Escalation is Not Security! End the Cycle of War!

The Mossawa Center calls on the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly to immediately intervene to stop the war declared by the Israeli government against Iran, to end the ongoing invasion and blockade of the Gaza Strip, and to halt the expansion of settlements and repeated attacks in the West Bank. The Mossawa Center also demands an end to home demolitions and the forced displacement of residents from unrecognized villages in the Naqab, and to cease all political incitement against Arabs and non-Jews in general, and against Palestinian Arab citizens and the Palestinians in particular.

Prime Minister Netanyahu chose to launch his military campaign against Iran on the same day as the Paris Peace Forum’s conference on advancing the two-state solution, escalating the bloody tensions in the region. Since the outset of the war, the Mossawa Center has been engaging with all Jewish and Palestinian Arab anti-war actors in the country to bring an end to the carnage and protect civilians. We value the solidarity movements worldwide calling for an end to the war.

As a human rights organization, we work to build solidarity among progressive and civil forces dedicated to ending the bloodshed and reaching a peaceful solution that protects the rights of all peoples in the region.

In this statement, we wish to highlight several urgent and critical issues arising in these circumstances:

Incitement to War and Bloodshed

Central political and media actors in Israel continue their daily incitement on public platforms, calling for more violence and destruction. We witness this incitement across Israeli media outlets, while anti-war voices are silenced, and the Palestinian Arab community’s stance is deliberately obscured despite the high price it is paying.

We have seen media figures like Yinon Magal on Channel 14, inciting against the Palestinian Arab community and Palestinian Arab victims of the war. Magal incited against the Palestinian Arab city of Tamra live on air, saying the entire population of the city “oppose the country.” Channel 14 did not issue an apology, violating the Second Broadcasting Authority Law and laws against incitement. 

Protection of Palestinian Arab Civilians

Since the 2006 war on Lebanon, Palestinian Arab localities have suffered from deliberate neglect in terms of civilian protection. During that war, Palestinian Arab citizens represented about 40% of casualties. In the war of October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Arab villages of the Naqab and Galilee paid a heavy price, with more than 25 fatalities and dozens of injuries, 20 of whom were killed on October 7 due to bombings in the Naqab.

Israeli government institutions continue to fail to provide equal protection for Palestinian Arab civilians. Mobile shelters have been provided to most Jewish towns and along major roads, but Palestinian Arab localities are left to handle shelter provision on their own, with minimal state support.

This discriminatory reality is especially dangerous for over 100,000 citizens living in unrecognized villages in the Naqab. These families are forced to seek shelter under bridges, in remote schools and community centers, or in water tunnels. The Mossawa Center demands the immediate provision of at least 100 shelters in unrecognized Naqab villages. We also call for proper planning and budgeting to build and maintain shelters in all public institutions such as schools and clinics.

Home Demolitions and Urban Planning

The Israeli government has announced plans to build 24 new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories (1967 borders) and several new towns in the Naqab and Galilee. At the same time, it is intensifying forced evictions and demolitions in 12 unrecognized Palestinian Arab villages in the Naqab.

The government is accelerating the demolition of “unlicensed” homes in other Palestinian Arab towns while failing to allocate the necessary budgets and planning to enable legal and organized construction in Palestinian Arab communities.

Following the demolition of more than 100 homes last week, approximately 20,000 residents of the Naqab demonstrated in front of government offices in Be’er Sheva. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir has threatened to expand demolitions as the Ministry of Housing continues to offer housing tenders and solutions almost exclusively in Jewish communities, ignoring the escalating housing crisis in Palestinian Arab towns.

Health and Emergency Services

Most health institutions have closed their branches in Palestinian Arab localities due to the absence of shelters to protect medical teams. Despite the increase in ambulances owned by Magen David Adom, emergency health services in Palestinian Arab towns, especially in the Naqab, remain inadequate both under normal conditions and in emergencies. There is an urgent need to establish a network of daily medical services as well as readiness for emergency healthcare delivery. The same applies to other rescue services such as fire stations, which should be present in Palestinian Arab towns based on population needs.

Crime and Economic Crisis 

Authorities continue to allow criminal gangs to operate with impunity, and there has been no noticeable improvement in combating organized crime. These gangs exploit the financial crises faced by individuals, companies, and Palestinian Arab municipalities, offering predatory loans and engaging in extortion. We also witness large quantities of explosives and weapons being smuggled from the Israeli army.

The war is deepening the economic crisis through rising unemployment due to wartime disruptions. In the absence of accessible and fair banking and financial systems, people will increasingly rely on black market money, which only exacerbates their economic vulnerability.

We also highlight the government’s failure to meet its responsibilities toward the residents of Nazareth, the biggest Palestinian Arab city in Israel, and its municipal workers. Over 1,000 municipal employees have not received their salaries for five consecutive months, and the city faces an acute financial and environmental crisis.