Latest news with #Barghouti
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Government and EU urged to demand that Israel drop travel ban on Omar Barghouti
Filmmaker Ken Loach is among those who have signed an open letter calling on the Government and the EU to intervene against Israel's decision not to allow a renowned Palestinian human rights defender travel to Ireland. Academics, politicians, and campaigners have condemned a de-facto travel ban being enforced by the Israeli government on Omar Barghouti, who is a Gandhi Peace Award recipient. Mr Barghouti has been invited to speak at the Robert Tressell Festival in Dublin alongside US politician and activist Bernie Sanders. The open letter states that Mr Barghouti has been 'a strong and serious advocate for peaceful forms of resistance to the regime of illegal occupation and apartheid in Palestine' and has 'always sought freedom, justice and equality, including the UN-stipulated, universal rights of refugees applying also to Palestinians'. US Senator Bernie Sanders is one of the international guests speaking at the Robert Tressell Festival in Dublin on May 24. File picture 'Whether one agrees with the tactics of the boycott, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian rights that he has co-founded or not is immaterial to the belief that he should be allowed to freely express his views, to freely travel and return to his country, and to be able to meet with other progressive politicians, activists and trade unionists, including at the Robert Tressell Festival in Dublin on May 24,' the letter states. UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor has previously called on 'all EU states' including Ireland to challenge Israel's refusal to provide travel documents to the activist. Signatories of the letter state: We demand that his right to travel is respected and echo UNSR Lawlor's call on the Irish Government and wider EU to challenge Israel's refusal to respect his right to freedom of movement by renewing his travel document. 'We need to ensure this voice for peace with justice can be heard in person in Liberty Hall at the Robert Tressell Festival on Saturday, May 24.' However, it adds that the denial of the right to travel is a much lesser crime than the many others currently being committed against the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. The letter states that crimes Israel is committing against the Palestinian people are only possible with international complicity. 'Omar has been a leading voice speaking against that for years. "All states who say they support human rights defenders should be calling for his freedom of movement to be respected.'
France 24
08-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Netanyahu behind Trump's 'ethnic cleansing' plan for Gaza: PNI leader Barghouti
11:56 In an interview with FRANCE 24, Palestinian National Initiative President Mustafa Barghouti sharply criticizes Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government, describing them as fascist and accusing them of attempting to resolve the issue of occupation by deepening it—actions he argues are in clear violation of international law. According to Barghouti, Israel is subjecting Palestinians to conditions akin to a concentration camp, forcing them to live under extreme hardship with the intent of driving them to leave. He accuses Israel of committing three grave war crimes simultaneously: genocide, collective punishment through starvation, and the ethnic cleansing of Gaza's population. Barghouti also called US President Trump's recent comments on Gaza "unrealistic", suggesting they reflect Netanyahu's long-standing strategy of ethnic cleansing. "The fact that President Trump advocated ethnic cleansing as a solution gave legitimacy to Netanyahu", he said, adding that Netanyahu was behind Trump's plan. For Barghouti, the struggle is ultimately about Palestinian self-determination and resisting a return to a colonial system of control.
