NGO Statements on Violence Before Operation Protective Edge
Introduction
On June 30, 2014, the bodies of kidnap-murder victims Gilad Shaar, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frankel were found in the West Bank. Following the funerals the next day, in an apparent act of retaliation, Palestinian teen Muhammad Abu Khdeir was abducted and murdered.
Since then, numerous incidents violating human rights and the rule of law have occurred in Israel and the West Bank. Violent demonstrations have occurred in Jerusalem, Palestinian rioters destroyed the light rail line in northern Jerusalem, buses and cars have been stoned, and civilians have been assaulted. Additionally, hundreds of rockets, each one a war crime, have been fired from Gaza at Israeli civilian centers.
During the week following (up until the beginning of Operation Protective Edge), political advocacy NGOs have released statements ignoring Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians, distorting Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense, and presenting an inaccurate and biased narrative of Israeli aggression and sole responsibility.
The following is a list of statements, press releases, and social media posts from NGOs and their officials. See Appendix below for additional NGO statements.
Table of Contents
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)
Israeli Committee Against House Demolition
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
FIDH
Parents Circle Families Forum
Alternative Information Center
Defense for Children International- Palestine Sections
International Solidarity Movemebt (ISM)
Al-Mezan
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
Palestinian Human Rights Organization Council (PHROC)
+972 Magazine
Appendix
Adalah
Al-Haq
Amnesty International
Amos Trust
Association for Civil Rights in Israel
Breaking the Silence
B’Tselem
Christian Aid
Coalition of Women for Peace
Gisha
HaMoked
Human Rights Watch
Independent Jewish Voices
Ir Amim
Jewish Voice for Peace
J Street
Medecins Sans Frontieres
New Israel Fund
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Rabbis for Human Rights
Reporters without Borders
War on Want
Yesh Din
Statements
Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP)
[Has received funding from the Violet Jabara Charitable Trust (an Arab-American foundation that also supports Electronic Intifada), the Firedoll Foundation, and the Wallace Global Fund, which all contribute to numerous anti-Israel groups.]
JVP’s statement of concern Submitted by Sydney Levy (July 2, 2014)
The ongoing Israeli occupation is at the heart of this crisis.
The Israeli government is endangering lives and both fomenting and feeding off an atmosphere of vengeance and racism.
The Israeli government has continued to show little regard for either Israeli or Palestinian life. The pronouncements of Cabinet ministers, IDF officials, and the Prime Minister Netanyahu make it clear that revenge, not justice, is the main agenda. Emerging reports suggest that the government knew the fate of the teens long before that information was released, but withheld that information – indicating that the government’s primary aim has been to exploit the kidnapping to attack the infrastructure of Palestinian society.
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)
[Funded by the European Union, Spain, Ireland (via Trocaire), NGO Development Center (currently the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat; joint funding of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands), UNDP, World Vision, Mennonite Central Committee]
From Kidnapping to Collapse: The Beginning of the End? (Jeff Halper, +972 Magazine, July 2, 2014)
…And so it is with the killing of the three that we are about to enter yet another new and terrible phase of post-occupation, warehousing, a step beyond apartheid. (Click here to read the full article)
Human Rights Watch
Israel: Serious Violations in West Bank Operations (Statement; July 3, 2014)
Israel’s military operations in the West Bank following the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers have amounted to collective punishment. The military operations included unlawful use of force, arbitrary arrests, and illegal home demolitions.
“As anger rises in Israel-Palestine, ‘collective punishment’ must be avoided,” The Globe and Mail, July 7, 2014
With tempers rising on both sides, world and local leaders have issued calls for calm. But calm is proving hard to attain. Israeli thugs ran rampant in East Jerusalem on July 1, chanting “Death to Arabs” and attacking people who answered their questions in Arabic-accented Hebrew. And Palestinians from the murdered 16-year-old’s neighborhood clashed with Israeli security forces.” (emphasis added)
FIDH
[Funded by the European Commission, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Irish Aid, UNESCO, and others]
The Killing of three Israeli settlers should not lead to retaliation and collective punishment (Statement; July 4, 2014)
Karim Lahidji, President of FIDH: “Israeli forces reported finding their bodies in a shallow grave north of Hebron…Since the abduction of the Israeli teenagers, the use of excessive force and collective punishment by the Israeli armed forces have been recorded in flagrant disregard of international law…”
Parents Circle Families Forum (PCFF)
[Funded by the European Union, Germany (via Bread for the World), the Netherlands (via SIVMO, Kerk in Actie, and ICCO), USAID, Switzerland, Christian Aid (UK), Sigrid Rausing (UK), the Rockefeller Brothers fund and others]
Bassam Aramin NPR Interview; July 3, 2014
…the conflict didn’t start with the kidnapping and the killing the three young Israelis… And we didn’t want to make it between Hamas and the Israeli nation. No, it’s between the Palestinian people and the Israeli occupation. And this is the reactions about the occupation, the continuation of that settlement…
Alternative Information Center
[Does not publish funding information]
Barghouti: “This is a campaign of collective punishment” (Written by AIC; published July 3, 2014)
The past 24 hours have brought about an unprecedented explosion of settler aggression against Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem, says Dr. Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative Party (Mubadara). He adds, “we are currently witnessing a very serious qualitative change in the situation”.
