![]() Since the political division in 2007, the Palestinian political system has suffered from the absence of a peaceful transition of power and marginalization of whole generations from their right to political participation, guaranteed in the Palestinian basic law and human rights agreements to which Palestine is a signatory. Hence, elections constitute one of these rights and are a gateway for the values of integrity, transparency and the transition of power as the foundation of good governance. Despite the shortcomings that have wracked the local council electoral system over the years, including tribalism, the sidelining of the role of youth and the diminishing role of women in local councils, still the demand for local elections in all areas in accordance with the Local Authorities Law, is agreed on by all CSOs, including political parties and forces, unions and institutions. They view elections as a democratic tool for change to preserve civic peace and contribute to the institutionalization of the Palestinian political system. CSOs and civic movements have exerted efforts over the past few months to hold local elections in all local councils in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip on the same day as stipulated in the Local Authorities Law. Most political factions and forces and CSOs agree on the need not to fragment the elections, which contravenes with the stipulations of the law and national interests. It also goes against the premise that local elections are an entryway for laying the ground to hold PNC, PLC and presidential elections in addition to the premise that they should be held in one phase that includes all districts based on a national debate around them. The Cabinet decision to hold local elections in two stages, the first on 11/12/2021 in the West Bank’s Category (C) village and town councils and the second on 26/3/2021 in West Bank local councils in Categories (A and B) and in the Gaza Strip districts categorized (A.B and C), is in violation of the Local Authorities law and its amendments, which necessitate a plausible reason for holding elections in stages. CSOs believe the government’s continued insistence to hold elections in two stages, with a date for the second stage already set, is an expression of political bias towards one specific faction and far -removed from national interests and the exercise of true political participation and elections on the basis of good governance and the peaceful transition of power. CSOs reiterate the importance of providing a sound electoral climate in which citizens can exercise their right to candidacy, voting and expression of opinions and can hold all elections-related activities with absolute freedom as stipulated by the Basic Law. They find the current atmosphere as being rife with incitement and mobilization, with continued political arrests and summons of activists by PA security forces on the back of union work and political activity. This, they maintain, has made for an unhealthy elections atmosphere, which can adversely influence the course of the electoral process and results. CSOs still consider the CEC as a main guarantor for the integrity of the electoral process in terms of its legal procedures for registration, candidacy and voting. They also maintain that the CEC continues to enjoy the respect and trust of the majority of Palestinian society given its role over the years, which has been neutral, transparent and open to civil society and factions alike. This has rendered it a focal point at all stages in the Palestinian democratic process and is imperative for it to continue with the same approach in all stages of this process. Civil society institutions thus confirm their position regarding the need to hold local council elections in accordance with the requirements of the law. They believe the government, political factions and forces still have time to stop the first phase and prevent the fragmentation of the elections, thereby holding them on one day in all districts. In this way, the date set for the second phase of elections would become the day for all local council elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Prior to this date, a dialogue would be held between all political and social forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip regarding these one-time elections, with CSOs continuing their efforts to reach this goal. CSO’s reaffirm that the right to vote and run for elections is a basic right, which must have the respect of all parties involved in the electoral process, including electoral lists, regardless of whether they belong to political parties or are independent. This also includes law enforcers who, by law, must not interfere in any stage of the electoral process. The CSOs also reaffirm the need for political parties to respect the law and not interfere in the electoral process in any shape or form and to provide a climate in which citizens can exercise all rights and freedoms guaranteed to them by law. Furthermore, the CSO’s reaffirm the right of all civil society institutions to choose the appropriate manner in which to follow and monitor local elections in all their stages.
Arabic...
