Although the UN initiated a Board of Inquiry into allegations of war crimes in Gaza, Dion Nissenbaum, Jerusalem Bureau Chief for McClatchy news company, says
“I’m not sure what impact this UN report is going to have.” He continues to explain, “I think the only thing that the Israeli government will look at is reports from Israeli soldiers. Israel has always been skeptical of the United Nations, the international press, and they are certainly skeptical of what comes out of the Palestinians.”
Stories from members of the Israeli forces came out recently and created a firestorm of discussion within Israel about accusations which had already been levelled by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the international media and other NGO’s working in the area. These stories from the soldiers were given more credit than all the evidence presented from outside sources.
Sadly, these stories were discounted out of hand by investigators and the IDF investigation has been closed already saying the stories by the IDF members were based on ‘hearsay’.
So will there ever be justice for the victims of the human rights violations that took place during the Gaza crisis?
Amnesty Int’l has been calling for an independent, impartial international inquiry into human rights violations by all parties involved be undertaken from the beginning and has said that the UN inquiry is insufficient in that it only looks into attacks on UN personnel and facilities. Other human rights groups are also calling for an independent inquiry and look on the IDF’s eagerness to close the investigation into the IDF members’ stories as questionable:
“the speedy closing of the investigation immediately raises suspicions that [it] was merely the army’s attempt to wipe its hands of all blame for illegal activity…”
UPDATE (April 3, 12:10pm): The UN Human Rights Council announced today that the former chief prosecutor of two criminal tribunals, Richard J. Goldstone will lead a probe into allegations of war crimes committed during Gaza crisis between December 27th, 2008 and January 18th, 2009 by all parties involved. This investigation is separate from the UN Board of Inquiry created by the UN Security Council which was formed to look into specific attacks on UN personnel and facilities in Gaza.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59693097337…
This is a facebook link to a talk I attended yesterday. Dr. Bazza a Senior Doctor at Preson Royal Infiirmary, U.K. went to Gaza after the invasion to assist with Doctors there. The images he showed of the consequence of this barbaric invasion will live and haunt me for the rest of my life. His work reveals the war crimes against Gaza with the use of White Phospherous being partictulary lethal and indicriminate. The results of this will be long lasting and devastating.
His images need to be seen and his story needs to be told world wide.
Can Amnesty help with this? Dr Bazza is going to Gaza again with a team of Medics and supplies on 12 April and also in June. He is appealing for help in many many ways including fundraising.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59693097337…
This is a facebook link to a talk I attended yesterday. Dr. Bazza a Senior Doctor at Preson Royal Infiirmary, U.K. went to Gaza after the invasion to assist with Doctors there. The images he showed of the consequence of this barbaric invasion will live and haunt me for the rest of my life. His work reveals the war crimes against Gaza with the use of White Phospherous being partictulary lethal and indicriminate. The results of this will be long lasting and devastating.
His images need to be seen and his story needs to be told world wide.
Can Amnesty help with this? Dr Bazza is going to Gaza again with a team of Medics and supplies on 12 April and also in June. He is appealing for help in many many ways including fundraising.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59693097337…
This is a facebook link to a talk I attended yesterday. Dr. Bazza a Senior Doctor at Preson Royal Infiirmary, U.K. went to Gaza after the invasion to assist with Doctors there. The images he showed of the consequence of this barbaric invasion will live and haunt me for the rest of my life. His work reveals the war crimes against Gaza with the use of White Phospherous being partictulary lethal and indicriminate. The results of this will be long lasting and devastating.
His images need to be seen and his story needs to be told world wide.
Can Amnesty help with this? Dr Bazza is going to Gaza again with a team of Medics and supplies on 12 April and also in June. He is appealing for help in many many ways including fundraising.
Christine – If Dr. Bazza holds another event, you can post his event information on the AI UK blog site so more people might attend. The blog address is http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/. You can also use the UK blog to comment and continue the discussion so that others might know about the violations that took place and feel motivated to act to promote accountability, work to ensure this tragedy doesn't happen again or work to open up the crossings so aid can enter unhindered.
Good luck.
Christine – If Dr. Bazza holds another event, you can post his event information on the AI UK blog site so more people might attend. The blog address is http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/. You can also use the UK blog to comment and continue the discussion so that others might know about the violations that took place and feel motivated to act to promote accountability, work to ensure this tragedy doesn't happen again or work to open up the crossings so aid can enter unhindered.
Good luck.
Christine – If Dr. Bazza holds another event, you can post his event information on the AI UK blog site so more people might attend. The blog address is http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/. You can also use the UK blog to comment and continue the discussion so that others might know about the violations that took place and feel motivated to act to promote accountability, work to ensure this tragedy doesn't happen again or work to open up the crossings so aid can enter unhindered.