“This is collective punishment. These are acts of revenge. The Israeli military is behaving like a gang, and it is allowing illegal settlers to conduct a war of terror against Palestinians,” say Barghouti.
After the killing of three Israeli teens in the West Bank, Israel began conducting a massive campaign of collective punishment across the occupied Palestinian territory, Barghouti said.
Israel Conference on Peace- is this serious or a joke?!? (Nasser Ibrahim; July 7, 2014)
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is organising the Israel Conference on Peace, scheduled for Tuesday July 8, 2014, at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv… Jerusalem is covered with the ashes of its martyrs…this and so much more going on and the Palestinian leadership is busy with the Israeli conference on peace!
Israel is ready to declare war and invade cities, kill thousands and destroy what it has destroyed numerous times over, if one of its soldiers or settlers is killed. Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership is continuing to send its wrong message, to the wrong address, at the wrong time, in the wrong place and with the wrong language…
Defense for Children International – Palestine Section
[Funded by the European Union, the Netherlands (via ICCO and Kerk in Actie), Secretariat (joint governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands), Germany (EED), Save the Children International, Belgium (via Broederlijk Delen), UNDP, World Vision, The United Methodist Church, The United Church of Canada, and others]
July 3 News Alert: Deaths of the three settler teens spark apparent revenge killing
“The latest tragedy amplifies the urgent need to end the occupation and the cycle of violence that it perpetuates,” said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine.
News Alert; July 2, 2014: Tragic deaths of teens do not justify collective punishment against civilians
“The deaths of these three teens serve to highlight the terrible consequences of the Israeli occupation for both sides,” said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine.
International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
Website; June 23, 2014
Eleven houses raided in Hares as collective punishment continues
Under the pretext of an Israeli military operation in search of the three missing settlers – initiated 10 days ago – episodes of collective punishment are erupting all over the West Bank.
Facebook; July 5
The Israel-Palestine situation is not a fair battle, but a prolonged process of colonisation…this is not an escalation between two warring enemies, it is an occupation that has lasted for over a century, and must be understood as such.
Al-Mezan
[Funded by the governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands (via the NDS; currently the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat), Germany (via Medico International), Norway, and the Open Society Institute]
Press Release; July 2, 2014: Al Mezan Condemns the Israeli Military Escalation and Demands its Immediate Halt
The bombardments took place simultaneously and from several sides creating a situation of high stress and trauma for the 1.8 million people in the Gaza Strip. The attacks against the Gaza Strip took place amidst a continued escalation in the West Bank by the IOF following locating the bodies of three Israeli teenage settlers there. Israeli officials have since vowed retribution and threatened to escalate the attacks on the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of people have been arbitrarily arrested and abused in the West Bank. About a dozen of Palestinians have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt); including minors, and houses were destroyed as a form of punishment.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
[Funded by the European Union and the governments of Ireland, Denmark, and Norway]
Website, July 6, 2014
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) believes that the Israeli forces’ connivance with crimes committed by Israeli settlers, supporting and protecting them, and failing to enforce the law against them serve to encourage them to commit more systematic crimes against Palestinian civilians. PCHR also believes that those crimes are part of the constant incitement practiced by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people resulting in more extremism and hatred by settlers against Palestinians…
Palestinian Human Rights Organization Council (PHROC)
From PCHR Website, June 17, 2014
The recent wave of arrests, attacks, killings and total closure of large parts of the West Bank following the disappearance of three Israeli settlers is a clear form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people…
+972 Magazine
[Funded by Germany (via the Heinrich Boell Stiftung), Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Moriah Fund]
The Israeli nation collectively mourns- but why? (Inna Michaeli; July 7, 2014)
I don’t condemn the murder of the abducted teens. First, I’m not a politician and I don’t employ media consultants who force me to issue public condemnations or conduct high profile visits with the families.
Our murderers- what would Arendt and Buber say? (Dahlia Scheindlin; July 7, 2014)
…the obsession with Palestinian incitement is little more than a psychological escape hatch from our own incitement, dressed up differently, with its regular crop of death.
