Israel-Palestine: Islamic Jihad in Jenin
Alongside the September 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza, there were simultaneous withdrawals from four West Bank settlements, all of which were near the Palestinian town of Jenin. Although seen by some as an indication that further withdrawals from the West Bank will take place, construction of new settlements and the Separation Wall, which effectively confiscates large portions of the West Bank, continued simultaneously.
The town of Jenin held a rally to celebrate the September withdrawals, which was attended by members of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as by Fatah and their own militant wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. To many it was simply an expression of continued resolve and a show of strength as they felt it inappropriate to celebrate what they consider but a small step towards a free Palestine.
Most of these photos were taken with members of Islamic Jihad while they gathered, prepared for and made there way to the rally. As a movement Islamic Jihad officially calls for the complete return of “historical Palestine” and the end of the Israeli state. In recent years, as peace negotiations collapsed and the brutality of the Second Intifada ensued, the popularity of extreme militant groups such as Islamic Jihad, who employ the deplorable tactics of terrorism through the use of suicide bombers, has increased significantly, to the extent that they are now able to appeal to formerly non radical elements of society who feel they have nothing left to lose.
Some Palestinians justify, or at least equate, the terrorism of militant brigades with what they would call Israeli state terrorism. Statistics on the number of deaths in the Second Intifada, as published by the UN High Commission on Human Rights in September 2003, show that, overall, Palestinian deaths outnumber Israeli deaths by greater than 3 to 1, while child deaths were outnumbered by greater than 5 to 1. The full excerpt reads: “Since the start of the Second Intifada in September 2000, over 2,755 Palestinians and over 830 Israelis have been killed and 28,000 Palestinians and 5,600 Israelis have been injured. Most have been civilians. Five hundred and fifty children have been killed, of whom 460 were Palestinians and 90 Israelis.”
The town of Jenin held a rally to celebrate the September withdrawals, which was attended by members of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as by Fatah and their own militant wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. To many it was simply an expression of continued resolve and a show of strength as they felt it inappropriate to celebrate what they consider but a small step towards a free Palestine.
Most of these photos were taken with members of Islamic Jihad while they gathered, prepared for and made there way to the rally. As a movement Islamic Jihad officially calls for the complete return of “historical Palestine” and the end of the Israeli state. In recent years, as peace negotiations collapsed and the brutality of the Second Intifada ensued, the popularity of extreme militant groups such as Islamic Jihad, who employ the deplorable tactics of terrorism through the use of suicide bombers, has increased significantly, to the extent that they are now able to appeal to formerly non radical elements of society who feel they have nothing left to lose.
Some Palestinians justify, or at least equate, the terrorism of militant brigades with what they would call Israeli state terrorism. Statistics on the number of deaths in the Second Intifada, as published by the UN High Commission on Human Rights in September 2003, show that, overall, Palestinian deaths outnumber Israeli deaths by greater than 3 to 1, while child deaths were outnumbered by greater than 5 to 1. The full excerpt reads: “Since the start of the Second Intifada in September 2000, over 2,755 Palestinians and over 830 Israelis have been killed and 28,000 Palestinians and 5,600 Israelis have been injured. Most have been civilians. Five hundred and fifty children have been killed, of whom 460 were Palestinians and 90 Israelis.”
