Palestinians unite for freedom from occupation and the right of return Commemorations of the 59th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba in May, followed by the 40th anniversary of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in June, and the ongoing struggle against the Apartheid Wall and Palestinian displacement from the occupied city of Jerusalem result in a surge of activity and events. Palestinian civil society networks and political organization and movements from the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories and Israel have agreed to combine forces for effective coordination and maximum impact. The establishment of a national coordination committee was announced in the Palestinian press on 19 April. It includes representatives of the National and Islamic forces, the National Committee for the Commemoration of the 59th Anniversary of the Nakba, the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, the National Coalition for the Defense of Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) and the Union of Arab Community-based Organizations (Ittijah). In its press statement, the committee emphasized the need for a “firm stand on Palestinian national principles [...], foremost the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and properties in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which is the essence and the center of the Palestinian cause and a sacred right which must not be prejudiced.” The statement expressed gratitude to the British National Union of Journalists for the support of a consumer boycott of Israeli products. It called for world-wide boycott activation and for holding Israel to account for the war crimes committed against the Palestinian people and the people in the region. Commemorations of the 59th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba will be launched in Israel on 24 April with the traditional Return-March of Palestinian citizens of Israel to the 1948 depopulated village of Allajun. On 1 May, the Cultural Palace in Ramallah will be the site of the first Al-Awda Award Festival, an annual event aimed at encouraging cultural expression on the Nakba and the right of return. 2007 Award winners in five categories – best poster, short film, oral history accounts, children's stories and research papers – will be honored by Palestinian ministers, artists, scholars, and the Popular Dance Troupe al-Funoun.
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By: UN Women
Date: 09/03/2019
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My Rights, Our Power: A Joint Campaign Launched in Palestine to Raise Awareness on Women’s Fundamental Human Rights
1_March 2019, Ramallah – On the occasion of the International Women’s Day (8 March), a week-long joint campaign “My Rights, Our Power” was launched today in Palestine to raise awareness on women’s fundamental human rights. The joint effort, with participation from over 30 national and international partners from civil society organizations, media outlets, and international development agencies, targets youth, women, and men in various geographic areas in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza to promote women’s human rights in Palestine. The campaign comes at a crucial moment when the anticipated adoption of the Family Protection Bill is at a standstill, raising concerns among national and international stakeholders about the consequences of such delay on safeguarding women’s fundamental human rights in Palestine. According to the Palestine report of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), nearly one in five Palestinian men (17 percent) surveyed said they had perpetrated act of physical intimate partner violence against female partners, while 21 per cent of women surveyed reported having experienced such violence. “Family violence, usually committed by a family member who has social or economic power over others in the family, causes enormous pain and suffering to all members of the family, especially the women and children,” said a spokesperson from civil society, which has vigorously initiated the development of the Family Protection Bill (FPB), and has strongly pushed its adoption since 2004. “The violation of women’s human rights manifests in various levels and should be also understood from economic, cultural, and social aspects,” the spokesperson added, highlighting the lack of opportunities and freedom of choice, as well as limited access to justice and services that women in Palestine still experience. The joint campaign aims to raise awareness of the general public, especially youth, women, and men on women’s fundamental rights in line with international standards and embedded in the Family Protection Bill draft endorsed by the previous Cabinet at the end of December 2018. Five key messages, addressing women’s right to a life free of violence, right to achieve justice and seek help in case of violation of such life, as well as the right to equal opportunities and right to make one’s own choices, will be distributed through various channels such as radio, social media, helpline (121), outreach activities, and on-site events. The closing event of the joint campaign will take place on 8 March in Jerusalem and will celebrate women’s achievements using TED-style talks, followed by art performances. “My Rights, Our Power” joint campaign is part of the global International Women’s Day 2019 campaign under the theme of “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”. The theme focuses on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure, echoing the theme of the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 63) taking place in New York on 11-22 March 2019. The participating organizations of the “My Rights, Our Power” are (in alphabetical order): 17 Palestinian women’s organizations represented by Al-Muntada (coalition), British Consulate-General, Business Women Forum, CARE International, Consulate General of Sweden, Consulate General of Belgium, EUPOL COPPS, EU Representative Office, FAO, General Union of Palestinian Women, Government of Japan, CowaterSogema/GROW Project, International Labour Organization, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Ma’an TV, MIFTAH, Netherlands Representative Office, Nisaa FM, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development, Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association, Representative Office of Canada, Representative Office of Denmark, SAWA, Sawasya II, Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, Sports for Life, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Representative Office of Norway, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UN Women, Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling, Women’s Studies Center. For more information, please contact Eunjin Jeong at UN Women via eunjin.jeong@unwomen.org or 059 2321 308, Majd Beltaji at UNESCO via m.beltaji@unesco.org or 059 4501 506.