Appendix
Adalah
[Funded by the European Union, Switzerland, Germany (via EED and Medico International), Spain (via ACSUR), NDC (joint funding of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands), UN Development Programme (UNDP), New Israel Fund, Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute, Oxfam-Novib, Christian Aid (UK), and Broederlijk Delen (Belgium)]
Facebook; July 6, 2014
In light of the current heated situation in many Palestinian towns in Israel, Adalah, along with other dedicated volunteer lawyers and partner organizations, will be defending Palestinian detainees and coordinating with all lawyers to ensure the best legal representation for those detained.
The number of detainees has so far reached a total of 57 from all towns. Court hearings are currently situated in: Nazareth, Hadera, Petah Tikvah and Haifa.
Adalah is in contact with lawyers, families of detainees, activists, protestors injured by police violence, and victims of racist violence from civilians. Adalah is providing the necessary legal advice and representation for these groups.
Adalah will provide updates as they emerge.
Al Haq
[Funded by the UK (via Christian Aid), Sweden (via Diakonia), Germany (via Medico International and EED), Belgium, Ford Foundation (US), Netherlands (via ICCO), Ireland (via Irish Aid), Maan News Agency, NGO Development Center (currently the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat; joint funding from the governments of Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands), Open Society Institute (US), Norway and the UNDP]
Statement; July 5, 2014
The killing of three Israeli settlers should not lead to retaliation and collective punishment.
“Since the abduction of the Israeli teenagers, the use of excessive force and collective punishment by the Israeli armed forces have been recorded in flagrant disregard of international law. The Israeli government should put an immediate end to such practices”, said Karim Lahidji, President of FIDH.
Amnesty International
Statement; July 1, 2014
Israel: Collective punishment will not bring the justice that murdered teens deserve
“The murder of three abducted Israeli teens deserves justice, something ill-served by the Israeli authorities’ actions overnight and their ongoing practices that amount to collective punishment of Palestinians in the West Bank, which are blatant violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, Amnesty International said. ‘The logic of tit-for-tat retaliation will only increase the likelihood for further human rights violations and abuses and suffering by Palestinians and Israelis; it needs to stop immediately,’ said Philip Luther. The escalation of Israel’s military response comes amid continued practices which amount to collective punishment against civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the unlawful policy of settling civilians in the occupied West Bank….Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians in the Hebron and Bethlehem areas, with a nine-year-old girl reportedly injured after a settler ran her over with his car. Settlers have set up three new outposts in the occupied West Bank since the Israeli teens’ bodies were found.”
Amos Trust
Facebook; July 1, 2014
“May the leaders of Israel and Palestine know that their fates are intertwined and pursue the difficult steps toward a just peace.And may we be resolute in our support of all those who seek to bring peace, justice and reconciliation in a land we long to call Holy. Amen. Join us in praying for Palestine and Israel today, for the grieving families of the teenage boys, our friends and colleagues across the West Bank, at Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza doing their best in difficult circumstances, our Israeli friends challenging violence and the Christian Peacemaker teams in Hebron and across the region.”
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
[Funded by the United States (via the State Department’s MEPI program), European Union, Sweden(via Diakonia), UK (via Christian Aid), Norway, Oxfam,Germany (via EED), and the NDC (currently the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat; joint funding from Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands)]
Facebook; July 6, 2014
The silence from officials in response to instances of unjustified violence is tantamount to giving a green light to the use of excessive force by security officers.
Breaking the Silence
[Funded by the European Union, Spain (via AECID), the Netherlands (via ICCO), Belgium (via Broederlijk Delen),UK (via Christian Aid), Denmark (via DanChurchAid),Germany (via Medico International), Norway, the Open Society Institute and the New Israel Fund)]
Facebook; July 2, 2014
During these days of great sorrow and pain over the three murdered teens, we must remind ourselves that vengeance of any shape or form is fundamentally wrong. We refuse to take part in the current wave of hate and racism that is spreading throughout Israel and call for justice – not revenge. (links to 972 Magazine)
Facebook; July 7, 2014
We join in the unimaginable sorrow of Mohammed Abu Khdeir’s family. We strongly condemn the brutal and senseless murder of their son Mohammed.
We all bow our heads in mourning over the innocent victims on both sides have suffered over the last few weeks.
We pledge we will continue to do everything in our power to end the cycle of blood and hate and work toward peaceful days throughout the region.
B’Tselem
[Funded by the European Union, Norway, Germany (via EED), Ireland (via Trocaire), UK, Sweden (via Diakonia), the Netherlands (via ICCO), the NDC (currently the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat; joint funding from Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands), UNDP, and the Ford Foundation]
Website; June 30, 2014
B’Tselem renews its call to the Israeli government to refrain from acts of vengeance for the abduction and killing of the three Israeli teens. B’Tselem cautions the security forces to avoid harming the innocent Palestinian population, or abusing the public atmosphere in Israel with the discovery of the bodies, to impose collective punishment, as was done in the past two weeks as part of the searches. The deliberate harming of an entire civilian population as punishment for the actions of individuals is both illegal and immoral. Additionally, the security forces must prepare for possible acts of revenge by settlers.
