UNRWA condemns Israel's 'Christmas Eve demolitions' in the West Bank

[Jefferson23]

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The United Nations Palestine refugee agency on Wednesday condemned Israel's latest demolitions of Palestinian Bedouin homes in the West Bank, which UNRWA said displaced 68 people.

The latest demolitions in the West Bank, "the most recent of which occurred on Christmas Eve," have "severely threatened" the livelihoods of the families that lost their homes, UNRWA Spokesman Chris Gunnes said in a statement.

According to UNRWA, the demolitions that occurred near Ramallah and Jericho displaced 68 people in total, most of whom were refugees, and 32 of whom were children, "including a five year old girl who is paralyzed from the waist down."

The demolitions took place in Ein Ayoub, displacing 61, and in Fasayil al-Wusta displacing seven, Gunnes said.

"These are Bedouin communities who managed to weather the recent snow storms. Tents have been distributed by the Palestinian Red Crescent in coordination with the ICRC but this is hardly adequate considering night-time temperatures plunge to around zero. In addition, some 750 head of sheep and goats are without shelter at this crucial lambing season."

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=660111

[COLGATE4]

1. What possible significance is it that this

took place on (Christian) "Christmas Eve". Did the dastardly Jews do it to insult our saviour as well?

[Jefferson23]

2. Your response is disgusting. n/t

[COLGATE4]

3. Too close for comfort???

[Jefferson23]

4. You're not close to anything, that is clear.

But do keep trying, you only insult yourself in the process.

[King_David]

9. I wonder if you here to discuss things

Or you just want to insult people you think disagree with you?
Colgate was asking a relevant question and if you didn't know the answer keeping quite is a better thing to do.
A more plausible explanation was provided by Bemildred's post below ... Which was posted malice free.

[Jefferson23]

10. I have no interest in what you wonder about. n/t

[King_David]

12. QED

LOL

That's funny .. Thanks

Merry Christmas

And even though you don't understand anything about this conflict including the fact that we don't celebrate Christmas especially in that area of the world ... Feel free to your "analysis" about the people it seems you understand absolutely nothing about . For whatever obsesses you about a conflict that doesn't involve you at all.

[azurnoir]

14. "we don't celebrate Christmas especially in that area of the world "

Really Christmas is not celebrated in Israel-well okay then-thanks for letting us know, guess those but maybe you should inform Holyland Christmas tours, cause they're making a huge mistake in that case

King_David (5,641 posts)
12. QED

LOL

That's funny .. Thanks

Merry Christmas

And even though you don't understand anything about this conflict including the fact that we don't celebrate Christmas especially in that area of the world ... Feel free to your "analysis" about the people it seems you understand absolutely nothing about . For whatever obsesses you about a conflict that doesn't involve you at all.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/113454718#post12

[King_David]

18. Clearly you have never been there,

Except for the approx 150 000 Christians and Tourists ... Today is just another regular school or work day ... No big difference from any other day.

Amazing how you guys can post here with such "authority"and not know this.

You guys know nothing about why Israel is the Jewish State ....

LOL

Sad...

[azurnoir]

20. No that's not the point of course Christmas is not a national holiday

but you went on about it as though no one Israeli held territories celebrates Christmas, when clearly that's not true you see there's this place called Bethlehem where............

[King_David]

24. Bethlehem is in Palestine

The state recognized by the UN, you know that ?

It's not a holiday in Israel , Palestine , Egypt or Turkey .

[azurnoir]

25. as are the Bedouins the Israeli's made homeless and are the subject of the thread

you seem to believe via your first post here that Israel has religious justisdiction over the entire area or what did "we don't celebrate Christmas especially in that area of the world " mean?

[King_David]

27. Beduins celebrate Christmas

And have Christmas trees and Santa Claus and candy canes and hang stockings up too?

[azurnoir]

29. No the customs you describe are European not Middle Eastern

but there a few Christian Bedouins in the West Bank-most Christian Bedouin live in Jordan however, but making people homeless is okay by you I take it?

[King_David]

31. How do you come to that conclusion

LOL

This argument is going from ignorance to believing Christmas is celebrated widespread in Israel/Palestine to ABSURD.

[Jefferson23]

34. That is not what she said, nor implied..shall I re-post her words for you?

Come on expert, give it a go.

[King_David]

35. I accept you have taken a long time but finally

Understand .

Good ...

[Jefferson23]

38. Well, we're waiting...come on..don't hold back now.

What do i understand due to your expertise?

[King_David]

42. Read post 8 and post 9.

[Jefferson23]

46. I read them, how does this change anything I said to you?

Do you actually read responses? I can show you my responses to you.

