Posted on 01/10/2009 8:32:47 PM PST by Steelfish
Edited on 01/10/2009 8:51:17 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Israel's current assault on the Gaza Strip cannot be justified by self-defense. Rather, it involves serious violations of international law, including war crimes. Senior Israeli political and military leaders may bear personal liability for their offenses, and they could be prosecuted by an international tribunal, or by nations practicing universal jurisdiction over grave international crimes. Hamas fighters have also violated the laws of warfare, but their misdeeds do not justify Israel's acts.
The United Nations charter preserved the customary right of a state to retaliate against an "armed attack" from another state. The right has evolved to cover nonstate actors operating beyond the borders of the state claiming self-defense, and arguably would apply to Hamas. However, an armed attack involves serious violations of the peace. Minor border skirmishes are common, and if all were considered armed attacks, states could easily exploit them -- as surrounding facts are often murky and unverifiable -- to launch wars of aggression. That is exactly what Israel seems to be currently attempting.
Israel had not suffered an "armed attack" immediately prior to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Since firing the first Kassam rocket into Israel in 2002, Hamas and other Palestinian groups have loosed thousands of rockets and mortar shells into Israel, causing about two dozen Israeli deaths and widespread fear. As indiscriminate attacks on civilians, these were war crimes. During roughly the same period, Israeli forces killed about 2,700 Palestinians in Gaza by targeted killings, aerial bombings, in raids, etc., according to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem........."
WSJ?
Oh a name like Bisharat....doesn’t sound Israeli.
Having “laws” and “rules” for war is something only dumbasses do. Anyone who has ever been to war knows how ugly it can get. “Laws” and “rules” do absolutely nothing to take away the ugliness. THEY ONLY PROLONG THE Fn WAR!!!
News flash, Hamas won democratic elections, validated by Saint Jimmah. They are as close as the Gaza gets to a government.
I have thought for years that Israel should unilaterally recognize the Palestinian Authority as its own state, give them 30 days to cease hostility, then declare war.
Hamas is building an ever-more-powerful offensive arsenal on Israel’s doorstep, and will continue to do so until eradicated.
This must end one way: reoccupation and complete disarmament of Gaza.
Come again?
Note how the article left out Hitler’s friend here (Bisharat) is a palestinian.
Israel has bent over backwards to not hurt their civilians. They have been too nice in my opinion.
I wish I could say I am surprized.
This takes a more convincing point of view. Bisharat is off the mark
http://globallawforum.org/ViewPublication.aspx?ArticleId=87
Some people can’t tell a mortar shell from a bong even when they’re sitting side by side. (I’m jumping to a stereotypical generalization based on the college professor/San Fran/accusing Israel of war crimes trifecta, sorry about that, can’t help myself sometimes).
This guy probably thinks Pearl Harbor was a border skirmish.
A great big “duh” eh?
When did Pat Buchanan start using a pen name?
Saw some of that with the UN claiming Israel killed their driver. Israel was shooting tank rounds and Hamas had snipers. More DUH.
Idiots! War crimes are what the winners charge the losers with. It is not some term to be thrown around like it really had a moralistic meaning.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.