Press Releases
5 October 2020
45th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council Item 7 – Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories Joint Oral Intervention
Date: 30 September 2020 Speaker: Mrs. Nuriya Oswald, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights Israel has aggressively pursued a policy of silencing those who seek justice and accountability for violations committed against the Palestinian people, as a tool to maintain its apartheid regime. The targeting of individual human rights defenders has been integral to Israel’s numerous attempts to shrink civil society space. At a time when Israeli impunity lingers, Palestinian human rights defenders have endured death threats, arbitrary arrests, travel bans, residency revocation, and deportation, as well as other intimidating tactics that aim to oppress, dominate and delegitimise them. Earlier this month, Salah Hammouri, a 35-year-old Palestinian-French human rights defender and lawyer with Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, was officially notified of the intention to revoke his permanent Jerusalem residency for so-called ‘breach of allegiance’ to the State of Israel. Previously, Israel banned Salah from the West Bank for almost 16 months and deported his wife, Elsa Lefort, a French national, separating Salah from his wife and son. Israel illegally applies its domestic Entry into Israel Law to the protected Palestinian population in occupied East Jerusalem, revoking permeant residencies, as a measure of direct forcible transfer, in violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to establish an Israeli Jewish majority in the city. Forcing Palestinian allegiance to Israel, the Occupying Power, further breaches Article 45 of the Hague Regulations which states that “it is forbidden to compel the inhabitants of occupied territory to swear allegiance to the hostile Power”. By silencing Palestinian civil society, Israel maintains its repressive and prolonged 53-year military occupation, while rapidly expanding its colonisation and annexation of occupied Palestinian territory, and denying the Palestinian people their inalienable right to self-determination. We call on the international community to take immediate action to protect Palestinian human right defenders and to hold Israel accountable. Watch the video statement at the UN TV here.
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Press Releases
Press Statements
Israeli Attacks on Palestinians and Properties and Victims of Internal Violence, Monthly Statistical Report
Articles
Diaries from the war
At HRC 52, Al Mezan calls on the international community to end Israel's impunity for its gross violations against the Palestinian people
Al Mezan welcomes UN General Assembly’s resolution referring the question of Israeli occupation to International Court of Justice
Joint Statement: 86 Human Rights and Civil Society Organisations, and Academic Institutions Condemn Israel’s Targeted Smear Campaign Against Respected UN Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese
Al Mezan welcomes UN General Assembly’s recent resolutions on Palestine, including one marking the 75th anniversary of the Nakba
Al Mezan and PCHR send joint submission to the UN Human Rights Council ahead of Israel’s UPR