Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

Israel Is Committing War Crimes

By GEORGE E. BISHARAT

Israel's current assault on the Gaza Strip cannot be justified by self-defense. Rather, it involves serious violations of international law, including war crimes. Senior Israeli political and military leaders may bear personal liability for their offenses, and they could be prosecuted by an international tribunal, or by nations practicing universal jurisdiction over grave international crimes. Hamas fighters have also violated the laws of warfare, but their misdeeds do not justify Israel's acts.

The United Nations charter preserved the customary right of a state to retaliate against an "armed attack" from another state. The right has evolved to cover nonstate actors operating beyond the borders of the state claiming self-defense, and arguably would apply to Hamas. However, an armed attack involves serious violations of the peace. Minor border skirmishes are common, and if all were considered armed attacks, states could easily exploit them -- as surrounding facts are often murky and unverifiable -- to launch wars of aggression. That is exactly what Israel seems to be currently attempting.

Israel had not suffered an "armed attack" immediately prior to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Since firing the first Kassam rocket into Israel in 2002, Hamas and other Palestinian groups have loosed thousands of rockets and mortar shells into Israel, causing about two dozen Israeli deaths and widespread fear. As indiscriminate attacks on civilians, these were war crimes. During roughly the same period, Israeli forces killed about 2,700 Palestinians in Gaza by targeted killings, aerial bombings, in raids, etc., according to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

But on June 19, 2008, Hamas and Israel commenced a six-month truce. Neither side complied perfectly. Israel refused to substantially ease the suffocating siege of Gaza imposed in June 2007. Hamas permitted sporadic rocket fire -- typically after Israel killed or seized Hamas members in the West Bank, where the truce did not apply. Either one or no Israelis were killed (reports differ) by rockets in the half year leading up to the current attack.

Israel then broke the truce on Nov. 4, raiding the Gaza Strip and killing a Palestinian. Hamas retaliated with rocket fire; Israel then killed five more Palestinians. In the following days, Hamas continued rocket fire -- yet still no Israelis died. Israel cannot claim self-defense against this escalation, because it was provoked by Israel's own violation.

An armed attack that is not justified by self-defense is a war of aggression. Under the Nuremberg Principles affirmed by U.N. Resolution 95, aggression is a crime against peace.

Israel has also failed to adequately discriminate between military and nonmilitary targets. Israel's American-made F-16s and Apache helicopters have destroyed mosques, the education and justice ministries, a university, prisons, courts and police stations. These institutions were part of Gaza's civilian infrastructure. And when nonmilitary institutions are targeted, civilians die. Many killed in the last week were young police recruits with no military roles. Civilian employees in the Hamas-led government deserve the protections of international law like all others. Hamas's ideology -- which employees may or may not share -- is abhorrent, but civilized nations do not kill people merely for what they think.

Deliberate attacks on civilians that lack strict military necessity are war crimes. Israel's current violations of international law extend a long pattern of abuse of the rights of Gaza Palestinians. Eighty percent of Gaza's 1.5 million residents are Palestinian refugees who were forced from their homes or fled in fear of Jewish terrorist attacks in 1948. For 60 years, Israel has denied the internationally recognized rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes -- because they are not Jews.

Although Israel withdrew its settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005, it continues to tightly regulate Gaza's coast, airspace and borders. Thus, Israel remains an occupying power with a legal duty to protect Gaza's civilian population. But Israel's 18-month siege of the Gaza Strip preceding the current crisis violated this obligation egregiously. It brought economic activity to a near standstill, left children hungry and malnourished, and denied Palestinian students opportunities to study abroad.

Israel should be held accountable for its crimes, and the U.S. should stop abetting it with unconditional military and diplomatic support.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1231548 ... lenews_wsj

[miltiades]

I read in Philelefteros that Hamas is refusing to accept a ceasefire plan worked out in Egypt by the Egyptians and European negotiators. Is this right GR ?
Do they really , Hamas , have the vision required for a long lasting solution or is it time that the Palestinians demand answers.
http://www.phileleftheros.com/main/main ... &id=601422

[saravakos]

If only the jews could hold a ceasefire then maybe none of this would be happening...or are you still ignoring the fact that they broke the ceasefire??

