Ref: 93/2019
Date: 6 Nov 2019
Press Release
The International Commission: The Israeli actions against Mr. Omar Shaker, director of Human Rights Watch in the Palestinian Territories, clearly shows the Israeli disregard of the international protection of human rights defenders
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) follows with deep condemnation and concern the support of the Israeli High Court of Justice of the government’s actions to deport Mr. Omar Shaker, director of Human Rights Watch’s office in the Palestinian territories on Tuesday, the 5th of November 2019, where Mr. Omar Shaker will be forced to leave the Palestinian territories before the 25th of this month.
It is worth mentioning that in May 2018, the Israeli government gave Mr. Shaker two weeks to leave the Palestinian territories, the decision came after the Israeli Interior Ministry accused him of involvement in the international boycott movement years ago, as well as accusing Human Rights Watch of engaging in politics to serve Palestinian propaganda.
ICSPR expresses its solidarity with Human Rights Watch and its director, and all human rights defenders, whom the Israeli authorities systematically impede their work. ICSPR pledges to address the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, to put him in the form of Israeli violations, policies and procedures that violate the international protection prescribed for human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ICSPR stresses that Israeli actions are part of a systematic policy of the Israeli occupation under the cover of the Israeli judiciary in dealing with human rights organizations and foreign activists. Therefore, ICSPR demands the following:
- ICSPR considers that the successive Israeli actions against human rights activists are in contravention of international law and are contrary to the most basic international protection standards for human rights defenders and organizations.
- ICSPR affirms that the Israeli actions against foreign and human rights activists are only a practical application of the Israeli law (boycott law) issued in 2011, amended in March 2017, which gave the Israeli authorities the power to refuse entry of activists who publicly call to boycott Israel or committed to participate in it.
- ICSPR calls upon the international community, in particular Mr. Michel Forst “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders” to intervene immediately to protect human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Regards,
