Israel’s policy of settling its civilians in occupied Palestinian territory and displacing the local population contravenes fundamental rules of international humanitarian law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
De Israëlische regering versoepelt en versnelt de bouw van Joodse nederzettingen op de bezette Westelijke Jordaanoever. Het geweld laaide gisteren opnieuw op in de regio. Vijf vragen en antwoorden.
. Wat heeft de regering besloten?
Het proces voor het bouwen van nieuwe kolonistenwoningen op de bezette Westelijke Jordaanoever wordt door een wetswijziging gemakkelijker gemaakt. De regering onder leiding van premier Benjamin Netanyahu – de meest rechtse ooit in het land – maakt zo de weg vrij voor 4560 nieuwe wooneenheden die Israël wilde bouwen in het bezette gebied.
De wet versnelt en vereenvoudigt het proces van zulke bouwprojecten in de toekomst. In 1996 werd besloten dat er eerst een reeks procedures moest worden doorlopen voor de bouw van nieuwe nederzettingen. Dat gaf de premier en de minister van Defensie nog de kans om de bouw te vertragen of te pauzeren om diplomatieke redenen. Maar die mogelijkheid verdwijnt door dit besluit.
2. Welke gevolgen heeft dit?
Bestaande nederzettingen in het gebied zullen verder worden uitgebreid. “De bouwhausse in Judea en Samaria en in ons hele land gaat door”, schreef minister van Financiën Bezalel Smotrich alvast op Twitter, waarmee hij verwijst naar de bijbelse namen van de Westelijke Jordaanoever. Smotrich is leider van de partij Religieus Zionisme en als ultranationalist een groot voorstander van de bouw. “We zullen de nederzetting blijven ontwikkelen en de Israëlische greep op het grondgebied versterken”, beloofde Smotrich, die voortaan ook meer macht krijgt bij het goedkeuren van de bouw van nederzettingen.
De wetswijziging druist in tegen het internationaal recht. Het eenzijdig inlijven van Palestijnse gebieden is in verschillende VN-resoluties bestempeld als onrechtmatig, terwijl ook het internationaal gerechtshof zich in het verleden heeft uitgesproken tegen de aanleg van de grensbarrière van muren en hekken die Israël op Palestijns grondgebied heeft aangelegd. Israël betwist dat en vindt dat nederzettingen en barrières wel mogen worden gebouwd, omdat ze zouden bijdragen aan de veiligheid in het gebied.
3. Hoe wordt door de Palestijnen gereageerd?
Het goedkeuren van nederzettingen is een ‘gevaarlijke escalatie om de annexatie van de Westelijke Jordaanoever te voltooien’, reageerde het Palestijnse ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken. “Een overduidelijke aanval op ons land”, schreef de Palestijnse premier Mohammad Shtayyeh op Twitter.
Ondertussen lopen de spanningen in de regio steeds hoger op. Gisteren braken hevige gevechten uit tussen Israëlische soldaten en Palestijnse strijders bij een vluchtelingenkamp in de stad Jenin. Er vielen vijf doden, onder wie een jongen van 15, en tientallen mensen raakten gewond. Het Israëlische leger zette voor het eerst in jaren gevechtshelikopters in waarmee raketten werden afgevuurd. Andersom werden militaire voertuigen van Israël bestookt met geïmproviseerde explosieven.
In mei vielen drie doden bij een Israëlische inval in een vluchtelingenkamp in de stad Nablus. De kampen worden door Israël gezien als broeinesten van Palestijnse militanten.
‘Families van elkaar afgesneden’
“Het is beleid dat in zekere zin al heel lang bestaat” zegt correspondent Olaf Koens over de wetswijziging. “Israël bouwt illegale nederzettingen, die zijn ook onder Israëlisch recht illegaal. Ze worden ver en diep in de Palestijnse gebieden gebouwd, en die worden dan langzaam maar zeker geformaliseerd. En hoe langer dat duurt, hoe meer huizen daar komen. Je ziet dat nu met deze extreem-rechtse Israëlische regering deze kolonisten een steeds grotere rol krijgen.”
Het gevolg is dat een soort gatenkaas ontstaat in het gebied, zegt Koens. “Er komen wegen naar die nederzettingen toe en die zijn inmiddels dusdanig bevolkt, dat geen sprake meer kan zijn van een Palestijnse staat. Het zijn allemaal stukjes Israël die erbij komen in gebieden die helemaal geen Israël zijn. Dat betekent dat Palestijnen steeds verder in het nauw worden gedrukt. Dat families van elkaar worden afgesneden, en dat mensen steeds geïsoleerder komen te leven.”