Press Release; July 6, 2014: B’Tselem strongly condemns the abduction and killing of Muhammad Abu Khdeir
B’Tselem strongly condemns the abduction and killing of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, of Shu’fat, who was burned alive by his captors. B’Tselem also wishes to express its sincerest condolences to Abu Khdeir’s family. This act of violence undermines all moral, legal and human norms. The intentional killing of civilians is categorically prohibited under international humanitarian law, which defines it as a grave breach, and states that such an action has no justification, regardless of the circumstances. In view of the present situation, it is essential that the investigation of this case be transparent and include swift and complete disclosure of its findings, first to Abu Khdeir’s family and immediately thereafter to the public.
Christian Aid
Press Release; July 2, 2014: Christian Aid calls for protection for all civilians
Christian Aid is alarmed at the increased level of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. It is due to the failure of peace talks and lack of genuine effort to find a viable solution to the conflict that we are witnessing yet more innocent civilian casualties.
Coalition of Women for Peace
[Funded by: European Commission, Germany (via the Rosa Luxemberg Foundation, Bread for the World, and Medico International), the Netherlands (via Oxfam Novib,ICCO and SIVMO), Sweden (via Diakonia), Switzerland,Ireland (via Trocaire), Belgium (via Broederlijk Delen), and others.]
Facebook (July 3, 2014)
No to the ongoing occupation and oppression of the palestinian people in the west bank, in east jerusalem, in gaza, in 1948 borders
No to the Israeli violence.
Shared facebook status (July 4, 2014)
בימים אלה ממשיכה המדינה להתעמר בתושבי ותושבות אל עראקיב.
יש סוגים שונים של דיכוי וצורות שונות של כיבוש, אבל הציונות אותה ציונות והגזענות היא אותה גזענות. אל מול כל אלה עומדות תושבות אל עראקיב באומץ, חשוב לחזק אותן.
Gisha
[Funded by Britain, Belgium (via Broederlijk Delen), The Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat (joint funding from Sweden Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands), Norway, Ireland (via Irish Aid and Trocaire), UK (via the Sigrid Rausing Trust),Netherlands (via Oxfam Novib), Great Britain (via Oxfam GB), and the Open Society Institute]
Facebook; July 1, 2014
The recent kidnapping and murder of three young Israelis in the West Bank was followed by extensive military actions, which led to the deaths of seven Palestinians. Some in Israel, among them political leaders, are now calling for still further action in retaliation and revenge.
Since the kidnapping: Movement obstructed and goods blocked
Facebook; June 23, 2014
For the past nine days, Israel has engaged in an extensive military operation in the West Bank, while in Gaza, travel and movement of goods has been further restricted. Export is blocked and most of the people traveling via Erez are medical patients. The following is a snapshot of the situation.
New restrictions on movement: Gaza fishing zone reduced, as well as movement of goods through Kerem Shalom, while movement of people remains severely restricted
Website; July 6, 2014
Israel has reduced Gaza’s fishing zone from six to three nautical miles. Erez Crossing is still operating according to a restricted format and movement of goods through Kerem Shalom is also further reduced. (Read More)
Hamoked
[Funded by Belgium (via Broederlijk Delen, France (via CCFD), Norway, Germany (via Misereor), France, direct and indirect funding from the Netherlands, NGO Development Center (currently the Human Rights and International Law Secretariat; joint funding from Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Switzerland), Norwegian Refugee Council, Sigrid Rausing Trust (UK), Ireland (via Trocaire), Spanish International Development Cooperation Office (AECID), Ford Israel Fund (USA), New Israel Fund, and others]
Website, June 18, 2014
According to media reports, the Israeli Government considers implementing various illegal sanctions against the Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in addition to the military operation initiated in response to the abduction of the three Israelis. Among the sanctions listed are deportation from the West bank to Gaza, punitive house demolitions, and harsher incarceration conditions of Palestinian prisoners.
Human Rights Watch
Tweet; July 7, 2014
As anger rises in Israel- Palestine, ‘collective punishment’ must be avoided’
Independent Jewish Voices
IJV Outraged By Recent Murders In Occupied Palestine (July 2, 2014 Press Release)
“Canada (IJV) is deeply saddened and outraged by the murders of three Israeli youth and eleven Palestinians, including four Palestinian youth, in the past fortnight. These heinous crimes are the inevitable result of Israel’s brutal and illegal occupation of Palestine.‘Make no mistake, the burden of responsibility rests with the occupying power – Israel. The blood of these youth is also on Canada’s hands, as Canada’s government unconditionally supports Israel’s violent military occupation of the West Bank and siege of Gaza, which repeatedly fuel more violence,’ says IJV spokesperson, Tyler Levitan. ‘We cannot speculate now on the actors or motives behind the murder of the three Israelis kidnapped inside the occupied West Bank, but we can clearly condemn Israel’s renewed collective punishment of Palestinians’….It is our profound hope that this tragedy might inspire the Israelis to change course and seek a diplomatic route based on the application of international law and respect for the human rights of all parties.”
