6 nov 2019
The Israeli high court of justice on Tuesday approved the government’s decision to deport the local director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) for allegedly supporting a boycott movement known as BDS.
Omar Shaker, a US citizen, was given 20 days to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories or he would face deportation, his lawyer said.
Shaker wrote on Twitter that if he was banished, Israel would join the ranks of Iran, North Korea and Egypt in blocking access to Human Rights Watch staff. “We won’t stop. And we won’t be the last,” he said.
HRW called the Israeli government’s attempts to deport Shaker, which have been going on for more than a year, a sign that Israel was seeking to suppress criticism.
“The supreme court has effectively declared that free expression in Israel does not include completely mainstream advocacy for Palestinian rights,” said Kenneth Roth, the group’s executive director.
Shaker will be removed under a contentious 2017 law that allows the government to block entry to people who support a boycott of Israel or Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The measure was designed to criminalize the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Rights groups say it tramples on free speech as the law has been deployed against critics and activists.
In its most high-profile use, Israel blocked in August two US congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, from a planned trip to Palestine and Jerusalem.
Omar Shaker, a US citizen, was given 20 days to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories or he would face deportation, his lawyer said.
Shaker wrote on Twitter that if he was banished, Israel would join the ranks of Iran, North Korea and Egypt in blocking access to Human Rights Watch staff. “We won’t stop. And we won’t be the last,” he said.
HRW called the Israeli government’s attempts to deport Shaker, which have been going on for more than a year, a sign that Israel was seeking to suppress criticism.
“The supreme court has effectively declared that free expression in Israel does not include completely mainstream advocacy for Palestinian rights,” said Kenneth Roth, the group’s executive director.
Shaker will be removed under a contentious 2017 law that allows the government to block entry to people who support a boycott of Israel or Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The measure was designed to criminalize the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. Rights groups say it tramples on free speech as the law has been deployed against critics and activists.
In its most high-profile use, Israel blocked in August two US congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, from a planned trip to Palestine and Jerusalem.
Human Rights Watch/ Jerusalem/
The Israeli Supreme Court on November 5, 2019 upheld the Israeli government’s authority to deport Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director of Human Rights Watch. The decision now shifts back to the Israeli government; if it proceeds with deportation, Shakir will have to leave Israel by November 25.
Human Rights Watch has been calling on businesses to stop operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as part of their duty to avoid complicity in human rights abuses. However, even though Human Rights Watch calls on businesses to comply with this duty in many other countries as well, the court found that applying this principle to ensure respect for Palestinians’ rights constitutes a call for boycott, based on a broad reading of a 2017 law that bars entry to people who advocate a boycott of Israel or its West Bank settlements.
“The Supreme Court has effectively declared that free expression in Israel does not include completely mainstream advocacy for Palestinian rights,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “If the government now deports Human Rights Watch’s researcher for asking businesses to respect rights as we do across the world, there’s no telling whom it will throw out next.”
The ruling [pdf] exhausts the ordinary legal appeals available to Human Rights Watch. However, given the ruling’s far-ranging implications for freedom of expression and for the ability of other advocacy organizations to work in Israel, Human Rights Watch may seek a hearing before an expanded panel of Supreme Court judges. Regardless of the court’s ruling, the decision whether to actually force Shakir to leave the country rests with the Israeli government.
The court based its ruling on a determination that Shakir had advocated a boycott of Israel not only in the distant past but also after he joined Human Rights Watch, which the organization vigorously contested. While employed by Human Rights Watch, Shakir never deviated from the policies and positions of the organization, which does not advocate a boycott of Israel but urges businesses to fulfill their human rights responsibilities by ending ties with illegal West Bank settlements.
According to the court, the Israeli government may, under the law, ban entry to those who call for boycotting West Bank settlements because such a call entails opposition to a general policy of the government of Israel regarding an area under its control and thus, the court held, “expresses negation of the legitimacy of the state” – even if settlements are widely viewed as illegal under international law.
