Tribunal finds British and international business complicit in Israeli war crimes, identifies legal remedies and calls for civil society boycott action
The Russell Tribunal on Palestine this morning announced its verdict after weekend deliberations. The jury said it had been presented with “compelling evidence of corporate complicity in Israeli violations of international law”.
Juror Michael Mansfield QC, who chaired this morning’s press conference, announced the jury’s call for the mobilisation of civil
society to end the involvement of companies in Israeli human rights violations.
Both Israel and the complicit businesses, are in clear violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, he said. This relates to “the supply of arms; the construction and maintenance of the illegal separation Wall” and providing services to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
In its public statement, the Russell Tribunal named seven examples of corporations complicit in Israeli violations, including British-Danish prison firm G4S which supplies equipment to Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israel is in “flagrant disregard” of international law and is on the wrong side of world opinion, and morality said Mr. Mansfield.
Juror and South African liberation struggle veteran Ronnie Kasrils said one “can not underestimate the importance” of civil society action on boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS).
The jury concluded there were positive legal ramifications for those took action on boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.“Those who wish to actively protest about this, are entitled to do so,” said Mr. Mansfield. Those prosecuted for criminal damages have a defence: necessity.
The press conference heard breaking news of such an action happening in Covent Garden this morning, as activists shut down Ahava, an Israeli business based in a West Bank settlement.
The statements from those corporations who chose to engage with the tribunal will be annexed to the final report of the London session. This full report will be available in at the beginning of December.
It will identify specific legal remedies in the case of the many companies involved in Israeli human rights violations.
21 November 2010 | International Solidarity Movement
House bombed in Deir al-Balah
Rubble of bombed house in Deir al-Balah
The afternoon of November 19th an Israeli fighter plane bombed a house in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The house of the Dar Shorafa family, located 400 meters from the border fence, has disappeared. At the center of the date palm garden is a 3 m deep crater with the rubble of the former house scattered around.
At the time of attack the residents were absent, but the neighbors witnessed the attack. The Abu Mustafa family lives opposite them, approximately 50 meters from the bombed house. When the strike happened they were in the back yard hosting visitors. A moderate strike was heard and while the family was looking for shelter, a loud explosion rocketed debris through the air. Four people were hit and the roof of the family’s basic house was pierced five times.
3 meter deep crater at the centre of the date palm garden, scattered with rubble of the destroyed house
Rokia Shaban, a 52 year old woman, was hit in the abdomen, the upper leg, and on the shoulder. She left the hospital this morning and is now recovering in her damaged home. Wijdan Samir (29), Abdal Aziz (20) and two year old Ibrahim Sulayman were slightly injured. Because the scene is close to the buffer zone, it took the ambulance more than 30 minutes to arrive. Palestinian public services, like police cars and ambulances, cannot come this near to the border without coordinating with the Israeli authorities on the risk of being shot. The buffer zone runs along the Israeli fence and “officially” has a width of 300 meters on the Palestinian side. Israel claims this is a no-go-zone and deems it legitimate to shoot people within the area. However, according to a recent UN report the danger zone runs up to 1.5 km.
Sulaiman Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, the head of the family, firmly states that there is absolutely no resistance taking place on this site, contradicting the terrorist accusations of the Israeli military spokesperson.
Rubble in place of obliterated house in Deir al-Balah
“The Israelis are lying by claiming that resistance is taking place here. This is but an agricultural zone: we grow olives and eggplants. Even during the attacks in Cast Lead, we were spared. I don’t know why we were attacked; it comes totally unexpected; we are normal civilians trying to live off our land.”
Israeli tanks hold daily incursions on the Palestinian side of the barrier here, but today the army has remained invisible.
“Maybe they finally went to sleep after they bombed us”, laughs Suleiman Ibrahim while comforting his crying two year old son.
Farmhouse bombed in Khan Younis
31 year old farmhouse guard Mohammed Abdel Hassan Abuhussien in Europa (Khan Younis) hospital bed, shrapnel in his side and shoulder
The previous night, a suspected Israeli drone bombed a farmhouse in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, severely injuring a man and mildly a child.
