Amnesty International’s Activity for
Human Rights in Gaza and Israel
On Wednesday, July 30th, 2014, I received an email from Amnesty International regarding the human rights situation in Gaza and Israel that I believe shows the importance of calling for the protection of human rights for all citizens, regardless of which side of the border they live on. I have quoted the message below. Again, in the message, please note Amnesty’s commitment to ending all human rights abuses.
The message reads:
“Nowhere is safe in Gaza – homes, parks, power plants and schools have all been damaged or destroyed.
Israeli tank fire and air strikes continue to bombard the region as Israel’s ground offensive enters its 23rd day. Since Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge” began, over 1,000 Palestinians – more than 200 of them children – have been killed.
At the same time, armed Palestinian groups, including Hamas, continue to lob indiscriminate rockets into Israel, killing three civilians, wounding others, and damaging property.
Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks against civilians like these are prohibited under international law.
Amnesty is investigating these war crimes and spearheading a global campaign to halt all arms supplies to Israel, Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups. The U.S. must do its part and stop sending weapons to Israel.
With Israel’s ground invasion, the number of civilian casualties has skyrocketed. Gaza’s already crippled infrastructure has been decimated. Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis live in fear of death or injury from indiscriminate rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups.
In solidarity,
Sunjeev Bery
Advocacy Director, Middle East North Africa
Amnesty International USA
It is great to see human rights organizations dedicated to ending all human rights abuses in Gaza, Israel, and elsewhere. It is also refreshing to see the US government called out, since they provide billions of dollars in the form of financial and military support to the Israeli government.
Human rights violations, and arguably war crimes, are being committed by both the Israeli military and Hamas. Organizations, individuals, and state leaders must not be afraid to call for full protection of all human rights, regardless of who the violator is. This is important, because often individuals attempt to justify in their minds why their officials or government are committing violations. Human rights abuses have absolutely no place in our global community, and we should continue to speak out against every single violation. This last point might seem obvious, but unfortunately, many are afraid, or much worse, unwilling to speak on behalf of the individual who is suffering. We must think and live as global citizens, not bound by ideas of nationalism, religious affiliation, or any other divisions, when at the expense of justice for all of our fellow human beings.
