[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: It should be noted that the WHO conference is
being held in the western part of Jerusalem - not the eastern part that the
Palestinians claim.]

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Press Release

Ref: 117/2011

Date: 28 November 2011

Time:12:00 GMT

PCHR Strongly Condemns WHO’s Decision to Conduct a Conference in Jerusalem

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest
possible terms the decision of WHO Europe to conduct an official conference
in Jerusalem, hosted by Israel. The first World Health Organisation (WHO)
European Conference on the New European Policy for Health is to take place
on the 28–29 November 2011.

By conducting a Conference hosted by Israel in the city of Jerusalem the UN
Agency WHO sends an implicit recognition of Israel’s annexation of the city
and gives implied legitimization to Israel’s illegal actions in Jerusalem
over the past decades.

The Israeli Knesset's decision on 28 June 1967 to annex East Jerusalem to
the Israeli territories, the Knesset's declaration on 30 July 1980 that "the
whole united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel" and policy of expanding
Jerusalem's municipal boundaries constitute grave violations of
international law and United Nations Resolutions which explicitly recognise
East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state.

The city of Jerusalem is a central issue in the conflict between Israel and
the Palestinian people. It touches upon Palestinian right to
self-determination as well as civil and political rights. Israel’s policies
of annexation and Judaization of Jerusalem has lead to the systematic abuse
of Palestinian human rights within Jerusalem such as:

- The continued displacement of the native Palestinian population through
forced population transfer;

- Illegal house demolitions;

- Palestinians within the West Bank and Gaza being withheld access to
Jerusalem holy sites:

- The building of illegal Israel settlements as a means of irreversibly
changing the demographic balance of the city in favour of Jewish Israeli’s;

- The Judaization of the city through public works such as the “The City of
David”, to be constructed in the Palestinian district of Silwan, as well as
the destruction of Palestinian heritage sites within the city;

- The discriminatory targeting and mistreatment of Palestinians by Israeli
occupation forces;

The unequal access of Palestinians in Jerusalem to public services;

- Such discrimination against Palestinians in Jerusalem is part of a broader
regime of apartheid imposed by Israel on all Palestinians living in
Israel/Palestine historic 1948 borders as outlined recently by The Russell
Tribunal in South Africa.

PCHR call on the conference organisers to adhere to UN resolutions
respecting East Jerusalem as Palestinian territory and the rightful capital
of a Palestinian state by cancelling plans to hold the upcoming WHO meeting
in Jerusalem.

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8
2824776 - 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

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