4. Hoe reageren andere landen op het besluit?
Buurland Jordanië veroordeelde de wetswijziging onmiddellijk en verklaarde dat de uitbreiding van de nederzettingen een ernstige schending is van het internationaal recht. Terwijl een regeringswoordvoerder van Egypte sprak van ‘misdaden’ en een ’totale oorlog’ tegen het Palestijnse volk.
Ook de VS – de belangrijkste bondgenoot van Israël – liet al snel van zich horen. Het land zegt ‘diep verontrust’ en ‘bezorgd’ te zijn over het regeringsbesluit. “Zoals al lang beleid is, verzetten de VS zich tegen dergelijke eenzijdige acties die een tweestatenoplossing moeilijker maken en een obstakel vormen voor vrede”, schreef het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken in een verklaring.
Op een speciale top in februari met de VS, de Palestijnse Autoriteit, Egypte en Jordanië beloofde Israël dat het aankondigingen van bouwplannen voor nieuwe kolonistenwoningen voor vier maanden zou opschorten. Nu die periode is verstreken, voelt het land zich duidelijk niet meer gebonden aan die belofte.
5. Welk standpunt heeft Nederland?
Nederland is voorstander van een tweestatenoplossing: het idee dat Israël en de Palestijnse staat in vrede naast elkaar bestaan. De regering heeft dat ook in het huidige regeerakkoord opgenomen. De toekomstige Palestijnse staat bestaat in dat geval uit de Gazastrook en de Westelijke Jordaanoever, inclusief Oost-Jeruzalem, tenzij de strijdende partijen onderling tot andere grenzen komen.
EINDE
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Noot 11/NOS/Lof en kritiek
” De nederzettingen zijn in strijd met het internationale recht. Israël moet stoppen met de uitbreiding van deze nederzettingen, geweld door kolonisten voorkomen en waarborgen dat daders ter verantwoording worden geroepen.”
De Europese Unie en haar lidstaten maken zich grote zorgen over het toenemende geweld en extremisme in Israël en de bezette Palestijnse Gebieden, wat tot een ontstellend aantal Israëlische en Palestijnse slachtoffers leidt, waaronder kinderen. De situatie in de Gazastrook en de Westelijke Jordaanoever, waaronder Oost-Jeruzalem, is zeer verontrustend.
Wij roepen de Israëlische en Palestijnse leiders op de situatie te de-escaleren en zich te onthouden van acties die de reeds gespannen situatie kunnen verergeren. De nederzettingen zijn in strijd met het internationale recht. Israël moet stoppen met de uitbreiding van deze nederzettingen, geweld door kolonisten voorkomen en waarborgen dat daders ter verantwoording worden geroepen. Militaire operaties moeten proportioneel zijn en in overeenstemming met het internationaal humanitair recht. De terroristische aanslagen moeten onmiddellijk stoppen en door iedereen worden veroordeeld. Ook aan praktijken die de aanslagen ondersteunen moet onmiddellijk een einde worden gemaakt. De humanitaire situatie in de Gazastrook noopt tot verdere versoepeling van de opgelegde beperkingen. In lijn met eerdere afspraken en de speciale rol van Jordanië in aanmerking nemend, moet worden vastgehouden aan de status quo van de religieuze heiligdommen. Christenen, joden en moslims moeten vreedzaam naast elkaar kunnen blijven leven.
Al deze kwesties vormen obstakels voor vrede.
Wij prijzen de inspanningen van de VS, Jordanië en Egypte om de situatie te de-escaleren en steunen het communiqué van Akaba. Alle partijen moeten de afspraken van dit communiqué te goeder trouw nakomen.
Het is van cruciaal belang dat er opnieuw een politieke horizon voor een tweestatenoplossing in beeld komt. Alleen een onderhandelde overeenkomst biedt kans op veiligheid en vrede voor iedereen.
Er moet dringend werk worden gemaakt van een nieuw vredesperspectief. Drie weken geleden sprak de hoge vertegenwoordiger/vicevoorzitter met de Saudische minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Faisal en de secretaris-generaal van de Arabische Liga Aboul Gheit. Zij spraken af het Arabisch vredesinitiatief nieuw leven in te blazen en hierop voort te bouwen. Ook bevestigde de EU dat zij, zoals gesteld in de conclusies van de Raad van december 2013, beide partijen in het kader van een akkoord over de definitieve status een niet eerder gezien pakket aan politieke, economische en veiligheidsondersteuning zal aanbieden. Wij werken hierbij nauw samen met andere Arabische en internationale partners. Hoewel wij de partijen niet kunnen dwingen vrede te sluiten, hebben wij een gedeelde verantwoordelijkheid om hiervoor de weg te bereiden. Veiligheid, de rechtsstaat en vrede in het Midden-Oosten zijn een belangrijke prioriteit voor de EU.
