Of Institutions for Jewish Communities
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of institutions for Jewish communities In April 2012, the Middle East Quartet grouped in illegal settlements on the one added to the widespread condemnation hand and Palestinian populations living in a statement which “expressed its in Palestinian towns and villages on the concern over ongoing settler violence other hand.” and incitement in the West Bank,”and called on Israel “to take effective • “The Committee is particularly appalled at measures, including bringing the the hermetic character of the separation of perpetrators of such acts to justice.”26 two groups, who live on the same territory but do not enjoy either equal use of roads Unfortunately, while condemnation and infrastructure or equal access to basic from bodies such as the UN, EU and the services and water resources.” Middle East Quartet has been firm, there has been little action taken to put an • “The Committee is concerned about the end to this violence and discrimination. increase in racist violence and acts of Israel, the occupying Power, has vandalism on the part of Jewish settlers not been held accountable for its in the Occupied Palestinian Territory colonization policies, including the daily targeting non-Jews, including Muslims and attacks committed by its illegal settlers Christians and their holy places, and about and its military forces. information according to which 90 per cent of Israeli police investigations into settler- International statements allude to the related violence carried out between failure of the Israeli government to 2005 and 2010 were closed without punish settler violence. However, far prosecution. from merely failing to punish settler violence, the Israeli government can • “The Committee is particularly alarmed be seen in many ways to endorse by reports of impunity of terrorist groups and encourage a culture of hatred and such as Price Tag, which reportedly discrimination against the Palestinians. enjoy political and legal support from certain sections of the Israeli political establishment. (Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention).” 26http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/mideast-quartet-criticizes-israeli- settler-violence-incitementin-west-bank-1.423844 40 41 ISRAEL’S OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT, 42 43 The Israeli government endorses, directly and indirectly, various forms STATEMENTS AND of incitement, including incitement to violence and murder, and hate speech. PROVOCATIONS BY ISRAELI Such endorsement and/or support, whether direct or indirect, amount toa LEADERS AND PUBLIC grave violation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Racism PERSONALITIES and Racial Discrimination. Moreover, this endorsement or acceptance of discriminatory discourse can only serve to exacerbate the issue of violence Below are examples of incitement by “JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE A in Israeli society. This endorsement influential Israeli individuals in the public NATURAL, HISTORIC AND comes in many forms, including racist domain. statements by leaders and public figures, LEGAL RIGHT TO LIVE government funding of individuals and “WE SHOULD OCCUPY GAZA ANYWHERE IN THE LAND OF organizations that incite against the AND ENCOURAGE MIGRATION ISRAEL”29 Palestinians and stereotyping in school 27 text books. OF ARABS” The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, Likud party representative, Moshe Figlin, Danny Ayalon, after visiting a settlement head of the ManhigutYehudit (Jewish outpost deemed illegal under Israeli law Leadership) faction, who ran against as well as international law, commented Netanyahu in recent party elections, on his Facebook wall: “Visited the brave during the latest Israeli military assault residents of Migron today where I told on Gaza in March, said: “we should them that the Jewish People have a occupy Gaza, destroy the rule of Hamas, natural, historic and legal right to live and encourage the migration of Arabs.... anywhere in the Land of Israel [referring and then settle the Jews instead, to the OPT as part of Israel]”. 28 because it’s ours.” 27 ‘Incitement by Israel’, vol. 1, Government Media Center, Palestinian National Authority, May 2012 28 The interview is recorded and can be heard here http://www.kr8.co.il/BRPortal/br/P102. jsp?arc=306979. 