Israel: CESCR echoes NGO concerns over displacement
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 25 November 2011 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Israel: CESCR echoes NGO concerns over displacement, 25 November 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4ed8d3360.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Displacement featured prominently in NGO's contributions to the 47th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on Israel. The NGOs consistently raised concerns over Israel's forced evictions and displacement of Palestinians and Bedouins in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The main concern is Israel's "Jerusalem 2020" plan which foresees further settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and its eastern periphery, including through the forcible transfer of nearly 27,000 Bedouins from around the Maale Adumim settlement. About 20 Bedouin communities along the road linking Jerusalem to the Jordan River have received demolition orders for January 2012. The NGOs also raised the threat of displacement of the Bedouins in unrecognised villages near Beersheva in the Negev.
In Gaza, the easing of the blockade heralded by the government had failed to deliver measurable results particularly for reconstruction. Out of more than 6,000 houses destroyed during Israel's bombardments during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009 just over 1,000 had reportedly been repaired. While Hamas has gained popularity as it has managed to smuggle building materials into Gaza, international humanitarian organisations have been unable to get permission to deliver materials to those most in need of them.
The Committee underlined that Israel had not delivered on the findings of its previous session, and questioned it on the displacement issues raised by the NGOs. Its members unequivocally refuted Israel's established position that it had no responsibility in the OPT under human rights treaties and held no effective control over Gaza, and held it to account for its actions in both Israel and the OPT.
