of institutions for Jewish communities In April 2012, the 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 ,”and called on “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 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 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 , 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]”. because it’s ours.”28

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 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 , 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 ” 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 , 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, 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 fire IT DEPENDS ON THEM! IF out “state-sanctioned revenge” on a group of Muslim worshipers EVERY JEW AND JEWESS against Palestinians as a deterrence in in 1994, killing 29 and WILL UNDERSTAND AND RABBI SHMUELELIYAHU, CHIEF measure, advocating that the wounding 125. DECLARE THAT THERE IS children of a gunman who had A NEED TO FIGHT, THAT RABBI OF SAFED • The College operates two Yeshivas, a attacked a right-wing religious school THERE IS STRENGTH AND • seminary and a publishing house. As Chief Rabbi of Safed, he in West Jerusalem, be hung from a POWER TO FIGHT, WE receives his monthly salary from tree.44 • On its website, the College praises CAN BRING ABOUT REAL the government of Israel, despite the so-called ‘hilltop youth’40, who WARFARE AND A REAL repeated calls by human rights and • In 2007, Eliyahu advocated for the have carried out hundreds of terrorist VICTORY.” civil rights groups to him suspended carpet bombing of Gaza,45 regardless attacks against Palestinian villages, WEBSITE OF ODYOSEFHAI ‘YESHIVA’ from public service. of the price on Palestinian civilian life. including arson attacks against • • mosques. In 2010, he was one of 50 Rabbis, Eliyahu was investigated for racism 39 of whom were on the Israeli and incitement but no charges

40 41 http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/ngos/CARI_Israel.CERD80.pdf government’s payroll, who signed were ever brought against him. 41http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/chief-uk-rabbi-jonathan-sacks-warns of-racism-risk-inisrael/ The investigation did not, however, story-e6frg6so-1226085877567 and supported a letter endorsing a 42http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/lands-conference-awards-safed-rabbi-who- said-jews-shouldn-t-rent-tonon-jews-1.358670 decree prohibiting Israeli Jews from include the “rabbis’ letter” that 43http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=246626 44http://www.haaretz.com/news/safed-chief-rabbi-calls-on-state-to-exact-revenge- renting or selling lands and homes to banned renting or selling property to against-arabs-1.242746 45http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=63137a Palestinian Israelis. non-Jews.

50 51 RABBI , RABBI OF • Lior referred to the late Israeli of plotting to destroy the Dome of THE ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT Prime Minister a the Rock in the Al-Aqsa Mosque “rodef” and “moser” (a traitor who Compound and placing bombs under KERYAT ARAB endangers Jewish lives).48 According Palestinian-owned buses in occupied to testimony, Rabin’s assassin used to Jerusalem. attend Lior’s sermons. • He endorsed the racist book, Torat • Lior also used to minister to Baruch Hamelekh (King’s ), written “IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED Goldstein, the Israeli settler who by Rabbi Yetshak Shapira, which TO HIRE [PALESTINIANS]…. massacred 29 Palestinian worshipers advocates the killing of “innocent THEIR EMPLOYMENT IS OUT in Hebron’s Al-Ibrahimi mosque non-Jews” in times of war. OF THE QUESTION, NOT ONLY in 1994. After committing the IN [RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS] BUT • massacre, Lior described Goldstein In June 2011, Rabbi Lior was briefly ALSO IN HOTELS OR FACTORIES, as “holier than all the martyrs of the detained for questioning over this BASICALLY ANYWHERE” holocaust”.49 endorsement. Right-wing activists in Israel, including his students and • Lior’s racist attitudes are shockingly supporters, rioted and blocked roads, extreme. In December 2011, he while Knesset members and officials, said Jewish women should not get including 25 members of the ruling • Rabbi Lior holds several official pregnant using donated sperm from coalition, decried the arrest. The brief titles in Israel, including head of non-Jews because their babies would detention even prompted threats Rabbis in the occupied West Bank, have “negative genetic traits that of revenge from Israeli settlers and and head of the Nirhesder yeshiva characterize non-Jews”, warning that supporter of Lior. Since that arrest, (which combines religious teaching the offspring would have “traits of Lior has not been questioned again. with military service) thus receiving cruelty and barbarism”.50 He continues to serve in his official generous funding from the state.46 capacities and receive government • The Rabbi forbids the employment of funding. • In September 2011, the Rabbi Palestinians.51 referred to Palestinians as “wolves”. “What we have with those villains • According to testimony by other and savages is not peace, and it Rabbis, Lior was provided spiritual guidance for the “Gush Emunim won’t be peace. It is against their 46http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-racist-messianic-rabbi-is-the-ruler- Underground”, a group of Israeli of-israel-1.370554 nature. They hate peace”. He also 47http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4124816,00.html terrorists that carried out car bomb 48http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-racist-messianic-rabbi-is-the-ruler- described Palestinians as ‘evil of-israel-1.370554 49http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-racist-messianic-rabbi-is-the-ruler- camel riders’ and decried what he attacks against Palestinians, and of-israel-1.370554 50 47 http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4006385,00.html described “the opium of peace”. was accused by Israeli intelligence 51http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3521246,00.html

