Tag archieven: crimes of war

HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL/THE RIGHT TO RISE UP AGAINST THE

ISRAELI OCCUPATION

INTRODUCTION:

Dear Readers,

As a consequence of the 7 october 2023 Hamas attack on Southern

Israel [1], the following Western hysterical ”we stand by Israel”

reactions, complete with the hanging of Israeli flags from government

buildings [with Scotland as a good exception!] [2] and the subsequent

Israeli hungerblockade of Gaza [3]  [a nazi method and NO I don’t regret saying this!], I wrote a Dutch Letter to the Editor [4]

It would highly surprise me, if a newspaper Editor really would have the

courage to publish it!

But the World is far greater than the Netherlands!

So I translated the article and sent it to several European countries AND

over the world [5], among else not only to countries like South

Africa and China [6], but also to Israel itself! [7]

Hereby my English Letter to the Editor, o Readers!

It’s titled:

”HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL/THE RIGHT TO RISE UP AGAINST

THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION”

Enjoy your reading and See the article right under the notes!

FREE PALESTINE!

ASTRID ESSED

NOTES AT THE INTRODUCTION ABOVE

NOTES 1 T/M 7

Notes t t/m 7/The Right to be free!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

TITLED:

HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL/THE RIGHT TO RISE UP AGAINST THE

ISRAELI OCCUPATION

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 ends.

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 devert 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 military action in Gaza by bombing

Gaza a whole week, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,

fuel and food supplies, the same strong terms as it condemned Hamas.

Astrid Essed

Amsterdam

The Netherlands

THIS IS THE END OF THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:publisher@riotimesonline.com

Sun, Oct 22 at 3:09 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation2

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:smhopinion@smh.com.au,letters@smh.com.au

Sun, Oct 22 at 2:50 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:letters@nytimes.com

Sun, Oct 22 at 2:36 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:feedback@indianexpress.com

Sun, Oct 22 at 1:10 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:info@dailypost.ng

Sun, Oct 22 at 12:55 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:ghanaiantimes@gmail.com

Sun, Oct 22 at 12:45 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:ukeditor@huffpost.com

Tue, Oct 17 at 11:21 AM

Letter to the Editor

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 a whole week, with more than 2200 deaths, as denying the Gazan population water, medicines,

fuel and food supplies, in the same strongest terms as it condemned Hamas.

Astrid Essed

Amsterdam

The Netherlands

LETTER TO THE EDITOR TO THE NATIONAL SCOT

Hamas attack on Israel/The right to rise up against the Israeli occupation

Astrid Essed <astridessed@yahoo.com>

To:letters@thenational.scot

Fri, Oct 20 at 1:05 PM

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor

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 a whole week, 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

‘Meest opvallend bij de stemmingen was een motie van het Kamerlid Chris Stoffer (SGP), waarin de regering wordt verzocht steun uit te spreken ‘voor het Israëlische recht op zelfverdediging’ en te voorkomen dat steun vanuit Nederland terecht zou kunnen komen bij Hamas. De motie werd aangenomen met steun van GL-PvdA, CU, VVD, SGP, CDA, JA21, Groep Van Haga, lid Ephraim, Omtzigt, PVV en BBB. Tegen stemden D66, SP, PvdD, Volt, Denk, FVD en BIJ1.”

THE RIGHTS FORUM

MAAKT TWEEDE KAMER VOOR ISRAEL EEN UITZONDERING OP OORLOGSRECHT?

18 OCTOBER 2023

Maakt Tweede Kamer voor Israël een uitzondering op oorlogsrecht?

De Tweede Kamer erkent het Israëlische ‘recht op zelfverdediging’ en roept op tot het toestaan van humanitaire hulp aan getroffen Palestijnse burgers. Een voorstel voor een staakt-het-vuren doet de Kamer niet. Een motie die erkent dat Palestijnen onder apartheid leven en die oproept om te komen tot een tijdpad voor gelijke rechten kreeg steun van linkse fracties, maar haalde het niet.

Dat bleek uit de stemmingen over een aantal moties over de situatie in Gaza die op 17 oktober plaatsvonden in de Tweede Kamer.

Meest opvallend bij de stemmingen was een motie van het Kamerlid Chris Stoffer (SGP), waarin de regering wordt verzocht steun uit te spreken ‘voor het Israëlische recht op zelfverdediging’ en te voorkomen dat steun vanuit Nederland terecht zou kunnen komen bij Hamas. De motie werd aangenomen met steun van GL-PvdA, CU, VVD, SGP, CDA, JA21, Groep Van Haga, lid Ephraim, Omtzigt, PVV en BBB. Tegen stemden D66, SP, PvdD, Volt, Denk, FVD en BIJ1.

