Israel Gives War Crimes a New Face
- Details
- Written by Joharah Baker for MIFTAH Joharah Baker for MIFTAH
- Published: 15 January 2009 15 January 2009
- Hits: 4400 4400
It is literally mindboggling for Palestinians to see how some people still
need convincing that what
Just so there is no confusion, a brief recap on what constitutes a war crime
may be in order here.
Israel: Losing on the ‘Daily Show’
- Details
- Written by Ami Eden, Jewish Telegraph Agency Ami Eden, Jewish Telegraph Agency
- Published: 15 January 2009 15 January 2009
- Hits: 4390 4390
Israel: Losing on the ‘Daily Show’
http://blogs.jta.org/telegraph/article/2009/01/15/1002273/israel-losing-on-the-daily-show
By Ami Eden · January 15, 2009
In case you missed it... Jon Stewart gave Israel and its supporters "The Daily Show" treatment over its attacks against Gaza.
The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
Strip Maul
Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview
Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video
Did this gag represent a one-night punch line, or was it an ominous sign for Israel's PR fight? Between us, I wouldn't read too much into it -- sometimes a gag is just a gag. But my colleague, Ron Kampeas, offered a different take in an interview with the San francisco Chronicle:
Journalist Ron Kampeas, bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in Washington, D.C., who covers the conflict, said the increasingly vocal concerns of Jewish Americans such as Stewart, who have come forward to express themselves, reflect changing culture and mores. But it doesn't mean they are anti-Israel, he said.
"This is a culmination of something that has been going on for a while," he said. "What used to happen is that when Israel did something controversial," many Jews thought it "wasn't kosher" to publicly question because it might fuel perception that "Israel is losing Jewish support."
Whatever one makes of Stewart's segment, Israeli TV's got to do better than this in response:
20th day under attack: Tanks enter Gaza City, thousands flee
- Details
- Written by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News
- Published: 15 January 2009 15 January 2009
- Hits: 4161 4161
Death toll reaches 1,070 as thousands of Palestinians flee the shelling
Thousands of Gazans left their homes and fled Gaza City on Thursday as Israeli military tanks stormed the city.
Rami AL Meghari, IMEMC correspondant in Gaza, said that Israeli tanks have moved into the Gaza City center, near a United Nations relief compound. The tanks have been randomly shelling residential areas.
Rami added that "as tanks proceeded into the city, thousands of families fearing for their lives left their homes, and fled to other parts of Gaza City." As tanks continued their onslaught, the Israeli Air Force bombarded the town of Beit Hannon, located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
As the offensive continues for the 20th day, Dr. Mo'awiah Hassanen, director of the Emergency and Ambulance department in the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told news agencies that the death toll in Gaza by Thursday morning now stands at 1,070 Palestinians, among the killed are 335 children. He added that the number of those injured has reached a total of 4,900 today, among them 400 are in critical condition.
The Israeli Army embarked on its military offensive on Saturday, December 27th, 2008. Israeli warplanes began the military operation by shelling all possible Palestinian security post in Gaza. In the following days, the air raids were expanded; hospitals, homes, blacksmith workshops, schools, mosques, ambulances, media and UN relief efforts were targeted.
Day and night, the entire Palestinian coastal region has been under attack. On Saturday, January 3rd, 2009, Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza strip, but have encountered resistance amongst local armed factions.
US suspends munitions delivery to Israel
- Details
- Written by David Pallister David Pallister
- Published: 15 January 2009 15 January 2009
- Hits: 4410 4410
US suspends munitions delivery to Israel
Ship's journey delayed amid fears cargo would be used in Gaza
* David Pallister
* guardian.co.
http://www.guardian
The Pentagon has suspended the delivery of a shipload of munitions to
Israel after international concern that it could be used by Israeli
forces in Gaza.
The German-owned cargo vessel, Wehr Elbe, under charter by the US
Military Sealift Command, is currently in Greek waters with its
transponder tracking turned off to prevent its location being identified.
Amnesty International has written to the foreign secretary, David
Miliband, asking him to make "urgent approaches to the US, German and
Greek governments to prevent this, or any pending or future shipments of
weaponry until it can be verified that they will not be transferred to
the Israeli Defence Forces or other parties to the conflict in Gaza.
"We urge you to ensure that no EU member state will allow their ports or
other facilities to be used to transit these or any other weapons to any
of the parties to this conflict."
The Wehr Elbe, owned by the Hamburg company Oskar Wehr, arrived outside
the Greek port of Astakos on 1 January, where it was due to transfer its
1,000 containers to another vessel for delivery to Ashdod in Israel.
But after a two week stand-off, amid local protests in Greece, it moved
out into the Mediterranean two days ago and disappeared off tracking
websites.
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said that the
contract for the munitions had been arranged last summer and approved in
October. He said the munitions were due to be delivered to a US
pre-positioning depot in Israel for US forces. But he added: "If the
government of Israel requests munitions they can do so direct to the US
government under the Foreign Military Sales programme."
