Avigdor Lieberman rules out 'concessions' to Palestinians
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- Written by Rachel Shabi in Tel Aviv Rachel Shabi in Tel Aviv
- Published: 01 April 2009 01 April 2009
- Hits: 4102 4102
Israel never ratified 2007 Annapolis Middle East peace talks, new foreign minister says in debut speech
Israel's new foreign minister dismayed the international community today with a rancorous analysis of the peace process and an announcement that the new government favours aggression rather than concessions to the Palestinians.
In his first speech since taking office, the rightwinger Avigdor Lieberman dismissed the last round of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, arguing that Israeli concessions made in a bid to secure peace had all been fruitless.
"Those who want peace should prepare for war and be strong," he said. "There is no country that made concessions like Israel. Since 1967 we gave up territory that is three times the size of Israel. We showed willingness. The Oslo process started back in 1993, and to this day I have not seen that we reached peace."
Speaking to what the Associated Press describes as a roomful of "cringing diplomats", the new foreign minister said Israel was not bound by the Annapolis peace talks. These were initiated in November 2007 to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and involved around 40 countries.
"The Israeli government never ratified Annapolis; nor did [the] Knesset," said Lieberman, promising to honour only the US-initiated "road map" of 2002, which has long been in stalemate amid accusations from both sides.
Lieberman's speech is in stark contrast to remarks made by the incoming prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, who both said the new government would pursue peace on every front.
During a recent visit to the Czech Republic, the Israeli president said the new administration had promised: "We shall continue the negotiations with the Palestinians. We shall negotiate with each of our neighbours ... and see what can be done in terms of peace on the regional level." And a week before taking office, Netanyahu vowed to engage in peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
Their comments came in reaction to growing international concern that the new Israeli government would not be committed to a two-state peace process.
In today's speech, Lieberman was more amiable towards Egypt, which he described as an "important element in the Arab world". This is an improvement on a few weeks ago, when he said the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, could "go to hell".
The United States Promotes Israeli Genocide Against the Palestinians
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- Written by Francis A. Boyle Francis A. Boyle
- Published: 31 March 2009 31 March 2009
- Hits: 4242 4242
As long ago as October 19, 2000, the then United Nations Human Rights Commission (now Council) condemned Israel for inflicting "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" upon the Palestinian people, most of whom are Muslims. The reader has a general idea of what a war crime is, so I am not going to elaborate upon that term here. But there are different degrees of heinousness for war crimes. In particular are the more serious war crimes denominated "grave breaches" of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Since the outbreak of the first Intifada in 1987, the world has seen those heinous war crimes inflicted every day by Israel against the Palestinian people living in occupied Palestine: e.g., willful killing of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army and by Israel's illegal paramilitary settlers. These Israeli "grave breaches" of the Fourth Geneva Convention mandate universal prosecution for the perpetrators and their commanders, whether military or civilian, including and especially Israel's political leaders.
But I want to focus for a moment on Israel's "crimes against humanity" against the Palestinian people-as determined by the U.N. Human Rights Commission itself, set up pursuant to the requirements of the United Nations Charter. What are "crimes against humanity"? This concept goes all the way back to the Nuremberg Charter of 1945 for the trial of the major Nazi war criminals in Europe. In the Nuremberg Charter of 1945, drafted by the United States Government, there was created and inserted a new type of international crime specifically intended to deal with the Nazi persecution of the Jewish people:
Crimes against humanity: namely, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, before or during the war, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds in execution of or in connection with any crime within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated.
Read more: The United States Promotes Israeli Genocide Against the Palestinians
Israel approves Netanyahu cabinet
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- Written by BBC News BBC News
- Published: 31 March 2009 31 March 2009
- Hits: 4178 4178
Israel's parliament has approved Benjamin Netanyahu's right-leaning coalition cabinet by 69 votes to 45, after a six-hour debate.
