17 June 2021

Middle East

• On 16 June, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association and Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR) issued a press release to condemn the Israeli military’s detention and prosecution of three female Palestinian students from Birzeit University. The NGOs said that the Palestinian students have been criminalized and received varying excessive sentences for exercising fundamental freedoms guaranteed by international human rights law. They added that they will continue to protect Palestinian university students from ongoing illegitimate targeting and punishment, appearing to be a widespread, systematic and clear violation of basic international human rights law.

• On 10 June, B’Tselem issued the press release “Israeli Prison Guards Beat Bound Palestinian Prisoners: Whitewashing Highlights Importance of ICC”, following Israel’s claims it will ensure accountability for offenses against Palestinians after the Israeli NGO Hamoked filed a complaint about attacks by Israeli prison guards against Palestinian prisoners at Ketziot prison. B’Tselem warned that the case proves, after the attacks were “whitewashed”, that Palestinian victims of violence by Israeli security forces cannot justice via Israeli systems and can hope to do so only in an international court.

• On 8 June, Gisha – Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement released the short documentary “Green Girls – the Aftermath”, to show how Israel’s closure of the Gaza Strip, its ongoing restrictions on entry of necessary materials, aerial herbicide spraying near the fence, and its military incursions, have obstructed the small businesses started by three young Palestinian women. Gisha said the latter must also grapple with the severe damage caused by Israel’s bombardment to Gaza’s water and electricity infrastructure, as well as the ongoing restrictions on entry of fuel for Gaza’s powerplant in effect since 11 May.

• On 7 June, Peace Now issued a press release to denounce the decision of Israel’s Attorney-General not to intervene in the Sheikh Jarrah case, following the request from the Palestinian residents that he gives his opinion. Peace Now lamented that his decision not to intervene in the dispossession of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah was an attempt to rid himself of his responsibility and showed that dispossessing hundreds of residents on the basis of discriminatory laws was acceptable.

• On 3 June, Yesh Din issued a report to UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk on the impact of Israeli settlements on the human rights of Palestinians. The document aims to show how the actions by Israeli settlers and the support they enjoy from their authorities by way of omission, and sometimes even by act, as well as the policies practices by the government, the military and the Civil Administration with respect to settlement protection and persistent expansion, severely impair Palestinians’ right to life, liberty and security of person. Yesh Din also discussed the right to property, freedom of movement, and equality, as well as the Palestinians’ collective right to their natural resources.

Europe

• On 16 June, Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor submitted an official complaint to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) regarding Israel’s recent imposition of more restrictions on the besieged Gaza Strip that brought postal services to an abrupt halt. The letter explained how, since the recent violence, the Israeli government decided to further tighten its 14-year-long blockade and impose more restrictions on Gaza. “Amongst these restrictions imposed by Israel is a blanket ban on mail delivery to and from Gaza through the Israeli-controlled border crossing Erez – the crossing from which Israel controls virtually all access to/from Gaza.” The letter reads, “This abrupt suspension of mail delivery has harmed numerous people, including those waiting to receive their passports from foreign embassies in Israel or the occupied West Bank to travel for humanitarian purposes, such as studies abroad, family unifications or receiving locally-unavailable medical treatment.”

• On 9 June, Amnesty International issued the press release “Israeli Army Shutdown of Health Organization will Have Catastrophic Consequences for Palestinian Healthcare”, to denounce the Israeli authorities’ decision to shut down the Palestinian Health Work Committees (HWC). Amnesty International warned the decision will have major consequences for the provision of essential health services to thousands of Palestinians including programmes for women’s health. It added that as the occupying power, Israel has a clear obligation under international law to protect the rights of all Palestinians – including the right to health, and called for them to immediately rescind the shutdown order and to put an end to the harassment of health workers.

• On 7 June, the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) informed it had sent letters to the foreign ministries of France and Austria, expressing its deep concern over the bans and crackdowns on demonstrators who have turned up to the streets following the latest surge in violence by the Israeli forces against Palestinians in East Jerusalem and airstrikes launched on the Gaza Strip. PRC urged the French and Austrian governments to reconsider their policies and responses to the escalations in the OPT and to protect people’s right to association, assembly and freedom of expression.

North America

• On 23 June, the Columbia University Centre for Palestine Studies is organizing the virtual event “The Israeli Academy and the Palestinian Struggle: Accounts of Recent Events on University Campuses”, to hear directly from Palestinian scholars describing some of what they have been seeing, hearing and experiencing on Israeli campuses over the last few weeks. The discussions will feature Adalah lawyer Rabea Eghbariah, sociologist Arees Bishara, Ben-Gurion University students Eman Suliman and Khalid Ghnaem, Yaffa social and political activist Yara Shahin and journalist Rafat Abu Aish.

• On 21 June, the Foundation for the Middle East Peace (FMEP) will organize the webinar “Palestinians, Israelis, 1948 and Now: On Researching, Teaching, and Asserting the Reality of the Nakba”, featuring scholars Leena Dallasheh, Shay Hazkani and Sherene Seikaly. The speakers will talk about how they approach researching, writing and teaching Palestinian history and the importance of amplifying personal, individual stories as a critical point of access to understanding nationalism, colonialism, citizenship and the construction of racial categories in the Middle East.

• On 16 June, Americans for Peace Now (APN) issued a press release to support the conditioning of the military aid Israel receives from the United States. APN stated it was imperative to ensure that US taxpayer money is used to achieve US policy goals and uphold US values.

• On 15 June, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) issued the press release “End the Flow of US Tax Dollars to Israel’s Genocide of the Palestinian People”. USCPR called on members of Congress, leaders and organizations to condemn the “anti-Palestinian racism and violence” and to hold Israel accountable for its violations against the Palestinian people. It called on members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 2590, The Palestinian Children and Families Act, which insists on the rights to safety, and freedom for the Palestinian people.

United Nations

• 1 July, the UN Palestinian Rights Committee, with support from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, will hold the International Conference on the Question of Jerusalem “Forced demographic change in Jerusalem – grave breaches and a threat to peace”, from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. (New York Time), via WebEx. The event will also be livestreamed on UN Web TV. The speakers – Lara Friedman, Foundation for Middle East Peace; Michael Lynk, UN Special Rapporteur; Suma Qawasmi, Sheikh Jarrah community leader; Nivine Sandouka, Hoqoqna – Our Rights East Jerusalem; and Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man, Human Rights Attorney – will highlight evictions and demolitions and ongoing efforts to challenge these policies and practices; the role of non-State actors; the roles and responsibilities of Member States under international law to oppose ongoing violations and ensure accountability; and the question of Jerusalem as a final status issue.

• On 14 June, the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices issued a press release to denounce the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in the OPT – in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza – as a result of the recent escalation in violence, the decades-long Israeli occupation and Israeli policies and practices. The Committee noted its concern with the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the continued demolitions of homes even during the height of the pandemic, and the risk of eviction of Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem neighbourhoods. It also informed that it would dedicate part of its upcoming report to the General Assembly on the issue of right to health, presenting its next report during the General Assembly’s 76th session in November 2021.

 

This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.