Accueil > Sociétés Civiles à Parlement Européen > En Cisjordanie, comme à Gaza, la persécution continue
IL FAUT BRISER LA LOI DU SILENCE instaurée de fait par les MEDIAS
En Cisjordanie, comme à Gaza, la persécution continue
Appel à la Communauté Internationale
samedi 26 novembre 2005
Jour après jour, semaine après semaine, l’information qui nous est distillée par la presque totalité des médias (télé, radio, presse) est tronquée, désinformatrice et manipulatrice.Passant sous silence la véritable persécution dont sont victimes les Palestiniens soumis au comportement barbare d’une armée peu digne de ce nom, les vecteurs d’information se rendent complices de crimes de guerre et de violation du Droit international, des Conventions de Genève et ne disent mot des résolutions de l’ONU qui, de façon répétées, condamnent l’occupant et le somment de cesser de pratiquer ce qui peut être qualifié de « terrorisme d’Etat » à l’encontre des populations civiles palestiniennes.
La complicité des Médias, par défaut d’information, retarde la prise de conscience par les populations européennes de la terrible réalité de la situation dans les Territoires occupés et dans la zone de Gaza.
La Société Civile, tente de pallier à cette désinformation par tous les moyens de communication dont elle dispose.
Peu à peu, la vérité perce à travers la nappe de brouillard épaisse soigneusement entretenue par un monde journalistique peu scrupuleux, aux ordres, totalement irrespectueux de son « public » et ayant oublié le sens même du mot « déontologie ».
Le réveil sera d’autant plus dur que les limites de l’insupportable tarderont à être atteintes.
Les observatoires des médias progressent dans leur action critique constructive et le public de ces mêmes observatoires croit au même rythme que décroit l’intérêt du grand public pour la presse habituelle et traditionelle.
Le moment n’est pas éloigné où, conscients d’avoir été, en permanence, abusés par des soi-disant vecteurs d’information qui, de plus, les abreuvent de faits divers faisant écran à des évènements qui concernent l’avenir même de notre planète et de sa population,les citoyens délaisseront leurs médias habituels pour se tourner vers une information plus objective, plus près de leurs préoccupations et plus soucieuse de les mettre en garde contre le devenir du monde dans lequel vivront leurs enfants et petits enfants si rien n’est fait pour enrayer les diverses hégémonies.
Celles-ci, au mépris de tous, ne servent que les intérêts de quelques un(e)s avides de pouvoir et pratiquant, au quotidien, un nombrilisme déificateur qui bien que ridicule n’en est pas moins redoutable.
PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report : On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory No. 45/2005
17 - 23 Nov. 200
Israeli Occupation Forces preventing Palestinian Schoolchildren from going to their schools in Hebron, 12/11/2005.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Launch More Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
• 4 Palestinian civilians were killed by IOF in the West Bank.
• One of the Victims was suffering from a psychological disorder.
• 2 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.
• 11 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF.
• IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, focusing particularly on Jenin.
• Houses were raided and 35 Palestinian civilians, including 18 children, were arrested by IOF.
• 5 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.
• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT ; they have closed all border crossings of the Gaza Strip ; they prevented at least 1000 students from attending their school classes in the old town of Hebron ; and they arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a girl, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.
• IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank ; at least 438 dunums[1] of Palestinian land in Bethlehem were confiscated ; IOF used force against demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Wall and arrested two Israeli solidarity activists ; and IOF imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians near the Wall.
• Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT ; 6 houses were demolished in East Jerusalem ; IOF started to place a fence along the « Trans-Samaria » road ; and a new settlement post was established in Yatta village, south of Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during the reporting period (17 - 23 November 2005).
On 15 November 2005, an agreement regarding border crossings of the Gaza Strip was concluded. This agreement serves to reinforce the de facto control of IOF over the economy and movement of the population of the Gaza Strip. The agreement allows IOF to monitor the border crossings, which are the main artery to the economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian civilian population. The absence of actual Israeli military presence inside the Gaza Strip does not mean that the Israeli military occupation has come to an end. The field conditions in the Gaza Strip prove that IOF have continued to control movement to and from the Gaza Strip. This agreement reinforces the IOF control over, and occupation of the Gaza Strip, which has not come to an end with the implementation of the « Disengagement Plan » (for more details about this agreement, see PCHR’s press release issued on 16 November 2005, and the section of this report on the siege imposed on the OPT). PCHR is concerned that IOF may continue to perpetrate violations of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
Restrictions on Movement : IOF have continued to impose a comprehensive siege on the OPT, in violation of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian civilians.
IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip, transforming it into a big prison. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world, has remained closed for over two months. An agreement was reached regarding the operation of the crossing point. According to media reports, the crossing point will be operated by the Egyptians and Palestinians with the presence of a European force as a third party, whose responsibilities have not been determined. Goods and foreigners will not be able to travel through the crossing point, rather they will travel through Kerem Shalom crossing point to the southeast of Rafah. Israel insists on maintaining some authority at Rafah International Crossing Point, including fixing cameras to monitor the movement at the crossing and the handover of lists to the Europeans of those Palestinians banned from travelling for alleged security reasons, in order to ensure their ban. In the past weeks, IOF allowed Palestinians to operate the crossing point for several hours in order to solve the problem of those who had been trapped on both sides of the crossing point. The continued closure of the crossing point has deprived hundreds of Palestinian civilians of their rights to education, health, work and social communication. In the meantime, IOF have continued to restrict Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian workers and patients. During the reported period, IOF allowed several hundred workers to reach their work places in Israel, while only a few patients suffering from serious diseases were allowed to travel to Israeli hospitals through the crossing. IOF have also continued to impose severe restrictions at commercial border crossings. IOF have also imposed severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip.
3. Continued Siege on the OPT
IOF have continued to impose tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Even though IOF have been redeployed around the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government maintains the occupation of the Gaza Strip though controlling all outlets and crossings.
• Rafah International Crossing Point : Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world, has remained closed for over two months. Last week, an agreement was concluded regarding the operation of the crossing point. According to media reports, the crossing point will be operated from 25 November 2005 by the Egyptians and Palestinians, with the presence of a European force as a third party, whose responsibilities have not been determined. Goods and foreigners will not be able to travel through the crossing point, rather they will travel through Kerem Shalom crossing point to the southeast of Rafah. Israel insists on maintaining some authority at Rafah International Crossing Point, including fixing cameras to monitor the movement at the crossing and the handover of lists to the Europeans of those Palestinians banned from travelling for alleged security reasons, in order to ensure their ban. In the past weeks, IOF allowed Palestinians to operate the crossing point for several hours, in order to solve the problem of those who had been trapped on both sides of the crossing point. The continued closure of the crossing has deprived hundreds of Palestinian civilians of their rights to education, health, work and social communication..
• Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing : Even though IOF declared that they would ease the restrictions imposed on the movement of Palestinian civilians through the crossing, they have allowed only 2000 workers out of several thousands to travel to their work places inside Israel. These workers are over 35 ; married with children ; and have valid magnetic cards. During the reported period, IOF allowed a limited number of patients and dozens of traders to travel under strict conditions to Israel. IOF closed the crossing on 17 November 2005 for alleged security reasons, but reopened it on 20 November.
• Al-Mentar (Karni) Commercial Crossing : Since the evacuation of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, IOF have repeatedly closed the crossing. According to field information, 40-50 trucks transport exported goods from the Gaza Strip and 250 trucks transport goods imported from Israel and the West Bank. The capacity of the crossing before the current Intifada was 800 trucks daily, including 150 that transported exported goods from the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the Intifada, IOF have repeatedly closed the crossing in order to economically pressure Palestinian civilians.
• Sofa crossing : IOF also control Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah, which is designated for the transportation of construction raw materials. IOF closed the crossing on 22 November 2005 for no apparent reason.
The closure of border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of movement, education and health.
IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Approximately 35,000 people in and around Gaza’s coastal communities rely on the fishing industry, including 2500 fishermen, 2500 support staff and their families.
Fisherman have been subjected to intensive monitoring by the Israeli military, using helicopter gunships, and gunboats to monitor the fishermen. On a number of occasions the Israeli military opened fire against the civilian fishermen in order to enforce the 9 nautical mile limit imposed on them. The Oslo Accords make provision for Gaza’s sea to be fished to 20 nautical miles.
IOF have continued to establish military posts and observation towers along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to maintain control over the Gaza Strip.
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Recommendations to the International Community
1. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR believes the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.
2. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the Convention in the OPT and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
3. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
4. PCHR recommends international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and NGOs to participate in the process of exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and to urge their governments to bring these people to justice.
5. PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.
6. PCHR calls upon the member States of the EU, and all other states, to adopt a voting pattern at the UN bodies, particularly the General Assembly, Security Council and Commission on Human Rights, which is keeping with international law.
7. PCHR demands that the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion be immediately implemented by the international community.
8. PCHR calls on the international community to recognize the proposed Gaza disengagement plan for what it is - not an end to occupation but a compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
9. In recognition of the ICRC as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the OPT, including facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
10. PCHR appreciates the efforts of international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect for human rights in the OPT and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
11. In light of the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupying forces on access for international organizations to the OPT, PCHR calls upon European countries to deal with Israeli citizens in a similar manner.
12. PCHR reiterates that any political settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the region. Any peace agreement or process must be based on respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.
