The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed concern this Saturday about the “drastic recovery” of hate speech and discrimination and the increase, in the past month, of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
In a statement, Volker Turk assumed that this increase is related to the growing tension in the Middle East due to the open conflict between Israel and Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel.
“The impact of this crisis has been dramatic at regional and global levels,” Volker Turk lamented in the document, which exposed the tendency to dehumanize both Jews and Palestinians.
The High Commissioner fears that “social fractures and polarization will increase”, which is why he called for control and an end to all forms of discrimination, including via the internet.
‘Both Jews and Muslims say they do not feel safe and that makes me sad’ Volker Turk surmised, focusing not only on the acts that can be committed, such as the persecution of symbols, but also on the words that political leaders can predict and that “undoubtedly” have consequences.
In this respect, recalled that international law is clear and “prohibits any incitement to hatred on grounds of nationality, race or religion that incites discrimination, hostility and violence”.
At the same time, the High Commissioner urged authorities to respect freedom of expression and the right to assembly, after restrictions on gatherings in favor of Israelis and Palestinians were imposed in some countries, in many cases, citing security concerns. certain speeches.
Volker Turk understood that there were “general or disproportionate restrictions” on the right to demonstrate, which would have “predominantly” limited calls for pro-Palestinian mobilizations.
Governments, he added, must take measures in a proportionate manner and “ensure that there is a safe space for participation and debate,” without restrictions on critical statements and “expressions of solidarity” with any party.
“When tensions and emotions surface, it is the law that must hold us back from protecting human rights,” he warned.
On October 7, Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and more than 200 hostages it is holding captive in the Gaza Strip.
Israel then began strong retaliation against that poor Palestinian enclave, controlled by Hamas since 2007, with cuts to supplies of food, water, electricity and fuel and daily bombardments, followed by a ground offensive that completed the siege on Thursday. Gaza.
On October 27, Israel began a ground invasion that had already advanced on Gaza City, the main city in the Gaza Strip.
From the beginning of the escalation, Israel, citing security concerns, ordered the withdrawal of civilians living in the north of the narrow enclave in the south, leaving about 1.5 million Gaza residents – more than half of the total population – have fled in the context of a serious fuel shortage. .
However, Israeli forces continued to bomb the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where living conditions for Gaza residents are becoming increasingly critical due to overcrowding, the collapse of hospitals and shortages of drinking water, food, medicine and electricity.
In turn, Hamas and other Palestinian militias continued to fire rockets into Israel, with sirens sounding even in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, although most of the projectiles were intercepted by air defense systems.
Source: DN
