EXCELLENT READ ON STATUS OF GAZA

And Israel's playing loose with propaganda and words are now exposed:

link What is Gaza's legal status?

Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu, a former legal adviser to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, said Israel “confuses” occupation with colonisation

While Israel withdrew its troops and colonies from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, it has failed to convince the international community that its occupation of the tiny strip of territory has ended. Israel has vowed to stop the flotilla by any means necessary, but under what legal pretext it aims to do so is unclear.

Israel’s flags, tanks and colonists have ended their permanent presence on the strip, but Israel continues to control Gaza’s borders, airspace and territorial waters. The United Nations and the international community continue to consider the strip to be occupied by Israel, along with the West Bank and occupied Arab East Jerusalem.

And here's the million dollar question:

Why then does Israel insist that the occupation of Gaza has ended?

More:

Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu, a former legal adviser to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, said Israel “confuses” occupation with colonisation. While the colonisation of Gaza, in the form of its military and settlement presence there, ended in 2005, its occupation continues, she said.

“After it pulled out [of Gaza], the Israeli government went to the Supreme Court to get an assessment as to whether Gaza was still occupied. The court determined that Gaza was no longer occupied,” she said.

On the contrary, she said, Israel’s occupation of Gaza has intensified, as it controls every aspect of life in Gaza, including the population registry and the issuance of identity documents.

Israel however is expected to face a dilemma in legally justifying any attempt to bar the Freedom Flotilla. If Gaza was indeed liberated territory, any Israeli action in its territorial waters would be considered as having taken place in the waters of another entity.

Israel, however, has a loophole. It has designated Gaza as a “hostile entity” and has reserved the right to protect itself from it. Buttu said that that is where Israel “traps itself”.

“Territory is either occupied or it’s not. There’s no shade in between. It’s like being half-pregnant,” she said.

She stressed, however, that as an occupying power, its laws hold little credibility, saying that international law, and specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, should be the first reference. If all else fails, Israel could cite the security provisions in the Oslo Accords with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation of 1993, under which it has certain rights in a “security perimeter”.

Buttu argued, however, that those security perimeters were clearly defined in Oslo, but violated by Israel. Not only does Israel extend its activities to further than the defined perimeter, she said, it has also extracted natural gas off Gaza’s coastline, “which belongs to Gaza”.

“The caveat under Oslo is that in 2001 Israel declared Oslo dead… So it’s not really an argument any longer. They can’t say we want to maintain the security aspects of Oslo but we’re going to keep building colonies [in the West Bank] at the same time,” she said.

FLOTILLA TO GAZA REPORT

Posting this from comrades in England heading to Gaza on the Flotilla:

Subject: DAY ONE OF TOX'S JOURNEY TO GAZA VIA THE BOAT CONVOY

The day began hectically with me rushing to Birmingham International Airport only to miss the flight! Alhamdulillah as they say there is reason for everything that happens. We can plan as much as we like but Allah is the best of planners.

I boarded the plane leaving Heathrow at 2230 and arrived in Istanbul Alhamdulillah with no delays or problems. I touched down in Istanbul at 4am in the dead of the night. Alhamdulillah once again, as to my surprise my brother Ibrahim who I was meant to go with on the earlier flight was already waiting there at the airport to pick me up.

We got a cab to the hotel where Ibrahim and the rest of our group were staying only to be told it was full. The guy at the front desk was adamant that I would be unable to sleep on Ibrahims floor and he became especially agitated after two failed mission impossible attempts to sneak me in. LoL

So it seemed Allah had another plan for me. We decided to go to pray in the local masjid after hearing the azan for Fajr prayer. We arrived a late and missed the jamah. So an old uncle who was also late called us over and we prayed with him. After Fajr in Turkey they do some recitation after salah which is amazing it just gives the whole masjid this fantastic atmosphere, its very difficult to describe, not that of a rave or party dont misunderstand. lol But amazing nonetheless.

After we prayed yet another stroke of luck, the uncle that we had just prayed behind was one of the most senior people in the Masjid. So I spoke to him and he said no problem I could stay, even after tense discussions with other officials, he lead me over to a small enclosed part of the mosque and said I could sleep and thats where I slept beautifully.. Oh yeah what I forgot to mention. LoL. The masjid I was now staying in all alone was one of the oldest in Turkey built by Sultan Fatih Mehmet. Also known as Fatih Masjid or the conquerors mosque. This is a tourist attraction a museum more accurately speaking visitors are not permitted to sleep over so imagine how lucky I was.

