Human Rights Groups in response to government's decision to deport HRW official: There's no hiding the occupation
Fifteen Israeli human rights organization respond today to the Israeli government's decision to deport Omar Shakir,
Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch.
Israel’s decision to deport a Human Rights Watch official, and the growing list of people to whom it denies entry for
criticizing of the occupation, place Israel squarely on a list of disreputable states. The governments of such states
try to control people’s minds, thoughts and actions, instead of safeguarding people’s freedom of speech, and their
freedom to act and protest government policies. Particularly worrying is the fact that Israeli authorities compile
“personal dossiers” on foreign nationals because of things they have said or for having taken part in legitimate
political activities.
Israel is trying to keep both its own citizens and the world from seeing what it is doing. Neither closing the borders
to human rights groups and activists nor other Israeli measures against organizations critical of the occupation will
deter us – or them – from reporting human rights violations in areas under Israeli control.
Rather than trying to hide the occupation from the world – end the occupation.
Signatories:
Akevot
Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
Breaking the Silence
B'Tselem
Coalition of Women for Peace
Emek Shaveh
Gisha
Hamoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual
Human Rights Defenders Fund
Ir Amim
Machsom Watch
Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
Rabbis for Human Rights
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel
Yesh Din