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Posts from the ‘Politics’ Category

Sep 17

Official UN Report – Israel War Crimes Confirmed.

An air strike by Israel on a UN school.

An air strike by Israel on a UN school.

The UN Human Rights Council report on the Israel-Gaza massacre war was released on the 15th of September 2009. A 575 page document (pdf) outlining the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict. This investigation was led by Justice Richard Goldstone, former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Now, I have not read all 575 pages in detail, merely skimmed through it. From what I read however there is no doubt in my mind that Israel are responsible for committing war crimes in the period from 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009.

I quote this from the report itself:

The operations were carefully planned in all their phases. Legal opinions and advice were given throughout the planning stages and at certain operational levels during the campaign. There were almost no mistakes made according to the Government of Israel. It is in these circumstances that the Mission concludes that what occurred in just over three weeks at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 was a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish,  humiliate and terrorize a civilian population, radically diminish its local economic capacity both to work and to provide for itself, and to force upon it an ever increasing sense of dependency and vulnerability. (Page 525).

Goldstone’s team looked in detail at 36 incidents during the war. The report found Israel to be in breach of the fourth Geneva Convention. It studied the deaths of 22 members of the Samouni family who, following instructions from Israeli soldiers, were sheltering in a house in Zeitoun, east of Gaza City. The house was then hit by Israeli fire.

There were 7 instances where civilians waving white flags were shot while leaving their homes. Direct attack on the al-Quds Hospital. The list goes on. Of course, the confirmation of the use of white phosphorus was also present in this report.

The video below, courtesy of The Guardian shows Richard Goldstone issuing his assessment of atrocities on both sides of the conflict:

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Now, Israel is of course refusing to accept these findings. Israel refused to co-operate with the inquiry, claiming that the investigation is biased against Israel. Goldstone himself is of course Jewish, and has strong links with Israel, there is no reason for him to be biased against Israel. Quoting Goldstone: “To accuse me of being anti-Israel is ridiculous.”

Mark Ragev, who some of you may be aware, I am not a fan of, was in this video. He called the UN Human Rights Council a Kangaroo Court, and is of course defending Israel. A Dr Robbie Sabel also featured in this video, a man I will be doing some research on. Seems pro Zionist to me anyway, also talking in defence of Israel.

Israel must think the world gullible to continue to deny being responsible of war crimes. As though repeatedly denying it will make this issue disappear. It’s time for Israel to face the music. I do hope that Israel is brought to justice.

I am interested to see how the international community will respond to the findings of this report, especially the United States of America and Great Britain. So, I wonder now, is America’s war on terror going to switch to Israel at any point, a nation that is responsible for causing terror, humiliation and committing war crimes in Palestine. Highly unlikely.

Sep 8

Settlement freeze – What settlement freeze?

At the end of my post regarding Netanyahu’s meeting with Prime minister Gordon Brown, I wrote:

Do you really think that he can go back to Israel and convince his right wing government that all settlements must stop? No chance.

So, further to this meeting with Gordon Brown, you must be wondering what is happening back in Israel regarding these settlements, I know I am.

We know that the US has demanded a settlement freeze, and we also know that the UK wants the same. A settlement freeze is NOT a solution, I have said this before. What needs to be done is the removal of all existing settlements. Settlements on occupied land are illegal under international law. Surely enough reason to remove those settlements?

Now, let’s go back on track to the actual outcome of the Brown-Netanyahu meeting. Israel’s defence ministry will approve the construction of 500 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank this week, this apparently being a prelude to a settlement freeze. During this so called freeze, work will continue on these new homes and on 2,500 others where Israel says construction has already started.

It has been reported that Netanyahu talked of a “reduction” in settlements rather than a freeze. If Israel truly had any interest in peace talks, they would have halted their building of settlements. If anything, this decision, to continue building settlements, will aid their effort of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

I think we all knew that there would be no positive outcome of Brown meeting Netanyahu.

Israel‘s defence ministry will approve the construction of 500 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank this week, in a last-minute move before agreeing a compromise settlement freeze with the United States.

The authorisation comes despite criticism from Washington and weakens the effect any suspension of Israeli settlement construction will have. During the Israeli pause, work will continue on these new homes and on 2,500 others where Israel says construction has already started.

Aug 28

Protest – Benjamin Netanyahu visits London

Protestors outside 10 Downing Street

Protestors outside 10 Downing Street

Right wing Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had come to London to meet Gordon Brown on Tuesday, 25 August. Stop the War Coalliation and Palestine Solidarity Campaign had called an emergency protest at Downing Street. For 12 hours notice, it was not a bad turn out at all.

