'Donors must press Palestinian rulers to end human rights abuses'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A human rights group said international donors must pressure the Palestinian Authority to end abuses in the West Bank before they give more money to support security forces there. New York-based Human Rights Watch issued its appeal on Monday, a day before an international conference begins in Berlin to support the Palestinian civil police. The force has a relatively clean record. But local and international rights groups say other security forces in the West Bank practice torture and politically motivated arrests. At least one person has died in custody. Human Rights Watch said that if donors wanted to support the rule of law, they would have to condition their aid on Palestinian officials taking real steps to halt rights abuses.