[miltiades]

If only the jews could hold a ceasefire then maybe none of this would be happening...or are you still ignoring the fact that they broke the ceasefire??

According to your anti Israeli sources mate !

[saravakos]

Oh my God...you are so unbelievably biased! Didnt realise the NY Times was anti-Israeli! lol classic

Take your skull cap off mate and those jew tinted glasses.

[Get Real!]

Oh my God...you are so unbelievably biased! Didnt realise the NY Times was anti-Israeli! lol classic

Take your skull cap off mate and those jew tinted glasses.

Don’t be shocked by this disgraced individual whose utter shamelessness keeps bringing him back to the forum… it makes sense when you think about it.

[miltiades]

Oh my God...you are so unbelievably biased! Didnt realise the NY Times was anti-Israeli! lol classic

Take your skull cap off mate and those jew tinted glasses.

Don’t be shocked by this disgraced individual whose utter shamelessness keeps bringing him back to the forum… it makes sense when you think about it.

Here are the credentials of this "GRACEFUL" individual that goes by the name of GR !!
1. THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION LEFT TO THE G/Cs BUT WAR AGAINST TURKEY .
2. EMPLOYING THE SERVICES OF MERCENARIES SUCH AS BLACKWATER IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST TURKEY.
3. USING SUICIDE BOMBERS IF NEED BE IN OUR FIGHT TO REMOVE OCCUPYING TROOPS. ( HE HAS VOLUNTEERED TO BE THE FIRST!! )
4. HE WISHES THAT SOMEONE WOULD WIPE ISRAEL OF THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
5. NUMBER ONE PLONKER ON THE FORUM AND SPELL CHECKER !!

[miltiades]

Do they really , Hamas , have the vision required for a long lasting solution or is it time that the Palestinians demand answers.
http://www.phileleftheros.com/main/main ... &id=601422

[miltiades]

Hamas Rejects Cease-Fire With Israel in Gaza
January 12, 2009 12:43 PM ET | Larry Derfner | Permanent Link | Print

By Larry Derfner, Mideast Watch

The Palestinian militant group Hamas today turned down a new proposal for a truce with Israel. It came in Cairo from Egyptian leaders who are the chief mediators in the Israeli-Gaza war that began December 27. Quoting the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, Ha'aretz reports:

The newspaper quoted a senior Hamas source as saying: "There are still many details that need to be discussed before we can say that we have reached an agreement of principles.

Hamas's refusal was prompted by pressure from Iranian officials who brought their objections directly to Hamas leaders in Damascus, reports the Jerusalem Post, quoting an unnamed Egyptian official close to the talks in Cairo:

The Egyptian official said that the two Iranian emissaries, Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, and Said Jalili of the Iranian Intelligence Service, met in the Syrian capital with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ramadan Shallah.

"As soon as the Iranians heard about the Egyptian cease-fire initiative, they dispatched the two officials to Damascus on an urgent mission to warn the Palestinians against accepting it," the Egyptian government official told the Post.

"The Iranians threatened to stop weapons supplies and funding to the Palestinian factions if they agreed to a cease-fire with Israel. The Iranians want to fight Israel and the US indirectly. They are doing this through Hamas in Palestine and Hizbullah in Lebanon".

Israel's Channel 2 reported that Hamas leaders in Gaza, under relentless fire from Israel, are "begging" for a truce on "nearly any terms," but that Mashaal and the movement's Damascus-based "political" leadership insist on fighting on.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/mideast-wat ... ut-now.htm

[purdey]

Our NY columist seems to be living in la la land. If he does not realise that Jews run the old USA and support will always be forthcoming, then he should think of a new career with McDonalds.
As for war crimes, absolute bollocks, name me any conflict in history that has not involved the killing of innocents by intent or accident. I am afraid people you are just going to have to live with the fact Israel and jews will be around for a long time and will defend itself against any aggressor.
If you feel the need to express your feelings in a more forecable manner I believe Hamas has a recruitment drive going on.