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ورقة موقف صادرة عن مؤسسات المجتمع المدني والعمل الأهلي بشأن انتخابات الهيئات المحلية
يعاني النظام السياسي الفلسطيني منذ الانقسام السياسي في العام 2007 من غياب لتداول السلطة، وتهميش لأجيال كاملة من حقها في المشاركة السياسية المكفولة في القانون الأساسي الفلسطيني والاتفاقيات الأساسية لحقوق الإنسان التي انضمت لها فلسطين، حيث تشكل الانتخابات أحد ركائز هذا الحق، وهو بمثابة البوابة لتفعيل قيم النزاهة والشفافية وتداول السلطة كأساس للحكم الرشيد، وعلى الرغم مما يعتري النظام الانتخابي للهيئات المحلية من سلبيات عززت على مدار السنين السابقة العشائرية وتهميش دور الشباب ونتقاص من دور النساء في الهيئات المحلية، إلا أن المطالبة بإجراء انتخابات الهيئات المحلية في كافة المناطق وفق مقتضيات قانون انتخابات مجالس الهيئات المحلية هو مطلب يجمع عليه المجتمع المدني بكافة مكوناته من أحزاب وقوى سياسية واتحادات ومؤسسات وفعاليات كأداة ديمقراطية للتغيير تحفظ السلم الأهلي وتساهم في حوكمة النظام السياسي الفلسطيني. لقد بذلت مؤسسات المجتمع المدني والعمل الأهلي خلال الأشهر القليلة الماضية جهوداً حثيثة من أجل اجراء انتخابات الهيئات المحلية وفق مقتضيات قانون انتخاب مجالس الهيئات المحلية على أن تجري في جميع الهيئات المحلية في الضفة الغربية والقدس وقطاع غزة وفي ذات اليوم، فقد أجمعت معظم القوى والأحزاب السياسية ومؤسسات المجتمع المدني والعمل الأهلي على ضرورة عدم تجزئة اجراء انتخابات الهيئات المحلية؛ بما يخالف مقتضيات القانون والمصلحة الوطنية واعتبار انتخابات الهيئات المحلية مدخلاً وسلوكاً ونهجاً يبنى عليه باتجاه اجراء انتخابات المجلس الوطني والمجلس التشريعي والرئاسة، وضرورة اجرائها على مرحلة واحدة بما يشمل كافة المحافظات واجراء حوار وطني حولها. يعد قرار مجلس الوزراء بإجراء انتخاب مجالس الهيئات المحلية على مرحلتين الأولى تجري في 11/12/2021 فقط في محافظات الضفة الغربية للمجالس القروية والبلدية المصنفة (ج) على أن تجري المرحلة الثانية بتاريخ 26/3/2021 في محافظات الضفة للهيئات المحلية المصنفة (أ،ب) ومحافظات قطاع غزة للهيئات المصنفة ( أ،ب،ج )، مخالفاً لمقتضيات قانون انتخابات مجالس الهيئات المحلية، ومخالفاً لتعديلاته الصادرة بموجب قرار بقانون والذي أوجب وجود حالة تعذر لإجراء الانتخابات ليصار لإجرائها على مراحل، وترى مؤسسات المجتمع المدني باستمرار الحكومة على قرارها بإجراء الانتخابات على مرحلتين وبالرغم من تحديد تاريخ اجراء المرحلة الثانية يعبر عن نظرة حزبية سياسية تنحاز لفئة معينة، بعيدة كل البعد عن اعتبارات المصلحة الوطنية الشاملة، والممارسة الحقيقية للمشاركة السياسية والانتخابات كأساس للحكم الرشيد وتداول