He said the ship's journey had been delayed due to "safety concerns"
about unloading the cargo at Ashdod and that other arrangements were
being made by the Military Sealift Command's European office in Naples.
The letter to Miliband, from Amnesty's director, Kate Allen, calls "for
a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and Palestinian armed
groups until effective mechanisms are in place to ensure that weapons
and munitions and other military equipment will not be used to commit
serious violations of international humanitarian law".
Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme director, Malcolm
Smart, said: "The last thing that is needed now is more weapons and
munitions in the region, which is awash with arms that are being used in
a manner which contravenes international law and is having a devastating
effect on the civilian population in Gaza."
Amnesty International: full arms embargo vital as US munitions reported on way to Israel
- Details
- Written by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
- Published: 15 January 2009 15 January 2009
- Hits: 3979 3979
TO READ MORE ON THE CONFLICT IN GAZA PLEASE VISIT THE LINK: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/pages/crisis-in-gaza
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Press Release
For immediate release
14 January 2009
Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Gaza conflict - full arms embargo vital as US munitions reported on way to Israel
A full arms embargo on all parties involved in the Gaza conflict is urgently needed to prevent further unlawful attacks and other violations of international law, as the civilian death toll continues to mount in Gaza. At least 900 Palestinians have so far been killed, more than a third of them civilians, including some 200 Palestinian children – as more US munitions are en route to the region.
“The last thing that is needed now is more weapons and munitions in the region, which is awash with arms that are being used in a manner which contravenes international law and is having a devastating effect on the civilian population in Gaza,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.
Amnesty International says the UN Security Council must act now and impose an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in Gaza to prevent any further flow of arms to the warring parties.
“We know that the Wehr Elbe, a German-owned cargo ship, left the USA on 20 December 2008 with a large consignment – 989 containers - of high explosives and other munitions,” said Malcolm Smart. “Hired and now legally controlled by the US Military Sealift Command, it is destined for the Israeli port of Ashdod and was due to transit via Greece, though its latest reported position indicates that the shipment’s route may have changed.”
Tenders for two other arms shipments totalling 325 containers of US munitions were approved by the Pentagon on 31 December, four days after the start of Israel's current attacks on targets in Gaza. These two consignments were due to be shipped to Ashdod, Israel, from Astakos in Greece, but that particular tender has now been cancelled, according to information provided to Amnesty International by the US Military Sealift Command. Tender documents show that these shipments contain white phosphorous, known for its potential to cause severe burns and an indiscriminate weapon when used as an airburst in densely-populated civilian areas as now alleged in Gaza. The US Department of Defence says it is now looking at other means to deliver the munitions to a US stockpile in Israel. A US-Israel agreement has allowed US munitions stockpiled in Israel to be transferred to the Israeli Defence Force in "an emergency."
“The US government should not proceed with these or any other arms shipments to Israel, and the Greek and other governments should not allow their ports or other facilities to be used to ferry arms to Israel or the other parties to this conflict.”
“The plight of civilians in Gaza has become increasingly desperate in the six days since the Security Council’s near unanimous, but unheeded, call for a ceasefire,” said Malcolm Smart. “Israeli forces continue to carry out unlawful attacks, including attacks which are disproportionate, and stand accused of using weapons such as white phosphorous which pose an unacceptable risk to civilians when deployed in densely-populated areas. Meanwhile, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups persist in firing indiscriminate rockets into civilian areas in Israel.”
“In addition to locally produced arms, Israeli forces are carrying out unlawful attacks using foreign weaponry and other military equipment supplied mainly by the USA but also from other countries, while rockets and rocket-making equipment smuggled into Gaza from Egypt are being used against the civilian population in southern Israel,” said Malcolm Smart.
A Security Council arms embargo is needed primarily to prevent new weapons supplies reaching the two sides, but it could also send a powerful signal to Israel and Hamas about the Council’s determination to uphold international law.
“The Security Council must insist on full accountability for war crimes and other serious violations committed during this conflict,” said Malcolm Smart. "This means taking steps to ensure that alleged violations are thoroughly and impartially investigated, and that any persons found responsible are brought to justice in fair trials.”
NOTE:
Amnesty International has identified at least 17 states apart from the US that have supplied arms and related materials to Israel since 2001 – the US is by far the largest supplier but significant supplies have also been sent from Germany, France, the UK, Spain, the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Canada, Slovenia, Australia, Romania, Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Serbia-Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzogovina. The Netherlands and Greece have both been major transit countries to Israel, especially for US arms.
To prevent irresponsible transfers of conventional arms being used for serious violations of international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, Amnesty International and hundreds of other NGOs, including the International Action Network on Small Arms and Oxfam International, have been campaigning for the establishment of a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Over 150 Member States have voted for a UN process towards the establishment of an ATT, a process which will resume on 23 January in New York.
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