PALESTINE’S LEGAL SCENE –Issue.187

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

30 – 5 July / Aug 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:

• The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs expressed serious concern regarding the cruel treatment of minors in Israeli jails and called for immediate action to defend their rights.(July 30, 2023). For further details, click here
• During a conference in Egypt, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the leaders of different Palestinian factions to unite against barbaric Israeli aggression. He also emphasized the national duty of the Palestine Liberal Organization (PLO) as the legal representative of the Palestinian people.(July 31, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Palestinian National Council’s President denounced the Israeli occupation army’s execution of the child Muhammad al-Za’arir, from the town of Samoa, south of Hebron, emphasizing that the act was part of a systematic effort aiming at racial annihilation. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Palestinian United Nations Ambassador affirms that the vast majority of over 55 countries that made submissions to the International Court of Justice, endorsed the Palestinians view. He further states that the number of submissions to the court exceeded Palestinian expectations and came from every continent and included all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. (Aug 3, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAE) condemns the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the appeal filed by the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din on behalf of Palestinian citizens of the land on which the Homesh outpost was erected in the northern West Bank. The MOFAE affirmed that the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision relied on flimsy justifications and arguments that were unrelated to any relevant law. (Aug 5, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the PLO, calls on the international community to consider the party of Itamar Ben Gvir as a terrorist party due to its personal and partisan history of inciting the killing of Palestinians. (Aug 5, 2023). For further details, click here

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

• Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir issued an amendment to the law on the administrative release of Palestinian prisoners. This nullified a previous policy that had allowed the early release of some Palestinian prisoners from prison. (July 30, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Israeli Supreme Court dismissed a petition calling for the evacuation of a “Torah teaching institute” in the illegal settlement outpost of Homesh on Palestinian citizens’ land in Burqa, in northern West Bank, giving tacit approval for the re-establishment of the settlement. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here

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

• Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA: “Residents of Jenin camp will be in extreme “despair” and “distress” if the UN’s pledge of $23 million is not met to rebuild homes after a devastating Israeli raid”. (July 28, 2023). For further details, click here
• TheEuropean Union (EU) allocated EUR 1 million to UNRWA to better protect Palestinian refugees who are threatened by conflict and forced displacement in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here
• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs alongside its partners have launched an assessment of the urgent humanitarian needs of sixty Palestinian herding communities across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, directly affected by an increase in Israeli settler violence and measures taken by Israeli authorities. In the first six months of 2023, the UN recorded 591 settler-related incidents resulting in Palestinian casualties, property damage, or both. (Aug 4, 2023). For further details, click here

Publications of human rights NGOs:

• A group of British civil society organizations, including unions, charities, human rights and climate justice organizations, oppose the government’s proposed “Anti-boycott bill” and advocate for the right of public bodies to decide not to purchase or procure from, or invest in companies involved in human rights abuse, abuse of workers’ rights, destruction of our planet, or any other harmful or illegal acts. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here
• PeaceNow organization mentions that the Jerusalem District Planning and Construction Committee will convene to discuss significant development proposals beyond the Green Line in Jerusalem. The upcoming discussions include plans for the promotion of 100 housing units along with two hotels in the Nof Zion settlement situated in the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood, alongside the construction of 1,918 housing units in the Ramot Alon neighborhood, located in the northern part of Jerusalem. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here
• Al Mezan Center for Human Rights: Bereaved Palestinian family gives significant evidence in Paris for criminal investigation into a French company’s alleged complicity in a war crime related to the 2014 military attacks on Gaza. (Aug 3, 2023). For further details, click here
• A Quarter of Palestinians Jailed in Israel Are Imprisoned Without Charges or Trial: Head of the Center for the Defense of the Individual says the administrative detentions are approved by judges who receive an order signed by the head of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Central Command. (Aug 3, 2023). For further details, click here
• Yesh Din, Human Rights Organization, sends an urgent letter to Israeli Government Judicial Adviser Gali Behrav Mayara explaining to the Government that administrative procedures and decisions relating to the West Bank must be subject to reasonableness considerations. (July 30, 2023). For further details, click here

Opinion Pieces and features:

• Author Victor Kattan writes an article on ABC titled: “There is no legal impediment to Australia’s recognition of Palestine”. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here
• Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, publishes an article titled: “From the First Grade to the Grave, Israelis Are Taught to Dehumanize Palestinians”. (Aug 3, 2023). For further details, click here
• AP News publishes an article titled: “Israeli protesters are calling for democracy. But what about the occupation of Palestinians?”.(Aug 3, 2023). For further details, click here
• Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East organization publishes an article titled: “Palestinians Right to Resist”. (Aug 3, 2023). For further details, click here

Legal Achievements/Impacts for Palestine:

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign welcomes the Scottish Government’s decision to formally oppose the “anti-boycott bill” particularly after the General Security Council’s emphasis on the role of the law in protecting the apartheid regime. In the same regard, activists are writing to their Welsh representatives urging them to oppose anti-boycott legislation. (Aug 2-4, 2023)

Human rights conferences and events:

• The e-magazine “Jadaliyya” organized a podcast featuring the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese. She was interviewed by “Jadaliyya” editor, Mouin Rabbani. The podcast discussed the Israel’s carceral regime and Ms. Albanese’s latest report on this issue. (July 31, 2023). For further details, click here
• American citizen Noor Wazwaz claims Israeli El Al Airlines of discrimination whereby they harassed her because of her faith and Palestinian background and blocked her from boarding the flight. (Aug 1, 2023). For further details, click here
• The Foundation For Middle East Peace organization holds a conversation among experts about the current state of mental health in the Gaza Strip. (Aug 2, 2023). For further details, click here