TEL AVIV, December 31, 2007 (WAFA) - B'Tselem, an Israeli civil rights organization, has published its annual report condemning Israel for various offenses against the Palestinian people.

The report's opening blurb sums up by noting that though the number of Israelis and Arabs killed in "clashes in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip" has decreased, "there has been deterioration in many other measures of the human rights situation in the Occupied Territories."

B'Tselem further notes that Israel uses "security justifications for virtually every Israeli action in the Occupied Territories.

B'Teslem continues, "far too often, Israel fails to appropriately balance its security needs with equally important values, including protecting the rights of Palestinians under its control."

"In addition," the report notes, "Israeli authorities often exploit security threats in order to advance prohibited political interests, such as perpetuating settlements and effectively annexing them to Israel."