Don't Let Israel Criminalize Human Rights Advocacy
Support Dr. Meir Margalit

Support Human Rights Defender Dr. Meir Margalit against attempt of criminalization of his support for rebuilding of demolished Palestinian homes

Dr. Meir Margalit photo courtesy: palint.org

(JERUSALEM) - As a human rights defender, Dr. Meir Margalit has been active in East Jerusalem for over two decades working both with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) and as an elected member of the Jerusalem City Council, promoting building and planning rights of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.

Throughout the years, the policy of the Jerusalem municipality has been to restrict Palestinians from building in East Jerusalem while Jewish settlements continue to grow. As a consequence, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem are left with no choice but to build their homes illegally and thereby thousands of their houses are under the constant threat of demolition.

Dr. Margalit has not only been active on the political front in an effort to change these discriminatory building policies, but has also supported the rebuilding of hundreds of homes that were demolished due to these policies that violate human rights.

He has done his work publicly and, together with others, made it possible to rebuild over 200 houses making a clear political stand that human beings have a right for housing, and for defence from discrimination.

As of late, the Israeli Ministry of Interior has began legal proceedings against Dr. Margalit under the auspice of building illegally. This is a clear attempt to scare Dr. Margalit and other human rights defenders, by criminalizing non violent protest actions.

We ask you so support Dr. Margalit and the just struggle to end house demolitions, and tell the Israeli authorities that he will not stand alone in his just cause.

Please sign the petition supporting Dr. Margalit (www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopdemolitions/)
Please send this email on to friends
If you would like to do more, please contact: >stopdemolitions@gmail.com

More background

Dr. Meir Margalit, PhD, is a researcher of the history of the Jewish community in Palestine during period of the British mandate and a founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

Meir Margalit was born in Argentina and moved to Israel with a right-wing Zionist youth group in 1972. During his military service he founded a Jewish settlement in Gaza and he fought and was injured in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. During his recovery he changed his views. He was a member in the Jerusalem City Council, for the Meretz Party between 1998 and 2002. - Meir Margali - Wikipedia