
sharing their rations of
bread and fuel, rushing the
injured to hospital, and
above all, equally experienc-
ing the constant fear of what
is to come. Three-years on,
it is clear that the painful
memories of those 3 weeks
are still very much alive in
the young and old of Gaza.
Gaza
living with
painful
memories
three
years on

In History...
JANUARY
Stockists of Islamic wear for all ages
A large selection of books, multimedia and kitaabs
We also have perfumes, children’s toys and gift ideas
for special occasions
ASH-SHIFA | LOCAL AND ONLINE ISLAMIC STORE
263 ST SAVIOURS ROAD, LEICESTER • www.ashshifa.co.uk • 0116 210 4146
NEW ARRIVALS
CHECK ONLINE NOW
FREE DELIVERY
ANYWHERE IN U.K
GO ONLINE OR
VISIT THE STORE
21st January 2009
Isreal withdraws from Gaza and ends Operation Cast
Lead. During the 22 day attack, Israel killed 1,417
Palestininians. The loss of Israeli life stood at 13, 4 of
which were from friendly fire.
January 2006
Hamas wins a landslide election victory in the
Palestine Legistlative Elections.
February 1920
Over one thousand protesters take part in a
demonstration in Jerusalem- protesting against the
actions of Zionist migrants from Europe.
25th February 1994
An Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein opens fire
on unarmed Palestinian worshippers at Ibrahim
Mosque in Hebron. 29 worshippers were killed and
125 were wounded.
FEBRUARY
THIS IS
APAR
Help the world
understand
Israeli Apartheid
Calling on all activists, artists,
photographers to submit a
piece of work on the theme
“This is Apartheid” for an art
exhibition to be held during
Israeli Apartheid week in
Glasgow (20-24 feb 2012)
Art exhibition is in
collaberation with Glasgow
University Palestinian Society
and Caledonian University
Palestinian Society and will be
held at the Glasgow School
of Art, Dalhousie Street (off
Sauchihall Street)
If interested please e-mail:
sahiradar@hotmail.co.uk
regarding submission of work
Deadline for submission
13/2/12
THEID
Extreme right-wing settler
appointed Supreme Court Judge
Israel’s lurch to the
extreme right was con-
solidated once more in
January when an extremist
settler living illegally in the
West Bank was appointed
a Supreme Court judge.
The perverse reality is that
Judge Noam Sohlberg will
be expected to preside over
cases in the highest court
in Israel, ruling on the law,
while each day he breaks
international law by cross-
ing over to the West Bank to
live in a settlement built on
stolen Palestinian land.
Judge Sohlberg is the
first Israeli settler to be
appointed to the Supreme
Court, despite the obvious
conflict of interest he has. It
has been pointed out by nu-
merous commentators that
he has a personal interest in
legitimising Israel’s illegal
settlement activity, which is
likely to impact on his deci-
sions.
Egypt’s
new
leadership
sets
Palestine
priority
Egypt’s new political
leaders, the Freedom and
Justice Party, won over
46 per cent of the seats in
the next parliament. In a
marked move away from
Egypt’s old corrupt leader-
ship, they have confirmed
that they will fully support
the Palestinian cause and
the restoration of Palestin-
ian rights. They also wish to
mediate the end of the divi-
sions between Palestinians
which have emerged over
the past 30 years.

TRAVEL TO PALESTINE
Travelling in solidarity, returning with humility
Witnessing the Struggle of Palestinian
Farmers
As a result of the occupation, Palestinian farmers are met
with difficulties and unnecessary obstacles everyday when
it comes to claiming ownership of their land, accessing
their land and harvesting their crop. Having taken part in
the Olive Picking Program I was able to witness first hand,
the difficulties faced by olive farmers in the West Bank.
Day 1 Village of Jab’a in central West Bank. The field is
located near an Israeli checkpoint. The farmer explained
that he has lost some of his land due to the construction
of the highway that cuts through his field dividing the land
into two. He also mentioned that he has not been able to
irrigate his field due to the water restrictions imposed on
Palestinian farmers by the Israeli authorities.
Day 2 Al Makhroor close to the village of Beit Jala. The
field is on a beautiful hillside and is absolutely breathtak-
ing, until the construction of the Apartheid wall is seen
nearby. Seeing the wall approaching the farmer’s land is a
dreadful feeling. The farmer told us his concerns about the
construction of the wall, and how it will prevent him from
accessing his land. Once completed, the wall will cut into
the field meaning the farmer will lose part of his land.
