Ref: 20/2010

On 17 February 2010, Raji
Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), met during
a work dinner with a delegation from the French Consulate General in Jerusalem. The delegation was presided by the French
Consul General, Frédéric Desagneaux. The
delegation also included Damien Cristofari, Vice Consul, Majdi Shaqqoura, Director
of the French Consular Section in Gaza, Benoît Tadié, Counselor of Cooperation
and Cultural Affairs, and Jean Mathiot, Director of the French Cultural Center
in Gaza. 

During the meeting,
Sourani talked about the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT), pointing out the increasing deterioration of conditions due to the continued
Israeli violations of human rights in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He stressed that the past year had been the
worst and the most bloody due to the deterioration of human rights conditions. He said that the latest Israeli offensive on
Gaza represented the height of aggravation and deterioration in the human
rights situation. He warned of a worse
situation in view of the persistence of the State of Israel to continue in
committing further violations and in view of the failure of the international
community to prosecute and bring accountable perpetrators of war crimes against
civilians. 

Sourani also talked about
the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, pointing out its impacts on the different
aspects of life. He reiterated that the
Palestinian civilians are the victims of this siege which paralyzes their life. 

Sourani discussed the
results of the investigations which were conducted in response to the
recommendations of the Goldstone Report. He discussed the relevant developments, expressing PCHR’s concerns over
the credibility of these investigations. He gave a copy of PCHR’s report ‘Genuinely Unwilling: Israel’s
Investigations into Violations of International Law including Crimes Committed
during the Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009’ to the French Consul. 

On his part, the Consul
General pointed out the attention paid by France to the human rights situation
in the OPT, and stressed that it is important that France maintains good
relationships with the Palestinian people and with human rights organizations
working in the OPT. 

It should be noted that
approximately 14 years ago; i.e., one year after the establishment of PCHR,
PCHR obtained the French Republic’s Human Rights Prize for the year 1996. At the time, PCHR considered this Prize as a
support to PCHR’s efforts exerted in the area of human rights.