Palestinian objection to Israeli "Heritage" ties to biblical sites illustrates absence of pluralism

IMRA ^ | 2-22-10

[SJackson]

Document: Palestinian NGO's objection to Israeli "Heritage" ties to biblical sites illustrates absence of pluralism

Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA:

Here is where we are:

1. There are numerous places in the "Holy Land" beyond the "Green Line" that are intimately linked to Jewish history and thus to Jewish identity and heritage. Recognizing these historical links in now way rules out a priori that some of these places may not be under Israeli control in a final status arrangement.

2. There are numerous places in "Historical Palestine" within the "Green Line" that are intimately linked to the history of Arab Palestinians and thus to the identity and heritage of Palestinian Arabs. Recognizing these historical links in now way rules out these places (Jaffo, for example) will remain under Israeli control in a final status arrangement.

3. In the instance that a place that is holy to both Islam and other religions is under Moslem control, non-Moslem prayer is prohibited at the site.

4. As demonstrated in the "Tomb of the Patriarchs" (a place that is holy to both Judaism and other religions is under Israeli control), non-Jewish prayer is also accommodated at the site.

5. As for the Hague and Geneva Conventions cited, inasmuch as Israel has preserved and improved rather than destroyed,.are we to understand that the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights believes that international law somehow supports discrimination against Jews in places holy to Jews and Moslems?

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PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Press Release

Ref: 10/2010 Date: 22 February 2010 Time: 11:30 GMT

PCHR Condemns Israel's Decision to Include the Ibrahimi Mosque and Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque on the List of Israeli Archaeological Sites

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns a decisions taken by the Israeli government on Sunday, 21 February 2010, to include the "Tomb of the Patriarch" (the Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron and "Rachel Tomb" (Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque) in Bethlehem on the list of Israeli archaeological sites.

PCHR reminds that this decision was taken on the eve of the 16th anniversary of the mass killing of 29 Palestinian worshippers in the Ibrahimi Mosque by an Israeli settler, Baroch Goldstein, on 25 February 1994. PCHR further emphasizes that the continued international tolerance towards crimes committed by Israel, the Occupying Power, serves to encourage it to commit more of such crimes. Accordingly, PCHR repeats its calls for the international community to provide protection for Palestinian civilians, their property and their religious sites.

In its weekly meeting held on Sunday, 21 February 2010, the Israeli government endorsed the inclusion of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque in Bethlehem on the list of Israeli archaeological sites. It also allocated more than US$ one million for "their maintenance and reparation." The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, linked the decision with the policy of settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) when stating that: "Our existence as a state does not only depend on the army, but also on enhancing our knowledge, our national feeling, which we will convey to the next generation, and our connection to the homeland." Under the plan, 150 archaeological sites will be maintained to be linked in a joint "historical biblical track" in order to "educate the next generation of the Jewish and Zionist history."

It is worth noting that Israeli occupation authorities established the "Shamgar Committee" following the mass killing in the Ibrahimi Mosque on 25 February 1994 The committee recommended dividing the Mosque between Muslims and Jews (30% and 70% respectively).

In light of the above, PCHR emphasizes the following:

1) The Israeli government's decision constitutes a violation of Article 1 of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954, which defines, inter alia, cultural property as " movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people, such as monuments of architecture, art or history, whether religious or secular.," and states in Article 2 that " the protection of cultural property shall comprise the safeguarding of and respect for such property."

2) Article 9 of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 prohibits and prevents "any illicit export, other removal or transfer of ownership of cultural property."

3) Article 147 of the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War considers "extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly" as a grave breach of the Convention.

4) PCHR warns of possible escalation of the situation in the OPT given the religious status of the Ibrahimi Mosque for Muslims, and holds Israeli occupation authorities responsible for any escalation.

Accordingly, PCHR calls:

1) For convening a new conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War to take concrete steps to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the OPT, and to immediately provide protection for Palestinian civilians and their civilian and cultural property.

2) Upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War to fulfill their obligations under Article 146 of the Convention "to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed" grave breaches of the Convention; Israeli war criminal in this case.

3) For the application of Article 10 of the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954, which allows placing cultural property under enhanced protection, if "it is cultural heritage of the greatest importance for humanity" and "it is not used for military purposes."

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 - 2825893 PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

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[SJackson]

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absence of pluralism ?

IMO, the Prophet's followers aren't big on pluralism.

[DonaldC]

Sometimes modern Israel should deal with these people the same way ancient Israel.

[Jim Noble]

Have Hamas, Fatah, the PLO, or the PA ever, at any time, laid claim to supporting pluralism?

[SJackson]

Yes, you may wear your Keffiyah in your choice of colors, any tablecloth that's handy.

[Halgr]

"Zechariah 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." === “Psalm 125:1-2 They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever! As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever!” === "Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed."

[SunkenCiv]

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