السلطة. تؤكد مؤسسات المجتمع المدني على وجوب توفر مناخ وبيئة انتخابية سليمة، يمارس فيها المواطنون والمواطنات حقهم في الترشح والانتخاب والتعبير عن الرأي وإقامة كافة الأنشطة المرتبطة بالانتخابات بحرية مطلقة وفق ما كفله القانون الأساسي، وترى بأن البيئة الانتخابية والأجواء الراهنة هي أجواء ما زالت تجتر حالة التجييش والتحريض، فما زالت سياسية الاعتقالات والاستدعاءات للنشطاء من قبل الأجهزة الأمنية على خلفيات العمل النقابي والنشاط السياسي قائمة، بما يجعل من البيئة الانتخابية بيئة غير سليمة تؤثر بشكل كبير على مجريات العملية الانتخابية ونتائجها. ما زالت مؤسسات المجتمع المدني ترى في لجنة الانتخابات المركزية ضامناً رئيسياً لنزاهة العملية الانتخابية من حيث الإجراءات الخاصة بالتسجيل والترشح والانتخاب وفق ما تقتضيه القوانين والأنظمة، وما زالت اللجنة تحظى باحترام وثقة غالبية قطاعات المجتمع الفلسطيني، لما قامت به من أدوار وطنية امتازت عبر السنين الماضية بالحيادية والشفافية والانفتاح على القوى والمجتمع المدني، بما يجعلها محل اهتمام في كل محطة من محطات الممارسة الديمقراطية في الحالة الفلسطينية، ويفرض عليها الاستمرار في ذات النهج فيما يتعلق بكافة مراحل العملية الانتخابية. تؤكد مؤسسات المجتمع المدني على موقفها من وجوب اجراء انتخابات الهيئات المحلية وفق مقتضيات القانون، وترى أن الوقت ما زال متاحاً أمام الحكومة والقوى والأحزاب السياسية لوقف المرحلة الأولى وعدم تجزئة الانتخابات واجرائها في يوم واحد وفي كافة المحافظات على أن يكون التاريخ المحدد لإجراء المرحلة الثانية هو يوم لإجراء انتخابات مجالس الهيئات المحلية كافة وفي كافة المحافظات بالضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة، على ان يسبق هذا التاريخ اجراء حوار بين كافة القوى السياسية والمجتمعية في الضفة وغزة بشأن اجراء الانتخابات على مرحلة واحدة، وان مؤسسات المجتمع المدني ستستمر في جهودها نحو هذا الهدف. تؤكد مؤسسات المجتمع المدني على أن الحق في الانتخاب والترشح والاقتراع هو من الحقوق الأساسية، والذي يجب ان ينال الاحترام الكامل من كافة اطراف العملية الانتخابية بما فيها القوائم المشاركة في الانتخابات سواء كانت تنتمي لأحزاب سياسية أو مستقلة، كذلك الجهات المكلفة بإنفاذ القانون، والتي يفرض عليها القانون عدم التدخل في العملية الانتخابية في كافة مراحلها، كما تؤكد على ضرورة احترام الجهات السياسية للقانون وعدم التدخل في العملية الانتخابية بأي شكل من الأشكال، وتوفير بيئة انتخابية يمارس فيها المواطنون والمواطنات كافة الحقوق والحريات المكفولة في القانون، كما تؤكد المؤسسات على حق كل مؤسسة أهلية في اختيار الطريقة التي تلائمها في متابعة ومراقبة انتخابات الهيئات المحلية في جميع مراحلها.
