Rights group: Gov't undermining foundations of democracy by Moshe Reinfeld, Haaretz and Associated Press 9:51am Tue Jul 22 '03 The Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) harshly criticized Israeli domestic policies, accusing the government in a report released Tuesday of being party to a wider effort to undermine the foundations of democracy and social cohesion in Israel. print article Rights group: Gov't undermining foundations of democracy By Moshe Reinfeld, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Associated Press The Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) harshly criticized Israeli domestic policies, accusing the government in a report released Tuesday of being party to a wider effort to undermine the foundations of democracy and social cohesion in Israel. In its annual report on the state of civil rights in the nation, which was published yesterday, ACRI says that while the government is not alone in being responsible for the situation, its activities contribute to the continuing trend, which it said is characterized by damage to the rights of the Arab minority; undermining the legal system as the guardian of democracy; extensive privatization that favors individual profit over social welfare; critically harm to the health, education and welfare services; damage to job prospects and the rights of workers to campaign for better pay and pensions; and total violation of Palestinians' human rights, coupled with unprecedented physical injury to innocent Palestinian people. The report says social rights have been so badly damaged this year that there is a real danger of the entire welfare state collapsing. The report details repeated harm to the weakest communities in society, noting that National Insurance payments, unemployment benefits, old-age pensions, supplementary income payments, and rent aid have all been cut In a large section devoted to IDF soldiers and the intifada, the report harshly criticized Israeli troops for "malicious," cruel and sadistic behavior against Palestinians over the past year and, complained about military policy that it said bans inquiries into most deaths of Palestinians. The report by decries "unprecedented harm to innocent people, Palestinians and Israelis," during the third year of violence. 'Jews Only' Law The report is also highly critical of attempts to legislate a law bypassing the High Court that would allow the Israel Lands Authority and the Jewish Agency to allocate state lands tocommunities exclusively "Jews only." This initiative has for now been frozen but ACRI says the government's support for it was worrying. ACRI also criticized the first-time use this year of a clause allowing the Interior Minister to remove the citizenship of anyone convicted of carrying out a terror attack. The organization believes that if the process continues, it could lead to rendering political opponents stateless. The report also specifies a series of state infringements of freedom of speech and of the press, including an investigation of Haaretz reporter Baruch Kra. Palestinian attacks, Israeli violations Covering the period between June 2002 and June 2003, the report denounces Palestinian terror attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis, but its section on the territories concentrates on alleged Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights, listing military behavior at roadblocks, searches of villages and assassinations of suspected Palestinian militants as areas of violations. The group charges that most of the civil rights violations by Israeli soldiers "arise not from any operational necessity, but from hardheartedness of soldiers, who receive from above the message of utter disregard for the dignity, freedom and lives of innocent Palestinians." In a written response, the military categorically rejected the claim. "The opposite is true," the statement said. ACRI was founded in 1972 as a nonpolitical and independent body, with the goal of protecting human and civil rights in Israel and in the territories under Israeli control, according to the group's website. Hundreds of Palestinians were killed during the year, the report notes, but only a handful of inquiries were opened, all concerning settlers suspected of violence. ACRI complains that the military prosecutor follows a policy of refusing to investigate "deaths that occurred during warfare," a term that covers most of the fatal incidents. The military countered that some such cases are investigated, but indictments are filed only if there is criminal evidence against a soldier. 'Failure to prosecute soldiers for malicious behavior' The ACRI report complains bitterly about the behavior of soldiers at West Bank roadblocks, referring to a report from B'Tselem, another human rights group, about a soldier who carved a Jewish star on the arm of a Palestinian. The roadblocks, set up shortly after the violence erupted in September 2000 to keep Palestinian attackers and bombers out of Israel, have become institutionalized centers of mistreatment of Palestinians, and many of them have no other purpose, ACRI claims. Besides daily humiliation, some Palestinians have died as a result of the roadblocks, the report charges. Some roadblocks permanently cut roads. "While a healthy person can somehow make his way across," the report says, "a pregnant woman or a sick person cannot, and an ambulance cannot cross from the other side," the report reads. Though the military has pledged several times, including in response to an ACRI appeal to the Supreme Court, to allow urgent cases to cross roadblocks unimpeded, and a procedure for that exists, the civil rights group charges that "the procedures are not implemented, and in many cases, people in need of medical attention do not cross." The military said that soldiers at roadblocks "face difficult problematic dilemmas," and violations are investigated. The ACRI report also alleges wanton violence and harassment by Israeli soldiers south of the city of Hebron. Soldiers randomly search houses in the middle of the night, wreaking havoc and destruction, and sometimes they sound loud sirens. Another practice is to park an armored personnel carrier next to a house and race its engine, sending clouds of exhaust smoke into the house to choke the residents. The report says one such "smoking" was captured on videotape. "Absence of a response from the military, and failure to prosecute soldiers for such malicious behavior, sends a message to the soldiers in the field of ignoring or looking away from these acts, which have absolutely nothing to do with security needs," the report alleges. The military said an investigation is underway. The report also details hardships faced by Palestinians under lengthy curfews, when they are confined to their homes for days and weeks at a time. ACRI lists 12 cases in which Palestinians were shot and killed by soldiers for violating curfews between July and October 2002. The civil rights group also takes the military and the government to task for targeted killing of suspected Palestinian militants, complaining that many innocent civilians have been killed and wounded in the operations. During the year covered by the report, "the military assassinated 80 Palestinians. In at least 20 cases, the military accepted responsibility. In the operations during the period, 90 women, children and innocent men were killed and more than 300 innocent people were wounded," the report reads. The military said that harm to civilians is an unfortunate but inevitable part of the fight against terrorism. www.haaretz.com add your comments Source file