by Arjan El Fassed
Dear Editor, CNN Interactive,
I noticed on your site that CNN Interactive is not sure about Israel's occupation of Palestinian land. In your report you stated "what they see as Israel's occupation of their land" (October 17, 2000).
http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/10/17/mideast.summit.04/index.html
Not only terms the United Nations Israel as "the occupying Power" (UNSC 1322, October 2000) also the Israeli Supreme Court sitting as a High Court of Justice, considered the Hague Convention to be fully applicable to the occupied Palestinian territories and that Israel is bound by its provisions as a belligerent occupant.
Since Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the wake of the 1967 war, the international community continues to consider Israel as the occupying power of these territories. CNN used to write captions such as "occupied Westbank" when it reported in the early 90s, however after the signing of the Oslo Accord, it seems that CNN has wrongly suggested that the territories are not occupied.
Both Meir Shamgar, the former President of the Supreme Court of Israel and Professor David Kretzmer of the Hebrew University, believe that the Fourth Geneva Convention continues to apply and that Israel remains ultimately the belligerent occupant.
The international community regard the Gaza, Westbank including Jerusalem, occupied by Israel as a result of the 1967-war and as such, subject to provisions of both the Hague Regulations of 1907 and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 (see UNSC 242, 338, UN Doc. S/INF/29). The Israeli annexation of Jerusalem following its occupation was also declared illegal by the international community (see UNSC 465, 904).
Since the Oslo "peace process" did not end the Israeli occupation, the Westbank and Gazastrip including Jerusalem cannot but be termed as occupied territories until that occupation comes to an end. Therefore, to uphold CNN's status as a non-partisan news source, CNN must add "occupied" in front of any caption that includes "the Westbank", "Gaza" or "Jerusalem". Please let me know about the steps CNN takes in this respect.
Sincerely,
Arjan El Fassed
Palestine Right of Return Coalition
Europe
by Arjan El Fassed
Dear editor,
I was shocked to read L. Ian McDonald's "Missed Opportunity" (Montreal Gazette, 16/10/2000) in which he opposes UN resolution 1322 (National Post, 10/10/2000) in which the international community raises its concern about the use of excessive force against the Palestinian population, including the indiscriminate use of automatic weapons, exploding bullets, helicopter gunships, tanks and rockets.
For Mr. McDonald there is obviously no place on this world for Palestinian children. Probably Mr. McDonald wishes that Palestinians did not exist. Didn't he saw how the Israeli's shot and killed little Mohammed, two-year old Sarah and 18-months year old Rania?
What happens when the Montreal Gazette readers discover that your good friend Israel is killing children? What happens when your readers know about the brutal occupation? What happens when they discover that Mr. McDonald's good friend Israel is committing crimes against humanity and war crimes? What happens if your readers see images of a Palestinian beaten with clubs and burned to death by Israeli settlers? What happens if your readers hear the sounds of live ammunition coming from Israeli guns killing more than hundred, wounding thousands? What happens if your readers discover that the Canadian government sustains these excessive actions by Israel by not having Israel comply with international law and human rights.
Do you believe in the sanctity of life?
Yours,
Arjan El Fassed De Bilt, The Netherlands
Secretary General Dr. Esmat Abdel-Meguid League of Arab States
Al Tahrir Square, P.O. Box 11642, Cairo, Egypt
Telephone: +20-2-575-0511, +20-2-575-2966
Facsimile: +20-2-574-0331
Subject: Emergency Arab Summit on Al-Aqsa Intifada
Dear Dr. Abdel-Meguid:
On behalf of the martyr's of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, please accept the following
text to be included in the preamble of the final communiqué to your upcoming
Emergency Arab Summit:
1.That the rule of Palestine should revert to its inhabitants, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and that the Palestinians should alone have the right to determine their future.
2.This state of affairs is threatening to spread to the neighboring Arab countries, where feeling is running high because of the events in Palestine. The Governments of the Member States of the Arab League and the United Nations are exceedingly worried and deeply concerned about this state of affairs.
