In anticipation of the hearing on the deportation of Omar Shaker, HRW's representative in Israel, at the High Court of Justice, today 20 Israeli civil society organizations published a joint statement of solidarity with HRW and Omar Shaker, its representative in Israel, as well as protesting the intention to deport him. The hearing, which was to be held tomorrow, has been postponed to mid-September.
"We stand with our colleagues at Human Rights Watch and their Israel and Palestine director Omar Shakir, and protest Israel’s plan to deport him. An appeal against this is to be heard this week by the High Court of Justice. Israel doesn’t want its citizens nor the world to see how it operates and what it does, but the occupation cannot – and will not – be hidden. Closing the borders to human rights organizations and activists, and other measures the government is taking against those who criticize its polices, will not stop us or our colleagues around the world from continuing to expose human rights abuses in the Occupied Territories and fighting to end them – until the occupation ends".
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel | Adalah | Akevot Institute for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Research | B’Tselem Bimkom | Breaking the Silence | Coalition of Women for Peace | Emek Shaveh | Gisha | HaMoked | Human Rights Defenders Fund | Ir Amim | Peace Now | Physicians for Human Rights Israel | Public Committee Against Torture in Israel Rabbis for Human Rights | Sikkuy | Standing Together Movement | Yesh Din | Zazim – Community Action
