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Israeli police swap UN flag for Israeli flag during raid on UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem

MEMO | December 8, 2025

Israeli police removed the United Nations flag from the compound of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem and raised the Israeli flag in its place, the agency’s commissioner-general said Monday, Anadolu reports.

“Today in the early morning, Israeli police accompanied by municipal officials forcibly entered the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem,” Philippe Lazzarini said on US social media company X.

“Police motorcycles, as well as trucks & forklifts, were brought in & all communications were cut. Furniture, IT equipment & other property was seized,” he added.

Lazzarini continued that the UN flag “was pulled down & replaced with an Israeli flag.”

The agency’s headquarters, located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, had been vacated earlier this year following an Israeli decision.

The UNRWA chief described the Israeli action as “a blatant disregard of Israel’s obligation as a United Nations Member State to protect & respect the inviolability of UN premises.”

Lazzarini noted that the UNRWA personnel were forced to vacate the compound “following months of harassment that included arson attacks in 2024, hateful demonstrations & intimidation, supported by a large-scale disinformation campaign, as well as anti-UNRWA legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in breach of its international obligations.”

“Whatever action taken domestically, the compound retains its status as a UN premises, immune from any form of interference,” he stressed.

Israel “is party to the Convention on the Privileges & Immunities of the UN. The Convention makes UN premises inviolable – in other words, immune from search and/or seizure – and makes UN property and assets immune from legal process.”

“There can be no exceptions. To allow this represents a new challenge to international law, one that creates a dangerous precedent anywhere else the UN is present across the world,” Lazzarini warned.

UNRWA was established by the UN General Assembly more than 70 years ago to assist Palestinians who were forcibly displaced from their land.

The UN agency has been facing severe financial difficulties since Israel launched a defamation campaign against UNRWA, claiming that staff members were involved in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Despite UNRWA’s requests that the Israeli government provide information and evidence to back up the allegations, the agency has received no response. Following Israel’s accusations, several key donor nations, including the US, suspended or paused funding.

December 8, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Israel moves to seize Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem: Report

MEMO | October 29, 2025

The Israeli government has taken new measures to assert its control over the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem and evict Palestinian residents, an Israeli organization said Wednesday, Anadolu reports.

In a report titled “Strangling Sheikh Jarrah: New Tools for Israeli Control and Palestinian Displacement,” the Ir Amim organization said the Israeli government has entered a “new and dangerous phase” in its efforts to dominate one of East Jerusalem’s most symbolic neighborhoods.

“Israel is now using unprecedented legal, planning, and administrative tools to achieve the same goal: displacing Palestinian residents and consolidating the settlement presence at the heart of the neighborhood,” it said.

Among these measures, the report cited “large-scale urban renewal projects, including some 2,000 housing units for illegal Israeli settlers, entirely excluding Palestinian residents.”

It also noted “land registration efforts in certain plots, allowing government bodies and settlers to register them in their names, as well as confiscation and reallocation of public spaces for Jewish religious institutions and national-religious projects.”

Ir Amim called these mechanisms a “coordinated strategy to turn Sheikh Jarrah from a vibrant Palestinian neighborhood into a fragmented area dominated by Israeli settlements.”

Israeli researcher Aviv Tatarsky of Ir Amim said the government measures are part of Tel Aviv’s efforts to assert its control over the neighborhood.

“What we are witnessing in Sheikh Jarrah represents a new stage in Israel’s efforts to cement control over East Jerusalem,” he said.

“After years of failed attempts by settler groups to evict residents, Israel itself now leads the effort using new legal, administrative, and planning tools to solidify Israeli presence and push Palestinians to leave.

“What is happening in Sheikh Jarrah is not limited to one neighborhood; it reflects a government-wide policy to reshape the entire city.”

Government-backed settler organizations are seeking to evict hundreds of Palestinians from homes they have lived in since the 1950s. The settlers claim the land belonged to Jews before 1948, which Palestinian residents deny.

In recent years, illegal settlers have seized homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and continue to pursue additional properties to establish settlements.

Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem is the capital of a future Palestinian state, while Israel maintains that the entire city is its capital.

The Sheikh Jarrah measures form part of a broader wave of Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank, where 1,062 Palestinians have been killed, around 10,000 injured, and over 20,000 others detained, including 1,600 children, over the past two years.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

October 29, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation | , , , | Leave a comment

Nearly half of attacks in occupied al-Quds target Armenian Christians: Watchdog

Press TV – October 22, 2025

An Israeli organization documenting anti-Christian attacks has revealed that nearly half of the attacks in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds target Armenian Christians, amid an alarming spike in hate crimes in the Armenian quarter of the city.

The Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), in its new quarterly report titled Incidents Against Christians in Israel, published on Tuesday, recorded 31 anti-Christian hate crimes across the occupied territories.

