In his comments to the Editors Committee on 7 December 2006, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that, “Since June, more than 400 members of terrorist organizations have been killed.” According to B’Tselem’s data, from the time of the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, on 26 June, to 15 November, the IDF has killed 387 Palestinians. More than half of the persons killed, 206, among them eighty-one minors and forty-five women, were not taking part in the hostilities when they were killed. Four of the remaining fatalities were the object of targeted killings, and 177 were killed while taking part in the hostilities. Read more about Is every Palestinian in the Gaza Strip a terrorist?
This Travel Warning is being issued to update information on the general security environment in Israel, Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, and to reiterate threats to foreign nationals, especially American citizens. Although the situation in Israel is seemingly calm, the fact of the matter remains that Israel continues to aggressively violate International Humanitarian and Human Rights Laws daily. A disconcerting development is the Israeli practice of denying entry of Palestinian Christians and Muslims to the Holy Land; embodying religious discrimination during the high holy season. As Palestinians, we have always looked forward to your being with us during Christmas, Easter and other holiday feasts. Read more about Travel Warning: Bethlehem & Jerusalem, Occupied Palestine
A strange phenomenon has been taking place over the past few years. Israel has been carrying out a systematic plan to try and separate Gaza from the West Bank. Little attention has been given to this effort separating people — and a country — using administrative measures. This phenomenon began in the late 1980s with the launch of the Palestinian intifada, was accelerated in the beginning of the second intifada in 2000, and has been accelerated even more since the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, causing a critical human and economic crisis. Read more about Divide and conquer
The London-based human rights organisation Amnesty International has asked the European Union (EU) to block arms sale to Israel and Palestinians so as to stave off impending disaster in Israel and the Palestinian territories. However, Israel has reacted negatively to the proposal. In an open letter to the EU on International Human Rights Day on Sunday, Amnesty’s secretary general Irene Khan said worsening human rights abuses in Israel and the Palestinian territories would lead to catastrophe. “We see a downward spiral of human rights abuses and entrenched impunity, sowing the seeds of a disaster with catastrophic consequences for ordinary people,” she wrote. Read more about Amnesty and Israel clash over arms and human rights
I am writing to you from Jerusalem on International Human Rights Day on the eve of the forthcoming European Council meeting to ask you to take urgent action to address the extremely serious human rights situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories. The current truce in the Gaza Strip is extremely fragile but it provides an opening which the international community must seize to encourage dialogue towards a political solution. However, no political initiative will succeed if it does not address, as a matter of priority, the underlying human rights concerns. Read more about Amnesty International head sends open letter to EU heads of state
The undersigned Palestinian human rights NGOs strongly condemn the horrible murder committed in Gaza City on Monday morning, 12 December 2006, which killed 3 children and the driver of the car, in which they were traveling to school. The car, in which the victims were traveling, were fired at by unknown gunmen. The undersigned human rights NGOs express their deep concerns over the unprecedented deterioration in the state of security chaos and misuse of weapons prevailing in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), especially in the Gaza Strip, in light of the failure of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to take effective measures to ensure protection for the lives and property of people. Read more about Human rights organizations respond to Gaza shooting
Today the United Nations (UN) observes the 58th International Human Rights Day, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN General Assembly, on 10 December 1948. On this occasion, Al-Haq is compelled to note the stark contrast between the fundamental standards enshrined in the UDHR, and the situation of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Read more about Disregard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
An independent United Nations expert on safeguarding human rights while fighting terrorism is to visit Israel at the invitation of its Government, possibly during the first half of next year. “The State of Israel has legitimate national security concerns and is often confronted with violent attacks, including against civilians. Hence, I fully understand that it must be able to respond to terrorist acts. However, the Government’s response, including the enactment and implementation of legislation, and actual practices, must be in conformity with international law, in particular humanitarian and human rights law,” said Martin Scheinin. Read more about UN expert: Israel's security measures not in compliance with international law
Until May 2002, citizens and residents of Israel (including residents of East Jerusalem) married to residents of the Occupied Territories could request a legal status in Israel for their spouse and that their children be registered in their identity cards and as residents of Israel. In May 2002, the government of Israel decided to freeze the handling of requests by Israeli residents for family unification with Palestinians from the Occupied Territories. The interpretation given the law by the Interior Ministry - denies many children, those with one parent who is a resident of Israel and the other a resident of the Occupied Territories, the possibility of obtaining a permanent status in Israel. Read more about Interior Ministry denies status to children of East Jerusalem residents
In a letter received by Adalah on 23 November 2006, the State Prosecutor’s Office in Israel announced that a criminal investigation for racial incitement into the publication of an article in Issue 160 of the ultra-orthodox Hassidic World magazine will be launched. Adalah Attorney Abeer Baker sent a complaint to the Attorney General on 23 August 2006, demanding the opening of an immediate investigation on the grounds that that the article, written by Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, contains racist statements and opinions which constitute incitement against Arabs in general and Muslims in particular. Read more about Investigation to be launched into racist article in ultra-orthodox magazine