Facebook; July 7, 2014
Israel itself has a long history of capturing and sometimes of killing Palestinian children and youth:
Bring Back our Children: Palestine-Israel Children’s Crusade by the Numbers
Facebook; July 3, 2014
It’s impossible to demand sympathy from the world when Israel ignores the world’s decisions; it’s impossible to demand action when Israel is perpetuating the occupation; and it’s impossible to demand solidarity with the fate of Israeli victims when that same victimized Israel continues to kill, wound and arrest innocents as a matter of routine.
The world is sick of Israel and its insanities
Ir Amim
[Funded by the European Union, Sweden,Norway, Church Development Service- EED (Germany), New Israel Fund, Social Justice Fund,Open Society Institute, Jewish Funders Network, and others]
Facebook; June 30, 2014
עיר עמים מרכינה ראש לזכר גיל-עד שער, נפתלי פרנקל ואייל יפרח זכרונם לברכה ומגנה בחריפות את הרצח הנורא. ליבנו עם המשפחות, הלוואי ולא תדעו עוד צער
Facebook (July 2, 2014)
גם זו דרך להתאבל על גיל-עד שער, נפתלי פרנקל ואייל יפרח ז”ל. צעירים וחיילות מצטלמים מחייכים עם מדבקות ‘כהנא צדק’ אתמול בירושלים.
אתמול, בזמן הלוויה, מאות צעירים ישראלים השתוללו במרכז העיר בקריאות לנקמה וסיסמאות גזעניות. רבים מהם חיפשו עוברי אורח ערבים על מנת לתקוף אותם. חלקם כנראה מצאו, חלק אחר נבלם ע”י המשטרה. חלקם נכנסו לחנויות ובאסטות בשוק כדי לבדוק אם יש שם ערבים, או עצרו נהגים בכביש כדי לברר את לאומיותם.
במהלך השבוע האחרון זורמים אלינו דיווחים רבים על אלימות ומתיחות בירושלים. ביניהם, דיווחים על הכאת עוברי אורח, דריסה באזור שייח ג’ראח, ניסיון חטיפה שנמנע ע”י התערבות תושבים בבית חנינא (מקרה אחר ונוסף על האירוע מהבוקר) ועוד. גזענים מקצוענים למיניהם, כהניסטים, להב”ה, תלמידי הרב גינזבורג מיצהר ועוד הפגינו נוכחות מוגברת בעיר. בין השאר, אנשי להב”ה עברו בין פאבים וחילוקו למבלים פלאיירים גזעניים.
אנו עוקבים אחרי תופעות אלו מזה שנים. מספר לא גדול של פעילי ימין קיצוני שרובם בכלל לא מתגוררים בירושלים מוצאים בה כר נוח לפעילותם. כבר מזמן פנינו בנושא זה למשטרה, ליועץ לענייני ערבים של ראש עיריית ירושלים ולגורמים אחרים. הצגנו את המידע שברשותינו והזהרנו. הצענו, בין השאר, שתכנית “עיר ללא אלימות” שתיושם בירושלים, תכלול גם התייחסות לאלימות מסוג זה. רק לפני יומיים התגאו הרשויות בתכנית “להפחתת האלימות במזרח העיר” עם אפס התייחסות לאלימות כהניסטית.
ואתמול, צירוף הנסיבות של זעם על רצח הנערים, רשתות חברתיות, התלהמות והסתה של פוליטיקאים ואנשי ציבור וגם – פעילותם ארוכת הטווח והממוסדת של ארגוני ימין קיצוני בעיר הביאו למראות שספק אם נראו בהיקף כזה בישראל קודם.
אנחנו מאמינים שיש בעיר הזאת ותושביה את הכוחות להגיד למחרחרי המהומות שאנחנו לא רוצים אותם בעיר שלנו. ולפוליטיקאים – שבהתלהמות והסתה לא תזכו באהדתינו.
Facebook; July 3, 2014
ירושלים בוערת.
עוד לא ברורות נסיבות חטיפתו ורציחתו של הנער מוחמד אבו-חדיר ז”ל. המשטרה שומרת על שתיקה באשר לכיווני החקירה ומה שחמור יותר, הפוליטיקאים שעמדו בתור למיקרופונים סביב חטיפתם ורציחתם של גיל-עד שער, נפתלי פרנקל ואייל יפרח ז”ל השתתקו.
