,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bdjg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #cj1 #bjai,ms4 ,mc,collum introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to promote human rights for ,palestinian children living under ,israeli military occupation and require that ,united ,states funds do not support military detention1 interrogation1 abuse1 or ill-treatment of ,palestinian children1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,promoting ,human ,rights for ,palestinian ,children ,living ,under ,israeli ,military ,occupation ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,children are entitled to special protections and due process rights under international human rights law and international humanitarian law1 regardless of guilt or innocence or the gravity of an alleged offense4 7#b7 ,the ,government of ,israel and its military detains around #ejj to #gjj ,palestinian children between the ages of #ab and #ag each year and prosecutes them before a military court system that lacks basic and fundamental guarantees of due process in violation of international standards4 7#c7 ,israel has ratified the ,convention on the ,rights of the ,child1 which states-- 7,a7 in article #cg7;a71 that no child shall be subject to torture or other cruel1 inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment2 7,b7 in article #cg7;b71 that the arrest1 detention or imprisonment of a child shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time2 7,c7 in article #cg7;c71 that every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person1 and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age2 and 7,d7 in article #cg7;d71 that every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right to prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance1 as well as the right to challenge the legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty before a court or other competent1 independent and impartial authority1 and to a prompt decision on any such action4 7#d7 ,in the ,israeli-occupied ,west ,bank1 there are two separate legal systems1 with ,israeli military law imposed on ,palestinians and ,israeli civilian law applied to ,israeli settlers4 7#e7 ,approximately #b1ijj1jjj ,palestinians live in the ,west ,bank1 of which around #de percent are children under the age of #ah1 who have lived their entire lives under ,israeli military occupation4 7#f7 ,since #bjjj1 more than #aj1jjj ,palestinian children have been subject to the ,israeli military court system4 7#g7 ,israeli security forces detain children under the age of #ab for interrogation for extended periods of time even though prosecution of children under #ab is prohibited by ,israeli military law4 7#h7 ,human ,rights ,watch1 in its ,world ,report #bjah1 reported that ,israeli ,security ,forces detained ,palestinian children often using unnecessary force1 questioned them without a family member present1 and made them sign confessions in ,hebrew1 which most did not understand4 7#i7 ,human ,rights ,watch documented1 in a ,july #bjae report titled ,israel3 ,security ,forces ,abuse ,palestinian ,children1 that such detentions also included the use of chokeholds1 beatings1 and coercive interrogation on children between the ages of #aa and #ae years4 7#aj7 ,the ,israeli human rights organization ,b',tselem issued a report in #bjah describing the treatment of ,palestinian children under ,israeli military occupation3 ,every year1 hundreds of ,palestinian minors undergo the same scenario4 ,israeli security forces pick them up on the street or at home in the middle of the night1 then handcuff and blindfold them and transport them to interrogation1 often subjecting them to violence en route4 ,exhausted and scared--some having spent a long time in transit1 some having been roused from sleep1 some having had nothing to eat or drink for hours--the minors are then interrogated4 ,they are completely alone in there1 cut off from the world1 without any adult they know and trust by their side1 and without having been given a chance to consult with a lawyer before the interrogation4 ,the interrogation itself often involves threats1 yelling1 verbal abuse and sometimes physical violence4 ,its sole purpose is to get the minors to confess or provide information about others44 7#aa7 ,the ,united ,nations ,children's ,fund 7,,unicef7 concluded1 in a ,february #bjac report titled ,children in ,israeli ,military ,detention1 that the ill-treatment of children who come in contact with the military detention system appears to be widespread1 systematic and institutionalized throughout the process1 from the moment of arrest until the child's prosecution and eventual conviction and sentencing4 7#ab7 ,the #bjac ,,unicef report further determines that the ,israeli system of military detention of ,palestinian children profoundly deviates from international norms1 stating that in no other country are children systematically tried by juvenile military courts that1 by definition1 fall short of providing the necessary guarantees to ensure respect for their rights4 7#ac7 ,,unicef also released reports in ,october #bjac and ,february #bjae noting that ,israeli authorities have1 since ,march #bjac1 issued new military orders and taken steps to reinforce existing military and police standard