Palestinian Authority Elections

Palestinian Authority Elections
An interim Interim Report by MachsomwWatch — 4.1.05

This is a special Report report about the situation in those checkpoints which are, observed by our MachsomwWatchers in the West Bank, with regard to the upcoming elections in the Palestinian Authority.
MachsomwWatch is an Israeli organization of women whose primary task, for the last four years, has been to be witnesses and to report about the daily violations and harassments of the Palestinian Human Rights in the checkpoints. Our concern, as of now, is how free and fair elections can be held, if Checkpoints checkpoints and the Permit permit System system inside the Palestinian Territoriesy continue to operate, if there is no free movement to ALL Palestinians. Our report compares the various declarations of the Israeli government, military commanders and other officials with the daily reports made by our women Watchers at the checkpoints.
Let us start with a citation from the letter sent by President, George W. Bush to Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon (April 14, 2004):
"Palestinians must undertake a comprehensive and fundamental political reform that includes a strong parliamentary democracy ...The United States will join with others in the international community to foster the development of democratic political institutions and new leadership committed to those institutions, the reconstruction of civic institutions..."

http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng

At the weekly Cabinet meeting of the Israeli government (26.12.04) some declarations were made with regard to PA elections, that declarations which we consider to be central guidelines with respect to the nature of the Israeli involvement in these elections and which, as a consequence, will have crucial impact on the democratic process.

"Regarding the preparations for the upcoming Palestinian Authority (PA) elections, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that the procedures that Israel and the Palestinians have agreed on are identical to those which were agreed to and applied during the 1996 elections."

"The government of Israel attaches great importance to the holding of proper elections...The international community attaches maximum importance to the elections and has requested that the sState of Israel do its utmost to support, assist and assure the holding of fair and effective PA elections...the sState of Israel is interested that it not be seen as having worked to impede or wreck an effective electoral
process."

"The IDF and the security forces will take the necessary steps to enable the holding of free elections."

"Procedures will be determined for removing checkpoints in defined locales."

"On Election Day, seam zone crossings will be open around the clock."

"Freedom of movement and transit will be allowed for those involved in the elections: Candidates, activists and campaigners."

http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng

We certainly share the view of the importance of these elections, and that it is in the best interests of Israel to have a democratic state as its neighbour; however we cannot ignore the fact that, what is supposed to be the essence of the democratic process -free and fair elections- is done carried out under harsh occupation, while the Israeli army and security forces are within sight.
We would have been content had these elections really been identical to those of 1996 with no military forces and no checkpoints, but we are skeptic sceptical because of what seems to be an inherent "double talk": Tthe changes on the ground are so substantial to the extent that it is hard to conceive of anything identical to the 1996 elections.
Finally we have some great concerns with regard to two of the above statements, which refer to the freedom of movement:
1) The Israeli government refrains from any explicit obligation to remove Ccheckpoints before and during the elections.
2) The last statement about "freedom of movement and transit" is self contradictory, since it refers to "those involved in the elections", yet it ignores the majority of them, namely: THE VOTERS.

In the light of these declarations of by the Israeli Prime Minister, we wish to share with you our latest reports from the checkpoints. But let us begin with some basic data about the various means used by the Israeli government as a matter of routine to prohibit Ffree Mmovement in the West Bank.

There are currently 61 manned checkpoints in the West Bank that limit Palestinian freedom of movement. There are 102 concrete roadblocks obstructing vehicle access to and from Palestinian villages as well as 61 trenches, 48 iron road gates, 28 earth walls and 374 earth mounds that preclude any possibility of travel from one place to another.
[According to Closure Summary, November 2004, UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs,

http://www.ochaopt.org
In addition to the above, some 310,000 people in the area around Nablus have been living in siege conditions for an extended period of time.
The IDF prevents Palestinian men between the ages of 16 and 35, [at times between the ages of 14 and 25], from crossing internal checkpoints in the neighbourhood of their homes.
The IDF does not allow hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, arbitrarily declared as security risks, to pass through the checkpoints.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are denied passage in and out of the Seam Zone, [areas between the Green Line and the Barrier] where their fields and homes are located.
Palestinians are prohibited from travelling in their private cars within the West Bank and are travelling mainly by Israeli authorizsed public transportation and only on certain unrestricted roads.
An unknown number of Flying Checkpoints in unrestricted roads prohibit Palestinian movement day and night.