Day 3 Nahalin. The farmer’s land is located right below
the new settlement of Beitar Illit, constructed on the Pal-
estinian side of the 1967 Green Line. The area bordering
the farmer’s land and the settlement is laced with Israeli
watchtowers and barbed wire, reinforcing the feeling that
we are being watched and the farmer is constantly under
surveillance. Heaps of rubbish are scattered along this
border as the Israeli settlers have a tendency to dump their
rubbish on the farmer’s land.
By Ghazala Jerusalem
While in Jerusalem we were able to observe settler activ-
ity. In the Old City, the Muslim Quarter has become a target
for Israeli settlers. As we walked through the Damascus
gate into the Muslim Quarter, we noticed the Israeli flags
on rooftops. We were informed that these were Palestinian
homes occupied by Israeli settlers. For the settlers, the flags
act as a symbol of victory over the Palestinian families. They
also act as an indicator to other settlers to start occupying
surrounding homes.
Another way in which the settlers emphasize their pres-
ence is by parading through the streets of the Old City every
so often. While we were there, we witnessed one of these
parades. We were stopped in the streets as the police had
barricaded them in order to make way for the settlers to
pass through. The settlers came past dancing and chanting,
escorted by the Israeli army. They definitely wanted their
presence in the area known as they sang their patriotic Jew-
ish songs loudly for all to hear in the Muslim Quarter.
Ever since I started
illustrating for Friends
of Al-Aqsa I have wanted
to visit Palestine. And
after years of “thinking
about it”, I finally made
my trip in October. I
joined the 2011 Olive
Picking Program,
an annual program
organized by the Joint
Advocacy Initiative and
the Alternative Tourism
Group of Beit Sahour.
The program involves
helping Palestinian olive
farmers in the West Bank with their olive harvest as
well as guided tours and talks.
Welcome to Palestine
All the Palestinian farmers and families we visited
hugely appreciated our show of solidarity. They happily
welcomed us onto their land and into their homes. Their
families and even extended families were eager to meet
us and would often sit with us during our lunch break.
It is a humbling feeling to have helped the farmers in the
West Bank with their harvest. In the back of my mind I
was constantly thinking, “I am working on blessed land”.
I feel truly honored, considering the importance and
sanctity of olive trees to Palestinians. However it is also
heart breaking to think that if we return the farmers we
met may have lost their land and the fields we worked
on will be under Israeli settlements. Despite the calami-
ties that they all face, Palestinians such as the farmers,
the Al Kurd family or Hashem; surprisingly show no sign
of contempt. Instead they show resilience and patience,
which is genuinely inspiring.
For me, it was a remarkable and special experience
as I was able to see and feel the reality of what I have
imagined and created in my drawings. I feel now I have
more of a connection with Masjid Al Aqsa and Palestine.
Insha’Allah I pray that everyone gets a chance to make
their trip to Al Quds. The Palestinians give us hope by be-
ing incredibly patient and we give them hope by visiting
them, showing solidarity and sharing their stories.
Day 4 Al Khader on the road to Hebron. This particular
farmer is facing great difficulties. His land is threatened by
the expansion of an illegal Israeli settlement. The farmer
can prove his ownership of the land, however despite all his
legal documents the Israeli authorities have occupied the
area, uprooted olive trees from his field and have erected
an outpost. There is a family of settlers living in this outpost
already who often harass the farmer. In the near future it is
likely that more outposts will be erected and will become
permanent buildings. Sadly, the farmer will lose most of his
land and livelihood.
Day 5 Restricted area in Wad Ahmed close to Beit Jala.
The farmer lives in a beautiful valley, half an hours walk
away from the road that leads to the Jewish settlement
of Gilo. Even though the beauty of his surroundings is in-
credible, it is understandable that for the farmer it is not a
pleasure being trapped inside his land. The Israeli govern-
ment’s continuous expansion of Greater Jerusalem means
that the farmer’s land is surrounded by settlements on
every hilltop nearby and entry to his property is limited.
Due to restrictions and checkpoints, the owner of the land
is the only Palestinian who can enter the land. As for inter-
national visitors, we have the right to move freely in this
area therefore we used this opportunity to help the farmer
with his olive harvest. It was clear to see that the situation
for farmers living in the West Bank is a continuous struggle
against the Israeli government.

