Photo credit: Yossi Zamir/Shatil Stock

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) released a new report: A Year of Abandonment: The Collapse of Human Rights Protection in Israel and the West Bank in the Shadow of War. The report shows an unprecedented decline in the government’s support for the rule of law, a dramatic increase in the use of force to limit freedom of expression and protest in Israel; and systematic violation of the rights of Palestinian detainees, while giving implicit and explicit support to settler violence in the West Bank.

Here is an excerpt from the executive summary: 

“Over the past year, the Israeli government has chosen to ignore the growing needs and anguish of its citizens and instead has undertaken an unprecedented policy of abandoning Israeli citizens and residents while doing severe damage to the principles of democracy and basic human rights. 

This report reveals a reality of excessive, unrestrained, and illegal use of force in government conduct. It is demolishing the judicial system and the civil service with the aim of accumulating unlimited power; increasing the use of force in the West Bank and granting tacit permission for unrestrained settler violence in the West Bank; using force to limit freedom of expression and protest; and systematically violating the rights of detainees and prisoners. This does particular harm to the rights of Palestinians in the territories and Arab society in Israel. 

Disasters or emergencies often serve as opportunities to advance anti-democratic moves, to violate human rights and question the ideals underlying them, to discriminate against minorities, and to silence criticism. Measures taken during emergencies normalize the violation of human rights and democracy. Even when they are promoted as temporary measures for the crisis period, they not-infrequently become permanent or have long-term suppression effects.

The importance of this report lies in the concerning comprehensive picture it presents. We hope it will deepen the public’s understanding of the damage being done to human rights and democratic institutions, and that it will stir the public to action and resistance. Monitoring human rights violation processes is also critical for there to be any hope of correction under a different government and reality.”

The report’s scope is vast. It documents the Israeli government’s moves towards annexation of the West Bank, discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel, infringements on the rights of prisoners and detainees, and attacks on freedom of expression and speech. ACRI is the New Israel Fund’s flagship grantee, and we are proud to support their critical monitoring of governmental activities, policies, bills, and laws. Together we will continue to work for a more democratic and equal future for the state of Israel.