"Who Is Next?" Israel Expels Human Rights Watch Director for Opposition to Illegal Israeli Settlements by Julia Conley!
(2019-11-26 at 17:19:29 )

"Who Is Next?" Israel Expels Human Rights Watch Director for Opposition to Illegal Israeli Settlements by Julia Conley

"A government that expels a leading human rights investigator is not likely to stop its systematic oppression of Palestinians under occupation without much greater international pressure."

Human Rights Watchs Israel and Palestine director Omar Shakir sits at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 9, 2018.

Human Rights Watch on Monday vowed to continue fighting the violation of Palestinians human rights by the Israeli government as the organizations director for the region was expelled from Israel.

Omar Shakir was forced out of the country three weeks after the Israeli Supreme Court upheld the governments decision to revoke his work visa on the grounds that he supports a boycott of Israel.

Neither Mr. Shakir nor Human Rights Watch (HRW) endorses a boycott of the country; they do oppose businesses which operate in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as the settlements violate the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

"Today, Israel deports Mr. Shakir because Human Rights Watch urges businesses to shun illegal settlements.

Who is next-someone who calls for the International Criminal Court to examine possible crimes in Israel and Palestine or correctly calls the West Bank "occupied" rather than "disputed"?"-Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch

"This decision shows why the international community must reboot its approach to Israels deteriorating human rights record," Kenneth Roth, HRWs executive director, said in a statement.

"A government that expels a leading human rights investigator is not likely to stop its systematic oppression of Palestinians under occupation without much greater international pressure."

In an editorial at Common Dreams, journalist Juan Cole rejected the Israeli governments reasoning for deporting Mr. Shakir.

"It is the slow ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians and the settling on their property of Israeli squatters that Tel Aviv did not want Human Rights Watch to observe," Mr. Cole wrote.

The organization argued that Israel joined dictatorships like Egypt in expelling human rights workers.

"But it, too, will not succeed in hiding its human rights abuses," Mr. Roth said.

"Human Rights Watchs work on human rights abuses committed by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas will continue under Mr. Shakirs direction," the organization said. "He will be based in another Human Rights Watch office in the region."

Mr. Roth added that Mr. Shakirs expulsion could be just the first of many deportations as the Isreali government continues its attacks on Palestinians human rights and its efforts to silence dissent.

As Mr. Shakir left the country, he told reporters, "I will be back."

"I will be back when the day comes that we have succeeded in dismantling the system of discrimination impacting Israelis and Palestinians," Mr. Shakir said at a press conference.

Reprinted here from "Common Dreams" has been providing breaking news & views for the progressive community since 1997. We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100% reader supported.