We condemn in the strongest possible terms the latest Israeli war crimes committed against our people in the Gaza Strip. We call on the international community and the Arab and Islamic worlds, to take up their responsibility to protect the Palestinian people from this heinous aggression and immediately terminate the continuing Israeli policy of collective punishment.

Over the last 6 days, Gaza City has been bombed by Apache helicopters,F16 and drones. More than 16 civilians, including children, have been killed and more than 70 injured in Beit Hanoun, Jabalya, Khan Younus, and Gaza.

Gaza has been enduring Israeli policies of extermination and vandalism since June, 2006. The Palestinian people have already been under siege for more than 6 years. The continuing international conspiracy of silence towards the genocidal war taking place against the 1.5 million civilians in Gaza indicates complicity in these war crimes.

We call upon the international community to demand that the rogue Apartheid State of Israel end its siege. We also would like to remind the members of the UN that the International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law such as The Fourth Geneva Convention stipulate the protection of civilian lives and property, unless Palestinian women and children are not considered civilians.

Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU)
General Union for Health Services Workers
General Union for Public Services Workers
General Union for Petrochemical and Gas Workers
General Union for Agricultural Workers
Union of Women’s Work Committees
Union of Synergies—Women Unit
Union of Palestinian Women Committees
Women’s Studies Society
Working Woman’s Society
Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PSCABI)
University Teachers’ Association
The One Democratic State Group (ODSG)

19 December 2009

Ahava, an Israeli beauty product company that operates on stolen Palestinian land, was the target of protest on Saturday by approximately 20 pro-Palestine activists.

With Dead Sea mud covering their faces and dressed in bath robes on a freezing cold day, the protesters set out to highlight the complicity of Ahava in the expansion of Israeli settlements which are illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The activists came from a range of organisations that includes the International Solidarity Movement, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for the Boycott of Israeli Goods and others. During the picket, numerous shoppers and passers by chatted with protesters, took leaflets and expressed their support and solidarity with the aims of the protest.

There was a tiny counter-demonstration by three or four “Pro-Zionists” who tried to encourage people to enter the shop via bribes of £5 store vouchers. They also tried to harass the pro-Palestine demonstrators, but were ignored.

The day of action in the UK was undertaken alongside international efforts by groups such as Code Pink in the USA. It took place a week following a blockade of Ahava which saw the Covent Garden shop closed for five hours as two protesters locked themselves inside.

The event is the most recent of a series of actions and demonstrations in the UK this year. The shop has been closed down three times and numerous other pickets have taken place. It also sits alongside international campaign efforts in the USA, Dubai, Israeli and Palestine which have set out to address the complicity of Ahava in the Israeli Occupation.

19 December 2009

It is generally recognised that the Middle East peace process is in the doldrums, almost moribund. Israeli settlement expansion within Palestine continues, and PLO leaders refuse to join in renewed peace talks without a settlement freeze, knowing that no Arab or Islamic nation will accept any comprehensive agreement while Israel retains control of East Jerusalem.

US objections have impeded Egyptian efforts to resolve differences between Hamas and Fatah that could lead to 2010 elections. With this stalemate, PLO leaders have decided that President Mahmoud Abbas will continue in power until elections can be held – a decision condemned by many Palestinians.

Even though Syria and Israel under the Olmert government had almost reached an agreement with Turkey’s help, the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejects Turkey as a mediator on the Golan Heights. No apparent alternative is in the offing.

The UN general assembly approved a report issued by its human rights council that called on Israel and the Palestinians to investigate charges of war crimes during the recent Gaza war, but positive responses seem unlikely.

In summary: UN resolutions, Geneva conventions, previous agreements between Israelis and Palestinians, the Arab peace initiative, and official policies of the US and other nations are all being ignored. In the meantime, the demolition of Arab houses, expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and Palestinian recalcitrance threaten any real prospect for peace.

Of more immediate concern, those under siege in Gaza face another winter of intense personal suffering. I visited Gaza after the devastating January war and observed homeless people huddling in makeshift tents, under plastic sheets, or in caves dug into the debris of their former homes. Despite offers by Palestinian leaders and international agencies to guarantee no use of imported materials for even defensive military purposes, cement, lumber, and panes of glass are not being permitted to pass entry points into Gaza. The US and other nations have accepted this abhorrent situation without forceful corrective action.

