On the eve of Jerusalem International Day and the Palestinian Naksa anniversary.

Ref: 57/2018

Date: 07 June 2018

Press Release,

On the eve of Jerusalem International Day and the Palestinian Naksa anniversary.

ICSPR demands the International Community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities towards the protection of civilians in the Palestinian territories, especially in the city of Jerusalem.

The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) condemns the escalation of Israeli violations in the occupied city of Jerusalem, which complements the Israeli procedures and practices to Judaize Jerusalem and the spatial and temporal control of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and depriving its people of their rights guaranteed by international law.

What is practiced by the Israeli occupation state to impose a new reality by passing the American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Israeli occupation state and the transfer of the US Embassy to it, accompanied with the continued Israeli occupation forces to create a state of terror against the Palestinians residents of the Holy City, and impede the practice of their rights, primarily the right to practice religious rites, and authorize the use of weapons to settlers in the occupied territories to confront the Palestinians under various pretexts, the imposition of strict restrictions on the entry of the Old City of Jerusalem, and the demolition of houses as a method of collective punishment, in order to create an unbearable new reality to live with, which aim at emptying the occupied city of the Palestinians and enhance the Israeli spatial control and influence, especially on Al-Aqsa Mosque and Old Town.

ICSPR deplores the continued international, regional and Arab silence on policies, violations and practices committed by the occupation authorities in the Holy City, which is an encouraging factor for the occupation authorities to continue their violations.

The International Commission stresses the necessity of the occupation state to abide all the legal and ethical norms imposed by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and reiterates its call upon the International Community to ensure the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. Therefore the Commission demands the following:

ICSPR condemns the international and Arab silence that serves as a green light for the occupation and covers its crimes. It also considers it consistent with Israeli propaganda and demands that the International Community assume its legal and moral responsibility for the protection of civilians in the Palestinian territories.
ICSPR reiterates its strong condemnation of Israel’s escalating policies, procedures and practices aimed at perpetuating the racist Israeli plan to Judaize the city of Jerusalem and obliterating its Arab identity, in violation of international humanitarian law, which obliges the occupation state to refrain from any change in the historical and religious heritage of the occupied State.
ICSPR affirms that the recent Israeli and American actions are a reinforcement of Israeli plans to annex East Jerusalem and expand the settlement colonies in violation of the provisions of international law, which is coupled with the Israeli government’s ratification of the construction of hundreds of new settlement units.
ICSPR considering Jerusalem International Day as an opportunity to highlight the Israeli policies and violations in Jerusalem that demonstrate the state of ascendancy to international law and justice.
ICSPR stresses that the Israeli violations committed against the city of Jerusalem and its people violate all humanitarian and legal standards and reflect the highest degree of disregard by the occupation forces for the lives and property of Palestinian citizens and their rights guaranteed under the International Convention.
ICSPR convinced that the occupation state’s continued disregard for the rights of the Palestinian people is a natural consequence of the continued failure of the International Community to fulfill its responsibilities to protect the Palestinian population and to protect the occupation state from accountability for its ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people.
ICSPR demands that the mandate of the International Fact-Finding Commission includes the Israeli violations of Jerusalem, such violations as war crimes and crimes against humanity. This requires the International Criminal Court to move from preliminary examination to investigation.
ICSPR reiterate its call upon the International Community and the contracting parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to declare a clear and unequivocal position on the Israel’s refusal to abide by and implement the Convention in the Palestinian territories, especially since it is a party to the Convention.
ICSPR urges the International Community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities to ensure respect for international human rights and international humanitarian law, to protect the Palestinian people and to end the violations committed against it, including a firm response to settlement expansion and plans to annex and Judaize the city of Jerusalem.
ICSPR calls on the European Union to take public positions rejecting the recognition of Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem and rejecting the American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, including the activation of Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement; linking the continuation of economic cooperation with Israel to the extent of its respect for the rights of the Palestinian people.

Regards,