While much of the attention Jerusalem receives at home and abroad is centered on political affairs and predicaments, the extent of human rights violations and neglect suffered by its Palestinian residents remains only partly known. Residents of the city, both Jewish and Arab, are often surprised when presented with the full, bleak picture. Jerusalem\u2019s Arabic public school system is in need of 1,000 more classrooms. Half of the Palestinian residents do not have legal and adequate connections to the water system. Sixty-five percent of Palestinian families live below the poverty line \u2014 double that of the Jewish population. A chronic shortage in sanitation facilities, post offices, welfare services and medical centers exists in all Palestinian neighborhoods. Illegal law enforcement measures are employed too often by the Israeli police operating in Palestinian areas, including violence and harassment, unwarranted restrictions on freedom of movement and disregard for laws concerning interrogation and arrests, including of children as young as 12.
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\nThe Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Israel\u2019s largest human rights organization, which deals with the entire spectrum of human rights and civil liberties issues, has been operating an innovative project in East Jerusalem during the past five years. Designed to redress the authorities\u2019 discriminatory policies in East Jerusalem and to empower the local population to exercise their rights, the project combines legal work, fieldwork, community organizing, public outreach, media and lobbying. A diverse staff of Israelis and Palestinians have succeeded in forming strong networks across boundaries, working in cooperation with a variety of community leaders and local and international NGOs and activists, as well as creating positive working relations with Jerusalem municipality representatives and other civil servants and officials.
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\nIn order to understand the intentional neglect of East Jerusalemites and to transform the current state of affairs, it is first necessary to examine the geopolitical policy at hand. Since the annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has sought to secure a stable Jewish majority in Jerusalem. Strategies to accomplish this have included placing endless burdens on Palestinians wishing to build or expand their homes and neighborhoods, the revocation of permanent residency status and cutting off entire neighborhoods with the construction of the separation wall. For the past four decades, the Israeli government and the Jerusalem Municipality have failed to allocate the budgets needed for strengthening and developing Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem. As a result, there exists a severe shortage of public services and infrastructure in East Jerusalem, including basic social, economic, medical, and educational services.
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\nACRI has identified and focused its efforts on several key areas where repeated and severe violations of basic human rights are occurring, and where legal and public work can result in substantive change on the ground. These include:
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\nSome of our achievements thus far have included: the re-opening of investigation into police officers\u2019 misconduct following complaints by Palestinian residents which were originally dismissed; the renouncement of \u201cdebt-collection checkpoints\u201d in East Jerusalem, where security checkpoints are used to also check for overdue taxes and carry out on-the-spot confiscation of vehicles; the relocation of a polluting metal factory situated next to the Shu\u2019fat Boys\u2019 School, causing health and environmental risks; the addition of new social workers\u2019 positions in East Jerusalem to support welfare services given to Palestinians; the translation of municipal forms into Arabic, which is spoken by Palestinians in East Jerusalem; the removal of a checkpoint adjacent to a Palestinian family home, where the Border Patrol had also positioned a gas tank and electricity generator; repairs and maintenance of the sewage system in the Shu\u2019fat refugee camp, where the Gihon Company refused to enter; and a significant improvement of garbage collection and municipality cleaning services in two East Jerusalem neighborhoods.
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\nIt is our hope that through our intensive efforts, and with the support of numerous dedicated partners, we will bring about real change and ultimately succeed in safeguarding the human rights and civil liberties of all those who call Jerusalem home.
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While much of the attention Jerusalem receives at home and abroad is centered on political affairs and predicaments, the extent … Read more