Ofer

Place:

Ofer

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Updates during Corona

Observers:

Leah S., Vivi C., and Hagit B. (reporting and photographing). Marcia L., Translation

Feb-8-2021

Morning

אשה, לאה שקדיאל וגבר עיסה אמרו, ביניהם גדר

Leah S. and Amro Issa in the courtyard of the Ofer court

Photo:

Hagit Back

Leah Shakdiel and Issa Amru, in a protest shift ahead of the reading of his sentence in the Ofer court. Issa, a Palestinian peace activist from Hebron, is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of a violent confrontation (push, and "go away") with a settler from Kiryat Arba, and was also convicted of participating in protest marches.

שתי נשים חברות מחסום ווטש ליד החצר של בית המשפט בעופר

Ofer: Leah S. and Hagit B. on protest vigil regarding Amru Issa in the Ofer Court

Leah Shakdiel and Hagit Back from Machsomwatch on a protest vigil regarding Issa's trial Amru in the military court in Ofer

There is judgment but no justice.

Today is Issa’s hearing, during which he is to find out what his punishment will be. He was accused of shoving and of uttering a violent expression (“Get out of here.”) toward a settler from Hebron. Avram Burg, Yehudah Shaul, Hagit Ofran, and Hillel Cohen testified on his behalf. Only they were permitted to enter the deliberations. We were outside, with other peace activists.

A large group of about ten citizens and diplomats from other countries were also allowed to enter.

The punishment that the military prosecutor requested to impose was a fine and a suspended sentence. Isa refused the suspended sentence because according to him, even the smallest pretext will be used by the military police to throw him in jail. Therefore, they decided that the sentence would be postponed for a few days.

Issa was very happy to see us. The help and support that he receives is very important to him.

Outside of that, we were busy being photographed and telling about MachsomWatch to two young women who want to make a movie about our organization.

As long as everything in the military court happens under the Occupation, there is no justice, only judgment.

Why do we take the trouble to report in Corona times as well?

Because democracy’s watchdogs have fallen asleep on their own watch, so Israeli citizens have no idea what is actually happening in the Occupied Territories, especially now.

Day and night, Israeli soldiers (as the State’s emissaries) help extreme settler-colonists take the law into their own hands, unhampered. They do not stop even in days of a raging pandemic and do not hesitate to harm Palestinians – their bodies, property, and sources of livelihood.

Unceasing harassment of the weakened Palestinian population inflicts psychological harm as well. All – from babies through and including the elderly and the ill – are open prey to Jewish violence and terrorism which the settler-colonists are only too eager to exert.

We of MachsomWatch will not cease to report, certainly not now during these Corona times and under the threat of annexation, about the settlers’ increased rampages, those who hurry to set facts on the ground helped by the Israeli army.

Israel rules the West Bank, and by force of the Geneva Convention, article no. 27, it is committed to enforcing law and order there. The inhabitants of these Occupied Territories have the legal right “to decent treatment of their body and dignity, and should be especially protected against any act of violence”.

Ironically, this is not at all upheld.

Nor shall we cooperate with the commonplace ignoring of the Palestinian people’s suffering, and with the Israeli public’s indifference to it. We shall continue to follow up closely and report the goings-on in the West Bank, in its villages and encampments.

No one should be able to say ‘We knew nothing, we heard nothing’

Location Description

Ofer, Military Court

See all reports for this place

The Military Court in the Ofer camp is located halfway between Ramallah and Jerusalem.

The place has seven courtrooms, most of them spacious. This court is one of two courts of the "first instance", in addition to the military court in Salem.
Here are the Palestinian hearings trials and some of the hearings in detention extensions. In addition, there is also a military court of appeals (on rulings of the courts of 'the first instance' in Salem and Ofer).
Family members of detainees info-icon from the territories (usually only two family members) are allowed to enter the hearings but are prohibited from talking to the detainees.
The families have at their disposal a waiting yard and a large, air-conditioned waiting room.

May-25-2023

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Supprting Nassser Nawaj’ah at the military court Ofer

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