By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
May 20, 2004
Basing their response on speculation, and loading it with duplicity, the international community Wednesday slammed Israel for killing several "Palestinians" who were among a mob marching on IDF soldiers in southern
Gaza.
Foreign media outlets and the nations they feed quickly swallowed the PA claim that dozens of Arabs had been "massacred" by the Israelis. IDF officials, however, pointed out only seven had died, five of who were armed.
Some reactions to the incident appeared set on twisting international law, accusing the Israeli army of committing a war crime by using force to defend itself against terrorists hiding behind a crowd of raucous civilians.
Tellingly, the merciless maiming and slaughter of Israeli Jews by "Palestinians" rarely if ever elicits such harsh criticism of the Palestinian Authority.
Another UN resolution
The international community’s frenzied condemnation of Israel’s anti-terror operations in southern Gaza culminated Wednesday in yet another UN Security Council resolution censuring the Jewish state for defending its citizens with force.
The resolution passed by a vote of 14-0, with the United States abstaining.
It focused primarily on the IDF’s demolition of a few buildings in the border town of Rafiah, which had been used as cover for weapons smuggling operations, but also slammed Israel over the deaths Wednesday of up to 10 “Palestinians” during an armed march on soldiers in the town.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman responded by saying he was disappointed in the Security Council, which never takes similar action when Israeli Jews are mercilessly and purposely maimed and slaughtered by “Palestinian” terrorists.
Gillerman insisted the ongoing IDF offensive in Rafiah has become a necessity because of the Palestinian Authority’s continued refusal to honor its signed agreements with Israel.
Gaza, “and Rafiah in particular, is on the verge of becoming a missile base aimed at Israel's cities and civilians," he said. "What would the international community have Israel do? Just sit back and wait for this horrific scenario to materialize?"
Ignorance of int’l law
Earlier in the day, a UN special envoy to the PA-controlled territories said that Israel had violated international law by using force against “Palestinian” gunmen using a mob of civilians as cover in Rafiah.
“These actions constitute...war crimes...They also amount to collective punishment which violates both humanitarian law and international human rights law," said South African law professor John Dugard.
He suggested the international community punish Israel with an arms embargo.
Dugard’s interpretation of international law appeared skewed, however, considering that the Fourth Geneva Convention does not protect groups of civilians among which are dispersed armed combatants.
“The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations,” reads Article 28 of that document.
Likud MK Yuval Steinitz, who is chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, noted Thursday that it was rather the “Palestinians” who were guilty of a war crime by involving children in a violent confrontation.
Vociferous EU attack
The European Union launched the most venomous attack, accusing Israel of having no regard for the sanctity of human life.
"It is clear that today's action was completely disproportionate to any threat faced by the Israeli military and that Israeli forces showed a reckless disregard for human life," Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, speaking on behalf of the EU presidency, said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair called Israel’s use of force “unacceptable and wrong.”
US duplicity
Washington’s response, meanwhile, was more subdued, but was nevertheless tinged with a heavy dose of duplicity.
"While we believe that Israel has the right to act to defend itself and its citizens, we do not see that its operations in Gaza in the last few days serve the purposes of peace and security," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Thursday.
On Wednesday, US President George W. Bush urged “restraint” from both Israel and the “Palestinians.”
Ironically, America’s displeasure with Israel over the deaths of a handful of civilians was voiced on the same day US helicopter gun ships killed more than 40 Iraqis participating in a wedding celebration.
While Washington was quick to swallow PA claims of a “massacre” in Rafiah, US officials maintained television images had misrepresented the situation in Iraq, where American forces had attacked a gathering of armed militants.