Presentations & Media

Israeli Organizations and Advocates for Human Rights of Older Persons

 

November 1st, 2023

 

Dear colleagues,

​

Re: Need for Action – Bring Them Home Now

Human Rights of Older Persons & Hamas’ War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity

 

With serious concerns we write to you in your capacity as leaders of key national and international organizations and bodies in the field of human rights – in general, and in the field of human rights of older persons - specifically.

 

We, the undersigned, a diverse group of representatives of various older persons’ civil society organizations, human rights activists, academics, professionals, and others – all work and act in the field of ageing – appeal for your immediate and urgent action.

 

As human rights activists, services providers, and advocates for the human rights of older persons, we are dismayed by the lack of specific attention to and condemnation of the barbaric and cruel attack that Israeli and foreign citizens suffered in Israel at the hands of Palestinian terror organizations Hamas and the Islamic Jihad during their terror attack against Israel on October 7th.

 

These actions and atrocities fall firmly under the category defined by international law as crimes against humanity, war crimes and could amount to genocide. They included indiscriminate shootings; torture; burning human beings alive; massive destruction of homes; rape; beheadings; and kidnapping more than 239 individuals of all ages, including babies, children, youth, women, persons with disabilities and older persons. These acts of terror must be condemned by every person and every organization that respects human values and promotes human rights.

 

Specifically, we would like to focus on the crimes conducted against older Israelis. To the best of our knowledge, more than 100 innocent older persons – some with dementia, some holocaust survivors, many of them vulnerable and dependent – were brutally and inhumanely murdered in their homes. To the best of our knowledge, more than 30 older persons, were abducted, and are now in Gaza and in the hands of Hamas. These numbers are unfortunately not final as every day more bodies are identified, and more information about the crimes of Hamas come to light.

 

Older persons (or “aged persons”), according to various universal international humanitarian norms (e.g. the Fourth Geneva Convention) enjoy special protection alongside other vulnerable groups (e.g. children and the sick and infirm).  

 

 

In light of the above, and on behalf of all signatories, we urge you, for the sake of humanity, and for the integrity of your organization, to take urgent action, and to join us in an unequivocal condemnation of the war crimes, crimes against humanity, and violations of the human rights of older persons conducted by the Palestinian terror organizations Hamas and the Islamic Jihad; and in calling publicly for the immediate release of all the hostages, including older hostages held in Gaza by Hamas.

 

Sincerely,

https://www.oldlivesmatter.info

 

Prof. Israel Issi Doron               &                       Silvia Perel-Levin

Department of Gerontology                               Advocate for the human rights

 University of Haifa                                               of older persons at the UN                          

 

Dr. Mickey Schindler;

Dr. Michal Wazner;

Tamar Feldman Ben-Hanan;

Dr. Sara Alon

Marva – Law, Welfare & Empowerment

 

Liad Strulov

Yael Havassy,

Holocaust Survivors and the

Elderly Rights Clinic

Faculty of Law, Tel-Aviv University.

 
 

Keren Sheffer Tamir

Moriah Manor Ganim

Holocaust survivors and elderly rights clinic

Faculty of Law

Bar-Ilan University.

 

 

Prof. Yitzhak Brick - President

Israel Gerontological Society

Kiryat Ekron;

 

 

Dorit Alon-Kasher;

Carmit Toledano;

Dr. Benny Spanier;

The Association of Law in the Service of the Elderly

Haifa

 

 

 

Orly Sivan, CEO

Aviv for Holocaust Survivors, NGO

 

 

 

 

Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein, PhD

Chair of Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging

Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences

University of Haifa.

 

 

 

Samuel (Sami) Keidar, CEO

The Union of Associations for the Elderly in Israel

 

 

 

 

Gadi Porat

Dorot Magazine Editor

 

 

Prof. Liat Ayalon,

The psychosocial aspects of ageing research lab,

The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work

Bar-Ilan University.

 

Prof. Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra, PhD

Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare,

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

 

Prof. Yaacov G. Bachner, Ph.D

M.A Program in Gerontology

Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences

School of Public Health,

Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

 

Prof. Anna Zisberg, PhD, RN, FAAN

The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing

Chair of the Center of Research & Study of Aging

University of Haifa.

 

Prof. Talma Kushnir, PhD

Adelson School of Medicine and Dept. of Psychology

Ariel University, Israel

Prof. Emerita, Dept. of Public Health

Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

 

Prof. Einat Peled,

Head – School of Social Work

Tel-Aviv University.

 

Nitza Yarom, PhD.

Clinical psychologist, private practice,

Ministry of Health - Retired;

Ageism activist. Tel Aviv.