Report: Israeli occupation causes terror
A new report by the UN undermines one of the central tenets to Bush's road map for the Middle East: namely, that Palestinian violence should end as a prerequisite to Israel fulfilling her obligations under the road map.
The report, by John Dugard, points out what should be stunningly obvious to anyone paying attention, namely that the violence is a reaction to the occupation itself and that it does not exist in a vacuum.
The Israelis have immediately rejected the logic behind this report and have accused Dugard of inflaming "the hatred between Israelis and Palestinians", as if by pointing out the obvious he is in some way causing even more violence. That the Israelis can make this argument on the same day that Israeli rockets kill young Palestinians as they play football is some indication of the disconnect from reality that is needed to advance some of these talking points.The report — posted on the U.N. Human Rights Council's Web site — says that while Palestinian terrorist acts are deplorable, "they must be understood as being a painful but inevitable consequence of colonialism, apartheid or occupation."
The report accuses the Jewish state of acts and policies consistent with all three.
As long as there is occupation, there will be terrorism, says the author, John Dugard, an independent investigator on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a South African lawyer who campaigned against apartheid in the 1980s.
Dugard says in the report that "common sense ... dictates that a distinction must be drawn between acts of mindless terror, such as acts committed by al-Qaida, and acts committed in the course of a war of national liberation against colonialism, apartheid or military occupation."
The report calls for an end to the Israeli occupation, citing the country's checkpoints and roadblocks restricting Palestinian movement, house demolitions and the "Judaization" of Jerusalem.
Until the occupation is ended, "peace cannot be expected, and violence will continue," the report says.
The idea that the occupation causes violence ought not to be a controversial one. Here in the UK one of our most popular programmes was Dad's Army, telling the story of the Home Guard, a group of old men who had vowed to fight the Nazis, with pitchforks if necessary, should they have succeeded in invading Britain. It strikes me as odd that we should recognise and celebrate such patriotism when it is manifest in our own countrymen and yet express puzzlement when another people display a similar emotional attachment to their homeland.
But, by making the safety of the occupiers the responsibility of the occupied people, we really do turn logic on it's head. And it does make me wonder how serious any government is about finding a solution if they can impose such an immoral demand as a prerequisite of Israel being asked to fulfill her obligations.
And, of course, to add to the irony, all of this is occurring at a time when a majority of Israelis want their government to negotiate with Hamas, especially if doing so would aid the release of young Gilad Shalit. It would appear that the Israeli population possess a wisdom which is sadly lacking in their government.
Click title for full article.
No comments:
Post a Comment