When United States legalises theft of Palestinian lands
On Monday 18th November to the world dismay (at least to the great majority of citizens of the blue planet who cares for justice & peace) the hawkish secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced: “After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees (the) establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se, inconsistent with international law!
The Trump administration has reversed the unanimous opinion of the State department which stated as far back as 1978 that the Jewish settlements were “inconsistent with international law!
The United Nations Security Council has in a plethora of resolutions declared that the Israeli settlements are illegal under established international law. Why? Because Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they violate the fourth Geneva Convention. What is the Fourth Geneva Convention? The Geneva Convention in relation to the protection of civilians in time of war, commonly referred as the fourth Convention is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions which were adopted four years after the end of the Second World War i.e 1949.
For example article 47 of the fourth Geneva Convention states:
“Protected persons who are in occupied territory shall not be deprived, in any case or in any manner whatsoever, of the benefits of the present Convention by any change introduced, as the result of the occupation of a territory, into the institutions or government of the said territory, nor by any agreement concluded between the authorities of the occupied territories and the occupying power, nor by any annexation by the latter of the whole or part of the occupied territory”. The Convention is also very clear that the OCCUPYING power (Israel) can’t transfer its population to the area it occupies.
Is it a surprise? No !
It is the objective of the Zionists in America, Israel and elsewhere (see Sunday Times 17th November Pray For Them) to build the great Israel. Trump and his administration have been systematic:
- In 2017 Trump recognised Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel.
- In 2018 with great pomp the US formally opened an embassy in Jerusalem which went against the established principle of Justice. Even the Bush (father and son ) to leave status of Jerusalem as something which has to be thrashed out by Israel and Palestine (to a lesser degree with the Jordanians) when they resolve the “Crisis”…
- In 2018 the United States announced the brutal slashing of its contributions to the UN RRELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY i.e the United Nations Agency which deals with Palestinian refugees…
- In march 2019 Trump recognised Israel’s 1981 annexation of the occupied Golan Heights. Why did Trump do that? The narrow issue was to give an electoral boost to his staunch ally, Benjamin Netanyahu but the wider issue is to support every move that goes along the foundation of Greater Israel. And the timing was right as Syria is mired in a civil war and can’t react to the loss of the strategic land.
Have we forgotten that all the major actors of the politics of Israel have pledged in the last electoral campaign to annex large parts of the West Bank?
Was the move of Trump applauded only by Netanyahu?Of course not!
Gantz also applauded. He tweeted:
“I applaud the US government for its important statement once again demonstrating its firm stance with Israel and to its commitment to the security of the Middle-East. The fate of the settlements should be determined by agreements that meet security requirements and promote peace.”
But the voice of reason and peace came from US SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS who tweeted “Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal. This is clear from international law and multiple United Nations resolutions. Once again, Mr Trump is isolating the UNITED STATES and undermining diplomacy by pandering to his extremist base!
Pandering to his extremist base! How true ! the European Union said that it continued to believe that Israeli settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory was illegal under international law and eroded prospects for lasting peace different United Nations agencies also voiced out that the decision is contrary to international law.
Keneth Roth, the executive director of HUMAN RIGHTS Watch rightly, in my humble opinion, tweeted:
“Pompeo’s fictional statement changes nothing. Trump can’t wipe away with this announcement decades of established international law that Israel’s settlements are a war crime war crime”!
War crimes are defined in the statute that established the INTERNAITONAL CRIMINAL COURT which includes serious breaches of the GENEVA CONVENTIONS such as: Wilful killing or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, torture, inhumane treatment.
We must not forget also that on 9th july the INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (ICJ) not to be confused with ICC, (like in the case of Diego Garcia) settles or purports to settle arguments between countries but the ICC punishes people and was created at the beginning of this century i.e on 1st july 2002) stated in its advisory opinion that Israel’s construction of the separation wall and EXPANSION OF THE SETTLEMENTS are illegally altering the composition of the OPT and thus severely impede the Palestinians ability to exercise their right to self determination.” The dicta came from Rupert Colville spokesperson for United Nations Human Rights office.
And do you know?
- 600,000 Israelis are now living in the occupied West Bank including occupied East Jerusalem
- And three million Palestinians live there in utter poverty because of the policies of Israel.
- Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the fast tracking of a proposed law to annex the Jordan Valley territory which Israel is already occupying…
- All these things are happening now. Before your eyes…
RAMA VALAYDEN