According to the report, which covers July to September 2025, 43% of all incidents in the Old City of al-Quds targeted Armenian Christians, with the Armenian Patriarchate once again emerging as the most frequently targeted site.

The incidents included spitting, verbal harassment, trespassing, vandalism, defacement, online provocation, and the desecration of sacred sites, predominantly focused in and around the Old City of al-Quds.

Among the 31 recorded attacks, 9 incidents (29%) were characterized by spitting, 8 (26%) involved verbal abuse, 7 (23%) were related to online incitement, 3 (10%) pertained to vandalism of signage, 3 (10%) reflected disrespect towards a holy site, 2 (7%) were instances of defacement, and there was at least one case of trespassing.

Within the Old City, a total of 13 incidents (42%) were documented, with 43% (6) occurring at the Armenian Patriarchate, 23% (3) along the Via Dolorosa, 17% (2) in proximity to Jaffa Gate (known as Bab al-Khalil in Arabic), and David Street, and an additional 17% (2) in the Jewish Quarter.

Incidents were reported outside the Old City in West al-Quds (16%), Mount Zion (6%), and other regions beyond al-Quds (36%), such as Migdal HaEmek, Latrun, the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, and Mary’s Spring located in Ein Kerem.

In numerous instances, police forces were purportedly on the scene but did not take action.

Official complaints were submitted, however, the RFDC observes that subsequent follow-up is still minimal.

The report highlights a distinct difference in enforcement actions: at the Polish Monastery, law enforcement responded promptly to halt harassment, whereas at Mary’s Spring in Ein Kerem, it appears that no authority is willing to assume responsibility, resulting in the site’s signage being consistently vandalized without any investigation.

As stated by RFDC director Yisca Harani, the official statistics probably reflect merely a small portion of the actual situation, pointing to extensive underreporting stemming from fear, resignation, and a deficiency in accountability.

The report cautions that “reports are filed, convictions are non-existent,” illustrating a trend of impunity that has rendered Christian communities more susceptible.

October 22, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , | Leave a comment

Israeli court issues mass eviction orders against Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood

Palestinian Information Center – September 22, 2025

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM – Israeli police forces have ordered dozens of Palestinian families in the Baten al-Hawa area of Silwan, south of the al-Aqsa Mosque, in Occupied Jerusalem to evacuate their homes, threatening the displacement of nearly 300 people in favor of settler groups.

Jerusalemite sources said on Monday that residents of 37 apartments now face forced eviction under a settlement scheme pushed by the “Ateret Cohanim” association, which claims ownership of five dunums and 200 square meters of land in Baten al-Hawa, based on allegations dating back to 1881.

The plan targets between 30 and 35 residential buildings housing 80 families, roughly 600 people, who have lived in the neighborhood for decades with official documentation proving residency.

Zuheir Rajabi, head of the Baten al-Hawa neighborhood committee in Silwan, said 250 residents living in 26 homes received new eviction orders on Sunday from the Israeli central court, aimed at seizing their properties in favor of settlers.

He noted that an additional 11 apartments in three adjacent buildings belonging to the Rajabi families, Yaqub, Nidal, and Fathi, are now under immediate threat, putting about 60 people at risk.

Rajabi condemned the measures as “forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Jerusalemites to replace them with settlers,” vowing that residents “will remain steadfast in their homes until the very last moment.”

The Basbus family also received eviction notices for their homes, which shelter 30 people in Baten al-Hawa.

Family member Bilal Basbus said they have been engaged in a “battle for existence” for years against demolition and eviction orders targeting their homes overlooking the al-Aqsa Mosque.

He stressed that despite enormous challenges, the family refuses to abandon their homes or comply with occupation orders.

These latest eviction notices are part of a wider Judaization campaign aimed at driving Palestinians out of Jerusalem to make way for settlement groups.

Notably, the Basbus family’s grandparents were expelled from the village of al-Dawayima in 1948 by Zionist militias, and today, settler organizations are pursuing their descendants to displace them once again from their homes in Silwan.

September 22, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , | Leave a comment

Zionism won’t stop, the Arab world must collapse

By Lorenzo Maria Pacini | Strategic Culture Foundation | August 10, 2025

Four weeks after the signing of the Abraham Accords—signed on September 15, 2020, with U.S. mediation and involving the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain—Israeli urban planning authorities have authorized the construction of 4,948 new homes in the occupied territories of the West Bank. No significant public statements, no troop movements: just bureaucratic approvals marking a further step in the expansion of Israel’s presence. This advance, shrouded in the rhetoric of ‘peace’, took place in silence, reflecting a well-established approach: proceed with normalization when the region is compliant and intensify colonization when international attention wanes.

