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.

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.

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

IN OCCASION OF THE EU-ISRAEL ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

On Monday 16th June in Luxembourg, in the margins of the EU GENERAL AFFAIRS and EXTERNAL RELATIONS COUNCIL

Rome 13th June 2008

“We strongly feel that without serious signs of good faith translated into tangible improvements on the ground, the time is not yet right to upgrade EU-Israel relations" was the final statement by a 14 MEPs ad hoc delegation, belonging to different political groups. The ad hoc delegation visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories from 31 May to 2 June. The delegation witnessed the wall, check points, the expansion of the Israeli settlements on Occupied Territories and the siege in Gaza.

“This is not to punish Israel, but to be coherent with our rules - firstly with the respect of human rights that are fundamental in all association agreements between European Union and third countries. Human rights that continue to be systematically violated by the ongoing Israeli policies towards the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian Territory” added Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of the European Parliament, who was also part of the ad hoc delegation.

Regarding the EU-Israel Association Council meeting, scheduled to take place on Monday 16th June, within the margins of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Luisa Morgantini reinforced the same reservations expressed by the delegation. "Urgent actions to counteract eroding confidence in the Palestinian- Israeli process are needed,” expressed MEP Morgantini.

The ad hoc delegation to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory, was co-chaired by Mrs Veronique DE KEYSER and Mrs Annemie NEYTS-UYTTEBROECK, and included fourteen MEPs belonging to different political groups. Attached below, is the official statement released by the delegation during a press conference in Jerusalem on 2nd June 2008.

More than 11,000 prisoners in Israeli jails. Among them, Marwan Barghouti, candidate to the PNA Presidency.

The last time that Widad hugged her son was eight years ago, in a prison in Ashkelon, Israel: for many years since she wasn’t allowed to see him, as the Israeli Authorities repeatedly denied her the permit for "security reasons".

Widad Naief Mohammad Atabeh lives in Nablus, is 78 years old, suffers from hypertension, diabetes and her sight has strongly worsen since the last time she saw Saed: « He hugged me and said that in that moment he was born again to life. Those minutes for us were the most precious, but the moment we had to depart from each other was the hardest and most disappointing». This is what she writes today in an appeal to all mothers in the world, in an effort to put pressure on the Israeli Authorities to allow her to see Saed for the last time making her dream come true.

Saed Wajih Saed Atabeh, arrested in July 29th 1977, is 52 years old and spent 32 years of his life in a prison cell.

He is the Palestinian prisoner to be detained for the longest time in an Israeli jail and –his mother adds - in the villages he is known as “the Mandela from Palestine”.

During all these years, Israeli Authorities have not allowed Widad to visit him. Thus, despite her physical illnesses, she continues to call for justice from her home in Nablus, a town under siege because of continuous Israeli raids: “While Yegal Amir, the killer of the Israeli Prime Minister Rabin, receives regular visits from his family, has married and had a son in jail, Saed is not even given the opportunity of a last hug from his mother. How can this be?”

According to the last UN reports on human rights in the Occupied Territories, more than 11,000 Palestinians are prisoners in Israeli jails, including thousands with illnesses, 376 children, 118 women and 47 Parliamentarians.

Since 1967, more than 700,000 Palestinians have been arrested over a population of 3,5 millions: these data make Israel unique for the number of reprimands by the UN Council for Human Rights, a criticism that is ignored by the Israeli Government and forgotten by the International Community.

Nothing has been done to prevent the Israeli systematic use of administrative detentions, a practice that allows for many Palestinians – 813 at the end of January 2008- to be detained for renewable periods of up to six months and resulting in years of detention with no trial nor the possibility of legal support. We can't tolerate these violations of human rights: that is why a group of 46 Members of the European Parliament, belonging to different political forces, has promoted a parliamentary inquiry of the EU Council and EU Commission on the abuses of administrative detention. These include the hundreds of Palestinian children who are detained and subjected to inhuman treatments, harsh interrogations, deprived of food, sleep and exposed to illnesses which are hard to be treated in a jail, where they are kept together with adults, with no psychological support nor the opportunity to continue their studies. Additionally, they are often threatened and beaten, in explicit violation of the UN Convention on Child's Rights, adopted by Israel in 1991 but de facto never implemented. Further, during the years of this second Intifada, more than 6,000 have been put in jail. Palestinian children are also suffering heavy consequences since permits to visit detainees are denied to their mothers, wives, brothers or sisters. Because of these restrictions, children are the ones to visit their relatives, having to wake up in the middle of the night to travel alone on buses for hours with the fear of check points and of Israeli soldiers, and bearing the responsibility to be the only link between the family and their imprisoned brothers or fathers. They deliver bags full of medicines, food, cigarettes and the words that their mothers can't say directly. When they come back home, they are shocked, hardly speak, feel nervous, troubled, exhausted: this causes them to miss school, often a week of absences per month is caused by this avoidable, extraordinary adventure. As members of the European Parliament we call for justice and legality, waiting for clear answers by the EU Commission and Council in particular regarding the implementation of article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement (which includes a suspension of the agreement in case of Human Rights violations) on what kind of actions need to be undertaken to achieve the realization of International laws and Conventions ratified by the State of Israel.

