PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE –Issue.159

Your weekly survey of the most important publications and activities related to Palestine and law, from local and international sources

15-21 January 2023

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

Prepared by: Razwan Issa, Nour Kharouf, Nermin Allawh, Sophia Alisaa

Translation: Ahmad Staitia and Asma Louzon
Editing: Rachel Marandett

This weekly report reviews the legal dynamics of the Palestine question, and everything related to international law and Palestine. The report includes an account of the most important publications, activities and conferences related to Palestine at the local, regional, international levels. The report further covers decisions, decrees, and judicial orders affecting the Palestinian cause, whether made at the official, academic or public levels. The report aims to be a reference for monitoring, documenting and archiving the latest human rights developments related to Palestine, and to present them to individuals, researchers, study centers, and official, academic and legal institutions concerned.

To view this Volume of Palestine’s Legal Scene, please click here (3 minutes read)

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Palestinian bodies

• The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ execution of child Amr Lutfi Khmour (14 years) from Dheisha camp, and the executions of both Jawad Bawaqna (58 years) and Adham Jabarin (26 years) during the storming of Jenin. The Ministry stressed the need to transform international positions into actionable tasks and procedures that can provide protection for the Palestinian people, and force the Israeli government and its various institutions to abide by international law. (January 16, 2023). For further details, click here
• In a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine called on the Security Council to implement its resolutions, contribute to ending the historical injustices, and achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. (January 18, 2023). For further details, click here
• During a meeting with the US Senate delegation, the Palestinian Prime Minister called for taking serious steps to preserve the two-state solution. (January 19, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Palestinian President calls on the US administration to intervene to stop the extremist occupation government measures that are destroying the remaining chances for peace and stability before it is too late. (January 19, 2023). For further details, click here

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by official Israeli bodies

• Israeli United Nations Ambassador, Gildan Erdan said, “Terror comes in many forms, and the Palestinians have mastered another terror tactic. By manipulating and weaponizing international organizations, like the ICJ, the Palestinians aim to force Israel to give in to all of their demands without negotiations, dialogue, or mutual concessions”. (January 18, 2023). For further details, click here.
• Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, declined an invitation from the international community to rescind the Israeli sanctions imposed on the Palestinian Authority in accordance with the International Court of Justice’s ruling. He instead requested the international community focus on efforts to reduce Palestinian incitement. (17 January 2023) For further details, click here.

Judicial decrees, decisions, positions, and orders issued by Arab, European, and international bodies

• Dozens of European Parliamentarians sent a letter to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU, Josep Borrell, expressing their grave concerns about the formation of a new Israeli coalition government and “annexation policies.” The Parliamentarians warned that any Israeli action to alter the status quo in Jerusalem and build further illegal settlements “will have severe consequences.” They further called on ending trade of goods and services with illegal settlements as well as halting the supply of offensive weapons to Israel (January 13, 2023). For further details, click here
• In a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, the Chinese Foreign Minister said that China attaches great importance to the Palestinian issue, and that the international community should stay firm in its commitment to the two-state solution as well as the principle of “land for peace” (January 16, 2023). For further details, click here
• Bambos Charalambous, a Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate, stated in a letter to the Minister of Middle East and North Africa concerning the current situation in Masafer Yatta that the eviction of Palestinians from their homes and the expansion of settlements undermine the viability of a two-state solution since they clearly breach international law (January 16, 2023). For further details, click here
• In a written statement, over 90 UN Member States expressed their deep concern regarding the Israeli government’s decision to impose punitive measures against the Palestinian people, leadership, and civil society following the request by the General Assembly for an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice on the Israeli occupation and Palestinians’ right to self-determination (January 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian Tripartite Summit emphasized the need to preserve legitimate Palestinian rights and continue joint efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.(January 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• In protest of Israel’s preventing the Jordanian ambassador from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry sent the Israeli ambassador a strongly worded letter of protest to be conveyed immediately to his government. The Jordanian government affirmed their condemnation of all measures aimed at unacceptable interference in the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque. (January 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• US representative Rashida Talib expressed her outrage over the State Department’s plans to build the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem on land stolen from Palestinians. She added that “by doing so, the U.S. is complicit in the illegal confiscation of Palestinian property” (January 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Peace Process, briefed the UN Security Council on the human toll in Palestine in 2022. He said, “preventing more loss of life must go hand-in-hand with the international community’s ultimate goal – ending the Israeli occupation, resolving the conflict, and realizing a lasting two-State solution.” (January 18, 2023). For further details, click here
• The General Assembly of the United Nations requested an advisory opinion from the Court on “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”. (January 20, 2023). For further details, click here.

Blogs and short articles

• Americans for Peace Now (APN) published an article titled “The Neglected Dimension of Israeli Democracy” that highlights how the West Bank occupation has eroded Israeli democracy for decades and dealt with the signs of a new, third intifada (January 17, 2023). For further details, click here

Publications of human rights NGOs

• Al Mezan Center For Human Rights condemned Israel’s continued/constant imposition of severe restrictions on the entry of goods and humanitarian supplies as well as preventing essential medical devices from entering Gaza for more than a year. It further called on the international community to urgently intervene to ensure that Israel respects its legal obligations (January 15, 2023). For further details, click here.
• Doctors Without Borders called on the Israeli government to stop their plan to evict 1,000 Palestinian citizens from their homes in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron in the West Bank, and to end their restrictive measures that impede access to basic services, including health and medical care (January 19, 2023). For further details, click here.

Human rights conferences and events

• Former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth released a communique affirming that Harvard University had reconsidered its original refusal to extend an academic fellowship to him and his organization, which had previously been met with public dissent. (January 19, 2023) For further details, clickhere

Announcements regarding upcoming human rights activities and opportunities

• The Community Action Center at Al-Quds University and PAX for peace announced an online webinar entitled “The Recent Israeli Elections and The Anticipated Repercussions on Jerusalem.” The webinar will discuss the political map after the recent Israeli elections, focusing on the situation in Jerusalem, including the civil rights of the Palestinians and the repercussions of the formation of the new Israeli government. The speakers are researcher Walid Habbas, Munir Nuseibah, general director of the Community Action Center at Al-Quds University, and Sami Abu Shehadeh, Palestinian historian and former member of the Israeli Knesset. The meeting will be held via Zoom, on January 23, 2023, at 7 pm Jerusalem time. For further details about the event, click here.