Doc's Talk: Political and Legal Assault by NGOs

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Political and Legal Assault by NGOs

Gerald M. Steinberg

Almost six months after the combat ended in Gaza, the political and legal assault against Israel has just begun.

...three superpowers (NGO - non-governmental organizations): the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International - published reports condemning Israel for "war crimes" and for the suffering of Gaza's population. In parallel, Richard Goldstone's UN inquiry was in Gaza taking testimony from anti-Israel NGOs and from Palestinian "victims." ...This onslaught highlights the difficulties that Israel faces in responding to efforts to criminalize legitimate defense in asymmetric warfare. In contrast, the answers provided by government officials are generally vague and defensive. The IDF, the Foreign and Defense ministries and the Prime Minister's Office still have not developed a coherent strategy or allocated the resources necessary to defeat this attack. Examination of these NGO publications highlights the façade of research without any substance. While frequently invoking the language of human rights and international law, reports by Amnesty and HRW demonstrate the absence of research expertise in this area.

...The three reports published and publicized two weeks ago, like dozens that have come before, combine pseudo-legal rhetoric, technical allegations regarding Israel's defense against terror attacks, automatic sympathy for Palestinian victims, and condemnation of Israel. (Non-Jewish NGOs do dirty jobs on behalf of foreign governments, allowing them to put unfair political pressure on Israel . At the same time the Jewish NGOs have been silent, due to the stupidity of the fake political correctness or the Gallut - slave's mentality, or have been paralysed by bogus accusations and court proceedings, like AIPAC - the US Jewish lobby group!)

Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak

After Obama's speech in Cairo, what is next? Have the king of the Saudi Arabia come to Washington and apologize for the September 11 terror attack in order to gain the trust of the West, as 15 Saudi citizens were among the perpetrators, and other Islamic atrocities, committed around the world which were sponsored by his country?

Rear Admission of the Truth. Speaking with Al-Palestinia TV a week ago, Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas admitted that his well-to-do family was not expelled or driven out by Jews during War of Independence in 1948 from city of Tzfat, but rather left for fear that the Jews might take revenge for the slaughter of 20 Jews in the city during the Arab pogroms of 19 years earlier. The Abbas family moved back to Damascus, as that is likely the place where it had originated less than 90 years earlier (Similarly to Arafat's family which came to Gaza from Egypt). In addition to those killed in Tzfat, nearly 70 Jews were slaughtered in their homes in Hevron, 17 in Jerusalem, and others were murdered in Motza, Kfar Uriah and Tel Aviv.

Legal War Waged Against Israel. The defense establishment is concerned at intensifying legal campaigns in foreign courts that aim to deter Israel from using force against Hamas and Hizbullah. "There is a war being waged against us in the legal sphere. Its aim is to delegitimize Israel and to create deterrence against a possible use of force in Gaza and Lebanon again." There is also a certain level of frustration within the defense establishment at the disconnect between what is believed here to have been a carefully thought-out operation, where huge efforts were invested in minimizing harm to Palestinian civilians, and the growing tide of international accusations of war crimes.

They Love to Hate. In the PA controlled village of Silwan , outside East Jerusalem, clashes between two feuding hamulas or clans have left at least one person dead and three others injured. Witnesses say there may be up to four dead. Israeli police were on the scene to calm things down.

Quote of the Week: "Whoever reads and follows the printed media in Israel these days could get the mistaken impression that the central columnists are not Israeli-Zionist journalists, but foreigners 'planted' in the media by U.S. President Hussein (Barack) Obama's men... Those newspapers serve as a de-facto opposition to both the government of Israel and the citizens of Israel." - Independent journalist Yoav Yitzchak , owner and editor-in-chief of the Hebrew-language news website News1. - Unfortunately, the Israeli media, as the most of government bureaucracy, is heavily infested by people who are ideologically or psychologically blinded or opportunistically self-serving.