operating procedures relating to the detention of ,palestinian children4 ,however1 the reports still found continued and persistent evidence of ill-treatment of ,palestinian children detained by ,israeli forces4 7#ad7 ,in #bjac1 the annual ,country ,report on ,human ,rights ,practices for ,israel and the ,occupied ,territories 7,annual ,report7 published by the ,department of ,state noted that ,israeli security services continued to abuse1 and in some cases torture minors1 frequently arrested on suspicion of stone-throwing1 in order to coerce confessions4 ,the torture tactics used included threats1 intimidation1 long-term handcuffing1 beatings1 and solitary confinement4 7#ae7 ,the ,state ,department's #bjac ,annual ,report also stated that signed confessions by ,palestinian minors1 written in ,hebrew1 a language most could not read1 continued to be used as evidence against them in ,israeli military courts4 7#af7 ,the ,state ,department's #bjaf ,annual ,report noted a significant increase in detentions of minors in #bjaf1 and that ,israeli authorities continued to use confessions signed by ,palestinian minors1 written in ,hebrew4 ,it also highlighted the renewed use of administrative detention against ,palestinians1 including children1 a practice in which a detainee may be held indefinitely1 without charge or trial1 by the order of a military commander or other government official4 7#ag7 ,the nongovernmental organization ,defense for ,children ,international ,palestine collected affidavits from #gci ,west ,bank children who were detained between #bjac and #bjah1 and concluded that-- 7,a7 #gc percent of the children endured physical violence following arrest2 7,b7 under ,israeli military law1 children do not have the right to a lawyer during interrogation2 7,c7 #if percent of the children did not have a parent present during their interrogation2 7,d7 #gd percent of the children were not properly informed of their rights by ,israeli police2 7,e7 interrogators used stress positions1 threats of violence1 and isolation to coerce confessions from detained children2 7,f7 #bi children were detained and placed in administrative detention1 or detention without charge or trial1 since ,israel renewed the practice against minors in ,october #bjae1 and 7,g7 #abb children were held in pre-trial1 pre-charge isolation for interrogation purposes for an average period of #ac days4 7#ah7 ,amendments to ,israeli military law concerning the detention of ,palestinian children have had little to no impact on the treatment of children during the first #bd to #dh hours after an arrest1 when the majority of their ill-treatment occurs4 7#ai7 ,in #bjac1 the ,united ,nations ,committee on the ,rights of the ,child reviewed ,israel's compliance with the ,convention on the ,rights of the ,child and declared that ,palestinian children arrested by ,israeli forces continue to be systematically subject to degrading treatment1 and often to acts of torture and that ,israel had fully disregarded the previous recommendations of the ,committee to comply with international law4 7#bj7 ,the ,united ,nations ,committee ,against ,torture1 in #bjaf1 reviewed ,israel's compliance with the ,convention ,against ,torture and reported3 allegations of many instances in which ,palestinian minors were exposed to torture or ill-treatment1 including to obtain confessions2 were given confessions to sign in ,hebrew1 a language they do not understand2 and were interrogated in the absence of a lawyer or a family member4 ,the ,committee is also concerned that many of these children1 like many other ,palestinians1 are deprived of liberty in facilities located in ,israel1 thus hindering access to visits of relatives who live in the ,occupied ,palestinian ,territory44 7#ba7 ,existing ,federal statutory provisions known as the ,leahy law codified at section #fbj,m of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa1 #bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcgh;d and section #cfb of ,title #aj of the ,united ,states ,code1 prohibit the ,united ,states ,government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights1 including torture4 7#bb7 ,the ,united ,states provides in excess of #c4h billion in annual foreign military assistance to the ,government of ,israel which enables the military detention and abuse of ,palestinian children by ,israel's military system of juvenile detention4 #c4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to promote and protect the human rights of ,palestinian children living under ,israeli military occupation4 #d4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the detention1 prosecution1 and ill-treatment of ,palestinian children living under military occupation in a military court system that lacks basic and fundamental guarantees of due process by the ,government of ,israel-- 7,a7 violates international law and internationally recognized standards of human rights2 7,b7 is contrary to the values of the ,american people and the efforts of the ,united ,states to support equality1 human rights1 and dignity for both ,palestinians and ,israelis2 and 7,c7 undermines efforts by the ,united ,states and the international community to achieve a just and lasting peace between ,israel and the ,palestinian people2 and 7#b7 ,israeli and ,palestinian civil society organizations