Comments (0)Peace Now Head Barred from Knesset
October 30, 2009Jerusalem
JTA Wire Service
The director of Peace Now in Israel has been barred from entering the Knesset.
Yariv Oppenheimer on Monday was barred until further notice by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin after sending three members of his left-wing organization to enter the parliament building posing as students working on a project in order to interview right-wing lawmakers, according to Ha’aretz.
Oppenheimer and Rivlin are set to meet Thursday to discuss the ban.
The three Peace Now activists were arrested Sunday during an interview with National Union lawmaker Michael Ben-Ari. The organization told Ha’aretz it planned to make a film in the style of the Sacha Baron Cohen movie “Borat,” capturing the lawmakers on film making embarrassing remarks and exposing their rightist views.
The previous week the exposed activists had entered the Knesset to interview Danny Danon of the Likud Party and Faina Kirschenbaum of the Yisrael Beiteinu party.
Danon announced plans Monday to introduce legislation that would criminalize the political activities of Peace Now and other organizations that accept funds from foreign governments. Danon has previously called for Peace Now to be stripped of its nonprofit status over its failure to publicize its foreign funding sources.
Five Illegal Homes Razed in Jerusalem
A demolition crew razed five Palestinian homes in eastern Jerusalem.
Tuesday’s demolition by the Jerusalem Municipality of the structures, which were built without permits and were in different neighborhoods, comes amid international calls to stop such actions.
Local residents throwing rocks during the demolition wounded three security officers.
On Wednesday, Israeli police dismantled a tent in eastern Jerusalem in which a Palestinian family evicted from their home in August had been living, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported. The tent in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood was pitched near their former home.
Palestinians to File Lawsuits over Gaza War
Some 1,500 notices of future civil lawsuits against the Israel Defense Forces over damages caused during the Gaza war have been filed in Israel.
The claims by Palestinians in Gaza come to tens of millions of dollars and deal with property and physical damage, as well as loss of earning capacity, Ynet reported Wednesday.
The Israeli and overseas lawyers filing the notices say they will file the lawsuits in Israeli courts.
Israel paid compensation to Palestinians in the West Bank in the wake of the first and second intifadas.
Israel could argue that it is no longer responsible for Gaza in light of the disengagement in 2005 and therefore should not have to pay compensation, a legal source told Ynet.
This story reprinted courtesy of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.