I have discussed ways to assist the citizens of Gaza with a number of Arab and European leaders and their common response is that the Israeli blockade makes any assistance impossible. Donors point out that they have provided enormous aid funds to build schools, hospitals and factories, only to see them destroyed in a few hours by precision bombs and missiles. Without international guarantees, why risk similar losses in the future?

It is time to face the fact that, for the past 30 years, no one nation has been able or willing to break the impasse and induce the disputing parties to comply with international law. We cannot wait any longer. Israel has long argued that it cannot negotiate with terrorists, yet has had an entire year without terrorism and still could not negotiate. President Obama has promised active involvement of the US government, but no formal peace talks have begun and no comprehensive framework for peace has been proposed. Individually and collectively, the world powers must act.

One recent glimmer of life has been the 8 December decision of EU foreign ministers to restate the long-standing basic requirements for peace commonly accepted within the international community, including that Israel’s pre-1967 boundaries will prevail unless modified by a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians. A week later the new EU foreign policy chief, Baroness Catherine Ashton, reiterated this statement in even stronger terms and called for the international Quartet to be “reinvigorated”. This is a promising prospect.

President Obama was right to insist on a two-state solution and a complete settlement freeze as the basis for negotiations. Since Israel has rejected the freeze and the Palestinians won’t negotiate without it, a logical step is for all Quartet members (the US, EU, Russia and UN) to support the Obama proposal by declaring any further expansion of settlements illegal and refusing to veto UN security council decisions to condemn such settlements. This might restrain Israel and also bring Palestinians to the negotiating table.

At the same time, the Quartet should join with Turkey and invite Syria and Israel to negotiate a solution to the Golan Heights dispute.

Without ascribing blame to any of the disputing parties, the Quartet also should begin rebuilding Gaza by organising relief efforts under the supervision of an active special envoy, overseeing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and mediating an opening of the crossings. The cries of homeless and freezing people demand immediate relief.

This is a time for bold action, and the season for forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

White flags ignored and houses bulldozed with families inside, claim residents

Israel stands accused of perpetrating a series of war crimes during a sustained 12-hour assault on a village in southern Gaza last week in which 14 people died.

In testimony collected from residents of the village of Khuza’a by the Observer, it is claimed that Israeli soldiers entering the village:

• attempted to bulldoze houses with civilians inside;
• killed civilians trying to escape under the protection of white flags;
• opened fire on an ambulance attempting to reach the wounded;
• used indiscriminate force in a civilian area and fired white phosphorus shells.

If the allegations are upheld, all the incidents would constitute breaches of the Geneva conventions.

The denunciations over what happened in Khuza’a follow repeated claims of possible human rights violations from the Red Cross, the UN and human rights organisations.

The Israeli army announced yesterday that it was investigating “at the highest level” five other attacks against civilians in Gaza, involving two UN facilities and a hospital. It added that in all cases initial investigations suggested soldiers were responding to fire. “These claims of war crimes are not supported by the slightest piece of evidence,” said Yigal Palmor, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman.

Concern over what occurred in the village of Khuza’a in the early hours of Tuesday was first raised by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. Although an Israeli military spokesman said he had “no information that this alleged incident took place”, witness statements collected by the Observer are consistent and match testimony gathered by B’Tselem.

There is also strong visible evidence that Khuza’a came under a sustained attack from tanks and bulldozers that smashed some buildings to pieces.

Pictures taken by photographer Bruno Stevens in the aftermath show heavy damage – and still burning phosphorus. “What I can tell you is that many, many houses were shelled and that they used white phosphorus,” said Stevens yesterday, one of the first western journalists to get into Gaza. “It appears to have been indiscriminate.” Stevens added that homes near the village that had not been hit by shell fire had been set on fire.

The village of Khuza’a is around 500 metres from the border with Israel. According to B’Tselem, its field researcher in Gaza was contacted last Tuesday by resident Munir Shafik al-Najar, who said that Israeli bulldozers had begun destroying homes at 2.30am.

