Is Israel a Serious Human Rights Violator in the Occupied Territories?

Monday 11 December 2006

An “open and honest debate about Israel’s conduct in the West Bank and Gaza.” This was the intention behind the slightly provocative title of the event, which took place at Hampstead Town Hall on 11th December 2006. Jon Snow, chairing, challenged the packed audience “to listen to one another, with a positive mindset.”

In her keynote speech, Sarit Michaeli, from B’Tselem, the Israeli Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, summarised the wide-reaching effects of the Israeli occupation, noting that acts such as the recent blowing up of a power plant has done nothing to help the return of the kidnapped Corporal Gilad Shalit, which Israel was promised.

“No actor in the region has a clear conscience”. Dr Guglielmo Verdirame, a barrister and lecturer in international law, urged the audience to take B’Tselem’s views “very seriously”. His thoughts were echoed by Stephanie Koury, a former adviser to the Palestinian Authority, who warned that failure to address the human rights issue quickly would strengthen those in Hamas wanting to undercut negotiations.

Given the refusal of both the Israeli Embassy and BICOM to address the meeting and put Israel’s case, Dr Saul Zadka’s was a brave if lone voice from the platform. “Jews are news” was how he explained his view that Israel attracts more criticism than many other countries, whose human rights violations would not attract a “Hampstead audience”. But the recent destruction of a power station in Gaza was, he conceded, a war crime.

Rabbi Alexandra Wright’s plea for Anglo -Jewry to work together, to challenge the culture of thinking, and transform perceptions seemed to hold the key to the way forward. It was echoed by Jon Snow when he berated those “who are trading in fear and loathing”.

Audience views ranged from “Why is Israel on trial every day of the week?” to “How can you be balanced when the conflict is not balanced- ten times more Palestinians are killed than Israelis”. But in the final analysis, the issues of balance, as put forward by panel members, seemed the most persuasive:

• 75% of both populations accept the notion of a two state solution • many people on both sides are desperate for peace, and are working together • each side needs to learn and understand the story of the other, if progress is to be made

The last word came from the B’Tselem speaker” Human rights is all about balancing the rights of different peoples”.

Meeting Details Hampstead Town Hall, 213 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 (near Belsize Park tube station)

Chair

JON SNOW Veteran journalist and broadcaster

Keynote Speaker

SARIT MICHAELI Communications Director of B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. Formerly London correspondent for Israeli Channel 2 Television

Panellists

Dr SAUL ZADKA Programme Director at Spiro Ark and a press reviewer for BBC television. Formerly European correspondent for Ha’aretz and commentator on Middle East affairs for Channel 4 and Sky

STEPHANIE KOURY Research Fellow at SOAS on law, human rights and peace-building in the Middle East. Formerly advisor to the Palestinian negotiation team. Resided in West Bank and Gaza Strip for eight of the last ten years.

Dr GUGLIELMO VERDIRAME Barrister, and Lecturer in International Law at the University of Cambridge

RABBI ALEXANDRA WRIGHT Senior rabbi at the Liberal Synagogue, St John’s Wood, and member of Rabbis for Human Rights

Tickets: £7 on the door; Concessions £5.

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