Statements

Siamo esterrefatti dal messaggio unilaterale, in pretto stile coloniale, che la Presidente della Commissione dell’Unione Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, ha diffuso in occasione del 75° anniversario della creazione di Israele, che i nativi della Palestina chiamano Nakba, disastro.
La creazione di Israele nella Palestina storica – una terra fiorente e abitata, come dimostra un consistente e documentatissimo archivio storico fotografico – spazzò via centinaia di migliaia di nativi palestinesi, attraverso massacri efferati di intere cittadine e villaggi, attraverso una continua pulizia etnica e espulsioni, e un genocidio incrementale, come lo definisce lo storico israeliano Ilan Pappe.
Il linguaggio utilizzato dalla Presidente Von der Leyen è tipico del colonialismo europeo dei secoli XIX e XX, che non teneva conto dell’esistenza delle popolazioni autoctone dei territori che i colonizzatori europei intendevano invadere e sfruttare.
La Presidente parla di Israele come di un “sogno” realizzato, ma non tiene conto del genocidio e della pulizia etnica praticate dalle bande sioniste che, per prime nella Storia contemporanea, fecero uso del terrorismo per ripulire etnicamente la Palestina storica dei suoi abitanti; non tiene conto della tragedia immane che colpì e ancora colpisce la popolazione autoctona; non tiene conto del continuo e mai terminato processo di colonizzazione israeliana dei Territori palestinesi, così come denunciato dalle innumerevoli risoluzione ONU, delle numerose denunce internazionali, ecc.
Insomma, in quanto rappresentante europea, ella si schiera apertamente e senza mezzi termini con i colonizzatori, negando il diritto e la legalità internazionali così come evidenziati dalla stessa ONU, dimenticando l’esistenza della popolazione nativa di Palestina e della sua tragedia in corso da 75 anni.
La Presidente Von der Leyen non rispetta il suo ruolo di rappresentante dell’Unione Europea e delle posizioni europee stesse verso i diritti inalienabili del popolo palestinese, ma parla per se stessa, da una posizione di forza, facendo un danno enorme alla pace mondiale e regionale.
Chiediamo alla Von der Leyen di documentarsi meglio attraverso l’abbondante materiale storico e giuridico internazionale, prima di sposare la causa di un gruppo a detrimento di un altro.

Europei per Al-Quds
Associazione dei palestinesi in Italia
Associazione infopal

The Europeans for al-Quds Organization vehemently denounces the recent attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinian Christians attempting to observe Holy Saturday and Easter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in occupied Jerusalem. The organization strongly condemns the Israeli police’s use of physical force against the worshipers, which resulted in several injuries.

The Israeli authorities have been imposing severe restrictions on Christians’ access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre since April 13, closing several gates leading to the church and setting up military checkpoints. They have also limited the number of Christians allowed to participate in the celebration, issuing special permits to control the number of individuals entering the church.

These actions are part of a broader pattern of violations of freedom of worship perpetrated by the Israeli authorities. They also constitute an extension of the restrictions that Muslims face when trying to reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the repeated attacks on the mosque and the repression of Muslims during the month of Ramadan.

The Europeans for al-Quds Organization considers these attacks a flagrant violation of the freedom of worship and an epitome of the Israeli system of apartheid. While Israel provides all protection and facilities for Jews to perform their prayers and rituals, including in places sacred to Muslims, it obstructs the establishment of Islamic and Christian rituals in Jerusalem as part of its efforts to change the city’s character and Judaize it.

The organization urges the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazla Ghana, to take a strong stance against Israel’s violations that infringe upon the fundamental right of worship guaranteed under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Europeans for al-Quds organization expresses its strong condemnation of the statements of the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, in which he welcomed moving the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.

The organization said in a statement that Salvini’s declaration of his support for the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the transfer of the Italian embassy to it, is an irresponsible position, and reflects opportunism and an attempt to achieve personal interests, at the expense of established historical rights, and in violation of what is approved by the United Nations, which still considers East Jerusalem is an occupied city.

It was the first for Salvini to show a firm stance to pressure the Israeli prime minister to stop the Israeli systematic violations, including the ethnic cleansing and ethnic segregation measures in Jerusalem.

The organization recalled the findings of its monthly and annual reports, as well as what was previously announced by international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, which provided compelling evidence of Israel’s commitment to the crime of the separation policy against Palestinians, and that the practices of the Israeli authorities reflect the apartheid regime.

