Sayed Dhansay, The Electronic Intifada, 21 August 2009
(Sayed Dhansay is a South African writer and political activist who volunteered for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2006-2007.)
"The international condemnation over Israel's winter invasion of Gaza and allegations of war crimes has made it increasingly uncomfortable, if not difficult, for members of the Israeli military to travel abroad. A recent incident in South Africa reveals the power and limitations of attempts to enforce international law and to hold war criminals accountable.
At the beginning of August, accused international war criminal Lieutenant Colonel David Benjamin visited South Africa. Benjamin, a native South African who obtained his law degree from the University of Cape Town in 1989, was scheduled to address Limmud, a Jewish cultural and educational organization. Limmud takes the form of an annual conference, and is widely viewed as a highlight on the local Jewish calendar as it usually offers a star-studded lineup of South Africa's most prominent Jewish academics, business leaders and political heavyweights.
This year however, the conference was mired in controversy due to Lieutenant Benjamin's participation. After completing his studies in South Africa, Benjamin moved to Israel, where he has been serving as a legal advisor to the Israeli military for the past 17 years. Aside from this being in violation of South Africa's Foreign Military Assistance Act, he is also credited with being one of the architects of Israel's winter invasion of Gaza, which killed nearly 1,500 persons........"
(Sayed Dhansay is a South African writer and political activist who volunteered for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2006-2007.)
"The international condemnation over Israel's winter invasion of Gaza and allegations of war crimes has made it increasingly uncomfortable, if not difficult, for members of the Israeli military to travel abroad. A recent incident in South Africa reveals the power and limitations of attempts to enforce international law and to hold war criminals accountable.
At the beginning of August, accused international war criminal Lieutenant Colonel David Benjamin visited South Africa. Benjamin, a native South African who obtained his law degree from the University of Cape Town in 1989, was scheduled to address Limmud, a Jewish cultural and educational organization. Limmud takes the form of an annual conference, and is widely viewed as a highlight on the local Jewish calendar as it usually offers a star-studded lineup of South Africa's most prominent Jewish academics, business leaders and political heavyweights.
This year however, the conference was mired in controversy due to Lieutenant Benjamin's participation. After completing his studies in South Africa, Benjamin moved to Israel, where he has been serving as a legal advisor to the Israeli military for the past 17 years. Aside from this being in violation of South Africa's Foreign Military Assistance Act, he is also credited with being one of the architects of Israel's winter invasion of Gaza, which killed nearly 1,500 persons........"
No comments:
Post a Comment