There's no hiding the occupation

Human Rights Groups in response to government's decision to deport HRW official: There's no hiding the occupation

Fifteen Israeli human rights organization respond today to the Israeli government's decision to deport Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch.

Israel’s decision to deport a Human Rights Watch official, and the growing list of people to whom it denies entry for criticizing of the occupation, place Israel squarely on a list of disreputable states. The governments of such states try to control people’s minds, thoughts and actions, instead of safeguarding people’s freedom of speech, and their freedom to act and protest government policies. Particularly worrying is the fact that Israeli authorities compile “personal dossiers” on foreign nationals because of things they have said or for having taken part in legitimate political activities.

Israel is trying to keep both its own citizens and the world from seeing what it is doing. Neither closing the borders to human rights groups and activists nor other Israeli measures against organizations critical of the occupation will deter us – or them – from reporting human rights violations in areas under Israeli control.

Rather than trying to hide the occupation from the world – end the occupation.

Signatories:

Akevot

Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)

Breaking the Silence

B'Tselem

Coalition of Women for Peace

Emek Shaveh

Gisha

Hamoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual

Human Rights Defenders Fund

Ir Amim

Machsom Watch

Physicians for Human Rights - Israel

Rabbis for Human Rights

The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel

Yesh Din

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