The court also held that a call on businesses to refrain from activities in settlements constitutes a call for boycott under the law even if it is motivated by respect for international human rights and humanitarian law.
The court distinguished Human Rights Watch from Shakir by noting that the organization devoted only a small percentage of its time to Israel, while Shakir devoted all of his time to Israel and Palestine. By that logic, any foreign national whose professional role was to urge businesses to avoid complicity in human rights violations by ending ties with settlements would run afoul of the court’s ruling.
The court did not address Human Rights Watch’s challenge to the constitutionality of the 2017 amendment.
The court also rejected a request to pause proceedings until a new Israeli government has been formed following the September 17,2019 elections and could consider whether to proceed with seeking deportation.
Former senior Israeli diplomats had joined Human Rights Watch’s appeal, as did Amnesty International, which raised concern about the “wider chilling effect” on other human rights groups and the “increasing risk to their ability to continue operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” Many others have criticized the deportation order, including 27 European states in a joint statement, 17 members of the United States Congress, the United Nations secretary general, 3 UN human rights special rapporteurs, and numerous independent groups and academic associations.
Neither Human Rights Watch nor Shakir as its representative has ever called for a boycott of Israel. As part of its global campaign to ensure that businesses uphold their human rights responsibilities to avoid contributing to abuses, Human Rights Watch has urged companies to stop working in or with settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international humanitarian law. The organization has never called for a consumer boycott of those companies.
Recently, Israeli authorities have denied entry to a number of other international rights advocates, maligned Israeli rights advocates, imposed burdensome financial reporting requirements on them, and raided the offices of, and arrested, Palestinian rights defenders. In October, Israeli authorities prevented an Amnesty International staff member from traveling out of the Occupied West Bank for undisclosed “security reasons.”
The Supreme Court ruling upholds an April Jerusalem District Court decision that found legally valid the May 7, 2018 explusion order by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri against Shakir. This is the first time the government has used the 2017 law to try to deport someone who is lawfully inside the country and the first time Israel has ordered a Human Rights Watch staff member to leave Israel since the organization began monitoring events on the ground three decades ago.
Deri said in his May 2018 order that the decision “does not constitute a principled or sweeping refusal for the organization to employ a foreign expert,” and noted that “no information has surfaced” regarding Shakir promoting boycotts during his time at Human Rights Watch. Yet in court, the government stated that it considers the work of Human Rights Watch itself to constitute boycott activity.
Human Rights Watch is an independent, international, nongovernmental organization that promotes respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. It monitors rights violations in 100 counties across the world, including all 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Headquartered in New York City, Human Rights Watch has registered offices in 24 countries around the world, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia in the region. Human Rights Watch shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 as a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
To accomplish its mission, Human Rights Watch relies on professional researchers on the ground. They regularly engage with government officials as well as with others with first-hand information. Human Rights Watch maintains direct access to the vast majority of countries it reports on. Cuba, Egypt, North Korea, Sudan, and Venezuela are among the handful of countries that have blocked access for Human Rights Watch staff members.
As part of its mandate, Human Rights Watch conducts research and advocacy that exposes and challenges violations by all actors in the region, including the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas authorities in Gaza. In 2019, in addition to documenting abuses by Israeli forces, Human Rights Watch published research on systematic arbitrary arrests and torture of critics and opponents by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and on unlawful rocket attacks by armed Palestinian groups.
The Israeli court’s decision marks the culmination of a multi-year effort to muzzle Human Rights Watch. In February 2017, the Interior Ministry denied Human Rights Watch a permit to hire a foreign employee, before reversing course and issuing the permit two months later. Shakir obtained his work visa under this permit in April 2017, but the government revoked it in May 2018 and ordered Shakir deported. Human Rights Watch filed suit that month to challenge that order.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision puts the imprimatur of Israeli law on the Netanyahu government’s efforts to censor mainstream, legitimate human rights advocacy,” Roth said. “Despite the Israeli government’s effort to silence the messenger rather than change its illegal conduct, Human Rights Watch will continue to document human rights abuses by all parties in Israel and Palestine.”
