By Khalid Amayreh in Occupied Jerusalem
The Peoples Voice
"The Israeli government has been quietly pressing (and pressuring) Spain to reconsider issuing warrants for the arrest of high-ranking Israeli army officers accused of committing war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Earlier this year, a lawsuit was filed at the National court of Spain with the aim of issuing an arrest warrant against seven Israeli military officials.
The seven included former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, former Defense Minister Benyamin Benalizer, former Shin Beth Chief Avi Dichter, former Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon, former Air Force Commander Dan Halutz, Operation Branch Commander Giora Eiland and Southern Command Chief Doron Almog.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), which filed the lawsuit, urged the Spanish Judicial authorities to issue an international arrest warrant against the seven in connection with their role in the bombing of an apartment building in Gaza on 22 July, 2002, in which a Hamas chief was killed along with his family and 15 other civilians, including 11 children.....
To be sure, no one is suggesting that Spain play the role of world judge or world policeman.
However, Spain is a sovereign state and has the right to bar suspected war criminals from entering its territory.
This is the least civilized countries can do to discourage and prevent the recurrence of more war crimes and crimes against humanity."
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