Saturday, April 4, 2009

Israel on Trial

By GEORGE BISHARAT
(George Bisharat is a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law)
N.Y. Times

".....While Israel disputes some of the soldiers’ accounts, the evidence suggests that Israel committed the following six offenses:

• Violating its duty to protect the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.....
• Imposing collective punishment in the form of a blockade, in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.....
• Deliberately attacking civilian targets......
• Willfully killing civilians without military justification.....
• Deliberately employing disproportionate force......
• Illegal use of weapons, including white phosphorus.....

Israeli political and military personnel who planned, ordered or executed these possible offenses should face criminal prosecution. The appointment of Richard Goldstone, the former war crimes prosecutor from South Africa, to head a fact-finding team into possible war crimes by both parties to the Gaza conflict is an important step in the right direction. The stature of international law is diminished when a nation violates it with impunity."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Exсellent ρost. I will be dealіng with a few of these issues as well.
.

my webѕite: payday loans

Anonymous said...

We're a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your web site provided us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable job and our entire community will be grateful to you.

Also visit my web site: Same Day Payday Loans