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By: civil and human rights organizations
Date: 24/11/2022
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172 civil and human rights organizations urge the international community Condemning the racist Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinian children and demanding their release
The Israelian crimes against Palestinian children are condemned. The Israeli occupation authorities continue their violations against Palestinian children represented in arresting and abusing them during the arrest process without respecting the child’s protection treaties and the Convention on the Rights of the Child . These crimes are carried out under displacement, murder and intimidation. the highest percentage was after April/October (119), and at the end of October there are 160 children distributed in Megiddo Ofer Damon prison of them About (4) children in administrative detention and (12) children under (12) years old are also detained . According to the testimonies provided by the prisoners and the reports issued by the prisoners’ institutions, they are subjected to the cruelty to which adult prisoners are subjected to torture, unfair trials and inhumane treatment that violates their basic rights and threatens their future is lost. This is against the terms of the Child Agreement ،especially Article 16, which states: No arbitrary or unlawful interference with a child's private life, family, home, or correspondence, or any lawful prejudice to his honor or reputation. Which also states: “The child has the right to be protected by law from this exposure and prejudice.” The occupation does not take into account the young age of children when they are brought to court, and a special court is not formed for them, and the age of the child is set for less than (16) years based on Military Order No. (132). this is a clear violation of Article No. (1) of the Child Convention, which defines a child as “every human being under the age of eighteen.” The Israeli occupation authorities deprive the child prisoners of the most basic rights granted to them by international conventions that they are entitled to regardless of their religion, nationality. These include the right not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest .it includes:
Child prisoners in Israeli prisons suffer from harsh and inhumane conditions of detention that lack international standards for children's rights. The prisoners suffer from lack of food and poor quality, lack of hygiene, and the spread of insects Child prisoners are deprived of health care and appropriate medical treatment, and painkillers are usually the treatment for various types of diseases. According to the testimonies of child prisoners, the prison administration refuses to transfer patients from them to prison clinics, and if they transfer them, they are subjected to beatings, insults, and harassment, even from doctors and nurses. Likewise, there is no permanent doctor available in the prison clinic. The occupation is still procrastinating and sometimes refusing to perform surgeries on children who need immediate operations, and this is contrary to international laws that explicitly stipulate the need for medical care for prisoners. Articles (91-92) of the Fourth Geneva Convention stated: “Every prisoner must have a clinic". An event supervised by a qualified doctor, and that the detainees receive the medical care they need, as well as the installation of any medical devices necessary to maintain their health in good condition, free of charge. Free medical examinations must be conducted for the detainees at least once a month, and their purpose is to monitor the health and psychological condition, general nutrition, and hygiene, as well as the detection of infectious diseases. Israeli prisons do not comply with this. And if we examine the sentences issued unjustly and aggressively, we find that they are high, as one child was sentenced to life imprisonment, three children were sentenced to 15 years in prison, and four other children were sentenced between 5 and 9 years, and often the verdict is accompanied by financial fines (1000-6000 shekels). The Israeli occupation state is the only country in the world that tries children before military courts. Based on the foregoing, we, the undersigned organizations, demand: First: The international community to put pressure on the Israeli occupation state and oblige it to implement international agreements on prisoners and detainees, especially child prisoners, and to work for their release. Second: All international human rights organizations, especially those working in the field of children, such as UNICEF & Dcl, to launch an international campaign to shed light on the suffering of child prisoners in Israeli prisons, and to work for their release. The signatories to the statement
By: MIFTAH
Date: 06/07/2022
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Zero tolerance for violence against women ... #SolidarityAcrossBorders
In light of the escalating rate of femicide in the Arab world, which recently claimed the lives of university student Naira Ashraf and TV broadcaster Shaima Gamal in Egypt, Iman Arsheed from Jordan, Palestinian engineer in the UAE Lubna Mansour, among many others, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy "MIFTAH" announces its unwavering support for all feminist movements, coalitions and activities calling for a general strike by women across the Arab world on 6/7/2022 and calls on Palestinian women to participate and express their opinion in rejecting violence committed against women. For decades, Palestinian women have been subjected to the most heinous types of crimes and violations under Israel’s regime of settler-colonialism, occupation and apartheid. They continue to be exposed to various risks due to the ongoing Israeli policies of demolishing their homes and displacing their families, nightly home raids that terrorize them and their children, and willful killings of women at Israeli military checkpoints. Despite this large-scale injustice inflicted daily, Palestinian women are not exempted from the patriarchal culture and its violent and oppressive manifestations that are