Since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, serious changes of major magnitude have been occurring and affecting Palestinians at all levels, many of which have affected basic elements of human rights. This includes imprisonment, assassination, movement restrictions, displacement from lands and homes; land confiscation, house demolitions and uprooting of trees in order to expand Jewish colonies and also for the construction of the Apartheid Wall.
Israel is visibly violating International law resulting in the lack of human rights for Palestinians, despite UN resolutions and international official organizations’ facts and reports. These violations have had a disastrous impact on the economy, education and family life in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian cause has became a global one where obvious injustices are taking place on a daily basis, whilst Israel enjoys impunity and continues to have good relations with almost all countries and commissions in the world! If no external pressure is put on Israel to comply with international law, Israel will continue occupying Palestine and violating people' human rights.
The international community, being committed to adhering to international and humanitarian law, is responsible and should be held accountable for ending the Israeli occupation and all its violations of human rights.
The widely accepted understanding of advocacy is an "action aimed at changing the policies, position and programs of governments, institutions or organizations" and a "social change process affecting attitudes, social relationships and power relations".
The issues lobbied for by the YMCA and YWCA in Palestine includes an end to the Israeli occupation and implementation of human rights and international law for the people of Palestine.
It is the world YMCA and YWCA core principles and values to advocate for human rights and dignity, equal value of all human beings, mutual respect, to work in solidarity with the dispossessed, uprooted and oppressed people and work for the advancement of people for their own self-determination. Together with the international Churches and Church-related organizations, groups and individuals, it is their common Christian values, based on the words of Jesus Christ, to service human needs, break down barriers between people and seek peace with justice.