European for al-Quds called on parliamentarians and the Italian society to stand decisively against any retreat in the official Italian or European position on the cause of Jerusalem, and not to tolerate Israeli violations of United Nations resolutions and human rights charters.

Instead of presenting positions that affect international resolutions and human rights charters, there is a need for the entire international community to do justice to the Palestinian victims, protect civilians from them, and stop the programmed violations that affect people, buildings, animals, and sanctities.

There is also a need for quick action to put pressure on Israel to stop its attacks, guarantee freedom of worship, stop attacks on churches and mosques, try to impose a new fait accompli in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and put an end to all Israeli gross violations of human rights in Palestine.

Europeans for al-Quds organization
March 10, 2023

The blatant accusation of terrorism that some Northern League (Lega Nord) members have addressed to Stefania Ascari, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, for presenting the press conference of the Europeans for al-Quds organization’s annual report of the Israeli human rights violations in Jerusalem is a clichéd attempt at typical inflammatory propaganda manipulation.

The Northern League is trying to delegitimize MP Ascari and her guests, by diverting the public’s attention from the gross human rights violations against Palestinians, which were the exclusive subject of the press conference that has been hosted by the House of Representatives.

“This accusation bothers me, as I was sitting at that table framing the legal framework in which those abuses should be read and interpreted. I was not shocked, as I have been studying the Palestinian cause for several years, and every time an institutional initiative has been organized on it, at any level of government, parliament, or constituency, the same absurd accusations start to rain down. Regardless of the speaker, if he talks about the rights of the Palestinians, he will always be accused of being a terrorist or a friend of terrorists,” Ascari said.

Europeans for al-Quds organization calls for solidarity with Ascari and her likes who do not hesitate to support the Palestinian cause

February 28, 2023
Europeans for al-Quds

Europeans for al-Quds Organization announced that it will hold a press conference on Thursday, February 23, in the Italian Parliament in Rome, to launch its annual report, entitled “Jerusalem in 2022: Acceleration in Judaization Policies.” The report outlines the Israeli violations in Jerusalem during the past year.

A number of Italian parliamentarians and personalities will participate in the conference. It will also include interventions on the seriousness of the Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem and their violation of international humanitarian law.

Stefania Ascari, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Moni Ovadia, an Italian actor, singer, and writer, Romana Rubio, a journalist, and Michaela Arikali, a lawyer and human rights activist will participate in the conference. 

It’s scheduled that a summary of the most important Israeli violations in Jerusalem documented in the annual report will be presented during the conference.

The invitation was extended to all Arab and Islamic embassies in Rome, the capital of Italy, noting that many embassies confirmed their presence, as well as many parliamentarians and journalists.

For his part, engineer Mohammad Hannoun, the chairman of Europeans for al-Quds organization, explained that the launch of the report comes at a time when the risks targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque and the entire city of Jerusalem are accelerating. This comes with the assumption of a coalition government that includes the most extreme right-wing groups that seek to implement many Judaization schemes that, if implemented, could cause an explosion and a wave of anger in the entire region.

He pointed out that the report is the result of great documentation efforts that continued throughout the year. It is a summation of the monthly reports in which Europeans for al-Quds monitors Israeli violations of human rights in the city of Jerusalem.

The launch of the report from the Italian Parliament comes to send a message to the European Union countries to stand up to their responsibilities and to force the occupying state to respect international law and UN resolutions, to stop encroaching on civilians and attempting to tamper with the cultural identity of Jerusalem, and to ensure that Jerusalemites can perform their religious rituals in mosques and churches freely.

In a press conference recited at the Italian Parliament in Rome on Thursday, Europeans for al-Quds reviewed its annual report on the Israeli violations against the Palestinians in Jerusalem. 

The press conference was attended by the chairman of the Europeans for al-Quds, Mohammed Hannoun, the Italian Parliament members, Michele Piras and Nicola Frattoianni and the Italian journalist, Romana Rubeo. 

Parliamentarian Nicola Frattoianni announced the adoption of an initiative of visiting Jerusalem by an Italian parliamentary delegation to review the field situation and investigate alleged violations against civilians’ rights to submit a report to the Italian government. 

Journalist Romana Rubeo reviewed the Israeli violations documented in the report and spoke about ethnic cleansing in the city of Jerusalem. She mentioned the details of the violations, stressing that ethnic cleansing is an ongoing process that the Palestinian civilians suffer from as a result of the occupation’s attacks and settler violence.

