Local Editor

"Israeli" forces on Saturday broke up a wedding procession organized at a West Bank checkpoint to challenge the Zionist entity from preventing Palestinians in the occupied territories from living with their spouses in Occupied 1948 Palestinian territories.

Two buses filled with guests for the wedding of a Palestinian from Nazareth and a Palestinian from Ramallah met at opposite sides of a checkpoint northeast of al-Quds on Saturday.
The groom was identified by Ma'an news agency as Hazim, from Abu Dis in the West Bank. The bride's identity was unknown.

Both buses were stopped by "Israeli" forces before reaching the checkpoint and "Israeli "forces fired sound bombs at guests who had begun singing and dancing on the West Bank side of the Hizma checkpoint, an organizer told Ma'an.

"While they were dancing and singing for the groom, "Israeli" occupation forces started throwing sound bombs and pushing people back. They then fired tear gas, forcing people to run away," organizer Najwan Berekdar said.
Over 200 people participated in the wedding, including founder of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Barghouthi and Palestinian author Rima Nazzal Kitana.
The wedding was organized by the "Love in the Time of Apartheid" campaign, a grassroots initiative set up by Palestinian youths to challenge the so-called "Citizenship and Entry into "Israel"" law.
"This "Israeli" law challenges Palestinian national unity and prevents Palestinians from even considering marrying another Palestinian from the other side," Berekdar said.

"It divides Palestinians not only geographically but nationally, socially and culturally and has a severe economic and psychological effect on Palestinian families. We are calling for international pressure from the UN and civil society groups to put pressure on "Israel" to revoke this racist law, which interferes with basic human things like choosing a future life partner," Berekdar added.
In parallel, Human Rights Watch stated that "the law violates "Israel's" obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which applies not only to race but also to national or ethnic origin."

Similarly, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2003 called on "Israel" to revoke the law.

Meanwhile, "Israeli" police reported on Saturday that three "Israeli" teenagers were arrested for spitting at a Palestinian women in Nazareth.
The suspects, all aged 14, were detained on suspicion of spitting at a woman in her 60s and shouting racist slogans at her to leave "the Jewish neighborhood," according to Ynet.
In late February, a group of "Israeli" women attacked a Palestinian woman, tore off her hijab while she was waiting at a light rail station in al-Quds and beat her severely.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org