The Israeli Supreme Court on November 5, 2019 upheld the Israeli government’s authority to deport Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director of Human Rights Watch. The decision now shifts back to the Israeli government; if it proceeds with deportation, Shakir will have to leave Israel by November 25.
Human Rights Watch has been calling on businesses to stop operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as part of their duty to avoid complicity in human rights abuses. However, even though Human Rights Watch calls on businesses to comply with this duty in many other countries as well, the court found that applying this principle to ensure respect for Palestinians’ rights constitutes a call for boycott, based on a broad reading of a 2017 law that bars entry to people who advocate a boycott of Israel or its West Bank settlements.
“The Supreme Court has effectively declared that free expression in Israel does not include completely mainstream advocacy for Palestinian rights,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “If the government now deports Human Rights Watch’s researcher for asking businesses to respect rights as we do across the world, there’s no telling whom it will throw out next.”
The ruling [pdf] exhausts the ordinary legal appeals available to Human Rights Watch. However, given the ruling’s far-ranging implications for freedom of expression and for the ability of other advocacy organizations to work in Israel, Human Rights Watch may seek a hearing before an expanded panel of Supreme Court judges. Regardless of the court’s ruling, the decision whether to actually force Shakir to leave the country rests with the Israeli government.
The court based its ruling on a determination that Shakir had advocated a boycott of Israel not only in the distant past but also after he joined Human Rights Watch, which the organization vigorously contested. While employed by Human Rights Watch, Shakir never deviated from the policies and positions of the organization, which does not advocate a boycott of Israel but urges businesses to fulfill their human rights responsibilities by ending ties with illegal West Bank settlements.
According to the court, the Israeli government may, under the law, ban entry to those who call for boycotting West Bank settlements because such a call entails opposition to a general policy of the government of Israel regarding an area under its control and thus, the court held, “expresses negation of the legitimacy of the state” – even if settlements are widely viewed as illegal under international law.
The court also held that a call on businesses to refrain from activities in settlements constitutes a call for boycott under the law even if it is motivated by respect for international human rights and humanitarian law.
The court distinguished Human Rights Watch from Shakir by noting that the organization devoted only a small percentage of its time to Israel, while Shakir devoted all of his time to Israel and Palestine. By that logic, any foreign national whose professional role was to urge businesses to avoid complicity in human rights violations by ending ties with settlements would run afoul of the court’s ruling.
The court did not address Human Rights Watch’s challenge to the constitutionality of the 2017 amendment.
The court also rejected a request to pause proceedings until a new Israeli government has been formed following the September 17,2019 elections and could consider whether to proceed with seeking deportation.
Former senior Israeli diplomats had joined Human Rights Watch’s appeal, as did Amnesty International, which raised concern about the “wider chilling effect” on other human rights groups and the “increasing risk to their ability to continue operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” Many others have criticized the deportation order, including 27 European states in a joint statement, 17 members of the United States Congress, the United Nations secretary general, 3 UN human rights special rapporteurs, and numerous independent groups and academic associations.
Neither Human Rights Watch nor Shakir as its representative has ever called for a boycott of Israel. As part of its global campaign to ensure that businesses uphold their human rights responsibilities to avoid contributing to abuses, Human Rights Watch has urged companies to stop working in or with settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international humanitarian law. The organization has never called for a consumer boycott of those companies.
Recently, Israeli authorities have denied entry to a number of other international rights advocates, maligned Israeli rights advocates, imposed burdensome financial reporting requirements on them, and raided the offices of, and arrested, Palestinian rights defenders. In October, Israeli authorities prevented an Amnesty International staff member from traveling out of the Occupied West Bank for undisclosed “security reasons.”
The Supreme Court ruling upholds an April Jerusalem District Court decision that found legally valid the May 7, 2018 explusion order by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri against Shakir. This is the first time the government has used the 2017 law to try to deport someone who is lawfully inside the country and the first time Israel has ordered a Human Rights Watch staff member to leave Israel since the organization began monitoring events on the ground three decades ago.