EINDE
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Noot 12/NOS/Lof en kritiek
The 7 october 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel
with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, suprised me,
like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians
were killed [according to Israeli autorities at least 1200] or abducted and
at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a
Festival near kibbutz Re”im.
Of course this deserves strong condemnation, since targetting
civilians is not only inhumane, but prohibited by International
Humanitarian Law, declaring clear distinction between combatants
[soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians,
who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli
victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because the almost hysterical ”we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from
the Western World [USA,EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their
official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocrite.
It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support to Israel as a State and that is, to say
it mildly, controversial.
Because the bloody 7 october Hamas attack and subsequent abduction-operation divert the attention of the important fact, that since 1967 Israel
is the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still
occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only Israel refuses to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories
despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], there is a decennialong brutal
oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention,
bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands civilian victims, the building [since end of the sixties]
of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial
execution, apartheid, etc, etc
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanction against
the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation
and oppression.
According to International Law every people has the right to rise up against
an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in his right
in this regard, but of course according International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right
now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing
Gaza for already two weeks, with more than 4000 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,
fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Mail/Letter to the Editor to The Standard [newspaper from Gambia]/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
The 7 october 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel
with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, suprised me,
like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians
were killed [according to Israeli autorities at least 1200] or abducted and
at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a
Festival near kibbutz Re”im.
Of course this deserves strong condemnation, since targetting
civilians is not only inhumane, but prohibited by International
Humanitarian Law, declaring clear distinction between combatants
[soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians,
who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli
victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because the almost hysterical ”we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from
the Western World [USA,EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their
official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocrite.
It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support to Israel as a State and that is, to say
it mildly, controversial.
Because the bloody 7 october Hamas attack and subsequent abduction-operation divert the attention of the important fact, that since 1967 Israel
is the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still
occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only Israel refuses to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories
despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], there is a decennialong brutal
oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention,
bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands civilian victims, the building [since end of the sixties]
of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial
execution, apartheid, etc, etc
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanction against
the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation
and oppression.
According to International Law every people has the right to rise up against
an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in his right
in this regard, but of course according International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right
now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing
Gaza for already two weeks, with more than 4000 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,
fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Mail/Letter to the Editor to The Express Tribune [newspaper from Pakistan]/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
The 7 october 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel
with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, suprised me,
like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians
were killed [according to Israeli autorities at least 1200] or abducted and
at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a
Festival near kibbutz Re”im.
Of course this deserves strong condemnation, since targetting
civilians is not only inhumane, but prohibited by International
Humanitarian Law, declaring clear distinction between combatants
[soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians,
who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli
victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because the almost hysterical ”we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from
the Western World [USA,EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their
official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocrite.
It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support to Israel as a State and that is, to say
it mildly, controversial.
Because the bloody 7 october Hamas attack and subsequent abduction-operation divert the attention of the important fact, that since 1967 Israel
is the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still
occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only Israel refuses to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories
despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], there is a decennialong brutal
oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention,
bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands civilian victims, the building [since end of the sixties]
of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial
execution, apartheid, etc, etc
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanction against
the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation
and oppression.
According to International Law every people has the right to rise up against
an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in his right
in this regard, but of course according International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right
now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing
Gaza for already two weeks, with more than 4000 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,
fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Mail/Letter to the Editor to The Irish Independent/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
The 7 october 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel
with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, suprised me,
like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians
were killed [according to Israeli autorities at least 1200] or abducted and
at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a
Festival near kibbutz Re”im.
Of course this deserves strong condemnation, since targetting
civilians is not only inhumane, but prohibited by International
Humanitarian Law, declaring clear distinction between combatants
[soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians,
who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli
victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because the almost hysterical ”we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from
the Western World [USA,EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their
official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocrite.
It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support to Israel as a State and that is, to say
it mildly, controversial.
Because the bloody 7 october Hamas attack and subsequent abduction-operation divert the attention of the important fact, that since 1967 Israel
is the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still
occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only Israel refuses to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories
despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], there is a decennialong brutal
oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention,
bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands civilian victims, the building [since end of the sixties]
of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial
execution, apartheid, etc, etc
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanction against
the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation
and oppression.
According to International Law every people has the right to rise up against
an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in his right
in this regard, but of course according International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right
now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing
Gaza for already two weeks, with more than 4000 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,
fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Mail/Letter to the Editor to Al Ahram Weekly [Egyptian newspaper]/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
The 7 october 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel
with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, suprised me,
like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians
were killed [according to Israeli autorities at least 1200] or abducted and
at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a
Festival near kibbutz Re”im.
