PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE –Issue.172

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

16-22 April 2023

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

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

Translation: Mays Abu Atwan and Ahmad Staitia
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:

• On the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day: The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PFM) calls on the international community to exert pressure to free Palestinian prisoners from occupation jails. (April 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations sent letters to three UN officials on Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, noting that Israel has arrested more than 800,000 Palestinians since its aggressive military occupation of Palestine in 1967. The letters also explained that many prisoners remain arbitrarily and illegally detained in Israeli prisons and are consistently subjected to the worst forms of inhumane treatment. (April 18, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Higher Presidential Committee of Church Affairs in Palestine stated, “We call on the world churches to take immediate action to protect what remains of the Christian presence in Palestine as a result of the occupation’s restrictions and the violations of their holy places.” (April 19, 2023). For further details, click here

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

• The Israel Civil Administration approved plans to build settlement roads in the vicinity of occupied Jerusalem. (April 13, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that Israel wants normalization and peace with Saudi Arabia, and would consider achieving it a “giant leap” towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. In response, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that President Biden is interested in normalizing ties between the US and Saudi Arabia provided that the latter recognises the State of Israel. (April 17, 2023). For further details, click here

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

• The European Union, France, and Spain provided 26.3 million Euros for payment of social allowances through the National Cash Transfer Programme, which will benefit more than 100,000 vulnerable Palestinian families. (April 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Chinese Foreign Minister expressed concern about the recent intensification of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and said he supports the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel as soon as possible. He also affirmed that China is willing to play an active role in this process. (April 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• Jeremy Corbyn, a member of British Parliament stated, “The Palestinian people have suffered a lot. The least we can do is to recognize the State of Palestine to show that we are serious in speaking up for the abuse of human rights.”.(April 20, 2023). For further details, click here
• Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) called for a study on actions Canada should take to foster peace in Israel and Palestine, stating that Canadian and international experts have long recommended that Canada take “stronger measures”. (April 20, 2023).For further details, click here

Research and academic studies (in Arabic and English):

• With contributions from several scholars, a new volume of “The Palestine Yearbook of International Law (2022)” has been released.To read more, click here

Publications of human rights NGOs:

• The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) submitted an urgent appeal to the UN Special Procedures calling for the immediate release of Walid Daqqa, a Palestinian political prisoner who was recently diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. (April 17, 2023). For further details, click here

Opinion Pieces and features:

• Human rights expert Morad Elsana published an article with the Middle East Institute titled “The judicial ‘reform’ will make things worse, but Israel’s Supreme Court has long failed Palestinian citizens”. (April 17, 2023). For further details, click here
• Jenan Abdu, a human rights lawyer and activist, wrote an article in Middle East Eye titled “Israel’s non-democratic laws will have a devastating impact on the Palestinians”. (April 22, 2023). For further details, click here

Human rights conferences and events:

• A group of students are calling on Yale University to cancel its contract with a British security company that they say is committing human rights abuses against Palestinians. (April 19, 2023). For further details, click here

Upcoming human rights opportunities and events:

• Call for Applications: Commemoration of the Nakba 75th anniversary. Share photos on the dispossession of Palestinians to be published on Nakba Day, May 15. For further details, click here