2 dec 2010
No appeal in Gaza human shield case
Military prosecution won't appeal conditional sentence of troops who forced Palestinian boy to open suspicious bags in Gaza war.
Military prosecutors decided not to appeal the sentence of two IDF soldiers who forced a nine-year-old Palestinian to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
The troops received a conditional sentence, and following the decision not to appeal the ruling will not be serving any jail time.
The decision not to appeal the ruling was reached after prosecutors reached the conclusion that despite the light sentence, the chances of changing it following a petition were low.
The two soldiers charged in the case were overjoyed some 10 days ago after hearing at court that they will not be going to jail. The panel of judges rejected the prosecution's demand to send the two to prison and made do with demoting them by one rank, thus ensuring they would still be able to serve as reserve commanders.
While prosecutors initially planned to appeal the sentence, discussions held in recent days prompted the conclusion that an appeal would likely not be accepted by the court. The prosecution therefore decided to refrain from filing a petition, in order not to drag out the process and cause further tension within IDF ranks.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3992917,00.html
No appeal in Gaza human shield case
Military prosecution won't appeal conditional sentence of troops who forced Palestinian boy to open suspicious bags in Gaza war.
Military prosecutors decided not to appeal the sentence of two IDF soldiers who forced a nine-year-old Palestinian to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
The troops received a conditional sentence, and following the decision not to appeal the ruling will not be serving any jail time.
The decision not to appeal the ruling was reached after prosecutors reached the conclusion that despite the light sentence, the chances of changing it following a petition were low.
The two soldiers charged in the case were overjoyed some 10 days ago after hearing at court that they will not be going to jail. The panel of judges rejected the prosecution's demand to send the two to prison and made do with demoting them by one rank, thus ensuring they would still be able to serve as reserve commanders.
While prosecutors initially planned to appeal the sentence, discussions held in recent days prompted the conclusion that an appeal would likely not be accepted by the court. The prosecution therefore decided to refrain from filing a petition, in order not to drag out the process and cause further tension within IDF ranks.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3992917,00.html
1 dec 2010
U.K. to restrict ability to charge foreigners with war crimes
Israel stopped sending delegations to Britain for fear pro-Palestinian activists would seek their arrest for alleged war crimes.
Britain has proposed legal changes restricting citizens' right to seek the arrest of foreign politicians for alleged war crimes, tackling an issue that has caused tension with Israel, officials said on Wednesday.
Human rights group Amnesty International condemned the planned change, accusing the government of handing war criminals "a free ticket to escape the law."
The proposals, part of police reform legislation introduced into parliament on Tuesday, fulfil a promise of the seven-month-old coalition government to amend a law that has drawn protests from Israel.
Under existing British law, private individuals can start criminal prosecutions, including for international war crimes, by applying to a magistrate for a court summons or an arrest warrant. Magistrates do not need to decide whether there is a realistic chance of conviction.
Under the proposed new law, which could take months to make its way through parliament, the Director of Public Prosecutions would have to agree to an arrest warrant being issued in such a case.
"This is to ensure that people suspected of some of the most heinous crimes, wherever in the world they took place, can still be brought to justice in our courts but ... only where there is a prospect of successful prosecution," a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain's core principle remained that people guilty of war crimes must be brought to justice. The proposed legal change was designed to correct an anomaly that allowed "the U.K.'s systems to be abused for political reasons," he said in a statement.
Israel halts strategic talks
Israel said last month it had stopped sending delegations to Britain for routine strategic talks out of fear pro-Palestinian activists would seek their arrest for alleged war crimes.
Last year, a British court issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni on war crimes charges but withdrew it upon finding she had cancelled a planned trip to Britain, according to media reports.
The Israeli government summoned the British ambassador to protest over the incident.
Israel's Foreign Ministry has said that the legal jeopardy faced by Israeli politicians and military officers could damage Britain's efforts to play a role in Middle East peacemaking.
Amnesty International's U.K. director, Kate Allen, said the proposed amendment sent the wrong signal and showed Britain was "soft" on war crimes and torture. "The current process allows victims of crimes under international law to act quickly against suspected perpetrators," she said in a statement.
The planned amendment risked introducing delays that could allow suspects to flee, she added, calling the change "dangerous and unnecessary."
"Unless a way of guaranteeing a means of preventing suspects fleeing can be built into the proposals, then the U.K. will have undermined the fight for international justice and handed war criminals a free ticket to escape the law," she said.
http://bit.ly/eev6wn
Britain placates Israel with war crimes arrest law change
Britain sought Wednesday to soothe strained ties with Israel by publishing an amendment to a law that puts visiting officials at risk of arrest for alleged war crimes, sparking outrage from rights groups.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the change would ensure that private arrest warrants for offenses under certain international laws, including the Geneva Convention, would first have to be approved by the chief prosecutor.
