the linkage between people and place,” he says. “A square here, a church, an ancient site. They intentionally destroyed all this to sever the link between people and place. Palestinians have a history and this history is being deleted.”
He notes that many of these sites are protected under international law. Their destruction reflects the absence of accountability.
Despite the extreme pressures on their work, Al Mezan makes no concessions on their methodology.
“We are not a media-based organisation,” he says. “We are not under pressure to rush. We need to investigate and to meet the victims. Without meeting the victims, we cannot do the work.”
He just wishes they had more staff. “The problem is not with the quality of our staff’s work,” he says. “We need hundreds of field workers to cope with this situation. It’s too much.”
Al Mezan continue to do their advocacy work too, and Issam will shortly travel to Geneva to address the Human Rights Council.
Kaja Ollongren, the former EU Special Representative for Human Rights, called for the immediate withdrawal of the sanctions. A coalition has recently sued the US administration over the sanctions. Issam is cautiously optimistic.
No alterative to the rule of law
Asked how Al Mezan can be supported in their work, Issam is blunt. “The time for solidarity statements is over,” he says. “It is time for action. There are many mechanisms at the international community’s disposal – from arms embargoes to sanctions on settlement products to suspending agreements, to activating the EU Blocking Statute.”
He argues that silence amounts to engagement in atrocities, and that action on Gaza is essential for wider international peace and security.
“If there is no accountability in Gaza, there will be no accountability elsewhere,” he warns.
“Any alternative to the rule of law is costly,” he says. “It’s a moment of truth, I know it’s not popular, but for people who have lost everything and been subjected to this horror – people like us. We owe them the message that there is still hope, that there is still a chance.”
This article reflects the views of the grantees featured and does not necessarily represent the official opinion of EED
Discussion about this post