Deri said in his May 2018 order that the decision “does not constitute a principled or sweeping refusal for the organization to employ a foreign expert,” and noted that “no information has surfaced” regarding Shakir promoting boycotts during his time at Human Rights Watch. Yet in court, the government stated that it considers the work of Human Rights Watch itself to constitute boycott activity.
Human Rights Watch is an independent, international, nongovernmental organization that promotes respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. It monitors rights violations in 100 counties across the world, including all 19 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Headquartered in New York City, Human Rights Watch has registered offices in 24 countries around the world, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia in the region. Human Rights Watch shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 as a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
To accomplish its mission, Human Rights Watch relies on professional researchers on the ground. They regularly engage with government officials as well as with others with first-hand information. Human Rights Watch maintains direct access to the vast majority of countries it reports on. Cuba, Egypt, North Korea, Sudan, and Venezuela are among the handful of countries that have blocked access for Human Rights Watch staff members.
As part of its mandate, Human Rights Watch conducts research and advocacy that exposes and challenges violations by all actors in the region, including the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas authorities in Gaza. In 2019, in addition to documenting abuses by Israeli forces, Human Rights Watch published research on systematic arbitrary arrests and torture of critics and opponents by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and on unlawful rocket attacks by armed Palestinian groups.
The Israeli court’s decision marks the culmination of a multi-year effort to muzzle Human Rights Watch. In February 2017, the Interior Ministry denied Human Rights Watch a permit to hire a foreign employee, before reversing course and issuing the permit two months later. Shakir obtained his work visa under this permit in April 2017, but the government revoked it in May 2018 and ordered Shakir deported. Human Rights Watch filed suit that month to challenge that order.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision puts the imprimatur of Israeli law on the Netanyahu government’s efforts to censor mainstream, legitimate human rights advocacy,” Roth said. “Despite the Israeli government’s effort to silence the messenger rather than change its illegal conduct, Human Rights Watch will continue to document human rights abuses by all parties in Israel and Palestine.”
5 nov 2019
The Israeli Supreme Court, Tuesday, upheld deportation orders against Human Rights Watch (HRW) director Omar Shakir for the occupied Palestinian territory for his alleged support of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.
“Breaking: Israeli Supreme Court upholds my deportation over my rights advocacy,” said Shakir in a tweet. “Decision now shifts back to Israeli government; if it proceeds, I have 20 days to leave and it’ll join ranks of Iran, North Korea and Egypt in blocking access for HRW official. We won’t stop. And we won’t be the last.”
The Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, said in a tweet that it stands in solidarity with the HRW director.
“Efforts to hide the occupation and silence criticism against it are bound to fail,” said B’Tselem executive director, Hagai ElAd in a tweet.
“The decision reflects perfectly the state of affairs at the highest judicial institution in Israel — not rule of law, but legal propaganda at the service of the occupation.”
“In essence, the Supreme Court’s ruling grants a legal seal of approval to the further shrinking of the already limited space in Israel to oppose the occupation.
For decades, this space has been non-existent for Palestinians; now, it will be diminished further for international stakeholders; and soon, also for Israelis.”
“Breaking: Israeli Supreme Court upholds my deportation over my rights advocacy,” said Shakir in a tweet. “Decision now shifts back to Israeli government; if it proceeds, I have 20 days to leave and it’ll join ranks of Iran, North Korea and Egypt in blocking access for HRW official. We won’t stop. And we won’t be the last.”
The Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, said in a tweet that it stands in solidarity with the HRW director.
“Efforts to hide the occupation and silence criticism against it are bound to fail,” said B’Tselem executive director, Hagai ElAd in a tweet.
“The decision reflects perfectly the state of affairs at the highest judicial institution in Israel — not rule of law, but legal propaganda at the service of the occupation.”
“In essence, the Supreme Court’s ruling grants a legal seal of approval to the further shrinking of the already limited space in Israel to oppose the occupation.
For decades, this space has been non-existent for Palestinians; now, it will be diminished further for international stakeholders; and soon, also for Israelis.”
