MIFTAH’s Fact Sheets
MIFTAH views the flow of accurate information as a vital part of its mission. MIFTAH's fact sheets offer updated information and analysis on various topics on the Palestinian cause and the situation of women and girls in particular.
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Sexual violence as a weapon of genocide
Background Since the beginning of its illegal occupation in 1967, Israel has detained over 1 million Palestinians, who are tried in Israeli military courts with a conviction rate close to 100%. Israel also detains Palestinians with no charge or trial for an indefinite period under so-called “administrative detention”. This policy of mass arbitrary arrest is one of the tools used to maintain Israel's illegal occupation, apartheid regime and settler-colonial project. To date, over 10,400 Palestinians have been arbitrarily arrested since October, 2023. The conditions of Palestinian prisoners have significantly deteriorated since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, and imprisoned Palestinians are being subjected to torture, starvation, violent cell raids, including with tear gas, deliberate medical negligence, denial of food, water, sanitary pads and sanitation, as well as denial of lawyers and family visits. Despite the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment under international law, Israeli occupation forces and prison authorities employ various torture and ill-treatment techniques against almost all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees, including women and children, leaving grave physical and psychological damage. Israeli prison authorities, occupation forces and interrogators feel emboldened to commit such acts of torture with full impunity, knowing that neither the complicit Israeli legal system nor the international community will hold them accountable. While sexual violence against Palestinian women and men has long been a tactic of torture at Israeli military checkpoints, during raids on their own homes and inside prisons, it has rapidly increased since the start of the genocide in Gaza. Palestinian women are often hesitant to share such stories, in fear of the associated social stigma, something which Israel exploits, and also due to the belief that Israel’s crimes will go unpunished. Access the full factsheet here.
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Healthcare Restricted: Female Cancer Patients in Gaza
Background: The Israeli-imposed siege and the frequent aggressions targeting medical facilities in Gaza have debilitated the health sector and its capacity to provide proper medical services. This is exacerbated in cases of chronic diseases, which gives rise to a need to leave the Gaza Strip to receive medical treatment in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, or elsewhere. However, Israel imposes a strict and discriminatory permit regime, which has a disproportionate impact on medical patients given their conditions, and it is not unusual for these permits to be significantly delayed or ultimately refused by Israel. The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) collected questionnaires from 102 women diagnosed with cancer in the Gaza Strip to assess the quality of the treatment, availability of equipment, accessibility, and referral process. The full report is accessible here. Conclusion and recommendations: The 16-year-long Israeli-imposed blockade and closure on Gaza have had detrimental impacts on the health sector in the besieged Strip. Specifically, the siege has compromised the ability of the healthcare sector to deliver proper medical services due to the absence of crucial medication, equipment, and supplies under flimsy security pretexts. Ultimately, frequent aggressions and targeting of health facilities and the Israeli-imposed siege on Gaza compromise the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthcare services available to Palestinians in Gaza. MIFTAH urges the international community to:
The summary factsheet is accessible here.
