UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION, COMING TO GET YOU ISRAEL
Whoa, huge article coming out in the Jerusalem Post on March 30th. Israel is running scared from charges of war crimes, the worldwide public opinion has really now gone totally against them, and they are now very worried indeed! The article is VERY long; it’s an interview with an IDF commander and is quite telling. Additionally, several experts explain this new concept of universal jurisdiction which many countries are now using in order to bring charges against Israel for war crimes. Israel has always had an “out” so to speak, as it never became a party to the 1998 Rome Convention that created the International Criminal Court. The only way around this would be for the UN Security Council to bring the charges; however, the USA,Israel's "BFF" would veto this for Israel. So this is a “no go” Hence the new Universal Jurisdiction scenario, which, seems to be doing quite well so far. With convictions in the UK and possibly Spain now for war crimes against Israel. Soon Israel will no longer be able to run from the legal system. Oh, they can hide away in Israel for life, never being able to leave or set foot in any country where arrest warrants are held against them. Israel will become the pariah that it is, a large jail cell in the Middle East where criminals must hide out in order to remain out of jail. Yes, Israel will become one giant jail cell. Perhaps they could market this as a tourist attraction, come to Israel see the War Criminals in their cages.
Excerpt from Jerusalem Post below:
"I'm not a war criminal! I'm not a Nazi!"
"I'm not a war criminal! I'm not a Nazi!" Seated in a Jerusalem café, Yotam's tense voice and tight movements contrast sharply with the suave, cool surroundings. He looks around and over his shoulder frequently, admitting that he's afraid that someone might overhear him or recognize him. Throughout the interview, he takes long sips of water from a tall, iced glass in an effort to maintain his composure.
He insists that he not be identified in any way. Yotam is not his real name. During Operation Cast Lead, Yotam, served as a battalion commander of a combat unit. He had intended to leave for England in the late spring for post-doctoral studies at a well-regarded British university. But now he's scared. During the war, his face was shown on European TV and he says that he has heard "from people I know on the far left in Israel who are cooperating with left-wing, anti-Zionist activists in England" that he could wind up being the target of an investigation against him on suspicion that he committed war crimes in Gaza.
"What do they want from me?" Yotam demands, his voice filled with rage and fear. "I did the best I could - I wanted to save my men. I didn't want to kill innocent people. Sure, we had maps, and guided missiles and all sorts of high-tech equipment. But civilians got killed. Civilians get killed in wars. Does that make me a war criminal? Am I Eichmann? Am I a mass murderer like Milosevic? Like Idi Amin?"
According to Israeli legal experts, hundreds of Israeli officers and other officials may have good reason to be fearful that they could, indeed, be investigated, arrested and charged with alleged war crimes or crimes against humanity for their conduct in Operation Cast Lead in December-January.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak publicly promised that the state would back all officers and soldiers who might be accused abroad of war crimes. And the government has established an inter-ministerial committee that is, says an official, "working very much under the radar" to try to "ward off these legal proceedings through diplomatic means."
Translation, he’s trying to make dirty deals with the governments of those countries who are bringing charges against Israel.
"When the warfare is over, lawfare begins,"
Lawfare draws upon the concept of universal jurisdiction, which refers to the powers of a state to try and punish any individual for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide even if those crimes were not committed against the country or its citizens or its soil. The idea behind this, is that some atrocities are so horrendous that their perpetrators should not be allowed to find any safe haven, anywhere in the world.
Europeans are simply sick of seeing civilians suffer in wars and tired of seeing people killed. And they certainly don't accept Israel's explanation that it is fighting against terror."
