B'Tselem to participate in UN event marking 50 years of 'occupation'
Committee on the Rights of the Palestinians to hold 'UN Forum to Mark Fifty Years of Occupation' in late June, with the left-wing NGO expected to attend; 'It is shameful that an Israeli organization is helping the Palestinians harm Israel on the UN stage,' UN envoy Danon says of B'Tselem.
The UN's Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will mark the anniversary of the Israeli "occupation" with an event featuring representatives from the left-wing NGO B'Tselem, including executive director Hagai El-Ad.
The conference, titled "United Nations Forum to Mark Fifty Years of Occupation," will be held at the UN headquarters in New York on June 29-30. The first day will see discussions on "Ending the Occupation: The Road to Independence, Justice and Peace for Palestine" and include a panel on "The prices and implications of fifty years of occupation," among others.
The second day will focus on "Ending the Occupation: Creating a Space for Human Rights, Development and Just Peace," host members of the Civil Society Forum and include a discussion on "International Law Enforcement and Accountability: How to bring about change."
Among the conference's speakers and panelists are international experts from Israel and the "State of Palestine," UN officials, representatives of UN member states, human rights organizations, academics and journalists.
"B'Tselem wants to see Jerusalem in the hands of the Palestinians," said Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon.
"It is shameful that an Israeli organization is helping the Palestinians harm Israel on the UN stage. B'Tselem continues its obsessive attempts to defame Israel and exploits its status as an Israeli organization to legitimize incitement against us. B'Tselem has joined forces with Israel haters to undermine our historical right to the Land of Israel and its eternal capital, Jerusalem," he continued.
Responding to Danon, B'Tselem said in a statement, "The Israeli government and the UN ambassador continue to lie and slander, because they have nothing to offer the 13 million Israelis and Palestinians under their control except for the continued oppression and violence of the occupation. In contrast, B'Tselem demands international action, for the sake of a future of human rights, liberty and equality."
UN launches website to mark '50 years of occupation'
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has launched a special project to mark the "50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation," which includes 50 stories of Palestinian men, women, and children who talk about their suffering at the hands of "the Israeli occupation."
"June 2017 marks fifty years since Israel began its military occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip," the website states. "The ongoing Israeli occupation, whose end is not in sight, creates a sense of hopelessness and frustration that perpetuates violence and affects both Israelis and Palestinians."
The website further states that "the Israeli occupation is a key factor for humanitarian needs" and that "the occupation prevents Palestinians from controlling the basic aspects of their lives: moving within their own country and developing their territory and their economy. These stories illustrate the Palestinian experiences of the occupation and its humanitarian effects."
(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