Na de overweging dat Israël zich aan het humanitaire oorlogsrecht moet houden, plaatst de motie een ‘maar’. Volgens de SGP en de meerderheid van de Kamer die zich erachter schaarde zou het voor Israël moeilijk zijn zich hieraan te houden vanwege de context. Deze context is volgens de motie ‘het asymmetrische karakter van deze oorlog, inclusief het doelbewuste gebruik door Hamas van civiele objecten’. Hiermee lijkt de motie ruimte te willen creëren voor Israël om civiele doelen te mogen raken. Het oorlogsrecht laat echter geen ruimte voor uitzonderingen, anders dan die in de verdragen zelf wordt genoemd. Dat de Kamer hier voor Israël een ‘maar’ bij lijkt te willen zetten is niet te verenigen met het internationaal recht.

De eenzijdige SGP-motie rept met geen woord over de duizenden doden aan Palestijnse zijde (waaronder 1000 kinderen). Er wordt in deze motie wel opgeroepen tot humanitaire hulp aan Israël, maar in het geheel niet aan Palestijnse burgers in Gaza. Dat een dergelijke eenzijdige motie het heeft gehaald toont weer eens aan dat er in Nederland ruime steun is om voor Israël uitzonderingen op het internationaal recht te maken. Die hypocrisie blijft elders in de wereld niet onopgemerkt.

In een stemverklaring zei het Kamerlid Sjoerd Sjoerdsma (D66) tegen de SGP-motie te stemmen omdat het de collectieve straf en blokkade van Gaza door Israël, een schending van internationaal recht, niet veroordeelt.

Apartheidsstaat

Een motie van het Kamerlid Stephan van Baarle (DENK) die oproept de Staat Palestina te erkennen kreeg geen meerderheid, maar wel de steun van de voltallige linkse oppositie en van regeringspartij D66. Deze motie roept de regering ook op om in internationaal verband te komen tot een realistisch tijdpad voor gelijkwaardigheid en gelijke rechten voor de Palestijnen. De motie constateert dat de Palestijnse bevolking al decennialang onderdrukt wordt en in een apartheidsstaat leeft, en dat Israël de Oslo-akkoorden niet uitvoert gezien de voortdurende annexatie van Palestijns gebied.

Ruim 130 landen wereldwijd hebben Palestina erkend, maar Nederland nog niet. Het regeringsstandpunt hierover is dat het aan Israël is om in onderhandelingen akkoord te gaan met het erkennen van de Palestijnse staat.

In een stemverklaring vooraf zei Kamerlid Kati Piri (GL-PvdA) dat het puzzelen was hoe te stemmen op een aantal moties, “vanwege de gekozen woorden die niet de onze zijn”. Om welke moties of woorden het hier precies gaat, werd niet duidelijk gemaakt. Ze zei uiteindelijk te hebben gekeken “naar de hoofdboodschap van de moties” waar GL-PvdA voor heeft gestemd. GL-PvdA had er ook voor kunnen kiezen zelf moties voor te stellen met woorden die wel de hunne zijn, maar wilde waarschijnlijk kritiek uit pro-Israël hoek voorkomen.

Geen oproep tot staakt-het-vuren

Een motie van Derk Boswijk (CDA), kreeg brede steun van links en rechts in de Kamer. Het veroordeelt de terreuraanval van Hamas en verzoekt de regering er bij Israël voor te pleiten om voedsel, water, brandstof, medicijnen en medische hulpgoederen naar Gaza door te laten en om ontwikkelingshulp aan de Palestijnen voort te zetten, ‘maar deze hulp wel uitvoerig door te blijven doorlichten zodat er geen Nederlandse steun terechtkomt bij Hamas’.

Een motie van de linkse oppositie van Jasper van Dijk (SP), Kati Piri, Christine Teunissen (PvdD) en Laurens Dassen (Volt) die verzoekt bij Israël aan te dringen dat de levering van primaire levensbehoeften (elektriciteit, medicijnen, voedsel, water) richting Gaza doorgang moeten vinden, kreeg ook ruime steun, maar niet van SGP, BBB, PVV en JA21. Eerder op de dag maakte de regering bekend 10 miljoen uit te trekken voor noodhulp aan de Palestijnen in Gaza, nadat hier door onder andere D66 toe was opgeroepen.

Moties van de PVV die de Nederlandse ambassade naar Jeruzalem willen verplaatsen en de Palestijnse vertegenwoordigster in Nederland uit te wijzen, haalden het niet. Een motie die de regering oproept zorg te dragen dat de beveiliging van Joodse objecten als scholen en synagogen op de meest optimale wijze gegarandeerd wordt en blijft, werd unaniem aangenomen.

Hoewel dit in debatten wel werd genoemd door onder andere Marijnissen (SP), Piri (GL-PvdA) en Sjoerdsma (D66), werden er geen moties ingediend die oproepen tot de-escalatie of een staakt-het-vuren. Vergelding lijkt voor de Kamer nog steeds belangrijker dan de gemoederen te bedaren en nog meer slachtoffers te voorkomen. Ook zou een oproep om (oorlogs)misdaden die mogelijk zijn begaan te laten onderzoeken en berechten door het Internationaal Strafhof in Den Haag niet hebben misstaan, maar ook deze ontbrak.