By: Dr. Riyad Mansour
Date: 08/11/2017
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Statement of Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, before the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security, 27 October 2017
Mr. President, We thank France for organizing this important meeting and extend our appreciation to the Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary General, the Executive Director of UN Women, the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and the Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie for their efforts and important briefings. The issue before us is of relevance not only for half the planet, but to all, given the role and contribution of women in the fields of peace and security and the untapped potential that could be unleashed by mainstreaming their participation. Since the adoption by consensus of resolution 1325 by this Council, a lot has happened, and yet we are still far from the goal of full and equal participation, including in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building, and from ensuring the protection and empowerment of women. Gender equality and non-discrimination remain prerequisites for the fulfilment of the purposes and principles of this organization and all of our lofty, collective commitments, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The State of Palestine welcomes the Secretary General’s report and his commitment to implementing the women and peace and security agenda, including by placing gender at the centre of his prevention platform and surge in diplomacy. We appreciate all efforts by the UN in this regard, including by UN Women, OHCHR and UNDP, notably in the field of human rights, capacity building, employment and rule of law. We urge UN bodies, notably those operating in Palestine, including the Special Representative, to intensify their engagement and collaboration with women organizations. Mr. President, I wish to highlight some of Palestine’s own important efforts in this regard. The Palestinian women’s movement is one of the oldest and strongest in the region and beyond, with institutional and representative structures established as early as the 19th century. Within the PLO, the General Union of Palestinian Women was among the first unions to be established. A coordination of women frameworks within PLO political parties and other organizations has also been established as the “Women’s Affairs Technical Committee” in the aftermath of the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference. There have been many achievements thereafter. Among them: In 2012, Palestine inaugurated a High-Level National Committee for the implementation of resolution 1325, led by the Ministry of Women Affairs in partnership with relevant Ministries and NGOs. In 2016, the State of Palestine was among the 68 countries and areas that adopted a National Action Plan on women, peace and security. This Action Plan (2017-2019), adopted by both the Government and civil society organizations, identifies three primary objectives: 1. ensuring protection for women and girls both domestically and in the face of the Israeli occupation; 2. ensuring accountability through national and international mechanisms, with a particular focus on crimes and violations committed by the occupation; and 3. furthering women’s political participation in decision making at the national and international level. The State of Palestine also joined core IHL and human rights instruments, including CEDAW, without reservations. Women’s participation and empowerment are also important and cross-cutting objectives in the context of the National Policy Agenda (2017-2022). We are, however, conscious that, despite all these efforts, much more work remains to be done. Only in 2009 was a women elected to the highest executive body of the PLO. Quotas are still decisive in allowing women’s election to Parliament and local councils. And while women organizations were among the strongest advocates of national reconciliation, they have been unfairly absent from reconciliation talks. The relevant legislative framework applicable in Palestine is also outdated and must be revised to ensure consistency with Palestine’s international commitments and obligations and avail women the protection and rights they are entitled to and the opportunities they deserve. Mr. President, The Palestinian women’s movement since its establishment over a century ago pursued the struggle on two fronts – the struggle for the independence of Palestine and the struggle for women’s rights and empowerment – a dual struggle the movement continues to pursue to this day. The Israeli occupation remains the main source of the violations of our women’s rights and their vulnerability and violence against their person. We have repeatedly called for protection of the Palestinian people, especially women and children. We have also called for accountability, a key element of resolution 1325, the first resolution to address the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women, as the only way to put an end to violations and crimes. While Palestine stands ready to do its part to advance women rights and the role of women in the fields of peace and security, it is clear that the enjoyment of these rights in our country necessitates ending the Israeli occupation. We will thus continue to work for an end of the occupation and true progress on the path to independence, justice and peace, with the equal and full involvement of women, leading to an independent State of Palestine ensuring human rights for all its citizens without discrimination.
