These words have been lifted from a presentation which was presented at a public talk given on The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how Israel systematically and continuously violates nearly every one of those rights. We will also be covering the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people since Israel was created on Palestinian land. Presented by Peter Reilly B.A. a peace and justice activist, who was born in Palestine.
Please note that some of these stats will be out of date and changing daily with Palestinians being killed, maimed and arrested every day.
UN UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Proclaimed on 10th December, 1948, by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human being. The basis for all international human rights law.
THEY APPLY TO EVERYONE and CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY
“All human beings are born free and dignity in freedom and rights”
ARE PALESTINIANS HUMAN?
Dehumanisation of the Palestinians is central to Israel's political and military strategies.
Israel violates all Palestinian human rights with impunity.
Article 1
Right to Equality and Dignity
Palestinians are routinely harassed, humiliated and intimidated at check points, in their homes, on their farmland, in the streets, by Israeli military and settlers.
Article 2
Freedom from Discrimination
Apartheid system operating in West Bank. Separate development and roads
65 discriminatory Laws in Israel
Nation State Law:
“The right to exercise national self-determination” in Israel is “unique to the Jewish people.”
Article 3
Right to Life, Liberty,
Personal Security
At least 56000 Palestinians killed by Israelis since 2000. Over 9500 Palestinians are imprisoned by Israel, many without charge.
Since 1967, over 800,000 detained under military orders, which is 20% of the total, and 40% of the male population.
8000 Palestinian children have been arrested since 2000.
Article 5
Freedom from Torture and Degrading Treatment
200 methods of torture used by Israelis on Palestinian prisoners, including beatings, sleep deprivation, stress positions, sexual harassment, rape and electrocutions.
Palestinians have been made to strip at checkpoints in front of everyone.
Article 6
Right to Recognition as a Person Before the Law, Regardless of Status
It recognises the human rights and other rights of people who are not citizens of the country they live in.
Palestinians do not seem to have most of these rights under Israeli occupation.
Palestinians are treated under the Israeli Military legal system, i.e can be detained without trial, whereas Jews are treated under the Israeli Civil legal system.
Palestinians suffer discrimination under the Israeli Civil Law.
Article 7
Right to Equal Protection before the Law
Israeli soldiers often stand by, allowing Jewish settlers to attack Palestinians, burn down their homes and olive trees.
They arrest Palestinians who defend their home, not the settlers.
Settler violence= State violence
Article 8
Right to Remedy by Competent Tribunal
Lawsuits against Israel for compensation attributed to military action are not permitted if they are not the result of war operation.
Many permitted lawsuits are dismissed on the grounds of “Plaintiffs absence”, but Israel prohibits the plaintiffs’ entry to Israel so that they could testify and follow other procedure!
Article 9
Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest, Detention and Exile
Arbitrary arrest, especially of Palestinian children, is an everyday occurrence. Detention without trial is common.
Israel revokes residency status for thousands of Palestinians in Jerusalem.
They are treated like immigrants.
Article 10
Right to Fair Public Hearing by Independent and Impartial Tribunal
Lack of fair trials for Palestinians since 1967.
Israeli military courts hold trials of Palestinians in private. No defence lawyers allowed.
Military judges in military courts consistently provide legal and judicial cover for acts of torture, cruel and degrading treatment against Palestinian detainees carried out by their colleagues in the armed forces and intelligence agencies.
It also makes legal defence impossible
Article 11
Right to be Considered Innocent until Proven Guilty
Many Palestinian prisoners are held without charge.
By definition, administrative detainees have not committed a crime. An administrative detention order is issued against people (almost all of whom are Palestinians) against whom there is no evidential basis to be put on trial.
4 in 10 Palestinian males have been imprisoned in Israeli jails
Article 12
Freedom from Interference with
Privacy, Family, Home and Correspondence
Palestinian homes regularly raided and ransacked by Israeli forces, usually to make arbitrary arrests. Collective punishment is common.
Family unification when one spouse is an Israel citizen and the other a resident of the Occupied Territories is forbidden.
Article 13
Right to Free Movement within country and in and out of the Country
Palestinian refugees have no right to return.
Palestinians prevented from entering or leaving the country (e.g. to play for football team).
There are hundreds of Israeli road blocks and checkpoint restricting the movement of population. Gaza is an open air prison.
Article 14
Everyone has a right to seek asylum in another country
Gaza is an open air prison. Israel controls all the borders – land, sea and air.
It has closed the borders, preventing the population moving to a safe country.
The Palestinian population in Gaza are under constant bombardment, pushed from place to place but have no means to escape danger by leaving the country.
Article 15
Right to a Nationality and the Freedom to Change
Israel, the occupying force, deny Palestinians a right to their own nationality.
UN Passed multiple resolutions reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, national independence, and sovereignty, e.g UN Resolution 3236 (XXIX) of 1974:
The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on April 5, 2024 that reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
Article 16
Right to Protection of Family
Israeli soldiers allow Jewish settlers to assault Palestinians, burn down their homes and olive trees, and steal their land.