When Rawhiya al-Najar, aged 50, stepped out of her house waving a white flag, so that the rest of the family could leave the house, she was allegedly shot by Israeli soldiers nearby.

The second alleged incident was on Tuesday afternoon, when Israeli troops ordered 30 residents to leave their homes and walk to a school in the village centre. After travelling 20 metres, troops fired on the group, allegedly killing three.

Further detailed accounts of what occurred were supplied in interviews given to a Palestinian researcher who has been working for the Observer, following the decision by Israel to ban foreign media from the Gaza Strip. Iman al-Najar, 29, said she watched as bulldozers started to destroy neighbours’ homes and saw terrified villagers flee from their houses as masonry collapsed.

“By 6am the tanks and bulldozers had reached our house,” Iman recalled. “We went on the roofs and tried to show we were civilians with white flags. Everyone was carrying a white flag. We told them we are civilians. We don’t have any weapons. The soldiers started to destroy the houses even if the people were in them.” Describing the death of Rawhiya, Iman says they were ordered by Israeli soldiers to move to the centre of the town. As they did, Israeli troops opened fire. Rawhiya was at the front of the group, says Iman.

Marwan Abu Raeda, 40, a paramedic working for the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, said: “At 8am we received a phone call from Khuza’a. They told us about the injured woman. I went immediately. I was 60 or 70 metres away from the injured woman when the Israeli forces started to shoot at me.” As he drove into another street, he came under fire again. Twelve hours later, when Rawhiya was finally reached, she was dead.

Iman said she ended up in an area of rubble where a large group of people had sought cover in a deep hole among the debris of demolished houses. It is then, she says, that bulldozers began to push the rubble from each side. “They wanted to bury us alive,” she said.

View Eva’s blog In Gaza

Friday night, Red Crescent ambulances in Jabaliya collected numerous victims of smoke inhalation: a strange chemical smoke which seizes the lungs and air passage, and suffocates the victims. Many elderly were collected in turns, and a 3 month old baby was brought in held by a sobbing mother.

At least, at least we were able to reach them.  A Palestinian Red Crescent dispatcher has received what he says is hundreds of calls from the northern Gaza area alone, which have been left unanswered as the areas are under Israeli military occupation.

A glimpse of some of the cases one ambulance took during a brief 6 hours:

Stop support for Israel’s war crimes!

Former Israel Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon was spared arrest or any proper prosecution process in New Zealand this past Tuesday, despite a decision the day before, by His Honour Judge Avinash Deobhakta in the District Court at Auckland to issue warrants for his arrest on suspicion of committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

Ya’alon’s escape from justice was facilitated by the intervention by the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Attorney General, Michael Cullen.

Moshe Ya’alon was Chief of Staff of the Israeli Occupation Forces from 9 July 2002 to 1 June 2005. Under his command the Israeli Occupation Forces were responsible for a countless variety of extensive human rights violations and war crimes inside the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank.

However, the arrest warrant was extinguished by the Attorney General directing the District Court to stay the prosecution permanently. The Attorney General has given no reasons for crushing the warrant in time for the lawyers to appeal, despite the ruling of the judge that there were ‘good and sufficient reasons’ to justify the arrest of Moshe Ya’alon. Only after Ya’alon had been permitted to leave the country, he gave untenable motivations such as “unreliable materials” brought as evidence by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Hickman & Rose and the local lawyers.

Michael Cullen is not a lawyer. Instead he has accumulated an enormous amount of power being Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney-General, Justice Minister, the Finance Minister and Leader of the House at the same time. A highly politicized but not legally competent figure that has put all his influence against the legal prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel.

Raji Sourani, head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) stated:

We will not forget nor forgive, instead we will continue to do our best to bring the Israeli perpetrators of crimes against our people to justice – with all our professionalism and the support of a global network of lawyers. If international law is to serve, then it needs to be implemented.

This has been an authentic act of impeding legal prosecution of war crimes!

Apartheid Israel needs to be held accountable!

