Press Releases

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concluded among others that Israel “maintains Jewish and non-Jewish sectors, which raises issues under article 3 of the Convention” (para. 11). This is in particular troublesome in the light that “no general provision for equality and the prohibition of racial discrimination has been included in the [Israeli] Basic Law” (para. 13). The Committee explicitly statesits “concern at the maintenance of discriminatory laws especially targeting Palestinian citizens of Israel” (para. 18); and its concern regarding the establishment of two entirely separate legal systems in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt): “one for Jewish communities grouped in illegal settlements on the one hand and Palestinian populations living in Palestinian towns and villages on the other hand”(para. 24).

Furthermore, it states that Israeli settlements in the oPt are “not only illegal under international law but are an obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights by the whole population” (para. 4), in addition to “Israel’s discriminatory planning policy” (para. 25) and “the dramatic and disproportionate impact of the… blockade and military operations on Palestinians’ right to housing and basic services in the Gaza Strip” (para. 26). Lastly, the Committee emphasizes on “the increase in racist violence and acts of vandalism on the part of Jewish settlers in the oPt targeting non-Jews and [in particular] about information according to which 90 per cent of Israeli police investigations into settler-related violence carried out between 2005 and 2010 were closed without prosecution. The Committee is particularly alarmed by reports of impunity of terrorist groups such as Price Tag, which reportedly enjoy political and legal support from certain sections of the Israeli political establishment” (para. 28).

Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination(Please open it here)

BADIL at CERD

BADIL submitted one parallel report, “Israel's Serious Breaches of its Obligations under the International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination”.

And one joint parallel report by Al-Haq; Addameer; Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Group; WCLAC; and BADIL, “The Consideration of Israel’s 14th, 15^th and 16^th Periodic Reports on the implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”.

Next to this, BADIL submitted one oral statement, “Summary of BADIL’s written report” and participated in one side event which was organized by ICAHD, Al-Haq, Adalah and BADIL where a joint addendum was presented. Additionally, BADIL took part in one diplomatic briefing with fifteen diplomatic missions and met with the secretariats of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and- on Internally Displaced Persons.