Each year, approximately 500-700 Palestinian minors in the West Bank between the ages 12-17 are prosecuted in the Israeli military court system. Mistreatment of Palestinian youth within this system is widespread and well documented. Without access to their parents or a lawyer, youth often sign confessions of guilt in Hebrew, a language they likely cannot read or understand.
In November 2017, Representative Betty McCollum (MN) introduced historic legislation shining a light on the mistreatment of Palestinian youth entangled in the Israeli military detention system. HR 4391, Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Youth, seeks to ensure U.S. taxpayer funds to Israel are not used in a manner that violates the rights of Palestinian children. Palestinian youth under the age of 18 comprise nearly 50% of the total population. For there to be any hope of peace in Israel-Palestine, Palestinian youth must not live in fear of mistreatment at the hands of the Israeli military detention system.
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is excited to partner with Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-P) for our Summer 2018 Campaign: Demand Child Justice: Document Detention in the occupied Palestinian territories. Your support will help DCI-P document individual cases of mistreatment experienced by Palestinian youth and will help CMEP raise awareness for HR 4391 on Capitol Hill.
(Statistics as of April 2016 as cited in Make a Donation
Donations help support DCIP’s monitoring and documentation of child detentions, injuries and fatalities across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and will help CMEP raise awareness for HR 4391 on Capitol Hill. Choose an amount below to donate to a specific action, or donate an amount of your choice.
Covers the cost of one field visit to investigate an incident* + HR 4391 Awareness
Covers the cost of completely
documenting an incident + HR 4391 Awareness
Covers the cost of completely documenting a series of incidents+ HR 4391 Awareness
*Incident refers to the apprehension/detention of a Palestinian minor within the Israeli military detention system
Webinar: “Document Detention: Justice for Palestinian Children”
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, CMEP’s Executive Director, hosts a webinar conversation with Brad Parker and Farah Bayadsi from Defense for Children International-Palestine on the topic of child justice and the mistreatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention. More info available here.
Stories from the Field
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Churches for Middle East Peace is grateful for our partnership with Defense for Children International – Palestine and for their work with us on this campaign. Donations help support DCIP’s monitoring and documentation of child detentions, injuries and fatalities across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and support the advocacy work of CMEP.