The PCHR and the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign urge you to act immediately:

Please support this urgent call and alert the media and the responsible authorities in NZ about your outrage!

(See sample letters and contact info below. Please cc pchr@pghr.org and global@stopthewall.org in your letters.)

Michael Cullen must give a detailed account to the victims and his own public as to why the judge’s orders for Ya’alon to be arrested were not complied with. He needs to answer on what basis and powers did he instruct the police NOT to act on a legitimately issued warrant for arrest.

Justice for Palestine is needed NOW!

ENDS

***

For further information on the case see: http://www.pchrgaza.ps/files/PressR/English/2006/127-2006.htm

Or contact:
In New Zealand:
Lawyer for the complainant, Davey Salmon, Partner, LeeSalmonLong
Phone: + 64 9 912 7102;
Mobile : + 64 21 974 873
Website: http://www.leesalmonlong.com/

OR

Tuma Hazou, spokesperson for the Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC):
+ 64 9 427 6527

OR

Don Carson, +64 274 530 565

In Palestine:
Raji Sourani, Lawyer and Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (GMT + 2 hours).
Phone: 00 972 (0)599608811
E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org
Website: http://www.pchrgaza.org

In London, UK:
Daniel Machover, Partner
Mobile: 00 +44 (0)7773 341096
OR
Kate Maynard, solicitor
Mobile: 00 +44 (0)7899 982977

Hickman & Rose solicitors
Website: http://www.hickmanandrose.co.uk

———-

Sample Letters

Media contacts:
TV New Zealand: for the feedback form, go to: http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/816462/869443
Tel: +64 9 916 7000

Radio New Zealand
news@radionz.co.nz – Telephone: +64 9 367 9300 – Facsimile +64 9 367 9330

NewsTalk Radio
for the feedback form, go to: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/# – Talkback 0800 80 10 80, Overseas +64 9 307 1080

Dear editor,
I am addressing you to express my outrage about the latest scandal of obstruction in the implementation of international law and the prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel. The reason for the escape of Moshe Ya’alon from justice was the undue interference of Mr. Michel Cullen in his function as Attorney – General.

We urge you to give this grave incident due coverage and to ensure transparent and fair enquiries in the issue will happen.

You will be aware that Moshe Ya’alon was spared arrest or any proper prosecution process in New Zealand on 28 November, despite a decision on 27 November 2006 by His Honour Judge Avinash Deobhakta in the District Court at Auckland to issue warrants for his arrest on suspicion of committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

Moshe Ya’alon was Chief of Staff of the Israeli military from 9 July 2002 to 1 June 2005. Under his command the Israeli Occupation Forces were responsible for a countless variety of extensive human rights violations and war crimes inside the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank.

However, the arrest warrant was extinguished by the Attorney General directing the District Court to stay the prosecution permanently. The Attorney General has given no formal reasons for crushing the warrant in time for the lawyers to appeal, despite the ruling of the judge that there were ‘good and sufficient reasons’ to justify the arrest of Moshe Ya’alon. Only after Ya’alon had been permitted to leave the country, he gave untenable motivations such as “unreliable materials” brought as evidence.

The Attorney – General (Mr. Michael Cullen) is not lawyer, instead he has accumulated an enormous amount of power being the Deputy Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and Leader of the House at the same time. A highly politicized but not legally competent figure that has put all his influence against the legal prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel.

Michael Cullen must give a detailed account to the victims and his own public as to why the judge’s orders for Ya’alon to be arrested were not complied with. He needs to answer on what basis and powers did he instruct the police NOT to act on a legitimately issued warrant for arrest.

This has been a blatant impeding of proper legal prosecution of war crimes. Apartheid Israel needs to be held accountable to bring justice to Palestine.

This grave case of obstructionism and bad governance in New Zealand resounds widely across the globe among all those interested in justice as such work jeopardizes the mere relevance of international law towards the right of the might. We urge you thus to play a part in uncovering the facts and ensuring justice is upheld in New Zealand.

Sincerely,

Email: mcullen@ministers.govt.nz
Phone: +64 (0)4 470 6551
Fax: +64 (0)4 495 8442

Dear Mr. Michael Cullen,
I am addressing you in your function as Attorney General and Minister of Justice of New Zealand to express my outrage about the way you have obstructed the implementation of international law and the prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel.