By: Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325
Date: 20/10/2016
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Seeking Justice: Statement by the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325 on the visit of the delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor’s Office on 9-10 October 2016 to Palestine
On the occasion of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to Palestine, the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325, which consists of twelve different Palestinian women’s organisations, is urging the Prosecutor’s Office to take concrete actions towards investigating war crimes committed against Palestinians. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom remains deeply concerned with the complete impunity of Israeli war crimes and firmly supports the Coalition’s call for a just accountability mechanism for Palestinian victims. WILPF also calls on the international community to recognise and fully support Palestinian women’s organisations substantial role in paving the paths to justice, accountability and peace. Read the statement of the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325 below. We, the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325,welcome the visit of the delegation of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office as a step in the right direction. But we are deeply disappointed that the purpose of this visit was restricted to preliminary examination, while Palestinian victims of Israeli war crimes, including women, continue to suffer and urgently await justice and an end to Israel impunity. We do not understand the decision to exclude the Gaza Strip from this visit, when Gaza has been the site of the most war crimes and where women have been most systematically impacted by Israeli collective punishment policies; a prolonged imposed siege and a severe humanitarian deterioration resulting from Israeli military aggressions . We are further disappointed that women who have been systematically impacted, and their women’s organisations, have been excluded from the delegation’s agenda. We call upon all future delegations of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to include on their agenda meetings with women’s organisations and women who have experienced direct and indirect impacts of Israeli crimes. We, the Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325, have seen in UNSCR 1325, 2242, and other UN Resolutions a commitment to hold the Israeli perpetrators accountable for their war crimes. We look to the ICC as the most important mechanism to end impunity for all war crimes committed, finally bringing justice for the Palestinian people. Yet, we are very concerned that the preliminary examinations will be an endless process. Therefore, we urge, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the ICC, to conclude the preliminary examination and move to investigations into Israeli war crimes, bringing justice to Palestinians. We have paid the price of non-accountability and impunity of Israeli war crimes for too long. “Delaying justice is justice denied.” Palestinian Women Coalition of UNSCR 1325: The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), the Women’s Affairs Technical Committee (WATC), Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), MIFTAH, Filastinyat, Women Media and Development (TAM), Women Stu Dies Center, Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WACLAC), the National, YWCA of Palestine, Center for Women’s Legal Research and Consulting (CWLRC), the Culture and Free thought Association(CWLRC) and Women’s Affairs Center (GWAC). Occupied Palestine October 11, 2016
By the Same Author
Date: 12/03/2007
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Ongoing Population Transfer Resulting from Institutional Discrimination in the OPT and Israel
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Statement submitted by Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, an NGO with special ECOSOC status. Ongoing population transfer resulting from institutional discrimination in the OPT and Israel Israel's ongoing policies against the Palestinian people of land expropriation, house demolition, population transfer, colonial settlement expansion, denial of freedom of movement, and expropriation of water and other resources, present the Human Rights Council with one of the longest-standing, yet urgent cases of denial of internationally-recognized human rights. Indeed, Israel's practices that victimize the indigenous Palestinian people, constitute a violation of every one of the most fundamental human rights embodied in the Universal Bill of Human Rights: the rights to life, to freedom of movement, to civil, political, religious and cultural rights, to the due process rights of the ICCPR, and to virtually all of the economic, social and cultural rights of the ICESCR. The most recent authoritative documentation on these Israeli practices available to the Council includes Special Rapporteur John Dugard's report on the Occupied Territories, (Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, 29 January 2007) which labels Israel's actions 'apartheid.' SR Dugard's thorough report draws