Israel/Palestinian Authority: International Monitors a Must

(07/06/01) -- Two leading independent human rights organizations today called for the urgent deployment of international observers to monitor Israeli and Palestinian human rights and humanitarian law violations.

Independent monitoring of what is happening on the ground is crucial, and only the international community can provide this. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International

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In an open letter, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to declare their readiness to cooperate with such an initiative, and asked the United States, the European Union, and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to facilitate the establishment and deployment of such a force.  
 
"We completely agree with the Mitchell Committee's conclusion that peace and security must be built on respect for international law and the protection of human rights," said the two organizations, referring to the report of the international fact-finding committee headed by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell. "Independent monitoring of what is happening on the ground is crucial, and only the international community can provide this."  
 
The letter said that the joint Israeli-Palestinian Authority security committees have not been able to address these recurrent human rights and humanitarian law violations on their own. The two organizations said the international monitoring mechanism should report to Israeli and Palestinian security officials, but should also issue a public report at least monthly that would note what steps the parties had taken to correct policies and actions responsible for the violations.  
 
"An initiative of this sort is long overdue," said the organizations. "We call on those states whose influence in the region is greatest to help see that it happens.