Palestinians in occupied territories need protection

Palestine Center Brief No. 289 (November 10, 2015)

By Zeina Azzam

At least 76 Palestinians and 10 Israelis have been killed in ongoing violence in the occupied East Jerusalem that began in September. The clashes began after dozens of Jewish settlers backed by Israeli security stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Palestinians oppose efforts by far-right Jewish groups who want to divide the holy site and build a Jewish temple there.

Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Old City say they have no one to safeguard their basic human rights. They are asking for an international force to protect them. On Oct. 24, the Jerusalemite Women’s Coalition, a group of women’s rights organizations and feminists, called for international protection, citing increased violence by Israeli settlers and the Israeli army. It is urging the international community to defend Palestinians living in East Jerusalem.

“We, the women of occupied East Jerusalem, are politically orphaned,” the group said in a statement. “Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem have been abandoned, subject to the discriminatory policies of a violent state and its security and police apparatus.” The Palestinian Authority cannot protect them in East Jerusalem, and Israel looks out only for the safety of the Jewish community.

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This article originally appeared in Al Jazeera America.

Zeina Azzam is Executive Director of the Palestine Center.

The views in this brief are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Jerusalem Fund.