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Brief narrative |
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1, A/HRC/16/71, 3 March 2011 Violence committed by private Israeli citizens and response by the Israeli authorities 44. In 13 other cases monitored by OHCHR, groups of armed settlers, protected by IDF in most cases, harassed, assaulted and attacked civilians, desecrated mosques, vandalized schools and burnt olive and fruit trees and vehicles owned by Palestinians. On 14 April, settlers from Yitzhar settlement entered Huwwara in the early morning and painted graffiti on the town’s mosque. The same group of settlers set fire to three cars belonging to residents. On 24 April, another group of settlers from the same settlement destroyed olive trees and property in the town. They started the attack by setting fire to olive groves. Then they attacked and damaged the public park. Windows of one house were broken. In all of these cases, the victims communicated information on the incidents to the Palestinian District Coordination Liaison Offices (DCL), which in turn filed complaints with their Israeli counterparts. OHCHR was informed that Israeli DCL officers normally receive all information on settler violence, but that they rarely communicate with the Palestinian DCL regarding follow–up. 45. The number of settler attacks rose in October, when Palestinians commenced the olive harvest. Four Israeli human rights organizations sent an urgent letter to senior Israeli military commanders, in which they called on them to take all necessary steps to ensure that Palestinians and their properties would be protected from violence and damage.51 The letter listed 35 incidents in which damage was caused to Palestinian olive trees or properties. 46. Israel has the obligation to ensure public order and safety (Hague Regulations, art. 43) throughout the West Bank. Israel must exert all efforts to stop and prevent acts of violence, especially killings perpetrated by Israeli citizens. IDF occasionally take action to prevent or limit violence committed by settlers. Victims of settler violence are then requested to file complaints at the nearest Israeli police station. Yet Israeli police rarely inform the victims of the status of the investigations, or of the prosecution of perpetrators. The very limited number of prosecutions for acts of violence committed by settlers contributes to a climate of impunity.52 51 Association of Civil Rights in Israel, B’Tselem, Rabbis for Human Rights and Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights, urgent letter on preventing vandalization of Palestinian olive groves and urgent request for meeting to Major General Avi Mizrahi and Brigadier General Nitzan Alon dated 28 October 2010. 52 See also principles 9 and 18 of the Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extralegal, Arbitrary or Summary Execution. |