52 53 RABBI YITZHAK SHAPIRA, May 2012, the Israeli attorney Another form of HEAD OF THE OD YOSEF HAI general announced he would drop government endorsement of the investigation due to lack of racism and hate is the Israeli RELIGIOUS SCHOOL IN THE evidence.53 government’s permission of annual memorials for Meir YIZHAR • In 2010, Shapira issued an edict to Kahane, whose party was Israeli soldiers encouraging them to outlawed in Israel due to its use Palestinians as human shields, racist policies. an illegal and inhuman practice “THERE IS JUSTIFICATION IN by Israeli soldiers, which has been Successive Israeli HARMING [NON-JEWISH] well documented by human rights governments have also 54 INFANTS IF IT IS CLEAR organizations. allowed settlers in the settlement THAT THEY WILL GROW UP • In January 2010, Shapira was to turn the gravesite of TO HARM US. UNDER SUCH suspected in participating in an arson CIRCUMSTANCES THE BLOW Baruch Goldstein, who attack against a mosque in the town murdered 29 Palestinian CAN BE DIRECTED AT THEM 55 of Yasuf. After setting the mosque worshipers in 1994, into a AND NOT ONLY BY TARGETING on fire, the attackers spray-painted ADULTS.” shrine. Every year, Israeli anti-Arab slogans on the floor. He settlers and right-wing was released without charge. supporters celebrate the 57 • In 2006, Shapira was questioned terrorist. Yet, a 2010 over an article in which he called probe in Israel revealed • Co-author of “Torat Hemlekh” (The for the killing or expulsion of all that this settlement, whose King’s Torah), a book advocating male Palestinians above the age religious school and leaders the killing of non-Jewish children, of 13.56 Shapira, along with Yossi are known for their racist published in 2009. In his book, Peli, another teacher, at the Yitzhar preaching and incitement to Shapira said the killing of the children settlement. No charges were filed violence, ranks third among of a leader in order to pressure him against him. West Bank settlements 52 receiving government grants is permissible. 58 52http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/police-release-rabbi-arrested-for (150 NIS per capita). inciting-to-kill-non-jews-1.304261 • In February 2011, the Rabbi was 53 http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-s-ag-closes-probe-into-authors-of allegedly-racist-book-1.433041 54 http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/leading-rabbi-encourages-idf investigated for incitement to racism soldiers-to-use-palestinianhuman- shields-1.320311 55http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8482700.stm and violence because of statements 56http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=34568 57http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/settlers-remember-gunman goldstein- made in the ‘King’s Torah’ book. hebron-riots-continue- 1.263834 58 http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/settlers-receive-22-more-budget- He refused to be questioned. In grants-than-other-israelis-probeshows- 1.313657

