הוועד הציבורי נגד עינויים בישראל

The response included claims that the above organizations “live in peace with the possibility that the Palestinian Prime Minister, a minister or a member of the Palestinian Parliament from the Hamas terror organization will issue orders to fire Qassam rockets at Sderot (or support these in the parliament), and will issue orders not to release Gilad Shalit (or support these),and order to kill as many Israeli citizens as possible, in accordance with the Hamas’ convention, and at the same time will hold a permit to be a permanent resident of Israel who benefits from national insurance payments and total freedom of movement within Israel, which will enable him to continue to more easily endanger the inhabitants etc….this view is absurd, lacks any legal or moral foundation and is contrary to the basic principles of the system, the ideas of freedom and human rights and may endanger public security and the confidence and trust of the public in the governing authorities and the enforcement of the law.”

Eight Israeli human rights organizations: the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Amnesty International- Israel Section, B’Tselem, Gisha, HaMoked, Yesh Din, Physicians for Human Rights, and Rabbis for Human Rights, sent a letter of protest, in response, to the AG and the Minister of Justice. The organizations demanded that three simultaneous courses of action be taken: the initiation of proceedings against the lawyers working in the AG’s office who are involved in this issue, including a public apology and their suspension; the holding of a meeting between human rights organizations and officials from the State Attorney’s office and the Justice Ministry in order develop an outline for future cooperation; and the initiation of an educational process for employees in the State Attorney’s office and the Justice Ministry on human rights values and the role of human rights organizations in a democracy. The human rights organizations also recommended that a senior state attorney be appointed as the coordinator between human rights organizations and representatives of the State Attorney’s office the Justice Ministry.