למרות החשדות שמדובר ברצח על רקע לאומני, ככל הידוע לנו אף אחד מעיריית ירושלים אפילו לא התקשר למשפחה. ברקת גינה אמנם את האלימות והרצח, אבל אותה אמפתיה שמצפים מראש עיריה לרצח נער בעירו לא הייתה שם. בטח ובטח שלא היו הצהרות נוסח “הרשויות יעשו הכול”. הפער בין ההתלהמות לשתיקה, הכול בהתאם לזהותו של הקורבן, צורם במיוחד.
ובינתיים, המהומות בשכונות הפלסטיניות נמשכות זה היום השני, כולל התנגשויות עם המשטרה, שריפת תחנות הרכבת הקלה, אבנים ובקת”בים. בשכונות הישראליות, החיים ממשיכים כרגיל – למעט אצל תושבי פסגת זאב ונווה יעקב שנותקו מקו הרכבת הקלה.
היחס השונה של הרשויות לרצח של פלסטיני ירושלמי, ניתוק הרכבת הקלה שאמורה הייתה לתפור את חלקי העיר זו לזו ושגרת החיים הבלתי מופרעת בתוך השכונות הישראליות בזמן המהומות בשכונות הפלסטיניות הן תזכורת ברורה ליומרה הריקה של סיסמת “ירושלים המאוחדת”.
Facebook; July 8, 2014
מה למדנו עד כה?
הלקח המיידי מההתפרצות האלימה שעברה על ירושלים בשבוע האחרון הוא שהשגרה בעיר שלנו מתוחה עד להתפקע. המדיניות של הרשויות מייצרת שקט תעשייתי חלקי מאוד כל זמן שלא קורה כלום. היא שומרת אותה על סף רתיחה וכשקורה משהו, במיוחד אירוע קשה כמו רציחתם האכזרית של שלושת הנערים הישראלים והנער הפלסטיני, זה מביא את העיר אל מעבר לסף של עצמה.
המדיניות בעיר לא משאירה לנו אוויר לנשימה, מרווח ביטחון, או גמישות לספוג ולהמשיך הלאה. מדיניות שלא מכירה בכך שחיות בעיר שתי קהילות לאומיות ששייכות לעיר והעיר שייכת להן, מדיניות של הזנחה ואפליה שמופרעת רק ב”סוכריות” ו”הטבות” פה ושם והמשך הפרויקט הכושל של “איחוד” העיר הכפוי לא מאפשרת בסיס של חיים משותפים שיכול, אולי, לעזור לנו לצלוח בשלום תקופות קשות כמו זו שאנחנו נמצאים בה.
שתי הקהילות הלאומיות בירושלים מרגישות שביטחונן מופקר ע”י הרשויות וצעירים עושים דין לעצמם. ה”הגנה” שלהם על שכונותיהם מתפרשת בצד השני – ולעתים קרובות אכן מהווה – התקפה. חרושת השמועות עובדת במלוא הקיטור והרחובות מלאים בתגובה ונקמה.
נקודת האור בסיפור היא החברה האזרחית הצעירה והחזקה בירושלים, שמראה לנו שאפשר גם אחרת. אך לא יכולה להוות תחליף למדיניות שקולה, חכמה ונכונה מצד ממשלת ישראל ועיריית ירושלים.
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)
A Selfie of the Potential Murderer as a Young Man Udi Aloni (JVP advisory board member) Mondoweiss, July 3, 2014
“Like two mirrors facing each other in infinite regress, tens of thousands of young Jewish colonialists stood in front of the camera and created a self-portrait of potential murderers. This portrait reveals that Israeli terror is not only performed by the army, but also by tens of thousands of citizens. It took only a day for the potential murderers to become actual murderers. The mask of innocence fell from their faces. And now it appears as if all of us are murderers, Jews and Palestinians alike.
Therefore, without undermining the personal responsibility of the individual murderers, it’s crucial for us to understand that the true murderer of all the youngsters, Palestinians and Jews, is the occupation, the apartheid, and the ideological meta-structure of Israeli sovereignty. “Who murdered first?” and “Who murdered how many?” are side questions, and sometimes even misleading questions, within the oppressive machinery of the Israeli government throughout its history.”