This logic is rooted in the expansionist model of Zionism: where possible, military force is used; where this is not convenient or feasible, soft penetration is used in the form of security agreements, economic cooperation, and intelligence alliances. This dual strategy—based on physical conquest and hegemonic consolidation—has been in place since 1967 and today extends unchecked from the Jordan River to the Atlantic Ocean.

Let us be clear: the Zionist project, in all its aspects, will not stop. The Arab world represents an obstacle to the construction of Greater Israel and the manifestation of Zionist hegemony.

The “Greater Israel” project manifests itself on two levels: on the one hand, the annexation of Palestinian territories, and on the other, geopolitical control of the region through indirect means. And, if we want to extend our projections, we must consider that Greater Israel is the starting point, not the end point.

This is a vision rooted in Zionist ideology, which envisages Jewish domination over the entire “Biblical Land of Israel.” When direct occupation is not sustainable, Tel Aviv prefers maneuvers of influence and destabilization that undermine the sovereignty of neighboring Arab states. The two dimensions—territorial and imperial—are interdependent.

This strategy has deep roots. Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the father of revisionist Zionism, wanted control over all of Mandatory Palestine and beyond, arguing that colonization should take place even against the will of the local populations. David Ben-Gurion, while publicly accepting the partition in 1937, saw that compromise only as an initial phase towards subsequent expansion, confirming the intention to extend the borders to the whole of Palestine once the Israeli military apparatus had been strengthened, as indeed happened. At first, Israel’s military power was insufficient for large-scale operations, so the “periphery doctrine” was developed, through which Israel cultivated alliances with non-Arab states and marginalized minorities (the Shah’s Iran, Turkey, Iraqi Kurds, Sudanese Christians), indirectly weakening its Arab rivals. This strategy, now adapted, is also visible in recent relations with the Druze communities in southern Syria.

Normalization means influence

Israeli penetration into the Arab world has reached an unprecedented level. The Abraham Accords have opened the door to large-scale economic, military, and technological cooperation. The historic treaties with Egypt and Jordan were only the beginning, with the United Arab Emirates subsequently becoming a prominent trading partner. The same is true in the Maghreb: Morocco, for example, has purchased weapons and signed industrial agreements in the drone sector, becoming a production hub for Israeli UAV systems. All this has created a geopolitical corridor linking Israel to the Gulf and North Africa, expanding its access to strategic routes, intelligence spaces, and crucial markets.

As economic relations intensify, colonization continues. Raze everything to the ground, indiscriminately; drive out the Palestinians, no questions asked; conquer the lands they consider “divine right.” Infrastructure is designed to isolate Palestinian communities in unconnected enclaves, making the formation of an autonomous state impossible.

Israel has also consolidated its presence in Syria (in the Quneitra region, near Damascus and Deraa), taking advantage of the chaos following the fall of Assad and the seizure of power by the jihadist group HTS led by Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly known as al-Julani). In Lebanon, it maintains control of key areas such as the Shebaa Farms and the Kfar Shuba hills, as well as military positions along the Blue Line.

Expansion is masked by integration. Today, the Israeli occupation is no longer manifested solely through weapons, but is supported and fueled by diplomatic agreements and trade flows. “Normalization” has not stopped the occupation: it has made it more effective. Each new agreement with Arab countries increases Israel’s ability to extend colonization and strengthen military control. Plans are already underway to double the number of settlers in the Golan Heights and increase the military presence along sensitive areas. The consequences are being felt: Egypt is building a wall on the border with Gaza to manage possible flows of displaced persons; Jordan sees its water resources threatened; Syria and Lebanon are under increasing pressure to normalize relations with Israel.

The Greater Israel project is advancing: on the one hand, it is swallowing up territories; on the other, it is influencing the sovereign choices of Arab states. Together, they represent two sides of the same strategy: annexation and subordination.

And all this, let’s be clear, will not stop at Palestine.

Zionism is viscerally anti-Christian and anti-Islamic. Anything that does not adhere to Zionist Judaism must be eliminated.

From an Islamic perspective, criticism of Zionism is based on several levels. First of all, Zionism, in its state form, has led to the confiscation and occupation of Muslim holy sites—primarily Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem—with a progressive erosion of access to and management of sacred places. This is not only a political violation, but also a spiritual one, as Islamic sovereignty over Jerusalem is considered a religious duty, rooted in the Quran and prophetic tradition. The Zionist rejection of Arab sovereignty – expressed in the marginalization of Islamic religious institutions in the occupied territories – is a denial of the Umma, the unity of the community of believers, and of its legitimacy to safeguard the places of Islam.

Similarly, Christianity, especially in its Eastern expressions, has also suffered from an exclusionary Zionist approach. The Zionist theological imagination, which demands a Jewish “territorial redemption” of Palestine, excludes the historical and cultural presence of indigenous Christian communities, reducing them to tolerated or suspect minorities. Talmudic hatred of Christians is well known. For many Palestinian and Middle Eastern Christians, Zionism represents a form of nationalist secularization that empties the Holy Land of its universal value, transforming it into an exclusive ethnic-religious property.

