DOCSLIB.ORG

Nonviolent Resistance in the Second Intifada

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nonviolent Resistance in the Second Intifada THE ACTIVIST AND THE OLIVE TREE: NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE IN THE SECOND INTIFADA By Julie M. Norman Submitted to the Faculty of the School oflnternational Service of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In International Relations . ' Chair: MJrQ i 1 1g='& 4 cJ ~ Moh~amed Abu- imer t~4 ' j .f]},i;o vJ (9.m~ Susan Shepler/ o(aJl of the chool oflnternational Service IS r i I Date 2009 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 AMERK;AN UNIVERSITY LIBRAHr q-1 o{o Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3358121 Copyright 2009 by Norman, Julie M. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI® UMI Microform 3358121 Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ©COPYRIGHT by Julie M. Norman 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. To all who struggle for peace with justice Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE ACTIVIST AND THE OLIVE TREE: NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE IN THE SECOND INTIFADA By Julie M. Norman ABSTRACT This study examines the phenomenon of nonviolent resistance in the West Bank during and after the second intifada. The primary research question asks, to what extent does a space exist for the (re)emergence of a popular nonviolent movement in the post­ Oslo context? Specifically, the paper (1) identifies episodes of nonviolent activism in the West Bank from 2000 to 2008, 2) investigates the fragmented, localized nature of popular resistance during this period, 3) explores popular attitudes towards violent and nonviolent resistance, and 4) examines how individual and collective activist identities inform participation in popular resistance. The study indicates that, despite the prevalence of violent resistance during the second intifada, numerous episodes of nonviolent activism did and continue to take place in the West Bank in the form of direct actions (such as protests and demonstrations), NGO initiatives, media efforts, youth projects, and everyday acts of resistance. However, a widespread, unified movement has yet to emerge due to both internal and external factors, including differences between activists, divisions within Palestinian politics and 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. civil society, and Israeli measures such as the separation barrier and checkpoints that hinder travel and limit points of contact. Despite the current fragmentation of the movement, the paper illustrates that there is significant public support for nonviolent resistance amongst youth in particular, while support for militant attacks on Israeli civilians is declining. These findings suggest that there is a potential space for the reemergence of a nonviolent movement in the West Bank in the current context, but its realization depends largely on the realignment of nonviolence with individual and collective constructs of activist identity. Specifically, mobilization depends on the association of nonviolent activism with the local acts of popular resistance dominant in the first intifada, over the conceptualization of nonviolence as a western paradigm imposed under Oslo. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with grassroots activists, NGO practitioners, and community leaders; surveys with youth ages 14-34 years; and extensive participant observation. The findings bring attention to the growing phenomenon of nonviolent activism in Palestine, which has been overshadowed by violent resistance and in the academic literature and mainstream discourse. lll Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many individuals who provided me with support, advice, guidance, and inspiration throughout the process of completing this project. Thank you to the countless activists, students, community leaders, and others who participated in the research and shared their time, thoughts, and stories with me. I am grateful to Mohammed Abu-Nimer, my dissertation chair and mentor, whose work on nonviolence and peacebuilding continues to inspire me and countless other students, scholars, practitioners, and activists, and who provided invaluable support and feedback throughout the Ph.D. experience. Many thanks also to my other committee members, Julie Mertus and Susan Shepler, who guided me through the dissertation process with their insights and encouragement. Thank you also to Dean Louis Goodman for his assistance, feedback, and mentorship. This project would not have been possible without the generous support of the School of International Service at American University. Thank you also to the Palestinian American Research Council (PARC), which supported me during the fieldwork and writing stages; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Jerusalem 2050 initiative, which supported me during the revision process; and the Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, which supported me in finalizing lV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. the manuscript for publication. I am also grateful to Gene Cohen and the Jessica Jennifer Cohen Foundation (JJCF) family for their kind support of my work in the Middle East. Thank you to Fatemah B. for her kindness, friendship, and assistance on this project in the West Bank. Thank you also to Philip Rizk and Alex Baramki, both of whom assisted with much of the translation throughout the research period. I am grateful to Mark and Susanne Brown for their boundless warmth, hospitality, and friendship in Jerusalem. Thank you also to Rachel Kliewer, my teacher who first sparked my interest in this part of the world, and who remains my close friend and mentor. A special thanks to Tazreena Sajjad, who provided the initial comments on the first draft, and who continues to dazzle and inspire as a scholar, activist, and dear friend. Finally, thank you to my family: My sister, Cara Heuser, who has always been there for me; and my brother-in-law, Ryan Heuser, and my nephew, Joseph "Joey" Heuser, who have brought so much joy to my life. Lastly, thank you to my parents, Mark and Deborah Norman. I cannot thank them enough for the love and support they have given me throughout this process, and in every aspect of my life. