New B’Tselem report – The Occupation’s Fig Leaf
May 25, 2016
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem announced on Wednesday, 25 May 2016 that it will stop referring complaints to the military law enforcement system, in order to avoid contributing further to the pretense inherent in the work of this system. In a report published that day, entitled The Occupation’s Fig Leaf, B’Tselem explains that this decision was taken after a protracted period of reflection in the organization, based on its experience in hundreds of complaints B’Tselem has submitted to the military law enforcement system and dozens of Military Police Investigations Unit (MPIU) files it has examined. This experience has led B’Tselem to the recognition that there is no longer any point in pursuing justice and defending human rights by working with a system whose real function is measured by its ability to continue to successfully cover up unlawful acts and protect perpetrators. B’Tselem will continue to document and report on human rights violations by Israel in the Territories, but it will stop submitting complaints, coordinating meetings between the MPIU investigators and Palestinian victims and eyewitnesses, an securing various documents for the investigation authorities.
Full report