Irish Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti prevented from travelling to speak at Dublin festival
UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor has called on 'all EU states' including Ireland to challenge Israel 's refusal to provide travel documents to Palestinian activist due to speak in Dublin this month. Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, is due to speak at the Robert Tressell festival in Liberty Hall on May 24th. The festival, named after the Irish author of The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists, is also due to hear from US Senator Bernie Saunders and British trade unionist Mick Lynch. Mr Barghouti remains in Israel however unable to leave as authorities have failed to renew his travel documents, in apparent contravention of a 2017 order by Haifa District Court that his documents must be renewed annually. READ MORE Though a permanent resident of Israel Mr Barghouti is based in Amsterdam where is completing a Phd. He is legally required to renew his documents each year and to return to Israel to do so. [ Israeli strikes on Syria hit area near presidential palace in Damascus Opens in new window ] He travelled from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv on March 25th to renew documents which expired in April 9th, and visit family in Acre, planning to return to Europe on April 12th. Despite repeated visits to the relevant authority, however, his documents have not been renewed. Mr Barghouti, co-recipient of the 2017 Ghandi peace award, told The Irish Times on Thursday: 'Apartheid Israel is punishing me yet again with this de facto travel ban to intimidate me into silence about its genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza – the world's first live-streamed genocide. 'As a Palestinian human rights defender for over four decades, I worry about my safety, of course, but I do not get bullied or deterred easily. They cannot stop me from advocating for ending the genocide and dismantling apartheid.' Asked about missing the Robert Tressell festival, he said it was 'very important' to him that he should attend. 'I am being denied a right to participate. It is my right. It is not a charitable act they give me.' Asked if the Irish Government could intervene, he said: 'I expect a lot from the Irish Government but not on my case. I would not want them to worry about me, if they could just end their complicity with Israel – all the planes flying though Shannon and so on.' Ms Lawlor said on Mr Barghouti: 'Of course he should be allowed to travel. The question is why are Israel preventing him from doing so? 'He is a human rights defender. The human rights violations that Israel is committing on this massive scale against the Palestinians are only possible with international complicity. 'Omar has been one of the lead voices speaking against that for years. All states who say they support human rights defenders, and all EU States say they do, should be calling for his freedom of movement to be respected.' Ethel Buckley, deputy general secretary of Siptu said the union was 'very concerned about the refusal of the Israeli authorities to provide the visa documents required to allow Omar Barghouti to travel to Ireland to attend an event in Liberty Hall this month. 'Omar is a prominent human rights and peace activist and has been a regular participant at SIPTU conferences over recent years. He is widely respected for his work as co-founder of the BDS campaign. 'He has been a key spokesperson globally on behalf of the people of Palestine and particularly in opposition to the ongoing and genocidal war on Gaza.' The Department of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment. The Israel embassy in Dublin has been contacted for comment.
Middle East Eye
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
West Bank: Israeli settlers abduct and assault two Palestinians
Armed Israeli settlers abducted two Palestinian men for several hours on Saturday, subjecting them to severe beatings before releasing them late at night. The two men, Adnan Amiriya and Muhammad Amiriya, were seized during a settler raid on their home town of Kober, near Ramallah. During the attack, settlers also stormed homes, assaulted women and forcibly took Adnan and Muhammad, stripping them of their shirts, handcuffing and blindfolding them, Kober's mayor, Shawkat Barghouti, told Middle East Eye. The men were taken to an unknown location and remained missing for hours. They were eventually released late at night, far from the town, after being severely beaten, Barghouti said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Both men were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. This is the third time settlers have abducted young men from Kober, according to Barghouti. On the previous two occasions, the victims were released after days of detention and abuse in remote locations far from the town. 'About a month and a half ago, settlers took control of a hill on the town's southwestern side,' he said. 'Since then, they've been attacking homes and targeting nomadic communities in an attempt to seize more land.' 'They're trying to steal the land and seize everything. They're barbaric and' - Shadi Tarwa, Palestinian grandfather Meanwhile, a group of Israeli settlers continue to gather at a newly established outpost on land belonging to the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, under the protection of the Israeli army. Earlier this week, soldiers killed a Palestinian by suffocation after firing tear gas at him while he was defending his land. Another man was critically injured and remains in the hospital. On Saturday evening, settlers launched a second attack that day on al-Auja waterfall community, north of Jericho. Hassan Malihat, director of Al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, said settlers photographed Palestinian residents and their homes, hurled insults at them, and earlier in the day, cut water lines supplying drinking water to the community. 'These provocative actions are part of a broader strategy to forcibly displace residents from their land,' Malihat told MEE. 'It's a systematic escalation aimed at emptying the Palestinian Jordan Valley of its indigenous population.' Grandfather and children attacked Elsewhere, settlers wounded four members of the same Palestinian family north of Hebron on Saturday during a fresh assault. Shadi Tarwa was heading with his family to work on their land in Wadi Sair when they were ambushed by 10 armed settlers. "Without warning, they started throwing large stones at us," Tarwa told Middle East Eye. "I was trying to protect my grandchildren, aged two and four, and was hit in the head because I used my hands to shield them. We jumped into the car and miraculously escaped." The attack left Tarwa, his son, wife and pregnant daughter-in-law with head injuries. Their vehicle was also stoned and its windows shattered. Blood from the injured splattered on to the children's clothes as they cried and screamed in fear. Israeli settlers kidnap two Palestinian children, tie them to a tree Read More » Despite the violence, settlers remained in the area after the family fled, blocking the road by throwing stones to prevent other Palestinian vehicles from passing. According to Tarwa, this was not the first time his family had been targeted by settlers and Israeli forces. "They're trying to steal the land and seize everything. They're barbaric and savage. They don't care about anyone and face no consequences," he said. The family eventually reached their home town of Wadi Sair before being transferred to a government hospital in Hebron, where doctors confirmed they had sustained severe head injuries. Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has surged since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023. According to the United Nations, 2024 has seen the highest levels of settler violence since the UN began tracking such incidents. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) recorded 1,400 incidents in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, including physical assaults, arson, raids on Palestinian communities and the destruction of fruit trees - averaging nearly four incidents per day, resulting in injuries, fatalities or damage to property. Data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission shows that settlers killed at least seven Palestinians during the first half of 2024. Over the past year, approximately 4,700 Palestinians have been internally displaced across the West Bank, with 12 percent citing settler violence and access restrictions as the primary cause, according to Ocha.
