http://www.agenceglobal.com/Article.asp?Id=2225
Forwarded on Behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies
Nadia Hijab is an independent analyst and a senior fellow at the Institute
for Palestine Studies. This column was syndicated on 30 December 2009 by
Agence Global. The opinions in this piece are her own. The column may be
circulated on listservs but may not be republished without permission from
Agence Global. For contact information regarding rights and permissions see
below.
When Does It Become Genocide?
By Nadia Hijab
During a visit to Ramallah a year ago while the Israeli bombardment of Gaza
was underway, I shared my fears with a close Palestinian friend. "It may
sound insane, but I think the Israelis' real objective is to see them all
dead."
My friend told me not to be silly, the assault was horrific, but it was not
mass killing. I said that wasn't the issue: This was a population already
very vulnerable to disease, ill-health, and malnutrition after years of
siege, with its infrastructure rotted, its water and food contaminated.
Israel's war would surely push the people over the brink, especially if the
siege was maintained -- as it has been.
In other words, Israel would not directly kill tens of thousands of
Palestinians, but it would create the conditions for tens of thousands to
die. Any epidemic could finish the job. My friend fell silent at these
words, but still shook his head in disbelief.
Two things have changed since last year: More people have started to apply
the term "genocide" to what Israel is doing to Gaza. And not only is Israel
being directly accused but also, increasingly, Egypt.
Is it genocide? "The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide" -- a clear, concise document adopted by the United
Nations in December 1948 -- states that genocide is any of five acts
committed "with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group."
Three acts appear to apply to the situation in Gaza: "(a) Killing members of
the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the
group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life
calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part."
Legal scholars disagree about how to interpret the Convention's articles and
it has proven difficult, over the years, to define crimes as genocide, let
alone to prevent or end them. In line with the Bosnia precedent -- the only
authoritative legal treatment of genocide to date -- it would be necessary
to establish deliberate intent for an accusation of genocide against Israel
to stand up in court.
Israel's leadership has not, of course, issued a declaration of intent.
However, many leading Israeli officials can be said to have done so. For
example:
• Putting the Palestinians of Gaza "on a diet" -- Dov Weisglass, chief aide
to Ariel Sharon, in 2006.
• Exposing them to "a bigger shoah (holocaust)" -- Matan Vilnai, former
deputy defense minister, in 2008.
• Issuing religious edicts exhorting soldiers to show no mercy -- the
Israeli army rabbinate during the actual conflict.
Such declarations echo at least three of the "8 stages of genocide"
identified by Genocide Watch president Gregory Stanton in the 1990s after
the Rwanda genocide: Classification, dehumanization, and polarization.
Then there is the deliberate destruction or barring of means of sustenance
as Israel has done on land and at sea. Already, the Goldstone Report has
said that depriving the Gaza Palestinians of their means of sustenance,
employment, housing and water, freedom of movement, and access to a court of
law, could amount to persecution.
Since the December-January assault, there have been many authoritative
reports by human rights and environmental organizations on the impact of the
war and the ongoing siege on the people, soil, air, and water, including the
increase in cancers, deformed births, and preventable deaths. The death toll
in Gaza from swine flu reached nine in mid-December and 13 a week later --
an epidemic in waiting.
The eighth stage of genocide Stanton identifies is denial by perpetrators
"that they committed any crimes." Ironically, Stanton headed the
International Association of Genocide Scholars during the conflict, which
shut down discussion of Israel's actions despite protests by, among others,
genocide scholar and author Adam Jones. Jones and 15 other scholars had
posted a declaration stating that Israeli policies were "too alarmingly
close" to genocide to ignore and calling for an end to the silence.
Alarmingly close is right. Here is how Raphael Lemkin, the Polish-Jewish
legal scholar who pushed for the genocide convention, defined it in 1943:
"genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a
nation.... It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different
actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of
national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves. The
objectives of such a plan would be the disintegration of the political and
social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and
the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of the
personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the
individuals belonging to such groups."
It is hard to conceive of a better description of what is going on in Gaza.
All UN member states have the duty to prevent and stop acts of genocide.
What is needed is a country brave enough to take the lead, before it is too
late.
***
From: Karin Pally
PRESS RELEASE: Gaza Freedom Marchers issue the "Cairo Declaration" to end
Israeli Apartheid]
Ziyaad Lunat – 0191181340 (Egypt)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 1, 2010
Gaza Freedom Marchers issue the "Cairo Declaration" to end Israeli
Apartheid
(Cairo) Gaza Freedom Marchers approved today a declaration aimed at
accelerating the global campaign for Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli Apartheid.
Roughly 1400 activists from 43 countries converged in Cairo on their
way to Gaza to join with Palestinians marching to break Israel's
illegal siege. They were prevented from entering Gaza by the
Egyptian authorities.
As a result, the Freedom Marchers remained in Cairo. They staged a
series of nonviolent actions aimed at pressuring the international
community to end the siege as one step in the larger struggle to
secure justice for Palestinians throughout historic Palestine.