54 55 INCITEMENT IN EDUCATION,

56 57 “Article 7. States Parties Racist attitudes towards the Palestinians Among Cohen’s findings is the have also been institutionalized in the admission of Israeli authors and writers undertake to adopt Israeli education system. to “deliberately portraying the Arab* immediate and effective character in this way, particularly to their Nurit Peled-Elhanan is a professor at measures, particularly younger audience, in order to influence Jerusalem’s Hebrew University whose their outlook early on so as to prepare in the fields of teaching, research of Israeli schoolbooks dates them to deal with Arabs”.60 education, culture and back to the 1990’s. The professor has published a book entitled “Palestine “In a sampling of 86 books, Cohen information, with a in Israeli School Books: Ideology and counted the following descriptions view to combating Propaganda in Education” detailing used to dehumanize Arabs: Murderer prejudices which lead evidence that Israeli schools have racist was used 21 times; snake, 6 times; textbooks. dirty, 9 times; vicious animal, 17 times; to racial discrimination bloodthirsty, 21 times; warmonger, 17 and to promoting Her research cites one textbook which times; killer, 13 times; believer in myths, states that the Palestinian exodus in 9 times; and a camel’s hump, 2 times.”61 understanding, 1948, following fears of a repeat of the tolerance and friendship Deir Yassin massacre by Israeli militias, Another study, conducted by professor “solved a terrifying demographic Daniel Bar-Tal of University among nations and problem” for Israel. The book then goes examined 124 elementary, middle and racial or ethnical on to quote former Israeli President high school textbooks taught in Israel groups…”. Chaim Weizman who described the in the subjects of Hebrew literature, forced exodus of Palestinians as a history, geography and citizenship. He International Convention on the “miracle”.59 concluded that “Israeli textbooks present Elimination of All Forms of Racial the view that Jews are involved in a Discrimination Adir Cohen, another Israeli researcher justified, even humanitarian, war against and writer, also published his findings on an Arab enemy that refuses to accept racist stereotyping in Israeli textbooks and acknowledge the existence and in a book entitled “An Ugly Face in the rights of Jews in Israel”.62 Mirror”. Cohen researched 1,700 Israeli children’s books and found that 250 of

them contained negative descriptions of 59http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/israeli-textbooks-foster-hate- says-author#page1 Palestinians. 60 Palestinians are referred to as Arabs in Israeli texts. http://66.49.206.24/canadastreetnews.com/vol%209%203%20jul%2020%20to%20 aug%203/Page6Aug.pdf 61 http://66.49.206.24/canadastreetnews.com/vol%209%203%20jul%2020%20 to%20aug%203/Page6Aug.pdf ©Vivienne Gorman 62 http://66.49.206.24/canadastreetnews.com/vol%209%203%20jul%2020%20 to%20aug%203/Page6Aug.pdf

58 59 Incitement in school textbooks is an especially EXAMPLE QUESTION perturbing case, as it is a very subtle form of indoctrination, placed within materials which AND MODEL ANSWER are shaping the minds of the next generation. It is today’s children who will grow up FOR AN ISRAELI HIGH with these deeply imbedded and skewed perceptions. SCHOOL CIVICS EXAM, The instances of official endorsement documented above are by no means 11 JUNE 2012 extensive, but provide examples of (ENGLISHTRANSLATION) the varying ways in which the Israeli government’s actions allow and often encourage a ‘culture of hate’, optimal conditions for breeding and exacerbating anti- Palestinian hate crimes and racist attitudes in QUESTION: Israel. The wives of rabbis published a letter calling on the daughters of Israel not to hang around Arabs. There are those who support this letter and those who think it is not appropriate. Express your opinion about the letter. In your answer, present two reasons “Say, isn’t it fun to shoot an Arab? and explain using concepts you learned in Civics. Here’s a slogan: a good Arab is a dead Model Answer: Arab. A top notch Arab is a buried Arab.” I support the letter of the rabbis’ wives. “Let the Palestinians, may God blacken 1. If the daughters of Israel hang around Arabs, they are liable to have relationships their name, burn in Hell. Punch holes in and marry them. This would harm the Jewish majority of the state. them with your M-16 and bomb them” 2. If the daughters of Israel hang around Arabs, they are liable to fall victims of From letters written by Israeli school students violence for nationalistic reasons. This would harm their right to life and security. in 2002 to soldiers serving in the occupied West Bank. Arabs in this context refers to 63 63 http://www.captiveminds.org/misc/letter.htm Palestinians.