Mohammad Hanoun, the chairman of the Europeans for al-Quds, spoke about the various forms of Judaization and settlement policies in Jerusalem that aim to change the city’s identity.

Hannoun reiterated the Organization’s position, based on the rules of international law and United Nations resolutions, that the city of Jerusalem is an occupied city and what Israel commits there constitute grave violations of human rights covenants. 

He also warned of the danger of the occupation policies aimed at mass forced displacement operations in many neighbourhoods in occupied Jerusalem during 2022. Israel continues to demolish dozens of houses in favour of settlement projects to change the city’s demographic character.

Hannoun called on the United Nations, the general international community and the European Union countries to assume their responsibilities and pressure Israel to stop its violations and protect the Palestinians.

A comprehensive report on the violations of the Israeli occupation in Jerusalem during 2021, prepared by Europeans for al-Quds, revealed that Israel committed 11,279 complex violations. All of the Israeli violations aimed at “Judaizing” Jerusalem to reduce the Palestinian Islamic presence in the city.

A comprehensive report about the Israeli violations in Jerusalem during 2021 concluded that Israel committed 11279 complex violations against Palestinians during 2021. Israel is also working through several methods to impose the de-facto policy to consecrate the Jewish presence and character and reduce the Palestinian Islamic presence in Jerusalem.

Europeans for al-Quds association’ report under the title Jerusalem 2021, Judaization sparks confrontation stressed that “the Israeli occupation pursues policies, based on racial discrimination, that amount to ethnic cleansing to tighten its control over the occupied city and change its identity and character.”

The report pointed out that the Damascus Gate area, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood were most exposed to violence due to Israel’s attacks and its settlers, which were met with steadfastness and confrontation in Jerusalem. As a result, a military confrontation with the Gaza Strip and a semi-intifada in the West Bank were ignited. Such events were such a message that the bombing and calm in the region depend on the peace in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In 2021, the report documented the killing of 14 Palestinians by the Israeli forces, including 3 women and 2 children in Jerusalem. The killings increased 100% over the previous year, which witnessed the killing of 7 citizens. Settlers shot two killed Palestinians. Field executions and liquidations dominated the killings, and the permanent pretext was the suspicion of their intention to carry out an operation against the Israeli forces or settlers. However, it is possible to control the victims without killing them in all cases.

The report documented 1,783 injuries, including women and minors, all of whom were hit by direct bullets or bombs, in addition to dozens of cases of suffocation as a result of the tear gas fired by the occupation forces.

The report also documented 984 cases of torture. In which young men and children were subjected to beatings in violation of the rules of international law prohibiting torture.

The report monitored more than 2,422 incursions and raids carried out by the Israeli occupation forces into Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, including 2,541 arrests.

The raids increased 67.6% over the previous year, which witnessed 1445 incursions and raids. Some of the figures were arrested several times.

The data showed that the occupation forces destroyed and demolished 119 homes, displacing about 487 people in the neighbourhoods of occupied Jerusalem. The occupation forces use bulldozers to demolish buildings, mobile homes and residential tents.

According to the report, the Israeli forces forced Jerusalemites to self-demolish 92 homes during 2021, which led to the displacement of dozens of citizens.

The report monitored the demolition of more than 98 different facilities by the Israeli forces, including shops, garages and car workshops, including a school in the neighbourhoods of occupied Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa Mosque was in the focus of Israeli targeting, through repeated incursions by the occupation forces and settlers on the one hand, and operations to prevent restoration and obstacles to the arrival of Muslim worshipers on the other hand, which emerged clearly in 2021.

Europeans for al-Quds Organization strongly condemns the escalating violence by colonial settlers, under the protection of the Israeli army and an official Israeli political decision, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem.

The Israeli settlers attacks and attempts to forcibly displace Palestinian citizens and seize their homes and lands constitute a crime that amounts to ethnic cleansing.

The Organization expresses its full solidarity with the people of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, who are facing one of the most cruel attacks and attempts of forced displacement. These attacks culminated on the morning of Sunday, February 13, 2022, as the Israeli Knesset member, Itamar Ben Gvir, reopened his office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood amid the attacks of the occupation forces and colonial settlers on the residents of the neighborhood and their supporters.

