ISRAEL'S VIOLATIONS OF PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS

While the focus has appropriately been on Israel's continuing illegal 50 year occupation and its 50 year policy of building and maintaining illegal settlements, we sometimes do not make supporters and opponents of Palestinian human rights aware of the many other actions taken by Israel in violation of international law. 

THE OCCUPATION

The occupation of the West Bank began in 1967.  Israel has been in violation of the United Nations Charter Article 2 and Resolution 242 since 1967. The year 2017 will mark 50th anniversary of the longest occupation in the world

THE SETTLEMENTS

The Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 1949: Article 49 states “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” From 2 by 1968 there are now 123 settlements where approximately 350,000 Jewish Israeli squatters live. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the first illegal transfer of Jewish Israeli squatters into the West Bank.

THEFT OF PALESTINIAN LAND

The use of extrajudicial process (theft and questionable military necessity) to take control of over 60% of the West Bank has been thoroughly documented in B’Tselem’s “Land Grab”.

DESTRUCTION OF HOMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES

Israel’s policy of demolishing Palestinian houses – about 27,000 in the Occupied Territories since 1967.  In only 2% of the 27,000 houses demolished were done for security reasons related to terrorism.

THE WALL

According to B’Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories as of 2011:Eighty-five percent of the amended route is within the West Bank itself, not along the Green Line. In areas where the Separation Barrier has already been built, the extensive violations of human rights of Palestinians living nearby are evident.

OLIVE TREE DESTRUCTION

Jewish squatters and the IDF have destroyed 800,000 olive trees (equal to destroying all the trees in Central Park 33 times). Olive trees are the source of income for many Palestinians and Israel has not taken action to arrest, try and punish, or otherwise hold them responsible.

NON-ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS

Israel has failed to charge Jewish settlers for criminal acts including personal injury, deaths and property damage. Many reports from B’Tselem document cases where squatters have stabbed and killed children and adults and destroyed homes and property of Palestinians.

APARTHEID

What does apartheid mean, in Israeli terms? separate, segregated roads and highways for Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank; hundreds of attacks by settlers targeting Palestinian property, livelihoods, and lives, without convictions, charges, or even suspects; uncounted Palestinians jailed without trial, shot dead without trial, shot dead in the back while fleeing and without just cause.

RESTRICTION ON MOVEMENT

Israel has created massive restrictions on the movement of Palestinians by the establishment of checkpoints (99 fixed and 174 surprise flying ones as of 2013) most not for security purpose but simply to harass and humiliate Palestinians by having them have to have a long wait to cross into Israel for work or medical treatment or to simply get from one West Bank town to another for family or business reasons.

UNEQUAL ACCESS TO WATER

In its report entitled Troubled Waters – Palestinians Denied Fair Access to Water, Amnesty International concludes: Israel’s actions and policies have greatly diminished existing water sources and restricted the availability of water for the Palestinian population in the OPT in breach of Israel’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.

ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION AND TORTURE

Over the years, Israel has placed thousands of Palestinians in administrative detention for prolonged periods of time, without trying them, without informing them of the charges against them, and without allowing them or their counsel to examine the evidence. As of the end of July 2014, Israel was holding about 446 Palestinians in administrative detention. 

INVASIONS OF GAZA AND COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT

Most devastating is that since 2006, Gaza has been subjected to four massive Israeli attacks that deliberately targeted and destroyed its civilian infrastructure (power plants, water and sewage treatment plants, hospitals and schools) and leveled entire residential neighborhoods. In the 2014 Israeli attack between 2,125 and 2,310 Gazans were killed and between 10,626 and 10,895were wounded (including 3,374 children, of whom over 1,000 were left permanently disabled). The UN calculated that more than 7,000 homes for 10,000 families were razed, together with an additional 89,000 homes damaged, of which roughly 10,000 were severely affected by the bombing. Rebuilding costs were calculated to run from 4-6 billion dollars, over 20 years.

DEATH OF A TWO STATE SOLUTION AND RISE OF THE ONE STATE SOLUTION

Today, all knowledgeable observers recognize that Israel’s aggressive Settlement expansion policies have made establishment of a separate Palestinian state physically and politically impossible. There now are just too many Jewish Settlers— what Israelis call “facts on the ground” scattered throughout the West Bank.

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS)

There is a growing movement of actions under an umbrella called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). Millions of dollars have been donated and raised by Sheldon Adelson and others in an attempt to paint these actions as anti-Semitic, whereas for reasons outlined above, I refer to his efforts as “Pro-Apartheid”. These actions follow a long history in the United States of attempts to peacefully bring pressure on states and other entities to act in accordance with international human rights laws. The deliberate campaign to try to discredit anyone who objects to Israel’s continuous violations of UN actions and international human and civil rights by accusing them of anti-Semitism and to do the same to those Jewish individuals and organizations who provide evidence that the actions of Israel are brutally in conflict with the core fundamental values of Judaism is disingenuous and serves not only to support the continued brutal oppression of Palestinians but to enable the inexorable push by Israel to drive Palestinians out of the West Bank so Israel can annex “Judea and Samaria”.

These actions would be unthinkable and abhorrent and illegal in the United State (substitute Native Americans and Blacks for Palestinians) and yet the US not only fails to pressureIsrael in the UN but has now passed a 10 year $38 billion military aid deal..

Such racist, demonizing, discriminatory, brutal, violent and hateful actions violate not only international human rights laws, international criminal laws, hundreds of UN actions but also the fundamental and core values of Judaism.

It is incumbent upon those who want to hold to the highest standards of Judaism to condemn the actions of Israel and its oppression of the Palestinian people and to support: actions to end the longest occupation in the world now in its 50th year; calls to dismantle the illegal settlements many of which are close to 50 years old; and efforts aimed at bringing not only peace but justice for Palestinians through the establishment of one state with equal rights for all.

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION

There have accumulated since 1967 thousands of reports, articles, witness statements, videos, books, laws, resolutions and court records to prove that Israel’s has not just mistreated Palestinians but has been brutal, unjust, immoral, discriminatory, inhumane, barbaric and racist.  For anyone wishing to learn more about Israel’s violations of human and civil rights, please visit the websites of these organizations promoting peace with justice including B’Tselem - The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, ICAHD  -  Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and Jewish Voice for Peace.