Slippery Slope

Eilat residents protested against African refugees’ presence in the city.

(Hebrew – HaKol HaYehudi)

Abdul Karim Lafi, an architect and chairman of the parents committee in Beit Safafa, was arrested and taken in for an interrogation at 2 am on the charge of calling for a strike in Beit Safafa schools to protest the construction of road number 4 that will take 250 dunums of private land and split the village in two. In addition, village residents have complained that ever since their protest has started, Israeli authorities have increased enforcement policies in the village, including sending in tax agents. (Haaretz)

(Hebrew – Haaretz)

According to the 2012 Report on the State of Human Rights in Israel and the OPT, compiled by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), the police, in an unprecedented move, summoned activists to illegal questioning sessions about their plans for future protests and even about the content of the protest signs they planned to hold.  The police also set unlawful and unreasonable demands as preconditions for a demonstration permit.  In addition, this year again saw reports of police officers refusing to identify themselves during demonstrations, a violation of police regulations, as well as many reports of officers dispersing demonstrations and arresting demonstrators without legal cause and with the use of excessive force. (ACRI)

(Hebrew – ACRI)

According to the 2012 annual report on the state of human rights in Israel, compiled by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), new regulations were adopted in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem which significantly limit the right to protest, by requiring special permits in order to set up tents as well as for other protest actions.  In Tel-Aviv, the municipality acted in an unequal manner toward activists with different agendas.  In Jerusalem, a protest encampment set up by social activists was dismantled, while its occupants’ personal belongings were confiscated. (ACRI)

(Hebrew – ACRI)

Following settler complaints about a kiosk in which Palestinian and Jewish youth comingled, the owner of the building, Oren Gilad, closed the kiosk.

(Hebrew – HaKol HaYehudi)

During a protest march against asylum seekers and foregin labourers several protesters tried to smash the windows of a restaurant in which an african man was working.

(Hebrew – Ynet)

Palestinian activist Sagar Abu Maria (42 years old) from Beit Omar reports that he was injured by soldiers who arrested him at a peaceful protest, beat him, dragged him over rocky ground and then charged him with assaulting the soldiers.

Although the students rights law states that “all students have the right to organise and protest on any subject or issue, including those regarding students and their rights, according to the rules in each institution’s internal bylaws,” in practice the internal bylaws of universities give them the power to prevent almost all public activities by students. The bylaws of Haifa University, Bar Ilan University and the Hebrew University state that the Chairman can suspend all activities for a limited time, and that all public activities will be held at the time and place approved by the university.

(Hebrew)

Palestinians report that during a protest in Kadum village on the west bank Wasim Braham, 19 years old, was hit in the head by a gas canister. Braham was transferred to hospital with a head injury and internal bleeding.

(Hebrew)

According to Investigative Military Police’s investigation, a few other officers besides Lieutenant Colonel Shalom Eisner – who was filmed hitting a Danish activist in the face using his rifle, unprovoked, during a West Bank protest – acted with unnecessary violence during the protest and damaged protesters’ belongings without any reason.

(Hebrew)