The Israeli occupation police on Monday evening kidnaped three Palestinian teenagers after physically assaulting them in Jerusalem.
According to local sources, the detained kids were beaten by police officers in Issawiya district before taking them in handcuffs to a police station in the holy city.
The kids were identified as Omar Mahmoud, Waseem Dari, and Ismail Muhaisen
For nearly five months, Israeli police forces have been raiding the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya on a daily basis, ransacking homes and arresting and assaulting Palestinians.
The Israeli campaign against Issawiya is aimed at oppressing and making life miserable for all who live there as part of efforts to push the native residents out of the holy city.
Israeli Troops Assault Schoolchildren in al-Issawiya; Abduct 3
Israeli troops invaded al-Issawiya, in the eastern part of Jerusalem, on Monday evening and attacked schoolchildren, abducting three boys.
According to local sources, on Monday evening, the Israeli forces stormed the village, deployed troops throughout the streets and began firing tear gas into the streets and residences.
The also grabbed 3 boys from Mheisen neighborhood in al-Issawiya town and put them into their armored military vehicles to take to an interrogation center.
Mohammed Abu al-Hummos, a member of the local organizing committee in al-Issawiya, told the Silwan Information Center that the Israeli forces took three boys: Omar Mahmoud, Ismail Mheisen, and Wasim Dari from the village, during the storming and deployment in the streets.
The Popular Committee of al-Issawiya called for a protest tomorrow against the campaign of abuse and attacks on the people of the village.
The abductions on Monday follow a series of assaults and abductions in recent days which culminated in a school strike being declared in the village on Saturday.
The Parents’ Committee of al-Issawiya confirmed that the school strike, which began on Saturday, will continue until a safe environment for the students and young children of al-Issawiya can be ensured.
The school strike began after the Israeli police invaded a school in al-Issawiya Saturday, assaulted the principal, and abducted schoolboy Saleh al-Tawil from inside his school.
The Israeli invasions of al-Issawiya have come to be an almost-daily occurrence, which almost always occur at the time when students are returning from school. This ends up with confrontations between stone-throwing teens and invading soldiers, because of the provocative measures taken by the Israeli military.
A video leaked in October showed Israeli police in al-Issawiya discussing how their daily invasions were a provocation to the residents.
According to the Middle East Monitor, in the video, Israeli officers are heard discussing the purpose of the operations in al-Issawiya, with one remarking: “This is really provoking them for nothing.” A second officer agrees. The first officer subsequently asks: “Why do this on purpose?” The second one replies: “Our policy is screwed up from the outset.”
The first officer then comments: “Let them live. You’re provoking them here for nothing.”
A few minutes later, the first officer addresses a third officer. “I have a question for you. Isn’t what we’re doing here causing more problems?” The third officer replies: “That’s the goal,” to which the first asked: “Causing more problems?” The second officer replies in the affirmative.
The video was shown during a hearing at Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, where Issawiya resident Abdallah Mustafa was charged with throwing three stones at police on the day the video was filmed.
The prosecutor claimed that the police officers had “a slip of the tongue”, and the judge sentenced Mustafa to seven and a half months in prison.
According to local sources, the detained kids were beaten by police officers in Issawiya district before taking them in handcuffs to a police station in the holy city.
The kids were identified as Omar Mahmoud, Waseem Dari, and Ismail Muhaisen
For nearly five months, Israeli police forces have been raiding the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya on a daily basis, ransacking homes and arresting and assaulting Palestinians.
The Israeli campaign against Issawiya is aimed at oppressing and making life miserable for all who live there as part of efforts to push the native residents out of the holy city.
Israeli Troops Assault Schoolchildren in al-Issawiya; Abduct 3
Israeli troops invaded al-Issawiya, in the eastern part of Jerusalem, on Monday evening and attacked schoolchildren, abducting three boys.
According to local sources, on Monday evening, the Israeli forces stormed the village, deployed troops throughout the streets and began firing tear gas into the streets and residences.
