A Knesset session held July 11th caught little media attention. On Wednesday Ariel Sharon's disengagement strategy came to completion. By being legally determined a "foreign entity," the Gaza Strip is no longer Israel's responsibility.
The passed bill reads as follows,
"Today, when Israeli communities cease to exist in the Gaza area, any Israeli activity in this area is a defensive activity in every sense of the word. In that case, there is no room for damage lawsuits from people who are residents of an entity which is not the State of Israel, all the more so from residents of an entity which sponsors actions against the State of Israel."
The issue being raised at this Knesset session was whether Israel would be liable by law to compensate Palestinians for damages that occur during IDF incursions into Gaza. Yet, what is really at stake is whether Israel is historically responsible for the Gaza Strip as a territory it occupies. Immediately after Israel's disengagement from Gaza in October of 2005 an attempt was made to divest itself of its legal role over a territory it occupies. In December 2006 the Israeli high Court overruled a Knesset law that would prevent the state from bearing any responsibility for Palestinian damages accrued during Israeli attacks. Today this overruling was overruled.
In 1948 Israel forced over 200,000 Palestinian refugees to flee to the Gaza Strip. Since that day it has tried to strip itself of any responsibility for these refugees and their descendants. This week that dream seems to have come true and Hamas' military takeover has served as perfect justification. One wonders what Israel has stood to gain from recent events in Gaza. What exactly did Fatah warlord Mohamed Dahlan mean when he spoke of Hamas falling "into a trap?" Who set the trap?
3 comments:
Interesting report on Israel's legalization/washing their hands of accountability despite the reality.
Regarding Dahlan's claims about Hamas "falling into a trap" this seems disingenuous. It seems that Abbas has been consistent. As documented in Jimmy Carter's book, Hamas tried repeatedly to form a unity government with Fatah following their electoral victory. Abbas refused then and ever since. It seems the pressure should be Abbas to reverse his policy which has led to the impasse. It is ironic that this man and his entourage are happy to negotiate with the Occupiers but refuse to negotiate with Hamas.
- Rick
www.rickinpalestin.blogspot.com
In 1948 invading Arab armies waged war on the nascent state of Israel, and due to various reasons over 200,000 Palestinian refugees fled to the Gaza Strip.
Since that day the Arabs have tried to strip themselves of any responsibility for these (actual)200 000 refugees and their non-refugee descendants.
Israel meanwhile, has built a modern pluralistic democratic state that incorporated the 800 000 plus Jewish refugees forced or driven out of their Arab homelands after the Arab defeat in 48'.
The Palestinians however, in spite of being the beneficiaries of international aid for over 55 years, have nothing to show for it, in spite of receiving $400 US aid dollars per person, while most Africans receive about $40.
They cry, kvetch and complain about their victimhood, while their leaders live rather well, sending their sons and daughters to live abroad, while hiding hundreds of millions in of shore bank accounts.
Yeah, according to the mindset represented on this blog, its all the Jews fault for everything that happens to the Palestinians, right down to the boils and bumps Yasser Arafat had from his AIDS.
People generally tend to ignore the fact that Israel has let hundreds of thousands of the Arabs who fled out of fear return to their homes: details.
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