This declaration arose from those actions:
*End Israeli Apartheid*
*Cairo Declaration*
January 1, 2010
We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the Gaza Freedom
March 2009 in collective response to an initiative from the South
African delegation, state:
In view of:
o Israel's ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians through
the illegal occupation and siege of Gaza;
o the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the illegal Apartheid
Wall and settlements;
o the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the US which will
tighten even further the siege of Gaza;
o the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by Israel, the
US, Canada, the EU and others after the Palestinian elections of 2006;
o the war crimes committed by Israel during the invasion of Gaza
one year ago;
o the continuing discrimination and repression faced by
Palestinians within Israel;
o and the continuing exile of millions of Palestinian refugees;
o all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately on the
Zionist ideology which underpins Israel;
o in the knowledge that our own governments have given Israel
direct economic, financial, military and diplomatic support and
allowed it to behave with impunity;
o and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous People (2007)
We reaffirm our commitment to:
Palestinian Self-Determination
Ending the Occupation
Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine
The full Right of Return for Palestinian refugees
We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United Palestinian call
of July 2005 for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to compel
Israel to comply with international law.
To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a global mass,
democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with
Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.
Mindful of the many strong similarities between apartheid Israel and
the former apartheid regime in South Africa, we propose:
1) An international speaking tour in the first 6 months of 2010
by Palestinian and South African trade unionists and civil society
activists, to be joined by trade unionists and activists committed
to this programme within the countries toured, to take mass
education on BDS directly to the trade union membership and wider
public internationally;
2) Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;
3) A systematic unified approach to the boycott of Israeli
products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the
retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;
4) Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;
5) Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union and other
pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation
and/or the Israeli military industries;
6) Legal actions targeting the external recruitment of soldiers
to serve in the Israeli military, and the prosecution of Israeli
government war criminals; coordination of Citizen's Arrest Bureaux
to identify, campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals;
support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation of its
recommendations;
7) Campaigns against charitable status of the Jewish National
Fund (JNF).
We appeal to organisations and individuals committed to this
declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality.
Please e-mail us at cairodec@gmail.com
<http://us.mc388.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=cairodec@gmail.com>
*/Signed by:/*
*/ /*
/(* Affiliation for identification purposes only.)/
1. Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*, USA
2. Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African
Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
3. Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade
Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
4. Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade
Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
5. George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions
(COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa
6. Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions
(COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa
7. Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*,
South Africa
8. Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*, South Africa
9. Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*,
South Africa
10. Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South
Africa
11. Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa
12. Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South
Africa
13. Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA
14. Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*,
Ireland
15. Anthony Loewenstein, Australia
16. Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom
17. Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA
18. Ulf Fogelström, Sweden
19. Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*, USA
20. Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA
21. Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*, Germany
22. Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*, USA
23. Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CodePink*, USA
24. Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria
25. Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain
26. Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA
27. Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA
28. David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
(IJAN)*, USA
29. Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA
30. Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CodePink*, USA
31. Thomas M^c Afee, Journalist/PC*, USA
32. Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist
Network (IJAN)*, France
33. Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the
Middle East*, USA
34. Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the
Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA
35. Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the
Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA
36. Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*, England
37. Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza
Freedom March*, USA
38. Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*, Australia
39. Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*, USA
40. Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*,
England
41. Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish
Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*, Austria
42. Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*, USA
43. Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland
44. Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland
45. Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada
46. Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada
47. Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada
48. Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada
49. Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada
50. Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada
51. Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada
52. Cleopatra M^c Govern, USA
53. Miranda Collet, Spain
54. Alison Phillips, Scotland
55. Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response
Network*/Jews Say No*, USA
56. Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response
Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA
57. Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA
58. Hope Mariposa, USA
59. Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in
Nahost*, Germany
60. Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA
61. Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the
Middle East (CPJME)*, USA
62. Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children's Alliance*, USA
63. Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children's
Alliance*, USA
64. Anna Keuchen, Germany
65. Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*, USA
66. Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*,
Indypendent*, USA
67. Ina Kelleher, USA
68. Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist
Network (Chicago)*, USA
69. Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA
70. Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen's University)*, Canada
71. Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*,
Scotland
72. Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*, Switzerland
73. Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA
74. Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands
75. Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands
76. Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*, The Netherlands
77. Sandra Tamari, USA
78. Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA
79. J'Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA
80. Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*, USA
81. Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of
United Church of Canada*, Canada
82. Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France
83. Sylvia Schwarz, USA
84. Alexandra Safi, Germany
85. Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*, Turkey
86. Ted Auerbach, USA
87. Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA
88. Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA
89. Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA
90. Emma Grigore, CodePink*, USA
91. Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim
Progressives*, USA
92. Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*, USA
93. Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA
94. Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA
95. Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA
96. Hanan Tabbara, USA
97. Marina Barakatt, CodePink*, USA
98. Keren Bariyov, USA
99. Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*, Austria
100. Ann Cunningham, Australia
101. Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA
102. Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA
103. Athena Viscusi, USA
104. Marco Viscusi, USA
105. Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA
106. Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA
107. Ellen Graves, USA
108. Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*,
Ireland
109. Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*, Spain
110. Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad
y Paz*, Spain
111. Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada
112. David Heap, London Anti-War*, Canada
113. Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*, England
114. Aimee Shalan, UK
115. Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist
Network (IJAN)*, Spain
116. Priscilla Lynch, USA
117. Jenna Bitar, USA
118. Deborah Mardon, USA
119. Becky Thompson, USA
120. Diane Hereford, USA
121. David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada
122. Donah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights*, Canada
123. Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*, Canada
124. Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights-UBC*, Canada
125. Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human
Rights-UBC*, Canada
126. Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France
127. Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India
128. John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA
129. Ziyaad Lunat, Portugal
130. Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the War
(NYCLAW)
131. Labor For Palestine
No comments:
Post a Comment