Earlier, Mr Netanyahu had asked the country's parliament to trust in him, as it prepared to swear him into office as prime minister.
Mr Netanyahu said these were "not normal times" for Israel as it faced economic and security challenges.
He also said he was ready to hold peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
His coalition cabinet, the result of weeks of tortuous negotiation, is the largest in Israeli political history - the government's meeting table has had to be extended to accommodate all the members.
The cabinet combines Israel's centre-right, centre-left and far-right parties.
Analysts say Iran's nuclear programme is likely to top its security agenda.
Hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman has also been confirmed as foreign minister and Labour veteran Ehud Barak as minister of defence.
Western states have voiced concern at the coalition's likely stance on a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Speaking in the Knesset before being sworn in, Mr Netanyahu said these were "not normal times" for Israel but asked the parliament to trust him "at this time of global crisis, the likes of which we have not had in years".
"Israel finds itself facing two enormous challenges: an economic challenge, and a security challenge. These two crises have come at a time of great international change," he said.
In an apparent reference to Israel's neighbour, Iran, Mr Netanyahu said the biggest threat to Israel and the world "comes from the possibility of a radical regime armed with nuclear weapons".
He said it was "shameful" that "calls by Iranian leaders to destroy Israel are greeted with indifference by the world, without being firmly condemned".
'Not encouraging'
Mr Netanyahu also said he would engage in peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
He told the Palestinian leadership: "If you truly want peace, peace can be obtained.
"We do not want to govern another people. We do not want to exercise our power over the Palestinians."
But a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the AFP news agency that Mr Netanyahu's statement was "not encouraging", as it made no reference to the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
Mr Netanyahu has said in the past that he sees no need for the Palestinians to have full separate statehood.
This will be Mr Netanyahu's second time as prime minister - he last held the office in 1999.
The BBC's Paul Wood says that when he occupied the post before, Mr Netanyahu talked tough but signed some important agreements with the Palestinians, including handing over land in the West Bank.
But the inclusion of Labour in the coalition will help the government to appear more moderate and to resist pressure, especially from Washington, to move towards a two-state solution, our correspondent says.
The last time Mr Netanyahu was PM, he failed to complete his term - most Israeli governments don't and this one, an unwieldy and unhappy amalgam of opposites, stands less chance of success than most.
First order of business will be to deal with the economic crisis. That's hit Israel just like everywhere else, although, additionally, there may be signs that the Shekel is seriously over-valued.
This new administration doesn't believe that a negotiated Middle East peace settlement is possible with the Palestinians. They will try instead to contain the conflict while pushing forward Mr Netanyahu's plan for an "economic peace", which involves granting the Palestinians something less than a state.
The main issue as far as Mr Netanyahu is concerned is Iran's supposed nuclear ambitions. Whether or not to bomb Iran will be the new prime minister's most momentous decision - and one he may make quite soon.
Gaza strike
Earlier on Tuesday, Gazan medical sources said two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said the men had been carrying weapons and were trying to plant an explosive device near the border fence.
One Israeli soldier was lightly injured in an exchange of fire when ground troops crossed the fence shortly after the air strike.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli police said two rockets had been fired into Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza. No injuries or damage were reported.
Tensions over Gaza, with no agreed ceasefire in place in the wake of Israel's bloody operation in January, are one of the pressing security issues the new government will face.
Mr Netanyahu wants to topple Hamas, the militant group that runs the coastal enclave, so the new government could well lead to more difficult times in Gaza, says our correspondent.
Other issues include concerns over Iran's nuclear programme, and whether to pursue a peace deal with Syria.
'Confetti cabinet'
The formation of the government ends nine months of uncertainty since outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced plans to step down in the face of multiple corruption investigations.
In his final speech as prime minister, Mr Olmert said he was proud of his government's many achievements and "not in the least bit resentful" as he left office, reported Israel's Haaretz newspaper.
Mr Olmert also said he was sorry for his government's mistakes, which he said were were "not few", but that his conscience was clear.
