Re:
81/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
condemn the approval of thousands of new settler housing units to be built in
occupied East Jerusalem. Settlement activity
constitutes an unambiguous violation of international law, and undermines the
Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

On 7 August 2011, 930 housing units in Har Homa
C, 42 units and public buildings for Har Homa B, and all the necessary
infrastructure such as roads, sewage and water lines were approved for
construction. Har Homa (Jabal Abu
Ghneim) was built in the late 1990s, and is already home to approximately 9,000
settlers. Har Homa’s location severs Bethlehem from East Jerusalem,
inhibiting travel and territorial continuity between Palestinian towns and neighborhoods.

On 11 August 2011, Interior Minister Yishai
approved a further 1,600 units in Ramat Shlomo. Yishai also announced that in the coming days another 2,700 units will
be approved in Pisgat Zeev (700) and Givat Hamatos (2000). This would bring the number of housing units
approved in occupied East Jerusalem to over
5,200, and counting, in August alone.

East Jerusalem is
recognized as occupied territory under international law. United Nations
Security Council Resolution 242 affirmed the illegality of acquisition of
territory by force, and the status of East Jerusalem
as occupied territory. The Security
Council has repeatedly passed resolutions that any action to change the
physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure of the
status of Jerusalem
is patently illegal, and any actions in this regard are null and void.[1] Settlement activity is recognized as a war
crime under the Statute of the International Criminal Court. Currently, there
are over 200,000 settlers living in East Jerusalem.

Israel’s
settlement activity exhibits a blatant disregard for the rule of law. PCHR
affirm that this disregard for the rule of law, and the consequent violation of
Palestinian’s fundamental rights, is a direct consequence of the pervasive
impunity extended to the State of Israel by the international community. Until Israel,
and responsible individuals, are held to account,

International law will continue to be
systematically violated, and Palestinian civilians will continue to suffer the
consequences.

PCHR strongly condemn all Israeli settlement
activities and other arbitrary measures in occupied East
Jerusalem, and:

1. Call upon the international community to immediately intervene to
compel the Israeli government to stop all settlement activities in the OPT,
especially in occupied East Jerusalem;

2. Confirm that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory, and all decisions
taken and plans and measures implemented by the Israeli occupation authorities
in occupied East Jerusalem can never change the legal status of the city;

3. Emphasize that all settlement activities in occupied East Jerusalem constitute a war crime under international
humanitarian law;

4. Call for applying the Advisory Opinion issued by the International
Court of Justice on 08 July 2004, which considers that the annexation wall
being built by Israel in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is illegal
and calls for its dismantlement. 

5. Call upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva
Convention, jointly or individually, to fulfill their legal and moral
obligations to ensure respect for the Convention by Israel in the OPT,
according to Article 1 of the Convention. PCHR believe that the conspiracy of
silence practiced by international community encourages Israel to act as a
state above the law and to perpetrate more violations of international human
rights law and humanitarian law, including measures to create a Jewish
demographic majority in occupied East Jerusalem; and

6. Call upon the EU and/or Member
States to activate Article 2 of the
Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which sets Israel’s respect for human rights
as a precondition for economic cooperation between the two sides.  PCHR appeal to the EU Member States to stop
dealing with Israeli goods and commodities, especially those produced in
illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.