Geneva - In a statement to the UN Human Rights Council's 54th session, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor warned of the Israeli government's growing efforts to redefine the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) as a religious conflict.
Israeli officials have recently been persistent in linking religious aspects to the Israeli-Palestinian conflictو using religious symbols and texts to incite attacks on Palestinians and expel them from their lands.
The increasing incidents of hatred are partly fuelled by the far-right Israeli government, which has created an atmosphere of impunity for attacks against Palestinians
Delivering the statement to the Council, Euro-Med Monitor's Strategy Director Maha Hussaini pointed to the announcement by Israel's Public Diplomacy Minister Galit Distel Atbaryan earlier this year about the launch of a campaign called "There is no occupation", in which she uses the Bible to whitewash the violations in the oPt and demand the entire land for Jewish people.
Distel Atbaryan has also released two propaganda materials, said Hussaini, in which she states that Palestinians are "brainwashed murderers who are programmed to seek Jewish blood since age zero". The organisation's statement stressed that this open incitement and redefining of the conflict to one of "antisemitic" Palestinians versus Jews is profoundly dangerous in terms of fuelling discrimination and hostilities.
Hussaini voiced additional concern over the increasing number of attacks against Christians and Christian sites in the oPt. "This year has seen dozens of incidents of vandalism of gravesites and churches and violent assaults on bishops, priests, nuns, and Christian houses of worship," the statement added, "particularly in occupied East Jerusalem."
The increasing incidents of hatred are partly fuelled by the current far-right Israeli government, which has created an atmosphere of impunity for attacks against religious Christians and ethnic Palestinians.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor urges the international community to condemn these acts of hate speech and incitement, and pressure the Israeli government to take immediate action to address the situation.
Full statement
Mr President,
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and the International Institute for Rights and Development are gravely concerned by the Israeli government's efforts to redefine the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a religious conflict.
In January this year, Israel's Public Diplomacy Minister Galit Distel Atbaryan announced a campaign called "There is no occupation", in which she uses the Bible to whitewash the violations in the oPt and claims it is a deed designating the entire land to the Jewish people.
The same minister published two propaganda materials in which she says that Palestinians are "brainwashed murderers who are programmed to seek Jewish blood since age zero". This open incitement and redefining of the conflict[IB4] to one of "antisemitic" Palestinians versus Jews is profoundly dangerous in terms of fuelling discrimination and hostilities.
We are equally concerned by the growing attacks against Christians and Christian sites in the oPt. This year has seen dozens of incidents of vandalism of gravesites and churches and violent assaults on bishops, priests, nuns and Christian houses of worship, particularly in occupied East Jerusalem.
These rising incidents of hatred are partly fuelled by the current far-right Israeli government that has created an atmosphere of impunity for attacks against religious Christians and ethnic Palestinians[IB5] .
We call on the international community to condemn these hateful actions and this rhetoric[IB6] , and demand immediate drastic measures from the Israeli government to address this alarming situation.
Thank you.