Ok so the blog isn't over yet. LoL

After 4 hours sleep I was awoken from my healing sleep by a rushing Ibrahim he said the press conference was about to begin and we had to leave now. So I quickly picked up my bag rolled up my sleeping bag and off we went. We jumped in a taxi to the port that of a name that I can no longer remember any more, it took around 20 minutes to get there. As we got closer to destination we could see swarms of people heading in the same direction. It somewhat reminded me of walking alongside other fans to Anfield ( Liverpool F.C.s football stadium to those who don't know) all heading in one direction. So as there was also immense traffic we instructed the taxi driver to let us out, and we also joined the swarm and followed in sync.

As we approached, the familiar sound of Turkish Nasheeds played loud, and echoed all around. We had heard these played repeatedly on the last convoy, and they brought back many warm memories. Following the sound now, as well as the herds of people we turned a corner and their she stood in plain sight the spectacular and enormous MV Mavi Marmara. The atmosphere was electric it actually felt like we were at a football match or baseball game. The press conference began with many speakers. Messages were relayed in Turkish, Arabic, Malay and English and all the worlds press except for the pro Zionist ones that is were broadcasting the message of humanity back to their respective nations.

One of the final speeches was given by a brother who had lost the ability to walk in the crippling war against Gaza. As he sat their in his wheel chair in front of the masses the passion and truth in his speech captured the hearts of the audience. The crowd stood captivated by each of his words as they passed through everyone pouring with emotion, the rain only added to the atmosphere and after the brother finished the sound of hundreds of thousands of people shouting Takbir was enthralling. A dua was then made at which the sound of ameen being said by everyone had a thundering bass. You could feel a presence of one ummah, one being, one humanity.

After the dua was made it was announced that the MV Mavi Marmara was due to set sail. The Turkish sailors who were leaving hugged their loved ones and boarded. Then celebration like no other: Thousands of balloons were released flying the Palestinian colours, fireworks, smoke torches, white doves, press helicopters circling and then greatest of all, a entourage of around 30 smaller boats laden with people hanging off at every angle waving, screaming it was immense. "The world is watching" I was told by a reporter, I couldn't help but think so must Israel.

The world is indeed watching. Israel what is your next move?

Israeli Irrationality in the Post Goldstone Era

Besides the blatant denial and the complete lack of decency to even offer a token apology or an inkling of remorse for the innocent loss of life during the Gaza holocaust , Israel has been thumping its chest and emitting war cries since the release of the Goldstone Report.

So instead of self-examination, Israel's conflicted, and increasingly right-wing political body unleashed a belligerent tone -- angry, defiant, threatening, unfocused like a petulant and wounded child. Diversionary tactics came into play to focus domestic and international attention elsewhere and fill the frustrating void -- Hamas in Gaza, the potential nuclear aspirations of Iran, Palestinian intransigence on peace talks, Hezbollah's weapons, Syria, Turkey, anti-Semitism, the Goldstone Report. Source

In a short time span, Israel has attempted to instigate conflicts with Syria, Gaza, Lebanon and Turkey. If it weren't so serious, I'd think that I was watching an Anti Islamic Hollywood film about an evil terrorist threatening to obliterate the world.

They have made threats, spread more evil lies and ran to hide behind their Apartheid Wall with fingers on the trigger and Big Brother (U.S.) patting them on the head. This is the country that claims to want "peace" with it's neighbors. Or do they mean "piece", as in "I want a piece of the pie" or " I want a piece of you". And they do, they want more and more and more..........

Syria Lays Down the Law to Israel

Syria said today, no peace between them and Israel without Israel withdrawing from the Golan Heights FIRST. Well done Syria...Now's the time to "go for it" as obama has decided Israel WILL make peace in the region. So get it while the gettin's good!

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad states that Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights is a prerequisite for peace between Syria and Israel.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the Austrian President, Heinz Fischer, in Vienna on Monday, President al-Assad highlighted that the strategic Golan Heights will always belong to Syria and Israel's departure from Golan is the only way to peace.

Israel captured the Golan Heights following the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed the Syrian territory in 1981. Raising Damascus' ire further, Israeli warplanes destroyed Syria's al-Kibar conventional military site in 2007 blaming the country for harboring a nuclear reactor -- a claim rejected by Syria.

The Syrian leader meanwhile noted that his country opposes nuclear weapons but believes that all countries should be awarded the right to access peaceful and civilian nuclear energy.

President Fischer, for his part, outlined that Vienna backs Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations based on relevant UN resolutions.

Under the auspices of Turkey, Israel and Syria launched peace talks last May aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace agreement.