sufficient parallels between the South African apartheid regime and Israel's as to make the term appropriate for use against Israel today. Israel's historical policy of institutional discrimination is at the root of its regime of occupation, colonization and apartheid. Israel's discriminatory and racist policies, favoring "Jewish nationals", including settlers, over Palestinian citizens of Israel, protected civilians in the occupied territories, and refugees has created a two-tier system whereby the special and distinct status of "Jewish nationals" prevents the fundamental right to equality of Palestinians. Under Israeli law and policy, only "Jewish nationals" exclusively enjoy a range of economic, social and cultural rights, including the "Law of Return" that allows free immigration for Jews, but denies the same to the Palestinian indigenous population tracing its ties to the land for thousands of years. "Jewish nationals" are also privileged to acquire, control and exclusively use the properties and national assets that belong to Palestinians, including the 6.8 million refugees and others displaced since 1948. This discriminatory regime thus prevents the return of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes of origin, and leads to ongoing population transfer in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Amongst others whose very existence is threatened are the Bedouin communities in the Nakab (Negev) and the occupied West Bank. Enforcing international law: the need for further action States have a duty to protect the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, denounce discrimination, racism, and colonization, and find a durable solution to Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons based on their right to return and restitution. Moreover, the United Nations and member states must act urgently to prevent further population transfer within Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Unless a rights-based approach to the conflict that addresses Israel's discriminatory practices becomes the basis of international community actions, the conflict will continue to deepen, affecting the peace and security of all nations. The urgent need for action by the Human Rights Council, and through it, the United Nations bodies, cannot be overemphasized. It is with this hope that Badil request the Council to consider the legality and implications of Israel's historical policies of institutional discrimination being applied in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. This action is particularly urgent considering that the number of Palestinians killed in 2006 represents a 215 percent increase compared to the 2005 figure. According to UN OCHA and Defense for Children International (DCI), 678 Palestinians were killed, including 124 children, in the occupied Palestinian territories as a result of the ongoing conflict. Since the beginning of the intifada in September 2000, over 4,300 Palestinians have been killed and 31,000 injured. These casualties continue to mount while successive UN Resolutions designed to bring the illegal occupation to an end remain ignored by Israel. Badil calls upon members of the Council to
Date: 07/05/2003
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55 Years of the Palestinian Nakba 1948: 2003 Nakba Memorial Events in Palestine
In this period of great concern about new political initiatives aimed at de-legitimizing Palestinian refugees’ demand for their rights (return, restitution and compensation) as enshrined in international law, Palestinian refugees in all parts of Palestine/Israel have taken the lead in organizing public events to commemorate the Palestinian Nakba. These events will not only commemorate the massive Palestinian displacement and dispossession in May 1948 caused by the establishment of Israel, but also raise the ongoing demand for recognition and implementation of Palestinian refugees’ right of return. Several Jewish-Israeli initiatives will, for the second time, participate in the annual commemorations inside 1948 Palestine/Israel and raise the slogan, “No Independence without Acceptance of Moral Responsibility and Recognition of the Debt – No Independence without a Just Solution of Return, Repatriation and Restitution!” PROGRAM Thursday, 1 May Launch of all-Palestine TV Awareness-Raising Campaign to Commemorate 55 Years of the Palestinian Nakba: daily broadcasts (1 – 15 May) of documentary films and video-clips (Palestinian TV Network Ma’an). Monday, 5 May Tulkarem: 2003 Al-Nakba planning and organizing meeting of community organizations. Tuesday, 6 May Hebron District: Launch, WORKSHOP SERIES on ‘The Palestinian Nakba in the Current Political Context’ (6 – 13 May): five workshops in Idhna, Hebron, al-Arroub Camp, Doura and al-Fawwar Camp will discuss three topics: Palestinian Refugees’ Right of Return and Proposals Presented in the Political Negotiations; U.S. Policy in the Region and its Impact on the Palestinian Issues; and, The Road Map – How Do We Relate to It? (public institutions, local community centers, Anqa Cultural Society, a.o.) Wednesday, 7 May: Israeli Independence Day/Day of the Palestian Nakba (Hebrew calendar) 10:00 a.m.: VISIT AND SIGN-POSTING at the Depopulated Palestinian Village of MISKA (on the Tira-Kfar Saba road): Internally displaced residents of Miska will tell their story to Jewish-Israeli visitors. Together they will re-post signs marking important sites in the village, which were removed since the last visit and raise the demand for the villagers’ return to their lands. (Zochrot and the Committee of Miska Displaced; contact: Eytan, 056-314229; transportation will depart from the Arlozorov train terminal in Tel Aviv at 9:15 a.m; participants will then join the return march to Umm al-Zeinat.) 