GENEVA (29 November 2011) – On the occasion of the International Day
of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Mr.
Richard Falk, expresses his solidarity with the Palestinian people in
their struggle for self-determination.

On this day, the Special Rapporteur calls urgent attention to the
plight of the Palestinian Bedouin people of the occupied West Bank. “The
recent unprecedented pressure by Israeli authorities and settlers to
expel Palestinian Bedouin communities from Area C is deplorable, illegal
and must cease.”

In recent months, approximately 2,300 Bedouins who reside in 20
impoverished communities in the hills east of Jerusalem have been
informed by the Israeli authorities that they must leave the area, as
part of a plan to expel Bedouin communities living in Area C, where
Israel exercises total control. Reports indicate that the relocation
plan may be implemented in early January 2012.

Mr. Falk stressed that “[t]he proposed relocation of the Palestinian
Bedouins, without the free and informed consent of the communities,
amounts to forced transfer of protected persons under international
humanitarian law.” International law prohibits the forced transfer of
civilians living under occupation, unless temporarily required for their
own security or military necessity. “The Israeli authorities’ expulsion
of the Bedouins would meet none of these conditions.”

Furthermore, the destruction or confiscation of private civilian
property, including homes, as well as the transfer of settlers into
occupied territory, is prohibited. Israel, as the Occupying Power, is
obligated to protect the residents of the occupied territory and to
administer the territory for the benefit of the residents. The
establishment and expansion of settlements is a direct breach of these
obligations.

“The proposed transfer of Bedouin communities raises a number of
concerns under human rights law, especially with respect to forced
eviction and forced displacement,” noted the Special Rapporteur. Forced
evictions transgress the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, to which Israel is party. Israel’s claim that the Covenant does
not apply in the occupied territory has been rejected by all human
rights treaty oversight bodies.

The Palestinian Bedouins are the most deprived ethnic group in the
occupied territory, residing in the Area C of the West Bank. More than
80% of the Bedouins are registered as 1948 refugees originally from the
Negev. Over 66% are children. The communities have all lost access to
land due to settlement expansion.

Most have demolition orders against their homes. None have access to
the electricity network and only half are connected to the water
network. Despite receiving humanitarian assistance, 55% of Bedouin
communities in Area C are food insecure. The communities are located in
an area intended for further Israeli settlement expansion, as set forth
in the E1 plan that envisages a major expansion of the unlawful Ma’ale
Adumim settlement.

If implemented, these plans, along with the continued construction of
the Separation Wall, seriously encroach upon Palestinian growth and
development prospects. They also further cut territorial contiguity
between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank, creating two
nearly separate areas. Even more shockingly, Israel proposes to relocate
these Bedouin near Jerusalem’s principle garbage dump. The garbage dump
pose would a serious health hazard to the communities, and would make
it impossible for them to carry on their traditional lifestyles based on
herding and nomadic agriculture.

Mr. Falk concluded “[t]he forty-four year long Israeli occupation of
Palestinian lands continues to manifest itself in deprivation and denial
of basic rights of Palestinians. Every year, on this International Day
of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we are reminded of Israeli
authorities’ invidious schemes to permanently empty Palestine of
Palestinians. This prolonged human catastrophe must be brought to an end
once and for all. Only then can the rights of Palestinians can be
realized.”

In 2008, the UN Human Rights Council designated Richard Falk (United
States of America) as the fifth Special Rapporteur on the situation of
human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The mandate
was originally established in 1993 by the UN Commission on Human
Rights.

Learn more about the mandate and work of the Special Rapporteur: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/countries/ps/mandate/index.htm
UN Human Rights, country page – Occupied Palestinian Territories: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/MENARegion/Pages/PSIndex.aspx
UN Human Rights, country page – Israel: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/MENARegion/Pages/ILIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests, please contact Kevin Turner (+ 41 22 928 9603 / kturner@ohchr.org) or write to sropt@ohchr.org.

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