Applying the Geneva Convention

[Violet_Crumble]

By Meron Benvenisti

The veteran guardians of the wall, who are called at all times to rally round the hasbara flag when the enemy once again brings up the anti-Israel canard regarding the application of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the occupied territories, could not believe their eyes. One of them, who had made a glorious career rebutting the legal propaganda of Israel-haters, said frankly on the radio, "I was sure I had misunderstood what was written in the newspaper."

Good Lord! The attorney general has proposed to the cabinet an "in-depth examination" on the application of the convention to the territories. A major explosion threatens to bring down a giant, complex and twisted legal construct, which for more than 40 years was put together carefully and creatively, deceitfully, and through a Byzantine conspiracy of silence and intentional ambiguity, casuistry and winks all around.

Suddenly, the Israel government's top legal advisor admits that the Israel-haters may have been right - the legislative and legal system that determined, and determines, the lives and fates of millions, and which provided the legal underpinnings for the de-facto annexation of the territories and the establishment of the settlements and the fence, is illegal in terms of international law.

<snip>

Mazuz's jurists do not intend to bring down the entire legal construct in the territories, but only to minimize the gross deviations and arbitrary acts carried out in the name of "the law." These are many and deep, because the government, in its thoughtlessness or stupidity, has given over the governing of the territories to three irresponsible groups: low-level planners of the fence and of settlements who are motivated by the impulse to control and their hatred of the Palestinians; low-level legal officers who have been given the power to rule over the lives of millions of Palestinians without balance or restraint; and settlers, who have already transformed the government system - under the guise of "military rule under the de facto application of the Geneva Convention" - into a state within a state. Perhaps if these groups had not been given control of the territories, and reasonable standards had been applied, the threat of sanctions would not become a reality.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/469413.html

[bemildred]

1. Well, "thoughtlessness" certainly does not fit. nt

[Jack Rabbit]

2. This is long overdue

The West Bank and Gaza are occupied territories; the Fourth Geneva Conventions apply there and have always applied there. We don't need the permission of the Likud government to assert that. Israel's action contrary to the Genena COnventions, most specifically transferring parts of her own population to settlements in the occupied territory, is rightly condemned.

There is a Palestinian nation, but there has never been a Palestinian state. The unfortunate situtation that this places those of Palestinian nationality is that they must either be dependent on the international community for the protection of basic human rights from arbitrary action by the occupying power or they must take matters into their own hands. The first option has proven to be ineffective and the second chaotic.

[IA_Seth]

3. Nice..

There is a Palestinian nation, but there has never been a Palestinian state.

Truer words never spoken. Thank you sir!

[idontwantaname]

4. bump.

[number6]

5. kick

...

[Lithos]

6. The lack of comment...

... on what was such a contentious point surprises me. I am glad to see it being discussed in the Israeli media.

L-

[bemildred]

7. Perhaps it is not all that contentious, when put plainly. nt

[Lithos]

8. That could be it

It is a good article.

L-