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................... .ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................ .iv ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1 PART I. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT .................................................. 12 Chapter 1. Literature Review ..................................................................... 13 Chapter 2. Historical Background and Research Context .................................... 51 Chapter 3. Lenses of Inquiry: Methodology and Research Design ......................... 77 PART IL ACTIVISM AND ATTITUDES .................................................... 119 Chapter 4. "A Color Other Than Blood": Nonviolent Resistance in the West Bank. ...................................................... 120 Chapter 5. "Youth Will Be the Lifeblood": Re-examining Youth Attitudes toward Popular Resistance .................................. 167 PART III: SOURCES OF FRAGMENTATION .............................................. 192 Chapter 6. Ineffective Resource Mobilization ................................................ 193 Chapter 7. Political Constraints ................................................................. 218 Chapter 8. Lack of Resonant Movement Frames ............................................. 238 Chapter 9. Identity and Collective Action .................................................... .257 CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 280 Vl Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDICES Appendix A. Field Sites .......................................................................... 301 Appendix B. Sample Interview Questions ..................................................... 306 Appendix C. Preliminary Survey (2006) .....................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The EU Must Change Vocabulary on Israel-Palestine
    The EU Must Change Vocabulary on Israel-Palestine © 2021 IAI by Michelle Pace As hundreds of Palestinians began Gazans as human beings – in spite of cleaning the debris left behind by Israel’s the “hell on earth”3 that Israel’s settler- ISSN 2532-6570 latest 11-day assault on the Gaza Strip – colonial violence has imposed upon which caused at least 256 Palestinian them.4 deaths, including 66 children, and a further 13 deaths within Israel1 –, a The campaign’s quest to humanise degree of humanity was restored to the everyday suffering of 2 million Gaza’s besieged population. inhabitants of Gaza stands in sharp contrast to Israel’s representation of the The Gaza City municipality – which Gaza Strip as a hotbed of terrorists: the initiated the volunteering campaign campaign overrides such depictions – named it Han’amarha (“we will build with the spirit of hope, love, solidarity it”).2 A strong statement that contributes and community. to undermine the “us” versus “them” binary, providing a window into the What happened across occupied individual and collective struggle of Palestinian territory (oPt) during May 2021 serves as a reminder that we are 1 The Norwegian Refugee Council confirmed again witnessing Israel’s sustained that 11 of the over 60 children killed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza were participating in its psycho- social programme aimed at helping them deal 3 UN Secretary General, António Guterres, with trauma. See, Norwegian Refugee Council, described the lives of children in Gaza as “hell Eleven Children Receiving NRC Trauma Care on earth” on 20 May 2021.
    [Show full text]
  • No.49 October-November,1991
    The Other Israel Newsletter of the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace October-November 1991 No 49 P.O.B.956 Tel-Aviv, Israel/61008 Editorial Board : Uri Avnery, Matti Peled, Yaakov Phone/fax: (03) 5565804 Editor: Adam Keller Arnon, Haim Bar'am, Yael Lotan, Yossi Amitay Assistant editor: Beate Zilversmidt – ISSN 0792-4615 – FIRST STEP IN MADRID ? October 25, 1991 a condition will be attached to the guarantees strictly It now seems that a conference for peace in the limiting ― if not altogether forbidding ― Israeli Middle East will indeed open at Madrid, on October settlement activity in the Occupied Territories. 30. Under auspices of Presidents Bush and Gorbachev, Moreover, it is quite possible that similar conditions the representatives of Israel and its neighboring will be attached to the regular American aid to Arab states will engage in formal negotiations, for Israel, three billion Dollars a year ― hitherto, the the first time in decades. It will also be the first time least controversial item on the congressional agenda. in Israel's history that official Israeli representatives Already, a senatorial committee failed to approve a will engage in formal negotiations with representatives request for an additional 200 million Dollars in of the Palestinian people. military aid to Israel. The convening of this conference is the result of six Bush's displeasure with the Shamir government months' strenous diplomatic efforts by American was displayed in other ways as well, such as loud Secretary of State James Baker, including no less protests when Israeli planes carried out aerial than eight trips to the Middle East.