Machsomwatch Reports - 23.12.2004 - 30.12.2004
http://www.machsomwatch.org

Hauwwara, Irtach CP, 23.12.04

“The Israeli DCLO of Nablus, [District Co-ordination & Liaison Office], in charge of issuing Permits of Movement for Palestinians living in this Area, will be closed completely as of the 24.12.04 for three months. This is according to Raed Mansour, the commander of the DCLO, who specified that they want to modernizse the DCLO for the benefit of the Palestinians. We met there people who came to pick up their Magnetic Card , but were rejected , since by a new instruction the DCLO is closed Thursdays as well as Fridays and Saturdays. It was said that only humanitarian cases were being taken care of. We argued and eventually there came an officer came, who issued the card on the spot. Then we asked what the people will people do when the DCLO is closed. Raed M. said that they’ll have to go to the DCLO in Qalqilya..."
This of course is impossible as Palestinians from the Nablus area, who wish to get permits in Qalqilya, would have to present permits at the checkpoints on their way to the Qalqilya DCOL.
Closing the Nablus DCLO means that the whole population of the area, about 310,000 people have no means of getting any permit of Mmovement whatsoever, let alone special permits for the Eelections....

Qalandiya CP , 27.12.04
"...One soldier checked and sent any boy over sixteen, even schoolboys to the men’s line..."

Abu- Dis, Sawahrea (the Container in Wadi Naar) CP, 27.12.04
"...There was a very long line...to Bethlehem. One could not see the end of the line from the CP...Private cars need Permit."

Abu-Dis , Sawahrea (the Container in Wadi Naar) CP, 28.12.04
"...On our arrival , seventeen cars were in line and about a hundred people were standing jammed in line...from time to time the soldiers rearranged the line shouting: "Backwards! Backwards!"..."

Beit Ibba CP, 28.12.04(am)
"...Two men with Permits on their way to the near by village , QusinKuchin...they have 3000 shekels worth of vegetables in the car...passage is impossible...since the car, although it has a permit, it is not registered in this CP... an hour later they manage to pass..."

Beit Ibba CP, 28.12.04 (pm)
"...There is no line at the entrance to Nablus...the Palestinians do not understand how come they can pass without their IDs being checked...There are about thirty detainees from the village Asira. There is a command by the SHABAK (Israeli Intelligence General State SecurityService - GSS)...that all inhabitants of Asira be detained for special checking..."

Huwwarra CP-South and North, 28.12.04 (am)
[text is missing]
The Jit Junction
"...About forty cars from Nablus are waiting in line. The passengers of the Bus are being checked slowly in the middle of the road."
Huuwwwarra CP
“..The commander of the CP says there are new instructions - all Palestinians can enter into Nablus without Permits, but they are not allowed to exit Nablus without them...”
"...A car with a Permit and its two passengers, one of whom with a sick baby, are detained as suspects by order of the CP commander...for more than an hour. It was not clear why..."

Huwwara CP, 28.12.04 (pm)
"...A flying CP. Fifty cars are waiting in line, all being checked."

Jubara CP, 28.12.04
"A farmer complains that he and other farmers are forced by the police to make a long detour, in order to transport their vegetables in time for the market in Tulkarem."

Beit Ibba CP, 29.12.04
"When we arrived we found three detainees. All were Taxi drivers, who crossed “the line”...Their ID cards were being checked but actually, they were being punished even according to the DCLO representative. We told him that it was illegal and we showed him a letter by the International Department of the Military Advocate General from 12.10.03 about punishments in CP. He was surprised, and explained that are the instructions given to CP commanders are these: The CP commander is authorized to detain anyone that he decides is suspicious, or for other reasons, for an hour...and (with special authorization) up to four hours. The drivers were released two hours later...The problem in Beit Ibba is harsh for the taxis...because they are not allowed to go any further than this “line”, which is behind the bus stop...So they have little chance to get clients, coming from the other side of the CP, [unless they do cross the line)]..."
According to the soldiers, in spite of some changes to ease the passage , boys and men , ages 14-24, still need Special Permits to enter Nablus(SP)...Cars and Buses need SP as well.

