by David Bedein
Jerusalem - Officials in Jerusalem are mobilizing for battle in an attempt to undermine the standing of the UN report on "Israel's crimes in Gaza," with the hope that it will not come before the UN Security Council or the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
Despite a certain criticism of Hamas, the report deals mainly with "proof of significant violations of international human rights law that Israel committed in the Gaza war, and possibly crimes against humanity as well." Experts in Israel who examined the work of the commission and followed the recorded testimonies published on the UN web site, say that the commission members chose not to make things difficult for the witnesses.
"I listened closely to the testimonies, but also to the questions of the commission members," explained Jonathan Dahoah-Halevi, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, "the commission members didn't try to confront them with other information that they held. They were asked questions that were irrelevant to clarifying the facts of whether war crimes were committed or not."
For example, Dahoah-Halevi relates, in the case of the attack on the mosque in the town Beit Lahiya, the commission members asked many questions on the prayer arrangements, but did not ask even a single question on the presence of armed men or weapons at the site. The Goldstone report admits that it identified "reluctance" by the witnesses to deliver information on the activity of terrorist elements within armed [sic] areas. The report states that it is unable to determine the reason for this "reluctance," but notes that it could not discount the possibility that "the interviewees' reluctance may have stemmed from a fear of reprisals."
The commission approached the Hamas government and requested details on the activity of the organization's activity in populated sites from which rockets were fired. The response of the Hamas government, however, was: We have no data. However, the report determines that the fire constitutes "a deliberate attack against the civilian population.
These actions would constitute war crimes and may amount to crimes against humanity." This sparked great anger on the part of Hamas.
"Resistance is a legitimate right that is anchored in international law," said Hamas Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
Israeli President Shimon Peres also rallied yesterday for the Israeli attack against the report.
"The Goldstone report makes a mockery of history, and fails to distinguish between aggressor and defender," the president said, attaacking the author of the report. "He would not have written this if his children lived in Sderot and experienced the terror of the rockets there." Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, "the report is a drumhead court martial, the outcome of which was known in advance, and it makes it difficult for democratic countries to fight terror."
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who is currently in New York, has already initiated talks with senior members of the US administration and Congress on the report, and is expected to meet with US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, with the aim of recruiting her to the battle against having the report reach the UN Security Council.
View the original article in the Philadelphia Bulletin
Showing posts with label Security Council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Security Council. Show all posts
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Philadelphia Bulletin: Calls at the UN to Bring Israel to Trial
by David Bedein
Jerusalem - Tension is mounting in Israel as it awaits the publication of the Goldstone Commission’s report, which inquired into allegations directed against Israel relating to Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The report is set to be published in the next few days.
The commission, headed by a South African judge, was established by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and is largely regarded as anti-Israel. Israel has refused to cooperate with the commission and argues that it has predicated much of its findings on false and biased information that it obtained from Hamas. There is concern that the findings will be quite harsh and serve as a basis for litigation against Israel for “war crimes”.
UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navanethen Pillay, the South African judge, who hosted the anti-Israel Durban 2 conference last April, has already made clear her hope that the UN will ask The Hague to begin proceedings against Israel.
Pillay’s position is based on the Darfur precedent, since Israel has not ratified the international court’s charter and is not a member of it. The UN Security Council is authorized to order the start of litigation against countries that are not members of the court, and in the case of Darfur, the council did indeed instruct the court to start procedures against senior Sudanese officials for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. She said she hoped that the UN Security Council would respond in kind if the Goldstone Commission found possible war crimes.
Meanwhile the current president of the UN Human Rights Council rejected the demand of the “UN Watch” that British jurist Christine Chinkin be disqualified from the Goldstone Commission. The group argued that statements and articles by Chinkin in which she accused Israel of war crimes even before the commission had begun its work, which indicated that she held a predetermined bias.
View the original article in the Philadelphia Bulletin
Jerusalem - Tension is mounting in Israel as it awaits the publication of the Goldstone Commission’s report, which inquired into allegations directed against Israel relating to Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The report is set to be published in the next few days.
The commission, headed by a South African judge, was established by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and is largely regarded as anti-Israel. Israel has refused to cooperate with the commission and argues that it has predicated much of its findings on false and biased information that it obtained from Hamas. There is concern that the findings will be quite harsh and serve as a basis for litigation against Israel for “war crimes”.
UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navanethen Pillay, the South African judge, who hosted the anti-Israel Durban 2 conference last April, has already made clear her hope that the UN will ask The Hague to begin proceedings against Israel.
Pillay’s position is based on the Darfur precedent, since Israel has not ratified the international court’s charter and is not a member of it. The UN Security Council is authorized to order the start of litigation against countries that are not members of the court, and in the case of Darfur, the council did indeed instruct the court to start procedures against senior Sudanese officials for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. She said she hoped that the UN Security Council would respond in kind if the Goldstone Commission found possible war crimes.
Meanwhile the current president of the UN Human Rights Council rejected the demand of the “UN Watch” that British jurist Christine Chinkin be disqualified from the Goldstone Commission. The group argued that statements and articles by Chinkin in which she accused Israel of war crimes even before the commission had begun its work, which indicated that she held a predetermined bias.
View the original article in the Philadelphia Bulletin
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Philadelphia Bulletin: Tensions Mount on Israel's Northern Border
by David Bedein
JERUSALEM - Israel's military has determined that Hezbollah is expanding its presence along the Lebanese border with the Jewish state.
