A new Article by William Hanna about Israel’s Impunity
The ICC Gives Stamp Of Approval For Crimes
Committed With Arrogant Impunity By Israel
Preamble
The States Parties to this
Statute,
Statute,
Conscious that all peoples are united by common bonds, their
cultures pieced together in a shared heritage, and concerned that this delicate
mosaic may be shattered at any time,
cultures pieced together in a shared heritage, and concerned that this delicate
mosaic may be shattered at any time,
Mindful
that during this century millions of children, women and men have been victims
of unimaginable atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity,
that during this century millions of children, women and men have been victims
of unimaginable atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity,
Recognizing
that such grave crimes threaten the peace, security and well-being of the
world,
that such grave crimes threaten the peace, security and well-being of the
world,
Affirming
that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a
whole must not go unpunished and that their effective prosecution must be
ensured by taking measures at the national level and by enhancing international
cooperation,
that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a
whole must not go unpunished and that their effective prosecution must be
ensured by taking measures at the national level and by enhancing international
cooperation,
Determined to put an end to impunity for
the perpetrators of these crimes and thus to contribute to the prevention of
such crimes,
the perpetrators of these crimes and thus to contribute to the prevention of
such crimes,
Recalling that it is the duty of every State to exercise its
criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crimes,
Reaffirming the Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United
Nations, and in particular that all States shall refrain from the threat or use
of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any
State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United
Nations,
Emphasizing in this connection that
nothing in this Statute shall be taken as authorizing any State Party to
intervene in an armed conflict or in the internal affairs of any State,
nothing in this Statute shall be taken as authorizing any State Party to
intervene in an armed conflict or in the internal affairs of any State,
Determined
to these ends and for the sake of present and future generations, to establish
an independent permanent International Criminal Court in relationship with the
United Nations system, with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of
concern to the international community as a whole,
to these ends and for the sake of present and future generations, to establish
an independent permanent International Criminal Court in relationship with the
United Nations system, with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of
concern to the international community as a whole,
Emphasizing that the International
Criminal Court established under this Statute shall be complementary to
national criminal jurisdictions,
Criminal Court established under this Statute shall be complementary to
national criminal jurisdictions,
Resolved
to guarantee lasting respect for and the enforcement of international justice,
to guarantee lasting respect for and the enforcement of international justice,
Have agreed
as follows: http://legal.un.org/icc/statute/romefra.htm
as follows: http://legal.un.org/icc/statute/romefra.htm
The ICC has just confirmed — by acknowledging that
while Israel may have committed war crimes when commandos stormed an aid ship
in 2010 killing nine people, the offences, however, were “not serious enough”
to warrant prosecution — that It is far easier to be courageous, forthright,
and high-principled on paper that it is in reality. So once again dark, grey
clouds bearing the threat of accusations of “anti-Semitism” have hovered over,
rained down upon, and extinguished the barely flickering flame of universal
justice. The socially ingrained and sustained fear of being accused of
“anti-Semitism” is therefore still Zionist Israel’s ultimate weapon for silencing
criticism of, and avoiding accountability for crimes against humanity. The
ICC’s continued chicken-hearted failure to carry out its remit was highlighted
by an opportune Amnesty International report on Israel’s recent barbaric
Operation Protective Edge:
while Israel may have committed war crimes when commandos stormed an aid ship
in 2010 killing nine people, the offences, however, were “not serious enough”
to warrant prosecution — that It is far easier to be courageous, forthright,
and high-principled on paper that it is in reality. So once again dark, grey
clouds bearing the threat of accusations of “anti-Semitism” have hovered over,
rained down upon, and extinguished the barely flickering flame of universal
justice. The socially ingrained and sustained fear of being accused of
“anti-Semitism” is therefore still Zionist Israel’s ultimate weapon for silencing
criticism of, and avoiding accountability for crimes against humanity. The
ICC’s continued chicken-hearted failure to carry out its remit was highlighted
by an opportune Amnesty International report on Israel’s recent barbaric
Operation Protective Edge:
“Israeli officials have failed to give any justification for
carrying out these attacks. In some of the cases in this report Amnesty
International has not been able to identify any possible military target . . .