The also grabbed 3 boys from Mheisen neighborhood in al-Issawiya town and put them into their armored military vehicles to take to an interrogation center.
Mohammed Abu al-Hummos, a member of the local organizing committee in al-Issawiya, told the Silwan Information Center that the Israeli forces took three boys: Omar Mahmoud, Ismail Mheisen, and Wasim Dari from the village, during the storming and deployment in the streets.
The Popular Committee of al-Issawiya called for a protest tomorrow against the campaign of abuse and attacks on the people of the village.
The abductions on Monday follow a series of assaults and abductions in recent days which culminated in a school strike being declared in the village on Saturday.
The Parents’ Committee of al-Issawiya confirmed that the school strike, which began on Saturday, will continue until a safe environment for the students and young children of al-Issawiya can be ensured.
The school strike began after the Israeli police invaded a school in al-Issawiya Saturday, assaulted the principal, and abducted schoolboy Saleh al-Tawil from inside his school.
The Israeli invasions of al-Issawiya have come to be an almost-daily occurrence, which almost always occur at the time when students are returning from school. This ends up with confrontations between stone-throwing teens and invading soldiers, because of the provocative measures taken by the Israeli military.
A video leaked in October showed Israeli police in al-Issawiya discussing how their daily invasions were a provocation to the residents.
According to the Middle East Monitor, in the video, Israeli officers are heard discussing the purpose of the operations in al-Issawiya, with one remarking: “This is really provoking them for nothing.” A second officer agrees. The first officer subsequently asks: “Why do this on purpose?” The second one replies: “Our policy is screwed up from the outset.”
The first officer then comments: “Let them live. You’re provoking them here for nothing.”
A few minutes later, the first officer addresses a third officer. “I have a question for you. Isn’t what we’re doing here causing more problems?” The third officer replies: “That’s the goal,” to which the first asked: “Causing more problems?” The second officer replies in the affirmative.
The video was shown during a hearing at Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, where Issawiya resident Abdallah Mustafa was charged with throwing three stones at police on the day the video was filmed.
The prosecutor claimed that the police officers had “a slip of the tongue”, and the judge sentenced Mustafa to seven and a half months in prison.
4 nov 2019
FILE PHOTO: Members of Israel's Border Police near Qalandiya checkpoint, West Bank, March, 2018
Israel’s justice ministry may file charges against a former policewoman who allegedly shot a Palestinian in the back with a sponge-tipped bullet “for fun” after a video of the incident emerged over the weekend.
In the new clip, broadcast by Israel’s Channel 13 news agency, Israeli border police officers at a checkpoint are seen shouting at the young man to “get out of here!” in Arabic.
After the Palestinians turns around and walks away with his hands above his head, the police continue to shout contradicting instructions at him before one of them shoots him in the back.
The unknown man is seen screaming in agony as he slumps to the floor. The security forces are not visible when the shot is fired but filmed walking away afterwards.
The Channel 13 report quoted the police as saying the man was not seriously hurt.
However, the shocking footage has drawn fresh attention to the incident, one of several hard-to-prove Palestinian claims that that Israeli security forces use excessive or unnecessary force against them.
In a Sunday statement, the justice ministry said it would soon announce whether to charge a former policewoman.
The ministry added that it had completed a criminal investigation after holding four hearings into last year’s incident. It did not say when it will reveal its decision.
Israeli police said they removed the female policewoman from the force after learning of the incident, while other police involved in the incident were re-assigned.
However, the policewoman’s lawyer denied she fired the bullet in a statement to Channel 13.
The news report also showed what it said were text messages between a different police officer suspected in the case bragging about shooting the Palestinian to his girlfriend.
Israeli media said the incident took place last May at al-Zaim checkpoint outside of Jerusalem.
At a bail hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court last October, Judge Elad Persky said the suspect apparently shot the Palestinian “as a dubious form of entertainment”, Haaretz reported at the time.
Israel’s leading human rights group, B’Tselem, said a culture of impunity was behind incidents like these.
