A/HRC/15/51
inquiry should be made public and, subject to the findings, appropriate remedial action
should be taken.
43.
Some non-governmental organizations report concerns regarding limits on freedom
of expression in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and point primarily to the
recently proposed bill, entitled “Amendment of restrictions on an organization’s registry
and activity”, as an indication of ongoing efforts to limit the freedom of expression by civil
society organizations concerned with human rights. If enacted, the proposed legislation
would prevent the registration of non-governmental organizations or shut down existing
ones “if there is a reasonable basis to conclude that the organization is providing
information to foreign bodies or is involved in lawsuits abroad against senior officials in
the government in Israel and/or officers in the Israeli army regarding war crimes.”28 As of
the publication of the present report, Israel has not established an independent inquiry to
assess whether the treatment by Israeli judicial authorities of Palestinian and Jewish Israelis
expressing dissent in connection with the offensive was discriminatory.
44.
In paragraph 1972 (h) of its report, the Mission recommended that the Government
of Israel should refrain from any action of reprisal against Palestinian and Israeli
individuals and organizations that have cooperated with the United Nations Fact-Finding
Mission on the Gaza Conflict, in particular individuals who had appeared at the public
hearings held by the Mission in Gaza and Geneva and expressed criticism of actions by
Israel.
45.
OHCHR is not aware of any reprisals taken by the Government of Israel against
Palestinian or Israeli individuals or organizations that cooperated with the Mission.
46.
In paragraph 1972 (i) of its report, the Mission recommended that Israel should
reiterate its commitment to respecting the inviolability of United Nations premises and
personnel, and that it should take all appropriate measures to ensure that there was no
repetition of violations in the future. It also recommended that reparations to the United
Nations should be provided fully and without further delay, and that the General Assembly
should consider the matter.
47.
On 22 March 2010, an IDF missile hit a well in the Toufah quarter in Gaza,
damaging the nearby school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).29 As of the publication of this report, the
United Nations has not received any formal communication from the Government of Israel
reiterating its commitment to respecting the inviolability of United Nations premises and
personnel.
F.
Action by Palestinian armed groups
48.
In paragraph 1973 of its report, the Mission addressed two recommendations to
Palestinian armed groups.
28
29
Bill no. P/18/2456 (available at www.adalah.org/newsletter/eng/apr10/bill.pdf). See also the joint
response issued by the following organizations: Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights
in Israel; Association for Civil Rights in Israel; Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights; B’tselem The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories; Gisha - Legal Center
for Freedom of Movement; Hamoked - Center for the Defence of the Individual; Physicians for
Human Rights – Israel; Public Committee against Torture in Israel; Rabbis for Human Rights; Yesh
Din - Volunteers for Human Rights (available at
www.adalah.org/eng/pressreleases/pr.php?file=29_04_10).
Information received by OHCHR from UNRWA.
11
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