Treatment of East Jerusalem Palestinians: Profile of Israeli Viciousness

by Stephen Lendman

Longstanding Israeli policy leaves East Jerusalem Palestinians deeply impoverished, viciously persecuted and denied fundamental rights everyone deserves.

A mid-May Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) report on East Jerusalem "paints a (disturbing) picture of persistent neglect and increasing (Israeli) violence," the organization said.

Palestinians constitute 37% of East Jerusalem's population. They number over 300,000.

Israel's apartheid wall separates one-fourth of East Jerusalem Palestinians from the rest of the city. They lack basic services and infrastructure Israel refuses to provide.

East Jerusalem Palestinians are permanent residents, not citizens on their own land in their own country.

Three-fourths are impoverished - including 84% of Palestinian children. Only 41% of Palestinian youths are enrolled in official municipal high schools.

A 1,000 classroom shortage exists. Over 40% of existing ones are woefully inadequate.

In 2014, 98 Palestinian homes and other structures were demolished. Over 200 Palestinians lost their homes.

Palestinians are prohibited from building on their own land without near impossible to get permit permission.

Less than two-thirds of Palestinian households are connected to Hagihon Corporation's water infrastructure (Jerusalem's water and wastewater company).

A 30 km sewage pipe shortage exists. Hagihon plans an additional 8.2 km in 2015 - whether fulfilled remains to be seen.

Streets of entire neighborhoods remain unnamed and unserved. Only 7% of postal workers provide services to Palestinian communities.

Only six infant healthcare facilities serve the entire Palestinian population - compared to 26 in Israeli neighborhoods.

Palestinians in communities cut off from the rest of the city endure checkpoint persecution, severe neglect, a severe shortage of vital services and infrastructure, and persistent denial of requests for help.

Residency for over 300,000 East Jerusalemites is conditional. Since 1967, over 14,400 revocations were issued - preventing affected Palestinians from living in the place of their birth.

In June 1967, Israel illegally annexed East Jerusalem in contravention of international law. It prohibits countries from taking possession of occupied territories.

As residents, Palestinians are denied rights citizens get. Discriminatory policies cause enormous harm.

Permanent residency status isn't fixed. Palestinians have to repeatedly prove they didn't leave Jerusalem for an extended time and have to show the center of their lives is in Israel. Otherwise they risk losing residency status and face forced displacement.

The great majority of impoverished Palestinians needing welfare services don't get it. Since 1967, Israel stole over 26,000 dunams (about six and half thousand acres) of private Palestinian land for exclusive Jewish development.

Help for Palestinian neighborhoods is entirely lacking. Projects undertaken harm them. A massive planned landfill will dispose of toxic and other waste close to Palestinian communities. Environmental damage and harm to human health will follow.

City Palestinian water consumption per capita yearly is a woefully inadequate 20 cubic meters - compared 70 -100 cubic meters for Jews.

The World Health Organization says minimal water consumption required for adequate health and hygiene is at least 36.5 cubic meters per capita annually.

In summer 2014, city violence erupted in response to vicious police state persecution. Deaths and injuries followed.

So did nearly 1,200 Palestinian arrests - for public disorder, stone throwing, participating in public protests and other Israeli charges.

Its security force responses to legitimate Palestinian grievances are brute force and other repressive tactics.

Last summer, ACRI got testimonies of severe police violence - intended to crush legitimate Palestinian resistance to oppressive Israeli policies.

In some cases, injuries resulted requiring hospitalization - prolonged for victims severely harmed.

A July 2014 media aired video showed security forces brutally beating a handcuffed Palestinian teenager lying helpless on the ground. Minors under age 12 are brutalized - some aged 10 or younger.

Skunk water spraying is commonplace. It's an extremely foul-smelling toxic liquid used to disperse protests.

It's aimed directly at participants, harms bystanders, sticks to houses, cars and asphalt and leaves a foul smell for weeks in neighborhoods where used.

It's one of many repressive Israeli tactics. Others include rocket-propelled grenades, stun grenades, beatings, rubber-coated steel bullets and live fire.

"What's next," ACRI asked? For nearly five decades East Jerusalemite Palestinians have been viciously persecuted and denied fundamental rights everyone deserves.

Israel's new coalition regime is its most extremist ever - comprised of degenerate hate-mongering belligerent racists.

Expect no relief in sight for Palestinians treated like enemies of the state instead of nonthreatening human beings deserving the same rights and privileges as Jews.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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