Good luck.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=59693097337&ref=mf
This is a facebook link to a talk I attended yesterday. Dr. Bazza a Senior Doctor at Preson Royal Infiirmary, U.K. went to Gaza after the invasion to assist with Doctors there. The images he showed of the consequence of this barbaric invasion will live and haunt me for the rest of my life. His work reveals the war crimes against Gaza with the use of White Phospherous being partictulary lethal and indicriminate. The results of this will be long lasting and devastating.
His images need to be seen and his story needs to be told world wide.
Can Amnesty help with this? Dr Bazza is going to Gaza again with a team of Medics and supplies on 12 April and also in June. He is appealing for help in many many ways including fundraising.
And of course you are calling for similar investigations for example against the United Nations Peacekeeping troops in Eastern Congo who according to doctors Without Borders refused to intervene or assist or in any way prevent the massacre of thousand of civilians who were hacked to death just 2 months ago, in January 2009 in Congo.
What? You mean to say Amnesty International is NOT also calling for an investigation of the UN Peacekeepers refusing to do their duty and prevent civilian slaughter in Congo ? I am shocked, completely shocked. Well not actually. Nothing amnesty can do to show bias against Israel can shock me anymore.
The incidents in Congo Doctors Without Borders documented occurred at exact same time that the Gaza war occurred, and as opposed to the 400 civilians or less that may have been unfortunately died in the Gaza War, up to 5000 civilians were killed at the very same time in Congo under the noses of the UN which refused to assist them.
So why is it? Why does Amnesty International only call for investigations in the case of one conflict on the entire face of the earth, namely the Israel Palestine conflict, when across the globe conflicts that take tens, hundreds, thousands of times as many civilian lives rage on for decades in the case of Congo but you do not call for independent investigations of these conflicts?
Is the answer because you are a rabid anti-Israel organization obsessed with hatred of Israel and you really could not care less about actual civilian casualties in war as you prove by not making the exact same demands for inquiries that you demand against Israel in the cases of so many other conflicts across the world with much higher civilian death tolls.
Christine – If Dr. Bazza holds another event, you can post his event information on the AI UK blog site so more people might attend. The blog address is http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/. You can also use the UK blog to comment and continue the discussion so that others might know about the violations that took place and feel motivated to act to promote accountability, work to ensure this tragedy doesn’t happen again or work to open up the crossings so aid can enter unhindered.
Good luck.
I am from vancouver,canada and i wanted to say that since 1948 israel has got away with genocide against the Palestinian people.The United Nations and the International Criminal Court at the Hague have done nothing about it.The majority of people in the world supports the just struggle of the Palestinian people against the fascist israeli gov.We needs to continue supporting this struggle.Through out history it was the working class of the world that helped oppressed people win their fight against the oppressor.
Stan Squires
And of course you are calling for similar investigations for example against the United Nations Peacekeeping troops in Eastern Congo who according to doctors Without Borders refused to intervene or assist or in any way prevent the massacre of thousand of civilians who were hacked to death just 2 months ago, in January 2009 in Congo.
What? You mean to say Amnesty International is NOT also calling for an investigation of the UN Peacekeepers refusing to do their duty and prevent civilian slaughter in Congo ? I am shocked, completely shocked. Well not actually. Nothing amnesty can do to show bias against Israel can shock me anymore.
The incidents in Congo Doctors Without Borders documented occurred at exact same time that the Gaza war occurred, and as opposed to the 400 civilians or less that may have been unfortunately died in the Gaza War, up to 5000 civilians were killed at the very same time in Congo under the noses of the UN which refused to assist them.
So why is it? Why does Amnesty International only call for investigations in the case of one conflict on the entire face of the earth, namely the Israel Palestine conflict, when across the globe conflicts that take tens, hundreds, thousands of times as many civilian lives rage on for decades in the case of Congo but you do not call for independent investigations of these conflicts?
Is the answer because you are a rabid anti-Israel organization obsessed with hatred of Israel and you really could not care less about actual civilian casualties in war as you prove by not making the exact same demands for inquiries that you demand against Israel in the cases of so many other conflicts across the world with much higher civilian death tolls.
I am from vancouver,canada and i wanted to say that since 1948 israel has got away with genocide against the Palestinian people.The United Nations and the International Criminal Court at the Hague have done nothing about it.The majority of people in the world supports the just struggle of the Palestinian people against the fascist israeli gov.We needs to continue supporting this struggle.Through out history it was the working class of the world that helped oppressed people win their fight against the oppressor.
Stan Squires
Judo,
The difference between you and Stan:
Stan apologized for it.
And you, instead, support continuing to kill the natives.
Stop the hate!
Judo,
The difference between you and Stan:
Stan apologized for it.
And you, instead, support continuing to kill the natives.
Stop the hate!