Israel annexing East Jerusalem?

A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolitions, discriminatory housing policies and the West Bank barrier as a way of "actively pursuing the illegal annexation" of East Jerusalem.

The document says Israel has accelerated its plans for East Jerusalem, and is undermining the Palestinian Authority's credibility and weakening support for peace talks. "Israel's actions in and around Jerusalem constitute one of the most acute challenges to Israeli-Palestinian peace-making," says the document, EU Heads of Mission Report on East Jerusalem. 

The report, obtained by the Guardian, is dated 15 December 2008. It acknowledges Israel's legitimate security concerns in Jerusalem, but adds: "Many of its current illegal actions in and around the city have limited security justifications."

"Israeli 'facts on the ground' - including new settlements, construction of the barrier, discriminatory housing policies, house demolitions, restrictive permit regime and continued closure of Palestinian institutions - increase Jewish Israeli presence in East Jerusalem, weaken the Palestinian community in the city, impede Palestinian urban development and separate East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank," the report says.

The document has emerged at a time of mounting concern over Israeli policies in East Jerusalem. Two houses were demolished on Monday just before the arrival of the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and a further 88 are scheduled for demolition, all for lack of permits. Clinton described the demolitions as "unhelpful", noting that they violated Israel's obligations under the US "road map" for peace.

The EU report goes further, saying that the demolitions are "illegal under international law, serve no obvious purpose, have severe humanitarian effects, and fuel bitterness and extremism." The EU raised its concern in a formal diplomatic representation on December 1, it says.

It notes that although Palestinians in the east represent 34% of the city's residents, only 5%-10% of the municipal budget is spent in their areas, leaving them with poor services and infrastructure.

Israel issues fewer than 200 permits a year for Palestinian homes and leaves only 12% of East Jerusalem available for Palestinian residential use. As a result many homes are built without Israeli permits. About 400 houses have been demolished since 2004 and a further 1,000 demolition orders have yet to be carried out, it said.

City officials dismissed criticisms of its housing policy as "a disinformation campaign". "Mayor Nir Barkat continues to promote investments in infrastructure, construction and education in East Jerusalem, while at the same time upholding the law throughout West and East Jerusalem equally without bias," the mayor's office said after Clinton's visit.

However, the EU says the fourth Geneva convention prevents an occupying power extending its jurisdiction to occupied territory. Israel occupied the east of the city in the 1967 six day war and later annexed it. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

The EU says settlement are being built in the east of the city at a "rapid pace". Since the Annapolis peace talks began in late 2007, nearly 5,500 new settlement housing units have been submitted for public review, with 3,000 so far approved, the report says. There are now about 470,000 settlers in the occupied territories, including 190,000 in East Jerusalem.

The EU is particularly concerned about settlements inside the Old City, where there were plans to build a Jewish settlement of 35 housing units in the Muslim quarter, as well as expansion plans for Silwan, just outside the Old City walls.

The goal, it says, is to "create territorial contiguity" between East Jerusalem settlements and the Old City and to "sever" East Jerusalem and its settlement blocks from the West Bank.

There are plans for 3,500 housing units, an industrial park, two police stations and other infrastructure in a controversial area known as E1, between East Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, home to 31,000 settlers. Israeli measures in E1 were "one of the most significant challenges to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process", the report says.

Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said conditions for Palestinians living in East Jerusalem were better than in the West Bank. "East Jerusalem residents are under Israeli law and they were offered full Israeli citizenship after that law was passed in 1967," he said. "We are committed to the continued development of the city for the benefit of all its population."

comment:

Talking about illegal activity, the very existant of Israel nationhood herself is illegal!

Lawsuit against Israeli Officials via Spanish National Court

The Spanish National Court begun assessing charges brought against former Israeli authorities by a Palestinian human rights group in June 2008. Judge Fernando Andreu evaluated the case and decide to investigate the War Crimes committed by those Israeli.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) had filed a lawsuit against former Israeli defense minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and other high-ranking officials for approving the military operations in 2002. On July 22, 2002, Israel dropped a one-ton bomb over the 4 story building in the Gaza Strip and assassinated Salah Shehadeh (one of "celebrity" leader of the Hamas). Thus killed Salah Shehada and seventeen civilians, including his wife, his daughter, his guard, eight children (including a 2-month infant), two elderly men and two women. This bom also inflict injury to seventy seven people in al-Daraj neighborhood, eleven houses were completely destroyed and thirty two houses damaged. The list submitted by the PCHR also included Ben-Eliezer's former military advisor Michael Herzog, former chief of staff Moshe Ya'alon and former air force commander Dan Halutz.

