Qusra
Encyclopedia
Qusra is a Palestinian
town in the Nablus Governorate
in the northern West Bank
, located 28 kilometers Southeast of Nablus
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
(PCBS), the town had 674 households with a population of 4,377 inhabitants in 2007.
Under the terms of the Oslo Accords
of 1993 between Israel
and the Palestine Liberation Organization
, Qusra is located in Area "C"
under full Israeli civil and security control.
The Israeli outpost settlement of Esh Kodesh
(founded 1999) is located near the village of Qusra.
north of Jerusalem. According to Agence France Press, the graffiti also included a Star of David
, and the name “Migron”.
The attack, not the first of its kind, is viewed as part of the policy called “price tag” followed by a radical segment among the settlers, in which they respond to attempts by the Israeli security forces to demolish unauthorized Jewish settlements with attacks on Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack and called on the Middle East Quartet to get involved.
The Israeli government also condemned the attack, and has instructed its authorities to “bring those responsible to justice,” and urged all sides to avoid the potential for escalation.
The European Union
representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton issued a statement which strongly condemned the attack on the mosque, stating: "These provocations seriously undermine efforts to build the necessary trust for a comprehensive peace in the region; [...] attacks against places of worship undermine the freedom of religion or belief which is a fundamental human right," calling on Israeli authorities "to investigate the attack, bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent such attacks happening again."
The United States Department of State also strongly condemned the “dangerous and provocative attacks” on the mosque and called on those responsible to be arrested and “subject to the full force of the law”.
Qusra lies outside the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority and depends on the Israeli military for protection, and the villagers have no weapons. They organised a neighborhood watch with 15 to 20 volunteers, who patrol nightly. In case of trouble, the volunteers have instructions to phone the governor of Nablus who would contact the Israeli army. According to Qusra mayor Hani Abu Murad, the patrol scared off settlers who had approached the village a few days after the mosque was defaced.
On September 23, 2011, a group of about a dozen settlers from a nearby outpost approached Qusra, and a warning was announced from the mosque speakers. A large group from Qusra confronted the settlers, and threw stones, after which Israel Defence Forces (IDF) arrived, protecting the settlers. The IDF first fired tear gas, then live rounds, killing one man, identified as Essam Kamal Badran, 35, by Qusra mayor Abu Murad, according to Haaretz. A statement from the IDF confirmed its troops had used live fire against the Palestinians after rocks were thrown at security personnel, and said it was working with Palestinian security officials to investigate.
The incident received widespread publicity as it occurred just hours before Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
took the podium at the U.N. General Assembly, making his quest for recognition of a Palestinian state.
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
town in the Nablus Governorate
Nablus Governorate
The Nablus Governorate is an administrative district of the Palestinian National Authoritylocated in the Central Highlands of the West Bank, 53km north of Jerusalem. It covers the area around the city of Nablus which serves as the muhfaza of the governorate...
in the northern West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, located 28 kilometers Southeast of Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
(PCBS), the town had 674 households with a population of 4,377 inhabitants in 2007.
Under the terms of the Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
of 1993 between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
, Qusra is located in Area "C"
Administrative divisions of the Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords created three temporary distinct administrative divisions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip until a final status accord would be established...
under full Israeli civil and security control.
The Israeli outpost settlement of Esh Kodesh
Esh Kodesh
Esh Kodesh is an Israeli settlement outpost in the West Bank. Located near Shvut Rachel, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council...
(founded 1999) is located near the village of Qusra.
September 2011 incidents
On the night of September 4-5, 2011, a group of presumably Israeli settlers entered the village at 3 a.m., vandalised the village's Al-Nurayn mosque and tried to set it on fire. They smashed windows, rolled burning tyres inside, and wrote “Muhammad is a pig” in Hebrew on its wall. The attack on the mosque came shortly after Israeli police officers had destroyed three illegal structures in the settlement outpost of MigronMigron
Migron may refer to:* Migron, Charente-Maritime - commune in France.* Migron - Israeli settlement....
north of Jerusalem. According to Agence France Press, the graffiti also included a Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
, and the name “Migron”.
The attack, not the first of its kind, is viewed as part of the policy called “price tag” followed by a radical segment among the settlers, in which they respond to attempts by the Israeli security forces to demolish unauthorized Jewish settlements with attacks on Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack and called on the Middle East Quartet to get involved.
The Israeli government also condemned the attack, and has instructed its authorities to “bring those responsible to justice,” and urged all sides to avoid the potential for escalation.
The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton issued a statement which strongly condemned the attack on the mosque, stating: "These provocations seriously undermine efforts to build the necessary trust for a comprehensive peace in the region; [...] attacks against places of worship undermine the freedom of religion or belief which is a fundamental human right," calling on Israeli authorities "to investigate the attack, bring the perpetrators to justice and prevent such attacks happening again."
The United States Department of State also strongly condemned the “dangerous and provocative attacks” on the mosque and called on those responsible to be arrested and “subject to the full force of the law”.
Qusra lies outside the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority and depends on the Israeli military for protection, and the villagers have no weapons. They organised a neighborhood watch with 15 to 20 volunteers, who patrol nightly. In case of trouble, the volunteers have instructions to phone the governor of Nablus who would contact the Israeli army. According to Qusra mayor Hani Abu Murad, the patrol scared off settlers who had approached the village a few days after the mosque was defaced.
On September 23, 2011, a group of about a dozen settlers from a nearby outpost approached Qusra, and a warning was announced from the mosque speakers. A large group from Qusra confronted the settlers, and threw stones, after which Israel Defence Forces (IDF) arrived, protecting the settlers. The IDF first fired tear gas, then live rounds, killing one man, identified as Essam Kamal Badran, 35, by Qusra mayor Abu Murad, according to Haaretz. A statement from the IDF confirmed its troops had used live fire against the Palestinians after rocks were thrown at security personnel, and said it was working with Palestinian security officials to investigate.
The incident received widespread publicity as it occurred just hours before Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
took the podium at the U.N. General Assembly, making his quest for recognition of a Palestinian state.