The shelling of the farmhouse began approximately at midnight on Friday night. The first hit next to the livestock farm and 31 year old Mohammed Abdel Hassan Abuhussien, on guard duty, tried to scramble for cover as the shrapnel flew scattering into the surrounding walls and roof, injuring 2 bulls and a cow. The second followed quickly after and this time Mohammed could not avoid the shrapnel flying directly at him. Luckilty his co-worker who was nearby came to rescue him.
“It’s just a farm yard, it’s a deserted place, that’s all there is there. It has never been a dangerous place – just livestock and a few factories. They have no idea why they’d hit the farm,” said his brother at the hospital. Mohammed was lying with his eyes half closed unable to communicate. He had a piece of shrapnel embedded in his shoulder and another in his right side that had penetrated his lung.
Livestock hit by shrapnel in Khan Younis farmhouse
His wife, four months pregnant, and two young sons and daughter were at his bedside. They say it will be hard for them now and much will depend on Mohammed’s father to handle the situation. His brother was injured in the first intifada when he was 5 years old and still has the bullet inside his body. “We expect nothing less from Israel than to just attack innocent people like this— a guy sitting as a watchman for some cows and bulls. He’s just a worker with a growing family. His life was difficult enough,” he told us.
On the visit to the farm there were two holes in the roof of the barnyard where the shells landed; one made a dent in the concrete floor between two bull pens. It was apparently another attack from an Israeli drone and the explosive impact sent shrapnel flying around the farmhouse, injuring 2 bulls and a cow. The shrapnel is still inside the large animals’ bodies, and one is now unable to walk. At the time of the attack, the security guard Mohammed had been sitting between them at one side. The roof of the barnyard is littered with holes.
Hole in roof of Khan Younis farmhouse
“It will cost 20,000 U.S. dollars to fix the roof,” said the farm owner Salah Saleem Afana. But this is not the first time for Salah. The Israeli forces destroyed 2 dunums of his land next to the border with Egypt during the war, turning to rubble a 400m2 house he had there.
“We also lost hundreds of animals and two relatives were injured when the car they were in was bombed. The cost of all that was 120,000 US$ — and our crime? Living and farming near to the border? Just like what will happen for us here, there was no compensation and no justice. It’s the same way the international community treats all the crimes against us everyday from the siege, the bombings, the destruction and the killings. When it’s the Palestinians they just look away.”
22 November 2010 | Haitham al-Khatib, Bil’in Popular Committee
On Sunday morning, 30-year-old activist Ashraf al-Khatib turned himself in to Ofer Military Prison after weeks of military and Shebak harassment to his family and the village.
The military had been searching for him due to his involvement in weekly demonstrations against the wall and occupation. During recent night raids of the village, soldiers beat villagers, activists, and photographers attempting to reach Ashraf’s house. IDF soldiers aggressively entered the homes of Ashraf’s family, breaking down doors to look for him, but were unable to find him.
Shebak officials (Israeli Intelligence) called two of his brothers to come in for questioning in Ofer Prison. One brother was threatened to have his permission to work in Israel taken away if Ashraf was not found.
Ashraf told family that he had been afraid to be arrested because of the particularly aggressive and violent nature of the recent searches. He finally turned himself in because he wanted to stop his families suffering.
Two months ago, Ashraf was shot in the leg by a sniper using the banned 0.22″ caliber live ammunition during the village’s weekly demonstration. The bullet penetrated his leg near the shin, causing a fracture, and exited, causing an additional exit wound. At the hospital, Khatib had to undergo an operation.
20 November 2010 | International Solidarity Movement
Mohammad Awad, 8 years old, being arrested
Beit Ommar, Southern West Bank, 1:30pm: One 8-year-old Palestinian boy named Mohammad Awad, two internationals volunteering with P.S.P., and three Israeli solidarity activists were arrested by Israeli Forces during a peaceful demonstration against Karmei Tsur, an illegal Israeli settlement built on Beit Ommar land.