In response to the news, the Israeli defense minister has vowed to halt a Spanish probe into the alleged war crimes of former Israeli military officials. Ehud Barak said he would do everything in his power to block an inquiry against former Israeli defense minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and six other officials. "The minister intends to fight vigorously against the accusations in Spain and do everything possible to get the investigation dismissed," reads the statement.


Here is how the then IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon described the operation and execution:
[Shehada] clung to the civilian population because he understood our sensitivities. In quite a few cases, we avoided attacking him because his wife was with him, or his daughters. Shehadeh had six daughters. More recently, we made things easier for ourselves and said that even if his wife is with him, we will attack him. Moreover, a discussion began about whether it would not be right to attack him even if his daughters were with him. But we made a decision against that. We decided that we would not harm his daughters.

On the Saturday evening before the attack, we held a discussion. It was clear to us that in order to knock down the building, we would need a ton [of explosives], and the question was whether we would use one bomb of a ton or two of half a ton. Our experience was of dropping 160 bombs in the Palestinian arena without a single innocent civilian being killed, but the concern was that two bombs raised the statistical risk of a miss.

So I sent the air force to do its homework and they came back to me with the answer that a one-ton bomb was more certain. The assessment was that the result would be the destruction of Shehadeh's house and damage to the empty neighboring building, and shattered windows in the area and tin siding that would be sent flying from the tin shacks. People wounded, not killed. In retrospect, though, it turned out that the neighboring house was not empty. The execution of the air force was perfect, but the intelligence gap in regard to the neighboring house caused a hitch. Six children were killed in that house.

The Israeli then Prime Minister Sharon considered the air strike a great success . Officials statements says that they regretted the loss of civilian lives but pointed out that Shehada was responsible for those deaths since he routinely positioned himself among innocents. Rather than set up a military camp, Shehada hid among civilians in order to make it more difficult for Israel to target him. They futher put the weight that the practice is expressly forbidden by international law and that law further holds the party who involves the civilians responsible for their casualties, not the attacker.
Well using the same analogy, if ay Iraqi people decided to assassinate Bush al Dubya (of illegal fame war in Iraq) in the restaurant where he dine or the hotel that he stay and cause many civilian casualties. Could we blame put the blame on this lame duck Dubya, 'cause he routinely positioned himself in civilian restaurant, civilian hotel and any other public places? The same also goes to says, if anybody tries to assinated Sharon himself or anybody on that stature by crook, and inflict many casualties in the proceses, perhap Sharon would like to calm down the relative of the decease to blame him instead and spare the attacker. Reality take precedence eh mister??

BTW, similar cases have previously been filed in Israeli courts, but the reason, rights and justice never serve for those occupied people.
Truth, justice and the Israeli way!

The Zionist regime make a move to protect their soldiers from war crime

The Zionist's government of Israel is about to approve a bill to grant aid and support to their zionist soldiers which at the brim of suits for the war crimes in Gaza. It's more likely that this soldiers will face law suits against the used of the Phosphorus weapons again civilian, or at least somebody must be held responsible for such actions.

The bill, titled "strengthening the IDF's hand after Operation Cast Lead", was put forward by none other than Defense Minister Ehud Barak himself, with some coordination with the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Justice and State Prosecutor. According to Barak, "the government carries the responsibility for sending IDF soldiers on military operations and as a result is obligated to grant them complete support against any possible harm to them stemming from those operations."
Barak said "I do not know of any army that operates at the high standards that the IDF operates," "There is no place for an automatic backlash following every operation." Barak claim that the zionist army behaved according to its high moral values during Cast Lead. "As an army which is unsurpassed in its moral traditions, the IDF has done all that it can in order to adhere to international law, in order to avoid harming civilians who are not involved in fighting," Barak said, he adding some more to such moral principles by saying "have not always been enough to prevent tragedies from happening." 

Well mister, unfortunately records from score of human rights body base in Palestinian and Israel state the otherwise. Palestinians, Jewish as well as the International Human Right body agree about this. There is awfully lots of them inside occupied region and in the matters of facts the occupied region is the most watch area in the world.
for the past 30 year the International community has came to broad consensus to solve the issue namely the 2 state settlement. Two state settlement mean that Israel has to fully withdraw from territory it occupy in 1967 war. This mean they need to withdraw from the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. This is the International law. Its not admissible to acquire territory by war. That what the world court said. This is what written in the in the United Nation charter. Go and read it before you guy(s) slam me ok. This is the fundamental principal of article 2 in the United nation charter. what about the International Court of justice decision on the wall that Israeli built around the occupied territory? what about that? well in july 2007 International Court of justice landed adversary opinion that the wall is illegal under international law, that Israeli is legally bound to remove it all and paid compensation to the damage due to teh construction and those involved.

