Hague mayor: Israeli embassy jeopardizing public order

Haaretz ^ | 2/22/2004 | Tali Nir

[yonif]

THE HAGUE - The mayor of The Hague, W.J. (Wim) Deetman, believes Israel's embassy here is trying to undermine arrangements that have been instituted to maintain public order, in anticipation of Monday's International Court of Justice discussion about the West Bank separation fence.

The embassy, Deetman claims, has jeopardized these arrangements by relaying pictures of 927 terror victims to the "Christians for Israel" organization.

The mayor has tried to stop the Christian group from holding a quiet march in The Hague on Monday. The organization plans to have vigil participants hold the portraits of the terror victims provided by the Israeli embassy.

In Deetman's view, the pictures will spark confrontations with pro-Palestinian demonstrators and thereby disrupt public order. He has also requested police reinforcements ahead of the event.

On Saturday night, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing Deetman. Israel is stunned that a top political official in a country with which it has friendly relations views the presentation of photos of terror victims as a provocation, the statement said. It also upbraided Deetman for not including a single word in denunciation of terror in his remarks about Israel's embassy.

"We totally reject the accusations against Israel's embassy in The Hague, which is acting in accord with the laws of the Netherlands, and with normal diplomatic procedure," the Foreign Ministry stated.

[yonif]

The embassy, Deetman claims, has jeopardized these arrangements by relaying pictures of 927 terror victims to the "Christians for Israel" organization.

[yonif]

Hague mayor scorns victims' photos

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer&cid=1077257279373

The Hague Magistrate's Court rejected a petition by Mayor Wim Deetman, who sought to stop pro-Israel demonstrators from holding up pictures and names of the 927 Israeli terrorism victims since 2000 during protests there last week, according the Jewish Agency.

Speaking to the media, Deetman called the demonstrations "provocative." He also accused the Israeli Embassy of disturbing the peace and trying to fan the flames of an already volatile situation in the city.

Thousands of pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian supporters are already converging upon The Hague for a slew of demonstrations for and against the much-contested hearing regarding Israel's security fence that opens on Monday before the International Court of Justice.

Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman Yoni Peled said he was shocked to hear that a senior politician in a country typically friendly toward Israel could view the photographic display of terrorism victims as provocative.

Peled said he was also surprised that Israel's actions were being singled out but no word was said about terrorism.

Shimon Samuels, international liaison for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said that one of the Palestinian protest actions includes putting the names of Jewish ghettos under photographs of the Palestinian cities and villages fenced in by the security barrier.

Peled also denied the charges against the Israeli Embassy, explaining that its staff works in accordance with Dutch law and its diplomatic code.
He said its staff would continue to work within this code to condemn Palestinian terrorism.
But Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's spokesman, Ra'anan Gissin, said that given the injustice of the proceeding he was not surprised to hear of further attempts to ignore the plight of terrorism victims.

"The victims have a right to present their case," he said. "I do not think this is a scene where justice is going to be served. We know in advance [the fence] will be ruled against and [the court] will not take into consideration the crimes against humanity."

The International Court of Justice in The Hague rejected Saturday the request of Israeli terrorism victims' families to participate in the hearing regarding the security fence, Israel Radio reported.

The court argued that the families do not represent a country and therefore should not take part, since according to regulations only countries can testify.

The court made two exceptions to organizations that involve countries: the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Protests at The Hague began Saturday with a seminar by Palestinian groups regarding the fence. Among the speakers was MK Azmi Bashar (Hadash), who urged the protesters to remember that it is the "occupation" and not the fence which is the real problem.

Among the victims of terrorism who plan to speak is Carrie Devorah, whose brother, Yechezkel Goldberg, 41, was among the 11 victims murdered on a No. 19 Jerusalem bus last month. Goldberg was a social worker and the father of seven.

"Those killed were not collateral damage of a political struggle. They were our neighbors, our friends, our family, and now they are gone for no good reason," Devorah said.

"Bombing murders are not restricted to Israel. Three weeks ago it was a bus in Israel, a week later it was commuters in Russia, followed by a similar attack in Baghdad," added Devorah. "The leaders of the world are past due in universally condemning such attacks on civilians."

Also coming in support of Israel are Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), the ranking Democrat of the Europe Subcommittee and a senior member of the House International Relations Committee, and Congressman Steve Chabot (R-OH). Wexler and Chabot will speak Monday at a rally and a press briefing.

Wexler strongly believes the proceedings at the ICJ set a negative and increasingly dangerous precedent for the court's involvement in security matters and political negotiations in places such as Chechnya, Iraq, Kashmir, Taiwan and elsewhere.
"I am deeply concerned that the International Court of Justice is being hijacked by nations and groups for political purposes rather than for the good of both Israelis and Palestinians," said Wexler.

"The ICJ's ill-advised involvement in this sensitive political issue runs contrary to the goals of the Quartet-led road map – which has been endorsed by the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority – to bring both parties back to the negotiating table," said Wexler.

