The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) today met with Shawan Jabarin, General Director of Al Haq, to discuss the escalating violations of human rights by Israel in the occupied Palestinian Territory and Ireland’s failure to live up to its international obligations.
The meeting brought together IHREC Commissioners and representatives of Al Haq, one of Palestine’s longest-established human rights organisations, which has documented violations of international human rights and humanitarian law for decades.
Commissioners heard firsthand accounts of the ongoing illegal attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the accelerating settlement expansion and displacement in the West Bank, and the increasing pressure being placed on Palestinian civil society organisations and human rights defenders.
This is taking place in a context where the Irish government, and all other States, are under specific obligation to prevent and respond to such violations and to protect the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. These obligations arise from the Genocide Convention to which Ireland is a signatory and an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice which was approved by the UN General Assembly.
IHREC expressed serious concern regarding US sanctions imposed on Al Haq and other Palestinian human rights organisations as a result of their cooperation with international legal bodies, including the International Criminal Court. Commissioners expressed grave concern also at the wider implications such measures may have for international justice, civic space, and the protection of human rights defenders globally.
Speaking after the meeting, IHREC Director Deirdre Malone said:
“Human rights organisations must be free to engage with international courts and accountability mechanisms without fear of sanction or reprisal. Efforts to undermine those institutions weaken the international human rights system as a whole and leave vulnerable people with no protection. International law, including the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, must be upheld consistently and without exception.”
The meeting forms part of IHREC’s ongoing engagement on international human rights law, accountability, and Ireland’s obligations under international legal frameworks.