Mezan Calls on Leaders to Respond to Lapid and Bar-Lev’s Remarks

The statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Minister of Public Security Omer Bar-Lev, in support of police officers who “shoot to kill” when they feel their lives are threatened – according to their own claims – are not only providing complete protection for those committing such actions, but also giving the police a green light to carry out more field executions of our youth. All of this is done under the pretext of “disturbing public order” or “threatening the safety and security of police officers.”

The Mezan Center for Human Rights in Nazareth considers such statements, issued from the highest levels of the government, to be extremely troubling. These remarks, made under the banner of “combating crime and terrorism” – as they claim – carry serious implications and consequences for the Arab community within Israel.

Mezan confirms that the field execution crimes committed by Israeli security and police officers against Palestinians in Israel violate and contradict international law and human rights. When police attempt to detain an individual they suspect of committing a legal offense, the process must follow a gradual approach that involves arresting the suspect and bringing them to trial, or neutralizing the suspect by immobilizing them – assuming they pose a threat to the safety of the police. It should never involve carrying out a field execution or shooting a suspect dead in cold blood.

Mezan also stresses that, based on its monitoring of numerous cases involving field executions of Palestinian Arabs inside Israel, it has provided clear evidence that, in most cases, there was no real threat to the safety and security of the police, and that it would have been possible to neutralize or immobilize the suspect. In some cases, police carried out the field execution of a person who was already injured and lying on the ground, shooting at them with excessive force to ensure their death, as was the case with martyrs such as: Khair al-Din, Mustafa Younis, Munir Antabaoui, Iyad al-Halak, and many others who fell victim to these field executions.

In light of this, Mezan calls on Arab community leaders in Palestinian territories to respond to these very concerning remarks and take serious steps, considering the dangerous consequences such statements may have on our community. Mezan also affirms that it, alongside other human rights organizations, is bringing this matter to the attention of international human rights institutions. However, this issue requires a thorough study before approaching the Israeli Supreme Court, which typically issues negative rulings on field execution victims and positive, supportive decisions for the police officers involved in “shooting to kill.”

Mezan Center for Human Rights – Nazareth
19/7/2022