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Financial indicators for the Family Protection Bill
The legislation of the family protection bill is aimed at the protection of the family itself as an institution, and to guarantee its preservation. Palestinian legislators are aware of the importance of this bill, which is why all ministries and official institutions committed to developing its relevant programs, policies and plans, each according to their field of expertise. Their goal is to contribute to the promotion of a culture that combats domestic violence and encourages the response of public policies to this objective, through education, health, legislation and the media. Another objective is to track the bill’s impact and periodically assess it in cooperation with other civil societies. This paper focuses on some of the financial indicators pertaining to this bill. All family members in Palestine are subjected to violence, including children, minors, women and men. However, married women remain the sector most vulnerable to domestic violence according to a 2019 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics survey. It said 29.4% of married women had been subjected to at least one type of violence by their husbands as opposed to 13% of men who had been subjected to violence by their wives, by their own confession. A total of 44.7% of individuals who have never been married have been subjected toviolence;7.6% of the elderly and 44.2% of children(12-17yearsold) were the victims of violence at the hands of one of their parents. Although a high percentage of women have been victims of violence from their spouse, a considerable percentage of these women, around 60.3% preferred to stay silent about the assault. Only a small percentage of women asked for help through official avenues; 2.9% went to a defence lawyer to file a lawsuit against their husbands, 1.3% went to the police or a family protection unit and 1.4% went to the centres for mental, social and legal aid. Financial indicators for the Family Protection Bill
The table above shows that the estimated and main additional cost of the Ministry of Social Development to be around ILS4 million a year, considering that the other parties (police, prosecution and courts) are currently carrying out their roles without fully allocating specialized departments for protection from violence. However, if these parties do allot specialized departments for protection from violence, overall costs will reach approximately ILS16.2 million. Nonetheless, even if this cost is incurred, it still only comprises a small part of public expenditures, approximately 0.1%. Overall public expenditures for 2022 amount to approximately ILS16.2 billion, which means the cost of passing this bill and implementing its provisions will not constitute financial burden on the general budget and will not be an obstacle to ratifying the law by decree. Furthermore, it should be noted that while it is imperative to calculate some of the costs resulting from violence against women, the reaerate the high costs as well. The secret social costs, which impact society as a whole. Data from the Ministry of Social Development showed (see graph), that violence exercised against women has prompted around 60% of them to flee their homes. Also, 18% of them attempted suicide in addition to suffering from mental and physical illnesses, unwanted pregnancies or others. Calculating expenses incurred from violence is not an easy process and there are no national data or figures that can measure the impact violence has on the state’s general budget due to the prevalent mentality towards violence as an issue associated only with women. This is especially true when the conversation is about the indirect and intangible effects of violence, including: Violations of human rights; negative social, economic and political impacts; working women who get sick and need to take sick leave; lack of focus and productivity; impact of violence on children and academic failure; the rise in the percentage of school dropouts among children; the rise in long-term unemployment rates; the percentage of homeless children who become a burden on society; government expenditures for medical treatment; safehouses; therapy; monitoring cases of violence against women; individual expenses for following up on legal cases and lawyer fees; loss of income because of repeated absence from work or inefficacy; social expenses resulting from the breakup of the family; expenses of training individuals on how to deal with cases of violence; expenses for issuing laws and legislation on the protection of women from violence. Confirmation of the above is that the UN believes the economic, social and health costs of violence against women are, to a large extent, undocumented and unrecognized. However, these remain colossal, according to researchers, specialists and defenders of women’s rights. To view the full factsheet as PDF
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Israeli state-sanctioned settler terrorism: A gendered lens
Background: The illegal Israeli settlement project, including settler-only bypass roads, military checkpoints, and the annexation wall, continues to expand and steal more Palestinian land and resources. As of today, the number of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, is close to 300, with around 750,000 Jewish settlers residing in them. Israeli state-sanctioned settler terrorism against Palestinian civilians and property is prevalent and has been on the rise in recent years. Violence takes the form of psychological, physical, and verbal violence, including beating, throwing stones or sharp tools, intimidation, shooting, verbal assaults, and assaults on agricultural lands, cars, and homes. Such attacks are committed in the presence of Israeli occupation forces who often join them. The high frequency of these forms of violence and their persistence give rise to psychological, physical, and material harm. Palestinian survivors of settler terrorism seldom press charges and file complaints against Israeli settlers given the complicity of the Israeli law enforcement system. The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) and the Women’s Center for Legal and Counseling (WCLAC) collected questionnaires from 229 Palestinian women covering settler violence in the occupied West Bank governorates of Al-Khalil/Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. MIFTAH calls on the international community to: Put an end to Israel’s impunity and hold it accountable for its persistent crimes, including the crime against humanity of apartheid, through the adoption of effective and concrete measures; Stop all relations and trade with illegal Israeli settlements including international companies that profit from them; Criminalize and blacklist Israeli settler groups that engage in terrorist activities and hold those with dual citizenship accountable in their respective states; Ensure the urgent implementation of UNSCR 1325 to provide immediate protection for Palestinian women and to put an end to Israel’s impunity; Support the UN Special Rapporteur in the oPt, the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, the ICC investigation and the UN Commission of Inquiry.