Your response is disgusting. n/t

You're not close to anything, that is clear.

But do keep trying, you only insult yourself in the process.

I have no interest in what you wonder about. n/t ( end)

Who placed the focus on christmas eve? Me or you and your buddy?

What does bemildred have to do with any of this?

I will remind you, it is you that believed your friends question was relevant..although you don't
say why. So again, who was focused on christmas ever, and please tell us, why it should
not have been mentioned in the OP?

I am so awaiting your expertise.

[azurnoir]

44. Christmas is celebrated by Christians everywhere even in the ME

your obvious callousness towards those made homeless is no surprise though, your apparently ethnocentric attitude towards Israel and it's occupied territories could give question to the claim of religious equality in the country who's interests you claim to speak for

[King_David]

68. Can you elaborate?

I must admit I do not understand this post. It sounds insulting to me though.
What do you mean?

[azurnoir]

74. I already elaborated

sorry it's beyond your understanding

[azurnoir]

62. Israel doesn't have a surge in tourism by Christians over the holiday season ?

talk about ignorance, it seems you wish to delegitimize the Christian connection to Israel, be sure to inform Jiohn Hagee about this, okay?

[King_David]

66. John Hagee is a turd,

I would have nothing to do with him, and nor should anyone in anyone in Israel and nor anyone in the Jewish community anywhere.

[azurnoir]

75. well that's nice and all I commend you in fact you don't like John Hagee

but that doesn't answer what I asked either

[Jefferson23]

21. I don't celebrate christmas, but thanks just the same.

Your self anointed title of expertise on the I/P conflict is, funny...knock yourself out.

[King_David]

23. Not expertise , but it's pretty clear you've never been there ,

And are clueless as to what happens there weather you celebrate Xmas or not is irrelevant , most people there do not and you never knew that .

[Jefferson23]

28. The post was disgusting...that you claim to not know why is not surprising.

Christmas eve is the diversion from the crime..you knew that too. You're
continuing to display your contempt for the Palestinians.

You did that well in your photo shopped garbage from a garbage website in another thread
and now here you think you can claim that you are part of something no one else here understands..lol.

You wished me a merry christmas, you brought it up because YOU believed it was relevant.

[King_David]

33. Ah so you've come around to what Bemildred's posted many hours ago?

Finally .

Thank you mister...

[Jefferson23]

36. You already knew, but put a fake claim not to understand why the OP

stated christmas eve. Interesting...and quite sickening.

Thanks.

[azurnoir]

63. Okay why would Israel believe no one would notice home demolitions on December 24?

that was the gist of BeMildred's post

[King_David]

64. Yes I agree with Bemildred's analysis here 100% nt

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

79. Don't worry about dave, Jefferson. He's just emulating the empathy of a biblical king...

Herod.

[Jefferson23]

80. Yea, his expertise/empathy he is iphoning in from the lounge between surgeries.

I am grateful.

[King_David]

5. I don't get it either

What significance is it to anybody involved in this incident that it was Christmas Eve?

It has the same significance of mentioning that something took place on national tarrot Card day in Yukon.

[Jefferson23]

6. I am sure, and I believe you, that you do not get it. n/t

[King_David]

7. Seriously I don't get the significance of mentioning

That this occurred on Christmas Eve in a place where nobody involved in this incident celebrates Christmas .

You do know that Christmas is just a regular non event day there , do you not ? Maybe you don't ?

[Violet_Crumble]

19. It happened in the West Bank. There are people who celebrate Christmas there...

It's almost as though you think picking at trivial things like that is far, far more important than the demolition of Palestinian homes, something you haven't said a word about in this thread...

[King_David]

26. Well it seems a lot of people posting analysis and opinion here

are actually clueless as to what is going on in the Middle East and Israel and Palestine.

Clueless !

I worry about a lot of things important trivial and otherwise . Things I worry about may seem trivial to you but are important to me.

Someone posting opinion here told us all the Natureu Karta was a political party in the Knesset . Others think Christmas is a widely celebrated holiday in Israel and Palestine.

And these people post opinion here with "authority" and we should just keep quite because it's "trivial " ? Ha

[Jefferson23]

30. The OP you refuse to acknowledge,...but you are correct

about one thing, it is just another day when Israel's government grabs more land
that does not belong to them.

[King_David]

32. LOL

I guess you threw the towel in on the absurd presumptions that Christmas is celebrated in Israel ,

Thank you and no problem .

[Jefferson23]

39. Where did I do that? Who asked about why it was used in the OP?

Come on expert..let's have it.