60 61 A CULTURE OF HATE,

62 63 A FIRST-HAND “We walked slowly, “When one of the ACCOUNT OF so there wouldn’t be Palestinians fell to the trouble… Suddenly one of loor, they continued to THE BEATING OF them said to Jamal, ‘What kick him in the head, he are you doing, you son lost consciousness, his JERUSALEM TEENAGER, of a bitch?’ Jamal tried eyes rolled, his angled JAMAL JULANI AUGUST to lee, but [the attacker] head twitched, and then 17TH2012 whacked him in the chest [the perpetrators] led and [Jamal] fell with and the rest gathered in his head on the loor… a circle, with some still They told me he died. His shouting with hate in their “There were four of whole face was blue.” eyes. When we returned us… We were walking Nuaman Julani to the area ... two teens and suddenly maybe 50 stood there who did Jews64 came toward us not understand why we shouting, ‘Arabs Arabs.’ wanted to give a bottle of I don’t understand what water to the cousin of the they said. They weren’t victim. ‘He is an Arab, and calling us. They were they don’t need to walk just generally shouting.” around in the center of Mohammed Mujahad the city, and they deserve it, because this way they 64 Jews in this instance was used to refer to Israelis. 65 This and above quotations all taken from: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/19- year-old-suspect-arrestedin- connection-with-jerusalem-lynch.premium-1.459099 will inally be afraid.’” Eyewitness account.65

64 65 The result of government endorsements and actions, such as those detailed in the previous section, is a public discourse of racism and discrimination which becomes normalized and legitimized through official bodies and key public figures. This, in turn, has led to the increasing realization of a culture of hatred towards Palestinians within some areas of Israeli society. The Coalition Against publishes an annual report on incidents of racism, including attacks and incitement. In 2011, the Coalition recorded 552 incidents of racism and discrimination; almost double the incidents recorded in 201066 and five times the numbers of 2008.67 In 2010, 36% of Israeli Jews were in favor of revoking the voting rights of non-Jews, while 50% of those who identified themselves as religious, 68% of the ‘haredim’ (ultra- orthodox), and 25% of self-defined seculars rejected Palestinian-Israelis’ right to vote. Such shocking opinion trends are the natural result of the culture of hate promoted and sometimes funded by the Israeli government. The trend toward outright hatred has been studied, documented, and warned of by respectable human rights organizations.

66http://www.fightracism.org/en/Article.asp?aid=91 67http://www.fightracism.org/en/Article.asp?aid=134