working to advance human rights1 justice1 and equal treatment for ,palestinians living under ,israeli military occupation1 as well as ,jewish and non-,jewish citizens of ,israel1 are essential to promoting human dignity1 democratic values1 and international humanitarian law1 and therefore deserve recognition and support from the ,united ,states and the ,american people4 #e4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to promote human rights for ,palestinian children living under ,israeli military occupation and to declare ,israel's system of military detention of ,palestinian children as a practice that results in widespread and systematic human rights abuses amounting to gross violations of human rights inconsistent with international humanitarian law and the laws and values of the ,united ,states4 #f4 ,limitation on assistance to security forces 7a7 ,in general ,section #fbj,m of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcgh;d2 commonly known as the ,leahy ,law7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7e7 ,specific limitations concerning military courts ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 no funds authorized to be appropriated for assistance to a foreign country may be used to support the military detention1 interrogation1 abuse1 or ill-treatment of children in violation of international humanitarian law or to support the use against children of any of the following practices3 7#a7 ,torture or cruel1 inhumane1 or degrading treatment4 7#b7 ,physical violence1 including restraint in stress positions4 7#c7 ,hooding1 sensory deprivation1 death threats1 or other forms of psychological abuse4 7#d7 ,incommunicado detention or solitary confinement4 7#e7 ,administrative detention1 including when a detainee is held indefinitely1 without charge or trial1 by the order of a military commander or other government official4 7#f7 ,arbitrary detention4 7#g7 ,denial of access to parents or legal counsel during interrogations4 7#h7 ,confessions obtained by force or coercion4 4 #g4 ,authorization of funds to monitor human rights abuses and provide treatment to ,palestinian child victims of military detention and torture 7a7 ,funding ,there is authorized to be appropriated not less than #ai1jjj1jjj each fiscal year to the ,secretary of ,state to be made available to nongovernmental organizations from the ,united ,states1 ,israel1 or the ,occupied ,palestinian ,territory for the following purposes3 7#a7 ,monitoring human rights abuses associated with ,israel's military detention of ,palestinian children 7,a7 ,in general ,nongovernment organizations with human rights experience are eligible to receive funding under this subsection4 ,such funding shall be used to monitor1 assess1 and document incidents of ,palestinian children subjected to ,israeli military detention1 including interviews with victims1 family members of victims1 relevant community members1 health care providers1 legal advocates1 civil society monitors1 and ,israeli military officials4 7,b7 ,public availability ,all information and documentation gathered pursuant to subparagraph 7,a71 including affidavits1 interviews1 photographs1 video1 and other relevant material1 shall be made publicly available via the internet and in annual reports subject to the determination that published information shall not put victims or sources at risk or in danger resulting from persecution1 retaliation1 or retribution4 7,c7 ,limitation ,funding under this paragraph may not exceed #ej percent of total funds authorized to be appropriated under this subsection4 7#b7 ,providing physical1 psychological1 and emotional health treatment1 support1 and rehabilitation for ,palestinian children victims of military detention1 abuse1 and torture 7,a7 ,in general ,nongovernmental organizations with experience in providing physical1 psychological1 and emotional treatment for victims of abuse1 trauma1 or torture described in subparagraph 7,b7 are eligible to receive funding under this subsection4 ,such funding shall be provided to a collaboration of ,united ,states1 ,israeli1 and ,palestinian treatment providers determined by the ,secretary of ,state to be best suited to meet the rehabilitation needs of victims4 ,no member of any nongovernmental organization providing treatment under this paragraph may be employed or act as an agent or behalf of an intelligence agency of the ,united ,states1 ,israel1 or the ,palestinian ,authority4 7,b7 ,eligibility ,victims described in this subparagraph are any ,palestinian age #ba or younger providing documentation of military detention as a child having occurred since ,january #a1 #bjji4 7,c7 ,reporting ,as a condition on the receipt of funding under this subsection1 nongovernmental organizations shall issue an annual public report of activities1 including findings and a clinical assessment of the physical and psychological effects of military detention on children1 adolescents1 and adults who experience trauma as children1 and recommendations to the international community regarding best practices for treating child victims of military detention4 7b7 ,program name ,amounts made available pursuant to subsection 7a7 shall be referred to as the ,human ,rights ,monitoring and ,treatment for ,palestinian ,child ,victims of ,israeli ,military ,detention ,fund4