In its quest to create an exclusive Jewish state, Zionism has promoted dynamics of exclusion and delegitimization of the other Abrahamic religions historically present in Palestine. This makes it ideologically antithetical to any pluralistic and shared vision of the holy places and communities that have coexisted there for centuries.

We should not be surprised if we soon see conflicts arise between the powers of the Arab world or, by extension, in other Islamic countries, such as in Asia, precisely because of their geopolitical and geoeconomic relations with the Zionist entity.

Because, ultimately, this is the plan: in Greater Israel, there can only be Israeli Zionism. Christianity and Islam must first be exploited, then banned. At any cost.

August 10, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , | 1 Comment

West Bank: Army Abducts Many Palestinians, Shoots Child, Young Man

Mosab Shawer – ActiveStills
IMEMC | July 23, 2025

On Tuesday afternoon and evening, Israeli forces abducted several Palestinians and shot both a child and a young man during military invasions across multiple areas of the occupied West Bank.

One Palestinian youth was violently assaulted and detained at the Hizma military roadblock, northeast of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank.

According to eyewitnesses, soldiers stopped the vehicle he was traveling in, forced him out, and beat him with batons and fists, leaving him with multiple injuries.

He was then restrained and transported to an unknown location in a military vehicle. The roadblock was temporarily closed, and civilians were prevented from passing or documenting the incident.

Israeli forces routinely escalate restrictive and punitive measures at military roadblocks surrounding Jerusalem, including field abductions and physical assault, as part of what observers describe as a systematic policy aimed at obstructing Palestinian movement and instilling fear.

In a separate incident, three Palestinians, former political prisoners from Nablus, were detained at a temporary roadblock near the Qaber Hilwa bridge, east of Bethlehem.

The detainees were identified as Emad Abdul-Halim Abu Mosallam, Ala’ Mohammad Jom’a, and Samer Nidal Issa.

They were taken to the Ush Ghorab military base east of Beit Sahour, interrogated, and later released. Their vehicle remains confiscated. Hours earlier, Israeli forces at the same site reportedly abducted another unidentified youth.

In the towns of Beit Fajjar and Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, forces sealed off main streets and concentrated their invasions in central areas.

Israeli troops also surrounded Rafidia Hospital and the Arab Specialized Hospital in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, targeting the vicinity of emergency departments and firing concussion grenades.

The soldiers parked their military vehicles in front of the gates of the Emergency Department, blocking patients from entering.

The soldiers also stopped Palestinians’ ambulances heading to the two hospitals and searched them, in addition to surrounding a residential building.

In Jenin, in the northern West Bank, a youth identified as Mohammed Jihad Zaid was abducted from his home in Nazlet Zaid village.

Soldiers also invaded the residence of Saleh Zaid, seizing gold jewelry estimated at 29,000 shekels and an additional 1,500 shekels in cash.

In Qabatia, in northern West Bank, the soldiers shot a 15-year-old child in the chest [killing him] and a young man in the leg during a military invasion involving multiple military vehicles.

Both were transported to hospital for treatment. The shootings occurred after soldiers closed intersections, ransacked homes, and clashed with protesting residents.

The military offensive across the Jenin governorate have intensified since the launch of an Israeli offensive targeting Jenin city and its refugee camp on January 21.

These invasions are marked by mass abductions, violent home searches, and widespread infrastructural damage.

In addition, Israeli forces raided Al-Am’ari refugee camp in Al-Bireh, in the central West Bank, particularly the Sateh Marhaba neighborhood, where they fired tear gas canisters at residential homes, causing several cases of suffocation.

Earlier Tuesday, the army abducted many Palestinians across the West Bank, especially in Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus, in addition to Ramallah.

Since the beginning of this year, Israel has killed 181 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank; 63 in Jenin, 32 in Nablus, 27 in Tubas, 17 in Tulkarem, 12 in Hebron, 11 in Ramallah, 6 in Bethlehem, 4 in Qalqilia, 5 in Jerusalem, 3 in Salfit and 1 in Jericho.

Israel has now killed 1,016 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023; 270 were killed in Jenin, 124 in Nablus, 94 in Tubas, 213 in Tulkarem, 89 in Hebron, 70 in Ramallah, 27 in Bethlehem, 37 in Qalqilia, 23 in Jerusalem, 32 in Jerusalem suburbs, 7 in Salfit and 13 in Jericho and Northern Plains.