"I acted for the nation and the people by the best of my judgment," he said.
Mr Olmert's Kadima party, which backs a two-state solution and is now led by outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, won the most seats in February elections.
But right-leaning parties did better overall, so her rival, Mr Netanyahu, was considered more likely to be able to form a coalition and invited by President Shimon Peres to try.
Talks aimed at bringing Kadima into a unity government failed, with Ms Livni saying the parties' platforms were too different.
Sitting in opposition will be new territory for the party, our correspondents note, and Israeli commentators are divided as to whether the party will profit from its distinctiveness or simply implode.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7973435.stm
Published: 2009/03/31 21:42:29 GMT
© BBC MMIX
UN envoy: Gaza op seems to be war crime of greatest magnitude
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- Written by Haaretz and News Agencies Haaretz and News Agencies
- Published: 20 March 2009 20 March 2009
- Hits: 4040 4040
Richard Falk, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the Geneva Conventions required warring forces to distinguish between military targets and surrounding civilians.
"If it is not possible to do so, then launching the attacks is inherently unlawful and would seem to constitute a war crime of the greatest magnitude under international law," Falk said.
"On the basis of the preliminary evidence available, there is reason to reach this conclusion," he wrote in an annual report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Falk called for an independent experts group to be set up to probe possible war crimes committed by both Israeli forces and Hamas.
Violations included Israel's alleged "targeting of schools, mosques and ambulances" during the December 27-January 18 offensive and its use of weapons including white phosphorus, as well as Hamas firing of rockets at civilian targets in southern Israel.
Falk said that Israel's blockade of the coastal strip of 1.5 million people violated the Geneva Conventions, which he said suggested further war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.
The aggression was not legally justified and may represent a "crime against peace" - a principle established at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi criminals, according to the American law professor who serves as the Human Rights Council's independent investigator.
He further suggested that the Security Council might set up an ad hoc criminal tribunal to establish accountability for war crimes in Gaza, noting Israel has not signed the Rome statutes establishing the International Criminal Court.
Rights group names 1,417 Gaza war dead; Israel disputes toll
A Palestinian human rights group has released the names of 1,417 Gazans it says were killed in Israel's recent war on the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said Thursday that of those killed, 926 were civilians, 236 were combatants and 255 were members of the Palestinian security forces.
Most of the policemen were killed in a series of Israeli bombing attacks on Hamas security compounds on December 27, the first day of the war.
The group says it has investigated every civilian death. The list is posted on the center's Web site.
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev disputes the findings. He says Israel is working on its own list and contends that most of those killed were combatants or legitimate targets.
Thirteen Israelis were killed during the 22-day Gaza operation.
Friday rally and peace march marks six years of Iraq war, calls for prosecution of Bush Admin
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- Written by Portland Peaceful Response Coalition Portland Peaceful Response Coalition
- Published: 20 March 2009 20 March 2009
- Hits: 3884 3884
For Immediate Release
Portland Peaceful Response Coalition
Event: Friday rally and peace march marks six years of Iraq war, calls for
prosecution of Bush Administration officials for war crimes.
Date: Friday, March 20, 2009
Time: 5:00 PM at Pioneer Courthouse Square
Place: Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill & Broadway, downtown Portland
Contacts: PPRC
(503) 344-5078
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.pprc-news.org
Friday rally and peace march marks six years of Iraq war, calls for
prosecution of Bush Administration officials for war crimes.
This week's 5:00 PM Friday rally and peace march at Pioneer Courthouse
Square marks six years of Iraq war, and calls for prosecution of Bush
Administration officials and other key supporters of the Iraq war for mass
murder of tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians. "The most conservative
estimate of civilian casualties in Iraq is approaching 100,000, and we can
be certain that the actual number is more probably approaching 600,000,"
said William Seaman, a volunteer with Portland Peaceful Response Coalition.
