or
Join Now!
|
|
Home/Government/Politics
|
| Forum |
Ask A Question |
Question Board |
FAQs |
Search |
Return to Question Board
| Question Details |
Asked By |
Asked On |
| World Court rules against Israel on barrier |
ETWolverine |
07/09/04 |
(See my comments below.)
Calls 'de facto annexation' illegal, urges U.N. to take action
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 11:52 a.m. ET July 09, 2004
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The International Court of Justice ruled Friday the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank violates international law, and urged the United Nations to take action to stop its construction.
The court dismissed Israel's arguments that the barrier was essential for its security and said the system of walls and fences went too far in infringing on the freedom of the Palestinians.
The decision by the world court was part of a lengthy and complex ruling read by court president Shi Jiuyong of China.
"The court accordingly finds that the construction of the wall, and its associated regime, are contrary to international laws," the court said.
The court also ordered Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians harmed by the barrier and return land seized to construct it.
"The court is of the view that the United Nations, and especially the General Assembly and the Security Council, should consider what further action is required to bring to an end the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall," the judgment said.
The judges were unexpectedly united in backing the decisions, by a vote of 14-1 for most paragraphs of the decision, with only the American judge dissenting.
'De facto annexation'
The court said the barrier was routed in a way that would encompass 80 percent of the Israeli settlers in the West Bank, while cutting off more than 230,000 Palestinians from their surrounding areas.
Despite Israel's protests that the barrier was temporary and not designed as a political boundary, the court said it could amount to "de facto annexation" by creating new facts on the ground.
It said the building of the barrier "severely impedes the exercise of the Palestinian people of its right to self-determination, and therefore is a breach of Israel's obligation to the respect of that right."
The 15-member court's advisory opinions are nonbinding, but bear moral and historic weight.
Court dismisses Israeli objections
The court dismissed Israel's objections that the U.N. General Assembly acted irregularly in asking the court for an advisory opinion.
It also rebuffed Israel's argument -- supported by the United States and several European countries -- the court should refrain from interfering because the issue was political, not legal, and could disrupt Mideast peace efforts.
"A legal question also has political aspects," said the ruling.
"The court accordingly has jurisdiction to give the advisory opinion" requested by the General Assembly, it said.
The court said it was aware of the political negotiations called the "road map," but said it was not clear its legal opinion would influence those efforts.
"The court has no compelling reason to use its discretionary power not to give that opinion," the ruling said.
The court dealt in passing with issues long at dispute between Israel and the Arab states.
It determined that the lands captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war are occupied territory, including East Jerusalem. Israel has refused to recognize Jerusalem as occupied since it was formally annexed by the Israeli parliament shortly after the war.
While the General Assembly and Security Council had never recognized Israel's claims, it was the first time Israel's status in the West Bank was the subject of an international legal judgment.
The court said Israel was obliged by all international treaties and conventions of international law, including the Geneva Conventions and common humanitarian law.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
-------------
Despite everything that I know and have learned in 35 years, I still find this kind of international condemnation of Israel surprising.
What I am about to say now is going to be VERY controvercial. I know it will, because I will be repeating the words of Rabbi Meir Kahane (zt'l), and he was assasinated for saying things like this. Nevertheless, I will say it anyway, and I will accept your criticisms, and rebutt them as I see fit.
When Israel shoots back at terrorists, it is condemned for violence. When it targets terrorist leaders, the international community condemns them for instigating and elevating the violence. When it tries to get rid of the violence by building a friggin' wall to sepparate themselves from their enemies in a NONVIOLENT MANNER, they are also condemned.
Why is it that Europe is so quick to condemn Israel for simply defending itself? Because Europe cannot understand or abide a Jew who defends himself. In their eyes, such a Jew should not exist.
If you ever wander through Europe, you will find that the towns that gave up Jews to Hitler and his Nazis are the towns with the most beautiful Holocaust memorials. Why is that?
If you look into the houses of Europeans, you will find in most cases a prominantly-displayed crucifix with Jesus or a picture of Jesus on the cross. Simply put, Europeans worship dead Jews. They celebrate them. They honor them. They see them as gods. Therefore, they create the most beautiful memorials you could possibly imagine to them.
But a LIVE Jew confounds Europeans. They just don't get us. Somehow, we Jews have managed to stay alive for thousands of years, with literally everyone trying to kill us. The Romans, the Greeks, the Babylonians... they're all gone, but we're still here. The Crusades, the Inquisitions, the progroms... we survived them too. The Holocaust SHOULD have finnished us off, but we outlived that as well... not just outlived it, but have grown, and have returned to our historical homeland.
All of this is a physical imposibility. It simply should not be possible for ANY people to survive, much less thrive, after such a history of persecution. There is only one possible explanation for our survival.
It's a MIRACLE FROM G-D.
But if we Jews are still receiving miracles like that, it must mean that we are still G-d's Chosen People. Which in turn calls into question all of Christiandoms religious beliefs... for instance the idea that we WERE the Chose People, but have lost that status to the Christians for whom Jesus supposedly allowed himself to be killed.
Our existance calls into question the fundamental religious and spiritual beliefs of most of Europe. And THAT is why a living Jew is an anthema to Europeans. A dead Jew confirms their beliefs, but a living Jew brings those fundamental beliefs into question.
That is why they refuse to allow us ANY method of self-defense... because we should not be allowed to defend ourselves.
I don't think that this works on a conscious level, by the way. I think that a lot of it takes place subconciously. But it is there nonetheless. Jews confound Europe so much that they would rather side with terrorists who want them dead too than side with the Jews who survive to call their beliefs into question.
I await your repsonses.
Elliot |
Clarification/Follow-up by excon on 07/11/04 8:53 am:
Hello Tom:
No, I'm not a hypocrite. An organization, is an organization is an organization.
excon
Clarification/Follow-up by Chouxxx on 07/12/04 12:59 pm:
Thanks Elliot, for the further info.
|
| |
|
Your Options |
Additional Options are only visible when you login! !
|
|
|
|
