A/HRC/8/18 page 16 Hebron Islamic Charity was affiliated with Hamas. However, the relevant Israel Defense Forces orders reportedly contained no mention of the charitable institution being involved in any illegal activity. B. Observance of cultural rights by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 1. Effects of the closure regime on the enjoyment of cultural rights 47. During the reporting period, the above-mentioned restrictions on freedom of movement limited the possibilities for Palestinians to enjoy the right to participate freely in the cultural life of the community and to enjoy the arts, as provided for in article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to fully realizing the right of everyone to take part in cultural life “shall include those necessary for the conservation, the development and the diffusion of science and culture” (article 15 (2) of the Covenant). 48. Without access to cultural and artistic institutions and communication between members of a community, aspects of cultural practice and tradition can be lost or severely impaired. Many cultural and social activities take place away from the local area. For culture to thrive and develop, there must be unhindered communication between, and the involvement of, all groups and individuals in society. The closure regime restricted the access of Palestinians to places of cultural significance and locations where cultural events were held. If Palestinian cultural events were to be organized, they needed to be held separately in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. 49. As a consequence, all forms of cultural and educational contacts and exchange, such as theatre, cinema, fine arts and music, were limited inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This included cultural exchanges with the countries of the region, as restrictions on the right of Palestinians to leave and re-enter the Occupied Palestinian Territory hampered their participation in cultural events organized in other States. Similarly, owing to visa restrictions for citizens of Arab countries, faculties of fine arts, music and other cultural educational institutions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were unable to invite visiting scholars, lecturers and art performers from neighbouring countries to benefit from their common cultural heritage and language. 50. The importation of Arabic language books was subject to restrictions. Several copies of each book had to be provided for review by the Israeli authorities in order to obtain import approval. This procedure impeded especially the import of specialized literature used by a limited number of readers. The traditional Ramallah Arab book fair, which had been discontinued since 2000, was held again for the first time in 2005, but owing to the burdensome importing procedure, the organizers indicated that they did not intend to repeat the event in the future. 51. Another implication of the restrictions on freedom of movement for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza was the lack of access to their historic and cultural heritage. Palestinians, notably the younger generation, were prevented from visiting renowned places of historical or cultural interest in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, although they were accessible to international visitors.