Herinner Auschwitz, maar vergeet niet wat Auschwitz mogelijk maakte
vrijdag 24 januari 2020 12:04
dinsdag 28 januari 2020
donderdag 2 januari 2020
Palestinian human rights cannot be addressed without decolonisation
Ramona Wadi
Middle East Monitor / December 19, 2019
The latest report by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is a stark reminder of how Israel’s colonisation process in Palestine has created differences that are irreconcilable with the framework of human rights and international law. In particular, the CERD pointed out the discrimination inherent in Israel’s Nation-State Law, settlement expansion and the apartheid practices faced by Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
While the report points out issues that have long been debated, the CERD’s succinct observations enable readers to conceptualise the dynamics that make human rights violations a recurring cycle. Rather than a singular focus on separate issues, such as settlement expansion, the report looks at each strand of discrimination and how this affects the Palestinian population whose right to any recourse is severely restricted due to Israeli impunity.
Meanwhile, another report in Israeli media has attempted to juxtapose international law against the US unilateral decisions as concessions to Israel, in particular when it comes to settlement expansion. The CERD, however, affirms the illegality of settlements as “not only illegal under international law but also an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights by the whole population.” It also describes Israel’s Nation-State law as elevating settlements to “a national value.” For Israel, though, settlements are defined according to the US-Israeli plan, hence the insistence on contradicting the CERD report by referencing the recent US declaration on settlement expansion.
The UN report also highlights the incessant discrimination against Palestinians and minority groups, as well as how Israel prevents such groups from accessing justice. It also called upon Israel to eradicate “all policies and practices of racial segregation and apartheid.”
Throughout the report, it is clear that the historical dispossession of the Palestinian people by Israel is continuing under an assortment of violations, all of which have been discussed regularly, albeit dissociated from the historical context and the wider developments which have led to many divisions among Palestinians, despite them all facing similar circumstances. Settlement expansion — the first symptom of colonial Israel since its inception — is tied to a multitude of violations involving state and settler violence. Appropriating Palestinian territory, as well as the restrictions placed upon Palestinian people, is a precursor to other losses in terms of access to agricultural land and water. The CERD report points towards the seamless actions of state violence through appropriation and displacement, and settler violence against Palestinians, their properties and their land, as a prevailing dynamic that needs to be addressed in order for Palestinians to at least avail themselves of the basic necessities associated with human rights.
However, with Israel always in contempt of international law, holding the colonial-settler state accountable as the CERD has recommended is a futile course of action unless this is backed by the international community. The committee has given Israel a year to submit information regarding the documented violations. Within that year, though, Israel will have committed even more human rights violations that will be addressed statistically for reporting purposes. Recommending that Israel ratifies human rights treaties is only one part of the path towards any possible accountability. It cannot be expected that a colonial-settler entity will ever stick to any human rights framework. The only permanent solution to the absence of any human rights for Palestinians, therefore, is decolonisation; Israel’s colonial-settler occupation must end.
Ramona Wadi is an independent researcher, freelance journalist, book reviewer and blogger; her writing covers a range of themes in relation to Palestine, Chile and Latin America
https://palestina-komitee.nl/?p=10084
Middle East Monitor / December 19, 2019
The latest report by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is a stark reminder of how Israel’s colonisation process in Palestine has created differences that are irreconcilable with the framework of human rights and international law. In particular, the CERD pointed out the discrimination inherent in Israel’s Nation-State Law, settlement expansion and the apartheid practices faced by Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
While the report points out issues that have long been debated, the CERD’s succinct observations enable readers to conceptualise the dynamics that make human rights violations a recurring cycle. Rather than a singular focus on separate issues, such as settlement expansion, the report looks at each strand of discrimination and how this affects the Palestinian population whose right to any recourse is severely restricted due to Israeli impunity.
Meanwhile, another report in Israeli media has attempted to juxtapose international law against the US unilateral decisions as concessions to Israel, in particular when it comes to settlement expansion. The CERD, however, affirms the illegality of settlements as “not only illegal under international law but also an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights by the whole population.” It also describes Israel’s Nation-State law as elevating settlements to “a national value.” For Israel, though, settlements are defined according to the US-Israeli plan, hence the insistence on contradicting the CERD report by referencing the recent US declaration on settlement expansion.