I am aware that it was your action to ensure Moshe Ya’alon was spared arrest or any proper prosecution process in New Zealand on 28 November, despite a decision on 27 November 2006 by His Honour Judge Avinash Deobhakta in the District Court at Auckland to issue warrants for his arrest on suspicion of committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

Moshe Ya’alon was Chief of Staff of the Israeli military from 9 July 2002 to 1 June 2005. Under his command the Israeli Occupation Forces were responsible for a countless variety of extensive human rights violations and war crimes inside the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank.

After the Judge had decided that there were ‘good and sufficient reasons’ to justify the arrest of Moshe Ya’alon you have ensured the arrest warrant was to be extinguished by the Attorney-General. You have given no reasons for crushing the warrant in time for the lawyers to appeal. Only after Ya’alon had been permitted to leave the country, you gave untenable motivations such as “unreliable materials” brought as evidence.

I am urging you to give a detailed account to the victims and your own public as to why the judge’s orders for Ya’alon to be arrested were not complied with. On what basis did you – not having the legal expertise to do so – advise the police NOT to arrest in the face of the warrants?

This has been an authentic act of impeding legal prosecution of war crimes. Apartheid Israel needs to be held accountable to bring justice to Palestine.

This grave case of obstructionism and bad governance in New Zealand resounds widely across the globe among all those interested in justice as such work jeopardizes the mere relevance of international law towards the right of the might.

I urge you to publicly and fully apologize to the people of Palestine and Lebanon for making this grave error of judgment and to likewise publicly inform the government of the state of Israel that the government of New Zealand will in future strictly uphold the full force of its legislation on international human rights and humanitarian law and that this intention covers Israelis for whom prima facie evidence exists that that they have committed war crimes.

Sincerely,

To find the contacts for the New Zealand embassy in your country, go to: http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Embassies/NZ-Embassies/index.php

Dear Ambassador,
I am addressing you to express my outrage about the latest scandal of obstruction in the implementation of international law and the prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel. Reason for this was the unduly interference of Mr. Michel Cullen in his function as Attorney General.

We urge you to give to ensure transparent and fair enquiries in the issue will happen.

You will be aware that Moshe Ya’alon was spared arrest or any proper prosecution process in New Zealand on 28 November, despite a decision on 27 November 2006 by His Honour Judge Avinash Deobhakta in the District Court at Auckland to issue warrants for his arrest on suspicion of committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949.

Moshe Ya’alon was Chief of Staff of the Israeli military from 9 July 2002 to 1 June 2005. Under his command the Israeli Occupation Forces were responsible for a countless variety of extensive human rights violations and war crimes inside the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank.

However, the arrest warrant was extinguished by the Attorney General directing the District Court to stay the prosecution permanently. The Attorney General has given no reasons for crushing the warrant in time for the lawyers to appeal, despite the ruling of the judge that there were ‘good and sufficient reasons’ to justify the arrest of Moshe Ya’alon. Only after Ya’alon had been permitted to leave the country, he gave untenable motivations such as “unreliable materials” brought as evidence.

The Attorney – General (Mr. Michael Cullen) is no lawyer, instead he has accumulated an enormous amount of power being the deputy prime minister of New Zealand, the Finance Minister and Leader of the House at the same time. A highly politicized but not legally competent figure that has put all his influence against the legal prosecution of war crimes committed by Israel.

Michael Cullen must give a detailed account to the victims and his own public as to why the judge’s orders for Ya’alon to be arrested were not complied with. He needs to answer to what basis did the AG advise the police NOT to arrest in the face of the warrants?

This has been an authentic act of impeding legal prosecution of war crimes. Apartheid Israel needs to be held accountable to bring Justice to Palestine.

This grave case of obstructionism and bad governance in New Zealand resounds widely across the globe among all those interested in Justice as such work jeopardizes the mere relevance of international law towards the right of the might. We urge you thus to play a part in uncovering the facts and ensuring Justice is upheld in New Zealand.

Sincerely,