Israel and the Occupied Territories

             Human Rights in Palestine

Human Rights abuses are rampant in Israel. Until recently, torture was legal and the security forces routinely tortured political detainees, most of whom were never charged with any crimes. Methods include violent shaking of detainees, restraining in very painful conditions, sensory deprivation, sounding of loud music for prolonged periods and others. Several prisoners have died as a consequence of torture. It's hoped that a recent Supreme Court decision outlawing this practice, however, will finally put an end to this widely condemned practice. Israeli forces continue to arbitrarily detained hundreds of Palestinians on "security" grounds. Hundreds are put under administrative detention, without being charged or sentenced, in violation of internationally protected due process rights. Some are kept in prison for years without ever being charged. Hundreds more are sent to prison for political reasons following trials that do not comply with international due process standards. Often the main evidence against prisoners are confessions extracted through torture. Detainees are regularly denied visits from their lawyers or family members. Dozens of Lebanese are also being held in administrative detention in Israeli-controlled Southern Lebanon. This includes men, women and children. Some have been in prison for over ten years without charges. The Israeli Supreme Court has found it lawful to hold otherwise unlawfully-detained prisoners as "bargaining chips" for exchange for Israeli prisoners abroad. Israeli security forces have also engaged in extra-judicial executions of Palestinians. Those responsible are very rarely punished for their crimes.

Actions | NGOs | Reports | Articles | UN | News | Government & Law | Torture | Links Recent Clashes News & Actions on Human Rights in Israel

Reports on the Al-Aqsa Intifada

• Palestine: Civil Society Under Occupation
  'On the Record' Newsletters, 2001
• No Way Out: Medical Implications of Israel's Siege Policy
  B'Tselem, June 2001 8
• Civilians Under Siege
  Restrictions on Freedom of Movement as Collective Punishment
  B'Tselem Report, January 2001
• Al-Aqsa Intifada 2000: Inhumane Actions Against Humanity
  Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, Dec. 2000
• Illusions of Restraint
  B'Tselem's Report, December 2000
• Report of the High Commissioner on her visit to the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, Egypt and Jordan
  (8-16 November 2000)
• Evaluation of the Use of Force in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank Medical and Forensic Investigation
  Physicians for Human Rights, Nov. 3, 2000
• 16 October Al Mezan Report on Israeli Aggression
• Investigation into Unlawful Use of Force in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Northern Israel
  October 4 Through October 11
• Israel/Palestinian Authority Abuses During Violent Clashes
  HRW materials
• Israel and the Occupied Territories: Excessive use of lethal force
  Amnesty International, Oct. 2000
• A statement following a mission to evaluate the current crisis in israel and the palestinian territories
  FIDH, Oct. 12, 2000
• ICJ Condemns Illegal Use of Force in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
• Oral Statement to the Human Rights Commission
  World Organization Against Torture
• September 2000 Clashes Information Center
  Addameer
• LAW Website
  Daily news on human rights violations in the occupied territories.
• The Recent Developments in the Territories
  B'Tselem
• Palestine's Medical System on the Verge of Collapse
  By Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, The Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
• Reports by the Palestine Red Crescent Society
• UN Documents:
  • Commission on Human Rights Resolution calling
    the actions of Israel crimes against humanity and instituting a commission of inquiry - 19 October 2000
  • Other Human Rights Commission Documents
  • Security Council Resolution Condemning Violence - 7 October 2000

Actions

• Actions from the World Organization Against Torture on Israel
• Prisoners of Conscience in Israel
  Adopted by AI UK group
• Free all Palestinian political prisoners
• On-line petition to Congress, protesting construction of
  new settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.

NGOs

• Directory of Palestinian and Israel Human Rights Groups
  By Ariga

  Israeli NGOs

• The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
• B'tselem
  
• Mossawa Center
• Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
• Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
• Rabbis for Human Rights
• Amnesty International Israel

  Palestinian NGOs

• Addameer
  Palestinian Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association
• Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
• Al-Haq
  Palestinian human rights organization: "Law in the service of man"
• Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
• American Committee on Jerusalem
• Anera
  works with refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Lebanon
• Arab Association for Human Rights The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
• Council for Palestinian Restitution and Reparation
• LAW: The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
• Middle East Children's Alliance
• Palestinian Center for Human Rights - Gaza