The UN report also highlights the incessant discrimination against Palestinians and minority groups, as well as how Israel prevents such groups from accessing justice. It also called upon Israel to eradicate “all policies and practices of racial segregation and apartheid.”
Throughout the report, it is clear that the historical dispossession of the Palestinian people by Israel is continuing under an assortment of violations, all of which have been discussed regularly, albeit dissociated from the historical context and the wider developments which have led to many divisions among Palestinians, despite them all facing similar circumstances. Settlement expansion — the first symptom of colonial Israel since its inception — is tied to a multitude of violations involving state and settler violence. Appropriating Palestinian territory, as well as the restrictions placed upon Palestinian people, is a precursor to other losses in terms of access to agricultural land and water. The CERD report points towards the seamless actions of state violence through appropriation and displacement, and settler violence against Palestinians, their properties and their land, as a prevailing dynamic that needs to be addressed in order for Palestinians to at least avail themselves of the basic necessities associated with human rights.
However, with Israel always in contempt of international law, holding the colonial-settler state accountable as the CERD has recommended is a futile course of action unless this is backed by the international community. The committee has given Israel a year to submit information regarding the documented violations. Within that year, though, Israel will have committed even more human rights violations that will be addressed statistically for reporting purposes. Recommending that Israel ratifies human rights treaties is only one part of the path towards any possible accountability. It cannot be expected that a colonial-settler entity will ever stick to any human rights framework. The only permanent solution to the absence of any human rights for Palestinians, therefore, is decolonisation; Israel’s colonial-settler occupation must end.
Ramona Wadi is an independent researcher, freelance journalist, book reviewer and blogger; her writing covers a range of themes in relation to Palestine, Chile and Latin America
https://palestina-komitee.nl/?p=10084
woensdag 1 januari 2020
Vervuiling in bezet gebied / This B’Tselem Report Exposes Israel’s Pollution of the Occupied West Bank
By Ramona Wadi
Israel remains the only UN member state which has never declared where its borders are. In fact, it has refused to demarcate any borders due to the Zionist intention to colonize the whole of historic Palestine. For less desirable requirements, however, it does not hesitate to apply a temporary suspension of its agenda, recognize separate areas and impose additional hardships on Palestinians.
As with several other discriminatory policies, Israel acknowledges Palestinian existence and land only when it can use such recognition to suit its nefarious purposes. Human rights group B’Tselem’s December 2017 report called “Made in Israel: Exploiting Palestinian Land for Israeli Waste” reveals that there are 15 Israeli waste treatment facilities in the occupied West Bank. Six of these facilities process hazardous waste.
By treating its waste in the occupied Palestinian territory, Israel is evading several responsibilities which can be summarised by pointing out one particular discrepancy, as B’Tselem states: “Transferring waste into an occupied territory is a far graver issue, as residents of an occupied territory cannot oppose the decisions of the occupying power.”
The report investigated four of the hazardous waste treatment facilities and a sewage treatment plant in the occupied West Bank. The ramifications of such facilities, which B’Tselem states are operating without strict control, include the contamination of soil and water, the risk of drug resistant organisms and an increased threat of illness. Natural resources are also being damaged permanently.
B’Tselem has outlined the differences in Israel’s waste treatment legislation, showing that it applies less stringent procedures for waste facilities in the occupied West Bank. Inside Israel “proper” — that is, the land not recognised as occupied by international law — waste treatment facilities require permits from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The facilities are also required to carry out assessments that detail their impact upon the environment. Since waste treatment facilities in the occupied West Bank are regulated by the Administration of Local Councils, Israel does not face the same obligations and is therefore not required to carry out impact assessments due to the absence of legislation on pollution.