[King_David]

40. Read post 8 and post 9.

[Jefferson23]

45. Nothing explained...why hold back, mr. expert?

An OP was posted and received a response not to the demolition of homes, which took
place on christmas eve, but with this: What possible significance is it that this

took place on (Christian) "Christmas Eve". Did the dastardly Jews do it to insult our saviour as well?

You also claimed: I don't get it either

What significance is it to anybody involved in this incident that it was Christmas Eve?

It has the same significance of mentioning that something took place on national tarrot Card day in Yukon. ( end )


So nothing has changed, you were not concerned about the homes demolished then nor are you now.

[Violet_Crumble]

37. So you don't think the demolition of Palestinian homes is important?

Because you still haven't said a thing about that, instead resorting to being nasty about others in this thread and apparently not knowing that Christmas is celebrated in the West Bank, which is where this happened, not in Israel. Going on about the latter is more than trivial, it's just weird and makes no sense...

I must have missed the bit where anyone told you to keep quiet. Got a link or is that another thing that people haven't actually said?

[King_David]

41. .

Backup ?
The Heavy ?
Enforcer?
Attempt to ensure credibility is not shot down?

Coolio.

[Violet_Crumble]

43. I suspect the only person that made sense to was you...

It sure didn't have anything to do with anything I said. Remember? I was pointing out how you haven't once mentioned the destruction of Palestinian homes, so clearly you find the whole thing so much less important than whatever it was you thought you were talking about...

[bemildred]

8. It's like the Friday news dump, they do it when they hope it won't get much attention.

Because deep down inside they know they are being assholes.

[COLGATE4]

49. ^^^ THIS ^^^

[azurnoir]

15. well I do not know about your saviour

but I'm pretty sure the people (yes they are people too) made homeless were pretty insulted

[COLGATE4]

51. I'm sure they were. But the cute

inflammatory title about Israel ejecting Bedouins ON CHRISTMAS EVE was worthy of Fox.

[Scootaloo]

11. Interesting responses on this thread

I like how the mention that the most recent demolitions took place on christmas eve is somehow vastly more offensive, than the fact that the demolitions are taking place at all, much less in severe cold weather.

[King_David]

13. I know ... Especially the response calling a post "disgusting "

Which is the real disgusting part if the thread .

[Violet_Crumble]

17. I'm guessing because the demolitions are of Palestinian homes that it just doesn't register...

Because they don't find anything offensive about Israel doing that. But they know most other folk do find it objectionable so they frantically look for any trivial thing to latch onto and build it into something they think is far more horrible than home demolitions.

[Jefferson23]

22. The mindset of pro-settlers.n/t

[Jefferson23]

47. Where did the expert go? Christmas shopping taking off among Israeli Jews

Big Fashion shopping mall in Nazareth reported a peak of 120,000 shoppers last Saturday, most of them Jews.
By Adi Dovrat-Meseritz | Dec. 26, 2013 | 12:52 AM

There may not be many Christians in Israel, but Jewish Israelis are adopting the holiday in order to shop, say retailers.

Non-kosher grocery store chain Tiv Ta’am and homeware store Domo saw a 30% increase in Christmas-related items among Jewish customers, said Adi Cohen, the stores’ CEO. These items include chocolate in Santa Claus wrapping, Christmas trees and decorations, said Cohen.

In previous years, the increase in Christmas-related purchases had been observed mostly in areas with sizeable Christian populations. This year, however, it’s at all the stores, even in Tel Aviv.

“It’s turned into a legitimate holiday and a reason for celebration,” said Cohen.
Big Shopping Centers, which includes Big Fashion in the Muslim and Christian Arab town of Nazareth, reported a peak of 120,000 shoppers last Saturday. Most of them were Jews, said the mall chain.

“We decorated the chopping center and had a man dressed up as Santa Claus wandering around and handing out gifts to the Israelis. We’re seeing lots of Jews who come to visit and along the way buy Santa caps and other Christmas paraphernalia, said Chai Galis, VP of Big Shopping Centers.

http://www.haaretz.com/business/.premium-1.565465

[King_David]

50. Top 5: Places in Israel to celebrate 4th of July

It's easy to mark US Independence Day in Israel when there are so places and events at which to do it; here are some of our best picks.
Just because you find yourself in Israel on July 4, doesn't mean that you can't celebrate US Independence Day. There are various places with an American feel as well as specific events that are worth checking out if you want to get in the spirit. See our pick of some of the best places to check out.

http://www.jpost.com/LifeStyle/Top-5-Places-to-celebrate-4th-of-July-in-Israel-318685

[Jefferson23]

56. So, when Israel's goverment takes more land that is not theirs, demolishes

more homes and they do it on July 4th..you won't feel the need to ask your
bullshit stupid questions...like you did in this OP...that's a foot in the right
direction for you.

