Tuesday, August 20, 10:00 AM EDT - Zoom

Beyond Borders: How Israeli Impunity Fuels Regional Repression

Event Details:

On July 19, the International Court of Justice declared that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation, and use of natural resources. The Court added that Israel’s legislation and measures violate the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli government, which historically has operated with impunity for violent, undemocratic practices, is arresting and oppressing citizens who express disapproval and dissent over the ongoing war on Gaza and suppressing demands for human rights and accountability. Emboldened by Israel’s impunity, authorities throughout the Middle East and North Africa are similarly repressing free expression and assembly, stifling local hope and demand for democratic reform. In addition, direct military escalations in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, have fueled growing instability and authoritarian repression across the region.

Please join the Middle East Democracy Center as the Democracy Matters Initiative (DMI) convenes a panel of experts from its DMI Advisory Group to discuss how the Israeli government’s repression of its own people and its human rights violations against Palestinians embolden other regional governments to oppress their own citizens. They will explore how a culture of impunity is stifling demands for democratic reform across the region and will propose innovative ways to instead strengthen civil society and democratic reform, amplify the voices of pro-democracy constituents, and ensure justice and accountability for human rights violations and war crimes.

Would you like to submit a question for our panelists? Please email it to media@mideastdc.org.

 Speakers:

• Alaa Sayeg
  DMI Advisory Group Member (Lebanon);
  Fellow, Stanford Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law;
  Founder, Ryzomes Social Enterprise

• Nareman Shehadeh Zoabi
  DMI Advisory Group Member (Palestine & Israel);
  Human Rights Attorney, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

Moderator:

• Yasmin Omar
  DMI Director, MEDC;
  International human rights lawyer

To register and for speaker bios: Beyond Borders: How Israeli Impunity Fuels Regional Repression - MEDC (mideastdc.org)