Today, the NZ Herald reported:
It's good to see these undeniable facts written down in black and white. Of course Israeli politicians and their propaganda machine are doing their best to refute them, but it's clearly an unjustifiable war that needs to end. One of the main ways Israel is trying to justify their war against the Palestinians is to say Hamas started it. This is clearly not the case, just as it's not true that Israel is only targeting army personnel.
Israel has in fact breached many international laws by violating the negotiated ceasefire, bombing refugee camps and killing innocent civilians. So far 130 Palestinians have been killed with another 920 injured. Many of these include woman and children. Israel has conducted over 1,450 rocket and airstrikes on Palestinian targets within the last week. Approximately five Israelis have died in retaliatory rocket strikes during the conflict so far.
Some commentators have proposed that the escalation to the war is because of the upcoming elections in Israel, but that's only part of the equation. Last year, Palestine was trying to gain full statehood and recognition from the United Nations. This was bitterly opposed by the United States and Israel, who have managed to stymie the application through political bullying.
Palestine has now revised their bid and is requesting recognition only as an observer state, something that is still being bitterly opposed by Israel and its backers. Last year, Israel made a number of threats concerning the United Nations giving Palestine full statehood, and those threats are now being acted upon.
What makes this all the more disgusting is that Israel, after giving assurances towards peace, was admitted to the United Nations in 1949. By accepting the position, Israel confirmed that it would give protection and free access to the Holy Places, heed calls for the return of refugees, allow free access to Jerusalem and demilitarize. Israel has failed to uphold any of these conditions.
Therefore Israel is in breach of its agreement with the United Nations and in my opinion should be removed from its position in that organization. It won't of course, because the United Nations no longer operates in the worlds best interests, it operates in the best interests of a controlling few.
The main problem here is the veto powers on that assembly held by the five permanent members of its most powerful body, the Security Council. China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. have all failed to intervene properly in the conflict, with many of these countries increasing the likelihood of war by providing arms and munitions to Israel, thus ensuring there is an unfair fight against an isolated Palestine.
The lack of political will is most sickening, with politicians only playing lip service to saving lives. Not only is Israel's war on Palestine wrong and against any sense of moral ethics... It's also against international laws, laws that the United Nations should not allow Israel to continually ignore in their unjust and terrible war on Palestine.
Israel always claims that it only "responds" to Palestinian violence, so the following time-line leading up to the present onslaught is essential to understanding that there was no need for this ghastly escalation, which was certainly premeditated. The November 14 assassination of Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari occurred just as a shaky ceasefire had begun to establish itself.
This is the second time that Israel has mounted a major Gaza offensive when about to hold an election, the first being the occasion of Operation Cast Lead. Before the assassination, the New York Times reported the shooting dead by Israeli forces of a mentally handicapped Palestinian man in Gaza.
On November 8 the Israeli Army invaded the Gaza Strip. Eight tanks, escorting four bulldozers (routinely used to destroy crops on Palestinian farms in both Gaza and the West Bank), invaded Abassan village shooting 13-year-old Ahmed Younis Khader Abu Daqqa, killing him as he played football with his friends. Later that day, the Palestinian Resistance blew up a tunnel along the Gaza-Israel frontier, injuring one Israeli soldier.
November 10: An anti-tank missile fired by the Palestinian Resistance wounded four Israeli soldiers driving a jeep along the Israel-Gaza boundary. This was not a civilian target but a legitimate occasion for armed resistance and Palestinians have a right to self-defence. Israeli artillery shelled a soccer field, killing two children. Later, an Israeli tank shelled mourners at a funeral, killing two more people and wounding more than two dozen others.
November 11: One Palestinian was killed and dozens wounded in fresh Israeli attacks. Israel's Transportation Minister, Yisrael Katz, called on his Government to cut off water, food, electricity and fuel supplies to Gaza's population.
November 12: The Palestinians offered to renew the ceasefire if Israel would end its attacks.
November 14: Israel assassinated Ahmed Jabari. At least eight others died in the air strike, two of them children.
It's good to see these undeniable facts written down in black and white. Of course Israeli politicians and their propaganda machine are doing their best to refute them, but it's clearly an unjustifiable war that needs to end. One of the main ways Israel is trying to justify their war against the Palestinians is to say Hamas started it. This is clearly not the case, just as it's not true that Israel is only targeting army personnel.
Israel has in fact breached many international laws by violating the negotiated ceasefire, bombing refugee camps and killing innocent civilians. So far 130 Palestinians have been killed with another 920 injured. Many of these include woman and children. Israel has conducted over 1,450 rocket and airstrikes on Palestinian targets within the last week. Approximately five Israelis have died in retaliatory rocket strikes during the conflict so far.
Some commentators have proposed that the escalation to the war is because of the upcoming elections in Israel, but that's only part of the equation. Last year, Palestine was trying to gain full statehood and recognition from the United Nations. This was bitterly opposed by the United States and Israel, who have managed to stymie the application through political bullying.
Palestine has now revised their bid and is requesting recognition only as an observer state, something that is still being bitterly opposed by Israel and its backers. Last year, Israel made a number of threats concerning the United Nations giving Palestine full statehood, and those threats are now being acted upon.
What makes this all the more disgusting is that Israel, after giving assurances towards peace, was admitted to the United Nations in 1949. By accepting the position, Israel confirmed that it would give protection and free access to the Holy Places, heed calls for the return of refugees, allow free access to Jerusalem and demilitarize. Israel has failed to uphold any of these conditions.
Therefore Israel is in breach of its agreement with the United Nations and in my opinion should be removed from its position in that organization. It won't of course, because the United Nations no longer operates in the worlds best interests, it operates in the best interests of a controlling few.
The main problem here is the veto powers on that assembly held by the five permanent members of its most powerful body, the Security Council. China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. have all failed to intervene properly in the conflict, with many of these countries increasing the likelihood of war by providing arms and munitions to Israel, thus ensuring there is an unfair fight against an isolated Palestine.
The lack of political will is most sickening, with politicians only playing lip service to saving lives. Not only is Israel's war on Palestine wrong and against any sense of moral ethics... It's also against international laws, laws that the United Nations should not allow Israel to continually ignore in their unjust and terrible war on Palestine.