Yet, the initiative should start within the same Israeli Government, which continues to ignore all peace commitments it has made: they should listen to the appeal launched by Marwan Barghouti, a parliamentary abducted in 2002 and condemned to 5 life sentences, who, from his cell, asks Israel to honor its 60 years by "signing a peace accord, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, ending the military occupation and releasing the 11,000 prisoners". This would allow Widad and many other mothers to hug their beloved and would guarantee children’s right to a secure and peaceful childhood.

Yesterday was a day dedicated to Palestinian Political prisoners, thousands of Palestinians asked for their freedom: we should join them in this quest and don't leave them alone. We should endorse the call for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a leader who can represent the unity of the Palestinian people and Territory, fundamental for any peace negotiations, especially with the coming Presidential elections of January 2009 in which he could participate as a candidate, hopefully by then as a free man.

The European Parliament approved a resolution that calls once again, after a previous resolution already voted on 11th October 2007, for the lift of the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip.

"Now, European Union has no more excuses - declared Luisa Morgantini- We must immediately take effective actions to implement these resolutions and stop the illegal and collective punishment of civilians in the Strip, where 98 Palestinian patients, including 17 children, already died for the lack of medicines and treatments due to the siege: the MEPs delegation visited the Shifa Hospital in Gaza and saw at least 30 premature babies still alive thanks to the incubators but that will die if generators would stop for the lack of fuel due to the cut off of refuelling supplies and to the closure decided by the Israeli Government. That’s unlawful and inhuman”.

“The resolution voted today, calling on Israel for an end to the blockade, for a controlled re-opening of the crossings in and out of Gaza, for guaranteeing the movement of people and goods at Rafah, Karni and other crossings, clearly affirms that “the policy of isolation of Gaza Strip has failed both at the political and at the humanitarian level"- she added. “Reminding that “civilian population should be exempt from any military action and any collective punishment” through this resolution, the EP strongly urges Israel to fulfil its international obligations, as an occupying power, guaranteeing “a continuous and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid, humanitarian assistance and essential goods and services, including fuel and power supplies” condemning at the same time the Israel's decision to introduce progressive five per cent per week cuts in power supplies to the Strip not enough for a minimum humanitarian needs and welcoming the petition from 10 Israeli human rights organisations against fuel and electricity cuts in the Gaza Strip”.

“Finally- concluded Luisa Morgantini- today resolution reminds to Europe that it must be able to be more effective not only in condemning all violence, all military actions killing and endangering civilians and extrajudicial targeted killings actuated by Israel, as well as all Qassam rockets fired on civilians of the Israeli town of Sderot, perpetrated by some extremist Palestinian groups, but also through its deeds and commitments. The time of empty words and of betrayed promises is ended: all the Palestinians and the Israelis who want the peace deserve our support and efforts to work concretely for guaranteeing the respect of the international humanitarian law, for the resumption of all inclusive peace negotiations, including also the Arab League, based on the freezing of all illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank and in East Jerusalem, the end of the military occupation and for the establishment of a free, sovereign, united Palestinian State, composed by the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on ‘67 borders in coexistence , security and peace with the Israeli State”.

Yesterday 20th February Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of the European Parliament (GUE/NGL), and General Philippe Morillon (ALDE) organized a press conference titled “Coming Back from Gaza and Sderot” with the participation of Members from different political groups of the European Parliament who took part to the fact finding mission to Israel and Palestine, 2-7 February 2008, in order to expose the results of their mission and report the situation found on the ground, in particular focusing on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip. MEP Jill Evans (GREEN), who participated to the mission in Gaza and Sderot affirmed that "The situation in Palestine is reaching breaking point. The siege is an inhuman and illegal collective punishment of the people in Gaza and is causing huge suffering. It has to be stopped. There has to be international action to lift the siege, end the occupation and resume peace negotiations". MEP Richard Howitt, Vice-President of the European Parliament's Human Rights Sub-Committee and also in the delegation who went to Israel and Palestine added: "This is a state of siege imposing medieval conditions on the people of Gaza, and is today identified by the European Parliament as a clear breach of human rights. European countries should take the lead to secure support from all sides in their UN Human Rights Council to seek enforcement of international humanitarian law".