JVP’s statement of concern Sydney Levy on Wed, 07/02/2014
“The Israeli government is endangering lives and both fomenting and feeding off an atmosphere of vengeance and racism. The Israeli government has continued to show little regard for either Israeli or Palestinian life. The pronouncements of Cabinet ministers, IDF officials, and the Prime Minister Netanyahu make it clear that revenge, not justice, is the main agenda. Emerging reports suggest that the government knew the fate of the teens long before that information was released, but withheld that information – indicating that the government’s primary aim has been to exploit the kidnapping to attack the infrastructure of Palestinian society”
“All lives are precious. We refuse to mourn only the deaths of Palestinians, or only the deaths of Israelis. But that does not mean we can ignore the enormous power difference between Israelis and Palestinians, or pretend it is just a “cycle of violence” with no root cause or context. Each of these horrific incidents that harms both peoples happen in the context of an ongoing occupation, itself inherently a system of daily violence. And it is a system that by its very nature puts the lives, dignity, and human rights of all in jeopardy.”
J Street
Facebook; July 4, 2014
Recently, a page dedicated to promoting vengeance in the wake of the tragic murders of Eyal, Gilad, and Naftali received 35,000 likes. With our friends in the pro-Israel, pro peace movement, we’ve launched a new page. We’re calling for “Peace, not Vengeance,” and with your help, we know we can prove that the call for peace is more powerful than the thirst for vengeance. Please help us by liking the page and sharing it with your friends.
Press Release; July 2, 2014
J Street mourns the death of Mohammed Abu Khudair
We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Abu Khudair, in what may be a revenge killing for the murders of three Israeli teenagers.
J Street (blog)
Enough! (July 3, 2014)
“It’s tempting these days to want to throw up our hands and say, “Maspick, Khalas! Enough!” Between the events of the past few weeks, the failure of negotiations, the mounting violence in the region and the polarizing political environment back home, it’s hard to be an American partner for peace, especially when the news seems to indicate the number of Israeli and Palestinian partners are dwindling. What is this place where children are kidnapped and brutally murdered? What are we fighting for? What is Jewish about this response?”
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Press Release: Palestine: MSF assists those affected by the current military operation in the West Bank, June 26, 2014
“Family members detained or killed ‘Our patients are people who have been injured, have had family members detained or killed, or have had their homes destroyed or raided,’ explains Juan Carlos Cano, MSF general coordinator in Jerusalem. Tear gas and small bombs for searches
The military operation to locate the three young Israeli settlers who disappeared on 12 June involves controls (checkpoints) on streets and highways, house-to-house searches and movement restrictions for the population which is affecting normal activity in schools and businesses, and hampers access to health facilities. According to several patients, dogs are used in some of the incursions, and tear gas or small bombs are used to blow open the doors… Children are the most affected and are at risk of developing psychosomatic symptom such as enuresis, sleeping problems and constant worry. Psychologists will follow upon patients who may potentially suffer from post-traumatic symptoms.”
New Israel Fund
Facebook; July 2, 2014: No to violence. No to racism. No to bloodshed.
Following the horrific murders of Naftali Frankel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah, we are witnessing acts of violence and calls for revenge. Today, NIF joined Tag Meir in Jerusalem for a vigil calling for an end to the violence, racism, dehumanization, and bloodshed.
Article; July 2, 2014: We mourn. We don’t avenge.
Even while the funeral was going on, riots broke out in Jerusalem in which Knesset Members calling for “revenge” took advantage of a national moment of pain to incite violence. Mobs chanted “Death to Arabs” and roamed the streets of Jerusalem looking for Arabs to attack.
Israeli police acted to prevent revenge attacks, but it appears they could not stop them all. This morning we awoke to reports of a potential revenge killing. An Arab teenager — Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir — was reportedly kidnapped from Jerusalem and murdered. We are still waiting for police to confirm the press accounts.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
[Funded by the European Union and the governments of Ireland, Denmark, and Norway]
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (26 June – 02 July 2014)
Israeli settlers kidnapped, tortured and killed a Palestinian Child from Shu’fat neighbourhood in Occupied Jerusalem and mutilated his body… PCHR further confirms that Israeli forces continued to impose collective punishment measures on the Gaza Strip, which have escalated since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, in which Hamas won the majority of seats of the Palestinian Legislative Council. PCHR stresses that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and the international humanitarian law, especially the Hague Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land and the Geneva Conventions. Israel is bound to apply the international human rights law and the law of war sometime reciprocally and other times in parallel in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for victims.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I)
Facebook; July 6, 2014 • Edited
קחו דקה והתעדכנו בדיווח הסהר האדום הפלסטיני, ארגון ההצלה הגדול ביותר בשטחים הכבושים, על נזקי המתקפה הישראלית בגדה המערבית וברצועת עזה, ממועד פרסום חטיפת שלושת הנערים, ה-13 ביוני, ועד אתמול, ה-5 ביולי
13 הרוגים, מתוכם 10 בגדה המערבית ו-3 ברצועת עזה; 56 גיחות של מסוקים ומטוסים, בהן נפגעו 25 איש, מתוכם 5 ילדים; 33 נפגעים מאש חיה; 485 נפגעים מירי גומי; 101 נפגעים מגז מדמיע; 32 נפגעים מתקיפה ע”י כוחות הבטחון; 11 נפגעים מתקיפה ע”י מתנחלים.