"If we are to take even the most modest steps to ensure that this staggering
crime of aggression is not repeated in the future by our country, we must
bring those responsible to justice."
Iraq Body Count, which relies on information "drawn from cross-checked media
reports, hospital, morgue, NGO and official figures", now puts the total
number of Iraqi civilians killed by the war and occupation at between 91,129
and 99,508. A Brookings Institution report put the total at 116,561
(towards the end of 2008), a World Health Organization study but the number
at 151,000, and the John Hopkins School of Public Health survey put the
total at 650,000 (towards the middle of 2006). This latter study indicates
that the casualties could run as high as one million Iraqi civilian deaths.
The number of serious injuries is many times that number, and over two
million Iraqis have been made refugees.
"The people of the United States are faced with an urgent moral imperative
to investigate the conduct of Condoleza Rice, David Addington, Donald
Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith, Dick Cheney, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, John Yoo,
Alberto Gonzalez, George Tenet, Jay Bybee, Paul Wolfowitz, Karl Rove, George
Bush and many other operatives of the Bush administration who played key
roles in engineering the United States aggression, the war and occupation in
Iraq, or implemented the torture or other criminal policies," said Seaman.
"It is an important first step to initiate a Congressional investigation,
but unless that includes or leads to a criminal investigation, we will have
failed in our obligation to the people of Iraq, to ourselves as Americans,
to our damaged democracy, to the United States Constitution, to the moral
and legal foundation of our society."
A poll earlier this year indicated that 62 percent of Americans favor a
criminal investigation or an independent panel to explore charges of torture
by the Bush Administration. Senator Patrick Leahy has been trying to
initiate an investigation into torture and warrantless wiretaps under Bush,
and Representative John Conyers has introduced legislation to set up an
investigative panel in Congress. "We support the efforts by Senator Leahy
and Representative Conyers, but they do not go nearly far enough," said
Seaman. "We have to build support for those and more aggressive efforts in
Congress by calling our representatives, but we also have to support efforts
abroad to encourage other countries to enforce international law and bring
these suspected war criminals to account."
Both Spain and Italy have outstanding warrants for American citizens who
were carrying out aspects of the Bush Administration's "war on terror", and
lawyers for the Center for Constitutional Rights have cooperated with
colleagues in Germany to persuade that government to bring Donald Rumsfeld
to book for his role. Even Canadians have made an effort on this front,
petitioning their government to block the entry of George Bush into their
country, arguing that the former US President should be either barred or
detained for condoning the use of torture.
According to Gail Davidson of Lawyers Against the War, they have "demanded,
first of all, that the Canadian government bar Bush from Canada as a person
suspected of torture and other war crimes and crimes against humanity, ...
[a]nd secondly, ... advised the Canadian government that if they do let Mr.
Bush into Canada, once he crosses the border, that triggers Canadian legal
responsibility to investigate Mr. Bush for torture and, if there are
grounds, then to either prosecute him in Canada or to extradite him to
another country that is willing and able to do so."
"We salute our neighbors to the north for showing the moral fortitude to
make this effort on behalf of international law and human rights," said
Seaman. "And in case there's any doubt that our intentions are bipartisan,
we want to be very clear that every Democrat in Congress who played a roll
in facilitating or driving our country into this criminal war ought to be
subject to precisely the same investigation and, if appropriate, criminal
prosecution."
March 19th was the sixth anniversary of the US attack on Iraq. The peace
marchers today are calling for a rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and
Afghanistan and a radical shift in priorities for government spending.
“As millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes due to the
devastation wrought by the financial sector and their lackeys in Congress,
we continue to pump billions of taxpayer dollars into these wars and
occupations,” said Seaman. “Let’s slash the military budget and put that
money into rebuilding our country’s infrastructure, teaching our young men
and women trades instead of training them to kill, and let’s pay the
reparations we owe to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan so they too can
rebuild the lives that have been shattered by the US policies of the past
thirty years.”
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