18 Israeli civil society organizations speak out following the attacks on Peace Now

2011-11-09

PRESS RELEASE

18 Israeli civil society organizations speak out following the attacks on Peace Now: Israeli law enforcement authorities must take the threat seriously and act to protect activists from violence.

We members of Israeli civil society express our solidarity with the activists and organizations who have been subjected to threats and acts of violence. These acts are intended to intimidate us all and silence our voices. We warn that the threat of violence was already realized in the past, demonstrating that such acts do not stop at the level of mere slogans. Those who uproot olive trees and burn mosques are liable to not refrain from inflicting bodily, even life-threatening harm on Palestinians and Israelis whose views and actions they consider objectionable. In these days, when we commemorate the assassination of a Prime Minister because of his views, we raise our voices in protest and concern: the lesson has not been learned and no real attempt is made to bring the perpetrators to justice. It is not a matter for euphemisms such as “taking the law into one’s own hands,” or “a price tag.” Rather it is a matter of threats and acts of violence perpetrated by thugs encouraged by the inaction of the law enforcement authorities.

The authorities must take the threat seriously and fulfill their duty to protect Israeli activists and Palestinians in theOccupiedTerritoriesand inIsrael, in order to ensure that ideological disputes do not end in gun shots.

Signed by:

  • Adalah – TheLegalCenterfor Arab Minority Rights inIsrael
  • ASSAF – Aid Organization for Refugees and Asylum Seekers inIsrael
  • The Association for Civil  Right inIsrael
  • Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights
  • Breaking the Silence
  • B’Tselem: theIsraeliInformationCenterfor Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
  • Coalition of Women for Peace
  • Gisha -LegalCenterfor Freedom of Movement
  • HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual
  • Ir Amim
  •  IRAC –IsraelReligiousActionCenter
  • Israeli Children
  • Kav LaOved (Workers’ Hotline)
  • MachsomWatch
  • Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
  • The Public Committee against Torture inIsrael
  • Rabbis for Human Rights
  • Yesh Din