Palestine - January 2023

An escalation of violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict during the first weeks in office of Israel’s new government resulted in dozens of deaths on both sides. 32 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in January, continuing the alarming trend from 2022. An Israeli army raid in which ten Palestinians were killed in Jenin refugee camp on 26 January was followed by an attack by a Palestinian gunman against a synagogue in East Jerusalem on 27 January in which seven people were killed. The raid in Jenin follows ten months of intensified Israeli army raids in the West Bank as well as violence and vandalism by settlers against Palestinian communities. In response to the raid, Palestinian authorities threatened to cut off security cooperation, and noted Israel’s repeated aggressions and undermining of signed agreements. The Israeli government likewise introduced a series of punitive measures in response to the shooting, including laws stripping rights from Palestinians and death sentences for acts of ‘terrorism.’

*Since the impact of these events are felt primarily in Palestine, they are coded as impacting democracy and human rights in that country. While they are not coded as having these impacts for Israel, it is Israeli action that causes the effects on democracy in Palestine.

Sources: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Al Jazeera, UN News, Human Rights Watch, Middle East Monitor, Amnesty International

The visit of Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on 4 January has contributed to a deterioration in the security situation in Israel and Palestine. Ben-Gvir’s actions were condemned by the United Nations and human rights organizations. The visit took place in a context in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has implemented discriminatory legislation and policies against Palestinians, including a ban on Palestinian flags in public spaces, movement restrictions, strengthening of Jewish settlements in occupied territories, and intensified demolition of Palestinian homes. In January Israeli forces demolished 132 Palestinian structures across 38 communities in the occupied West Bank. Other plans involve the formal annexation of Palestinian territories by legalizing existing settlements and expanding numbers of Jewish settlers in the West Bank, where the situation is increasingly tense. This step would effectively preclude the international community-supported two-state solution.

*Since the impact of these events are felt primarily in Palestine, they are coded as impacting democracy and human rights in that country. While they are not coded as having these impacts for Israel, it is Israeli action that causes the effects on democracy in Palestine.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Associated Press, Middle East Monitor, UN News

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution on 30 December in support of Palestinian requests to have the International Court of Justice (ICJ) investigate the legality of Israeli policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In response to the resolution, the Israeli government introduced several retaliatory measures on 6 January penalizing- the Palestinian Authority (PA). The sanctions include revoking benefits and travel permits of Palestinian officials, suspending Palestinian construction in much of the West Bank, and a deduction of Palestinian tax revenues. The punitive measures have been condemned by more than 90 countries, and have included calls for Israel to reverse the steps taken against the PA for seeking international protection and an advisory opinion of the ICJ.

*Since the impact of these events are felt primarily in Palestine, they are coded as impacting democracy and human rights in that country. While they are not coded as having these impacts for Israel, it is Israeli action that causes the effects on democracy in Palestine.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Times of Israel (1), Al Monitor, The Associated Press, Times of Israel (2)