On April 18th, 2023, the Law for Palestine Organization participated in an informal exchange between NGOs and EU member states ahead of the 42nd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session, which will discuss Israel and other states.

During the exchange session, which was attended by several representatives of NGOs working on Israel/Palestine, Maha Loulou virtually delivered an oral statement on behalf of Law for Palestine. The statement shed light on the organization’s newly issued report focusing on Israel’s policy of arresting Palestinian university students. Additionally, L4P provided a copy of its recommendations regarding Israel for the UPR purposes to the EU member states.

This is the full statement text:

Honorable Members of the European Union, esteemed representatives from NGOs,

I thank the EEAS for organizing this exchange. On behalf of Law for Palestine organization, Im here to address Israel’s systematic policy of arbitrary detention of Palestinian university students. Israel has maintained detention policies targeting students engaged in political activities against the illegal occupation, both in the Occupied Palestinian territories and within the Green Line, since 1967.

Our newly-issued report documents how Israel extends control over Palestinians, including university students, through its military judiciary and order systems. Student’s gatherings in Palestinian universities are deemed terrorist or illegal, even if non-political, and Israel uses outdated emergency regulations from the British Mandate Era to define “terrorist,” or “illegal” organizations.

Similarly, Palestinian students who are citizens of Israel and attend Israeli universities face similar detention policies for engaging in national activities through student associations.

In both cases, Israel has used arrests to erode Palestinian national identity and consolidate its colonialism.

Therefore, Law for Palestine calls on Israel to:

– Stop the policy of arbitrary detention of Palestinian university students in the occupied territory and in Israel.

– Abolish military orders and regulations outlawing Palestinian student movements expressing national identity and right to self-determination.

– Treat detainees with humanity and provide fair trial guarantees.

– Fully cooperate with UN bodies and human rights mechanisms and allow them access to Israel and the occupied territory.

Let us work together towards a just and peaceful end to the Israeli colonial occupation, and ending arbitrary detention policies is a critical step towards this goal.

Thank you