Your expertise on christmas in Israel is duly noted for the worthless nonsense it is.

Your ability to remove yourself from the demolitions that took place is also noted.

I await more of your photo shopped expertise defense of the occupation too..2014
looks to be a stunner for the Palestinians with you in their corner.

[King_David]

57. I guess you now get it,

You thought Christmas was a celebrated Holiday in that part of the world and now understand that it is not.

it is good to learn new things.

Shkayuch ! (as we would say )

[Jefferson23]

58. Post where I said that or even implied it.

You are not good at being coy..so I suggest you put up your evidence.

You have ignored questions I left for you in several posts, so come on, expert.

[King_David]

59. No need to rehash the whole thread,

Re read it again, starting with the snide part at post number 10

And the progress as we go along and your obvious transformation, up to and including you still posting articles ''supporting'' your bizarre thesis in post 47 that Christmas is celebrated and onward until you finally make a 180 degree turn.

No problem I am happy you finally got it.

[Jefferson23]

60. Then it would be very easy for you to point it out..come on, mr. expert. n/t

[King_David]

61. OK

I can see it needs end here as some people can never admit they were wrong.


Cheers.

Have a great night.

[Jefferson23]

65. I would appreciate it, if you could post it for me...your expertise is not something

I/P comes by often.

[King_David]

67. Seething nt

[Jefferson23]

69. Why are you seething, King David?

I believe it was a reasonable request, and yet..nothing, why is that?

[King_David]

70. I am not seething,

Just got off 48hr shift and I am quite happy.

[Jefferson23]

71. Great, then you'll post your evidence of your claim.

48 hour shift and you post here in that period, ok.

[King_David]

72. iPhones are a good medium for posting on DU,

Screen is a bit small though,I would recommend a desktop or laptop- better.

[Jefferson23]

73. So you sit in the lounge do ya, posting between surgeries.

Please post for me your evidence,,would be most appreciated.

[King_David]

76. Again?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=54940

[Jefferson23]

77. You have not done it at all, nevermind again.

This should be easy for you to point out the post(s) to back up your claim.

In the mean time, enjoy your time off from your shift.

[King_David]

78. Thank You nt

[King_David]

52. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=54714

[Israeli]

82. Israelis love to shop Jefferson23....

any excuse is a good excuse .



got this from: http://www.israellycool.com/2013/12/22/photo-of-the-day-tis-the-season-for-the-shopping-trolley-edition/

our religious dont like it .... but us seculars dont give a damn what bothers them

Tiv Ta’am is special ....best place to buy pork and seafood and its open on Saturdays

I would argue with the " Jewish customers " part of it ....most of Tiv Ta’am's clientele and staff are Russians, they are about as Jewish as we secular atheists are ...guess it all comes down to how you define ' Jewish ' ... best bet is describing us as Israelis and to leave the religious connotations out of it ..... nobody over here that is religious shops in Tiv Ta’am .

Our teenagers on my Kibbutz had a party for Xmas ...with a tree and a Santa Claus ...they also party on New Years Eve ....when I was a teenager it was all unheard of .

The times they are a changin Jefferson23.....

[King_David]

83. That's great ,

Shopping is good for the economy and partying is good for the soul.

[Israeli]

84. and honesty is always the best policy ...

King_David....

[King_David]

85. Ani maskim

And I am also a secular atheist Jewish Gay boy.

[King_David]

86. You should be careful where you buy pork unless

It's in the most hygienic stores and supermarkets .
I wouldn't risk buying it from places not open to inspection from public health lest you risk such diseases as Cystercircoses and others.

I've also been to Tiv Ta’am with my friends Pork is not the only good thing to buy... It has the best Chashish in the land to buy at very reasonable price...

[Jefferson23]

87. Thanks..but according to King David, such things do not occur. He's the expert you know.

The home demolitions which is the focus of the OP, he can't bring himself to address.

[BlueToTheBone]

53. This is terrible. I find this to be

a horror that the Israeli government would commit such a despicable act on what is considered to be one of the holiest days. It is a slap in the face of all civilized people. Such actions have the ability to turn one into an anti-semite. This is even worse than our city police going into homeless camps and stealing all their things and destroying their "homes." I'm sickened and sad for both the Bedouins and the Israelis.

[King_David]

54. "Such actions have the ability to turn one into an anti-semite. "

That's today's honest post of the day...
We get some real gems sometimes here when people really say what they mean.

Yesterday it was found on this thread :



http://www.democraticunderground.com/113454756

[King_David]

55. Here's another post of the day to go with yours,

There's no shortage on DU it seems...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=54319