So now this funny minister of zionist Israel talking about adhere to international law and yet ignore many of UN resolutions pertinent to their occupation! It's the same set of International law that Israeli claim that are bound to. or perhaps they have the privilege to chose whichever that suit their liking only. While at the same time ignore the rests, with the blessing of the United State of America of course! Israel only quote international law as it deem fit to to serve their purpose yet deprive the same law for the palestinians people. That what I see as far as I remember. 


So enough with that, so let get back to the issue at hand. So when the news paper run the articles about the Israeli WP. The IDF spokesman quickly (as always) denied the use of phosphorus and said that Israel was using only the weapons that were allowed under international law. 

But photographic evidence as well as the video clips has emerged and proves that Israel has been using this white phosphorus weapon during its offensive in Gaza. There is many evidence that the phosphorus weapon have injured Palestinian civilians, the dead may not speak about it but surely one can see the horrifies burn mark on them. Some of the victim is still pretty much alive at this time of writing, hence could tell the world how they felt having part of their body burned out. And many more who's lucky enough doesn't caught in fire can always tell the horror story about the sadistic events. People like Sabah Abu Halima who's suffered terrible burns on her arms, legs and torso can tell you such terribly experience: "There was fire, and so much white smoke". "The missile melted my children. My daughter-in-law melted in front of my eyes." This is publish in BBC News, you can go and read more over here.


But then rows of M825A1 white phosphorus (WP) shells were photographed on the Israel De fence Forces artillery units on the side of the Israel-Gaza border. The Times has identified stockpiles of white phosphorus (WP) shells from high-resolution images. Confronted with this latest evidence, an IDF spokeswoman suddenly change the tone of her statement and insisted that the M825A1 shell was not a WP type. “This is what we call a quiet shell - it is empty, it has no explosives and no white phosphorus. 

she said There is nothing inside it, We shoot it to mark the target before we launch a real shell. And reiterate that Israel was using only the weapons that were allowed under international law. 


yeah right! Like that we don't know that this pale blue M825A1 WP munitions made in USA and heavily used in Fallujah. If I was the reporter I would ask ask her, if we could shoot her with the so call empty shell and let see if it could burn her kind pussy(of course I mean the cat) out of her sorry ass. I hate this saddo lunatic of uncharacteristic being.Darn! 

Of course the Israeli's spokesman/woman will quickly deny it such as; nooo! those are not white phosphorus burn, we have not used white phosphorus in this war, hamas did! while lookin at you in the eyes.

Typical Israeli government statements I must say.

This is nothing to shock about, for those of you who is new to this area, Israel has a very poor reputation for telling the truth. In 1982, it denied using phosphorous munitions on civilian areas in Lebanon, not until journalists discovered dying and dead civilians whose with a strange burn and the wounds caught fire when exposed to air. Some even have the "privileged of it kind" to witness the nature and characteristic of WP when 2 dead babies who, when taken out from a mortuary drawer in West Beirut during the Israeli siege of the city suddenly burst back into flames! Lebanese hospitals fill to the brim with patients with burn wounds consistent with phosphorous munitions.Then a bit latter, Israel suddenly admitted that it had not been telling the truth. Jacob Edery, the Israeli minister in charge of government-parliament relations, confirmed that phosphorous shells were used in direct attacks against Hizbollah, adding that "according to international law, the use of phosphorous munitions is authorized and the (Israeli) army keeps to the rules of international norms".

What law? So don't you see, It the same arguments, The Zionist just dish out the same reasons over and over again. It's a standard reply. perhaps they just changed the date and there rest is the same all same.  The shell is not defined as an incendiary weapon by the Third Protocol in the Convention on Conventional Weapons because its principal use is to produce smoke to protect troops. We know that the white phosphorus is a weapon intended to provide a smokescreen for troop movements(as an obscurant/smoke screen) on the battlefield. But the use of white phosphorous as a weapon other than that, is banned by the Third Convention on Conventional Weapons which covers the use of incendiary devices. Though Israel(and their big brother the US) is not a signatory to the convention, its military manuals reflect the restrictions on its use.

