By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TEL AVIV, Israel — Reports indicate Israel is preparing for massive demonstrations, riots, and shootings by the Palestinians in late September, when the United Nations (UN) is expected to vote on Palestinian statehood.
There is no concrete evidence of any such plans by Israel’s Palestinian population to start any such violent uprisings, but this has not stopped speculation from Israel that such actions are coming.
Israel has maintained the position that it only wants peace, but in the last few weeks, since it became clear of the Palestinian’s intentions to seek statehood from the UN, there have been signs that it is preparing for an uprising. Importing horses from Belgium, amassing tear gas, and organizing militias with trained dogs in the West Bank settlements have been the Israeli response to the Palestinian’s decision to take matters up with the UN.
Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s far right foreign minister has said that the Palestinians were preparing for “bloodshed the likes of which we’ve never seen before.”
Leaked Israeli Defense Force documents reveal expectations that what will start as peaceful protests will become “mass disorder.” They say protests may include “marches towards mass junctions, Israeli communities, and education centres; efforts at damaging symbols of [Israeli] government. Also there may be more extreme cases like shooting from within the demonstrations or even terrorist incidents. In all scenarios, there is readiness to deal with incidents near the fences and the borders of the state of Israel.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the Palestinians are not preparing for war with Israel, but are instead trying to move forward towards their freedom with the multilateral assistance of the UN. “We don’t want to delegitimize Israel. We want to legitimize ourselves,” he said.
Abbas has called for peaceful demonstrations in September to coincide with the Palestinian’s petition for statehood. “I insist on popular resistance and I insist that it be unarmed popular resistance so that nobody misunderstands us,” he told the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s central committee.
Hagit Ofran, of Peace Now, an Israeli organization that monitors settlement activity, has expressed concerns about the IDF’s handling of peaceful protests. “We hope the army is making clear that non-violent protest is legitimate and no settlers should use any violence against unarmed demonstrators.”
The Palestinian leadership is expected to present their petition for admission to the UN during the general assembly meeting that is currently ongoing. Membership to the UN requires Security Council approval, which the U.S. is expected to veto.
It is thus expected that the Palestinians will request an enhanced “non-member state” status, which needs a two-thirds majority in the general assembly. They expect to have a majority by the time of the vote.
For more information, please see:
AFP — UN braces for Palestinian member state bid — 22 Sept. 2011
ABC News — Palestinian Statehood Bid Draws Thousands to West Bank Rally — 21 Sept. 2011
Salon — Defending Jim Crow in Palestine — 21 Sept. 2011
The Guardian — Israeli military arms settlers in preparation for Palestinian protests — 30 Aug. 2011
Ma’an News Agency — Israel police ‘import horses’ to confront protesters — 10 Aug. 2011
Haaretz — Israel Police prep for riots when UN mulls Palestinian independence — 14 June 2011
