PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE –Issue.186

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

23 – 29 July 2023

Issued every Sunday by Law for Palestine

Prepared by: Razwan Issa, Nour Kharouf, Nermin Allawh, Joman Al Khateeb

Translation: Ferdous Abdul Hamid and Ahmad Staitia
Editing: Nardeen Khalid

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 Issue of Palestine’s Legal Scene, please click here (5 minutes read)

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

• Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki submitted a written statement to the International Court of Justice on behalf of the State of Palestine in the context of the Court’s awaited advisory opinion on the legality of the Israeli occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the legal consequences thereof.  (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Palestinian Council of Ministers decided to establish a committee to monitor Israel’s encroachment on Palestinian historical sites and the attempt to Judaize them, particularly in the town of Sebastia, north-west of Nablus. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly denounced the occupying forces’ brutal entry into the Nur Shams camp in Tulkarm, which was accompanied by and resulted in attacks on civilians. It also denounced the killing of three Palestinian young people by Israeli occupation forces in the city of Nablus, condemned the death of young Mohamed Abdul Hakim Nada in Nablus and called on the International Criminal Court to take action. (July 24-25, 2023). For further details, click here

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

• The Israeli Knesset passed the Netanyahu coalition’s controversial bill that will significantly limit the Supreme Court’s ability to review government decisions, despite mass protests. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Israeli Knesset expanded the reach of the controversial “admissions committees” law No.12 that allows more towns to cherry-pick residents and rate applicants on ‘sociocultural’ compatibility, which is considered to encourage discrimination. (July 25, 2023). For further details, click here 
• The Be’er Sheva Magistrate’s Court ruled that all 500 residents of Ras Jrabah, a village that predates the establishment of the State of Israel, must evacuate and their homes be demolished by March 2024, to expand the Jewish City of Dimona. (July 27, 2023). For further details, click here
• Israel submitted a legal opinion to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, stating that it lacks jurisdiction to deliberate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are the only solution. (July 27, 2023). For further details, click here

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

• UNRWA is launching a $23.8 million appeal to address Palestinian refugee needs following the Israeli operation in Jenin Refugee Camp. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Portugal’s parliament recognises Nakba and condemns Israeli ‘expansionism’. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here 
• The Organization of Islamic Cooperation denounced the killing of three young Palestinians by Israeli occupation troops in the city of Nablus. The killings were considered as a continuation of Israel’s longstanding policy of oppression, aggression, and terrorism against the Palestinian people, in flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law. (July 25, 2023). For further details, click here
• Governments of several countries submitted written statements to the ICJ with regard to its awaited advisory opinion on the implications of Israel’s continued violations of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including Jordan, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, China, the Arab League (LAS), and the OIC. (July 25, 2023)
• According to an OCHA report, Israel’s large-scale operation in the Jenin refugee camp on 3 and 4 July killed 12 Palestinians, severely damaged the camp’s infrastructure, including a UNRWA health clinic. The report further emphasized the need to investigate possible violations of international law. (July 26, 2023). For further details, click here
• 33 UN experts affirmed that the international community must take steps to prevent Israel’s annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. “The large majority of Member States of the UN unequivocally condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its annexation of Ukraine’s eastern parts as an act of aggression”, “By contrast, Israel’s annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory is obfuscated by political rhetoric, debates and negotiations, which ultimately rest on double standards,” the experts said. “This show of à la carte enforcement of international law undermines the foundations of the UN Charter”, they added (July 26, 2023). For further details, click here
• The OIC, the Arab Parliament, and the LAS condemned the storming of the Israeli occupation minister, Itamar ben Gvir, into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the violation of its sanctity under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, considering this as a provocation to the feelings of all Muslims, and a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law and the historical and legal status of the mosque. (July 27, 2023).
• A UN official told the Security Council that the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence should be a ‘wake-up call’ for the international community to redouble efforts towards achieving peace. Moreover, the EU confirmed that it will not recognize changes in the 1967 lines, unless the two parties agree to that. (July 27, 2023). For further details, click here
• The UN issued a report on the Israeli occupation in Palestine and the Golan Heights affirming that the failure to adhere to international law in Palestine hinders implementation of development programmes and frameworks in the region. (July 27, 2023). For further details, click here
• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs publishes a report titled: “Palestinian Bedouin community seeks safer grounds amid settler violence“. (July 27, 2023). For further details, click here
• The MFAs of Kuwait, Morocco, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Sultanate of Oman condemned the storming of the Minister of National Security of the Israeli occupation, and a group of settlers, into the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, considering it a new provocative step and a continuous violation of international humanitarian law. (July 28, 2023).
• The UN issues a report on the financial crisis facing the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East, which threatens its existence (July 29, 2023). For further details, click here

Publications of human rights NGOs:

• The American Anthropological Association (AAA) membership has voted to endorse a resolution to boycott Israeli academic institutions. 71% of the total votes supported the resolution, which is aimed to shed light upon the Palestinian cause, and support human rights, and academic freedom. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• B’tselem published a report highlighting Israeli raids on Balata Refugee Camp, surmounting to 14 since January. 9 people were reported to have been killed, 5 of which were unarmed. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights deplores the arbitrary arresting of 4 fishermen and seizing of their boats from Gaza. Al Mezan’s documentation shows that, since the beginning of 2023, the Israeli navy has carried out 180 attacks against Palestinian fishermen, injuring 11, arbitrarily arresting 19, and confiscating six fishing boats. It must also be noted that Israeli authorities still ban the entry of necessary fishing materials and equipment to the Strip as part of their settler-colonial closure against Gaza. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• Adalah Legal Centre stated that it will file an appeal to the Supreme Court against the amendments to the Cooperative Associations Law, which received the approval of the Israeli Knesset. It pointed out that this law works to exclude Palestinian citizens in Israel from residing in cooperative communities built on state-controlled lands. The center reiterated its call to combat racial segregation, which this law further solidifies. (July 25, 2023). For further details, click here
• Israeli organization Yesh Din submitted a legal opinion to the International Court of Justice regarding the legality of the Israeli occupation, as part of its anticipated advisory opinion on this matter. (July 2023). For further details, click here

Opinion Pieces and features:

• Jehad Abusalim published an article on “The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development” entitled “Palestinian Plight Amid Israel’s Protests: Why the Outcome Won’t Change Their Reality”. (July 24, 2023). For further details, click here
• Baudouin Loos publishes an article on Orient XXI entitled “The Criminalisation of Solidarity with Palestine Is Gaining Ground in Europe.” (July 25, 2023). For further details, click here