"It is very telling that 30 nations, including many who oppose Israel's security barrier, have expressed unequivocal opposition to bringing this case before the ICJ," he said.

"I am fearful that the ruling at the ICJ will set a far-reaching precedent that will impugn the integrity of the court and the United Nations, while opening the floodgates for other nations to further their political agenda at the ICJ and intervene in America's efforts to reconvene diplomatic negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel," Wexler said.

"Until the Palestinian Authority dismantles the infrastructure of terror in its midst – it is critical for the United States to continue to support Israel's right of self-defense. I strongly believe a security barrier which further takes into consideration the hardships and needs of the Palestinian people, will help to stem the wave of Palestinian terror and will, therefore, increase the chance for successful Israeli-Palestinian negotiations," he said.

In Nablus, meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians staged protests against the security fence Saturday, as Israel coincidentally prepared to remove a small stretch of fence just two days before the start of world court hearings.
Israel will take down a section of the security fence that had isolated a Palestinian town, a defense ministry official said Saturday. Soldiers were seen removing a watch-tower, cables, and lighting from the area.

Defence Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Niedak-Ashkenazi called the timing of the barrier's removal a coincidence and said it had been planned for six months while a series of walls and fences were built nearby along the Green Line boundary.

"This week the eastern fence will be dismantled," she said, because workers have completed a series of concrete walls and fences separating the town's western side from Israel. A gate will allow passage to a "sister" town, Baka al-Gharbia, just inside the boundary with Israel.

"Since there is no intention to annex land or annex Palestinians to Israel, we are removing this part of the fence," Niedak-Ashkenazi said.

[sarasmom]

Any FReepers going to be there with a few 911 posters?
What kind of mental dysfunction does it take to support terrorists?
Or is that a sophisticated European attitude beyond my American mental capability to comprehend?
Sheesh!
I guess nvCJD has actually run rampant throughout Europe!

[Cicero]

Painful as this business is, it may help to discredit the International Court of Justice. They are obviously out of control, and this kind of antisemitism is likely to bring them into disrepute.

Up until a year or two ago, most people admired the UN. They have also greatly damaged their reputation by their actions over Iraq and other matters.

At this point, only convinced leftists are still on board.

[WarEagle]

Unfortunately, the left and its minions have made anti-Semitism fashionable once again. So, after a roughly 50 year absence from the European political and social scene, now it's perfectly okay to blame everything on the Jews.

Shame on you, leftists, that your support for the "oppressed Palestinians" has led you to embrace the oldest, most outrageous of history's prejudices. So much for sensitivity, inclusiveness, peace, and love. This is one more proof that your "liberalism" goes no further than the surface.

It's also interesting to note that the Israelis have recognized who their friends are.

[Slings and Arrows]

Ping!

[Alouette]

In Deetman's view, the pictures will spark confrontations with pro-Palestinian demonstrators

So ban the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

[JasonC]

"What kind of mental dysfunction does it take to support terrorists?"

C-o-w-a-r-d-i-c-e. It is not complicated.

They will do anything to placate the side that sets off bombs, and nothing to so much as acknowledge the side that doesn't. Not because it is just. Because they do not fear Israeli bombs set in their own country, so they are perfectly happy to see injustice done to them. But they do fear the Palis will murder them if they even treat the Israelis with ordinary decency. They have the same attitude as they would have, if SS guards ruled over them and ordered them around on pain of immediate summary execution. Even though the terrorists are actually quite weak. They are cowards, pure and simple.

[tubavil]

Israel still doesn't get it, not even the second time around.

[Salem]

Christians for Israel standing in the gap against these lunatics!

If you'd like to be on or off this
Christian Supporters of Israel ping list,
please FR mail me. ~
    
There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had
spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. (Joshua 21:45)
Letter To The President In Support Of Israel ~
'Final Solution,' Phase 2 ~
Warnings ~

[knighthawk]

Muslims and neo-nazi's protest together against Israel (in Holland)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/590907/posts

So this guy seems okay with neo-nazis and radical muslims wishing Israel to be destroyed but is opposed to displaying pictures of what it looks like if islamic terrorists do just that.

[Slings and Arrows]

So this guy seems okay with neo-nazis and radical muslims wishing Israel to be destroyed but is opposed to displaying pictures of what it looks like if islamic terrorists do just that.

Oh, I understand it. Islamists and Nazis riot. Jews don't. Ergo, attack the Jews to keep the Islamists and Nazis happy. This fellow seems to get the idea:

[Tolik]

The mayor has tried to stop the Christian group from holding a quiet march in The Hague on Monday. The organization plans to have vigil participants hold the portraits of the terror victims provided by the Israeli embassy.

In Deetman's view, the pictures will spark confrontations with pro-Palestinian demonstrators and thereby disrupt public order.

Can't the damn Jews just die quietly, dammit!!  </sarcasm>