Israel’s dual legal system leads high number of convictions of Palestinians

GENEVA (AA) – A U.N. official has expressed concern about the high number of criminal convictions of Palestinians.

The Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese (UN), said that many Palestinians are convicted for ordinary acts, such as protesting or participating in demonstrations.

Albanese said the Israeli government is enforcing a dual legal system in the occupied territories.

“What leads to mass incarceration, what leads to these huge numbers, is that most criminal convictions result from violations of international law and criminalization of ordinary acts of life,” said Albanese, an Italian international lawyer.

She said there is one set of laws for Palestinians and another set of laws for Jewish Israeli settlers.

The U.N. official said this dual legal system violates international law and is a pillar of Israel’s apartheid regime.

She called on Israel to stop criminalizing the everyday actions of Palestinians and bring its laws in line with international law.

She also called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations in the occupied territories.

“Protecting Palestinians’ rights is a way also to ensure a present and future of peace, and for the Israelis as well,” she added.

Albanese said that Israel has imprisoned about one million Palestinians in the occupied territories since 1967, including tens of thousands of children.

There are currently 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including 160 children, and about 1,100 are detained without charge or trial.