The move was welcomed by Israel, whose politicians and officials have been targeted by warrants brought by pro-Palestinian campaign groups, but Amnesty International said it gave war criminals a "free ticket to escape the law".
Ex-foreign minister Tzipi Livni reportedly canceled a trip here in December last year after a British court issued a warrant for her arrest over Israel's 2008-2009 war on Gaza, following an application by Palestinian activists.
The Jewish state also delayed a visit by senior military officers to Britain in January amid fears they could be arrested.
Last month Israel postponed all strategic dialogue with Britain in protest at the so-called law of universal jurisdiction, prompting Hague to promise swift action on the issue.
"The UK is committed to upholding international justice and all of our international obligations. Our core principle remains that those guilty of war crimes must be brought to justice," Hague said in a statement Wednesday.
"This government has been clear that the current arrangements for obtaining arrest warrants in respect of universal jurisdiction offenses are an anomaly that allow the UK%u2019s systems to be abused for political reasons.
"The proposed change is designed to correct these and ensure that people are not detained when there is no realistic chance of prosecution."
The existing law empowers courts to issue warrants against people accused of offenses including certain war crimes, torture and hostage-taking, even if they were committed outside the country by someone who is not a British national.
The amendment has been tacked on to the police reform and social responsibility bill, which outlines widespread reform of police forces in England and Wales. It will be debated in parliament in the coming weeks.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel last month, Hague promised to act fast to amend the law, which he had previously denounced as "indefensible".
Yigal Palmor, the spokesman of the Israeli foreign ministry, welcomed London's move to fulfil that pledge.
"We are pleased to see the English government lay down this legislation as promised and look forward to the swift adoption of this amendment," he said.
In July Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke told parliament that Britain's commitment to international justice was "unwavering".
But he warned that allowing universal justice cases to proceed without solid evidence risked "damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to pursue a coherent foreign policy".
Officials insisted Wednesday that the new amendment would not hinder private prosecutions that were well founded, but would block any spurious accusations.
However Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, said the move would help people trying to flee from justice.
"The current process allows victims of crimes under international law to act quickly against suspected perpetrators who could otherwise enter and leave the UK before police and prosecutors can act," she said.
"This is a dangerous and unnecessary change.
"Unless a way of guaranteeing a means of preventing suspects fleeing can be built into the proposals, then the UK will have undermined the fight for international justice and handed war criminals a free ticket to escape the law."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=338003
Head of UN committee to enforce Goldstone findings resigns
German professor Christian Tomuschat, who headed the UN committee assigned to implement the findings of the Goldstone Report, has resigned his post for unknown reasons.
UN Watch Chairman Alfred H. Moses responded to resignation of Tomuschat, known for his anti-Israeli opinions, by saying that the unilateral UN investigation of Operation Cast Lead finds itself leaderless and in an embarrassing position.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3992809,00.html
U.K. to restrict ability to charge foreigners with war crimes
Israel stopped sending delegations to Britain for fear pro-Palestinian activists would seek their arrest for alleged war crimes.
Britain has proposed legal changes restricting citizens' right to seek the arrest of foreign politicians for alleged war crimes, tackling an issue that has caused tension with Israel, officials said on Wednesday.
Human rights group Amnesty International condemned the planned change, accusing the government of handing war criminals "a free ticket to escape the law."
The proposals, part of police reform legislation introduced into parliament on Tuesday, fulfil a promise of the seven-month-old coalition government to amend a law that has drawn protests from Israel.
Under existing British law, private individuals can start criminal prosecutions, including for international war crimes, by applying to a magistrate for a court summons or an arrest warrant. Magistrates do not need to decide whether there is a realistic chance of conviction.
Under the proposed new law, which could take months to make its way through parliament, the Director of Public Prosecutions would have to agree to an arrest warrant being issued in such a case.
"This is to ensure that people suspected of some of the most heinous crimes, wherever in the world they took place, can still be brought to justice in our courts but ... only where there is a prospect of successful prosecution," a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain's core principle remained that people guilty of war crimes must be brought to justice. The proposed legal change was designed to correct an anomaly that allowed "the U.K.'s systems to be abused for political reasons," he said in a statement.
Israel halts strategic talks
Israel said last month it had stopped sending delegations to Britain for routine strategic talks out of fear pro-Palestinian activists would seek their arrest for alleged war crimes.