prevalent in our society and across the world. It treats them as second-class citizens, de-prioritizes their needs and legitimizes various forms of discrimination and violence against them. Since the beginning of 2022, six Palestinian women have been murdered inside Israel, followed by the killing of two Palestinian girls in Nablus and Tubas. The perpetrator often evades accountability, as the local society provides cover and legitimizes such crimes. Every year, Palestinian women renew their call on decision-makers to put an end to the horrific series of killings against them. However, many laws that guarantee the protection of the dignity and rights of Palestinian women and their families are still shelved by the government under the pretext of the public mood rejecting them. Here we are today, joining our voices to all feminist voices, along with all the oppressed groups in our Arab societies, to say enough is enough. It is time for us to stand united against this great injustice, and to combat all practices that rob Arab women of the right to life, devalue them, or justify their oppression. We reject all inherited cultural traits that perpetuate patriarchal authority to control the fate and decisions of Arab women and limit their independence and permit forms of violence and discrimination. We call upon the authorities throughout the Arab world to stop disregarding women’s issues and to take the necessary measures to protect women from violence, by enacting a system of laws that guarantees safety for women and preserves their dignity and their right to equal participation in various political, economic and social fields, and by underpinning the principles of democracy and equality, the fight against all forms of discrimination as well as the criminalization of its practices. We also call on Palestinian women to express their rejection of all forms of crimes and violence perpetrated against them, in the manner they find appropriate, whether through demonstrations and vigils in the streets and public spaces, on social media platforms, or a strike on paid or house work, in order to demonstrate the extent of societal rejection of all discriminatory and violent practices against women and to highlight the role of women in building societies and states.
By: MIFTAH
Date: 14/05/2022
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229 Arab and International Human Rights Organizations and Networks call for an end to impunity, and Demand the Opening of an International Investigation of the Crime of Executing the Journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh by the Occupation Forces
The undersigned human rights organizations strongly condemn the assassination of the journalist, Al-Jazeera correspondent, Shireen Abu Aqleh, after she was targeted by the forces of the occupation and apartheid state with a bullet in the head, and the journalist Ali Al-Samoudi was shot in the back, while covering the storming of the Jenin refugee camp Wednesday morning, 11 5/2022, thus increasing the number of Palestinian journalists and media professionals who were killed by the occupation bullets to (83) journalists since the beginning of 1972. The signatories affirm that the crime of the occupation that targeted the journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh is a deliberate and premeditated act and a full-fledged assassination operation. The martyr Shireen Abu Aqleh is a direct victim of organized state terrorism, which behaves with the mentality of criminal gangs. This crime came as a result of the systematic incitement against Palestinian journalists by the occupying state against them for their professional role in revealing the truth and exposing its crimes. This is in addition to the international society's silence on the crimes of the occupation committed against the Palestinian people because of their double standards. The signatories stress that the Israeli occupation forces, by their heinous act, want to obscure the truth and cover up their heinous crimes against the Palestinian people. In addition, the occupation, by its heinous act, wants to scare and intimidate journalists to prevent the transmission of the truth to the world. The signatories call for the opening of a neutral, independent, and transparent international investigation under the supervision of the International Criminal Court to find out the crime of targeting journalist Abu Aqleh by the occupation forces, and the need to launch an international campaign by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the International Federation of Journalists, international non-governmental organizations and Palestinian human rights institutions to hold Israeli war criminals accountable, to prevent impunity for perpetrators, and to bring a legal human rights case regarding this crime before the International Criminal Court, to prosecute Israeli leaders and politicians who publicly incite the killing of Palestinian civilians, including journalists. They are calling on the United Nations and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide the necessary protection for journalists and media crews working in the occupied territories. Likewise, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights considers targeting journalists while covering armed conflicts and wars a war crime, similar to targeting ambulance crews. The signatories recall that journalists and media workers enjoy special protection under the provisions of international humanitarian law, just like civilians in times of armed conflict, especially Articles (51 and 79) of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, where Article (51) paragraph (2) provides for the protection of the civilian population (the civilian population as such and the civilian population shall not be the object of attack). Article (79) of the same states that “Journalists who undertake dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict are civilians... and they must be protected in this capacity in accordance with the provisions of the conventions.” The crime committed by the occupation forces against journalist Abu Aqleh is a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists, which the Council issued in May 2015.
