UN human rights experts critique Israel for its grave violations of international law in its treatment of Palestinian citizens of Israel

03/06/2021

Adalah: Recent events are reflection of Israeli Jewish ethnic superiority and racial segregation policies enshrined in Jewish Nation-State Law, which also falls within absolute prohibitions of international law and violates Israel's obligations under international conventions.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Professor Fernand de Varennes, issued on 1 June 2021 a strong condemnation of the violent attacks on Palestinian citizens of Israel by extremist, ultra-right-wing vigilante groups, including settlers.

In his statement, Professor Varennes also referred to the backing that Israeli security forces had sometimes given to these acts of violence. He urged the Israeli government to condemn such incitement and “all acts of violence, hatred and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel” and to “protect all citizens equally.” He also stressed that police accused of failing to protect all residents and citizens of Israel “must be investigated."

CLICK HERE to read the UN Special Rapporteur’s statement

This critical statement joins the critique of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who also issued a statement on 15 May 2021 against the violence of Israeli police and right-wing groups against Palestinian citizens of Israel. It also joins a decision of the UN Human Rights Council taken on 27 May 2021 to establish an ongoing commission of inquiry (COI) to investigate violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and in Israel.

This precedent-setting decision mandates the COI to investigate the root causes of continued violence in the region, including the systematic discrimination based on ethnic, religious or racial belonging, even within the Green Line. These developments come against the background of a call by the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel issued on 14 May 2021 urging international intervention to protect the safety and human rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel.

CLICK HERE to read the statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
CLICK HERE to read Adalah’s response to the UN Human Rights Council resolution
CLICK HERE to read the statement of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel

In response to these developments, Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel stated:

“The Israeli authorities have not yet internalized that their continued failure to protect Palestinian citizens of Israel, in contrast to the protection that is being provided to the groups of extremists who attack them, is not just a matter of internal discussion in Israel. The recent events are a reflection of ethnic superiority and racial segregation policies enshrined in Israel’s Jewish Nation-State Law, which also falls within the absolute prohibitions of international law and violates Israel's obligations under international conventions.”