In those cases it appears that the attacks directly and deliberately targeted
civilians or civilian objects . . . displaying callous indifference to the
carnage caused . . . which would constitute war crimes.”
carrying out these attacks. In some of the cases in this report Amnesty
International has not been able to identify any possible military target . . .
In those cases it appears that the attacks directly and deliberately targeted
civilians or civilian objects . . . displaying callous indifference to the
carnage caused . . . which would constitute war crimes.”
Undeterred by any kind of conscience, human decency or
self-respect, Israelis — assisted by a shameful universal lack of coordinated
condemnation or determined demands for criminal indictments — continue to
deprive the Palestinian people of their human rights; continue to ignore with
contempt all international law; and continue to deliberately undermine and
violate peace efforts and agreements including the recently negotiated
“ceasefire” in Gaza. While the mostly muzzled mainstream media might provide
occasional redacted reports of newsworthy atrocities, they invariably avoid
reporting the daily ongoing barbarous persecution of Palestinians because —
apart from fearing a vindictive backlash from pro-Israeli lobby groups — they
also know that such reports would be of little interest to audiences,
listeners, and readers who have been immunised by the regularity of Israel’s
barbarity against any feelings of indignation or outrage.
self-respect, Israelis — assisted by a shameful universal lack of coordinated
condemnation or determined demands for criminal indictments — continue to
deprive the Palestinian people of their human rights; continue to ignore with
contempt all international law; and continue to deliberately undermine and
violate peace efforts and agreements including the recently negotiated
“ceasefire” in Gaza. While the mostly muzzled mainstream media might provide
occasional redacted reports of newsworthy atrocities, they invariably avoid
reporting the daily ongoing barbarous persecution of Palestinians because —
apart from fearing a vindictive backlash from pro-Israeli lobby groups — they
also know that such reports would be of little interest to audiences,
listeners, and readers who have been immunised by the regularity of Israel’s
barbarity against any feelings of indignation or outrage.
Despite its 2005 “Disengagement Plan,” Israel, rather
than end its occupation of the Gaza Strip, has instead simply transformed its
1967 physical military occupation of the territory into an occupation by siege
that enables it to exercise continued brutal control over the Gaza Strip and
its inhabitants. Even the recent “ceasefire” following
Israeli-war-crime-documented Operation Protective Edge has as usual proved
meaningless with Israel maintaining its relentless ongoing policy of
making life for the Palestinians totally unbearable as is obvious from the
numerous incidents reported by the Palestine Monitoring Group:
than end its occupation of the Gaza Strip, has instead simply transformed its
1967 physical military occupation of the territory into an occupation by siege
that enables it to exercise continued brutal control over the Gaza Strip and
its inhabitants. Even the recent “ceasefire” following
Israeli-war-crime-documented Operation Protective Edge has as usual proved
meaningless with Israel maintaining its relentless ongoing policy of
making life for the Palestinians totally unbearable as is obvious from the
numerous incidents reported by the Palestine Monitoring Group:
(http://www.nadplo.org/userfiles/file/media%20brief/Israeli%20Violations%20During%20the%20Nine%20Months%20Negotiation%20Process.pdf)
So what chance does humanity have so long as
religious/political leaders and institutions are allowed to betray the
responsibility with which they have been entrusted — namely that of ensuring
inalienable human rights and justice for all without exception? What chance
does humanity have so long as those who are profiting from continual military
conflicts are allowed to use their purchased political influence and control to
determine the course of human events? What chance does humanity have so long
the mainstream media continues to avoid truthful journalism unless it is either
of no consequence or happens to coincide with the interests of powerful
corporations? What chance is there so long as the mainstream media continues
with its pernicious programming of people as happened following the tragic
events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when the media fomented such outrageous
fear, paranoia and anger that the brainwashed American people willingly
surrendered their freedoms by allowing Congress to pass the Patriot Act and
create the Department of Homeland Security that led to the NSA spying on all
Americans with the recording of their phone calls, webcam videos, mobile device
texts and financial transactions without warrants and in contravention of the
law.