Israeli military sources said thar Israeli reconnaissance units have been detecting Hezbollah positions in Lebanese villages near the Israeli border. The operatives, dressed in civilian clothes, have been renting houses or stores for the storage of equipment and housing of fighters.
"Hezbollah has intensified its deployment along the Israeli border," a military source said. "What was secret a year ago is a lot less secret today."
These Hezbollah actions have been deemed a violation of the United Nations Security Council-arranged ceasefire that ended the Lebanon war in 2006. Under the council resolution, Hezbollah was banned from maintaining a presence south of Lebanon's Litani River.
Hezbollah weapons were said to include air defense systems, such as the SA-8 and SA-18. The sources said Hezbollah has also stockpiled rockets with a range of more than 200 kilometers.
Two Hezbollah guerrillas prepare Katyusha rockets at their base near the Chebaa Farms area on the Lebanese-Israeli border in south Lebanon during a tour for the media organized by Hezbollah in this May 22, 2001 file photo. Israel's military has determined that Hezbollah is expanding its presence along the Lebanese border with the Jewish state. The UN Security Council called a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. (Mahmoud Tawil/Associated Press)
Over the last year, the sources said, Hezbollah has been smuggling rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and other weapons into villages near the Israeli border. They said Hezbollah, which deployed both fulltime and reserve units, began operations in Shi'ite villages and moved to Christian and Sunni communities.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Hezbollah has accumulated more than 40,000 missiles and rockets. Barak said he expected Hezbollah to use these weapons in any conflict with Israel.
"If there is a conflict on our northern border, we will use all necessary force," Barak said.
Meanwhile, the Middle East Newsline has confirmed that Hezbollah efforts in Sunni villages have been quietly discouraged by the government in Beirut. In mid-August, residents of Marwahin fought Hezbollah operatives who tried to bring weapons into the village, about two kilometers from the Israeli border community of Zirit.
The Israel Army, which closely monitors the border with ground and air surveillance, photographed a gun battle between Hezbollah and Sunni villagers. Lebanese Army troops were summoned and stopped the fighting. In the Israel Army video, released on Aug. 25, Marwahin residents were seen attacking Hezbollah operatives, who fled to an unmarked vehicle. Lebanese soldiers blocked the Sunni residents from reaching the Hezbollah sport utility vehicle.
Israeli Military sources said the clash was a rare demonstration of opposition by Lebanese to the Hezbollah deployment near the Israeli border. They said in most cases Hezbollah efforts to purchase or rent homes in border villages did not encounter resistance.
"It is clear that Hezbollah wants to return the Israeli-Lebanese border to the same state that existed on the eve of the [2006] war," the source said. "The difference is we are more aware of their activities."
View the original article in the Philadelphia Bulletin
JERUSALEM - Israel's military has determined that Hezbollah is expanding its presence along the Lebanese border with the Jewish state.
Israeli military sources said thar Israeli reconnaissance units have been detecting Hezbollah positions in Lebanese villages near the Israeli border. The operatives, dressed in civilian clothes, have been renting houses or stores for the storage of equipment and housing of fighters.
"Hezbollah has intensified its deployment along the Israeli border," a military source said. "What was secret a year ago is a lot less secret today."
These Hezbollah actions have been deemed a violation of the United Nations Security Council-arranged ceasefire that ended the Lebanon war in 2006. Under the council resolution, Hezbollah was banned from maintaining a presence south of Lebanon's Litani River.
Hezbollah weapons were said to include air defense systems, such as the SA-8 and SA-18. The sources said Hezbollah has also stockpiled rockets with a range of more than 200 kilometers.
Two Hezbollah guerrillas prepare Katyusha rockets at their base near the Chebaa Farms area on the Lebanese-Israeli border in south Lebanon during a tour for the media organized by Hezbollah in this May 22, 2001 file photo. Israel's military has determined that Hezbollah is expanding its presence along the Lebanese border with the Jewish state. The UN Security Council called a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. (Mahmoud Tawil/Associated Press)
Over the last year, the sources said, Hezbollah has been smuggling rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and other weapons into villages near the Israeli border. They said Hezbollah, which deployed both fulltime and reserve units, began operations in Shi'ite villages and moved to Christian and Sunni communities.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Hezbollah has accumulated more than 40,000 missiles and rockets. Barak said he expected Hezbollah to use these weapons in any conflict with Israel.
"If there is a conflict on our northern border, we will use all necessary force," Barak said.
Meanwhile, the Middle East Newsline has confirmed that Hezbollah efforts in Sunni villages have been quietly discouraged by the government in Beirut. In mid-August, residents of Marwahin fought Hezbollah operatives who tried to bring weapons into the village, about two kilometers from the Israeli border community of Zirit.
The Israel Army, which closely monitors the border with ground and air surveillance, photographed a gun battle between Hezbollah and Sunni villagers. Lebanese Army troops were summoned and stopped the fighting. In the Israel Army video, released on Aug. 25, Marwahin residents were seen attacking Hezbollah operatives, who fled to an unmarked vehicle. Lebanese soldiers blocked the Sunni residents from reaching the Hezbollah sport utility vehicle.
Israeli Military sources said the clash was a rare demonstration of opposition by Lebanese to the Hezbollah deployment near the Israeli border. They said in most cases Hezbollah efforts to purchase or rent homes in border villages did not encounter resistance.
"It is clear that Hezbollah wants to return the Israeli-Lebanese border to the same state that existed on the eve of the [2006] war," the source said. "The difference is we are more aware of their activities."
View the original article in the Philadelphia Bulletin
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