The United Nations Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution without a vote which called for two urgent fact-finding missions to be dispatched to the occupied Palestinian territory, voicing concern that previous attempts to investigate potential human rights abuses had been hindered by Israel. The Council noted with regret that Israel had not cooperated with two previous resolutions which dispatched the missions. Read more about Human Rights Council calls for fact-finding missions to probe alleged Israeli abuses 

“Recent Israeli statements claiming readiness to engage with the Arab Initiative, if Arab states dropped the clause on the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in accordance with UN Resolution 194, is nothing but yet another attempt to deceive Arabs and Palestinians and obtain free concessions … Any compromise of the rights of the refugees stands for the continuation of the Nakba (catastrophe) inflicted upon the Palestinian people since 1948 and perpetuates the conflict with Israel,” say Palestinian civil society organizations to Arab leaders convening today, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the summit of the Arab League. Read more about Palestinians call upon Arab Summit: "Protect Palestinian Refugees and Work for their Right of Return" 

During the reporting period two Palestinians, including a child were killed by the IOF in the West Bank. Thirteen Palestinian civilians, including seven children, were wounded by IOF. Eight of these civilians were wounded in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah; four were injured by IOF gunfire at checkpoints. The IOF also conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in the OPT, including a minor incursion into the Central Gaza Strip. Read more about Weekly Report on Human Rights Violations 

Today the Knesset extended for fifteen months the validity of the racist Nationality and Entry into Israel (Temporary Order) Law, which prevents family unification of residents of East Jerusalem and citizens of Israel married to Palestinians who are residents of the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. The extension follows the High Court of Justice’s rejection last year of the petition filed by Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights to invalidate the statute. In addition, the Knesset expanded the application of the law to include a category “dangerous countries,” containing Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, whose citizens are denied family unification under the provisions of the statute. Read more about Knesset extends racist entry law for another year 

Enaya Samara is a 56-year-old US national of Palestinian origin. For 31 years she lived in Ramallah with her husband, Adel Samara, who is a resident of the OPT, and their two children. For three decades she had to travel abroad every three months to renew her tourist visa. The family’s repeated attempts to obtain family unification and establish Enaya Samara’s right to reside in the OPT were unsuccessful. On 26 May 2006, after more than 120 trips, she was denied entry when she tried to return home to the OPT. Read more about Right to family life denied 

Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the world comes together to reaffirm that racial discrimination is an assault on the foundation of the human rights system - the principle of equality. On this occasion, Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, “a society that tolerates discrimination holds itself back, foregoing the contribution of whole parts of its population, and potentially sowing the seeds of violent conflict.” She added that despite the fact that many states have accepted to fight racial discrimination “a reality check demonstrates that formal commitments are not enough.” Read more about Anti-Racism Day: "Israel is guilty of apartheid and colonization" 

On 18 March 2007, the District Court in Nazareth decided to permit the continued appropriation of approximately 200 dunams of land through an order of the Minister of Finance from 1953. Adalah states, “The Court’s decision is erroneous and dangerous as it legitimizes the illegal and unjustified seizure of land. This land was confiscated in 1953 for alleged ‘essential settlement and development needs,’ but it has not been used for such reasons at all. The Court agreed to delay the implementation of the decision, and we will investigate the possibility of lodging an appeal to the Supreme Court.” Read more about Israeli court upholds order to confiscate hundreds of Palestinian citizens' land