7 MILLION
CHILDREN
ARE GOING
HUNGRY IN
EAST AFRICA
There are now nearly 7 million children going hungry in East Africa -
Food and water prices have soared.
Families are struggling to get even one meal a day.
Thousands of children across the region face starvation.
Ummah Welfare Trust is on the ground providing water, food and
medical aid in Somalia and Kenya. Please help them.
KITCHEN UTENSIL SET £50
Donate By Phone
0800 4 0800 11
01274 390 396
Donate Online
www.uwt.org
UWT Head Office: 351 Derby Street,
Bolton, BL3 6LR.Tel 01204 383 732
Charity Reg. No. 1000851
Food pack lasts 6 weeks for a family
Set of 45 items
FOOD PACKAGE £50
Tragic
teenager
killed by
settlers
On 28 January 2011
at 6:30am, 17 year old
Yousef Ikhlayl went with
his father Fakhri to their
farmland on the outskirts
of the West Bank village
Beit Ommar, where they
prepared the land around
their grapevines. At ap-
proximately 7am, two
groups of Israelis from the
illegal settlements Bat Ayn
and Kiryat Arba were tak-
ing a “hike” in the privately-
owned Palestinian agricul-
tural land belonging to the
residents of Beit Ommar.
There was no indication
that the settlers were plan-
ning on shooting. Yousef’s
father reported that the first
shot fired by the settlers hit
his son in the head. The set-
tlers then began shooting in
the air and the surround-
ing areas to prevent others
from approaching, as his fa-
ther screamed desperately
for help.
Yousef was carried to
a car that drove him out of
the agricultural valley and
to the main road, where
an ambulance rushed him
to the hospital in Hebron,
passing two Israeli military
checkpoints on the way. At
the hospital, Yousef was
put on a respirator, though
he had no brain activity. He
passed away soon after.
At his funeral the fol-
lowing day, as is common
practice with the Israeli
military involving martyr
funerals, soldiers number-
ing in the hundreds invaded
Beit Ommar and attacked
the funeral with tear gas,
rubber-coated steel bullets
and even live ammunition.
The murder of Yousef
Ikhlayl, the impunity with
which the settlers acted
and the military’s behavior
at the funeral are common
occurrences in the occupied
West Bank. The death of a
Palestinian, even a child, is
rarely noted and quickly for-
gotten in much of the world.
Thisissadlynotaone-off
occurence. The frequency
of attacks like these led to
an organisation called the
Palestine Solidarity Project
being set up in 2006 so
that international activists
can accompany Palestinian
farmers on their land and
help prevent attacks. On
this occasion, sadly, the at-
tack was not prevented

Hamas members make
rare Europe visit
On January 14, three
members of Hamas at-
tended a meeting of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU) in Switzerland. They
were part of a Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC)
delegation invited to attend
the IPU meeting.
The IPU Committee on
the Human Rights of Parlia-
mentarians met in Geneva
to discuss parliamentar-
ians under threat. They
collected information about
lawmakers who face death
threats, are subjected to
harassment, or are unable
to carry out their parlia-
mentary mandate without
hindrance. The delegates
from Gaza were invited to
clarify the situation of the
Palestinian lawmakers who
face arrest, interrogation
and detention.
The Swiss-Israeli As-
sociation absurdly called
the invitation “an insult
to democratic values and
human rights that repre-
sent the spirit of Geneva.”
The IPU President Anders
Johnsson on the other hand
made the point that “the IPU
doesn’t deal with Hamas,
but the IPU committee deals
with the rights of members
of parliament, whoever they
are.”
At its meeting, the IPU
committee on human rights
examined 70 cases in 37
countries, including those
of 23 Palestinian parliamen-
tarians who are held with-
out charge in administrative
detention in Israeli jails.
Settlers uproot
100 olive trees
In mid-January in Nab-
lus, settlers uprooted over
100 Palestinian olive trees.
Other acts of violence at
the same time included
the smashing of Palestin-
ian cars. It is believed that
the settler violence was a
‘price tag’ attack following
the Israeli army’s removal
of four settler trailers from
an illegal outpost. Each
time the army intervenes
to control the settlers, they
respond by attacking Pal-
estinians in warped acts of
revenge.