In 2004, a warrant was issued in Great Britain against Major General Doron Almog, who was accused of war crimes in Gaza between 2001 and 2003, when he headed Southern Command. When visiting England in 2005 to speak at a fund-raising event, Almog narrowly evaded arrest when he was tipped off that the warrant against him had been issued and so refused to disembark from his plane. The warrant is still pending.
these activities are part of the "Durban strategy," first implemented at the World Conference Against Racism, in Durban, South Africa in September 2001. "The 'Durban Strategy' equates Israel with apartheid South Africa, viewing Israel as a pariah state so Israelis, like other 'war criminals' and pariahs, will not be able to travel throughout the world or be part of global society,"
Spanish judge, Fernando Andre, instituted a judicial inquiry against several Israeli political and military figures on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity, in relation to the 2002 assassination of Hamas leader, Salah Shehade, with a one-ton bomb that killed 14 people in addition to Shehade. Although not directly connected to Operation Cast Lead, Israeli officials acknowledge that the timing of the Spanish decision is clearly related to the current anti-Israel atmosphere prevailing in Europe.
French pro-Palestinian organizations filed a lawsuit against the Israeli president and foreign and defense ministers. Turkish prosecutors, in response to a petition filed by a member of a pro-Palestinian NGO, announced that they were investigating whether Israeli leaders should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. In mid-February, members of the Jordanian parliament turned to the ICC, accusing Israel of war crimes
"the State of Israel is working diligently to prevent such cases in Spain and in other countries, through both legal and diplomatic means."
"It just isn't fair," Yotam says impotently, close to tears. "Do these people know what it was like? Hamas was hiding out in residential areas. If they're shooting at you from a house, how are you supposed to know how many civilians are inside? As a commander, I tried very hard not only to do the legal thing, but to do the moral thing, too. Hamas didn't care - they violated every human and legal principle I can think of. It just isn't fair.
Ok, I just have to say this, notice how brave the IDF are when they are in the armored tanks shooting at civilians, or a handful of men with mere rifles against their tanks. Or when flying over with their F-16’s dropping White Phosphorous, DIME missiles and other atrocities onto the most heavily populated place on this planet , where innocent civilians have NO where to go! Now, just look at these “brave” IDF soldiers, crying “It’s not fair” and my favorite “I’m Scared” well, I say too bad, what do you think those Palestinian people felt like all huddled into a corner, with no place to hide from your genocide? Do you think they were scared? And to think this IDF soldier was about to come to England to study! Good I hope is now has to remain in Israel for the rest of his natural life. That’s his sentence, face the charges and risk being convicted, or hide out in Israel for the rest of your life. Either way YOU LOOSE! You are a criminal now and will never be able to show your face anywhere else in the free world. Enjoy your new found status along with Hitler and Eichmann.Below is more of his drivel and whining and he also admits to using White Phosphorous as well, evil troll:
I don't sleep at night. I think about the Palestinians that we might have killed. Does the Hamas guy who booby-trapped their houses and planted explosives under them - does he sleep at night? I bet he does. And those Brits and Spaniards who think they are so morally high and mighty - do they sleep at night? I bet they do.
Always have to blame HAMAS for everything, including the 1400 people, and 400 children the Israeli's murdered with DIME missiles and White Phosphorous, Oh and this brave Soldier admits below using White Phosphorous on Palestinians. See here:
He acknowledges that his unit did use white phosphorus during the war. "But that's not illegal. At least it isn't illegal in some situations. We used it only for illumination, I swear. But when you're the commander out there in the field, does anyone think that you can really consider all the legal and moral implications?" he challenges.
There are clear differences, for example, between destruction of natural resources, wanton destruction of property, wanton killing, deliberate starvation of a civilian population. But as long as Israel equates war crimes only with the Nazis, it will not be able to prosecute properly. These must be investigated by impartial, independent and professional committees, and anyone suspected of such crimes should be brought to trial."
By not investigating and prosecuting,Israel is leaving itself open to universal jurisdiction abroad. Machover, for example, readily says that he is pursuing additional cases in Britain, but refuses to provide any details.
I suggest reading the entire 5 page article for a better understanding of "International Jurisdiction" and how it can help to bring some justice for the thousands who have suffered from Israel's long history of war crimes.