Prior to the reopening of the office, the settlers began gathering in the vicinity of the house of the Jerusalemite Salem family in the western part of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Over the course of the day, settlers and the Israeli army carried out repeated attacks against Palestinian citizens, injuring at least 31 people, including two solidarity activists, two journalists and 3 paramedics. The injuries varied between rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs that caused burns, beatings and spraying pepper gas.

Until late in the evening of Sunday, the Israeli army continued its attacks in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, closing its western entrance with iron mounds, expelling the solidarity activists present in the vicinity of the Salem family home and evacuating its surroundings to settlers and extremist Knesset member, Itamar Ben Gvir. The families and solidarity activists were also assaulted with rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas and sound bombs. In addition, in less than 24 hours, 15 civilians were arrested.

Europeans for al-Quds expresses its deep concern over the dangerous repercussions that could occur from the continued state of escalation and violence practiced by settlers and the occupation army, including Israeli plans to reactivate previous decisions to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, which threatens hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, with forced displacement, stressing that these human rights violations requires urgent intervention to stop them.

It is noteworthy that similar plans caused the last Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and a violent confrontation in the West Bank last May, which resulted in hundreds of injuries and losses. There is a great concern that things will develop into a similar situation.

Europeans for al-Quds urges members of Parliament in the European Union to move effectively in their countries to take firm stances against Israeli violations in Jerusalem and the set of Israeli measures that seek to impose a fait accompli unilaterally in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The Organization indicates that it is preparing to hold a press conference on the 17^thof this month in Rome within the Italian Parliament, in the presence of many members of the diplomatic corps, Italian journalists and politicians, to present the details and results of the report entitled Jerusalem 2021, Judaization sparks confrontation. The report reviews all of Israel’s violations in Jerusalem during 2021, which concluded that the Israeli occupation pursues policies based on racial discrimination that amounts to ethnic cleansing to tighten its control over the occupied Jerusalem and change its identity and character.

Europeans for al-Quds

February 14, 2022

Europeans for al-Quds Association welcomes Amnesty International’s report that provided compelling evidence that Israel has committed the crime of apartheid against the Palestinians. It also considers it an important document that intersects with many similar reports on the Israeli apartheid practices against the Palestinians.

The Association condemns the Israeli campaign of incitement against the organization, which comes as part of a systematic Israeli policy against human rights defenders.

The comprehensive report issued on Tuesday, February 1, by Amnesty International, entitled Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime against Humanity, sets out how massive seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians are all components of a system which amounts to apartheid under international law.

The report is an essential legal document for a credible and professional international organization, which shows with damning evidence that the violations committed by the Israeli authorities constitute apartheid and a crime against humanity as defined in the Rome Statute and the International Convention for the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (Apartheid Convention).

Amnesty International’s findings build on a growing body of work by many human rights organizations, including the reports issued by Europeans for al-Quds, which document violations in occupied Jerusalem, as well as reports issued by New York-based Human Rights Watch, the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and Al Mezan Center For Human Rights.

These reports and positions demonstrate the existence of a legal consensus on the fact that Israel operates an apartheid regime, which is almost the only one in this way in the modern era.

We strongly deplore the Israeli incitement against Amnesty, which reflects an Israeli policy aimed at undermining any international legal or even domestic effort that seeks to remind the world of facts on the ground.

The attempt to stigmatize Israel against critics of its policies, such as terrorism or anti-Semitism, including human rights defenders, are worthless attempts to divert attention from its violations.

Amnesty’s report comes one day before Europeans for al-Quds’ conference entitled Jerusalem 2021: Judaization sparks confrontations. The conference reviews Israel’s violations in Jerusalem during 2021, which concluded that the Israeli occupation pursues policies based on racial discrimination and amount to ethnic cleansing to tighten control over the occupied city and change its identity and character.

Europeans for al-Quds urges the European Union countries to break out of the cycle of silence and assume their responsibilities to stop Israeli violations, support the Palestinians’ access to their rights, and have a more influential role in ending the worst apartheid regime in the modern era.

Therefore, the international community and its relevant institutions are urged to take practical steps to ensure that Israel is held accountable for these crimes and change this reality into a future based on equality, a guarantee of rights, and respect for human rights.

Europeans for al-Quds

February 2, 2022

Europeans for al-Quds strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces’ demolition of two homes of the Salhiya family in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem, an operation that amounts to a crime of ethnic cleansing.

