Children, human rights organisations, and the law under occupation: The case of palestinian children in east jerusalem

This article discusses the (im)possibility of human rights organisations and state judicial actors’ success in safeguarding of children’s rights in Occupied East Jerusalem (OEJ). Considering Israel’s political reality, and consequently, the Israeli justice system’s mode of operation and treatment of Palestinian children, we argue that civil society actors, particularly those dealing with children, are unable to challenge violations of Palestinian children’s rights. Our analyses of media coverage, key informant interviews, and focus group and round table discussions reveals that formal and informal socio-legal systems are failing in their mandate to protect children’s rights, challenge the state’s biased juvenile justice system, and prevent the racialised state from breaching local laws and ethical and international standards. Instead of challenging the systems that are embedded within the settler-colonial setting, human rights organisations reinforce the state’s control by operating within its systems and according to its rules. In so doing, these entities help the state in keeping Palestinian children under conditions of suffering within their ‘otherised’ spaces.