Human rights situation in Palestine and other OATs – HRC seventh session – NGO statement (North-South XXI)

HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES

Written statement* submitted by the Nord-Sud XXI, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status

The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31.

[20 February 2008]

Nord Sud XXI wishes to remind the Human Rights Council of the suffering of the Palestinians people.

While we are celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the people of Palestine are suffering for more than a half decade from the denial of their most basic human rights, including their right to self-determination.

Israel continues its foreign and oppressive occupation of Palestine implementing ‘apartheid’ policies with such harshness that they appear to be intended to destroy the Palestinians as a people.

Settlements and military posts sprinkled throughout Palestine allow the Israeli government to prevent the functioning of a Palestinian state and allow the occupiers to carry out atrocities with impunity.

Even large groups of Palestinians, such as all Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip or the whole population of the city of Nablus, are constantly under the deadly gaze of the occupying power. This occupying power stops the necessities of life from reaching the civilian population when it wishes; it arbitrarily detains whoever it wishes; and it kills whoever its wishes, all with impunity.

While Israel raises its voice high with concern about a single captured soldier, thousands of Palestinians remain arbitrarily detained in Israeli jails.

While Israel complains about the strained attempts by Palestinians to use their home-made weapons to further their internationally—United Nations—recognized struggle of national liberation, the voices are low when Israel kills and maims dozens of Palestinians as has happened unrelentingly for more than half a century.

Nord Sud XXI welcomes the Special Sessions on Palestine, such as the one that took place in January 2008, and the resolutions adopted at these sessions, but Nord Sud XXI also feels compelled to ask could not more be done to end the longest running serious and widespread violations of human rights that has ever been considered by this Council?

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*   This written statement is issued, unedited, in the language(s) received from the submitting non-governmental organization(s).

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