גילוי דעת של רופאים לזכויות אדם לנוכח אירועי השבועות האחרונים: טבעה של הפלישה והתקיפה הצבאית של ישראל על פני הגדה המערבית, רצועת עזה וירושלים המזרחית שהחלה תחת כסות של חיפוש אחר הנעדרים הישראלים, מתחדדת במיוחד לאור דיווחי התקשורת על הסתרת המידע המגמתית מהציבור וההסתה הציבורית השיטתית כנגד הפלסטינים, במטרה להכשיר פעילות המבקשת להשתלט ולשלוט על כמה שיותר אדמות פלסטיניות ולהעלים ולדכא ככל האפשר את הפלסטינים – בשטחים הכבושים ובשטחי ישראל.
Rabbis for Human Rights
[Funded by the European Commission, Spain, Church of Sweden, Norwegian Church, Germany (via MISEREOR), the Netherlands (via Kerk in Actie), NDC (currently the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat; joint funding from Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the Netherlands), the Social Justice Fund, and the New Israel Fund]
Facebook; July 7, 2014
Rabbis for Human Rights expresses its deep outrage at the recent murders which, according to reports, either stem from motives of national revenge or involve a nationalistic element. We are especially shocked by the apparent brutality of the murders.
Human life is a basic right and is the most supreme value in Jewish heritage. We have been categorically commanded: “Do not murder” and any who violate this commandment must be punished to the full extent of the law. Revenge by one person or many is completely unacceptable. Severe actions must be taken against the inciters and instigators of revenge, no matter how high their public position.
We also call for the protection of the basic rights of the accused – during investigation, in court, and after sentencing.
We send our condolences to the families of those murdered – Mohammed Abu Khdeir and Sheli Dadon, and we mourn alongside them.
Facebook; July 6, 2014- Hebrew
יש דין משתתף בצערה של משפחת אבו ח׳דיר שבנה מוחמד נחטף ונרצח בפשע שנאה אכזרי. רצח חפים מפשע מהווה הפרה של עקרונות מוסר אוניברסליים.
יש דין תעד מאות מקרים של אלימות כלפי פלסטינים בהם התנהלות רשויות אכיפת החוק הייתה רשלנית והובילה ברוב המוחלט של המקרים לאי-העמדה לדין של הפושעים. אנו מקווים כי במקרה
זה המשטרה תנהל חקירה יעילה ושקופה שתביא להעמדתם לדין של הרוצחים.
יש לקוות כי הגורמים הרלוונטיים אף ישכילו ללמוד מהשתלשלות האירועים שקדמו לרציחתו של מוחמד אבו ח׳דיר ויחלו לחקור בצורה יעילה ובזמן אמת תלונות של פלסטינים על פשיעה
אידאולוגית שמבוצעת נגדם.
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders Publishes “Palestinian Journalists Caught Between Three Sides” (June 26, 2014)
“The detailed report, based on a mission to the Palestinian Territories in late 2013, reveals the double set of pressures threatening information freedom in the Territories. On the one hand are measures imposed by Israel and its army, which doesn’t hesitate to arrest, or even kill, news professionals… In fact, as a result of their extreme polarization, Palestinian journalists and media organizations are both victims of and participants in a perverse system, helping to perpetuate the “division” (Inqassam) in Palestinian society.”
Facebook Reporters sans frontières / Reporters Without Borders (June 26, 2014)
“Freedom of information in the Palestinian Territories is under constant threat. When news media are not hit by Israeli arrests, detention and live fire, they are targeted by the supposedly friendly Palestinian Authorities and Hamas. Journalists and media organizations are caught in a political vice. How can they escape its grip? This is the issue RWB addresses in its new report : ‘Palestinian journalists caught between three sides’”.
War on Want
Facebook; July 5, 2014: Strong protest outside Israel’s embassy in London today!
Thanks to everyone who attended, chanted and spoke out against Israel’s collective punishment measures and human rights violations.
Twitter: July 5, 2014: It is an Occupation by a powerful military state, armed and supported by the West, against an impoverished, stateless and displaced people.
Yesh Din
[Funded by the European Union and the governments of Norway, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, the UK, and the NGO Development Center]
Facebook; July 6, 2014
Yesh Din has documented hundreds of cases of violence against Palestinians in which the law enforcement authorities neglected their duty and perpetrators were not brought to justice.
Facebook; July 1, 201
…In this sad hour, Israel must refrain from using collective punishment, which is immoral and illegal according to the international law
