Thread by @BtSIsrael

The Knesset Parliamentary Group for Ending the Occupation, led by MKs @AidaTuma and @mossi_raz, is holding its first meeting today - marking 55 years of military rule over the oPt.
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@AidaTuma @mossi_raz MK @AidaTuma starts off:
Once, the occupation was considered to be temporary. Today it appears that many around the world have gotten used to the horrors of occupation and siege. In order to perpetuate it and turn it into a done deal, Israel is operating an Apartheid regime.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz > Even the horrific pictures from Shireen Abu Akleh's funeral a few weeks ago didn't make people think about what's going on here. It immediately turned into a debate about who went into the hospital when. Why is it so difficult to say that there's a moral problem here?

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz MK @mossi_raz: occupation is a situation in which a foreign military rules over a civilian population. This situation leads to human rights abuses, resistance, violence and counter-violence.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz Occupation is the child who can't fall asleep for fear that soldiers will burst in to make an arrest. Occupation is the restriction of individual rights, of the right to movement and so on. And that's why we have to bring this situation to an end.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz Our own @origivati speaks about 'Blue Wolf', the facial recognition technology used by soldiers to take pictures of random Palestinians to enter them into a database. The units serving in the oPt are made to compete for prizes to take as many pictures as possible.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati As one testifier told us: "That’s exactly the point, we don’t need suspicious signs in order to take photos, the point was to take photos. There was even like a bit of competition."
breakingthesilence.org.il/testimonies/da…

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati Ori says that his commander told him, when he was serving as a tank commander in the oPt, that the point of their presence their was to make sure the Palestinians "wouldn't be able to lift their heads." By making the Palestinians constantly feel the IDF's presence, the logic is >

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati that they will be afraid to do anything at all that could raise the IDF's suspicion. That's how Palestinians have been living their lives for 55 years now. And it's all in order to further entrench the occupation. That's why we work to expose this reality and bring it to an end.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati Next up: Yahel Gazit, an Israeli volunteer with #SaveMasaferYatta who lives w/ the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta as part of a solidarity project. She wrote her speech together with @Ali_awad1998, a local activist who's fighting to save his community from mass eviction. >

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 She says: The Supreme Court of Israel ruled to evict 1,300+ residents from the area. I sit here today and wonder if there's anyone at all who believes that this move is really about creating a military training zone, when right next door settlements are built without any problems

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 Yahel continues: we're about to turn 1300 people into refugees. Why doesn't this bother anyone? Why can't we let these simple people just tend to their sheep? To live with some self-respect? Let's not repeat the Nakba in 2022.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 (Returning for a second to the Blue Wolf story that @origivati mentioned in his speech: After testifiers came forward to us, the story was brought to light by the indefatigable @lizzadwoskin in the @washingtonpost. Worth reading the full report here-) washingtonpost.com/world/middle_e…

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost Next: Michal Ziv of @YeshDin speaks about settlement outposts, illegal even by Israeli law, which are designed to take control of as much land as possible with as few people as possible. In the last 5-6 years, ~50 new ones have sprung up.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin These outposts are normally inhabited by a single couple or family, are not given permits by the State to be there, yet the State supports their existence de facto by letting them stay there and giving them access to funding, infrastructure and military protection.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin E.g. Shabtai from Havat Avraham in the S Hebron Hills states openly that he controls 9000 dunams, 6x more than he was given. "Wherever we set foot w/ our sheep is ours." Yesh Din documented several violent attacks by settlers from this outpost. This model exists all over the oPt.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin MK @Michal_Rozin: We must fight against the State's attempts to silence anyone who dares speak out against the occupation. Many of my public events on the occupation have been cancelled or taken off the air. The State prefers for people not to know what's going on, especially >

