30 May 2019

Middle East

• On 30 May, Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel issued a statement to demand free, fair and equal Israeli elections that meet international standards, following the decision to dissolve the Israeli Knesset and call for another round of national parliamentary elections. In the statement, Adalah condemned “the institutional racism against Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel” during the April elections and called on the Israeli Central Elections Committee to respect international election standards.

• On 25 May, Al-Haq issued “Q&A The Great Return March: One Year On”. The document aims at providing an overview of the context in which the Great March of Return protests took place last year and at clarifying the motives of protestors and the independence of the Higher National Committee, the organizing body, from other armed groups. The document also details Israel’s violations, as an occupying power, of international law, with the use of excessive force against protestors and the targeting of medical personnel and journalists.

• On 26 May, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) published the paper “Antidemocratic Legislation: Ramifications for Human Rights and the Work of NGOs” examining a list of Israeli acts of legislation and policy plans that the new Israeli government is expected to advance during. They include “overriding clauses” against the Supreme Court and the legal system and an amendment of the Immunity Law so that members of Knesset will enjoy automatic immunity against prosecution. ACRI details the damages of these initiatives, if implemented, to the system of checks and balances, the protection of human rights, and to the work of civil society organizations.

• On 24 May, BADIL – Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights issued a press release to announce the publication “Palestinians and Awareness-Raising Policies” (Arabic). The magazine was produced by Al Awda Youth Forum, a youth platform, established by BADIL, of Palestine refugees and internally displaced persons from both sides of the Green Line. The report asserts that there exists a “concerted and systematic effort by Israel to dissolve and co-opt Palestinian identity and culture” on multiple levels.

North America

• On 30 May, Adalah Justice Project, based in the United States, shared its agenda for the coming months. Adalah will be visiting members of Congress, policy institutions and analysts in the context of its “Yes to a Progressive Vision, No to the Deal of the Century” campaign. Adalah will also engage Palestinian-American youth in the Ramallah Federation Convention in Washington, D.C., on 3-7 July. Further, the NGO will be speaking, in the context of Netroots Nation’s largest annual conference for progressives, on the panel “Racial justice has no borders: embedding Palestinian rights in the 2020 agenda”.

Europe

• On 28 May, Human Rights Watch Germany’s Director published an article “Anti-Boycott Measure: Wrong Way to Combat Anti-Semitism” to denounce the motion recently passed in the German parliament that presents boycotts of Israel as anti-Semitic. Human Rights Watch also referred to anti-boycott measures in twenty-seven US states, which have passed laws or policies that penalize businesses, organizations or individuals that engage in or call for boycotts of Israel. The Director argued that instead of pressing ahead with anti-boycott measures likely to restrict free expression and target those campaigning for human rights, German authorities should address resurgent anti-Semitism by investigating and punishing threats and violence against Jews and by condemning intolerant speech by far-right politicians.

Upcoming Events

• On 27 and 28 June, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), with support from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, will convene the International Conference on the Question of Jerusalem “Preserving the cultural and religious character of Jerusalem” at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The Conference, which will bring together Palestinian, Israeli and international experts, representatives of the diplomatic community and civil society, will address the issue of Israel’s policies and measures aimed at changing the character of Jerusalem and seek to formulate concrete recommendations for the preservation of a City, considered sacred by three religions.

• On 11 June, Mossawa Centre – The Advocacy Centre for Arab Citizens in Israel, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and the Arab American Institute are organizing a panel discussion on the United States foreign policy and its implications for Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. Panellists will discuss the central role of the Palestinian Arab minority in promoting the conditions necessary for a sustainable peace and how the international community can support that role, in light of the recent political and legislative developments in Israel and the so-called “Deal of the Century”.

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.

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.