2:00 p.m.: 6th ANNUAL MARCH to the Palestinian Village of UMM AL-ZEINAT: the march will conclude with a memorial ceremony in the village located on Mount Carmel. (Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Internally Displaced with the participation of Palestinian public and popular institutions, political parties and social movements and several Jewish-Israeli initiatives, such as Zochrot, Bat Shalom, a.o. Participants will gather at the Beer el-Haramees (Elyakim) Junction. Transportation is available from numerous locations. For further information contact ADRID: Daoud Badr, 068-641066 or Soliman Fahmawi, 050-267679. Hebron District (al-Arroub Camp, Sourif, Doura): Launch, AL-NAKBA ACTIVITY PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN, 7 – 15 May; a series of workshops will introduce children to the history of al-Nakba; children will produce 550 paper kites and a large balloon carrying the names of the 1948 depopulated and destroyed Palestinian villages (Youth Center/Arroub Camp, ‘Anqa Cultural Society/Hebron, Doura Cultural Center, Hebron Municipal Library, a.o.). Thursday, 8 May Nablus: PUBLIC DEBATE, “The Right of Return – Consensus and Controversy,” at the Youth Activity Center/Camp No. 1 (Local Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled). Saturday, 10 May Nurshams Camp/Tulkarem: WORKSHOP, ‘The Palestinian State and the Refugee Issue’ at the Youth Center/Nurshams Camp (Popular Service Committee; date to be confirmed). Tulkarem: Launch, WEEK OF JERUSALEM AND RETURN (10 – 16 May); each day is dedicated to a main theme (refugees, prisoners, injured, martyrs). Activities include lectures, debates, film screenings and exhibitions at the al-Quds Open University, Tulkarem (student organizations, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, Palestinian Martyr’s Society, Popular Committees, a.o.);. Nablus: PUBLIC CALL-IN DEBATE with refugee activists and Palestinian politicians on: ‘al-Nakba Commemorations and Proposed Solutions for Palestinian Refugees;’ in the studio of Afaq TV. Sunday, 11 May 2003 Tulkarem: ‘REFUGEE DAY/Week of Jerusalem and Return,’ al-Quds Open University, including a workshop on: ‘The Palestinian Refugee Issue and International Protection.’ Wednesday, 14 May 2003 Askar Camp, Nablus: ‘Palestinian Children Reflecting on al-Nakba;’ a gathering and discussion (Local Committee for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled). Tulkarem: ORGANIZING WORKSHOP, ‘Problems of Palestinian Refugees in the Tulkarem District’ at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Popular Committee and community organizations from the Tulkarem District); Nurshams Camp/Tulkarem: AL-NAKBA – AL-AWDA TORCH MARCH. Thursday, 15 May 2003: Al-Nakba Day Tulkarem: WORKSHOP, ‘The Road Map and the Fate of Palestinian Refugees’ Al-Arroub Camp, Sourif, Doura (Hebron): Palestinian children FLY THEIR PAPER KITES and BALLOON on Nakba Day; Bethlehem District: Dissemination and discussion of UN Resolution 194 in Palestinian public schools; PUBLIC RALLIES and MARCHES in commemoration of 55 years of the Palestinian Nakba and for the Palestinian right of return (Tulkarem, Balata Camp/Nablus, Bethlehem, and elsewhere). Balata Camp, Nablus and Tulkarem Camp: TORCH MARCHES in commemoration of the Nakba. Please note that this program is incomplete. It does not include all 2003 Nakba memorial events, and additional activities are still being organized, especially in the Gaza Strip. For additional information about events organized in the West Bank contact BADIL at: 02-2747346 or camp@badil.org. Date: 29/03/2003
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Palestinian Land Day 2003
The commemoration of Palestinian Land Day (March 30) this year coincides with the ongoing Israeli reoccupation and military siege of Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps in the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories and the US-UK led war against Iraq. The so-called ‘preemptive war’ provides yet another example of the double standard that governs US-UK foreign policy in the region. Both the United States and the UK have emphasized the importance of upholding Security Council resolutions and international law in the months since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1441. UN resolutions affirming the right of Palestinian refugees and IDPs to return and repossess their properties meanwhile remain unimplemented. This double standard is even more evident when international policy vis-à-vis property rights of Palestinian refugees and IDPs is compared to policy in other refugee cases (See attached list of peace agreements). The