PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi: International failure to hold Israel accountable is boosting extremist racist politics in Israel

“We strongly condemn Israel’s demolition of a school in the Shu'fat refugee camp this Tuesday. This assault on the rights of Palestinian children to an education is part and parcel of the relentless Israeli plans to uproot Palestinians from the occupied city of Jerusalem. Israel’s policy of home and property demolition is designed to make life conditions impossible for Palestinians in order to displace them from their homes, businesses, and schools and bring them with Israeli settlers in the ever-expanding illegal settlement regime. This policy of displacement and replacement is at the heart of Israel’s ongoing colonial occupation, which Israel is working hard to make permanent and irreversible.

 Today’s demolition coincides with the ongoing discussions of Israel’s egregious and widespread violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, exposing Israel’s abject disregard to international law. This also coincides with unprecedented expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and the grave escalation of violence against the Palestinian population, especially in Jerusalem.  

 As revealed in the discussions at the UN Human Rights Council, it is evident that the international community has a serious human rights and impunity crisis at hand. Israel is committing serious and pervasive human rights violations with impunity because the international community is abdicating its responsibility to hold Israel accountable for its actions.

 This international failure also feeds into and encourages the rightwing and fascism frenzy in Israeli politics, as evident in the objectionable campaign video by Israel’s so-called justice minister promoting fascism as an element of democracy. This shameful display of unabashed supremacist ideology must push all responsible international actors committed to human rights and the prospects of the two-state solution to action. Rather than shying away from their responsibilities, states must take swift action to stop this downward spiral of violence, racism, and impunity.”