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Factsheet on impact of Israeli violations against the right of education for girls in Jerusalem
Palestinians in general, face attempts by the Israeli occupation to “Israelize” the curriculum in Jerusalem and to stifle the Palestinian national identity, through various measures. This is amid scarce financial resources, substandard buildings, and largely unsuitable educational facilities, in addition to the multitude of references associated with education in Jerusalem. This factsheet focuses on the status of education in the city in terms of student and school distribution and approved curriculum, with a focus on the right of girls to education. Facts and figures:
Palestinian students in occupied Jerusalem in general, suffer from repeated attacks by Israeli occupation authorities, resulting in lost classes, especially in the morning.
Interviews with students, experts and parents: Interviews were individually conducted with 20 students and 10 students in a focus group. The individual interviews were intentional in that the researcher approached students who were subjected to one form of harassment. However, during the interviews, it became apparent that most of the girls had been subjected to more than one form of harassment. The interviews also included 17 involved individuals: six school principals, two counselors, three experts (one male and two female) and six parents (two men and four women). Interview results:
To View the Full Factsheet as PDF The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the study lies entirely with MIFTAH
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Israeli torture of Palestinian prisoners: Systematic cruelty in a climate of total impunity
Background: Since the beginning of its illegal occupation in 1967, Israel has detained over 1 million Palestinians. This policy of mass arbitrary arrest is one of the tools that aim at maintaining Israel's illegal occupation and apartheid regime. Every year, Israeli occupation forces detain thousands of Palestinians, including women and hundreds of children. As of today, there are 4,700 political prisoners in Israeli jails, including 640 administrative detainees, 32 women and 170 children. Every year, June 26 marks the International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture. Despite the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment under international law, Israeli occupation forces and prison authorities employ various torture and ill-treatment techniques against almost all Palestinian political prisoners and detainees, including women and children, leaving grave physical and psychological damage. Israeli prison authorities, occupation forces and interrogators feel emboldened to commit such acts of torture with full impunity knowing that neither the complicit Israeli legal system nor the international community will hold them accountable. Recommendations: MIFTAH calls on the international community to:
To view the Full Factsheet as PDF
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Family rights for Jerusalemite women under discriminatory Israeli policies
Introduction: Israeli occupation authorities in Jerusalem continue to enforce punitive and discriminatory measures against Palestinians and to violate their human rights. These include: house arrest of minors, restrictions on the freedom of movement, ID revocation, forced displacement, home demolitions and rejection of family reunification applications, all of which have disproportionate impact on women, who endure the most responsibility in caring for the family. Women with Palestinian IDs who are married to Jerusalemite ID holders are faced with numerous measures that restrict their movement, thus preventing them from exercising normal lives. Palestinian women, holding Palestinian IDs, in Jerusalem are prevented from living with their Jerusalemite husbands who have “blue IDs’ and, in the case of divorce, are also prevented from remaining in Jerusalem, putting them at risk of losing custody over their children, not living in the same city or even being able to visit them. This is because entry into occupied Jerusalem requires permits that can only be obtained with approval from Israeli authorities, particularly residency permits for women with Palestinian IDs. These require renewal by their husbands, which is not feasible in the case of divorce. These discriminatory Israeli measures towards Palestinian women based on their IDs, which in any case, is determined by Israeli authorities, is one reason for domestic violence. The accumulated hardships on women pose risks for them and oftentimes forces them to endure marital relations rife with violence. What makes matters worse is that they do not always report this violence for fear they will be deported from Jerusalem, lose custody of their children in the case of divorce, or have their residency revoked. This leads to further subordination and control by the husband over the fate of women in general. Statistics:
“Citizenship” Law:
Polygamy:
Custody:
Alimony:
Problems in implementing Court Orders:
Statistics:
*This paper was prepared in cooperation between WCLAC and MIFTAH To view the Full Factsheet as PDF The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the study lies entirely with MIFTAH
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Beyond an illegal Occupation: 55 years of Full Impunity & Zero Accountability
