A Discussion On Discovering Human Rights
Human Rights; Highlighting Yemen and Palestine.
Defining human rights:
Human rights are entitled to every human. They are the rights of every human being no matter what gender, cree, or economic status they are from. These rights are cucial for making sure that all humans are treated equally.
They are extremely important for the development of a country, and even personal development on an individual level. Taking a look at basic look at basic human rights, we can see how the right to life, practice any religion, movement, and much more play a major role in the well being of any human.
The UN's mission in 1945 was to prevent the onset of war and to advance the spread of dignity and human rights overall. Today, the UN remains on the front lines of responding to emergencies, violations of rights, and conflicts.
More than 100,000 'blue helmets' seep peace on four continents, and provide humanitarian relief for the more than 100 million in need. Human rights around the world are upheld by around 80 treaties and declarations at the UN. This work is becoming more and more challenging, with the increase of tensions between powers and extremist forces. (UN, 2020)
YEMEN
Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, six years into an armed conflict that has inured and killed over 18,400 civilians throughout. Yemen is also going through the worlds worst food availability crisis, nearly two thirds of its population, around 20 million, require food security assistance at the beginning of 2020.
Some violations Yemeni's are facing:
- Forced evictions
- Unlawful attacks
- Right to truth, justice and reparation
- Freedom of movement
- Arbitrary detention, and torture and other ill-treatment
“Civilians in Yemen are not starving, they are being starved by the parties to the conflict”, says the Chairperson of the UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen. (UN, 2020)
The conflict in this impoverished nation scaled up in 2015, when fighting took place between the Saudi-backed coalition, which is supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Ansar Allah, informally known as the Houthi rebel group.
Figures released from the UN OCHA, humanitarian office, show that more than 230,000 Yemenis have died due to the war. the majority of these victims, 131,000, passed due to indirect causes like lack of food, health service, and terrible infrastructure. Over 3,000 children, and 1,500 civilian casualties have been reported in the first several months og this year. (UN, 2020)
‘Rampant levels’ of violations
UN experts on human rights outlined to their ambassadors on the serious violations of international human rights, and humanitarian law. These two encomapass in mortar attacks, use of landmines, recruiting child soldiers, torture, and sexual violence in detention, all being used against Yemeni people.
There's no safe place.
The continuation of violence displayed but the parties causing the conflict shows the complete lack of respect for international law, let alone human life. There is simply no safe place to escape for the civilians of Yemen. (Child, 2020).
PALESTINE
What for?
For example by the beginning of 2022, 160 Palestinian children are currently held in Israeli prisons.
Where are the human rights ?
Even though human rights organizations are more active than ever in this time and age, even they can't seem to put an end to the loss of innocent lives. whether its Yemen, Palestine and dozens of other countries struggling in conflict and decline. (Fox, 2020).
Since the beginning of the conflict in Palestine, more than 10,200 children have been killed or maimed, an estimated 2 million children internally displaced. thousands more recruited into the fighting. (UN, 2020)
Israels Role in Palestinian Oppression
Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) Recommendations:
The HRW has provided several recommendations to Israel to remedy the situation.
- The organization directs that Israel end the oppression and persecution that privileges Jewish Israelis over Palestinians. This starts with:
- Ending discriminatory policies with regard to residency,
- Freedom of movement,
- Citizenship and access to basic resources. (Child on HRW, 2020)
The HRW also further calls on Israel to uphold the fundamental human rights that all Palestinians belong to as people. (Child, 2020)
Thousands of Palestinians have been killed ad injured due to airstrikes in Gaza and violence in Al-Aqsa mosque. The HRW has found that Israel is committing both crimes of apartheid and persecution against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). (Child, 2020).
An article titled “A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution”, published in April 2021, seeks to summaries the legal arguments made by the HRW reports. it also provides contextual background to the violence taking place in the OPT. It also discusses and demonstrate how Israel's actions are violating international law. (Fox, 2020).
THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES (OPT)
The OPT refers to the illegally-occupied territories by Israel since 1967. It is comprised of the West Bank, which East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. East Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in 1967. As the HRW makes it clear, East Jerusalem is considered a part of occupied territory, under international law. (Fox, 2020).
SHEIKH JARRAH
A Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, Sheik Jarrah has been under illegal Israeli occupation since 1967, as mentioned earlier.
Israeli Absentee Property Law of 1950 and Legal and Administrative Matters Law of 1970 are discriminatory since they allow only Jews to claim land was believed to be owned by Jews before 1948. no such equivalent right are given to the Palestinians.
Since 1972, Jewish settler organisations have been filing lawsuits against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, arguing that Jews originally owned the land in question. (Child, 2022)
In 2002, 43 Palestinians were forced out of their homes in Sheikh Jarrah.
In 2009, 53 Palestinian refugees - including 20 children - were also forced out of Sheikh Jarrah, and their properties were given to an Israeli settler organisation.
More families were forcibly stripped from their homes in 2008 and 2017. Since 2020, Israeli courts have forcibly ordered 13 Palestinian families to leave their homes. These are just small examples of such cases and is still happening on a daily basis.
AL-AQSA
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in the Old City of Jerusalem, which is legally part of East Jerusalem. It is considered the third holiest site in Islam. On 8 May 2021, Israeli police stormed into Al-Aqsa mosque where thousands of Palestinians were praying on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Child, 2022).
The Israeli police fired rubber coated metal bullets inside the mosque at worshippers. These bullets are capable of causing blindness, permanent disability, and even death.
Amnesty International has stated that the Israeli police’s response was “disproportionate” and “unlawful”. At least 178 Palestinians and 6 officers were injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 88 Palestinians were injured after being hit with the KIP bullets. (Fox, 2022).
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
The latest footage of violence in the OPT may have captured the world’s attention on social media, but Israel’s actions have long violated international law, again, as shown by the HRW report. (Child, 2020).
The problem of the Palestinian invasion has gathered international awareness. even ordinary individuals can contribute to the cause by spreading awareness on the rights of Palestinian on social media especially.
Approximately 72% of Palestinian families in Jerusalem are considered impoverished.
The oppression of Palestinians has gotten more brutal and violent.
Excessive use of force has resulted in the deaths of children and adults, posing a serious threat to human life.
In general, the Israeli government has discriminated against Palestinians within Israel's boundaries.
References:
UN. “Yemen: Unchecked Violations “May Amount to War Crimes”, Security Council Hears.” UN News, 3 Dec. 2020, news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1079232.
Child, D. (2022)“Yemen Most at Risk of Humanitarian Catastrophe in
2021:IRC.” News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 16 Dec. 2020,
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/irc-warns-yemen-at-
risk-of-massive-deterioration-in-2021.
fox, t. (2022). Israeli arrests of Palestinian children rise after
Trump’s Jerusalem announcement. Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the
Middle East. Retrieved 5 April 2022, from https://www.al-
monitor.com/originals/2018/01/palestine-children-arrest-abuse-
israel-trump-jerusalem.html.
Moussa,H.(2014)[photograph of fire and bombing in Ghaza]. Inside
Arabia. https://insidearabia.com/israel-has-made-a-habit-out-of-
bombing-gaza-during-ramadan/
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