As to new instructions with regard to the elections, the soldiers said that people who are involved with the elections get SPs...Candidates, their representatives and their security guards unarmed, also it includes vehicles with propaganda materials and equipment for the elections- all need SP..."
If the Nablus DCLO is closed they have no way of getting these Permits.
Tulkarm -
Irtach CP, 29.12.04
"The soldiers arrive at the CP at 5:30 am, they open the gate only at day light...an hour later. When we arrived, there were four lines of about eighty workers, who passed quickly. The atmosphere was quiet and efficient, in spite of the "Raising the Shirt Method" while being checked..."

Abu-Dis, Sawahrea (the Container in Wadi Naar) CP, 29.12.04
"...A taxi was coming from the south and was checked by a DOG . The driver and two passengers were detained .The other passengers were, rather angrily, looking for another taxi ...The taxi was checked by the DOG very thoroughly...in the end it was left to the driver with all the doors open...The driver wasis frightened by the DOG..."

INTERIM CONCLUSION

Less than a week before the elections, it is evident that there are no changes on the ground.
No new instructions, with regard to the elections, have been issued by the IDF to the soldiers in the checkpoints.
The system of permits and checkpoints remains a dominant factor, which infringes on the basic human right of Freedom of Movement, as much as it threatens to render the Electoral Process null and void.

This is an interim Rreport. After the elections we shall issue a comprehensive Rreport. .
It will focuse on the Electoral Election Day, viewed from our special perspective: The Freedom of Movement..

For further information pls. call Tsilli Goldenberg, 00972 - [0]2 - 5662493
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SEND OUR PREWRITTEN LETTER NOW OR, WRITE YOUR OWN:
http://www.cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm
*********************************
Citizens for Fair Legislation
For Immediate Release
January 4, 2005
********************************
CFL ALERT: U.S. MUST PRESSURE ISRAEL TO ALLOW PALESTINIANS UNRESTRICTED
ACCESS TO THE POLLS AND TO ALLOW PALESTINIAN CANDIDATES FREEDOM OF
MOVEMENT TO CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVELY.

Take a moment to write to your elected officials asking them to
pressure the Israeli Government to allow unrestricted movement for
Palestinian candidates to campaign in the upcoming elections. Tell your
representatives that Israel must allow all Palestinian political
prisoners to participate in the elections and that anything less than
full participation by Palestinian activists is undemocratic.

TALKING POINTS
*Israel guaranteed the U.S. it would ensure freedom of movement forall
Palestinian candidates, yet Palestinian Peace Activist Mustafa
Barghouti has been arrested and beaten repeatedly while campaigning in
East Jerusalem; Sayyed Baraka and Abdelkarim Shubeir have yet to
receive permission from Israel to leave the Gaza Strip to campaign in
the West Bank.

*Israel is not creating conditions conducive to ensuring fair elections
as the Israeli Occupation Forces have increased attacks against
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip killing many Palestinian civilians
including a 17 year-old girl this weekend.

*Tell your representatives that the decision to bar Palestinian
political prisoners from voting is hypocritical because Israeli
murderers, rapists and organized crime heads are still allowed to
participate in all Israeli elections and there is nothing in either
Israeli or Palestinian legal code that bars prisoners from voting in
elections.

*Tell your representatives that you are appalled by the obstacles
Israel is putting in place to prevent Palestinians from voting. The
Israeli government has said that it will only allow a few thousand
Palestinians to vote in East Jerusalem and that more than 100,000 will
have to leave the city in order to participate in the elections.

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FROM THE DROP DOWN BAR) [After you enter your contact info the
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