Last year, a British court issued an arrest warrant for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni on war crimes charges but withdrew it upon finding she had cancelled a planned trip to Britain, according to media reports.
The Israeli government summoned the British ambassador to protest over the incident.
Israel's Foreign Ministry has said that the legal jeopardy faced by Israeli politicians and military officers could damage Britain's efforts to play a role in Middle East peacemaking.
Amnesty International's U.K. director, Kate Allen, said the proposed amendment sent the wrong signal and showed Britain was "soft" on war crimes and torture. "The current process allows victims of crimes under international law to act quickly against suspected perpetrators," she said in a statement.
The planned amendment risked introducing delays that could allow suspects to flee, she added, calling the change "dangerous and unnecessary."
"Unless a way of guaranteeing a means of preventing suspects fleeing can be built into the proposals, then the U.K. will have undermined the fight for international justice and handed war criminals a free ticket to escape the law," she said.
http://bit.ly/eev6wn
Britain placates Israel with war crimes arrest law change
Britain sought Wednesday to soothe strained ties with Israel by publishing an amendment to a law that puts visiting officials at risk of arrest for alleged war crimes, sparking outrage from rights groups.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said the change would ensure that private arrest warrants for offenses under certain international laws, including the Geneva Convention, would first have to be approved by the chief prosecutor.
The move was welcomed by Israel, whose politicians and officials have been targeted by warrants brought by pro-Palestinian campaign groups, but Amnesty International said it gave war criminals a "free ticket to escape the law".
Ex-foreign minister Tzipi Livni reportedly canceled a trip here in December last year after a British court issued a warrant for her arrest over Israel's 2008-2009 war on Gaza, following an application by Palestinian activists.
The Jewish state also delayed a visit by senior military officers to Britain in January amid fears they could be arrested.
Last month Israel postponed all strategic dialogue with Britain in protest at the so-called law of universal jurisdiction, prompting Hague to promise swift action on the issue.
"The UK is committed to upholding international justice and all of our international obligations. Our core principle remains that those guilty of war crimes must be brought to justice," Hague said in a statement Wednesday.
"This government has been clear that the current arrangements for obtaining arrest warrants in respect of universal jurisdiction offenses are an anomaly that allow the UK%u2019s systems to be abused for political reasons.
"The proposed change is designed to correct these and ensure that people are not detained when there is no realistic chance of prosecution."
The existing law empowers courts to issue warrants against people accused of offenses including certain war crimes, torture and hostage-taking, even if they were committed outside the country by someone who is not a British national.
The amendment has been tacked on to the police reform and social responsibility bill, which outlines widespread reform of police forces in England and Wales. It will be debated in parliament in the coming weeks.
During a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel last month, Hague promised to act fast to amend the law, which he had previously denounced as "indefensible".
Yigal Palmor, the spokesman of the Israeli foreign ministry, welcomed London's move to fulfil that pledge.
"We are pleased to see the English government lay down this legislation as promised and look forward to the swift adoption of this amendment," he said.
In July Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke told parliament that Britain's commitment to international justice was "unwavering".
But he warned that allowing universal justice cases to proceed without solid evidence risked "damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to pursue a coherent foreign policy".
Officials insisted Wednesday that the new amendment would not hinder private prosecutions that were well founded, but would block any spurious accusations.
However Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, said the move would help people trying to flee from justice.
"The current process allows victims of crimes under international law to act quickly against suspected perpetrators who could otherwise enter and leave the UK before police and prosecutors can act," she said.
"This is a dangerous and unnecessary change.
"Unless a way of guaranteeing a means of preventing suspects fleeing can be built into the proposals, then the UK will have undermined the fight for international justice and handed war criminals a free ticket to escape the law."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=338003
Head of UN committee to enforce Goldstone findings resigns
German professor Christian Tomuschat, who headed the UN committee assigned to implement the findings of the Goldstone Report, has resigned his post for unknown reasons.
UN Watch Chairman Alfred H. Moses responded to resignation of Tomuschat, known for his anti-Israeli opinions, by saying that the unilateral UN investigation of Operation Cast Lead finds itself leaderless and in an embarrassing position.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3992809,00.html
29 nov 2010
WikiLeaks exposé: Israel offered to coordinate Cast Lead with Egypt and Fatah
In diplomatic cable documenting 2009 meeting, Defense Minister Barak says Egypt, PA refuse to take over Gaza in case of Hamas defeat.
Israel had tried to coordinate Operation Cast Lead with Egypt and Fatah, offering to allow its neighbor and the Palestinian faction to take control of Gaza after an Israeli defeat of Hamas, according to U.S. State Department documents released last night by WikiLeaks.
