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On June 8th, a report published by the United Nations accuses the Israeli occupation of violating the rights of individuals belonging to civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The report was released by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. This commission was established by the Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate the breaches of international law during the Israeli aggression that took place in April and May 2021.
The report thoroughly examined the attacks, restrictions, and harassment faced by civil society actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. It discovered that the majority of these violations were being carried out by Israeli authorities. The Israeli government’s primary objective seemed to be solidifying and perpetuating its permanent occupation, regardless of the rights of the Palestinian people.
According to the report, the Israeli government has increasingly limited the civic space by delegitimizing and suppressing civil society. This strategy involves criminalizing Palestinian civil society organizations and their members, labeling them as “terrorists.” The Israeli authorities also exert pressure and make threats against institutions that provide platforms for civil society discussions. Additionally, they actively lobby donors and implement measures to cut off sources of funding and support. This strategy is targeted at Palestinian civil society organizations, activists, and international advocates of Palestinian rights.
The report concludes that the Israeli authorities’ designation of six Palestinian NGOs as “terrorist” organizations and one Palestinian NGO as unlawful was unjustified and violated fundamental human rights. These rights include freedom of association, expression, opinion, peaceful assembly, privacy, and the right to a fair trial.
Navi Pillay, the Chair of the Commission, stated, “Today we issued a report that focuses on the suppression of civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, and we have determined that all those responsible for fulfilling obligations are involved in restricting the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful association.”
The Commission called upon all parties to respect and safeguard the rights of civil society members. They demanded an end to all forms of harassment, intimidation, threats, arrests, detention, torture, and ill-treatment directed at them. Furthermore, the Commission urged the revocation of all unjust designations of civil society organizations as terrorist or unlawful entities. They also called for the removal of all restrictions on funding and support for civil society organizations and emphasized the need for accountability for any committed violations.
Additionally, the Commission appealed to the international community to support civil society actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They requested close monitoring of their situation, condemnation of any violations against them, and the provision of adequate resources and protection.
The report is scheduled to be presented to the Human Rights Council during its 50th session in June 2023.
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