    [Show full text]
  • The Palestinian Dilemma
    EVALUATING PEACE EDUCATION IN THE OSLO/INTIFADA GENERATION: AN IMPACT STUDY OF SEEDS OF PEACE 1993-2010 BY Ned Lazarus ABSTRACT Since 1993, several thousand Israeli and Palestinian youth have participated in 12 summer “coexistence” programs in North America. The programs espouse a common theory of change: that an experience of dialogue in an idyllic American setting will inspire youth to return to the Middle East as aspiring peacemakers. This dissertation provides the first large-scale, long-term empirical assessment of that theory, by tracking the peacebuilding activity of all 824 Israeli and Palestinian graduates of SOP's first decade of operation (1993- 2003), and complementing this with qualitative research on more than 100 adult graduates (ages 21-30). The longitudinal framework assesses fluctuations in activity over time, highlighting the influence of changing personal, organizational, and political contexts. Key findings include that more than half of alumni engaged in peacebuilding during high school; that compulsory Israeli military service discouraged activity among both Israeli and Palestinian graduates; that nearly one-fifth of alumni engaged in peacebuilding as adults; and that extensive follow-up programming was essential for sustaining long-term commitments to peacebuilding. The study concludes that the international intervention structure embeds an effective educational model in a problematic organizational model. While providing an unprecedented evaluation of a popular peace education approach, this study tells the stories of a pivotal generation: Palestinians and Israelis who entered adolescence at the hopeful dawn of the Oslo peace process, to emerge as adults in an era of intifada and “separation.” 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation is the culmination of a journey of eight years of practice, and seven years of research, study and writing.
    [Show full text]
  • Facilitators' Manual
    Israel/Palestine: Is There a Samaritan on the Road? Facilitators’ Manual This booklet describes a four-session course offered at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C., November-December, 2010. It has been published as an aid to parishes developing their own courses on the subject. The manual and all its appendices can be found on the St. Mark’s web site. For its encouragement of this project, the authors wish to thank the Companion Diocese Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. Acknowledgments As the team that planned and implemented the course, we are deeply grateful for the encouragement and assistance that we received from the following people: • The clergy and wardens of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, who supported the establishment of the Mid- East Working Group in 2009 and encouraged the array of educational events we undertook in our first two years. • Our Working Group colleagues, who offered helpful advice and assisted in many ways. • The lay leaders of St. Mark’s Christian Education Program who supported our proposal for this unique course and gave us much wise guidance as we shaped it. • The guest presenters who gave generously of their time and insights. • The 34 members of the congregation who enthusiastically participated in the course and gave us constructive evaluations of it. • Business Research Services, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, for donating its services to publish the manual. • The Companion Diocese Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington for sponsoring the distribution of the manual. Whatever use you make of the manual and appendices, may they help you and those you reach respond faithfully to work for peace, justice, and reconciliation in the Holy Land.
    [Show full text]
  • A Quiet Revolution by Mary Elizabeth King
    A Quiet Revolution by Mary Elizabeth King Twenty years ago, in December 1987, Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem launched a massive nonviolent social mobilization against the Israeli military occupation that had begun in 1967. A pivotal moment in contemporary world history, new political thinking manifested itself in nonviolent action despite the ever-present threat of Israeli reprisal. A decades-long spread of knowledge about nonviolent strategies throughout Palestinian society shaped the uprising. It was not a spontaneous rebellion as many perceived, but a movement by virtually an entire society working to lift a military occupation with the same nonviolent methods used in India by Gandhi, by the U.S. civil rights movement, in the Czech and Slovaks’ velvet revolution, by the Serbian activists who brought down Slobodan Milošević, and by Buddhist monks with upturned alms bowls in Burma. In this struggle within a struggle, a history until now untold, for more than two years the Palestinians refused to use firearms against the Israeli soldiers and armed settlers in their midst. From the 1987 uprising would emerge the most cogent pressure to date to create a Palestinian state alongside Israel, with implied acceptance of the latter’s permanence. Following the incarceration or deportation of the activist intellectuals who had helped bring about the new political thinking that nurtured the intifada, the movement disintegrated into violence. Yet reclamation of such nonviolent strategies is the key to enduring peace in this conflict. The intifada manifested highly significant shifts in organization, political thinking, leadership, and purpose. The Palestinians inside the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 determined in essence to discard a tradition of armed struggle—which included some of the twentieth century’s most notorious attacks on civilian and military targets—in favor of nonviolent methods of struggle last utilized in the 1920s and 1930s.