Netanyahu is part of a government that believes it has the right to build settlements on the occupied West Bank. Palestinians are being evicted from their homes. Food and medical supplies are denied. Although after this meeting Brown claimed he was confident that further settlement building will halt, we all know this is not true. Netanyahu himself has said that people who are in these settlements already need to “expand”, what does that mean? More innocent people being forced out of their homes.

We all know the only way to end this is to pull out of the settlements all together, the Israeli government provided incentive for settlers to come into Palestine, they should now offer incentives for settlers to go back into Israel and give back the Palestinians what is rightfully theirs.

Netanyahu is the architect of the suffering experienced by the Palestinian people and the Arab residents of Israel. Do not forget that for a moment. This right wing prime minister will bring no good. Do you really think that he can go back to Israel and convince his right wing government that all settlements must stop? No chance.

(P.S. Apologies for the shoddy picture, my camera was in Brighton unfortunately.)

Aug 5

The real terrorists

It’s interesting to see how America’s war on terror has thus far only progressed through Muslim nations. I do sincerely hope that Obama has a different vision to George Bush, however there’s something that’s just not right about Obama, time will tell.

This brings me on to terrorism. Who are the real terrorists? Did Afghanistan really pose a threat to this world? Did Iraq with their weapons of non-existence mass destruction pose a threat? In all honesty, not really. Yes their people were suffering thanks to idiots such as Saddam and the Taliban, but a threat to others, no. I think we all know that this was purely oil driven, especially in the case of Iraq. Afghanistan was just the scapegoat for 9/11. Harsh words I know, but I still have huge doubts as to who was responsible for 9/11.

Now, let’s for a moment take a look at Israel and their strongest allies, the United States of America. In combination, the amount of lives they have cost this world is far greater than 9/11. The amount of families divided, children killed, women killed is far greater. Brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, children being massacred. This is surely the definition of terrorism?

Let’s look at a more recent article regarding America’s good friend Israel. Here we read that Arab inhabitants of East Jerusalem are being forced out of their homes by Israeli police in order to allow settlers to come in, injuring a child in the process. Just like that, a family has lost their home, what they have spent their livelihood building.

I will also quote the following from the article:

The most disturbing fact about Israel’s eviction programme is that when you look around East Jerusalem and the surrounding area there are considerable plots of land without homes. If they wanted to build new illegal settlements without kicking out Palestinians in the area they could do so. The targeting of Sheikh Jarrah and other areas is actually a process of racial purification, the transformation of East Jerusalem into a unified Jewish Jerusalem.

So, ethnic cleansing is the aim then, otherwise why not build your homes on lands that are not occupied by innocent families trying to earn an honest living? These people, the Arabs in East Jerusalem, are victims of terrorism, yet the world will stand by and let it happen. Mr Blair, the peace envoy, has a hotel that overlooks this area, and yet not a comment regarding these settlements will be mentioned. I do invite you to read the entire article and gain your own opinions. Again, let’s keep these people in our Duaas (Prayers) and thoughts.

Aug 4

Boycott Israeli dates this Ramadan

It is very important that Israeli dates are avoided this Ramadan and every Ramadan that follows.

It is very important that Israeli dates are avoided this Ramadan and every Ramadan that follows.


Salaam. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything on this site, time has unfortunately got the better of me.

So, Ramadan is just around the corner, and Ramadan means dates in our supermarkets and independent shops. Now, there’s an issue with these dates. This issue being a lot of the dates that are sold here in the UK come from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. That is land that rightfully belongs to the Palestininans are being used to grow dates, which are then sold to us Muslims, and the profits going directly back to those illegal settlements. Do you see the problem?

How can this be avoided then? Well, we must familiarise ourselves with the suppliers of Israeli dates and avoid buying them. A lot of independent Muslim shops are not aware that they are selling Israeli dates, we must let them know. Spread the word, and let’s not allow Israel to grain profit from us Muslims this Ramadan and then use this money to further oppress the people of Palestine.

The following URL has a lot more information, do watch the videos if you have the time:
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israeli-dates.php

InshaAllah (God willing) this message is spread far and wide amongst everyone that believes that Israel’s terrorism must not continue. Only together can we defeat the atrocities that is committed by Israel on a daily basis. Spread the word! Facebook, twitter, MSN, whatever you use!

Ma’assalaam.

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