Israeli Conduct in Territories Criticized by U.s., but Improved

The State Department’s annual report on human rights has again criticized Israel’s handling of the unrest in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Specifically, the report faulted Israel for travel bans, deportations of Palestinian leaders, administrative detention, the prevention of family reunions, and the closing of Palestinian universities and businesses.

But Richard Schifter, assistant secretary of state for human rights and humanitarian affairs, told reporters Friday that there had been a decrease in clashes between the Israel Defense Force and Palestinians because last spring the IDF began limiting its patrols to major roads.

These improvements deteriorated during the last three months of 1990 because of increasing violence.

The report pointed out that 165 Palestinians were killed by other Palestinians as compared to the 130 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.

The survey of 168 countries, which was submitted to Congress on Jan. 31, found Iraq to be one of the worst human rights abusers in the world, Schifter said. Its poor record was compounded by atrocities committed after Iraq invaded Kuwait, the report said.

But the report also cited Syria, one of the U.S. Gulf allies, as a major abuser of human rights, with such practices as “torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and denial of freedom of speech, press association and the right of citizens to change their government.”

In Saudi Arabia, the study found discrimination against women and foreign workers, torture and mistreatment of prisoners and restrictions on freedom of religion, press and political practices.

The report also found abuses in Kuwait before the Iraqi invasion, including “restrictions on freedom of assembly and speech, the rights of citizens to change their government, women’s and workers’ rights, and instances of arbitrary arrest, mistreatment of prisoners and lack of due process in trials of security cases.”

While Egypt has a better record than most Arab countries, the report does cite its holding of political prisoners, the torturing of detainees and the persecution of Islamic fundamentalists.