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Ok, so here's yet another reason to send Israel billions of dollars a year... or NOT. I guess Christian bashing is just as popular as Muslim bashing in Israel.
"Palestinians in this Christian village are hoping the new pope can succeed where others have failed — pressing Israel to drop plans to build a stretch of its West Bank separation barrier through their picturesque valley.
Since Vatican properties are affected, residents have appealed to the Roman Catholic Church to use more of its significant influence in the Holy Land to reroute the barrier, even as local Catholic leaders hold a special protest Mass in threatened orchards each week.
The Vatican has called on Israel not to seize the lands, but local Palestinian Catholics want the new pontiff to lean more heavily on Israel.
"We have hope in the new pope, as he is close to the poor and the oppressed," said the Rev. Ibrahim Shomali, the Palestinian priest who has been leading the protests.
Beit Jala is a postcard-pretty Christian town of 16,000 in the overwhelmingly Muslim West Bank. The likeness of the Palestinian patron, Saint George, is carved into building facades. Groceries sell beer and butchers sell pork, items banned under Islamic law. A bowling alley faces an Israeli military base.
Yet the village feels hemmed in. It abuts the biblical town of Bethlehem on one side. On another, barbed wire separates Beit Jala from the Jewish settlement of Har Gilo.
Part of the separation barrier seals in another side, protecting a nearby road used by Jewish settlers. Residents say the planned stretch of construction will close off one of the village's last remaining open spaces.
"They are crowding us inside a ghetto," sighed Issa Khalilieh, whose family lost 12 acres (five hectares) in years of Israeli confiscations, and is poised to lose another three acres (one hectare) to the barrier.
In the Beit Jala area, Israel's Defense Ministry plans to seize some 790 acres (320 hectares) of the Cremisan Valley, said lawyer Ghaith Nasser. Israel's Defense Ministry would not confirm how much land they intend to seize.
Some one-third of the land is Vatican-owned, with a monastery surrounded by pines, playground and vineyard that monks have used to make wine since 1882.
Since January 2012, about two dozen people have gathered in the groves every Friday to pray to save their lands.
Rev. Shomali reminded the congregation that Christians are obligated to help the oppressed.
Since the Billions Israel, Egypt and Jordan get is related to their peace treaties and has nothing to do with these lands by what stretch of your imagination does American dollars have to do with something that is between Italy (Vatican) and Israel?
Since the Billions Israel, Egypt and Jordan get is related to their peace treaties and has nothing to do with these lands by what stretch of your imagination does American dollars have to do with something that is between Italy (Vatican) and Israel?
Exactly, why are we subsidizing the illegal land grab by the Israelis of Palestinian land.
Exactly, why are we subsidizing the illegal land grab by the Israelis of Palestinian land.
Israel gets $0 in economic assistance. Israel does get a $3 Billion gift card that only be spent in the US on Military related items. So how exactly is that a subsidy?
And BTW a France court has ruled that the lands belong to Israel per International Law:
The Court of Appeal of Versailles (PLO c / Alstom and Veolia) concludes that the Israeli occupation is not illegal Here is a study that friends of Israel must be preserved carefully in their archives. France is not neutral in the conflict, and the judgment of the Court is of particular importance. Veolia and Alstom built, following a call for tenders, the Jerusalem tramway through the city to the east, into the territories claimed by the PLO and the Palestinian Authority.
<B>The PLO considers that the State of Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian land and continues an illegal Jewish settlement in the construction of the tram and is itself unlawful.
The legal arguments of the PLO removed one after another
</B>
<B>Organization for the Liberation of Palestine has therefore embarked on a lengthy trial that just ended before the Court of Appeal of Versailles, March 13, 2013, by an overwhelming so inconvenient conclusions were spent hammering totally under silenced by the mainstream media to inform you loaded independently.
The occupation of Palestinian territory is not illegal
</B>
The PLO is based on international law and considers that Israel illegally occupies Palestinian territory and is pursuing an illegal Jewish settlement. The construction of the tram and itself illegal. In support, the PLO alleges infringement of several texts:
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 which states that “the Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”
Article 53, which states that “it is forbidden for an occupying power to destroy the real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, the State or public authorities and social or cooperative organizations except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. “
The PLO added that the construction has caused destruction, virtually removing the 60 vital road for Palestinians and their goods, removal of tracks and paths, and expropriations. There had therefore been a violation of several articles from the Regulations annexed to the Fourth Hague Convention of 18 October 1907:
Article 23 (g) which prohibits “destroy or seize the enemy’s property except where such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war”
Article 27 that “in sieges and bombardments all necessary steps must be taken to spare as far as possible buildings dedicated to religion, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals …”
and Article 46, which states that “private property can not be confiscated.”
Finally, the PLO says Israel violates the provisions relating to “the protection of cultural property” under Article 4 of the Hague Convention of 14 May 1954, Article 27 of the Hague Regulations of 1907, the Article 5 of the Hague Convention IX of 1907 and Article 53 of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions.
<B>Niet! meets the Court of Appeal, without denying the occupation, said Israel was within its rightsbecause “… the authority of the legitimate power having in fact passed into the hands of the occupant, the latter shall take all measures in his power to restore, and ensure, as far as possible, public order and safety, while respecting, unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force in the country “(Article 43 of the 4th Convention The Hague 1907).
The occupation does not violate any international law
</B> And the Court did not stop there … It explains why the occupation of the West Bank by Israel does not violate any international law.
<B>The PLO, explaining that the occupation is illegal, says Israel is violating:
Articles 49-6 and 53 of the Geneva Convention,
Articles 23, 27 and 46 of the Regulations annexed to the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907,
Article 4 of the Hague Convention of 14 May 1954
Article 27 of the Hague Regulations of 1907,
Article 5 of the Convention IX of the 1907 Hague
and Article 53 of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions.
Not at all! meets the Court of Appeal of Versailles , which states that:
First, all of these texts are international acts signed between states and the obligations or prohibitions they contain are addressed to States. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor the PLO are States, none of these texts do not apply to them .
Second, the Court still remember, these texts are addressed to “the Contracting Parties”, ie both parties have signed – and again, neither the PLO nor the AP never signed these documents .
Propaganda does not replace the law
</B>
<B>An irritated anything, the Court also added that the French law … “can not be based solely on the discretion [the PLO] a political or social situation.”
Humanitarian law is not violated either
</B> The PLO, which then tries to hide the humanitarian standards, is once again sent into the ropes by the court, who said that while the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Convention are applicable in French law .
<B>But “the International Court of Justice stated that they (the agreements) contain only obligations on states, and that the right of individuals to rely on was not mentioned” , only the parties contractors are bound by those conventions, and the Hague Convention of 1907 are not applicable because … Jerusalem is not bombed!
The PLO and the Palestinians can not rely on any international texts
</B>
<B>Finally, the Court said, “the conventional international standards” do not give the “Palestinian people shows that the PLO represent the right to plead before a court. “
PLO condemned AFD
</B> The Court of Appeal sentenced the AFPS (Association France Palestine Solidarity) and the PLO to pay 30,000 euros to Alstom, 30,000 euros from Alstom Transport, and 30 000 Veolia Transport.
Oh, so I guess we should be happy with Christians being treated worse in Israel than any NON-Muslim country.
We should be happy that Israel protects it's LGBT citizens, unlike in the Palestinian Territories where they are harassed, persecuted, oppressed, and even killed.
The Catholic church leadership,like most of their American followers/Mary worshippers,are leftists.
Exactly what is your rationale for calling 'Catholic church leadership and their followers' leftist?
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