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin > when there are so many other important and difficult things going on around the world that require our attention. But Israelis are prevented from hearing what's going on right here in our backyard.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin Next: @JessicaMontell of @HaMokedRights talks about the latest restrictions on Palestinians through the permit regime: Next month Israel will clamp down even further by controlling which int'l volunteers, workers, academics can come to work at Palestinian institutions in the oPt.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights Think about what that means: Universities can't decide for themselves which researchers can work there, which faculties get priority - but rather, the Defense Minister of a foreign country. Micro-management of Palestinian society by the occupying force.

haaretz.com/israel-news/20…

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights A European citizen who marries a West Bank resident, they buy a house, have children, live their lives there. At what point does the European get the same status as Palestinians born in the oPt? Never. Because the IDF decides who gets a Palestinian ID number/passport.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights .@AyOdeh, leader of the Join List begins his speech by specifically thanking Breaking the Silence for our work exposing what the occupation looks like on the ground.

Thank you Ayman.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh Calls on young people to refuse to take part in the occupation.
We have to tell people the truth: There are two nations here, and two nations will remain here. Both deserve self-determination. The Jewish nation got theirs in '48. It's time for the Palestinians to get theirs.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh Next: Noa Galili from @Gisha_Access, on Israel's siege on Gaza:
Gaza DCL, the military body responsible for dealing with permits for Gazans, is ignoring permit requests and follow up calls on their status. This is preventing Gazans from receiving urgent medical treatment.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access Many Israelis are under the impression that Israel pulled out of Gaza entirely in 2005. The opposite is true. Today, Israel decides exactly who and what gets to enter and exit Gaza and under which circumstances.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access Noa continues: The forced isolation of Palestinians tears families apart, decimates the Gazan economy and, among other things, raises poverty levels dramatically.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access Alon Arad from @EmekShaveh: Today we heard that Israel will be bringing its Antiquities Authority workers into the West Bank. Yet another act of de facto annexation of the oPt whereby another Israeli govt agency has yet more control of the Palestinian side of the Green Line

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh It wouldn't be a Knesset event if it didn't have a rightwing troll. Here's @AmichaiChikli, an MK who made much of his career trying to discredit us (it didn't work. We're still here).
He says the occupation goes back 3055 years to King David capturing Jerusalem from the Jebusites

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli Chikli tries to claim that he's here to represent the perspective of the Jewish People.
(The Jewish person writing this tweet wishes to clarify that Chikli does not represent him and has no more of a claim to The Jewish Perspective than any other Jew.)

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli Back to reality: Tal Shteiner of @stoptorture_il tells how 1,300 Palestinian complaints of torture by Israeli law enforcement have led to zero indictments.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli @stoptorture_il The former Atty General recommended closing two cases which were investigated: in one a man almost lost his life; in the other a woman went through what can only be described as rape.
Those files were closed on the AG's instructions. This is a dangerous escalation.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli @stoptorture_il MK @osamasaadi63 says it's good the vote on 'Emergency Measures' fell through (see below). We hope that those measures will fall along w/ the occupation itself, & that Palestinians, the last nation under occupation, will finally have freedom & independence

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli @stoptorture_il @osamasaadi63 MK @gaby_lasky: the occupation will end. The modern world will not continue to allow for this anomaly in which one nation rules over another and infringes on human rights. Palestinians have a right to freedom. As long as there's an occupation, there is no democracy in Israel.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli @stoptorture_il @osamasaadi63 @gaby_lasky .@AidaTuma closes the session and tells the NGOs present: I know you're working through horrific incitement. But we're together in this. Your work is important. The information you expose allows us to put the puzzle together and serves as a wake-up call to the Israeli public.

@AidaTuma @mossi_raz @origivati @Ali_awad1998 @lizzadwoskin @washingtonpost @YeshDin @Michal_Rozin @JessicaMontell @HaMokedRights @AyOdeh @Gisha_Access @EmekShaveh @AmichaiChikli @stoptorture_il @osamasaadi63 @gaby_lasky The event ends.
Who here knew that Israel gets to decide which lecturers can work at Palestinian universities? Who knew about Blue Wolf surveillance? And that the Gaza DCL is simply ignoring requests by Palestinians to leave Gaza?
A snapshot of where we stand at the 55 year mark.