3.The Governments of the Member States of the Arab League and the United Nations had hoped that the United Nations would have succeeded in finding a peaceful and just solution of the problem of Palestine, in accordance with democratic principles and the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, so that peace, security and prosperity would prevail in this part of the world.
4.The Governments of the Arab States, as members of the Arab League, a regional organization within the meaning of the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, are responsible for maintaining peace and security in their area. These Governments view the events taking place in Palestine as a threat to peace and security in the area as a whole and also in each of them taken separately.
5.Therefore, as security in Palestine is a sacred trust in the hands of the Arab States, and in order to put an end to this state of affairs and to prevent it from becoming aggravated or from turning into a state of chaos, the extent of which no one can foretell; and in order to stop the spreading of disturbances and disorder in Palestine to the neighboring Arab countries; the Governments of the Arab States have found themselves compelled to intervene in Palestine solely in order to help its inhabitants restore peace and security and the rule of justice and law to their country, and in order to prevent bloodshed.
6.The Governments of the Arab States recognize that the independence of Palestine, which has so far been suppressed by Israel, has become an accomplished fact for the lawful inhabitants of Palestine. They alone should exercise the attributes of their independence, through their own means and without any kind of foreign interference. The governments of the Arab States emphasize, on this occasion, what they have already declared before the United Nations, that the only solution of the Palestine problem is the establishment of a Palestinian State, in accordance with democratic principles, whereby its inhabitants will enjoy complete equality before the law, and whereby minorities will be assured of all the guarantees recognized in democratic constitutional countries and whereby the holy places will be preserved and the rights of access thereto guaranteed.
7.The Arab States most emphatically declare that their intended intervention in Palestine is due only to these considerations and objectives, and that they aim at nothing more than to put an end to the prevailing conditions in Palestine. For this reason, they have great confidence that their action will have the support of the United Nations; that it will be considered as an action aiming at the realization of its aims and at promoting its principles, as provided for in its Charter.
Dr. Abdel-Meguid, with the above preamble text already drafted, we hope that all of your time and efforts at the upcoming Emergency Summit will be focused on the necessary actions required to establish an independent State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital and securing the legitimate rights of all Palestinians as stipulated in numerous UN resolutions and International Law.
Lastly, given our brethren in Palestine, and that Arab World in its entirety, are still mourning, among others, martyrs Mohammed Aldura, 12 years old, and Sara Abdel Haq, 1-1/2 years old, both who were murdered in cold blood last week, we did not have the ability to imagine new text. Thus, each and every item listed above is nearly verbatim, from your past meetings/statements - - preciously from the Statement by the Arab League States Following the Establishment of the State of Israel 15 May 1948. With all due respect, and given the seriousness of the moment, we only ask you to take real action - if not for the sake of Mohammed and Sara, then for the sake of the rest of the children of Palestine and the Arab World who are still yearning for a normal childhood, free from occupation, poverty, and repression.
In struggle, __________________________________ __________________________________ Signature Country
The Temple Mount Faithful, an extremist Jewish group committed to destroying the Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock at the Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem has announced its intention to march on the Haram on Monday and "lay the cornerstone" for a Third Jewish Temple. The seriousness of this threat cannot be overstated.
If Israel does not prevent this action, as it is required to do as an Occupying Power, it will solely bear the consequences,which could be disastrous for everyone in the region. The Temple Mount faithful connived with the Netanyahu government in 1996 to open a tunnel under the Al-Aqsa in 1996, sparking clashes which killed over 60 Palestinians and 15 Israeli occupation soldiers.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 271 of September 15, 1969 passed in the wake of an arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque by a pro-Jewish fanatic stated that, " that any act of destruction or profanation of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in Jerusalem or any encouragement of, or connivance at, any such act may seriously endanger international peace and security," and condemned the failure of Israel to protect the Holy Places as it is bound to do under the Geneva Conventions.
The group claims that "The event has the approval of the Israeli authorities and will be protected by the Israel security forces." If Israel does act to prevent this, will they use live ammunition and rockets against Jews, as they insist they must against Palestinians, or are such measures only for Arabs? Below, for reference, I have included the full text of the Temple Mount Faithful Statement, and the text of UN Resolution 271.
