Palestinian village waits 30 years for electricity, gets it, Israel confiscates it

[K1052]

The residents of this dirt-poor Palestinian village waited decades for electricity. But in November, a Dutch-funded solar project finally gave them round-the-clock power to refrigerate food or do a load of laundry.

That ended last week when Israeli military administrators in the West Bank sent soldiers with assault rifles and a team of workers to shut down the $400,000 project, ripping out its electrical components and driving away with 96 solar panels, some of them broken, villagers said.

Israeli officials called the construction illegal, but the builders contested the charge, saying they are providing desperately needed humanitarian aid that is required under international law.

“It was a disaster. We are all in mourning,” said Fadia al-Wahsh, head of the local women’s committee, hours after the soldiers left, as villagers discussed how to save food and medicine from the stifling summer heat.

The confiscation was the latest round of a widening conflict between European donorsand the Israeli government over projects that benefit Palestinians in Area C, about 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon declined to comment in a text exchange but referred questions to Israel’s military Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, known as COGAT. A spokesman for COGAT said in an email that the solar and electric panels were installed without the necessary permits.

COGAT said the parties involved could “file a request for releasing the equipment as long as the organization will promise that the illegal construction will not be established without the necessary permits again.”

The incident illustrates a Catch-22 in the West Bank: For years, Israel has denies most permit requests for Palestinian construction in Area C. But if Palestinians build homes or other structures without permits, Israeli authorities say the structures are subject to demolition because they lack permits.

The European Union said in a recent report that there has been an “exceptional upsurge” in seizures or demolitions of European-funded projects by the Israeli government, which faces pressure from Israeli settlers to shut them down.

The report said Israeli forces have seized or demolished 117 European-funded humanitarian projects for Palestinians from September through February — latrines, animal shelters, agricultural projects and emergency shelters for families displaced by Israeli home demolitions.

A May U.N. report said Israeli authorities reportedly rejected permits for 391 of the 428 requests for building in Palestinian communities in Area C in the first half of 2016, the most current figures available.

Most of the permits approved were reportedly issued by Israeli authorities to transfer Bedouin populations, the United Nations said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...f34fc1d9d39_story.html?utm_term=.27341c057ccb

Even in the fucked up situation over there this is pretty messed up stuff. Israel builds illegal settlements without consequences but somehow this is a real problem for them. It's still kind of hard to fathom why US support for Israel is so uniquely, and almost totally, unconditional and has been through a number of administrations.

 

[senseamp]

Not surprising.

 

[Jhhnn]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...f34fc1d9d39_story.html?utm_term=.27341c057ccb

Even in the fucked up situation over there this is pretty messed up stuff. Israel builds illegal settlements without consequences but somehow this is a real problem for them. It's still kind of hard to fathom why US support for Israel is so uniquely, and almost totally, unconditional and has been through a number of administrations.

Installed without the necessary (& impossible to obtain) permits...

Bibi & the settlers intend to take it all. It's slow motion lebensraum.

 

[FIVR]

South Africa needed a friend, and the US was there to help. We're always there for the worst regimes on earth, like some kind of satanic Alibaba Corporation. The only reason we aren't BFFs with Iran is because they refused to allow us full control of their regime through the Shah.


America only pays lip service to human rights, but has in the past always been able to convince the world that we had good intentions. Now that our president is a retard that can't deceive the world as to our true motives, people are waking up.

 

[Flapdrol1337]

As long as Israel serves the US military interest they'll let Israel get away with almost anything.

They even attacked a US ship to try and cover up the fact they started the six day war, no problem.

 

[zinfamous]

God's people get God's electricity. What's the problem?

 

[sandorski]

It's ok guys, it's not Apartheid and the Bible says some shit, so there's no problem here.

 

[SlowSpyder]

It's ok guys, it's not Apartheid and the Bible says some shit, so there's no problem here.

That's exactly the problem. Most of Israel's backers think they are divinely inspired. To them it isn't about right or wrong in a worldly sense, Israel can do whatever they want to Palestine because god says that's fine. Religion is poison.

 

[emperus]

Wrong thread

 

[UNCjigga]

It was just a matter of time before Hamas figured out how to enrich those solar cells to weapons-grade...Right???

 

[Roflmouth]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...f34fc1d9d39_story.html?utm_term=.27341c057ccb

Even in the fucked up situation over there this is pretty messed up stuff. Israel builds illegal settlements without consequences but somehow this is a real problem for them. It's still kind of hard to fathom why US support for Israel is so uniquely, and almost totally, unconditional and has been through a number of administrations.

When Palestinians stop blowing themselves up every five minutes, maybe we'll take the concerns of their fake country into consideration

 

[Blackjack200]

It's still kind of hard to fathom why US support for Israel is so uniquely, and almost totally, unconditional and has been through a number of administrations.

I don't think it's hard to fathom at all. The United States is tacitly endorsing the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and the brutal oppression of an indigenous people. We've done that many times before.

 

[Jaskalas]

A big thing I never knew until ~4-5 years back, is that much of this invasive abuse of the Palestinians is happening in the West Bank... on what should be the Palestinian side of the "border". That there is not a clearly respected border is a huge problem.

 

[Meghan54]

The Israelis treat the Palestinians just like the U.S. has and does treat its Native American population. Probably one reason why we kinda accept this crap...we've shown them how.