Numerous news outlets yesterday published the contents of hundreds of thousands of State Department cables obtained by WikiLeaks. Some were labeled "secret" and contain American assessments of allies and adversaries alike.
According to a telegram tagged "confidential" by then-deputy U.S. ambassador Luis Moreno, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told a U.S. congressional delegation last year that Israel tried to coordinate its activities prior to Operation Cast Lead with Egypt, as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Barak referred to the Palestinian Authority as "weak" and "lacking self-confidence," the telegram said.
"He explained that the GOI [government of Israel] had consulted with Egypt and Fatah prior to Operation Cast Lead, asking if they were willing to assume control of Gaza once Israel defeated Hamas," the cable read. "Not surprisingly, Barak said, the GOI received negative answers from both."
The revelations indicate that Israel, the PA and Egypt were in contact before Israel launched its offensive in Gaza. Reports had mentioned "dialogue" between Israel and its neighbors during the operation.
Some documents from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv that were revealed last night concerned diplomatic activity during Ehud Olmert's government. According to one cable, dated January 8, 2007, then-U.S. envoy Richard Jones described the trio of Prime Minister Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz as wracked by "dysfunction." This was before the Winograd Commission's interim report on the Second Lebanon War.
"Madam Secretary, internal tensions among GOI leaders have intensified since your last visit and have reached the point that there appears to be little coordination or even dialogue among the key decision makers," Jones wrote in a cable to then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was scheduled to make a visit to the region shortly afterward. "We will need to be sensitive to perceptions that we are favoring one faction over another."
He added: "The divisions at the top here are part of an increasingly gloomy public mood, with a new corruption allegations making headlines virtually daily, and a growing sense of political failure despite Israel's strong economy and a sustained success rate in thwarting suicide attacks."
The former ambassador also alluded to Livni's rising popularity, noting: "FM Tzipi Livni is frustrated by Olmert's continued refusal to coordinate closely." And he wrote: "Livni's policy adviser has confirmed to us that she has engaged in her own discrete discussions with Palestinians, but very much in an exploratory mode ... Livni told Senators [John] Kerry and [Christopher] Dodd that she doubted that a final status agreement could be reached with Abu Mazen [Abbas], and therefore the emphasis should be on reforming Fatah so that it could beat Hamas at the polls."
Another cable dated July 26, 2007 reported on a meeting between Mossad chief Meir Dagan and a visiting American official.
"Departing from official GOI policy, Dagan expressed his personal opinion that after more than a decade of trying to reach a final status agreement with the Palestinians, 'nothing will be achieved,'" the cable read. "Only Israeli military operations against Hamas in the West Bank prevent them from expanding control beyond Gaza, lamented Dagan, without which Fatah would fall."
http://bit.ly/fyb5WZ
WikiLeaks exposé: Israel offered to coordinate Cast Lead with Egypt and Fatah
In diplomatic cable documenting 2009 meeting, Defense Minister Barak says Egypt, PA refuse to take over Gaza in case of Hamas defeat.
Israel had tried to coordinate Operation Cast Lead with Egypt and Fatah, offering to allow its neighbor and the Palestinian faction to take control of Gaza after an Israeli defeat of Hamas, according to U.S. State Department documents released last night by WikiLeaks.
Numerous news outlets yesterday published the contents of hundreds of thousands of State Department cables obtained by WikiLeaks. Some were labeled "secret" and contain American assessments of allies and adversaries alike.
According to a telegram tagged "confidential" by then-deputy U.S. ambassador Luis Moreno, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told a U.S. congressional delegation last year that Israel tried to coordinate its activities prior to Operation Cast Lead with Egypt, as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Barak referred to the Palestinian Authority as "weak" and "lacking self-confidence," the telegram said.
"He explained that the GOI [government of Israel] had consulted with Egypt and Fatah prior to Operation Cast Lead, asking if they were willing to assume control of Gaza once Israel defeated Hamas," the cable read. "Not surprisingly, Barak said, the GOI received negative answers from both."
The revelations indicate that Israel, the PA and Egypt were in contact before Israel launched its offensive in Gaza. Reports had mentioned "dialogue" between Israel and its neighbors during the operation.
Some documents from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv that were revealed last night concerned diplomatic activity during Ehud Olmert's government. According to one cable, dated January 8, 2007, then-U.S. envoy Richard Jones described the trio of Prime Minister Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz as wracked by "dysfunction." This was before the Winograd Commission's interim report on the Second Lebanon War.
"Madam Secretary, internal tensions among GOI leaders have intensified since your last visit and have reached the point that there appears to be little coordination or even dialogue among the key decision makers," Jones wrote in a cable to then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was scheduled to make a visit to the region shortly afterward. "We will need to be sensitive to perceptions that we are favoring one faction over another."
