Understanding the War on Gaza: Israel and International Law - 2/2

Violations of International Law

The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip violate important tenants of international humanitarian law, including violations of the Geneva Conventions. The violations include both obligations of an Occupying Power to protect an Occupied Population, and the broader requirements of the laws of war that prohibit specific acts. The violations start with collective punishment - the entire 1.5 million people who live in the Gaza Strip are being punished for the actions of a few militants.

Israel's claim that it is "responding to" or "retaliating for" Palestinian rocket attacks is spurious. The rocket fire as currently used is indeed illegal - Palestinians, like any people living under a hostile military occupation, have the right to resist, including the use of military force against the occupation. But that right does not include targeting civilians. The rockets used so far are unable to be aimed with any specificity, so they are in fact aimed at the civilians who live in the Israeli cities and towns, and so are illegal. The rocket fire against civilians should be ended - as many Palestinians believe, because it does not help end the occupation, but also because it is illegal under international law. However, that rocket fire, illegal or not, does not give Israel the right to punish the entire population for those actions. Such vengeance is the very essence of "collective punishment" and is therefore unequivocally prohibited by the Geneva conventions.

Another Israeli violation involves targeting civilians. This violation involves three aspects. First, Israel claims the airstrikes were targeted directly at "Hamas-controlled" security-related institutions. Since the majority Hamas party controls the government in Gaza, virtually all the police departments and other security-related sites were hit. Those police and security agencies are civilian targets - not military. They are run by the Hamas-led government in Gaza, an institution completely separate from Gaza's military wing that has carried out some (though by no means the majority) of the rocket attacks. Second, some of the attacks directly struck incontestably civilian targets: a plastics factory, a local television broadcasting center. And third, the incredibly crowded conditions in Gaza, one of the most densely populated sites in the world, mean that civilian casualties on a huge scale were an inevitable and predictable result. Such targeting of civilian areas is illegal.

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[WhatchuWant1987]

FUCK ISRAEL

MURDERERS

[3aloushable]

NoamTube, please save yourself the embarassement, and dont reply. AND IF YOU DO, WRITE IT ALL, NOT JUST THE FRAGMENTS TWISTING REALITY TO PROOVE A NON EXISTING POINT. Be warned, I have no patience wasting time correcting your ignorence, if your next post is as STUPID and POINTLESS as the previous ones, you'l know because I wont reply. Live long, and LEARN ALOT.

[3aloushable]

NoamTube, here's the thing you omit, a fundamental fact that make what you are saying seems as if it was a form of discrimination against Jews. Muslims also payd taxes, it was called Zakat, and unlike Jizya, it wasent only on trade, it was on property, cattle, trade and produce. And a muslim could not decide not to join the army, where as the non muslim could. If thats not satisfactory, perhaps the world on a silver platter would have made the jews happier, I dont know!

[3aloushable]

NoamTube, like I was saying, Jizya, 10% tax by the empire, only on traded goods. Women and children were not taxed, along with the poor and some others I dont remember. And if I'm not mistaking I believe if the person joined the army they were exempt of taxes regardless of religion. The protection you denie was against crusaders, and pegan people.

[3aloushable]

NoamTube, you talk of things you dont understand, or only understand part of and interprete it to your liking. Jizya was a 10% tax payd by non muslims living under muslim rule, true. But you are wrong when you say Jews needed protection from muslims, it dosent make any sense, why the hell would you live in a muslim empire, and pay taxes on top of that knowing those people you are paying taxes to are seeking to kill you, it dosent take a genious to make sense of that, it makes no sense.

[NoamTube]

@3aloushable You are correct that not all Arabs are Muslim. I have a habit of using those in an incorrect relation. As for Jews, Muslims and Christians living there in peace? Here's where things get a little off. Muslims only lived in peace with other religions when those other religions lived under a status of Dhimmi and paid a Jizyha. Now before you say they were protected, ye they were, from the Muslims. And yes, they do want it to be a Muslim land only, as they want every land to be.

[3aloushable]

NoamTube, btw, In regards to being Holy Ground for all 3 religions, I'l correct you again. Arabs dont want it to be a Muslim land like you claim, and to correct your ignorence, being an Arab does not make you a muslim, there are arab jews, and arab christians as well. Jews, Christians and Muslims lived there in peace and mutual respect before Israel was created.

Man, seriously, the only history that has been warped over time is yours, DO post a reply so I can throw other facts in you face!

[3aloushable]

NoamTube, first, those Cannanites you refer to are not palastinians, and yes they were nomads. They lived along Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, Hittites, and PHILISTINES. Sounds familiar???? Non nomad ancestrial Palastinians. But all this is not even relevant because you are going back, way back. The first reference to Cannanites in books dates to arround 2300 B.C. Before any jewish religion was even practices, not to 1948, when Israel was created. PHILISTINES were there befor judaism existed.

[NoamTube]

@3aloushable btw, In regards to it being Holy Ground for all 3 religions, tell that to the Arabs. Last I checked they wanted Israel to give up all of Jerusalem because Arabs don't recognize other religions there. They want that ground to be purely Muslim. Don't forget to leave that tidbit out. Christians share the land with the Jews just fine while Arabs want it all to themselves.

[NoamTube]

@3aloushable It wasn't until 1948 that the term Palestinian became synonymous with the nomadic Canaanites who were given a home next to Israel. And how did these nomads repay everyone for getting a place to live? By teaming up with other Arab countries and trying to destroy Israel. Ye I think I'll try to argue with you...man. I'm familiar with the stock arguments you've learned and the warped history you've been fed. So by all means teach us your lessons and I'll correct you as we move along