“In Gaza, there is a humanitarian crisis building and an economic breakdown happening which can only benefit the violent, the lawless and the zealots on all sides: we have to support those who want to live "normal", peaceful lives before that becomes impossible” - declared MEP Jean Lambert (GREEN) who also visited with the delegation Gaza and Sderot- “Both sides are hostages of their own extremists. That's why the International Community should enforce a sustainable peace both on Israel and Palestine: it's the basic interest of the peace-loving Israelis and Palestinians as well”- added MEP Gyula Hegyi (PSE) another participant to the mission.

"It is too late to stop the fire”. Three Palestinian children were killed last Tuesday as a result of shots by a military unit of the Israeli Army aiming at rocket launching stations near Beit Hanoun. They were 10 and 12 years old and they were playing when they were killed. Today, the Israeli Government admits to having made a mistake, but in the last two days it has accused Palestinian militants of using children as human shields to defend the Qassam launchers. This is not true: they are innocent victims. Like many others, they are victims of Israel’s occupation: since 2000 more than 800 Palestinian children have been killed by the Israeli Army. Nobody will be held responsible for their deaths: insult added to tragedy.

Abir, 11 years old, the daughter of Bassam Aramin, -ex political prisoner and now member of the Combatants for Peace (an association composed of ex Palestinian activists and ex Israeli soldiers) was murdered by a bullet to her head while she was leaving school in Anata, East Jerusalem. Denying evidence and medical examinations, Israeli authorities did not confirm the girl was killed by a bullet or a stone. Often, if conducted, enquiries are opposed by any means or buried under sand in order to assure the impunity of the Israeli Army: children are killed for a second time, inflicting more pain on mothers, fathers and all the Palestinian people, who, powerless, suffer the destruction of any sense of justice and of the hope to identify those who have committed crimes and still continue to.

Those bereaved families desperately retain the memory of their lost son, but poverty in Gaza is so deep that nobody has video footage or cameras. No videos filmed to document the first steps of Yahya Ramdan Abu Ghazala, 10 years old, nor of Mahmoud Abu Ghazala, 12 years old nor of her cousin Sara, 10 years old.

No pictures are taken and downloaded on pc or mobiles to soothe – if possible – a mothers’ despair. Often only pictures remain, those taken by photo journalists in Gaza, when the tragedy has taken place and the children are lifeless bodies, their faces covered with blood.

Gaza is not a prison – as we usually define it – because the million and a half people living there are not criminals waiting to serve a punishment, even if they are collectively and unfairly punished; Gaza is a cage without oxygen, no resources for the civil population, that is seldom opened to let food and aid in, just enough not to starve people.

I believe that the Olmert-Abbas meetings and the open dialogue for the creation of two autonomous and sovereign States are certainly positive and should be carried out. But Israeli policies do not show de facto the will to work for justice and peace. Rather they continue constructing the apartheid wall, targeted killing, closing the check-points, arbitrarily arresting, land confiscating and destroying all and everybody; a destruction which is provoked by the military occupation, while the Palestinian flag, symbol of the fight of a people for independence, is replaced by those of Hamas and Fatah, Palestinians at risk of becoming more and more divided.

Unfortunately, the International Community holds its silence. No efforts, nor a word about the death of civilians – especially the death of women and children – or action to encourage the Israeli Government to end its 40 year military occupation. No political will to ensure respect for international law and to end a nakba 60 years long.

Hesitating and submitting to the pressure, the European Union aligns itself with the silence of Israeli policies, making itself responsible.

The UN International Conference of civil society to support the Israeli-Palestinian peace held at the European Parliament August 30th - 31st, provoked controversy and a formal complaint by the Israeli Authorities and some members of parliament. At last, the Conference was held and it represented an important example of grass- roots democracy and participation: associations, deputies and many representatives of civil society repeated the demand for a common engagement for the respect of International law and sent a message to Europe and the International Community that respect for human rights cannot be meaningless and must be implemented.

Vice President of the European Parliament