religious/political leaders and institutions are allowed to betray the
responsibility with which they have been entrusted — namely that of ensuring
inalienable human rights and justice for all without exception? What chance
does humanity have so long as those who are profiting from continual military
conflicts are allowed to use their purchased political influence and control to
determine the course of human events? What chance does humanity have so long
the mainstream media continues to avoid truthful journalism unless it is either
of no consequence or happens to coincide with the interests of powerful
corporations? What chance is there so long as the mainstream media continues
with its pernicious programming of people as happened following the tragic
events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when the media fomented such outrageous
fear, paranoia and anger that the brainwashed American people willingly
surrendered their freedoms by allowing Congress to pass the Patriot Act and
create the Department of Homeland Security that led to the NSA spying on all
Americans with the recording of their phone calls, webcam videos, mobile device
texts and financial transactions without warrants and in contravention of the
law.
In the face of such overwhelming odds, those who
endeavour to achieve democracy, freedom, and justice, can consequently on
occasion become somewhat disheartened — a sentiment recently expressed by Allan
Hart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hart_(writer))
in his article “Is a Peaceful Resolution of the Israel-Palestine Conflict REALLY
Possible?”
endeavour to achieve democracy, freedom, and justice, can consequently on
occasion become somewhat disheartened — a sentiment recently expressed by Allan
Hart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hart_(writer))
in his article “Is a Peaceful Resolution of the Israel-Palestine Conflict REALLY
Possible?”
“I’ll
begin my answer by saying that for some weeks I have been suppressing in my
mind the conclusion that Palestine is a lost cause and that there is no
point in me continuing to devote a great deal of time (as I have done for three
decades) to writing books and articles which expose Zionism’s version of
history – the version upon which the first and still existing draft of Western
history is constructed – for the propaganda nonsense it mainly is. In other
words I was close to concluding that I should close my Palestine file . . . Of
course I would like my pessimism about Obama doing what is right and best for
all parties (and the whole world) to be proved by events to have been without
foundation, but if events do not provide the proof I will take my conclusion
that Palestine is a lost cause off hold and close my Palestine file, in order
to do something more useful with what is left of my life.”
begin my answer by saying that for some weeks I have been suppressing in my
mind the conclusion that Palestine is a lost cause and that there is no
point in me continuing to devote a great deal of time (as I have done for three
decades) to writing books and articles which expose Zionism’s version of
history – the version upon which the first and still existing draft of Western
history is constructed – for the propaganda nonsense it mainly is. In other
words I was close to concluding that I should close my Palestine file . . . Of
course I would like my pessimism about Obama doing what is right and best for
all parties (and the whole world) to be proved by events to have been without
foundation, but if events do not provide the proof I will take my conclusion
that Palestine is a lost cause off hold and close my Palestine file, in order
to do something more useful with what is left of my life.”
Those of us who are familiar with Mr. Hart’s forthright
and honest journalism regarding the appalling plight of Palestinian people, can
only hope that he will overcome feelings of doubt and continue with his
sterling work because as Eric Willoughby of the Palestine Media Digest recently
reminded me, we must not give up.
and honest journalism regarding the appalling plight of Palestinian people, can
only hope that he will overcome feelings of doubt and continue with his
sterling work because as Eric Willoughby of the Palestine Media Digest recently
reminded me, we must not give up.
Illustration by David Dees.
William Hanna is a freelance writer with
a recently published book the Hiramic Brotherhood of the Third Temple. Sample
chapter, other articles, and contact details at: (http://www.hiramicbrotherhood.com/)
a recently published book the Hiramic Brotherhood of the Third Temple. Sample
chapter, other articles, and contact details at: (http://www.hiramicbrotherhood.com/)
