Israel’s occupation is illegal and indistinguishable from a
“settler-colonial” situation, which must end, as a pre-condition
for Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination,
the UN’s independent expert on the occupied Palestinian
territory said on Thursday.
“For over 55 years, the Israeli military occupation has prevented
the realisation of the right to self-determination of the
Palestinian people, violating each component of that right and
wilfully pursuing the ‘de-Palestinianisation’ of the occupied
territory,” said Francesca Albanese, UN
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, in her report to the UN
General Assembly.
The report asserts the Israeli occupation violates Palestinian
territorial sovereignty by seizing, annexing, fragmenting, and
transferring its civilian population to the occupied territory.
The occupation furthermore “endangers the cultural existence of
the Palestinian people”, said the UN rights office press release
summarizing the report, by erasing or appropriating symbols
expressing Palestinian identity and violates Palestinians’
ability to organise themselves, free from alien domination and
control, by repressing Palestinian political activity, advocacy
and activism.
‘Strategic fragmentation’
“This is, in essence, proof of the intent to colonise the
occupied territory, and manifests Israel’s policies of domination
through the “strategic fragmentation” of the occupied territory,”
the expert said.
The international community’s political, humanitarian, and
economic approach towards resolving the Israel-Palestine
conflict, have failed without exception, the report
notes.
“These approaches conflate root causes with symptoms and serve to
normalise Israel’s illegal occupation instead of challenging it.
This is immoral and renders the regulatory and remedial function
of international law futile,” Albanese said.
Paradigm shift
The report calls for “a paradigm shift”, which entails moving
away from the narrative of “conflict” between Israelis and
Palestinians, and recognition of Israel’s “intentionally
acquisitive, segregationist and repressive settler-colonial
occupation.”
Ms. Albanese urged the international community to formally
acknowledge and condemn the settler-colonial nature of the
Israeli occupation.
Children stand on a home demolished in Beit Sira, a Palestinian
village in the central West Bank.
No negotiation over withdrawal
She also demanded an immediate end to the illegal occupation, and
call on Israel to withdraw its military personnel and support for
Israeli civilians in the colonies.
She cautioned all States against making Israeli withdrawal
subject to negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
“Meaningful discussions on a political solution for Palestine can
only begin when the illegal occupation is dismantled once and for
all,” the expert said.
Special Rapporteurs like Ms. Albanese, are appointed by the
Geneva-based UN Human Rights
Council to examine and report
back on a specific human rights theme or a country
situation. The positions are honorary, and experts are not paid
for their work.