Background: On June 5, 1967, Israel took control of the rest of historical Palestine by occupying the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Security Council adopted several resolutions calling for the end of Israel's occupation (including Resolution 242 which called for full Israeli withdrawal) which remain unimplemented. Israel’s illegal occupation has transformed into de facto annexation (de jure in Jerusalem since 1980) and is part of its apartheid regime applied across historical Palestine. The brutal Israeli occupation is characterized by perpetual unchecked crimes and human rights violations and is maintained by various means, such as killings, mass arbitrary detention, home demolitions, forced displacement, construction of illegal settlements, a network of military checkpoints, theft of land and resources, and state-sanctioned settler terrorism. As recently stated by an Israeli army commander: "the army and the settlements are one and the same". For 55 long years, the Israeli occupation continues with full impunity and no accountability, due to international inaction and double standards. Despite decades-long calls by Palestinians and reports by the most reputable human rights organizations, the world remains silent on the longest military occupation in modern history. Recommendations: MIFTAH urges the international community to:
To view the Full Factsheet as PDF
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Israeli violations and discriminatory policies against Palestinian women’s political rights in Jerusalem
This factsheet is based on a report documenting Israeli violations and discriminatory policies against Jerusalemite women’s political rights, particularly those pertaining to Articles 7 and 8 of CEDAW (The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women). The report was prepared by the General Union of Palestinian Women, MIFTAH and the CEDAW Coalition. Based on this report and interviews conducted with Jerusalemite activists for the purpose of monitoring and documenting these violations, four focal points were cited: First: Participation in political and public life through monitoring Palestinian legislative elections and the right of women to run, vote and participate in elections in general. Second: Analysis of women’s participation in Palestinian associations and organizations in Jerusalem. Third: Analysis of women’s participation in popular activities in the Jerusalem area and violations in this regard. Fourth: Representation of Jerusalemite women within their Palestinian context at the international level and their participation in events by international organizations. Twenty interviews were conducted with Jerusalemite women activists for the purpose of documenting violations, within the scope of the aforementioned points. Following is a summary of the findings:
To view the Full Factsheet as PDF The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the study lies entirely with MIFTAH
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Health violations against Palestinian women and girls in Occupied Jerusalem
Introduction: This factsheet focuses on challenges, obstacles and the monitoring of health violations pertaining to Palestinian women and girls in Occupied East Jerusalem and in other areas under Israeli occupation, within the context of Article 12, Provisions 1 and 2 of The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Data was retroactively collected from July-August, 2021 for the period between 2017 and September 2021. The lengthy duration of the Israeli occupation has stripped and deprived the Palestinian people, women and girls in particular, of their humanity and rights. Moreover, the occupation of East Jerusalem and the restrictions imposed on Palestinians further compounds this situation. This includes the Israeli separation wall, which has isolated Jerusalem and its 335,000 Palestinian residents from the rest of the West Bank. Of this number, 140,000 Jerusalemites live in areas under illegitimate Israeli municipal jurisdiction, but on the other side of the wall, which means they can only enter the city through Israeli military checkpoints. There are many of these areas in and around Jerusalem, including Abu Mgheira/Jabal Mukkaber, Kufr Aqab, Shufat Camp, Anata and others. Report sample: Jerusalemite women and girls within the following age groups:
Through field reports, focus group discussions and individual testimonies from women and girls, several violations and challenges to health rights were evident, in addition to the obstacles Palestinian Jerusalemite women and girls face while receiving Israeli health care services. These violations and obstacles can be divided into three categories:
Challenges and violations according to testimonies from the targeted sample
This report is part of a project on the implementation of CEDAW in Jerusalem, conducted by MIFTAH in cooperation with Juzoor for Health & Social Development and the CEDAW Coalition member institutions working in Jerusalem. It will be part of the shadow report for this project. The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the study lies entirely with MIFTAH
A Vision for Palestinian Women’s Rights Organizations based on the Global Study on the Implementation of UNSCR 1325
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