Ali Abunimah
ali@abunimah http://www.abunimah.org
The Temple Mount and Land of Israel
Faithful Movement
Jochanan Horkanos
4, P.O.Box 18325 Jerusalem, Israel
Tel:
6251112 Tel/fax 6251113
You are invited to march with The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement to the Temple Mount and participate in the ceremony of the anointing of the cornerstone for the Third Temple. We shall march from the Temple Mount to the City of King David where the ceremony of the anointing will take place. Then we shall march to the Pool of Siloam for the ceremony of the Pouring of the Water will take place as it was done in Biblical times. The marble cornerstone, untouched by iron, weighing four and a half tons, will be carried on a flat-bed truck, covered with Israeli flags together with the reconstructed vessels for the Third Temple, a priest in the original garments, and Levites who will play music. This historical event will take place on Monday 16th October 2000, the third day of Sukkoth, at 09:00 AM. We shall meet at the Western Wall plaza close to the western (Mugrabi) gate of the Temple Mount. The event has the approval of the Israeli authorities and will be protected by the Israel security forces. Israel, the Chosen People of G-d, is now living in the most exciting time in their history. These are the godly, prophetic end-times and G-d is redeeming the people of Israel. The biggest dream and vision of the G-d and people of Israel is becoming a reality in the great time in which we are living in the sight of all nations.
Dear Mr. Annan,
I have been following with interest your intense activities in the Middle East. Like many people, I welcomed your involvement. Now, however, I find myself confused as to what your goals are.
We are hearing reports that you had lately brokered a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian "security" officials to be chaired by the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Is this now the role of the United Nations?
Last week, the Security Council passed Resolution 1322, which, "Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and its responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949."
And yet, Israel has continued its flagrant violation of this convention, and continues to use its armed forces against the civilian population in the occupied territories.
We have not heard from you what steps you intend to take to implement this Resolution, nor the countless other Resolutions protecting the Palestinian people against their occupier, which sit gathering dust in UN files.
Mr. Annan, there is an occupation which must end. The Security Council has said so. It is your role to seek an end to the occupation, not to arrange meetings between "security" officials in order to make the occupation more pleasant for the occupier.
There are many people in the Middle East who are surprised that you have been rushing from capital to capital to secure the release of three Israeli soldiers taken prisoner in Lebanon. They ask themselves why dozens of Lebanese prisoners, and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held for long years in Israel did not motivate you to seek their release.
They wonder why you have allowed yourself, and the United Nations whose lofty Charter gives hope to millions, to be reduced to nothing more than a Federal Express service for the Americans.
As I am sure you are aware, the United States has for years excluded you, and the whole international community from any role in the Middle East, because they claimed that they alone know how to make peace. Because they supported only the strong, sidelined justice, scorned international law, and ignored the suffering and pleas of the Palestinian people, we have arrived at this ugly place.
They send you in when they have failed, so that you can take the blame. I hope you will find your courage to go back to New York and stand before the world. Tell them what you know: occupation does not bring peace. Human rights abuses do not bring security. And meetings with the CIA are not a substitute for international law.
Sincerely, Ali Abunimah http://www.abunimah.org
Mr. Hanna,
Your biased reporting is totally unjustified! Why has it become a "matter of fact" that the two Israeli soldiers "strayed" into PA territory. Who gave you or CNN the right to make this decision? BASIC reporting dictates that you should give the facts to your viewers and not make the decision for them. Your version of the story is that of the Israeli Government, which you very well know is a master in deception and in twisting facts.
Further more, why did you give the mob killing by two soldiers so much coverage and media attention? Why didn't you do the same about the Palestinian who was murdered pretty much the same way only a few days ago by Israeli settlers? Why didn't you make reference to that murder in your reports?
Sir, the death of the two soldiers was mob action. The death of the majority of the Palestinians during the past two weeks is a systematic "execution" following an official State policy for a people under siege. This is atrocious and unacceptable under any international law or by any civilized society. Why do you choose not to highlight this fact in your reporting?
Please act according to your professional code of ethics and stop your biased reporting Marwan Tarazi, Jerusalem