    [Show full text]
  • Galilee Flowers
    GALILEE FLOWERS The Collected Essays of Israel Shamir Israel Adam Shamir GALILEE FLOWERS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................... 5 WHY I SUPPORT THE RETURN OF PALESTINIANS.................................................................... 6 PART ONE....................................................................................................................................... 8 THE STATE OF MIND ................................................................................................................. 8 OLIVES OF ABOUD.................................................................................................................... 21 THE GREEN RAIN OF YASSOUF................................................................................................ 23 ODE TO FARRIS ........................................................................................................................ 34 THE BATTLE FOR PALESTINE.................................................................................................. 39 THE CITY OF THE MOON ......................................................................................................... 42 JOSEPH REVISITED................................................................................................................... 46 CORNERSTONE OF VIOLENCE.................................................................................................. 50 THE BARON’S BRAID...............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • West Bank Settlement Homes and Real Estate Occupation
    Neoliberal Settlement as Violent State Project: West Bank Settlement Homes and Real Estate Occupation Yael Allweil Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion and Israel Institute for Advanced Studies [email protected] Abstract Intense ideological debates over the legal status of West Bank settlements and political campaigns objecting to or demanding their removal largely neglect the underlying capitalist processes that construct these settlements. Building upon the rich scholarship on the interrelations of militarism and capitalism, this study explores the relationship between capitalist and militarist occupation through housing development. Pointing to neoliberalism as central to the ways in which militarism and capitalism have played out in Israeli settlement dynamics since 1967, this paper unpacks the mutual dependency of the Israeli settlement project on real estate capitalism and neoliberal governance. Through historical study of the planning, financing, construction, and architecture of settlement dwellings as real estate, as well as interviews and analysis of settler-produced historiographies, this paper identifies the Occupied Territories (OT) as Israel’s testing ground for neoliberal governance and political economy. It presents a complementary historiography for the settlement project, identifying three distinct periods of settlement as the product of housing real estate: neoliberal experimentation (1967-1994), housing militarization (1994-2005), and “real-estate-ization” (2005-present). Drawing on Maron and Shalev
    [Show full text]
  • Dig Deep CBA 2
    Palestine-Israel: The Effects of Occupation CBA Lesson Packet CBA TOPIC: Dig Deep LEVEL: Middle/High School AUTHORED BY: Anna Simonton, The Evergreen State College ADAPTED BY: Linda Bevis, Palestine Information Project This document is intended to assist teachers who are implementing the Dig Deep CBA for high school students, but may be useful to anyone teaching about current world issues, international relations and related fields. WASHINGTON STATE CLASSROOM BASED ASSESSMENT: DIG DEEP The Dig Deep CBA states that, “a responsible citizen can use historical thinking to develop thoughtful participation in a democratic society. To develop your thinking skills you will develop and support a thesis on an historical question based on your analysis of primary and historical narratives.” What does the CBA require students to do? 1) Develop a historical question. 2) State a position on the question that outlines reasons in support of the position. 3) Support the position with evidence drawing on multiple social science perspectives* that includes primary and secondary resources. 4) State why studying the historical question helps in understanding current issues and events. 5) Prepare a presentation/paper explaining the position and the supporting evidence. * The social science perspectives are: geographic, cultural, political, economic, sociological, and psychological. Please see the following OSPI website for more information: http://www.k12.wa.us/ SocialStudies/Assessments/HighSchool/HSHistory-DigDeep-CBA.pdf The graphic organizer and scoring rubric for this CBA are available at the OSPI website. 1 OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this activity, students will be able to: 1) Explain how historical events have created or affected the current Palestinian- Israeli conflict.