latest draft of the so-called ‘Road Map’, moreover, merely calls for an “agreed, just, fair and realistic solution to the refugee issue” – i.e., a solution based upon the current balance of power rather than international law. A final status agreement between the PLO and Israel that does not resolve Palestinian refugee and IDP housing and property claims will neither be consistent with international law nor durable. Land Day and Ongoing Palestinian Dispossession Land Day commemorates the day nearly three decades ago when Israeli security forces shot and killed 6 Palestinians during demonstrations and a general strike called by the Palestinian leadership inside 1948 Palestine/Israel to protest ongoing expropriation Palestinian land to build new Jewish colonies and expand existing Jewish cities. Today Land Day symbolizes Palestinian resistance to ongoing expropriation and unresolved claims to housing and property restitution. Since the commemoration of Land Day one year ago, Israel has continued to dispossess and violate the basic human right to property of the indigenous Palestinian population. Inside Israel, the government demolished more than 150 Palestinian homes in numerous villages and towns, including the al-Araqib area/Naqab (south of Rahat), al-Maqiman/Naqab (near Laqiya), Beir Hadag/Naqab, al/Qaren/Naqab, Majd al-Krum, Sajour, Jaffa, Lydda, Ramle, and Kafr Qasem. Villages affected by ongoing land confiscation for the new ‘apartheid wall’ currently under construction to separate Palestinians from the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories from Israel include Jatt and Baqa al-Gharbiyya. During the year, the Israel Lands Administration (ILA), which controls most of the land inside Israel (including land expropriated from Palestinian refugees), continued to destroy Bedouin homes and crops to prevent so-called ‘encroachment’ on ‘state lands’, the vast majority of which was expropriated from Palestinians. In the 1967 occupied Palestinian territories expropriation and damage to property continued unabated. Since Land Day 2002, over 200 homes were demolished for punitive reasons (Btselem). Since the beginning of the second Palestinian intifada in September 2000 it is estimated that Israeli military destruction of homes has affected some 5,500 Palestinian refugees. In addition, Israeli military forces destroyed 400 refugee shelters in Jenin refugee camp in April 2002. According to UNRWA, Israel demolished an average of 38 refugee shelters per month in the Gaza Strip in 2002. Demolition of Palestinian homes built without a permit (which are difficult and often impossible to obtain) in eastern Jerusalem and so-called ‘Area C’ of the West Bank continues; the number of ‘administrative demolitions’, however, now pales in comparison to homes demolished during Israeli military operations. Thousands of Palestinian homes in the 1967 occupied territories have been damaged during Israeli military operations. As of March 2003, more than 15,000 dunums (15 sq. km) of Palestinian-owned land was targeted for expropriation to construct the new ‘apartheid wall’ to separate Palestinian residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip from Israel. Dispossession and Displacement 1948-2003: The Root-Cause of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Israel continues to reject claims for housing and property restitution for Palestinians inside Israel (including the internally displaced), in the 1967 occupied territories and for Palestinian refugees in exile. Since 1948 Israel, has expropriated more than 17 million dunums (17,000 sq. km) of land owned by Palestinian refugees, nearly 1 million dunums owned by Palestinians inside Israel, and has further expropriated and/or controls some 4.7 million dunums in the 1967 occupied West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. In 1948 Palestinians owned more than 90 percent of the land in historic Mandate Palestine. Today, the indigenous Palestinian Arab population owns and controls just over 10 percent of the land within the borders of their historic homeland (i.e., inside Israel and the 1967 occupied territories). At the same time, more than half of the indigenous Palestinian population has been displaced/expelled to areas outside the borders of the their historic homeland. A total of three-quarters of the indigenous Palestinian population are displaced either outside or inside their homeland. Israel’s mass dispossession of the Palestinian people violates principles set forth in at least four bodies of international law, including the law of nationality/state succession, human rights law, humanitarian law, and refugee law (a subset of human rights law). Numerous UN human rights bodies have examined Israel’s land policies and have issued reports all of which find Israel’s land and housing law and practice concerning Palestinians to be in violation of international human rights law. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Committee on Civil and Political Rights, and Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination have called upon Israel to remedy the “deeply imbedded discriminatory social attitudes, practices and laws” with regard to land and housing and further called upon Israel to “respect property rights irrespective of ethnic origin” and the “right of many Palestinians to return and possess their homes in Israel.” A comprehensive, just and durable peace in the Middle East will continue to be illusive as long as Palestinian housing and property claims are unresolved; as long as Israel is not held accountable to its obligations and responsibilities under international law; and, as long as key international actors apply double standards to the role of international law and UN resolutions as a foundation for resolving the more the 50-year-old Palestinian/Arab-Israeli conflict. Date: 11/12/2002
