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Experts: Concerns over Gaza op prosecutions justified
Daniel Edelson
Published: 22.01.09, 15:16
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51 Talkbacks for this article
1. NATO is not being tried for its bombing on Serbia!
S.   (01.22.09)
double standards?
2. Anyone heard of lawsuits vs Russian commanders in Chechnya?
Tahl ,   Ashdod, Israel   (01.22.09)
After their slaughter of 100,000 civilians in Grozni? Or lawsuits against Wesley Clark, and other Nato officials, for indiscriminantly bombing Serb civilians? Or lawsuits against Hafez Assad, for massacring 140,000 of his own citizens? But lawsuits against the IDF, yes, of course. Let's stick to that terrorist Apartheid state... Hypocrisy at its best!
3. George W. Bush cannot go to 45 countries since he
Rivkah   (01.22.09)
left office because he could be arrested on International Arrest Warrants. That applies to many in his Administration, too. Makes you long for the days of national sovereignty, but the UN has done some good like creating the State of Israel in 1948.
4. Hamas managed to expose your ugly faces to the whole world
(01.22.09)
Obama is going to screw you very soon.
5. #1, not only NATO.
Cynic ,   USA   (01.22.09)
President Clinton and General Wesley Clark participated in the bombings, and Clark holds himself out in America as some kind of hero while he criticizes the Iraq war! Obviously, there are special rules that apply to the Jews.
6. Why would they want to travel to anti-semitic Europe?
Cynic ,   Cynic   (01.22.09)
Come visit America where fighting terrorism and evil is respected.
7. Hamas v. Israel War Crimes
David ,   New York, USA   (01.22.09)
In law, there is a difference between intentional v. reckless conduct. It's called "mens rea" and is used to distinguish between the crimes of murder versus manslaughter. Hamas fired crude mostly home-made rockets into Isreal with no idea where they would land. After thousands of rockets fired over an eight year period, one Israeli was killed. Israel using the most sophisticated weapons in the world guided by GPS, infra-red and heat seeking technologies and intentionally chose which targets will receive white phosphorus and other bombs. The IDF knew that its targets included innocent men, women and children. Over 23 days, 1,400 people, mostly women and children were slaughtered and 5,400 people were wounded. Israel has murdered 1,400 people. Hamas has commited manslaughter that resulted in the death of one person.
8. Israel Political Timing
PunditRich ,   Wisconsin, USA   (01.22.09)
HMmmm, think unrelated events & timing? Not likely: Israel election set for Feb. Criminal PM Olmert resigns. 2nd Lebannon war failure. Continued Gaza rockets & Hamas. Continued brutal occupation growth. BiBi war talk is popular, as always. Easy Bush refuses Iran bombing. No Bush Pollard pardon. US Wall Street/Madoff crisis. "J Street"-like pro-Israel lobbying. Israel guns vs sticks Gaza war. Israel exit gaza, declares victory! More ... Obama becomes ME active US President, declares open friends with Arabs, Palestinians & Muslims who share dreams and peace. Think beneficial to all, particularly Israel!
9. Pay up time!
Marco ,   Spain   (01.22.09)
You can choose to avoid justice by hiding in caves. But sooner or later, we will have to pay up!
10. The more interesting point is ...
Barry   (01.22.09)
11. Stop Being So Damn Fearful
Lawrence ,   Safed Israel   (01.22.09)
Grow a pair and tell hypocritical critics to take a hike.
12. and the un?
oferdesade ,   ISRAEL   (01.22.09)
why cant the foreign office get its act together and have its officials accused of complicity in acts against humanity - specifically the use of human shields within its facilities?
13. Israel's opponents are legal hypocrites
Achmad Jamal ,   Singapore   (01.22.09)
What hypocrisy. What was Israel supposed to do, accept years of rockets, launched purely to generate terror? Let's face it, the pressure for legal action against Israel is driven by moral cowardice. It's much easier to go after Israel since its small.
14. where is US's vetoing power?
(01.22.09)
15. There is no double standard
Abe ,   San Diego   (01.22.09)
Under International Law, the world trys to maintain one standard for war crimes based upon the Geneva Convention and other treaties. Enforcement is another issue altogether. Yes, Russia should be prosecuted for war crimes in Chechnya. The fact that Russia has not been prosecuted does not acquit Russia of war crimes. Russia also suppresses a free press and assassinates journalists who critisize government actions. Does this mean that Israel now has a right to censure the press and assassinate dissenting journalists?