Negotiations reached a stalemate in September after the resignation of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

Syria then withdrew from the talks in protest to the latest Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip -- in late December 2008 and January 2009 -- where at least 1,330 Palestinians lost their lives in the three-week carnage source

Israel is Angry~Awe, Too Bad

Israel's nose is out of joint, too bad. Why? Because the US has agreed an arms deal to Turkey, and Israel was not in the loop, and why should they be? It is a matter for Turkey and the USA, not busy body Israel, who needs to keep it's Zionist Racist Murdering nose out of other peoples affairs.

Washington's reported green light to Turkey to proceed with a large-scale weapons sale to the Lebanese army has irked Israeli echelons.

Citing unnamed senior Israeli military circles, Israel's Debkafile website with close links to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, said the deal has "staggered" Israeli officials, who had expected to be informed of the development from either Turkey or the United States.

The arms deal which was signed in the Turkish capital on Tuesday, also includes" the services of Turkish military instructors," Debkafile claimed last week.

"Our sources note that neither Washington nor Ankara bothered to inform Israel of the transaction or its scope," it said. link

Turkey "Talks Turkey" on I/P Conflict

I posted this because from a strategic view this article is dead on. The fellow, Robert Lowe, manager and researcher fellow on the Middle Eastern Programme of Chatham House gets it right.

If No Independent Palestinian State – No Peace With Israel

Azerbaijan, Baku,

Despite that the Palestinian-Israeli talks will continue, they will not bring to progress in the peace process if Israel refuses to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu notified the President of the Palestinian Autonomy (PA) Mahmoud Abbas of the intention to resume the peace process to sign a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, BBC Russian reported.

However, Netanyahu did not confirm support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that is the basis for all international agreements on the Palestinian-Israeli solution source .

During the election campaign, he stated willingness to negotiate with the Palestinians, but said he considered premature to speak of establishment of a Palestinian state. Instead, he offered the Palestinians to cooperate in improving the economic situation on the West Bank and cease armed resistance of Hamas Movement.

However, Foreign Minister of Israel Avigdor Lieberman rejected the principles of the conflict solution, which were adopted at the conference in Annapolis and include the establishment of a Palestinian state, which is supported by the U.S. Administration and the European Union.

"For progress Israel has to take out the settlements (constructed on the West Bank), restrict the refuges," Robert Lowe, manager and researcher fellow on the Middle Eastern Programme of Chatham House, told Trend News in a telephone conversation. - The current Israeli government is unable to do this.

Abbas's consent to negotiate with the right government of Israel is aimed at weakening the rigid position of Hamas.

Abbas believes if he shows interest in negotiation with Netanyahu he would get the American support and probably the U.S. Administration will exert pressure on Israel, Muhammad Yaghi, commentator of Palestinian Al Ayyam newspaper, said.

However, this approach of the Palestinian leadership won't yield to anything.

"This will only make it easier for the Israeli government to convince the world that the peace process is on track while it continues building new settlements and expanding old ones, and isolating Jerusalem,"

Yaghi told Trend News via e-mail.

Hamas also estimated Abbas's dialogue with Netanyahu as a blow to the establishment of a national Palestinian state, Al Jazeera website reported.

"Netanyahu wants to be sure of the stability of Abbas's government to continue the negotiations - Frisch told Trend News in a telephone conversation. - Abbas has good experience in negotiation strategy, but Israel wants to remove Hamas [from internal policy of PA].

The pressure of the international mediators on the Israelis and Palestinians support the peace process, but this does not lead to progress.

"Palestinians are weaken and Israelis are divided - they need to overcome this for progress in the talks," Lowe said.

Syria Lays Down the Law for Peace Agreement with Israel

Tell it like it is Syria:

Damascus, 2 April (AKI) - The chairman of Syria's foreign relations department in the parliament, Sulayman Haddad, outlined Syria's conditions to make peace with Israel in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI) on Thursday ahead of the visit by Italy's foreign minister Franco Frattini, due to arrive in the country on Monday.

Syria's conditions for peace with Israel are, "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homes, the restitution of the Golan Heights and compensation for all the years of Israeli exploitation of the territory," Haddad told AKI.

He also welcomed Frattini's visit and underlined the importance of diplomatic relations between Rome and Damascus. At the same time, however, he doubted Italian mediation could succeed in changing or softening Israel's position in regards to the peace process with Syria.

"Mediation is not the problem, rather, it is that one of the parties does not want peace and does not want to resolve the conflict in the Middle East."

Rhetorical question: Any guesses as to who that "party" is? Why it's Israel, the one that wants to kill all Arabs and is the greatest threat to world peace. The one with nuclear weapons from America who just elected a maniacal bunch of racist killers.

Haddad also recalled the words of Israel's new foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman in an interview with an Israeli daily, saying the Jewish state would not withdraw from the Golan Heights.