July 23, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Melissa Jane Kronfeld: American Zionist who campaigns for demolition of al-Aqsa Mosque

By Maryam Qarehgozlou | Press TV | May 3, 2025

A viral video captures pro-Palestinian protesters chanting “war criminal” at Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a convicted terrorist supporter and advocate for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, during a confrontation at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

The demonstrators can be heard shouting “Shame on you!”, “Free Free Palestine!” and “War Criminal!” as Ben-Gvir, who has previously called for the expulsion of Palestinians and the destruction of the al-Aqsa Mosque, aggressively screams and attempts to lunge at them.

Accompanying Ben-Gvir in the video is Melissa Jane Kronfeld, seen filming and verbally assaulting protesters, who had convened at the Capitol for Muslim Hill Days (April 28–29), an annual event organized by the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) and other Muslim advocacy groups.

The gathering aimed to engage members of Congress on Capitol Hill to push for a ceasefire in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and an end to the ongoing genocidal war and blockade.

This event overlapped with Ben-Gvir’s visit to the US Congress.

But who, exactly, is Melissa Kronfeld, the woman visibly incensed by pro-Palestine protesters at the US Congress, while accompanying Ben-Gvir?

A New York native, Kronfeld boasts a résumé spanning international relations, international law, national security, and Jewish philosophy, with academic credentials from George Washington, New York University, Rutgers, and Bar-Ilan University.

She is an American-Israeli propagandist, college lecturer, and political advisor who has spoken at conferences around the globe, including at the White House and Capitol Hill. Kronfeld is also a frequent commentator across pro-Zionist print, television, radio, and podcast news outlets.

Over the years, Kronfeld has worked with, joined, or supported numerous pro-genocide Zionist organizations, including the World Jewish Congress, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, StandWithUS, the Zionist Organization of America, and the Republican Jewish Coalition, among others.

In addition, she founded an organization named ‘High on the Har’, sponsored by the PFAP Foundation, a tax-deductible Zionist group operating out of Florida, US.

PFAP claims that it “develops and sponsors community projects advancing Israel, Judaism, Zionism, and the welfare of the Jewish people” in the occupied Palestinian territories.

High on the Har is also funded by taxpayers in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. It regularly organizes provocative incursions of the al-Aqsa Mosque under the guise of “tours.”

The al-Aqsa compound is Islam’s third-holiest site and a powerful symbol of Palestinian identity.

It doesn’t take deep investigation to grasp the real agenda: High on the Har, and Kronfeld herself, aim to see the Al-Aqsa Mosque replaced with a “Jewish Temple.”

The ultra-Zionist group actively incites settlers to storm the holy mosque and provoke Palestinians.

In an interview with CBS News last March, Kronfeld made her intentions clear, stating her desire to see Israel demolish the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and construct a “Jewish temple” in its place.

“The whole thing is going to go, we have to build a temple,” she said.

She has previously disclosed her involvement with the Israeli occupation army as well.

High on the Har has also been distributing “3rd Temple” patches to Israeli occupation soldiers taking part in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where more than 52,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed since the onslaught began 19 months ago.

High on the Har has been sending patches of the “3rd Temple” to Israeli soldiers committing a genocide in Gaza.
Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed his cabinet in 2022, Israel has been systematically eroding the status quo of the al-Aqsa Mosque with brazen audacity.

Last August, Ben-Gvir ignited outrage by declaring his intent to establish a Jewish synagogue within the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds—should the opportunity arise.

Earlier this month, pro-settler social media accounts circulated an AI-generated video depicting the mosque engulfed in flames, eventually replaced by the so-called “Third Temple.”

The video, captioned with the message “Next Year in Jerusalem, Messiah Now,” sparked swift condemnation from several Arab countries, including Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

In 2024, more than 53,600 Israelis stormed the mosque compound, marking the highest number since Israeli occupation forces first allowed Jewish access over two decades ago.

According to the al-Quds governorate, approximately 13,000 settlers entered the site during the first quarter of 2025 alone.

Israel seized East al-Quds during the 1967 war and illegally annexed the city in 1980, a move that remains in violation of international law.

May 3, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation | , , , , | Leave a comment

Israel orders closure of UNRWA schools in Jerusalem’s Shuafat camp

MEMO | April 9, 2025

The Israeli occupation state’s police have informed all school principals working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Shuafat refugee camp, in occupied East Jerusalem, of official orders to close their schools within 30 days, Quds Press reported.

According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli authorities have instructed UNRWA’s school administration in Shuafat to transfer all students to schools run by the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem.

This decision follows repeated incidents targeting UNRWA’s operations in occupied East Jerusalem. Just a week ago, UNRWA reported that its headquarters in the area was deliberately set on fire once again, amid what it described as a sustained and systematic campaign of incitement against the agency.

UNRWA stated that “this condemnable act is part of ongoing and systematic incitement against the agency for months,” warning that UN staff and facilities across the West Bank are facing escalating threats.