Article 17
Right to Own Property. No one should be deprived of his property
52,000 Palestinian homes were demolished in the Naqba and 500 towns and villages razed to the ground.
56,000 Palestinian Homes and structures demolished since 1967. These do not include Gaza. Punitive – Administrative (20%) – Judicial – Land Clearing & Military (66%)
Massive spike in Jerusalem to Judaize the city.
Israel has issued tens of thousands of demolition orders against Palestinian structures.
The Separation wall separates Palestinians from their property.
90% of the population in Gaza have been displaced; there's nowhere safe to go.
Palestinian Homes Demolished By Israel
Article 18
Freedom of Belief and Religion. Right to worship
April 2023, Israelis raided the Mosque with riot gear.
Men under 50 prevented from attending Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Oct 2023. Many worshippers attacked and ejected by settlers and soldiers
Many Mosques destroyed.
Checkpoints sometimes prevent people going to Mosque.
Article 19
Freedom of Opinion
and Information
Palestinians, including a member of the Knesset, are detained for expressing their opinions.
The political parties that comprise the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) are still considered “illegal organizations”.
Carrying a Palestinian flag is also a crime.
Participation in a demonstration is deemed a disruption of public order.
Article 20
Right of Peaceful Assembly and Association
Legitimate Peaceful protests all over Palestine are opposed with Israeli tear gas and live bullets.
In 2018, more than 6,000 unarmed 'march of return' demonstrators were shot by military snipers, week after week at the protest sites in Gaza.
198 were killed, including 35 children and clearly marked medics and journalist.
Article 21
Right to Participate in Government and in Free Elections
Hamas, the legitimately elected Party in 2006, was denied office and is labelled a terrorist organisation. They are expected to recognise Israel as a Jewish State ie, racist state, before they are acceptable.
There have been no elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for Palestinian Authority offices since 2006, and Palestinians there do not have the right to vote in Israeli elections.
Most Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories live under Israeli occupation and are not Israeli citizens. They are not allowed to vote in Israel.
Article 22
Right to Social Security
Israel relinquishes its obligations as an occupying force to take care of the Palestinians' welfare.
$1.9billion of P.A tax revenue has been deducted by Israel, limiting it's ability to pay wages and welfare payments.
Further funds have been withheld by Israel. e.g departure taxes on Jordan boarder ($239m); allocation funds to Gaza ($750m); funds for martyr and prisoner families ($939m); funds for utilities and hospitals ($5.3b); and compensation to Israeli families killed (up to $2.6b).
Article 23
Right to Desirable
Work and to Join Trade Unions
Whilst there are several T.Us in Palestine, restrictions of movement of the population, combined with heavy Israeli bombardment of essential infrastructure has severely restricted employment opportunities.
Work Permits to work in Israel have been withdrawn.
Work in the private sector is low paid, insecure, and unemployment high.
There are some 11 checkpoints through which Palestinians with Israeli work permits can cross into Israel. They are overcrowded and humiliating, lacking infrastructure and sanitation. Due to their extreme confinement in such small places, some Palestinian labourers have been crushed to death.
Article 24
Right to Rest and Leisure
The cruel, intrusive military Israeli occupation means there is no rest and leisure for the Palestinians.
Article 25
Right to Adequate
Living Standard
Well over 50% of Palestinians living in poverty as a result of Israeli policies. 100% in Gaza, 70% on the brink of famine, 90% displaced.
The Israeli embargo of Gaza, denies the population essential basic supplies of everything, and the constant bombardment has destroyed homes and infrastructure.
The cost of basic supplies has increased by almost 250%.
Article 26
The Right to Education
In Gaza, the war has nearly totally destroyed the education system, preventing almost all learning.
In the West Bank, military raids in and around schools; road blocks and restrictions on travel; curfews; settler violence; destruction of education facilities; house demolitions and desecrations; arbitrary arrests; and acute poverty, have all made education a difficult challenge.
Students are often held up at road blocks on their way to school and college, or harassed by settlers. Military raids on schools Many educational buildings have been bombed by Israelis
Article 27
Right to Participate
in the Cultural Life of Community
With infrastructure destroyed, restrictions of movement of population, confiscation of property, and the economy destroyed, the cultural life has all but disappeared for Palestinians.
Since 2023, Israel has destroyed hundreds of heritage sites, numerous centres of Palestinian learning and culture including libraries, religious sites and places of ancient historical importance.
Article 28
Right to live in a peaceful and orderly society so that these rights and freedoms can be protected
Palestinians live in a society which is under military and settler occupation.
Their rights and freedoms are far from protected.
They are violated every day and have been since the illegal occupation of their land began.
Article 29
Right to a Social Order that Articulates this Document
Social order has been completely destroyed by the oppressive Israeli occupation
“The policies and practices that Israel employs – discrimination, excessive use of force, mobility restrictions, expropriation of resources – cumulatively not only violates the rights of the population, it also exacerbates their economic and social conditions.”
Article 30
Freedom from State or Personal Interference in the above Rights
The Israeli interference in all the rights outlined above is complete and comprehensive.