16. WICKED SILENCE on Muslim Sudan's ATROCITIES
Linda Rivera ,   New York   (01.22.09)
HYPOCRITES ignore millions of non-Muslim suffering innocents! From 1955-1973, 1.5 million indigenous Black Southern Sudanese Christians were slaughtered by the Arab Muslim government in Khartoum. From 1983-2005, two million more Southern Sudanese Christians died from Sudan's Muslim war against infidels. Christian infidels are considered as not entitled to human rights. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese Christians have been seized as slaves by Sudan's Muslims. Horrific atrocities are perpetrated against the Christians. FREE THE SLAVES! Jihad in Darfur by Arabs against Black Muslims started in 2003 - 75,000 are dead. The genocide has resulted in the largest population of refugees on earth since the Second World War. STOP THE GENOCIDE! Founder of Islam, Mohammad, was a huge slave trader who beheaded 700 Jewish men because they refused to follow the new religion of Islam. Their Jewish wives and children were seized. Muslims regard Mohammad as the perfect man and role model.
17. Let Israeli lawyers go after everyone
dan ,   USA   (01.22.09)
We can announce lawsuit’s against the Americans, Brits, Auzzies and most of the Europeans for actions that led to the death of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia etc… there are very few countries in the world that have not been involved in some sort of military action over the last 10 years that did not lead to the death of civilians (ok maybe not Switzerland). We can even go after the Belgians (who are currently threatening Livni) for all the child abuse that was carried out by there troops in numerous countries including Somalia. How about arresting top UN officials for allowing Hamas to use UN buildings (including schools) to store weapons and launch rocket attacks into Israel? Is the UN not liable? I would like to see Israel file lawsuits (on grounds of their own history of abuses) against the top political and military leaders of any country that tries to sue an Israeli official. I would love (but I doubt this would happen) to see Israel kidnap (on grounds of their own history of abuses) the top political and military leaders of any country that tries to arrest an Israeli official. ENOUGH OF THE DOUBLE STANDARD!
18. The more interesting point is ...
Barry   (01.22.09)
why should anyone ever want to visit Belgium? Belgium would never prosecute Hamas or Hizbollah war criminals because any arrest would be met by bombing schools and railways. The Belgians are know for their cowardice
19. Feldman and Sefarad -extreme left
robins ,   Jerusalem   (01.22.09)
The two lawyers who are raising (and apparently supporting) the prospect of charges being laid against Israelis are very far to the left. They are entitled to their political opinion but as their actions in the past include defending Vanunu and bringing charges against the IDF for the assassination of Shehadeh, their legal advice is distorted.
20. Why did Ynet dig up Vannu's lawyers
Danny   (01.22.09)
as "experts"?
21. #9, lets wait and see shall we?
Danny   (01.22.09)
Want to bet not a single court case sees the light of day?
22. #8, you forgot all the gentile baby blood for matzeh
Danny   (01.22.09)
23. Concerns overGaza op prosecutions justified
Josef Szmuda ,   Los Angeles USA   (01.22.09)
Will somebody please tell these idiots out there that war is never pretty!
24. Just for killing few hundred kids ?
Jay ,   USA   (01.22.09)
Are you for real? Jews who killed hundreds of kids in Gaza can be jailed some where for this. The really antisemitic.
25. War crimes
Terence Griffiths ,   Chippenham, UK   (01.22.09)
IF you invade someone elses country and kill more than a thousand of their citizens (the vast majority civilians); if you deploy white phosphorus weapons against those civilians, if you systematically destroy the infrastructure of their country; if you ignore repeated demands for a cease fire from the United Nations; you have commited war crimes. Its as simple as that - Do honestly beieve that international law doesn't apply to you?
26. @ #14
daveza ,   ZA   (01.22.09)
Seeing as how your PM gave Rice the finger, perhaps the veto is just not going to happen as much anymore.
27. The whole world must be
maggie ,   Israel   (01.22.09)
gathering lawsuits against someone or other. This is all BS and hot air, and to appease who? Leave countries alone to defend themselves, govern themselves.
28. Threats of war crime charges
dmgold ,   Israel   (01.22.09)
F..cking LAWYERS will be the end of western civilisation and democracy as we know it.
29. Sue Iran and Syria and the Mosques which finance
Steven Wilson ,   Anchorage, Alaska   (01.22.09)
and support the rocket fire that started this war in the first place. The policeman doesn't go to jail for shooting a bank robber. The policeman isn't responsible for innocent peoples lives being lost if a gunfight breaks out during a robbery. The person robbing the bank is tried for the deaths. That would be Iran, Syria, and the Mosques, preaching hatred and financing the rockets being fired into Israel. They are directly responsible for any deaths in this matter.
30. Europeans
Justin ,   Canada   (01.22.09)
First of all, very hypocritical. Show me an example of any European country in history fighting a "clean" war. By the standards used to measure Israel, anytime a European country has gone to war or defended itself they have been guilty of "war crimes." Also, how can Europeans be so narrow minded? When you ignore attacks from Muslim terrorist groups and Arab Armies against Israel, but call emergency UN meetings when Israel fights back, YOU GUARANTEE THAT THIS CONFLICT CONTINUES!
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