Israel Further Dehumanises Palestinian Citizens

The Asia Pacific Justice and Democracy Forum (JDF) has strongly condemned the approval of a law by Israel that paves the way for the imposition of the death penalty on Palestinian detainees. The JDF also calls for concrete steps from the international community to prevent its implementation.

JDF Asia Pacific President Jazuli Juwaini, in a statement in Jakarta on Friday, assessed the policy as a serious violation of human rights principles and international humanitarian law, including contravening the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“The approval of this law is a form of escalation in policy that not only threatens human lives but also undermines the international legal order. The world must not remain silent on practices that harm humanitarian values,” Jazuli stated firmly.

The JDF assesses the policy as reflecting increasingly entrenched discriminatory practices against the Palestinian people, while potentially worsening the humanitarian situation and hindering efforts for a just and sustainable peace in the region.

The organisation also warns that such a step could trigger broader instability, not only in the Middle East but also impacting global security.

As a response, the JDF urges the United Nations and other international mechanisms to take firm and measured actions to stop the implementation of the law.

In addition, they demand the cancellation of the policy deemed contrary to international law, and the guarantee of basic rights protection for the Palestinian people, including advocating for the release of civilian detainees in Israeli prisons.

The JDF also calls on the international community not to adopt a passive stance towards repeated violations, and to assume collective responsibility in upholding justice, humanity, and world peace.

Such efforts are deemed essential to ensure the enforcement of international legal norms continues, while preventing conflict escalation that could further deteriorate the humanitarian conditions in the region.