Spanish Bigotry is Shut Down. A Spanish court shelved a judge's investigation of an Israeli air force bombing in Gaza in 2002 that killed a suspected Hamas militant and some civilians, siding with prosecutors who said Spain lacks jurisdiction. A panel of 18 judges at the National Court decided by a wide majority to support prosecutors who opposed the probe on the ground that Israel already was investigating the attack. Another Bigot (IRC) is still Active. Israel rejected as "scandalous" a highly critical report released by the International Committee of the Red Cross marking six months since Operation Cast Lead, which chastise Israel for the situation in Gaza while ignoring the continued detention of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit or the "intransigent belligerence" of Hamas.

Answer to Jewish National Fund.

The following is my for clarification of a following statement I made two weeks ago: "Over 100,000 Arabs Live Illegally on Jewish-Owned Land in Jerusalem and Israeli government and JNF do nothing about it!" It was requested by Isaac Blachor, a Vice President of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in the US, who insisted that I apologised or clarify my statement.

Dear Steven, I am Isaac Blachor and I am the Vice President of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in the US . My title is VP for Israel Relations. Your statement in a recent web posting seemed to indicate that JNF was doing nothing about Arab squatters living on JNF land... JNF purchased hundreds of individual parcels of land in and around Jerusalem , during the 1920's, 1930's, 1940's etc. In 1948, on one of these parcels that was under the control of Jordan , the UN built the Kalandia refugee camp. The UN took this land without permission from the owner, JNF... After 1968, when Israel was able to assert control over this parcel... when JNF brought the matter to the Israeli government, it was told that this was a political matter and the government would not act on the complaint of JNF... JNF is powerless in this situation, although it does file an annual document, which continues to assert its rights over this land, although the net effect is that there is no change in the status quo. As for illegal building on this parcel, again, it is up to the government to assert its authority, and JNF cannot answer for the actions or lack of action on behalf of the government. So, for you to say that JNF does nothing, is not accurate. For you to indicate that JNF is not concerned or that it does not wish to act, is simply not true. JNF can only go to the courts in Israel for redress and the courts have constantly refused to grant its petition. I would respectfully suggest that you print a correction about your statement.

Answer: Dear Mr. Blachor, I appreciate the importance of the projects the JNF has been involved in Israel and I admire the dedication of volunteers who collect donations toward these projects. But our goal is much bigger than just collection funds or planting trees in Israel . The comment in question was short but heavily loaded with many ideas. Mainly, it was about apathy that the Israeli governments and the JNF, as well as other Jewish organizations, which are still calling themselves Zionist ones, have developed toward the original Jewish goal - the creation of Eretz-Israel, the Land of Israel.

The Jewish National Fund was created in 1901 as a political and financial organization in order to help Jewish people to realise their Zionist dream, the Jewish National homeland! That is the reason why for over the century Jews all over the world have been making their donations to the JNF.

How many of the JNF donors or general population know about the fact that the UN illegally used Jewish land and the Israeli government have been doing nothing to free it from Arab occupation? How many Zionist group or organizations, those that are still on the front line of battle for Eretz-Israel in spite of a hostile attitude and actions from successive Israeli governments, have been receiving support from your organization, financial or moral? The JNF is Zionist organization and it must return to its original purpose and provide true Zionist leadership!

We hear a lot about Syrian demands for the return of the Golan Heights. Have the JNF made any effort to inform the public, Jews and others, about the land it owns in the area, Syria and other neighbouring countries? Has the JNF made any public protest about recent suggestions of the swap of the land owned by your organization on behalf of Jewish people in order to accommodate the creation of an Arab terrorist entity on Jewish land - Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Jerusalem , where your organization holds the ownership of many parcels of land?

Jews have always been pressed by anti-Semitic international hypocrisy. It is only when we took matters into our own hands and with determination pursued our dreams that our goals were realized! Unfortunately, the Israeli government, due to various political reasons, is unable to fight the political pressure and the Media war that is waged against Israel. This has put the Zionist NGOs like the JNF and other Jewish organizations into the perfect position to actively, vigorously and proudly promote the right of Jewish people to live in peace on all the land of our ancestors. Why don't they?

The main questions that must be asked are: How and why has the JNF transformed itself from the champion of the Zionist dream of Jewish people into a quiet appeaser and a cash cow of the inept political leadership in Israel and the Diaspora and what can be done to reverse this? It is too early to become complacent - the original goal of Zionism has not been completed yet!

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

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