March 1991, Page 69

Human Rights

By Sally Clark Nyhan

International Human Rights Organizations Decry Israeli Curfew on Palestinians

Israel faces an outcry from a growing number of international human rights and relief organizations for placing the entire occupied territories under a strict curfew since Jan. 16.

Middle East Watch, UNWRA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), CCINGO (Coordinating Committee of International Non-Governmental Organizations), Union of Palestine Medical Relief Committees, Medical Aid for Palestine, and ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) have all called on Israel to lift the curfew.

Israel instituted the curfew over the entire occupied territories in response to the war in the Persian Gulf, citing fear of escalation of unrest in the territories. While the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claims to be "'looking at ways to ease the burden on the population,' many Palestinians fear that the army will maintain the curfew for the duration of the war in the Gulf, " states Middle East Watch.

UNRWA announced on Jan. 31 a program of "emergency food distribution to alleviate shortages and hardships being experienced by refugees and non-refugees alike. " In addition, the UNRWA Commissioner-General called on Israeli authorities to lift the curfew as a humanitarian measure.

"UNRWA feels that these curfews which were imposed not in response to any specific security-related incident are an unnecessary burden on Palestinians who are already suffering greatly from the effects of the Gulf war in the form of lost jobs and income from the Gulf states," the Commissioner-General stated. The curfews have been lifted, for periods of one to several hours, on a rotating basis around the territories. Some areas, like Ramallah, generally have curfew liftings every three days, while some towns had curfew lifted only once in the two weeks after Jan. 16. In addition, rules change from town to town-in some areas, only women are allowed to leave their houses. There are increasing reports of food shortages. Palestinians, particularly those who enter Israel as day-workers, have been unable to go to work or to earn money to buy foodstuffs during the infrequent hours that the curfew is lifted. CCINGO estimates that farmers' crops for the year will be lost unless the curfew is lifted by Feb. 8. In addition, the entire livestock population is at risk of starvation.

While UNRWA has been able to distribute some medical and relief services, it has had to scale back its activities because many of its workers have not received curfew passes allowing them outside during the curfew. In general, hospitals and ambulances have been allowed to operate, although some are also facing staffing shortages. While some doctors have received curfew passes, many of the support staff of nurses and technicians have not, reports Middle East Watch.

The organizations also expressed concern about recent Israeli threats to suppress harshly any uprisings in the territories. Middle East Watch received reports of loudspeakers mounted on jeeps on patrol warning that curfew violators would be "risking their lives." The organization reports that "scores" of Palestinians have been arrested for breaking curfew, including over 200 in the West Bank.

Middle East Watch also raised concern over the "fast trial" option being offered to curfew violators. Under the fast trial method, which has been used during the intifada, a defendant is brought before ajudge within a few days after arrest, often without legal counsel, and offered an opportunity to plead guilty.

A guilty plea usually gets a lighter sentence and fine, and defendants who reject the offer are usually denied bail and returned to prison. Consequently, says Middle East Watch, "despite the merits of one's case and the liability of a conviction on one's record, the incentives to plead guilty in a fast trial are considerable, especially if doing so is likely to secure his immediate release."

Still No Gas Masks for Palestinians

Despite an Israeli High Court of Justice ruling that gas masks must be distributed to Palestinians, the Israeli military authorities have been slow to carry this out, and there is still no system of warning for impending Iraqi missile attacks in the occupied territories.

Reports Middle East Watch:

"Israeli authorities have been preparing civil defense measures against a possible chemical-weapons attack since shortly after the invasion of Kuwait ' in response to long-standing threats by Iraqi President Saddam Hussain to attack Israel. In October, the IDF began distributing free gas masks and chemical-warfare defense kits to Israeli citizens, but announced that Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip would have to buy gas masks if they wanted them, on the grounds that they were not covered by the national insurance plan. Meanwhile, authorities said that hotels would receive masks for tourists."

After the High Court decision, Israel announced that it had only 173,000 adult gas masks and no masks for children. Although Israeli officials say they are investigating ways to obtain more masks, no plans have been released. Meanwhile, UNRWA has received gas mask kits from the Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, and Canadian governments, and plans to distribute 52,000 gas masks.

Currently, there are no air raid sirens in the occupied territories, and residents must learn of impending (or Already landed) attacks from the radio or television. In addition, most Palestinians currently held in detention centers have not received gas masks, because, IDF authorities said ' they are far enough away from population centers and not at risk. However, one Israeli human rights lawyer received an affidavit from a Palestinian prisoner at Ketsiot, stating that during a missile attack, the Israeli guards pulled on gas masks and told the prisoners to stay in their tents until told to come out. Finally, Middle East Watch has urged Israel to lift the curfew; to provide passes to all health care workers and lawyers; to ensure that residents have the means to obtain food and medical care; to dispel publicly the impression that open-fire regulations for soldiers have been relaxed; to lift the ban on journalists and human rights observers entering and traveling in the occupied territories; and to grant all Palestinian residents the same forms of protection against missile attacks given to Israeli citizens.

Amnesty International Launches Campaign for Sari Nusselbeh

Amnesty International has adopted an urgent action appeal campaign for the release of Sari Nusseibeh, professor of philosophy at Beir Zeit University, arrested by Israeli authorities on Jan. 29 and accused of passing information to the Iraqis.

Nusseibeh, who is being held in administrative detention, is a prominent Palestinian who has advocated a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem. Israel accused him of involvement in drafting literature inciting violence and giving Iraq information on missile landings. Denying the charges against him, Nusseibeh pointed out that he has been under curfew since Jan. 16, with severely restricted access to the outside world.

Nusseibeh was originally sentenced to six months of administrative detention, although an Israeli court reduced his sentence to three months. Amnesty International is concerned that Israel is using administrative detention to detain prisoners of conscience and has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nusseibeh. The group has organized a letter-writing campaign to Israeli officials. For more information, contact your local Amnesty International office or the Urgent Action Program Office at P.O. Box 1270, Nederland, CO 80466-1270, or phone (303) 440-0913.

Sally Clark Nyhan is the human rights editor for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.