Petition: Request int'l aid for north

Organization files petitionin High Court asking prime minister to commit to requesting international aid to rehabilitate war damages. 'If world is paying Lebanon, who started war, it is committed as well to pay Israel, who was forced into war,' it is claimed in suit

Moran Rada|Published: 09.13.06 , 00:40

The High Court of Justice will determine whether Israel needs to request international aid for rehabilitating war damages. The organization, Israel Law Center filed a petition Tuesday with the High Court asking to commit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to turn to the international community and the UN in an appeal for international aid for rehabilitating war as well as humanitarian aid for those affected by the war.

Attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, who filed the petition, explained why they turned to the High Court: "Lebanon requested and received international aid for rehabilitating war damages caused to the country while Israel is asking its citizens to pay for damages in Israel. This is unacceptable because Lebanon allowed the murderous terror organization to wage war from its territory, and allowed the targeting of innocent Israeli citizens. However, it is the aggressive Lebanon that asks for and receives international aid."

The petition asserts that the prime minister must turn to the world in order to receive international aid before the state budget is passed. "Within the framework of the budget, the state increased state expenditures, enlarged the deficit, and imposed new cut backs on the public in order to cover war damages.

"We want that just as the world is transferring funds to Lebanon, it will transfer funds to Israel as well. If the world finds it appropriate to pay Lebanon, who started the war, it is committed as well to pay Israel, who was forced into war."

Prof. Yoram Dinstein, an expert in international law, claims that there is no chance the petition will be accepted. "I don't think the suit has a chance because I don't see what legal basis the petitioners are relying on. In order to force a government to act, you need international obligation, and I don't see any such thing. On what virtue is the government obligated to act?"

However, Attorney Darshan-Leitner claims that the petition does have a chance. "The petition isn't based on international law, but on domestic local law, which establishes that an unreasonable decision made by the prime minister is subject to review in the High Court."