Once again the world unites in court against Israel
Once again the world unites against Israel and takes it to court in spite of US vetoes in the Security Council and the refusal of several governments to take a stand and hold Israel accountable for its constant and increasing defiance of International Law and contempt for human rights. A group of world activists together with human rights organizations have been silently working this last year to prepare a citizen’s tribunal to try Israel for its war crimes in Lebanon during the 2006 war as well as for its ongoing war crimes in Gaza. It is interesting to note that although this court has been in session for 2 days now, mainstream media has not covered it though Israeli media certainly has... claiming “self defense” against the $ 10 qassam rockets, "mock court", “alleged war crimes” and of course “anti-Semitism”.
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2348
Israel goes on trial in new Belgian 'court'
By Stan Goodenough
February 22, 2008
As Shabbat begins in the Middle East, the Jewish State of Israel is being hauled before a new so-called civil court to be charged with war crimes against Arabs.
Founded in Belgium by self-appointed "human rights" organizations, Israel is to be the first party tried by the "court."
The charges are war crimes Israel has allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip. A second docket accuses Israel of war crimes in its prosecution of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Israeli Arab Knesset members are reportedly already in Brussels to join with and add their "testimonies" to, those leveling the charges against Israel.
According to Ynetnews, the "court" was established after a year of cooperation between Arabs, human rights groups and European intellectuals.
Israel - which will in any case not recognize this institution or respect its rulings, has no chance of receiving any kind of a fair "trial" at the hands of the antisemitic individuals and groups involved.
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3509936,00.html
Brussels: New court to try Israel for war crimes
Civil court established by human rights organizations to begin operations in Belgium Friday. First issue on the agenda: Israel's alleged war crimes in Lebanon, Gaza
Sharon Roffe-Ofir
Published: 02.22.08, 13:02 / Israel News
A new civil court founded in Belgium by human rights organizations will convene for the first time Friday evening and discuss war crimes Israel had allegedly committee during the Second Lebanon War and war crimes the groups claim it is currently committing in the Gaza Strip.
Over the past year, human rights groups, in cooperation with Arab and European intellectuals, have been working on establishing the new court, which will be tasked with addressing different issues related to human rights violations and war crimes.
The first matter on the court's agenda will be Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip. Human rights organizations, as well as the victims of these alleged crimes, will appear before the court. The court has also invited Israeli representatives to attend the hearing and respond to the accusations.
'Fundamental rights violated'
The Israeli-Arab party Balad, who has also been invited to the discussions as an observer, will be represented by Knesset Member Said Naffaa. "I intend to bring up for discussion the attorney general's recent decision to close the case of the October 2000 riots," said Naffaa, who is already in Brussels.
"I will also raise the subject of the demolition of Israeli-Arabs' homes by the government. These may not be war crimes, but they are crimes against the fundamental tights of the State's citizens," he added.
According to the MK, "It is too soon to judge what the outcome of these deliberations might be, but it can certainly be said that many operations that had been carried out during the Second Lebanon War, such as the launching of cluster bombs, constitute war crimes.
"Furthermore, actions that take place in the Gaza Strip every day, including the targeting of civilians and denying them proper medical care, are war crimes and should be addressed by international law."
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http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200802181370.htm
Rajinder Sachar to be part of international citizens tribunal
New Delhi (PTI): Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar has been invited to be part of the International Citizens Tribunal to enquire into the crimes committed by the Israeli army in Lebanon in 2006.
Sachar, who is also former President of the NGO People's Union of Civil Liberties, will represent Asia in the tribunal that has one member each from each of the five continents, according to a release here on Monday.
Israel pounded Lebanon with thousands of cluster and other bombs during its 34-day war with Hezbollah in 2006 which resulted in more than 1000 civilian casualties. The tribunal is being held in Brussels, Belgium, from February 22 to 24.
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203605149162&pagename=JPost%...
Feb 21, 2008 23:17 | Updated Feb 22, 2008 6:26
Arab MK to attend tribunal on 'IDF war crimes'
By YAAKOV LAPPIN
The conference has been promoted as "an international jury of conscience," and will take the form of a mock international court with prosecutors, witnesses and judges, organizers said in a statement.
No names of those planning to participate in the conference were made available by the organizers.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post by phone from Belgium, Nafa said he was "invited as an observer to listen," and that he planned to raise the issues of the October 2000 riots in the Galilee (in which 12 Israeli Arabs and a Palestinian were killed) and home demolitions during the conference.
"The tribunal has no legal authority," Nafa said, but its "ruling" will be "declarative and aimed at influencing public opinion in the world. There's no doubt that the use of cluster bombs in Lebanon was a war crime, or at least a violation of the international conscience. Victims of the Lebanon war and of the siege on Gaza will testify at the tribunal, some who are experts on international law."
Israel's position would also be represented, Nafa said, but, "I don't know by whom."
The Knesset member said he decided to attend because of a decision by the Israeli-Arab leadership's Monitoring Committee to "turn to international tribunals" to circumvent Israeli courts. "Arab Israelis have no defense under Israeli national law," he said.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch would attend the event, Nafa said, but a spokeswoman for Amnesty told the Post that members of the organization's London and Belgium branches had not heard of the event.
Human Rights Watch was unable to respond to a request to confirm its participation by press time.
Asked if the conference would discuss Hizbullah's Katyusha missile attacks on Israel during the Second Lebanon War or the Kassam rockets being fired at Sderot by Hamas, Nafa said he "did not know. My personal position is that I'm against harming Sderot civilians who are innocent. It doesn't matter where the rockets are coming from."
The conference's organizers did not provide a contact number and failed to return an e-mail message asking for more details on their meeting.
A conference of individuals and nongovernmental organizations is to convene in Brussels on Friday to discuss what organizers call "the crimes committed by the Israeli army in Lebanon." MK Said Nafa (Balad) plans to attend.
Look at how the first writer, Stan "Goodenough", mocks the court and the human rights organisations by the use of quotations:
This is the same sort of contempt the Israeli government will have for the court's rulings.
Israelis have contempt for all laws, treaties, conventions or resolutions... UNLESS they wish to resort to one of them for their own purpose as was the case with 1559 for example. While that same resolution requires Israel to also withdraw from the rest of Lebanese occupied territories..., has Israel done so? Is anyone in the world community asking Israel to do so? Did the UN object in any way?? Israel claimed that this peace of land was not Lebanese but Syrian (Shebaa farms), so the Syrian president took the mike and confirmed to the world that Shebaa was Lebanese. The geographic maps were also sent to the UN... but the UN took them and was silent since.