On Wednesday at dawn, a large force of the occupation army and its intelligence stormed the area and imposed a military siege. They forcibly raided the house of Mahmoud Salhiya and the house of his mother and sister, which are inhabited by 13 people in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem. In addition, 26 citizens of the two houses and the people who were in solidarity with them were arrested after severely beating them.

The occupation bulldozers demolished the two houses, leaving two families with a total of 13 people homeless, two days after destroying 6 of their facilities.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation authorities issued a decision in mid-December to evict the Salihiya family of land with an area of 6 dunums, including two homes and several facilities, until January 25. Thus, the demolition came in anticipation of a court decision to implement the eviction decision.

The occupation forces, last Monday, stormed the land and tried to evict the residents of the two houses by force, but they held a sit-in on the rooftops of the two houses and threatened to set themselves and the two houses on fire if the occupation forces evacuated them by force. The occupation forces were forced to retreat after they destroyed 6 facilities owned by the family.

What has happened amounts to a full-fledged crime of ethnic cleansing, and it comes within an Israeli policy based on racism and discrimination. The occupation forces expropriate Palestinians’ property and displace them to build schools and institutions for settlers, in one of the worst forms of the apartheid regime in the modern era.

What is happening is part of a grand scheme aimed at annihilating entire Palestinian neighborhoods in the Sheikh Jarrah and replacing them with Israeli settlements. It aims at changing the identity of the occupied city and its geographical and demographic features.

Europeans for al-Quds is concerned that dozens of families are waiting for a similar fate. These families have been engaged in a struggle for years through biased occupation courts that lack international standards of justice amid utter silence from the international community.

While Europeans for al-Quds Association condemn this crime, it holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for it and its repercussions, calling on the international community to take urgent action to stop the massacre of demolition and ethnic cleansing targeting hundreds of homes in Jerusalem.

It also calls the International Criminal Court to investigate this demolition, which amounts to a crime against humanity. The association urges all free people in the world to move in all directions to support the steadfastness of Jerusalemites and thwart the occupation’s plans to displace them and seize their homes and lands in one of the worst forms of ethnic cleansing in modern times.

The Europeans for al-Quds association strongly condemns the statements of the Ukrainian ambassador, Yevgen Korniychuk, in Israel, as he announced that his country may recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel soon and that it would move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk made the remarks at an event held by an Israeli minister in Jerusalem marking 30 years of Israeli-Ukrainian relations, claiming that “every foreign minister or ambassador can name Jerusalem nothing, but the capital of Israel.” He added that his county would open a branch of its embassy in Jerusalem within months.

The ambassador’s position contradicts the declared positions of Ukraine so far and the European Union regarding the city of East Jerusalem. Therefor, it is necessary to take a quick position to correct the matter and take appropriate action against the diplomat who launched these statements.

It is unfortunate that the statement of the Ukrainian ambassador comes at a time when Israel has stepped up its operations to change the demographic reality and the Arab-Islamic identity of the occupied city of Jerusalem in the widest process of ethnic cleansing and through policies that amount to apartheid through demolitions and confiscation of Palestinian homes and giving the settlement associations their ownership.

As Europeans for al-Quds association deplores these remarks, it calls on the Government of Ukraine to declare a clear position that withdraws these statements, which constitute a flagrant violation of the legal status of Jerusalem as part of the occupied Palestinian territory in accordance with international law, based on established historical rights, United Nations and International Court of Justice resolutions, and with the recognition and approval of the majority of the world’s countries, as 154 countries voted to recognize the state of Palestine on the occupied lands in 1967, which include Jerusalem.

The international community affirms that Jerusalem is an occupied territory and that embassies are not supposed to be established in the city as long as its status is not decided through negotiations between the two concerned sides. In this regard, we recall that the UN Security Council voted on December 18, 2017, to reject the declaration of former US President Donald Trump recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and it was approved by all Council member states, except for the United States, which vetoed it.

The Security Council has previously issued 12 resolutions confirming that Jerusalem is an occupied territory by the Israeli occupation authorities. Eight of the resolutions stipulate that all procedures or changes in the legal status of the city are illegal and the need to withdraw Israeli forces from it. The other four demand the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied land in 1967, including Jerusalem, as the first of which was Security Council Resolution 242.

Europeans for al-Quds warn that any change in the Ukrainian position would encourage Israel to continue imposing its full control over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the occupied city. In addition, it would support the occupation policy based on Judaization, displacement and annexation of lands, which would increase the daily suffering of the Jerusalemites.