Of course this deserves strong condemnation, since targetting
civilians is not only inhumane, but prohibited by International
Humanitarian Law, declaring clear distinction between combatants
[soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians,
who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli
victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because the almost hysterical ”we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from
the Western World [USA,EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their
official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocrite.
It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support to Israel as a State and that is, to say
it mildly, controversial.
Because the bloody 7 october Hamas attack and subsequent abduction-operation divert the attention of the important fact, that since 1967 Israel
is the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still
occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only Israel refuses to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories
despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], there is a decennialong brutal
oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention,
bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands civilian victims, the building [since end of the sixties]
of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial
execution, apartheid, etc, etc
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanction against
the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation
and oppression.
According to International Law every people has the right to rise up against
an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in his right
in this regard, but of course according International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right
now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing
Gaza for already two weeks, with more than 4000 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,
fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Mail/Letter to the Editor to The Star [Malaysian newspaper]/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
Hamas Attack On Israel, The Right To Rise Up Against The Israeli Occupation
The 7 October 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, surprised me, like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians were killed [according to Israeli authorities at least 1200] or abducted and at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a Festival near Kibbutz Re”im.
Of course, this deserves strong condemnation since targeting civilians is not only inhumane but prohibited by International Humanitarian Law, declaring a clear distinction between combatants [soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians, who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because of the almost hysterical “we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from the Western World [USA, EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocritical. It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support for Israel as a State and that is, to say it is mildly, controversial.
Because of the bloody 7 October Hamas attack and subsequent abduction operation diverted the attention from the important fact, that since 1967 Israel has been the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only did Israel refuse to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], but there is a decennia-long brutal oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention, bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands of civilian victims, the building [since the end of the sixties] of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial execution, apartheid, etc., etc.
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanctions against the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation and oppression.
According to International Law, every person has the right to rise up against an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in its right in this regard, but of course according to International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing.
Gaza for a whole week, with more than 2200 deaths, denying the Gazan population water, medicines, fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Published by the Ghana Report.com!/My Letter to the Editor/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
The 7 october 2023 surprise attack of Hamas on the South of Israel
with thousands of rockets codenamed ”Al-Aqsa Flood”, suprised me,
like doubtless many others, but I was not completely taken aback.
It was a bloody attack in which a great number of Israeli civilians
were killed [according to Israeli autorities at least 1200] or abducted and
at least 260 people were killed by the Hamas attack on a
Festival near kibbutz Re”im.
Of course this deserves strong condemnation, since targetting
civilians is not only inhumane, but prohibited by International
Humanitarian Law, declaring clear distinction between combatants
[soldiers and fighters, who are legitimate targets] and non-combatants [civilians,
who must be protected]
So I understand the common [especially Western] sympathy with the Israeli
victims, because I share the feeling.
But there my understanding stops.
Because the almost hysterical ”we stand with Israel” reactions, especially from
the Western World [USA,EU], completely with Israeli flags hanging from their
official buildings [luckily not in Scotland!] is not only hypocrite.
It is disgusting!
Disgusting, because it implies support to Israel as a State and that is, to say
it mildly, controversial.
Because the bloody 7 october Hamas attack and subsequent abduction-operation divert the attention of the important fact, that since 1967 Israel
is the occupying power in the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem and Gaza [still
occupied according to International Law since Israel controls the Gaza borders, airspace and territorial waters]
Not only Israel refuses to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories
despite UN Security Resolution 242 [1967], there is a decennialong brutal
oppression, Israel is guilty of torture of prisoners, administrative detention,
bloody military attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, with as macabre result thousands and thousands civilian victims, the building [since end of the sixties]
of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territory [land theft!], extrajudicial
execution, apartheid, etc, etc
En despite this brutal occupation the EU never took any sanction against
the State of Israel, which made them complicit in the Israeli occupation
and oppression.
According to International Law every people has the right to rise up against
an occupation, which includes armed resistance.
So Hamas, as any other Palestinian organisation, is in his right
in this regard, but of course according International Humanitarian Law
Hamas must refrain from attacks on civilians.
By the way, I wonder whether the EU will also condemn Israel, which right
now launches a bloody attack in Gaza by bombing
Gaza for already two weeks, with more than 2200 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,
fuel and food supplies, in the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Reacties uitgeschakeld voor Mail/Letter to the Editor to Wafa News Agency [Palestinian newscentre]/Hamas attack on Israel/The Right to rise up against the Israeli occupation