He added: "The divisions at the top here are part of an increasingly gloomy public mood, with a new corruption allegations making headlines virtually daily, and a growing sense of political failure despite Israel's strong economy and a sustained success rate in thwarting suicide attacks."
The former ambassador also alluded to Livni's rising popularity, noting: "FM Tzipi Livni is frustrated by Olmert's continued refusal to coordinate closely." And he wrote: "Livni's policy adviser has confirmed to us that she has engaged in her own discrete discussions with Palestinians, but very much in an exploratory mode ... Livni told Senators [John] Kerry and [Christopher] Dodd that she doubted that a final status agreement could be reached with Abu Mazen [Abbas], and therefore the emphasis should be on reforming Fatah so that it could beat Hamas at the polls."
Another cable dated July 26, 2007 reported on a meeting between Mossad chief Meir Dagan and a visiting American official.
"Departing from official GOI policy, Dagan expressed his personal opinion that after more than a decade of trying to reach a final status agreement with the Palestinians, 'nothing will be achieved,'" the cable read. "Only Israeli military operations against Hamas in the West Bank prevent them from expanding control beyond Gaza, lamented Dagan, without which Fatah would fall."
http://bit.ly/fyb5WZ
23 nov 2010
Palestinian Plight
Palestinian Plight
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Two Catholic priests who have witnessed Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people first hand have shared their experiences in a book titled "A Priest in Hell".
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IDC: IOF used Palestinian children as human shields on 15 occasions
The international defense of children organization (IDC) has criticized an Israeli court verdict on Sunday against two Israeli soldiers that sentenced them to three months suspended sentence for using a 9-year-old Palestinian child as a human shield during the war on Gaza.
The IDC, a Geneva-based international movement, said in a statement on Monday that the ruling did not reflect the severity of the violation committed by the two soldiers and did not serve justice but rather provided additional immunity for Israeli soldiers when committing crimes against Palestinian children.
It said that the verdicts did not conform with Israel's commitment to the international humanitarian law and did not seriously impose protection of civilians at times of war.
The IDC, which has a branch in Palestine, affirmed that it had documented 15 similar cases since 2005 where Israeli occupation forces used Palestinian children as human shields including three cases in 2010.
http://bit.ly/hr2w6z
The international defense of children organization (IDC) has criticized an Israeli court verdict on Sunday against two Israeli soldiers that sentenced them to three months suspended sentence for using a 9-year-old Palestinian child as a human shield during the war on Gaza.
The IDC, a Geneva-based international movement, said in a statement on Monday that the ruling did not reflect the severity of the violation committed by the two soldiers and did not serve justice but rather provided additional immunity for Israeli soldiers when committing crimes against Palestinian children.
It said that the verdicts did not conform with Israel's commitment to the international humanitarian law and did not seriously impose protection of civilians at times of war.
The IDC, which has a branch in Palestine, affirmed that it had documented 15 similar cases since 2005 where Israeli occupation forces used Palestinian children as human shields including three cases in 2010.
http://bit.ly/hr2w6z
22 nov 2010
Rights expert: Light sentence against soldiers who used boy as shield a show
Palestinian rights expert Fouad Al-Khafsh said he was outraged by the three month prison sentence imposed on two Israeli soldiers convicted of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during Israel's last attack on Gaza, calling the ruling a show staged by the Israeli court system.
[Israel] attempts through such trivial rulings to beautify its ugly face and pose to the world that it has an internal system and penal codes for those who do wrong.
Khafsh added that such trials are inappropriate for the scale of the crimes committed by Israeli soldiers.
An Israeli military court sentenced Sunday morning two Israeli soldiers who forced a nine-year-old Palestinian child to open boxes suspected to be wired during the military attack against the Gaza to three months suspended sentence and ruled that their ranks would be lowered.
Defending the slap on the wrist sentence, Israeli judges claimed the soldiers acted under difficult circumstances and did not intend to place the child in danger, and that their history in the military was otherwise very clean.
Major General Uzi Dayan said there was no need for a military trial in the first place. Leaders in the field should have investigated what happened in the operation and not military police.
The assailants are currently exploring the possibility of appealing the conviction, Israeli Radio said.
http://bit.ly/9wUvTR
Verdict on human shield case condemned
The Palestinian Authority has harshly criticized an Israeli military court for meting out light sentences against two soldiers convicted of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during the Gaza war.
Israel deliberately goes easy on its soldiers who commit violations of international law against Palestinian civilians, the Xinhua news agency quoted Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan al-Khatib as saying on Sunday.