The agency also recalled that, in January 2025, its staff were “forced to evacuate” its East Jerusalem premises as Israeli laws aimed at restricting UNRWA’s work came into effect after the Israeli Knesset voted to ban UNRWA’s operations within Israel in October 2024, labelling it a “terrorist group”.

April 9, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Full Spectrum Dominance | , , , | 1 Comment

Erasing 1,700-year history: Israel’s property grab threatens Armenian Christians in al-Quds

By Ivan Kesic | Press TV | February 26, 2025

Armenian Christians, the smallest recognized community in occupied al-Quds, are reeling under pressure from Israeli settler-colonial policies aimed at imposing exorbitant taxes, seizing their properties, displacing them, and ultimately Judaizing the historic city center.

On February 18, the Armenian Patriarchate in the holy city issued an urgent communiqué, warning that the local Zionist municipality is attempting to confiscate and auction off properties it owns there.

The Patriarchate is situated in the Armenian Quarter, one of the four sections of the walled Old City, alongside the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Quarters.

This small Armenian community, located in the southwestern corner of the 12.6-hectare Old City, numbers only a few hundred people. As the oldest Armenian diaspora, it has maintained a presence in the neighborhood for nearly 1,700 years, as per historical accounts.

For years, the Armenian community has resisted the expansion of Jewish-only settlements in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds. However, their enduring heritage is now at risk of being erased.

The Israeli regime claims that the Patriarchate has unpaid taxes dating back to 1994—an accusation the Patriarchate denounces as unjust, crippling, and only recently imposed.

It warns that this move could set a dangerous precedent for all Christian communities in the city.

In an effort to halt the foreclosure process on its centuries-old properties, the Patriarchate has filed a petition. The hearing was initially scheduled for February 24 but has since been postponed.

Unjustified tax apartheid 

After issuing a desperate appeal and urging supporters to share it on social media platforms, the Armenian Patriarchate came under vicious attack from Zionist hate-mongers, who falsely accused it of evading taxes for 31 years.

In reality, as a Press TV website investigation revealed, Christian church-owned properties were exempt from property taxes for two centuries until a 2018 decision by the Zionist municipality, approved by Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime, overturned this longstanding policy.

Armenian Quarter in al-Quds, the place of 1,700 years of Armenian history

The Zionist settler-colonial authorities then imposed the so-called Arnona, an annual municipal property tax levied on local residents in the occupied al-Quds.

Without any legal basis, the municipality arbitrarily ruled that the historic 200-year exemption applied only to places of worship, while all other church-owned properties would be subject to retroactive taxation from 1994.

This date was chosen because it marked the signing of an agreement between the Zionist regime and Jordan, recognizing Amman’s custodianship over Muslim holy sites in the Old City—while Tel Aviv remained the occupying power.

Overnight, the municipality’s decision saddled the small Armenian community with a 24-year debt. Under Zionist regime laws, properties weighed down with such heavy debts can be seized and auctioned to cover the outstanding amount.

This aggressive campaign was spearheaded by Nir Barkat, a Likud politician, and then-mayor, who sought to tax so-called “non-religious” church properties for a total of $200 million, even ordering the freezing of their bank accounts.

The Armenian Patriarchate was not alone in its resistance. Other Christian leaders also vehemently opposed the move, going so far as to close the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in protest.

The dispute further strained relations between the Israeli regime and the Holy See, which cited local tax disputes as a key reason for delaying ongoing bilateral negotiations on property and economic matters.

Armenian Christians as the primary target

As the smallest and most vulnerable Christian community in the city, Armenians have been the primary target of the Zionist regime’s apartheid policies. The Armenian Patriarchate emphasizes that no other Christian community has faced such unprecedented and irreversible measures.

Following the municipality’s issuance of a seizure order, the Armenian Patriarch sent a letter to Netanyahu, urging him to intervene and halt the municipality’s actions regarding the tax dispute.

The Patriarchate has challenged the legality of these measures, asserting that no judicial ruling has ever subjected it to such obligations.

The petition asserted that the municipality disregarded the statute of limitations for the period between 1994 and 2018, demanding an exorbitant sum without clearly defining the presumed tax base.

The municipality’s actions have been described as aggressive and particularly unjustified; given that it itself owes the Patriarchate millions of shekels in overdue rental fees.

Armenian Quarter numbers only a few hundred people due to Zionist apartheid policies

Despite this, the Patriarchate has refrained from legal action to recover the debt, instead opting for prolonged negotiations to reach an amicable resolution.

In its statement, the Patriarchate also noted that it has repeatedly attempted to present these arguments to municipal authorities, who have refused to reassess the validity of the debt, despite clear violations of legal deadlines and procedures.

The official responsible for rejecting the review of the debt—because the deadline for objections had passed—is the same individual who originally determined the astronomical debt.

“In other words, the municipal employee is acting as the claimant, judge, and executor of the administrative order, serving the interests of his employer—the municipality,” the statement declared.