Well, we can all dream of the day Leiberman gets his racist arse dragged kicking and screaming off Palestinian land. I'd pay good money for a ring side seat for that one!

Lieberman's remarks "forces us to remain faithful to the resistance. It is the only way that will produce any results with Israel," said Haddad.

Sadly this is very true, the only thing Israel understands is violence.

Following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights and annexed it in 1981. Syria and Israel have been technically at war ever since.

Last May, Israel and Syria launched peace talks aimed at a comprehensive peace agreement, under the auspices of Turkey.

Negotiations reached a stalemate in September after the resignation of former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

Syria then withdrew from the talks in protest against Israel's three-week military offensive in the Gaza Strip in late December 2008 and January 2009 in which at least 1,330 Palestinians were killed and 5,400 others were injured.

The offensive sparked outrage across the Arab world and worldwide protests against Israel.
source

02/03/09 Top Israelis Wanted for WAR CRIMES

Israeli Criminals Wanted for WAR CRIMES




Well, this is some good news for the thousands of Palestinian families who lost someone during the recent Israeli mass genocide in Gaza. Syria and Iran are working together to bring 15 top Israeli officials to justice. Additionally Turkey is also beginning to look into this as well.


Here is the good news for today:

Interpol begins studying Iran's request for the arrest of 15 senior Israeli officials over war crimes committed during the Gaza offensive.

At a news briefing on Sunday, Tehran's Public Prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, said that Iran had referred the case to the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO or Interpol), drawing on the organization's charter and Israel's violation of the Geneva Conventions.

"Governments of 180 countries have received the information necessary for identifying the suspects," he said.

In a Monday statement, Iran's judiciary said that it has asked Interpol to issue an international Red Notice security alert for the 15 Israeli officials who were involved in the 23-day Israeli offensive on Gaza.

The statement added that the judiciary was also looking into complaints made against 100 other Israelis, with top military and government posts.

Snip

"Based on our investigation and according to article 2 of the Interpol charter, we asked Interpol to arrest these suspects."

Many international NGOs and human rights organizations, Palestinians wounded in the Gaza onslaught, more than 5,700 Iranian lawyers and attorneys in the Iranian Bar Association along with a large number of medics were also among those who filed complaints against Tel Aviv, Mortazavi added
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=87207§ionid=351020101

The list of Israeli war criminals includes:

1 Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
2 Defense Minister Ehud Barak
3 Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
4 Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi
5 Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air Force Ido Nehoshtan
6 Commander of the Gaza war -- Operation Cast Lead -- Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant
7 Head of Military Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin
8 Commander of Battalion 13 in the Golani Brigade Lt. Col. Oren Cohen
9 Deputy to the Givati Brigade Col. Ron Ashrov
10 Commander of the Israel Paratroopers' Brigade in Gaza Col. Hertzi Halevy
11 Commander of 401st Armored Corps Brigade convoy Col. Yigal Slovik
12 Commander of the 101st Battalion in the Paratrooper Brigade Lt. Col. Avi Blot
13 Lt. Col. Yoav Mordechai, who served as a commander of the Golani infantry brigade's 13th Battalion in Gaza
14 Givati squad commander Col. Tomer Tsiter
15 Brigade commander in Battalion 51 Col. Avi Peled


More here :

Iran, Syria vow to bring Israel to justice
Iran and Syria vow to support the rights of Palestinian people by bringing Israeli leaders to justice for their recent war crimes in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Mazlum-Der rights group launched an investigation into Israeli crimes against humanity and genocide during the 23-day deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The group filed a complaint which asked that Turkey be given the right to try 19 Israeli warlords including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak of committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Several international rights groups, including Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, have accused Israel of using banned weapons against the densely-populated coastal enclave of 1.6 million.

Iran is also going to host an international conference in support of Palestine on March 4-5 2009 in Tehran. Significant figures of the international community including the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Conference as well as renowned international lawyers have been invited to the conference.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=87153§ionid=351020101

Please note that if you live in England, remember in January THIS was said.

the UN General Assembly is expected to discuss whether to seek advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice about filing a complaint against Israel, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

According to the British daily, a Foreign Office source has confirmed reports that the UK government, under pressure from prominent law experts, may consider supporting calls for a reference to the ICJ.

"It's definitely on the table… We have already called for an investigation and are looking at all evidence and allegations,” the source told The Guardian.

The world's leading international lawyers have sent an open letter to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling for an end to Israel's human right violations in the Gaza Strip.

"The United Kingdom government ... has a duty under international law to exert its influence to stop violations of international humanitarian law in the current conflict," reads the letter. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=82223§ionid=351021701

So please put pressure on your MP’s and Brown to carry though with this. Israel must finally be held accountable for it’s crimes against humanity and the world.