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Conclusion, and Recommendations
By making the information contained
in this report available, the PHRMG hopes to facilitate what will surely
continue to be a difficult process in gaining compensation for Palestinian
victims of terrorist attacks perpetrated by militant Jews.
Israel’s failure to
compensate Palestinian victims of terrorist attacks sends an unmistakable
message to Palestinians – whether they are Israeli citizens, residents of
East Jerusalem, or West Bank and Gaza Strip residents working in
Israeli-controlled territory – that their lives are simply worth less than
Jewish ones. To be sure, it is not necessarily financial compensation that
most Palestinian terror victims seek, helpful though that may be. Rather,
what they seek is recognition. They want acknowledgement from the
State of Israel – whose government continues to exert tremendous force
over almost all aspects of their day-to-day lives – that Palestinian lives
and suffering matter as much as the lives and suffering of Jewish terror
victims.
Indeed, for many
ordinary Palestinians – including those interviewed in this report – it is
difficult to escape the conclusion that their lives may not even be
relevant to the State of Israel or to its government. The brother of Dr.
Naela Kara’in captured this general sentiment in an interview with an
Israeli journalist. He explained in no uncertain terms: “Our blood is
cheaper for the State than your Jewish blood. Our lives and our identity
cards don’t count here to anyone. On television [the Israelis] declare
their support for the peace process, and then in practice they send us
settlers with guns.” 70
• In light of
sentiments like these and in light of the human rights violations
documented in this report, the PHRMG calls on Israel:
• To recognize
all Palestinian victims of terrorist attacks perpetrated by militant
Jews.
• To compensate
all victims of terrorist attacks, regardless of nationality. To
accomplish this goal, Israel must comprehensively revise its
discriminatory compensation laws. Furthermore, Israel must establish
clear and fair procedures for compensating Palestinian terror victims
in such a way that Palestinian victims carry no extra burden in terms
of proving that they were victims of nationally and politically
motivated attacks. The goal of clear and fair procedures should be to
view Palestinian terror victims with the same consideration as Jewish
terror victims.
• To apprehend
and to vigorously prosecute militant Jews suspected of carrying out
terrorist attacks against Palestinian civilians.
• To secure the
right to personal security for all Palestinians under Israeli rule.
Israel’s failure to provide personal
security for Palestinians under Israeli rule as well as to compensate
Palestinians attacked by militant Jews is not only an affront to the human
dignity of Palestinian nationals. It is also an assault on basic
Palestinian human rights. Under no circumstances should any human
being be regarded as a terror victim of the wrong kind.
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