News briefing
Translated and edited by: Committee for Justice
Geneva: 2 June 2021
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Affairs, Fernand de Varennes, condemned the attacks against the Palestinian minority in Israel by far-right groups and settlers.
Attacks are sometimes supported by security forces:
Farines pointed out, in statements published by the Media Center of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, that the Palestinian citizens of Israel, including the Bedouins, constitute an Arab minority representing about 1.5 million people, or 20% of the population of Israel, and face discrimination in many areas at the hands of extremist groups and settlers with the support of the security forces – at times.
“Reports of extreme right-wing violence and disproportional use of force by law enforcement officials during protests in recent weeks, including in Sheikh Jarrah, Damascus Gate and the Al-Aqsa mosque, have led to some of the worst cases of violence against Palestinian citizens of Israel,” said Fernand de Varennes.
“These attacks have been shared on social media and such platforms appear to have been used by extreme right wing groups to advocate hatred that constitutes incitement to violence with impunity to gather people to bring their weapons and attack Palestinians.”
Farines also stated that decades-long exclusion and discrimination, including the separation between Arab and Jewish citizens, and unequal treatment in terms of rights and privileges, have taken a heavy toll on the Palestinian minority, adding that “the absence of protection and shelters in the Bedouin villages in the Negev has compounded the lack of security for the Bedouin minority.
UN calls to protect citizens and stop attacks:
The UN Special Rapporteur added: “Given the urgency of the situation, I call on the Government of Israel to firmly condemn all acts of violence, hatred and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel.”
“The authorities must ensure its citizens immediately stop these attacks and that everyone is fully and equally protected without any form of discrimination. Police accused of failing to protect all residents and citizens of Israel without discrimination must be investigated.”