Beit Ommar and the adjacent Saffa valley have recently witnessed a tide of suppression by Israeli soldiers. Thursday, November 18th, thirteen Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists were arrested accompanying farmers to their land in the Saffa valley, near the illegal Bat Ayn settlement. In the past month, soldiers have raided the village during the night and made arrests three times a week: 35 people were arrested in October, and several have been arrested this month.
Activists detained outside Bat Ayn settlement before arrest
The weekly demonstration started just after 1pm as 30 Palestinians, along with many International and Israeli solidarity activists, marched toward the fence surrounding the Karmei Tsur settlement.
Around two dozen Israeli soldiers and border police blocked the path of the demonstrators, who sat on the ground, chanted against the occupation, and made speeches on the injustice of denying Palestinians access to their own land.
Soldier shoots tear gas toward demonstrators
After half an hour of peaceful demonstrating, a small group of shebabs moved closer to confront the Israeli soldiers, who responded by firing sound bombs and attempting to arrest a member of the National Committee. As he evaded arrest, a young boy and five other activists were taken in his place.
Activists returned to face the soldiers and stand in solidarity with those arrested. They were then repeatedly shot with tear gas and chased up the road to the village.
Karmei Tsur, an illegal settlement according to international law, is one of five built on land belonging to Beit Ommar villagers. The demonstration is held every Saturday and organized by the National Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Ommar, and the Palestine Solidarity Project.
20 November 2010 | International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian demonstrators march in Nabi SalehYesterday, 19th November, the weekly demonstration in An Nabi Saleh was again met by violent opposition from the Israeli Army. One young villager is scheduled to undergo surgery to insert a platinum implant in his leg where the bone was crushed from the impact of a high-velocity tear gas projectile.
The demonstration was blocked in its effort to reach the village spring located near the illegal settlement Halamish by massive tear gas attacks. Throughout the day the Israeli army and border police shot tear gas and rubber bullets toward demonstrators, sometimes directly at people.
11 demonstrators were injured during the demonstration, mostly by rubber bullets and tear gas, and 4 of the injured required hospitalization. One villager was shot by a rubber-coated steel bullet in the leg. An international received a cut on his face from another bullet that bounced off a wall. Several people suffered from the effects of tear gas.
Active Stills: high velocity tear gas canister shot at demonstrationIllegal, high-velocity tear gas canisters were used. Unlike usual tear-gas canisters, they were made to be capable of breaking through walls, can fly long distances without a sound, do not emit a smoke tail, and have a propeller to accelerate the weapon mid-air. Thus they are very difficult to detect and substantially more dangerous than regular tear gas. In the past, demonstrators have been severely injured by high velocity tear gas canisters hitting them. In April 2009, Bassem Abu-Rahma, had been killed by a high velocity tear gas canister fired directly at him during the weekly demonstrations in the village of Bil’in. In March 2009, the American activist Tristan Anderson was shot in the head with a high-velocity tear gas canister, for which he suffered severe brain damage and disability.
Active Stills: A Palestinian man collects a sample of skunk waterIn the early afternoon, a military jeep entered the village and sprayed skunk water at houses and demonstrators. Skunk water is considered a cultural weapon and has thus been condemned by the international community. It is made up of several different, unidentified, bad-smelling chemicals that cast a wretched smell which lasts for weeks and is nearly impossible to remove.
Late in the day, a tear gas canister smashed the window of a house, filling it with gas. Beside it, a car was damaged by rubber bullets.
A Palestinian woman is seen after she was injured from tear gas shot directly into her house during the demonstrationAs in previous weeks, early in the day all roads leading in to the village were blocked in an attempt by the Israeli Army to prevent International and Israeli activists from participating in the protest. In solidarity, activists within the village waited to begin their demonstration while activists were forced to walk for an hour from a neighboring village.
The demonstration lasted until sunset, when the military finally retreated from the village.