66 67 In 2007, a poll found that 31.3% of Jewish Israeli In 2011, a documentary made by an felt revulsion when they heard spoken independent American filmmaker surveyed in the street. The poll also found that the 250 Jewish Israelis in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, feelings of hate, expressed by Jewish Israelis Jerusalem and Beersheba to find out about towards Palestinians jumped from 17.5% in their attitudes towards the Palestinians.71 2005 to 30.7% in 2007. It also reported that Among his conclusions he reported that: 75.3% of Jewish Israelis rejected living in the same building as Palestinians while 61.4% “One of the most disturbing trends that were unwilling to receive Palestinian guests in we noticed was the strong correlation their homes.68 between age and anti-Arab sentiment. The majority of Israeli teenagers that we spoke In July 2012, Israeli media reported that two to expressed unabashed and open racism Jewish teenage girls were caught on CCTV towards Arabs. Statements like “I hate cameras, tearing up and throwing copies of the them,” or “they should all be killed” were Qur’an inside the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron.69 common in this age group.” The girls, who were on a tour of Hebron organised by the Israeli Ministry of Education, “The data we gathered substantiates have not been arrested or charged, despite the idea that anti-Arab sentiment is a the CCTV footage. Once again, the Israeli mainstream phenomenon in Israel. Almost government’s inaction is highlighted. half of all the Jewish Israelis we spoke to exhibited some level of anti-Arab During the Israeli celebration of “Jerusalem sentiment.” Day” in June 2012, 50,000 Jewish-Israelis marched in occupied with large In June 2012, it was reported that the Gush groups of religious boys chanting, “Death to Etzion settlements are offering tourists the Arabs!” and, “Revenge on Palestine!” while chance to visit their settlements, built illegally catcalling and applauding each time the Israeli within the OPT, in order to hear stories about police removed an Arab demonstrator. Others killing “terrorists” and to try their hand at celebrated by standing in front of a mosque shooting aforementioned “terrorists” on a 72 shouting “Death to Arabs;” “Muhammad is purpose-built firing range. This shocking dead;” and “Butcher the Arabs.” The Israeli propaganda and encouragement of violence, police, who were present, made no attempt to fed to adults and children alike, provides one stop these racist chants.70 of the clearest examples of the violent nature of settler attitudes and the wider culture of racism and hate being advocated against the 68http://www.berghof-handbook.net/documents/publications/dialogue9_darweish comm.pdf 69http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4259615,00.html 70‘Incitement by Israel’, vol. 3, Government Media Center, Palestinian National Authority, June 2012 Palestinians. 71http://www.eliungar.com/israel-palestine/ 72http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4243882,00.html

68 69 COMPLICITY OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION FORCES,

70 71 Under the Fourth Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, as the Occupying Power, Israel has an obligation to ensure the welfare of the civilian population “Israel continues to grant in the territories it occupies. Therefore, impunity for settler violence, the Israeli military occupation forces in blatant violation of its duty are required to protect the Palestinian communities within the OPT. However, in of due diligence to repress a high number of cases, it would appear criminal acts carried out by that the Israeli occupation forces observe private actors. By failing to settler attacks without intervening,73 and then fail to document or report the apprehend settlers responsible crimes perpetrated. for alleged crimes, to conduct proper investigations of According to the Israeli human rights organisation, Yesh Din, as of February the incidents and to take 2011, 642 cases of violence Palestinians adequate measures to punish had been reported since 2005, an perpetrators, the Israeli incredible 90 percent of which were closed because of a failure by Israeli authorities are condoning authorities to investigate properly.74 and encouraging widespread Furthermore, in their 2012 update, the settler violence against organisation reported that ‘over 91 Palestinians.”76 percentof all the investigations concluded were closed without an indictment being Open letter to the High Contracting served against suspects’.75 Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention from a group of Palestinian human rights organizations.

73‘Turning a blind eye’, B’Tselem Annual Report 2011 http://www.btselem.org/annual_ 74Sept 2011 http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/settlements-and-settler-violence/455-open- report_2011/130902 letter-concerningthe-increase-in-settler-violence-against-palestinians-in-the-opt 74 http://www.yeshdin. org/userfiles/file/datasheets/YESH%20DIN_Law%20Enforcement%20Monitoring%20Eng_2011.pdf 75 http://www.yesh-din.org/userfiles/file/datasheets/LawEnforcement_datsheet_Eng_March_2012_ Final.pdf

72 73 Israeli human rights organizations have Government inaction has also played equally condemned the complicity asignificant role in allowing settler of the Israeli occupying forces. In July terrorism to go unpunished, mainly 2012, the director of B’Tselem, Jessica through the tacit complicity of the Montell stated:“Israeli soldiers do not Israeli occupying forces with violent see it as their job or mandate to protect acts by settlers. Perhaps the most Palestinians. They have the capacity to telling statement in relation to this do so, but lack the willingness… If there complicity is one which came from was a will on the part of authorities, Dan Halutz, a former chief of staff of they could order a presence in those the Israeli military forces, in regard areas and stop the clashes from taking to punishing perpetrators of violence place.” against Palestinians. He said, “If Pauline Nunu, of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine we wanted, we could and Israel concurred, explaining that Israeli soldiers often become complicit in catch them and when the acts of settler violence. we want to, we will.”

74 75 76 77

Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department

78