The petition is therefore directed against both the municipality and the official in question. A hearing was scheduled for February 24; however, just four days before the date, it was announced that the session had been postponed indefinitely due to weather conditions.

If the petition is rejected, the municipality will be authorized to immediately resume the seizure of properties in order to erase the long history of Armenian Christians in the occupied holy city.

Christian communities’ condemnation

Church representatives in the occupied al-Quds, along with the World Council of Churches (WCC), have expressed their solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate through an official statement.

On February 21, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a declaration condemning the municipality’s “unjust foreclosure order” and calling for “immediate intervention.”

Christian leaders in occupied al-Quds voiced their “great concern” and “steadfast solidarity” with the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate in its fight for justice against what they described as an “unverified and exorbitant” tax debt, denouncing it as “dubious and morally unacceptable.”

“It is inconceivable that Christian institutions, which for centuries have safeguarded the faith, served communities, and preserved the sacred heritage of the Holy Land, should now face the threat of property seizure under Israeli administrative measures that disregard due process,” they stated.

Particularly alarming, they noted, is the municipality’s attempt to enforce the debt determination without judicial review, in open defiance of the committee formed to handle such negotiations.

This “reckless move,” they warned, threatens the Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate, sets a dangerous precedent for other Christian institutions, and undermines religious freedom.

They further explained that seizing these assets would strip both the Armenian Patriarchate and its community of essential economic resources, jeopardizing their ability to sustain their presence and fulfill their pastoral mission.

The statement concluded with a powerful declaration: “The targeting of one Church is an assault on all.” The leaders urged Israeli occupation to immediately intervene, halt all foreclosure proceedings, and ensure the resumption of negotiations.

The WCC, a global Christian inter-church organization representing 352 member churches, echoed this condemnation in a separate statement, denouncing the Israeli actions as “a blatant attack on religious freedom” and “an alarming violation of the historic status quo” governing the Holy Sites of al-Quds.

Other hostile moves against Christians 

The imposition of a fictitious tax debt is just one example of Zionist attempts to appropriate Armenian property and intimidate the Armenian community.

Another significant case is the ongoing multi-year effort to seize the Cows’ Garden, an undeveloped one-hectare section of the Armenian Quarter.

The controversy erupted in 2020 when the Armenian Patriarchate signed a ten-year contract with the local municipality to convert the vacant land into a parking lot for Jewish settlers in the Old City and pilgrims visiting the Western Wall.

Both Armenians and Palestinians staged protests against the lease agreement, voicing concerns over Armenian land ownership. The Patriarchate maintained that the deal was strictly a financial arrangement, not a sale deed.

The following year, the parking lot was opened, and the Patriarchate signed a new contract with Israeli investors from the Dubai-registered Xana Gardens company to lease the land for 99 years and construct a luxury hotel.

This sparked even fiercer protests and led to the uncovering of an internal corruption scandal. By the end of 2023, the Patriarchate canceled the contract, stating that the investors had misled them regarding financial commitments and final development plans.

In response, the Israeli company escalated its efforts to forcibly acquire the land, resorting to lawsuits, threats, and physical intimidation of Armenians.

Since then, the Armenian Christian community has erected temporary guard stations and has been physically safeguarding the disputed land around the clock for months.

Jewish mobs have been recorded attacking Armenians on multiple occasions. Under the protection of Israeli occupation police, the company sent bulldozers to the site, and at one point, the owner arrived in person, openly calling for the expulsion of Armenians.

Zionist extremists frequently vandalize the Armenian Quarter with hate graffiti, including slogans such as “Death to Arabs and their Armenian Friends.” They have also targeted Armenian families with harassment and violence.

Meanwhile, investigations have revealed the company’s ties to the far-right settler movement, which aids Israeli settlers in seizing Muslim and Christian properties across occupied al-Quds.

Armenians and Palestinians fear the long-term consequences of these policies, warning that they will disrupt the demographic balance and further the ongoing Judaization of the Old City.

February 26, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , | 1 Comment

Jerusalem: Jewish man attacks Israeli woman with axe, mistaking her for a Christian

MEMO | February 21, 2025

An Israeli man attacked an Israeli woman with an axe in Jerusalem on Wednesday, mistakenly believing she was Christian, Anadolu reported yesterday, citing Israel’s Channel 13.

According to the media reports, police suspect that the attack, which took place in Jerusalem’s Old City, was motivated by “hatred of Christians”.

Eyewitnesses told the channel that the suspect shouted “Christian” at the victim before violently attacking her inside her home, leaving her with severe injuries.

The suspect then fled the scene.

The woman, who is around 70 years old and resides in the Old City, sustained serious injuries and remains in hospital for treatment, the reports added.

No statement has been issued by Israeli authorities regarding the incident.