Israel wants compensation for Jewish property
in Arab lands dating back to the 7th century
Israel is thought to be
considering legal claims to
compensation for Jewish
homes in Arab lands dating
back to the 7th century. The
Director of Property Man-
agement at Israel’s Foreign
Ministry is preparing a draft
bill which, if passed into
law, will see Israel claim
property in a number of
Arab countries. It is be-
lieved that the bill will be
held back to be used during
any negotiations discussing
the situation of Palestinian
refugees and their right of
return. The refugees’ claims
to their land and homes
mainly date back to the
1948 war, and many have
title deeds proving their
claim. In an absurd move,
Israel seems to believe this
internationally recognised
claim can be equated with
properties in Arab lands
dating back centuries.
The bill is divided into
two: the first will demand
that Egypt, Mauritania, Mo-
rocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lib-
ya, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Leba-
non, Jordan and Bahrain
pay compensation for the
properties of 850,000 Jews,
with an estimated value of
$300 billion. The figures are
based on the 1948 census of
Jews from each country.
At a second stage, Saudi
Arabia will be landed with a
compensation bill of more
than $100 billion for Jewish
properties in the kingdom
since the time of Prophet
Mohammed (peace be upon
him).
Israel pays compensation
to Chinese workers, but
refuses Palestinian claims
In July 2005, Palestinian
and Chinese labourers were
hired by Israel to work on
dismantling a former set-
tlement in Gaza when they
were killed. Since then, the
families of the dead and in-
jured labourers have been
seeking compensation in
line with the employment
contracts. The Israeli au-
thorities have since award-
ed damages to the Chinese
labourers’ families, while
refusing to settle the Pales-
tinian claims.

AQSA NEWS 20 | ISSUE 48 / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
VISITOURONLINESTORETODAY
WWW.FOA.ORG.UKCLICK‘SHOP’
£7.50
MADEINPALESTINE
KUFIYEHS
ALSOAVAILABLEIN
OTHERCOLOURS
The Prophets in Palestine
7 books in the series
Turn to page 13
for more info
NEW
Palestinian women
first on the tracks
Betty Saadeh is ranked
the No. 1 champion in Pal-
estine motor racing, and she
holds the 8th position in
the Top 10 male and female
racers. Breaking both the
stereotypes of Arab women,
and the obstacles of the
occupation, Betty is one of
the members of the first all-
women motor racing team
in the Middle East.
The mother of two lives
inRamallah,andwasrecent-
ly in Britain with her team
mate Noor Daoud training
at Silverstone with former
British champion Helen El-
stropo. Noor herself won a
formula-three competition
in Israel recently. It was a
record as she was the first
Palestinian to participate in
and win an Israeli car race.
Noor was only allowed
to participate in the com-
petition as she holds an
East Jerusalem ID card. Her
teammates were excluded
from taking part. Noor now
lives in Ramallah and com-
mented ‘’When I used to live
in Jerusalem - before I went
to the States (to study) - I
was in a very bad situation
in my neighbourhood, Beit
Hanina. I was surrounded
by checkpoints, I felt really
trapped. So I went away and
moved around, and when I
came back here to Ramal-
lah, even though we are still
surrounded by checkpoints,
driving makes me feel free.”
Palestine is a full mem-
ber of the Federation Inter-
nationale de l’Automobile.
This means that whenever a
Palestinian wins a race, the
Palestine flag is raised on
the podium. This means a
great deal to the racers and
Khaled Qaddoura, president
of the Palestinian Motor
Sport and Motorcycle Fed-
eration, states “‘When any
Palestinian is successful on
the world stage, it helps our
main cause - a fully recog-
nised Palestinian state, with
Jerusalem as its capital, on
1967 borders.”
NUS backs boycott
The National Union of
Students (NUS) is backing
the boycott of transport
company Veolia and water
supplier Eden Springs. It
has urged UK universities to
end their relationships with
these companies which are
both seen as complicit in the
occupation of Palestinian
land, profiting from illegal
Israeli settlements.
Veolia is a partner in the
Jerusalem Light Rail Service
project which will link the il-
legal settlements with Jeru-
salem, effectively entrench-
ing the occupation and
annexation of these lands
and increasing the settler
presence in Jerusalem. This
will be to the detriment of
the Palestinians living there
who already face settler vio-
lence.
Boycott pressure re-
sulted in Veolia selling its
interests in the JLR to the
Israeli company Egged in
October 2011, however,
it still provides technical
assistance in the service’s
operation and bus services
in the settlements.
Eden Springs is a water
company that sources water
from Katzrin, an illegal Is-
raeli settlement in the Golan
Heights. Only Israel benefits
from the sale of this water.

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