“This exceptional documentation shows what, sadly, is an unexceptional event: Israeli security forces hurting a Palestinian for absolutely no reason,” said B’Tselem spokesman Amit Gilutz.
“Such instances are the direct result of the culture of impunity fostered by Israel, which is crucial to the perpetuation of its military control over the Palestinians.”
Leaked footage shows Israeli forces aimlessly shooting Palestinian civilian
A video footage that has gone viral online showed an Israeli Border Police officer shooting a Palestinian man who had his back turned toward the officer, his hands up and was walking away.
In the short video, released by Israeli Channel 13, officers can be heard yelling, “Run already” at the man, before one of the officers shoots him.
The man, who was shot by a rubber-coated bullet, was wounded in the back but according to the Israeli military, he rose immediately afterwards and continued on his way. video
Israeli daily Haaretz said evidence about the incident includes text messages in which members of the unit boasted about the incident and the main suspect's admission via text messages.
It claimed that the officer who fired the rubber-coated rounds was discharged from the Border Police and returned to the army to complete her mandatory service.
This was not the first incident in which Israeli occupation forces open fire at Palestinian civilians despite posing no threat to the soldiers’ lives.
Israel’s justice ministry may file charges against a former policewoman who allegedly shot a Palestinian in the back with a sponge-tipped bullet “for fun” after a video of the incident emerged over the weekend.
In the new clip, broadcast by Israel’s Channel 13 news agency, Israeli border police officers at a checkpoint are seen shouting at the young man to “get out of here!” in Arabic.
After the Palestinians turns around and walks away with his hands above his head, the police continue to shout contradicting instructions at him before one of them shoots him in the back.
The unknown man is seen screaming in agony as he slumps to the floor. The security forces are not visible when the shot is fired but filmed walking away afterwards.
The Channel 13 report quoted the police as saying the man was not seriously hurt.
However, the shocking footage has drawn fresh attention to the incident, one of several hard-to-prove Palestinian claims that that Israeli security forces use excessive or unnecessary force against them.
In a Sunday statement, the justice ministry said it would soon announce whether to charge a former policewoman.
The ministry added that it had completed a criminal investigation after holding four hearings into last year’s incident. It did not say when it will reveal its decision.
Israeli police said they removed the female policewoman from the force after learning of the incident, while other police involved in the incident were re-assigned.
However, the policewoman’s lawyer denied she fired the bullet in a statement to Channel 13.
The news report also showed what it said were text messages between a different police officer suspected in the case bragging about shooting the Palestinian to his girlfriend.
Israeli media said the incident took place last May at al-Zaim checkpoint outside of Jerusalem.
At a bail hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court last October, Judge Elad Persky said the suspect apparently shot the Palestinian “as a dubious form of entertainment”, Haaretz reported at the time.
Israel’s leading human rights group, B’Tselem, said a culture of impunity was behind incidents like these.
“This exceptional documentation shows what, sadly, is an unexceptional event: Israeli security forces hurting a Palestinian for absolutely no reason,” said B’Tselem spokesman Amit Gilutz.
“Such instances are the direct result of the culture of impunity fostered by Israel, which is crucial to the perpetuation of its military control over the Palestinians.”
Leaked footage shows Israeli forces aimlessly shooting Palestinian civilian
A video footage that has gone viral online showed an Israeli Border Police officer shooting a Palestinian man who had his back turned toward the officer, his hands up and was walking away.
In the short video, released by Israeli Channel 13, officers can be heard yelling, “Run already” at the man, before one of the officers shoots him.
The man, who was shot by a rubber-coated bullet, was wounded in the back but according to the Israeli military, he rose immediately afterwards and continued on his way. video
Israeli daily Haaretz said evidence about the incident includes text messages in which members of the unit boasted about the incident and the main suspect's admission via text messages.
It claimed that the officer who fired the rubber-coated rounds was discharged from the Border Police and returned to the army to complete her mandatory service.
This was not the first incident in which Israeli occupation forces open fire at Palestinian civilians despite posing no threat to the soldiers’ lives.