On Sunday, an Israeli court issued its final verdict on the case, giving the two soldiers suspended sentences of three months and stripping them of the rank of staff sergeant.
The soldiers had forced a nine-year-old Palestinian boy named Majed Rabah to open several bags suspected of containing explosives during the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip in January 2009.
More than 1,400 Palestinians lost their lives during the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war.
"This verdict would encourage the Israeli soldiers to continue their daily violations against the Palestinians," al-Khatib asserted.
The Palestinian boy himself cried foul at the ruling, saying, "It's unfair. They should have been jailed for a year or two."
In response to the verdict, there has been a wave of condemnations.
Gerard Horton, a spokesman in the West Bank for the Geneva-based rights group Defense for Children International, denounced it as "unbelievable."
The incident was brought to the fore by the United Nations in a report, which harshly criticized Israel for committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The UN Human Rights Council has censured Tel Aviv for failing to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces during the Gaza war.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151963.html
Rights expert: Light sentence against soldiers who used boy as shield a show
Palestinian rights expert Fouad Al-Khafsh said he was outraged by the three month prison sentence imposed on two Israeli soldiers convicted of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during Israel's last attack on Gaza, calling the ruling a show staged by the Israeli court system.
[Israel] attempts through such trivial rulings to beautify its ugly face and pose to the world that it has an internal system and penal codes for those who do wrong.
Khafsh added that such trials are inappropriate for the scale of the crimes committed by Israeli soldiers.
An Israeli military court sentenced Sunday morning two Israeli soldiers who forced a nine-year-old Palestinian child to open boxes suspected to be wired during the military attack against the Gaza to three months suspended sentence and ruled that their ranks would be lowered.
Defending the slap on the wrist sentence, Israeli judges claimed the soldiers acted under difficult circumstances and did not intend to place the child in danger, and that their history in the military was otherwise very clean.
Major General Uzi Dayan said there was no need for a military trial in the first place. Leaders in the field should have investigated what happened in the operation and not military police.
The assailants are currently exploring the possibility of appealing the conviction, Israeli Radio said.
http://bit.ly/9wUvTR
Verdict on human shield case condemned
The Palestinian Authority has harshly criticized an Israeli military court for meting out light sentences against two soldiers convicted of using a Palestinian child as a human shield during the Gaza war.
Israel deliberately goes easy on its soldiers who commit violations of international law against Palestinian civilians, the Xinhua news agency quoted Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan al-Khatib as saying on Sunday.
On Sunday, an Israeli court issued its final verdict on the case, giving the two soldiers suspended sentences of three months and stripping them of the rank of staff sergeant.
The soldiers had forced a nine-year-old Palestinian boy named Majed Rabah to open several bags suspected of containing explosives during the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip in January 2009.
More than 1,400 Palestinians lost their lives during the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war.
"This verdict would encourage the Israeli soldiers to continue their daily violations against the Palestinians," al-Khatib asserted.
The Palestinian boy himself cried foul at the ruling, saying, "It's unfair. They should have been jailed for a year or two."
In response to the verdict, there has been a wave of condemnations.
Gerard Horton, a spokesman in the West Bank for the Geneva-based rights group Defense for Children International, denounced it as "unbelievable."
The incident was brought to the fore by the United Nations in a report, which harshly criticized Israel for committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The UN Human Rights Council has censured Tel Aviv for failing to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces during the Gaza war.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151963.html
21 nov 2010
No jail time for troops who endangered Palestinian boy
Two Givati soldiers convicted of forcing Palestinian boy to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead sentenced to three months probation, demotion to sergeants. Judges take into account defendants' willingness to serve in reserve duty.
The Kastina Military Court sentenced two Givati soldiers, who asked a Palestinian boy to open bags suspected of containing explosives, to three months of probation. They were also both demoted to sergeants.
After the reading of the sentence the defendants hugged their relatives and expressed joy.
The judges stated that the soldiers "hurt the child and left a mark on him." They further noted that "maintaining human life is not just a slogan."
The panel nevertheless, took into consideration the troops' military service and their willingness to serve in reserve duty. They were also aware of the complicated situation they were placed in.
Supporting the soldiers
Last October, the soldiers were convicted of commanding a 9-year old Palestinian boy to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead. They had been charged with overstepping authority and conduct unbecoming.
Various military figures associated with the defendants attended the court hearing Sunday.
"The message should be clear, this is hardly a straightforward issue," military prosecutor Major Dorit Tuval said, referring to her insistence on demoting the soldiers and demanding probation. She admitted the soldiers were excellent combatants who risked their lives for the state.
