Reuters reports:
Israel told U.S. officials in 2008 it would keep Gaza’s economy “on the brink of collapse” while avoiding a humanitarian crisis, according to U.S. diplomatic cables published by a Norwegian daily on Wednesday.
Three cables cited by the Aftenposten newspaper, which has said it has all 250,000 U.S. cables leaked to WikiLeaks, showed that Israel kept the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv briefed on its internationally criticized blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The territory, home to 1.3 million Palestinians, is run by the Islamist Hamas group, which is shunned by the West over its refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence or accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.
“As part of their overall embargo plan against Gaza, Israeli officials have confirmed to (U.S. embassy economic officers) on multiple occasions that they intend to keep the Gazan economy on the brink of collapse without quite pushing it over the edge,” one of the cables read.
Israel wanted the coastal territory’s economy “functioning at the lowest level possible consistent with avoiding a humanitarian crisis,” according to the November 3, 2008 cable.
Time to hold Israel and the US accountable is over due!
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Fourth Geneva Convention (GCIV) says in :
Section I : Provisions common to the territories of the parties to the conflict and to occupied territories
Collective Punishment:
Article 33. No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.
In a speech in January 2008, then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said clearly:
“We will not harm the supply of food for children, medicine for those who need it and fuel for institutions that save lives,” Although that is not strictly true and patients died for lack of medicines and equipment necessary or for the lack of urgent medical evacuation. In the same speech Olmert went on to say, “But there is no justification for demanding we allow residents of Gaza to live normal lives while shells and rockets are fired from their streets and courtyards (at southern Israel)”.
This statement combined with the present confirmation from the US embassy cable should be proof sufficient of Israeli War Crimes to arrest and convict responsible members of Olmert’s government under the above articles of the GCIV.
Further more the USA is in breach of its obligations and therefore its constitutional law providing military and any non -humanitarian aid to Israel.
Where is the prosecution of the law?
The Basis of the criminal prosecution in the Gaza war crimes is the Goldstone Report. That is why it was so important to bring the Goldstone Report to the UN for criminal prosecution against Ehud Barak, Eyal Eisenberg, Tzipi Livni etc.. Professor Francis Boyle of international law has sent an investigation report of war crimes against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and others for their crimes in Iraq to the ICC. Not only they were in breach of their own constitution but also of their own regulations in war time. so, we assist to a an US/Israel/EU conspiration of war crimes and crimes against humanity. And these are our leaders, and they commit crimes with our money and in our name! We could not be better off!
“run by the Islamist Hamas group, which is shunned by the West over its refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence or accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.”
I don’t believe this is accurate, or if it is, it’s just as accurate to say the Koran says there is no God. The Koran says “there is no God, but God” but hey, it’s right there, there’s, “no god.” We got it, no need to read on, Muslims are atheists.
Hamas has said they will recognize Israel when Israel recognizes a Palestinian state. Hamas demands reciprocity and they are rejectionist. Israel demands unconditional recognition and you and your national aspirations can “Suck on This!”