It is worth reading the conclusions (extracts in the text of my post below) of the last two reports by the UN Secretary General and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights which were done before the latest flare up in the conflict (Feb.14 and Aug.13 respectively) ie it was during a period of ceasefire/peace. It is abundantly clear that the Israelis were continuing to systematically inflict a range of human rights abuses on the Palestinians, were operating an Apartheid system, and had/have done nothing to comply with any of these repeated UN demands - if Israel refuses to comply with international law and the UN what are the Palestinians supposed to do ? When the Israelis then knowingly provoked the Palestinians with more abuses after the killing of the three teenagers what were they supposed to do ? ... Why do we stand by and let these abuses and breaches of international law continue ? In doing so we are complicit in causing the resulting conflict ! Here are the extracts from the conclusions: Serious violations [by Israel] of international law continue to be committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory ... Recurrence of violations [by Israel] already highlighted in several of his previous reports ... Notwithstanding legitimate Israeli security concerns, the Government of Israel should fully lift the blockade of Gaza to remedy the ongoing punitive measures against the civilian population ... Israel, as the occupying Power, must abide by its international treaty and customary obligations by ensuring that the Palestinian population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory is afforded the protection provided for under international humanitarian law, and by respecting, protecting and fulfilling Palestinians’ rights so as to enable them to fully enjoy their rights under international human rights law ... Israel is obligated to comply with its commitments as set out in the Quartet road map, including by immediately ceasing the transfer of its population to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and by ending and reversing all settlement activity ... Israeli settlement-related activities and settler violence are at the core of most of the violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. By virtue of the interdependence of human rights, Israeli settlements and settler violence violate Palestinians’ economic, social, civil and political rights ... Israel must, as a matter of urgency, enhance its efforts to combat settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It must take all necessary measures, including preventive measures, to protect Palestinians and their property, and to ensure that Palestinians have regular and unhindered access to their land, particularly, but not exclusively, in areas where the patterns of reported incidents show that Palestinians are especially vulnerable. Any law enforcement or protection measures must be carried out in a non-discriminatory manner ... failure to do so [stop settler violence] will constitute a violation of Israel’s human rights obligations and will perpetuate a culture of impunity ... Israeli plans that would result in the forcible transfer of Palestinian civilians should be terminated immediately ... It is incumbent on Israel to cease the violations of Palestinians’ human rights resulting from discriminatory and unlawful planning policies, laws and practices. Israel has to, in compliance with international law, amend the planning legislation and processes in order, in particular, to ensure the security of tenure and the full participation of Palestinians. Israel must also refrain from implementing evictions and demolition orders based on discriminatory and illegal planning policies, laws and practices Israel has an obligation under international law to provide Palestinian communities in Area C, including communities at risk of forcible transfer in the Jerusalem periphery and the Masafer Yatta area, with adequate housing, security of tenure and access to water and services, including health and education, in their current locations ... In accordance with its international obligations, the Government of Israel should take immediate steps to respect and ensure the respect of the right to freedom of movement for Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as freedom of movement between Gaza and the West Bank ... The Government of Israel should review its use of administrative detention, with a view to ending it speedily ... The Government of Israel should treat Palestinian children in detention with due consideration of their age and in accordance with international standards, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child ... ohchr.org/en/countries/menaregion/pages/psindex.aspx
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:51:33 +0000
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