by the Jerusalem team,

The situation on the ground in occupied East Jerusalem has deteriorated in the last month; violence has escalated and the atmosphere here is tense. October was characterized by demonstrations, violent clashes, and attacks against civilians that left 69 Palestinians and eight Israelis dead and more than 7,300 Palestinians and 115 Israelis injured. In this same period the Israeli military installed new checkpoints and road blocks on the access points to Palestinian communities living in East Jerusalem. A number of these new checkpoints have been set up in the area around the Mount of Olives. The Israeli Authorities say that it is for security reason but the question arises: for whose security and what are the consequence of these movement restrictions? Continue reading →