"I am being treated like a war criminal and I will have to pay dearly," one of the defendants previously said.
"For three years I struggled to earn these ranks. I want to be in the reserves in order to serve my country," he told the court, asking for a reprieve.
The conviction prompted angry responses from the troops' family and friends. Many of their supporters wore shirts which said "We're all victims of Goldstone" to the verdict hearing.
Shortly thereafter fliers and graffiti reading "traitor" were posted outside the house of Military Advocate General Avichai Mandelblitt.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3987445,00.html
Russell court tries Israel accomplices
An international court, entitling itself as the world people's tribunal, has begun trying the corporations assisting Israel in its crimes against Palestinians.
Consisting of noted international personalities, the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) held the trial at the central London offices of the Law Society of England and Wales, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.
Lecturers, including Israeli experts, have been scheduled to address the court on the "corporate complicity" in Israeli offenses.
The tribunal began its work in 2009 in the aftermath of the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and inflicted a damage of more than USD 1.6 billion on the enclave's economy.
The United Nations fact-finding mission, probing the war, has accused Tel Aviv of committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the war.
The report found Israeli forces guilty of deliberately targeting the civilians and using white phosphorus in built-up areas, notably on the UN Relief and Works Agency compound in the Gaza City, north of the coastal sliver as well as on two Gaza-based hospitals.
The RToP says on its website that it owes its legitimacy to "the prestige, professional interests and commitment to fundamental rights of the Members that constitute this Tribunal."
The Law Society's chief executive, Desmond Hudson, said the participation in the tribunal of the UK-based group, Jews for Justice for Palestinians suggests that "opinions in Israel and among the Jewish community are not monolithic."
The court is "not proscribed," he said and supported the RToP's activity by saying that "it is a sad day when subjects are censored just because they are contentious."
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151922.html
No jail time for troops who endangered Palestinian boy
Two Givati soldiers convicted of forcing Palestinian boy to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead sentenced to three months probation, demotion to sergeants. Judges take into account defendants' willingness to serve in reserve duty.
The Kastina Military Court sentenced two Givati soldiers, who asked a Palestinian boy to open bags suspected of containing explosives, to three months of probation. They were also both demoted to sergeants.
After the reading of the sentence the defendants hugged their relatives and expressed joy.
The judges stated that the soldiers "hurt the child and left a mark on him." They further noted that "maintaining human life is not just a slogan."
The panel nevertheless, took into consideration the troops' military service and their willingness to serve in reserve duty. They were also aware of the complicated situation they were placed in.
Supporting the soldiers
Last October, the soldiers were convicted of commanding a 9-year old Palestinian boy to open suspicious bags during Operation Cast Lead. They had been charged with overstepping authority and conduct unbecoming.
Various military figures associated with the defendants attended the court hearing Sunday.
"The message should be clear, this is hardly a straightforward issue," military prosecutor Major Dorit Tuval said, referring to her insistence on demoting the soldiers and demanding probation. She admitted the soldiers were excellent combatants who risked their lives for the state.
"I am being treated like a war criminal and I will have to pay dearly," one of the defendants previously said.
"For three years I struggled to earn these ranks. I want to be in the reserves in order to serve my country," he told the court, asking for a reprieve.
The conviction prompted angry responses from the troops' family and friends. Many of their supporters wore shirts which said "We're all victims of Goldstone" to the verdict hearing.
Shortly thereafter fliers and graffiti reading "traitor" were posted outside the house of Military Advocate General Avichai Mandelblitt.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3987445,00.html
Russell court tries Israel accomplices
An international court, entitling itself as the world people's tribunal, has begun trying the corporations assisting Israel in its crimes against Palestinians.
Consisting of noted international personalities, the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) held the trial at the central London offices of the Law Society of England and Wales, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.
Lecturers, including Israeli experts, have been scheduled to address the court on the "corporate complicity" in Israeli offenses.
The tribunal began its work in 2009 in the aftermath of the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and inflicted a damage of more than USD 1.6 billion on the enclave's economy.
The United Nations fact-finding mission, probing the war, has accused Tel Aviv of committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the war.
The report found Israeli forces guilty of deliberately targeting the civilians and using white phosphorus in built-up areas, notably on the UN Relief and Works Agency compound in the Gaza City, north of the coastal sliver as well as on two Gaza-based hospitals.
The RToP says on its website that it owes its legitimacy to "the prestige, professional interests and commitment to fundamental rights of the Members that constitute this Tribunal."
The Law Society's chief executive, Desmond Hudson, said the participation in the tribunal of the UK-based group, Jews for Justice for Palestinians suggests that "opinions in Israel and among the Jewish community are not monolithic."