To View the Full Statement as PDF
By the Same Author
Date: 03/11/2021
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Position paper by civil society organizations on local council elections
Since the political division in 2007, the Palestinian political system has suffered from the absence of a peaceful transition of power and marginalization of whole generations from their right to political participation, guaranteed in the Palestinian basic law and human rights agreements to which Palestine is a signatory. Hence, elections constitute one of these rights and are a gateway for the values of integrity, transparency and the transition of power as the foundation of good governance. Despite the shortcomings that have wracked the local council electoral system over the years, including tribalism, the sidelining of the role of youth and the diminishing role of women in local councils, still the demand for local elections in all areas in accordance with the Local Authorities Law, is agreed on by all CSOs, including political parties and forces, unions and institutions. They view elections as a democratic tool for change to preserve civic peace and contribute to the institutionalization of the Palestinian political system. CSOs and civic movements have exerted efforts over the past few months to hold local elections in all local councils in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip on the same day as stipulated in the Local Authorities Law. Most political factions and forces and CSOs agree on the need not to fragment the elections, which contravenes with the stipulations of the law and national interests. It also goes against the premise that local elections are an entryway for laying the ground to hold PNC, PLC and presidential elections in addition to the premise that they should be held in one phase that includes all districts based on a national debate around them. The Cabinet decision to hold local elections in two stages, the first on 11/12/2021 in the West Bank’s Category (C) village and town councils and the second on 26/3/2021 in West Bank local councils in Categories (A and B) and in the Gaza Strip districts categorized (A.B and C), is in violation of the Local Authorities law and its amendments, which necessitate a plausible reason for holding elections in stages. CSOs believe the government’s continued insistence to hold elections in two stages, with a date for the second stage already set, is an expression of political bias towards one specific faction and far -removed from national interests and the exercise of true political participation and elections on the basis of good governance and the peaceful transition of power. CSOs reiterate the importance of providing a sound electoral climate in which citizens can exercise their right to candidacy, voting and expression of opinions and can hold all elections-related activities with absolute freedom as stipulated by the Basic Law. They find the current atmosphere as being rife with incitement and mobilization, with continued political arrests and summons of activists by PA security forces on the back of union work and political activity. This, they maintain, has made for an unhealthy elections atmosphere, which can adversely influence the course of the electoral process and results. CSOs still consider the CEC as a main guarantor for the integrity of the electoral process in terms of its legal procedures for registration, candidacy and voting. They also maintain that the CEC continues to enjoy the respect and trust of the majority of Palestinian society given its role over the years, which has been neutral, transparent and open to civil society and factions alike. This has rendered it a focal point at all stages in the Palestinian democratic process and is imperative for it to continue with the same approach in all stages of this process. Civil society institutions thus confirm their position regarding the need to hold local council elections in accordance with the requirements of the law. They believe the government, political factions and forces still have time to stop the first phase and prevent the fragmentation of the elections, thereby holding them on one day in all districts. In this way, the date set for the second phase of elections would become the day for all local council elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Prior to this date, a dialogue would be held between all political and social forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip regarding these one-time elections, with CSOs continuing their efforts to reach this goal. CSO’s reaffirm that the right to vote and run for elections is a basic right, which must have the respect of all parties involved in the electoral process, including electoral lists, regardless of whether they belong to political parties or are independent. This also includes law enforcers who, by law, must not interfere in any stage of the electoral process. The CSOs also reaffirm the need for political parties to respect the law and not interfere in the electoral process in any shape or form and to provide a climate in which citizens can exercise all rights and freedoms guaranteed to them by law. Furthermore, the CSO’s reaffirm the right of all civil society institutions to choose the appropriate manner in which to follow and monitor local elections in all their stages.
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