In recent years, attacks against Christians in Jerusalem, including clergy members and tourists, have increased. Settlers frequently spit at and verbally abuse priests, while Israeli police have also been seen physically assaulting them.

February 21, 2025 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , | 4 Comments

Israel forcibly removes students and shuts down UNRWA school in occupied Jerusalem

MEMO | February 18, 2025

The Israeli authorities have forcibly removed students and shut down a school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in occupied Jerusalem, Wafa news agency has reported.

The Jerusalem governorate reported that Israeli occupation forces stormed the UNRWA-affiliated Jerusalem Boys’ Elementary School in Wadi Al-Joz district, and ordered staff to close the institution after forcibly removing students.

The move follows an order by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enforce the ban on UNRWA operations in the city. Under the new restrictions, UNRWA activity within “areas under Israeli sovereignty” is now prohibited, including the operation of representative offices and providing services. Israelis are also prohibited from having any contact with the agency. Jerusalem was annexed by the occupation state in the 1980s, in a move which is not recognised by the majority of countries as annexation of territory acquired by force of arms is illegal under international law.

In May 2024, the UNRWA management was forced to close the headquarters under the pressure of attacks by illegal settlers, which reached the point of its buildings being set on fire twice in one week. The Israel Lands Authority announced on 10 October last year the seizure of the land on which the UNRWA headquarters is located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem, and the transformation of the site into an illegal settlement outpost containing 1,440 housing units. All of Israel’s settlements and the settlers who live on them are illegal under international law.

The occupation regime also targeted the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre (KTC), with the Israel Lands Authority issuing a decision on 14 January 2024 demanding that UNRWA vacate it and pay retrospective occupancy fees of 17 million shekels (about $4.76 million), on the pretext of constructing and using buildings without a permit.

UNRWA provides essential services, including humanitarian aid, healthcare and education, to more than 110,000 registered Palestinian refugees in Jerusalem alone. The UN agency operates two refugee camps, Shuafat and Kalandia, in the occupied city.

February 18, 2025 Posted by | Illegal Occupation | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kushner’s Saudi-backed fund doubles stake in firm financing illegal West Bank settlements

The Cradle | January 17, 2025

Affinity Partners, the Saudi-funded hedge firm of President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, received approval from Israeli regulators to double its stake in Phoenix Financial Ltd., which funds the construction of illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.

Bloomberg reported on 17 January that Affinity could buy an additional 4.95 percent stake in the financial services firm at 37.5 shekels ($10.3) a share.

Phoenix’s share price has surged over 50 percent to around 58.5 shekels apiece since mid-July, when Kushner’s Miami-based firm announced the $128.5 million deal to buy its initial 4.95 percent stake, Bloomberg noted.

Kushner has held up the deal as a sign of his company’s confidence in the war-racked country’s economy.

“Investing in Phoenix in July 2024 was a decision rooted in my belief in Israel’s resiliency and the fundamentals of Phoenix’s business,” Kushner said in a statement to Bloomberg.” Six months later, the increased value of our shares, reaffirms my conviction – both in Israel’s strength and the growing promise of Phoenix.”

Kushner founded Affinity, which has other investments in Israel, including a stake in S Shlomo Holdings’s car and credit division, with $2 billion in Saudi funding after leaving his role as senior White House advisor during the first Trump administration.

Kushner established a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) while serving in the White House.

Kushner is the son-in-law of US President-elect Donald Trump and served as his senior White House advisor in his first term. Kushner played a pivotal role in the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and some Arab nations in 2020. Trump is now expected to try bringing Saudi Arabia into the accords.

In addition to receiving backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Kushner raised an additional $1.5 billion from the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based Lunate, bringing its assets under management to $4.6 billion.

Pheonix Financial has financed and insured construction projects throughout Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights.

According to the NGO watchdog Who Profits, Phoenix owns an 80 percent stake in a large shopping mall in an illegal East Jerusalem settlement and stakes in various companies operating throughout other settlements.

Phoenix has also helped finance wind and solar projects in illegal Israeli settlements and provided financial services to the local councils of settlements, including the Beitar Illit and Oranit settlements in the West Bank.

Kushner’s investment in Pheonix comes just days before Trump is set to take office once again.

Israeli settler leaders celebrated Trump’s election and anticipate permitting them to annex the West Bank and greatly expand building settlements for Israeli Jews there.

The Israeli government is also seeking to expand the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

In December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government announced it would invest more than $11 million to “encourage demographic growth” in the Golan, which Israeli forces first occupied in 1967.

Israel moved to expand its illegal occupation of Syrian territory in the Golan immediately after the Syrian government, led by president Bashar al-Assad, was toppled by militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Al-Qaeda affiliate, on 8 December.

January 17, 2025 Posted by | Economics, Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Illegal Occupation, War Crimes | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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