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Israel Wins the World's Worst Housing Rights Violators Award
The Geneva based Center on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) has identified the countries guilty of most consistently abusing and defying international housing rights law in 2002 for its new annual Housing Rights Violators Award. Israel is among the ten states chosen to receive the award. The list of the top ten housing rights violators includes BURMA (Myanmar), COLOMBIA, CROATIA, GUATEMALA, INDIA, ISRAEL, PAKISTAN, USA and ZIMBABWE. The countries were selected on the basis of reliable data which confirmed the widespread occurrence of housing rights violations in recent years with a particular focus on the previous twelve months. Over the past two years Israel has continued with impunity to violate international human rights and humanitarian law. International human rights organizations have denounced the brutal policies of the Israeli government, including the practice of house demolition, a war crime under the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Israel fails to abide by its obligations under all international human rights conventions, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a.o. Israel's major housing rights violations identified by COHRE in 2002 include the following: * In April 2002 Israeli forces destroyed hundreds of homes in the Jenin Refugee Camp leaving 4,000 people homeless. From April 2001 to April 2002 over 400 houses were completely destroyed and another 200 seriously damaged in the Gaza Strip, leaving 5,000 people homeless. Between September 2000 and September 2001, 5,000 residential buildings were destroyed in the West Bank. Homes are demolished for 'administrative' and 'punitive' reasons. * Palestinian Arabs - who in 1948 owned most of Israel and now own only 3 per cent of the land - are severely restricted from building on this 3 per cent because of discriminatory laws and practices. Thus thousands of Palestinians who had no chance of ever getting a building a permit live in fear of having their non- permitted homes demolished by the Israeli Authorities. In July 2002 the Israeli cabinet voted for the adoption of a bill to restrict access to 'state land' (predominantly expropriated land from Palestinians) to Jews only. Non-Jews may not purchase the land and are rarely permitted to even use the land, leaving them with nowhere to go. * In January 2002, the Israeli Attorney General rejected a request to compel the Israeli Custodian of Absentees' Property to release information on property belonging to Palestinian refugees on the grounds that it might damage Israel's foreign relations and would require too much effort. Since 1948 more than five million Palestinians have had the entire contents of their homes and businesses taken, with no recompense, by the Israeli government. On the other hand, COHRE was able to identify a number of governments with outstanding performance in the area of housing rights in 2002. "BRAZIL, EAST TIMOR and SOUTH AFRICA exemplify what can be done when the political will of governments is genuinely applied toward protecting human rights and safeguarding human dignity. Emerging from violent and repressive histories, these three governments have taken notable steps in redressing the human rights abuses of the past."
For a complete copy of the COHRE press release,
CONTACT INFORMATION The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an international, non-governmental human rights organization whose mission is to promote and protect the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights for everyone, everywhere, with a particular focus on the human right to adequate housing and preventing forced evictions. In order to achieve its mission, COHRE uses the full spectrum of human rights, whether civil, cultural, economic, political or social in nature to promote housing rights worldwide. COHRE was established in 1994 and has its International Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. COHRE currently has thematic programmes in Women's Housing Rights, Housing and Property Restitution, and Internally Displaced Persons, as well as three regional programmes in Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas. For more information on the COHRE Housing Rights Violator Awards Project, please feel free to contact COHRE at: The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) International Secretariat 83 rue de Montbrillant 1202 Geneva Switzerland
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