29‘Incitement by Israel’, vol. 2, Government Media Center, Palestinian National Authority, June 2012 44 45 KNESSET MEMBERS CELEBRATE “ISLAM IS THE MOST TERRIBLE “ABBAS SHOULD BE OUSTED”33 32 HOME EVICTION OF A DISEASE” Israeli foreign minister and deputy prime PALESTINIAN FAMILY IN EAST Army Radio talk-show host, Avri Gilad, minister Avigdor Lieberman, himself a JERUSALEM30 speaking of the African immigrant’s settler, has repeatedly incited against issue on June 12 of this year, said: “It’s President Mahmoud Abbas and the Aryeh Eldad, member of the Israeli true that we have to check how much Palestinian leadership. He has accused parliament or ‘Knesset’ and leader available space we have, but let us not president Abbas of using what he said of the Hatikva party, recently openly forget that those knocking on our doors was “political terrorism” against Israel, celebrated the eviction of the Palestinian belong to Islam, and Islam today is the as a way to delegitimize the Palestinian Natcheh family from their Beit Hanina most terrible disease raging around the president in front of the international home in occupied East Jerusalem, 34 world. […] It poisons its believers, and community.” In a recent interview, forcibly taken to make way for illegal poisons every place it reaches.” Lieberman went further: Israeli settlers. Eldad visited the house with another Knesset member, Michael Ben-Ari, and then posted a photograph “[W]e must take some on Facebook of themselves lounging on escalatory procedures the Natcheh’s sofa. that may end [Abbas’s] life and puts ISRAELI SETTLERS AND SOLDIERS TOUR THE AL-AQSA him under siege by all 35 COMPOUND means and trends”. 30Ibid. In May 2012, a group of 170 Israeli 31ARIJ Daily Report http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/ may282012.pdf settlers and soldiers toured the Al-Aqsa 32‘Incitement by Israel’, vol. 4, Government Media Center, 31 Palestinian National Authority, July 2012 Lieberman also likened the Palestinian compound, raising a number of flags 33http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-to- haaretz-israel-must-launch-concertedcampaign- foreign minister to Joseph Goebbels including a large on one the stairs of the to-delegitimize-abbas.premium-1.460698 34Ibid Dome of the Rock. 35http://en.arabstoday.net/20120831184458/lieberman-calls-for- during a diplomatic conference in Tel abbas-assassination.html 36 36Ibid Aviv. 46 47 GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WHO PROMOTE DISCRIMINATION The Israeli government allocates funds Both organizations share the same Both organizations publicly state that their on annual basis to religious schools, organizational structure. goal is to “save Jewish girls that have been particularly in illegal settlements across tempted to establish relations” with non- the West Bank, and organizations Hemla’s public relations officer, Bentzi Jews. They have launched campaigns to that advocate hate and espouse Gopstein, is the director of Lehava and prevent Jewish women from having any racist ideology. Israeli human rights is a disciple of the racist Rabbi Meir contact with Palestinian men, provide organizations have thoroughly Kahane. Gopstein was also suspected incentives to shops to not hire Palestinians, documented this official support. Below in a suspected hatecrime and for and consider the renting or selling of are examples of some organizations involvement in the outlawed Kahane apartments to Palestinians a “disaster”.39 38 enjoying government funding: organization. THE HEMLA ASSOCIATION AND LEHAVA ORGANIZATION ‘‘DO YOU WANT YOUR GRANDSON TO BE CALLED Since 2005, Hemla has received nearly AHMED BEN SARAH?” half of its annual budget, approximately USD 200,000 in funding from the Israeli Poster Placed on Public Bulletin Ministry of Welfare and Social Services Boards By Lehava every year.37 37http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/a-strange-kind of-mercy-1.364417 38http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/a-strange-kind of-mercy-1.364417 39http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/ngos CARI_Israel.CERD80.pdf 48 49 ODYOSEFHAI RABBINICAL • In April 2010, at an annual lands COLLEGE, YITZHAR SETTLEMENT conference,Israeli Minister of Science “TODAY, WHEN THE “IF [PALESTINIANS] DON’T and Technology Daniel Hershkowitz • Receives hundreds of thousands of SECURITY FORCES (THEIR STOP [FIRING ROCKETS] praised Rabbi Eliyahufor “his actions, dollars from the Israeli Ministries COMMANDERS AND THOSE AFTER WE KILL 100, effort and devotion to the Jewish of Welfare and Social Services and WHO SEND THEM) DO NOT THEN WE MUST KILL A nature of the Land of Israel”.42 Ministry of Education. FIGHT THE ARAB ENEMY THOUSAND. AND IF THEY LIKE THEY SHOULD, THEY DO NOT STOP AFTER • Among his famous quotes are • Headed by Rabbis Yitzhak Ginzburg FEAR LOSING SUPPOSED 1,000 THEN WE MUST “Arab culture is very cruel”, and and Yitzhak Shapira. Both Rabbis “COOPERATION” AND KILL 10,000. IF THEY STILL “expulsion of [Palestinians] from have published books and pamphlets HESITATE TO STRIKE DON’T STOP WE MUST Jewish neighborhoods is part of [our] advocating the killing of non- AT THOSE WHO ARISE KILL 100,000, EVEN A strategy.”43 Jews, denying Arabs the right to TO KILL US – THE REAR MILLION.” • On 26 March 2008, Rabbi Eliyahu exist, and praising mass murderer NEEDS TO KNOW THAT called on the government to carry Barauch Goldstein, who opened