The exemptions from accountability in the occupied West Bank have made it easier for hazardous waste to be treated away from scrutiny and with the opportunity to oppress Palestinians further. B’Tselem makes an important observation in this regard; it is Palestinians who are denied freedom of movement and whose spaces are restricted, unlike the Israeli settler population in the occupied territories, who have the freedom to live anywhere they choose.
With such discrepancies as a result of colonial expansion, it is important to make a connection between the violations and Israel’s exploitation of land and how it defines ownership. The report’s conclusion reads thus: “Israel has turned the West Bank into a sacrifice zone, exploiting and harming the environment at the expense of the Palestinian residents, who are completely excluded from the decision-making process.” The last premise, which is the exclusion of Palestinians, is disregarded routinely when discussing the implications of Israeli colonialism, due to the refusal to connect land appropriation with the consequences of such exploitation.
This report clearly associates the environmental and health impact with the wider colonial project. The international community’s recording of Israel’s violations, though, are situated within the context of violations themselves, thus breeding further impunity for Israel while eliminating the collective international responsibility towards Palestinians.
– Ramona Wadi is a staff writer for Middle East Monitor, where this article was originally published. She contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/btselem-report-exposes-israels-pollution-occupied-west-bank/
Israel remains the only UN member state which has never declared where its borders are. In fact, it has refused to demarcate any borders due to the Zionist intention to colonize the whole of historic Palestine. For less desirable requirements, however, it does not hesitate to apply a temporary suspension of its agenda, recognize separate areas and impose additional hardships on Palestinians.
As with several other discriminatory policies, Israel acknowledges Palestinian existence and land only when it can use such recognition to suit its nefarious purposes. Human rights group B’Tselem’s December 2017 report called “Made in Israel: Exploiting Palestinian Land for Israeli Waste” reveals that there are 15 Israeli waste treatment facilities in the occupied West Bank. Six of these facilities process hazardous waste.
By treating its waste in the occupied Palestinian territory, Israel is evading several responsibilities which can be summarised by pointing out one particular discrepancy, as B’Tselem states: “Transferring waste into an occupied territory is a far graver issue, as residents of an occupied territory cannot oppose the decisions of the occupying power.”
The report investigated four of the hazardous waste treatment facilities and a sewage treatment plant in the occupied West Bank. The ramifications of such facilities, which B’Tselem states are operating without strict control, include the contamination of soil and water, the risk of drug resistant organisms and an increased threat of illness. Natural resources are also being damaged permanently.
B’Tselem has outlined the differences in Israel’s waste treatment legislation, showing that it applies less stringent procedures for waste facilities in the occupied West Bank. Inside Israel “proper” — that is, the land not recognised as occupied by international law — waste treatment facilities require permits from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The facilities are also required to carry out assessments that detail their impact upon the environment. Since waste treatment facilities in the occupied West Bank are regulated by the Administration of Local Councils, Israel does not face the same obligations and is therefore not required to carry out impact assessments due to the absence of legislation on pollution.
The exemptions from accountability in the occupied West Bank have made it easier for hazardous waste to be treated away from scrutiny and with the opportunity to oppress Palestinians further. B’Tselem makes an important observation in this regard; it is Palestinians who are denied freedom of movement and whose spaces are restricted, unlike the Israeli settler population in the occupied territories, who have the freedom to live anywhere they choose.
With such discrepancies as a result of colonial expansion, it is important to make a connection between the violations and Israel’s exploitation of land and how it defines ownership. The report’s conclusion reads thus: “Israel has turned the West Bank into a sacrifice zone, exploiting and harming the environment at the expense of the Palestinian residents, who are completely excluded from the decision-making process.” The last premise, which is the exclusion of Palestinians, is disregarded routinely when discussing the implications of Israeli colonialism, due to the refusal to connect land appropriation with the consequences of such exploitation.
This report clearly associates the environmental and health impact with the wider colonial project. The international community’s recording of Israel’s violations, though, are situated within the context of violations themselves, thus breeding further impunity for Israel while eliminating the collective international responsibility towards Palestinians.
– Ramona Wadi is a staff writer for Middle East Monitor, where this article was originally published. She contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/btselem-report-exposes-israels-pollution-occupied-west-bank/
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