Middle East Eye
26-04-2025
- Middle East Eye
Israeli guards torturing Palestinian prisoner Abdullah Barghouti, family says
Prominent Palestinian prisoner Abdullah Barghouti has endured ongoing severe physical abuse at the hands of Israeli prison guards, according to his family. Barghouti, who also holds Jordanian citizenship, has been detained since 2003 and has faced harsh conditions throughout his incarceration. However, his family reports that the abuse has intensified since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023. Barghouti, a member of Hamas' armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is serving the longest prison sentence in Israeli custody, having been sentenced to 67 life terms for masterminding bombings that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Israelis. He has remained one of the key figures Israel has refused to release in prisoner exchange talks with Hamas. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Friday, his daughter, Tala Barghouti, posted on Facebook, revealing the 'horrific' daily abuse her father is subjected to. She described how, after other prisoners were removed from his cell, Barghouti was tortured for hours using brutal methods, including iron rods and belts. She shared that the beatings left severe physical marks on his body, causing multiple fractures, excruciating pain and an inability to stand or move. 'The lawyer left the visit with tears in her eyes, unable to convey the shock and anguish she witnessed' - Tala Barghouti, Abdullah Barghouti's daughter "The lawyer left the visit with tears in her eyes, unable to convey the shock and anguish she witnessed. It encapsulated the daily torment of a prisoner whose dignity is being crushed without mercy," Tala Barghouti wrote. The prisoner is also reportedly suffering from painful, untreated open wounds, with no medical care provided. His fellow inmates have been forced to sterilise his wounds with dishwashing liquid due to the absence of proper medical treatment. Barghouti is unable to sleep lying down because of the severity of his injuries, and his weight has reportedly dropped to just 70kg. His family has urged the Jordanian government, the Jordanian embassy and the foreign ministry to take immediate action to save his life. Lawyer and family visits denied Faida Barghouti, the prisoner's wife, told Middle East Eye that the lawyer's most recent visit to her husband on Wednesday left her shocked by his deteriorating health. She revealed that he had been subjected to a brutal beating on Palestinian Prisoners' Day, 17 April. She explained that Barghouti had been struck in his eyes and hands, rendering them immobile and appearing to be broken. Despite the severity of his injuries, he has not received any medical treatment. Israel systematically abusing Palestinian detainees in 'torture camps', says B'Tselem Read More » Barghouti is currently incarcerated in Gilboa Prison, where he was transferred in December 2023. "My husband has been severely beaten several times, but we never hear from him because lawyers are banned from visiting him. It takes at least three months to receive a response to their visit request, whether it's approved or rejected, and often the request is denied," she said. Throughout his 23 years of imprisonment, Barghouti has spent most of his time in solitary confinement and has been denied family visits. "We used to receive news of him from released prisoners. We only managed to visit him five times in 23 years, and his father, who passed away in January 2024, saw him just once," Faida added. The family is in contact with various human rights organisations, hoping to pressure Israel into providing Barghouti with the necessary medical care. However, they say these efforts have proven futile, as Israel seems determined to target him personally. There are currently more than 9,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, including 27 women and over 400 minors. All are imprisoned under harsh conditions that have worsened since October 2023, including torture, denial of food and medical care, and humiliation. At least 60 prisoners have died as a result of these conditions over the past 17 months, marking an unprecedented escalation in mistreatment.
