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Haim Ramon
Photo: Gilad Kavalerchik
Qassam rocket landing in Negev Wednesday
Photo: Zeev Trachtman

We Can't fight Hamas with our hands tied, says Ramon

Vice premier demands cabinet make decision on harsher Israeli response to Qassam attacks from Gaza, despite fear of breaking international law. 'Government's role is to take a chance, fulfill duty of defending citizens of Israel,' he says

Vice Premier Haim Ramon warned of Israel's poor hand on Wednesday night, saying the State was not responding appropriately to the continued Qassam attacks from the Gaza Strip out of fear that ministers and Israel Defense Force officers will be accused of breaking international law when going abroad.

 

"The government's role is to take the chance that we might not be able to travel to Belgium and eat chocolate, but that we fulfill our duty and defend the citizens of this State," Ramon said.

 

The defense establishment is still waiting for legal backing from Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, and the approval of steps such as cutting off power to the Strip and returning fire to groups firing Qassam rockets and mortar shells at Israel from within densely populated areas in Gaza.

 

Ynet has learned that the defense establishment has been restricting its response to Gaza fire in the past week, out of fear that officials and officers may be charged with breaking international law.

 

Ramon demanded that the Cabinet make some decisions in the matter. "There government is hearing from all kinds of experts. Our job is to take disputed legal opinions, and certainly to take the chance that we might not be able to travel to Belgium," he said.

 

"We must remember that the legal opinions regarding cutting off electricity or responding to attacks with fire, are not unequivocal opinions. There are top experts on international law who think it's allowed.

 

"This is where the government's role comes in. It must make a decision that entails certain risks that may harm us. We cannot manage the war against Gaza with our hands tied. Today we are losing the war to Hamas, among other things, because we are not discussing it in the government and because we have not made a legal decision in the matter," he said.

 

'They fire at power station, we give them electricity'

Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzhak Cohen of Shas also called on the government to set an international acceptable "price tag" for the Qassam attacks.

 

"We should simply announce to the other side what sanctions we plan to impose, regarding cutting off electricity and water, and then the ball is in their court. It is unthinkable that they fire at the Ashkelon power station and we continue to provide them with electricity," he said.

 

Nonetheless, the cabinet did not make any decisions in the matter in Wednesday's meeting, and in the meantime, Israel's limited response policy will remain in effect. This includes the closing of all goods crossings to the Strip, and minimizing the supply of fuel and electricity.

 

Defense establishment sources stated that military operations would not be executed until legal backing is received.

 

This matter has been on the agenda for months now, without any solution. Last march Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and other justice officials discussed the defense establishment's demand for freedom to act in Gaza, but concluded that this "could lead to many casualties and condemnation from the whole world".

 

In the past, the IDF has fired shells to keep rocket launchers away, but following several incidents in which Gazan civilians were hurt, the use of artillery has been almost completely cut down.

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.13.08, 08:32
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