Ref: 58/2010

On Tuesday, 8 June 2010, Director of
the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Raji Sourani delivered a
lecture to over 200 members of French civil society. Mr. Sourani was
participating at a conference entitled “Make Pressure on Israel to Make Peace”,
organised by the Collectif de Citoyens Libanais et Amis du Liban, in Paris.

Also speaking at the conference were
Stephen Walt, author of Israel lobby, Alain Gresh, associate director of
LeMonde Diplomatique newspaper, Nahla Chahal, sociologist and coordinator of
the Civil Campaign for the Palestinian people, and Yael Lerer, founder of
Andalus publishing in Tel Aviv.

Mr. Sourani began his lecture by
addressing the current reality in the Gaza Strip. He focused on the dire
humanitarian situation, stating that this man-made humanitarian crisis is the
direct result of long-standing Israeli impunity. For too long, the
international community has allowed Israel to act as a state above the law: the
immediate consequences have been an increasing disregard for international law,
and the resultant suffering of innocent civilians. Israel’s disregard for its
international legal obligations is dramatically illustrated by last year’s offensive
on the Gaza Strip, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and the
continuing illegal closure which is entering its third consecutive year. Most
recently, the consequences of Israel’s disregard for international law can be
seen by last week’s Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in
international waters, which resulted in the killing of 9 civilians, and the
injury of dozens more.

Mr. Sourani demanded that the
international community take action, and that EU States in particular fulfil their
legal obligations to enforce international humanitarian law. In an era of
universal human rights it is unacceptable that Palestinians be denied the equal
protection of the law, that they are consigned to the rule of the jungle. Mr.
Sourani illustrated some mechanisms which European States can use to ensure
Israel’s compliance with international law, including universal jurisdiction,
activating Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and implementation
of the recommendations contained in the Goldstone Report.

Also on Tuesday, 8 June 2010,
Sourani, who was recently re-elected as Vice President of the International
Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), met with Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President,
and Antoine Bernard, FIDH Executive Director, in Paris. The participants of the
meeting discussed future steps to be taken with regard to FIDH’s work on Israel
and the occupied Palestinian territory, especially in light of the raid carried
out by the Israeli military on a civilian vessel in international waters on 31
May 2010.