 

[Jhhnn]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...f34fc1d9d39_story.html?utm_term=.27341c057ccb

Even in the fucked up situation over there this is pretty messed up stuff. Israel builds illegal settlements without consequences but somehow this is a real problem for them. It's still kind of hard to fathom why US support for Israel is so uniquely, and almost totally, unconditional and has been through a number of administrations.

It's a self imposed guilt trip over the holocaust.

Imagine that the Israelis aren't Jewish...

 

[xthetenth]

It's a self imposed guilt trip over the holocaust.

Imagine that the Israelis aren't Jewish...

Honestly that would probably bolster their support from some people who already support them.

 

[Jhhnn]

A big thing I never knew until ~4-5 years back, is that much of this invasive abuse of the Palestinians is happening in the West Bank... on what should be the Palestinian side of the "border". That there is not a clearly respected border is a huge problem.

It's just the way Bibi likes it. The only border he recognizes for the West Bank is the Jordan river.

I mean, he can declare Peace any time he wants.

 

[Jhhnn]

The Israelis treat the Palestinians just like the U.S. has and does treat its Native American population. Probably one reason why we kinda accept this crap...we've shown them how.

That was a rather long time ago. It's not we have checkpoints for Indian reservations... or build giant walls to keep them in...

 

[Blackjack200]

That was a rather long time ago. It's not we have checkpoints for Indian reservations... or build giant walls to keep them in...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_Rock_Indian_Reservation

 

[woolfe9998]

That was a rather long time ago. It's not we have checkpoints for Indian reservations... or build giant walls to keep them in...

Yeah, we don't build walls around those reservations. I must have missed it when native Americans conducted 155 suicide bombings killing over 1000 American citizens. How generous of us not to build a wall with all that going on...

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Yeah, we don't build walls around those reservations. I must have missed it when native Americans conducted 155 suicide bombings killing over 1000 American citizens. How generous of us not to build a wall with all that going on...

The natives did fight back a while, and the invaders did massacre most of them before putting them in those reservations.

Just like Israel kills lots more Palestinians than the other way around and if the Palestinians call a cease fire the Israelis continue bombing as long as needed until one Palestinian throws a stone again, at which point they'll claim that it was the Palestinians that attacked first again.

If a Palestinian (or a foreign person) does something against an Israeli they kill him and often also kill his family in a 'precision strike' (if it's an Israeli doing the killing they'll blame a Palestinian first most of the time). If it's an Israeli killing a Palestinian at best they'll get a slap on the wrist, and only if there's evidence leaked to foreign media.

Israel is a fascist regime that uses Nazi Germany as a proof of concept as to what works and what doesn't. They know that genocide is frowned upon by the US if the media finds out, so they instead use an Apartheid regime where only Israeli Jews that support the regime have rights. If you speak out against the settlements, even if you are an Israeli Jew, you can get kicked out of the country.
If you say anything that isn't pro-Israel they call you anti-semetic, and claim you want to kill all Jews.

I doubt Bibi and his friends are even the slightest bit religious, they just use the 'God's Chosen People' stuff as that works well with their fascist ideas of them being ubermenschen.

 

[Roflmouth]

The natives did fight back a while, and the invaders did massacre most of them before putting them in those reservations.

Just like Israel kills lots more Palestinians than the other way around and if the Palestinians call a cease fire the Israelis continue bombing as long as needed until one Palestinian throws a stone again, at which point they'll claim that it was the Palestinians that attacked first again.

If a Palestinian (or a foreign person) does something against an Israeli they kill him and often also kill his family in a 'precision strike' (if it's an Israeli doing the killing they'll blame a Palestinian first most of the time). If it's an Israeli killing a Palestinian at best they'll get a slap on the wrist, and only if there's evidence leaked to foreign media.

Israel is a fascist regime that uses Nazi Germany as a proof of concept as to what works and what doesn't. They know that genocide is frowned upon by the US if the media finds out, so they instead use an Apartheid regime where only Israeli Jews that support the regime have rights. If you speak out against the settlements, even if you are an Israeli Jew, you can get kicked out of the country.
If you say anything that isn't pro-Israel they call you anti-semetic, and claim you want to kill all Jews.

I doubt Bibi and his friends are even the slightest bit religious, they just use the 'God's Chosen People' stuff as that works well with their fascist ideas of them being ubermenschen.

It really pisses you Islamaphiles off that Israel shits on Muslim terrorists, huh? Continue sobbing

 

[Flapdrol1337]

When Palestinians stop blowing themselves up every five minutes, maybe we'll take the concerns of their fake country into consideration

It really pisses you Islamaphiles off that Israel shits on Muslim terrorists, huh? Continue sobbing

You don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

[mikeymikec]

You don't have a clue what you're talking about.

I suspect roflmouth's grasp of the Israel-Palestine situation would be on par with Baldrick's summary of WW1:

Baldrick: I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry.
Edmund: I think you mean it started when the Archduke of Austro-Hungary got shot.
Baldrick: Nah, there was definitely an ostrich involved, sir.

 

[J.Wilkins]

First of all, this idea that Israel has instituted apartheid and the complete and total ignorance of all history that has created this situation is just hyperbole from idiots.

Second, the settlements need to go and the Palestinians need to recognize Israel. Until those things happen there isn't much to discuss.

Third, try to keep the Gaza and the West Bank situations separate because they are completely different and under different leadership.

You want to talk about apartheid? Look no further than Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria. Compare how they treat Palestinians compared to how Israel treats Palestinians.