The nature of white phosphorous as highly incendiary effect in such that it should never be used on civilian areas, is clear define in the international convention on the use of incendiary weapons. It should not be used where there is a possibility of hitting civilians. So looking at a densely populated Gaza Strip, one of the most dense area in the world. You just cannot shoot above their head and expect none of it hit them. That is insane. This is no Viet Cong in dense jungle that the US burn them alive with infamous napalm! This is no vietnam. There are 1.5 million Palestinians pack and squeezed in this small occupied territory. How does one think is does hit civilians? Unless if it was their goal to hit any Palestinians. 


As the passing of such bill is not enough, the Israeli military censor is applying strict restrictions preventing the media from identifying soldiers who participated in the Gaza Strip offensive and all information about them that may be used in legal proceedings against them in international court abroad.

So yess they are afraid, they are very afraid I must say. I can't help but see the growing concern (read:fear) linger at the core of zionist supreme regime. With the Strengthening the IDF's Hand after Operation Cast Lead bill plus the censorm it clear they did everthing they can to protect the murderer and their cohort. Hide as much as you could but the evidence of this blantant atrocity is abundance and widely acknowledge and there is no doubts about it. Hence, only time will tell if the mighty Jewish power lobby could do their magic this time 

United Nations High Commissioner Calling for Gaza's War Crimes probe

Navi Pillay, a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an independent investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israeli's in Gaza. She specifically referred to the killing of 30 Palestinian civilians in a home in central Gaza that was shelled by Israeli forces.

"I am concerned with violations of international law. Incidents such as this must be investigated because they display elements of what could constitute war crimes," Pillay, told Reuters.

"There is an international obligation on the part of soldiers in their position to protect civilians, not to kill civilians indiscriminately in the first place, and when they do to make sure that they help the wounded," Pillay said. "In this particular case these children were helpless and the soldiers were close by," she said.

Speaking earlier to a special session of the UN Human Rights Council held on the Gaza crisis, Pillay had said that Israel should be held accountable for any violations of international law.

Pillay continued by noting that a large number of people, including children, had been killed or wounded in "Israel's totally unacceptable strikes" against clearly marked UN facilities sheltering Gaza civilians.


Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate cease-fire in the 14-day-old conflict and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza but Israel rejected the resolution and continued its offensive on Friday.

Iranian Jews protest Gaza slaughter

Jerusalem post,Dec 30, 2008 20:55
Different groups representing Iran's Jewish community on Tuesday gathered in front of the United Nations office in Teheran in order to protest "Israeli war crimes and the slaughter of the innocent people in Gaza Strip," the Iranian IRNA news agency reported.

Iranian Jewish school girls and their Muslim teacher attend an anti-Israel demonstration to condemn Israel over air attacks on the Gaza Strip in front of the UN offices in Teheran, on Tuesday.
Photo: AP

The protesters, led by the Jewish representative in Parliament, Siamak Mara-Sedq, carried placards with anti-Israel slogans in both Farsi and Hebrew, the report said. 

"We are here to express our support and sympathy with the Palestinian nation," Rahmatollah Rafi, the chairman of Iran's Jewish community was quoted as saying at the rally. 

Hinting mainly at Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the report said that Rafi went on to criticize "certain Arab governments for their inaction and silence towards Israeli inhuman acts and war crimes in Gaza and the entire Palestinian territories." 

Separately, IRNA reported that in a Tuesday speech to the Iranian parliament Mara-Sedq "expressed shock" over the "savage acts" perpetrated by "the Tel Aviv regime." 

The report said that the Jewish MP "expressed hope that all the peace-loving nations and the true advocates of human rights would thoroughly support the defenseless Palestinian people and make Israel stop the genocide in the region by exerting pressure on Tel Aviv." 

He also reportedly gave voice to the "hatred" the Iranian Jewish Community harbors towards "the Israeli crimes." 

According to the report, Mara-Sedq's remarks elicited a chorus of anti-Israel and anti-US slogans from members of parliament. 

Iranian Jewish leaders are often quoted as having given voice to extreme anti-Israel views, but it is unclear whether these opinions are imposed upon them by the regime. Some 25,000 Jews live in Iran.


my comment:
Not all Jews subcribe to the idea of rullig Zionist and their cohort.The Israeli latest aggression clearly show how while maintaining the memory of their own sacred holocaust, perpetrating their own holocaust on the Palestinians people. 






Watch the Palestinian mourners on Monday (December 29) buried 8 children who were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza Strip.

Dear President-elect Obama, please end military aid to Israel

During his November 4 acceptance speech, President-Elect Barack Obama stated that “There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.”



Help Influence the Obama Administration on ending the military aid to Israel and promote peace.Go and sign will ya?

Update:
Another online Petition : Gaza "peace and Justice" by Council on American-Islamic Relations