Attacks continue unabated - by air strikes and on-the-ground Mafia-style executions in violation of sacred international law explained above. And a Haaretz February 29 article suggests they threaten to escalate. It quoted Defense Minister Ehud Barak blaming Hamas for the increased violence and said it will "bear the cost of our response....(it's) necessary and will be carried out." On the same day, Knesset chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tzachi Hanegbi, said IDF forces must "quickly....topple the Hamas terror regime and take over all the areas from which rockets are fired on Israel," and they should remain in those areas for years.
Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai went further and threatened a "shoah," which is the Hebrew word for holocaust. On Israeli radio he said: "the more Qassam (rocket) fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, (the Palestinians) will bring upon themselves a bigger 'shoah' because we will use all our might to defend ourselves." The comment is outrageous, it incites genocide, and it's a punishable crime in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Gregory Stanton's Genocide Watch site has a mission: to "predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder (by) rais(ing awareness and influenc(ing) public policy concerning potential and actual genocide." Its aim "is to build an international movement to prevent and stop genocide," and it's badly needed in Occupied Palestine where Israel has conducted state-sponsored genocide for decades according to Israeli historian Ilan Pappe.
International law expert Francis Boyle agrees and proposed in a March 20, 1998 article that "the Provisional Government of (Palestine) and its President institute legal proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague for violating the (Genocide Convention)." He categorically stated that "Israel has indeed perpetrated the international crime of genocide against the Palestinian people (and the) lawsuit would....demonstrate that undeniable fact to the entire world." Boyle would likely agree that the case today is even more compelling at a time Israeli forces are ravaging Gaza and assaulting West Bank communities as well.
Genocide is hideous in concept and execution, and Stanton explains how it progresses in eight defined stages:
1. Classification - Cultures or societies distinguish between "us and them" to categorize people by race, religion, nationality or other distinguishing characteristic;
2. Symbolization - Classifications are given names or other symbols, such as Jews, Latinos, blacks or Muslims.
3. Dehuminization - A dominant group denies another's humanity and equates its members with animals, vermin, insects, diseases or, in the case of Palestinian resistance fighters, gunmen or terrorists;
4. Organization - Genocide is always organized; most often it's by the state using militias, the military and/or other security forces to target victimized groups;
5. Polarization - Extremists incite hate through propaganda and other communication methods, and laws and other measures often target the victims;
6. Preparation - Victims are identified, separated out and targeted for elimination;
7. Extermination - Once it starts, it escalates to mass killing that's legally defined as "genocide;" and finally
8. Denial - The final stage assures continued genocide will follow with evidence of it suppressed or destroyed. Some genocidal regimes are brought to justice like the Nazis at Nuremberg. Others like Israeli governments since 1948 have gotten away with it for decades with no indication (so far) the Olmert or a future regime will be held to account.
Minister Vilnai affirms that killing may now escalate against a people who've been under a medieval siege for months. Talk of peace and ceasefire is hollow, Israel and Washington incite violence and want none of it, and IDF commanders are preparing a large-scale assault to target Hamas for removal. How much longer will this go on? When will the occupation end? How many more killings will be tolerated? When will world leaders take note? People who care want answers. It's about time they got them.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to The Global Research News Hour on RepublicBroadcasting.org Mondays from 11AM to 1PM US Central time for cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests.
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
"Hamas has proposed a cease-fire many times and has been clear that it would have to include a cessation of all hostilities: Hamas would cease and impose a halt to all rockets and mortar shells from Gaza provided Israel would end its "targeted liquidations", military incursions and its siege of Gaza...if Israel’s goal is to end rocket attacks from Gaza, the most logical and beneficial step it could take would be to respond positively to Hamas’ repeated cease-fire proposals for a complete end to rocket fire on Israel, most recently, on February 23rd, when Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Hamas will consider any initiative that will bring about a ceasefire. Hamas claims it has secured the agreement of all factions to halt rocket fire and promised to impose the cease-fire provided that Israel reciprocates. Israel’s Prime Miniser Ehud Olmert immediately rejected the cease-fire offer, even though a growing number of Israeli politicians and security officials are calling for Israel to accept a cease-fire. Israel’s current operations are clearly about much more than securing Israeli civilians lives. Israel could easily end the rocket fire by accepting a cease-fire."-Dr. Steve Niva; Member of the Faculty, Middle East Studies, The Evergreen State College
PLEASE dear reader, Do Something and phone, email, FAX your reps and this Administration to demand a Bilateral Ceasfire and Dialogue with the 'enemy' to end the seige on Gaza which is the only way to security for Israel and hope for peace in the Middle East
How true about all you say. Hamas has bent over backwards to accommodate Israel, but, of course, Israel and Washington scorn peace and justice and that cuts to heart of problem. How can there be peace when only one side wants it and dominant media reports lies. The old blame the victim game. Israel didn't end hostilities today. It just paused before the next act of aggression and when victims defend themselves they're called "terrorists."
by
Stephen Lendman (249 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 76 comments)
on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:28:45 AM
We living Orwell's nightmare-government and corporate contolled media are in bed together but we are also living in a revolutionary time and our weapons are words disseminated on the world wide web.
Muckrakers like you give me hope, and we the people are better than our current leadership, but as Edward R. Murrow warned 50 odd years ago, as TV went in the direction of mindless entertainment and neglected programs of enlightenment we would end up with a dumbed down republic.
Dissent is what keeps democracies healthy, and in a vibrant democracy the politicians are afraid of the people and the citizenry is well informed and active!
In totalitarian regimes the people are afraid of the government and are kept so busy by Big Brother [Govt. + Media] with mindless entertainment and must work many hours just to keep food on the table, there is no time or energy to THINK DEEPLY, question and dissent.
Keep on fighting the good fight, for "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. ... Genius will not. ... Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."- Calvin Coolidge
"Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all...and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils." George Washington's Farewell Address - 1796
In solidarity "we have it in our power to begin the world again."-Tom Paine
by
Eileen Fleming (145 articles, 50 quicklinks, 266 diaries, 579 comments)
on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 10:11:38 AM
What if..Hama takes out its genocidal charter provision against Israel? What if .. after the withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas would have enterted into negotiations for peaceful co-existence instead of raids and rockets into Israel. What if ..Hamas would have consulted Israel on the industries within Gaza instead of destroying them? What if .. Hamas would return Israeli soldiers they kidnapped? What if .. instead of smuggling lethel weapons Hamas would bring vital supplies to its people? What if .. Hamas favored peaceful co-existence in its education instead of preaching jihad and genocide? Did you two ever think of that?
by
philip rosen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 93 comments)
on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 9:01:53 AM
4 comments
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