Translation:
December 11, 2017
To His Excellency the President of the Security Council, His Excellency the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Your Excellencies the Ambassadors,
Subject: Condemnation from Civil Society Women’s Organizations in the Middle East and North Africa Regarding Efforts to Move the Capital to Jerusalem and the Relocation of the U.S. Embassy
Greetings,
On December 6, 2017, the U.S. administration renewed its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the U.S. President instructed the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
We, the undersigned women’s organizations and individuals, consider the actions taken by the U.S. administration to be in violation of United Nations resolutions, which consider East Jerusalem part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly Resolution 478 of 1980. We believe that these actions represent a clear bias and explicit support for Israel’s policies aimed at continuing the occupation of Palestinian territories and expanding this occupation. Furthermore, they threaten the political settlement based on the two-state solution and could lead to renewed armed conflicts that will ignite the region and threaten global peace and security, with our people being the fuel for these conflicts.
Therefore, we appeal to you, the United Nations, and all its institutions, to intervene with the U.S. administration to reverse these arbitrary measures and to direct international and regional efforts toward ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the Golan Heights, and the remaining occupied territories, and toward the implementation of all relevant international resolutions on this matter.
Sincerely,
The Organizations Listed Below
Copy to: The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; Director of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine
Organizations Signatories:
| No. | Organization | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | AB AAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality – Lebanon | Ghida Anani |
| 2. | Arab Institute for Human Rights | Joumana Merhi |
| 3. | Arab Women Alliance for Equality and Equity | Fatemah Khafagy |
| 4. | AWAM foundation for Development and Peacebuilding – Yemen | Bilkis Abouousba |
| 5. | Center for Women’s Legal Research & Consulting (CWLRC) | Zeinab Elghonaimi |
| 6. | Fédération de la Ligue Démocratique des Droits des Femmes –FLDDF | Fouzia Assouli |
| 7. | FEMENA | Sussan Tahmasebi |
| 8. | Firdaws Iraqi Association – Iraq | Fatima Al-Bahadly |
| 9. | Free Sight Association | Arbia Jebali |
| 10. | Gender Development Research and Studies Center – Yemen | Bilkis Zabara |
| 11. | Jana Watan – Syria | Fida’a Hattab |
| 12. | Justice, Human Rights and Gender, Civil Association | Rodolfo Domínguez Márquez |
| 13. | Kafa –Enough Violence and Exploitation | Zoya Rouhana |
| 14. | Khaledin Charity Association | Aladdin Salama |
| 15. | Libya Female Journalists – Libya | Fatima Ghandour |
| 16. | Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace | Zahra’ Ahmad Langhi |
| 17. | Maratous for Human Rights – Syria | Majdoleen Hassan |
| 18. | Pada Association | Nida Shahbari |
| 19. | Palestinian Democratic Union – Palestine | Zuhaira Kamal |
| 20. | Palestinian Union for Women Labour Committees | Nada Tweer |
| 21. | Palestinian Women Development Society – Palestine | Rima Nazzal |
| 22. | Palestinian Working Women Society for Development | Amal khreishe |
| 23. | Peace Track Initiative | Rasha Jarhum |
| 24. | Public Aid Organization – Iraq | Hana Hamood |
| 25. | Sabaa Consulting Services – Yemen | Bushra Nasr |
| 26. | Sahara observatory for peace democracy and human rights | Aicha Duihi |
| 27. | Sham Center for Democratic and Human Rights Studies | Faten Alattar |
| 28. | Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) – Jordan | Asma Khader |
| 29. | Syrian Women League | Sawsan Zakzak |
| 30. | The Association for Women’s Action – Palestine | Siham Albarghouthi |
| 31. | The Culture and Free Thought Association | Mariam Zakout |
| 32. | The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights – Egypt | Nehad Abul Komsan |
| 33. | The Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights – Yemen | Amal Basha |
| 34. | The Syrian Women Organization – Syria | Amal Nasr |
| 35. | To Be Foundation for Rights and Freedom – Yemen | Lina Al-Hassani |
| 36. | Union D’action Féminine (UAF) – Morocco | Fatima Outaleb |
| 37. | Urnammu Organization – Syria | Sema Nassar |
| 38. | Watan Association for Heritage and Family Development –Palestine | Wedian Nabil |
| 39. | Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC) –Palestine | Randa Saniora |
Individuals Signatories:
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1. | Afrah Alzouba – Yemen |
| 2. | Ahlam Hussain Salama – Palestine |
| 3. | Alaa R. AlBurai |
| 4. | Alia Assali – Palestine |
| 5. | Amal Kamal Al-Jayyar – Palestine |
| 6. | Areej N Anabtawi – Palestine |
| 7. | Awfa Alnaami – Yemen |
| 8. | Basma Albatat – Palestine |
| 9. | Faiza Abou Alheja – Palestine |
| 10. | Hayat Abdulhadi – Palestine |
| 11. | Kholoud Baddar |
| 12. | Laila Al-Shabibi – Yemen |
| 13. | Lama Hourani – Palestine |
| 14. | Latifa Al-Shami – Palestine |
| 15. | Lina Abdulhadi – Palestine |
| 16. | Magda Elmasri – Palestine |
| 17. | Majd Assali – Palestine |
| 18. | Manar Mofeed – Palestine |
| 19. | Manar Zaiter – Lebanon |
| 20. | Mariyam Shakeela – Maldives |
| 21. | Mays Fathi – Palestine |
| 22. | Mouna Ghanem- Syria |
| 23. | Muhamad Alhajeih |
| 24. | Nawrez Ellafi – Tunis |
| 25. | Rehab Alnajjar – Palestine |
| 26. | Roula Elmasri – Lebanon |
| 27. | Sabah Salamah – Palestine |
| 28. | Sawsan Saleh – Palestine |
| 29. | Shereen Elesawi – Palestine |
| 30. | Shireen Tarik Essawi – Palestine |
| 31. | Soraida A. Hussein |
| 32. | Warda Bin Sumait – Yemen |
| 33. | Weam Ghabash– Syria |
| 34. | Wissam B. Jouda – Palestine |