    [Show full text]
  • A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution WATCH
    HUMAN RIGHTS A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution WATCH A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution Copyright © 2021 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62313-900-1 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org APRIL 2021 ISBN: 978-1-62313-900-1 A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution Map .................................................................................................................................. i Summary ......................................................................................................................... 2 Definitions of Apartheid and Persecution .................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cornerstone Issue 49
    Issue 49 - Summer 2008 1 ISSUE 49 • SUMMER 2008 ORNERSTONE CA QUARTERLY PUBLICATION BY SABEEL ECUMENICAL LIBERATION THEOLOGY CENTER A SOBERING 60 YEARS DOES GOD CARE FOR LABELS? by: Naim Ateek On May 15, 2008, the Palestinians commemorated their Nakba while the Israelis celebrated their independence. The two sides are miles apart from reconciling their divergent history. It was obvious that the Israelis were proud to celebrate 60 years of the establishment of their state while the Palestinians were mourning 60 years of tragedy. This is the enigma of history in the Middle East - the presence of tragedy and triumph, commemoration and celebration, Nakba (Arabic for catastrophe) and Atzma’oot (Hebrew for independence). Those who celebrated paid no attention to those who mourned, and those who mourned are powerless to turn their lamentation into celebration. What exacerbated the pain of the mourners was that those who celebrated totally ignored and denied their IN THIS ISSUE Nakba. Does God Care for Labels? by Naim Ateek 1 We have been living in this paradox for the last 60 years. Let Why Can’t They Fix the Shutters? by Nahla Assali 4 us stop for a moment and ask ourselves a theological question: Bush and the Nakba, by Sam Bahour 6 how does God see the Palestinian Nakba and Israel’s Atzma’oot? The Little Old Iron, by Mona Halaby 8 Liberation theology emphasizes that God takes a stand on the Lamenting the Destruction: side of the poor and oppressed and against the powerful The Nakba Continues, by Kathy Bergen 10 oppressors. In this theology, the only labels that matter are Unforgettable Memories from 1948, by Samia Khoury 12 those of oppressor and oppressed.
    [Show full text]
  • Extrajudicial Killing with Near Impunity: Excessive Force by Israeli Law Enforcement Against Palestinians
    \\jciprod01\productn\B\BIN\35-1\BIN104.txt unknown Seq: 1 7-FEB-17 13:24 EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING WITH NEAR IMPUNITY: EXCESSIVE FORCE BY ISRAELI LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST PALESTINIANS Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man* I. INTRODUCTION ............................................ 116 R II. RECENT ALLEGED EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS IN ISRAEL- PALESTINE ................................................ 119 R III. A PATTERN OF EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST PALESTINIANS ............................................. 135 R A. Arenas of Excessive Violence against Palestinians ...... 136 R B. The Disparity in Law Enforcement Responses to Palestinians versus Jews ............................... 140 R * The author holds a JD from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt), and is an American-Israeli human rights attorney at the Michael Sfard Law Office in Tel Aviv, where she currently serves as senior counsel and acting director. She has been a member of the legal team of Israeli human rights NGO, Yesh Din, for over a decade, and for the last eight years has served as Legal Director of the organization’s Accountability of Security Personnel project. In that capacity, she has represented over 500 Palestinian victims of alleged crimes committed against them or their property by Israeli police, soldiers, and other security personnel. The author is also a legal advisor to Israeli NGOs Breaking the Silence and Peace Now, among others, and represents individuals and communities in bringing human rights claims before the Israeli courts, specializing in International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law and their application to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967. The author wishes to express her gratitude to Shelley Cavalieri, Miri Sharon and Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man for their excellent comments and feedback on previous drafts of this Article, as well as to the remarkable editors of the Boston University International Law Journal for their collaboration on this project and their dedication to bringing this important issue to light.
    [Show full text]
  • Backyard Proceedings
    The military justice system in the Occupied Territories adjudicates thousands of Palestinian civilians prosecuted by the Israel Defense Forces every year. The Military Courts, which have existed for four decades, operate virtually under complete darkness. The report, Backyard Proceedings, provides the Israeli and international public, for the first time in more than 15 years, with information about a system that serves as a cornerstone of Israeli rule in the West Bank. The report examines the degree to which this system upholds Din Yesh and implements the due process rights of Palestinian BACKYARD PROCEEDINGS detainees and defendants brought before the Military THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DUE PROCESS RIGHTS IN THE Courts. The report evaluates, among other things, the MILITARY COURTS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES realization of a defendant’s right to know the charges against him, to prepare an effective defense, and to enjoy the presumption of innocence. The report further assesses how the principle of a public trial is applied in the Military Courts, how minors are adjudicated in the system and other related subjects. Additionally, the report examines whether the Security Legislation applying to the Occupied Territories meets the requirements of PROCEEDINGS BACKYARD international law regarding due process of law. Through hundreds of observations, the report provides findings about the proceedings in the courtrooms. The findings of the research described in the report reveal a series of grave defects and lapses in the implementation of due process rights in the Military Courts. On the basis of those findings Yesh Din offers recommendations for reforming legislation and policies. Yesh Din-Volunteers for Human Rights was founded in March 2005, and since then its volunteers have been working for structural and long-term improvement of the human rights situation in the Occupied Territories.
    [Show full text]