  US based NGOs

• Jewish Peace Fellowship

Reports

• US State Department Human Rights Reports on Israel
  2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996
• US State Department Human Rights Reports on the Occupied Territories
  2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996
• US State Department Reports on Religious Freedom in Israel
  2001 - 2000 - 1999
• US State Department Reports on Religious Freedom in the Occupied Territories
  2001 - 2000 - 1999
• Amnesty International Reports
• AIUSA Page on Israel
• Arab Association for Human Rights Publications
• B'tselem Publications
• Human Rights Watch Reports
• LAW Reports
• Palestinian Center for Human Rights Reports
• Information about Detentions at Birzeit University
• Resolution on the conditions of imprisonment of Miss Souha Bechara in Southern Lebanon
  European Parliament, 1997

Articles

• Droits des peuples, droits humains face au nouvel ordre mondial.
  Pour Mireille Mendès-France, Association Droit-Solidarité, Paris, nov04
• Law and Disorder in the Middle East.
  By Francis A. Boyle, January/March 2002
• Palestine, Palestinians, and International Law.
  By Francis A. Boyle, March 29, 2002
• Barak Appoints War Criminal Yaron.
  By Francis A. Boyle, Nov99
• The Alternative Information Center
• The Birzeit Human Rights Record
  A regular publication of the Human Rights Action Projec
• Al-Haq Newsletter
• Israeli Interrogation Methods Legitimized by Court
  Alexandra L. Wisotsky , 1997

UN

• On the Record: UN Human Rights Activities
  2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
  
  
• Documents from the UN Human Rights System in Israel
  Treaty Body Documents | Charter Body Documents
  
  
• Special Mandates on Israeli-occupied areas
  
  • Mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General on the
    question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine
  • Mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General on the situation of
    human rights in southern Lebanon and western Bekaa
  • Mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General on the
    situation in occupied Palestine
  • Mandate entrusted to the Secretary-General on
    human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan
  • Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
    affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories
  • Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights
    on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories
• Reports to UN bodies
  
  • ADALAH reports to UN bodies

News

• Middle East Media Center
• The Jerusalem Post
• Haaretz Newspaper
• LAW Press Releases
• Al-Haq Press Releases
• Salam Review
  An electronic magazine about the struggle for peace and justice in the Middle East
• Weekly Review of the Arabic Press in Israel
• Israel News - One World Online
• News on Israel - Washington Post
• Israel Wire

Government & Law

• A Guide to the Israeli Legal System
• Basic Laws of the State of Israel
• Basic Laws
• Judicial Authority, State of Israel
• Judgments of the Supreme Court - Hebrew
• Supreme Court Decision on Lebanese Detainees
• Israeli Government
• Office of the Prime Minister
• Knesset
• Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Israeli Embassy in Washington
• Israel Defense Forces

Torture

• Judgement on the Interrogation Methods applied by the GSS
  where the Israeli Supreme Court outlaws the use of torture
• The Hamdan Case
  Decision of the Israeli Supreme Court authorizing the use of physical pressure,
  a.k.a. torture, on a prisoner.
• Torture: A State's Tyranny
  by the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group
• Information about the Israeli Use of Torture in Interrogation
  By the Human Rights Action Project
• Stories of Torture
  by LAW
• Torture in the Occupied Territories
  by Al-Haq
• Torture and Widespread Arrest Campaigns
  by Addameer
• Minerva Center For Human Rights Symposium on Torture
• Concluding Observations of the Committee Against Torture on
  Israel's compliance with the Convention Against Torture
  04/11/97
• Compliance with the Covention Against Torture
  Committee Against Torture - 1994

Links

• INCORE guide to Internet sources on conflict in Israel/Palestine
• Indict Sharon Website
• Israel Links - MENIC
• Arab Human Rights Netcenter
• Birzeit University Human Rights Action Project
• The Minerva Center for Human Rights
  Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Ariga
• Hanthala
  Palestinian mailing list
• CIA World Factbook: Israel
• Israeli Internet Guide
• Virtual Jerusalem - Jewish Directory
• New Israel Fund
  Funds human rights groups among others.

Español

• Información de Amnistía Internacional
• Acciones de la Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura
• ONU
  • Mandato encargado al Secretario General sobre la cuestión de
    la violación de los derechos humanos en los territorios árabes ocupados, incluida Palestina
  • Mandato encargado al Secretario General sobre la situación de
    los derechos humanos en el Líbano meridional y la Bekaa occidental
  • Mandato encargado al Secretario General sobre la
    situación en la Palestina ocupada
  • Mandato encargado al Secretario General sobre los derechos
    humanos en el Golán sirio ocupado
  • Comité Especial encargado de investigar las prácticas israelíes
    que afecten a los derechos humanos del pueblo palestino y otros habitantes
    árabes de los territorios ocupados
  • Relator Especial de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos sobre
    la situación de los derechos humanos en los territorios palestinos ocupados

Human Rights in the Middle East