Press Release

Marry Robinson and Count Bernadot:

Excess in the perpetration of crimes by Israel against Palestinian civilians

PCHR condemns yesterday’s barbarian attack by Jewish settlers in Hebron on the procession of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mrs. Marry Robinson. It seems that the significant escalation by the Israeli occupation forces of perpetrating more crimes against Palestinian civilians, including the shelling of Palestinian cities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip did not satisfy the aggressive instincts of these forces. It seems that it was not enough for these forces to block the procession of Mrs. Robinson’s procession in the middle of the Gaza Strip, in the aftermath of shooting by these forces at a passing civilian car on Salah El-Din street (the main road between the north and west of the Gaza Strip) near Kfar Darom settlement, cold-bloodedly killing its passengers.

Clearly, shooting at the procession of Mrs. Robinson and hitting a car of TIPH in Hebron, which was passing before the car of Mrs. Robinson, was by Jewish settlers in Hebron. The shooting took place in H2 area, which is under the control of the Israeli occupation military forces. The procession stopped for half an hour, during which the Israeli occupation forces were called to accompany Mrs. Robinson, in an indirect indication to objectively hold them responsible for what happened.

It is worth mentioning that shortly before this, the journalists accompanying Mrs. Robinson were attacked in the area of “Givat Abot” by Jewish settlers. Those settlers attacked the journalists’ cars with sticks and iron bars.

While PCHR welcomes the visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mrs. Marry Robinson in an implementation of the resolution of the UN Commission on Human Rights on October 19, 2000, her refusal to meet with Sharon and Ulmart and her call for providing international protection for the Palestinian people, it strongly reminds with the assassination of the international mediator Count Bernadot by Zionist gangs.

PCHR reasserts the following:

1. Its appreciation of the field visit by Mrs. Robinson to citizens and places which have been attacked by the Israeli occupation forces, despite the danger that she might face.
2. Its full gratification for the positions of Mrs. Robinson, her professional and moral commitment, and carrying out her mandates as a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, through adopting positions that meet the position of Palestinian human rights organization and civil society.
3. Its condemnation of the attempted attack on Mrs. Robinson by illegal Jewish settlers in Hebron.
4. Its assertion of its condemnation of what happened with Mrs. Robinson as an international symbol of human rights. What happened proves the brutalities and crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces and illegal Jewish settlers against Palestinian civilians, even during Mrs. Robinson’s visit, brushing aside the international legitimacy and human rights.