The 51st Session of the Human Rights Council

12 September 2022 – 7 October 2022

General Debate Item 7: Human rights situation in Palestine and other Occupied Arab Territories

30 September 2022

Statement of Meezaan Center for Human Rights and Geneva International Centre for Justice

Delivered by Farah Caïdi

Thank you,

Here we are 74 years later, gathered yet again, to denounce the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Israeli prime minister recalled before the General Assembly that Israel is a peaceful democracy. I would like to remind this Council that Israel is the State that has the most unsolved and ignored resolutions in the UN history. The UN recognised democracy “as a form of government [that] is a universal benchmark for human rights protection”. How can Israeli authorities pretend to be a democracy, yet completely disregard resolutions that call it to abide by basic International standards of human rights?

An Israeli democracy that doesn't hesitate to violently repress civil society, as we clearly saw with the violent repression of the Palestinian NGOs, or to simply expel UN experts from its territory. In this regard, we are here today to express our support for every human rights defender.

Again, we condemn the lack of consistency of many States denouncing human rights. As we welcome the steps taken by the USA to denounce the ongoing atrocities committed in China against the Uyghurs, we can’t help wondering: Does the conception of human rights violations change from one country to another ? Isn’t the forced eviction of people and the erasure of their culture a universal violation of International Law ?

To comply with the democratic principle, Meezaan Center for Human Rights and Geneva International Centre for Justice urge the Human Rights Council and every State to finally act on the numerous UN resolutions in order to end the Israeli brutal policies and occupation.

Thank you.