The court is "not proscribed," he said and supported the RToP's activity by saying that "it is a sad day when subjects are censored just because they are contentious."
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/151922.html
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The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs's UN in the Middle East Research Initiative held 'The Goldstone Report', a discussion with Goldstone Panel Members Hina Jilani Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Colonel Desmond Travers Former officer of the Irish Army, International Conduct of War Investigator.
Hina Jilani is Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders from (2000 - 2008). Ms. Jilani was appointed Advocate of the High Court of Pakistan in 1981, and established Pakistan's first all-women's law firm in 1981. In 1999, she was awarded the Human Rights Award by the Lawyers |
Committee for Human Rights, and in 2000 she was honoured with the Amnesty International Genetta Sagan Award for Women's Rights.
Desmond Travers is a former officer of the Irish Army where he served for over forty years. During his period of service he participated in numerous peacekeeping missions: the Balkans, Cyprus and Lebanon.
In 2003, he assisted in the conduct of war crime investigation training and consultancies with the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) based in The Hague.
He was military advisor to Amnesty International's investigations into the Israeli-Hizballah war in 2006. In 2009, he participated in the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict - these findings have come to be known as The Goldstone Report.
Over 100 British MPs Against Change to Universal Jurisdiction Law
More than a hundred British MPs have opposed the coalition government's plans to alter the law prosecuting Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes, Press TV claimed on Friday.
A parliamentary Early Day Motion has so far been signed by 102 MPs. The MPs oppose any legislation that restrict the power by British courts to apply the universal jurisdiction law. Based on this law, arrest warrants are issued to those accused of committing war crimes.
Universal jurisdiction for human rights abuses is essential as part of the cause of bringing to justice those who commit crimes against humanity, the motion said.
Signatories to date include 30 MPs from the Liberal Democrats, the Conservative government's junior coalition partners, as well as 65 Labour MPs, all three Plaid Cymru's Welsh nationals, two of Northern Ireland's SDLP MPs, and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.
The British government has pledged to change the law on universal jurisdiction by requiring the consent of the director of public prosecutions before any arrest warrant is issued.
Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, anticipated, in July, that the government would introduce an amendment to universal jurisdiction at the first opportunity.
Labour leader Ed Miliband, said he would clarify the opposition party's official position when the government's plan is put forth.
The debate over the change to universal jurisdiction law was brought up last December 2009, when a warrant arrest was issued against the former Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, due to her role played in the latest war on Gaza. The warrant forced Livni to cancel her visit to Britain.
A number of other Israel officials have cancelled their visits to the UK, being likely to face war crime arresting. Last month, Israel also canceled its high-level Security Dialogue meeting with Britain, set to be held in London.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59957
Desmond Travers is a former officer of the Irish Army where he served for over forty years. During his period of service he participated in numerous peacekeeping missions: the Balkans, Cyprus and Lebanon.
In 2003, he assisted in the conduct of war crime investigation training and consultancies with the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) based in The Hague.
He was military advisor to Amnesty International's investigations into the Israeli-Hizballah war in 2006. In 2009, he participated in the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict - these findings have come to be known as The Goldstone Report.
Over 100 British MPs Against Change to Universal Jurisdiction Law
More than a hundred British MPs have opposed the coalition government's plans to alter the law prosecuting Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes, Press TV claimed on Friday.
A parliamentary Early Day Motion has so far been signed by 102 MPs. The MPs oppose any legislation that restrict the power by British courts to apply the universal jurisdiction law. Based on this law, arrest warrants are issued to those accused of committing war crimes.
Universal jurisdiction for human rights abuses is essential as part of the cause of bringing to justice those who commit crimes against humanity, the motion said.
Signatories to date include 30 MPs from the Liberal Democrats, the Conservative government's junior coalition partners, as well as 65 Labour MPs, all three Plaid Cymru's Welsh nationals, two of Northern Ireland's SDLP MPs, and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.
The British government has pledged to change the law on universal jurisdiction by requiring the consent of the director of public prosecutions before any arrest warrant is issued.
Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, anticipated, in July, that the government would introduce an amendment to universal jurisdiction at the first opportunity.
Labour leader Ed Miliband, said he would clarify the opposition party's official position when the government's plan is put forth.
The debate over the change to universal jurisdiction law was brought up last December 2009, when a warrant arrest was issued against the former Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, due to her role played in the latest war on Gaza. The warrant forced Livni to cancel her visit to Britain.
A number of other Israel officials have cancelled their visits to the UK, being likely to face war crime arresting. Last month, Israel also canceled its high-level Security Dialogue meeting with Britain, set to be held in London.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59957
