Kudos to the delegation of Swiss parliamentarians who are visiting Gaza at the invitation of the duly elected Palestinian legislative Council.
That Maan news report also notes that Switzerland was,
- the only European country to support the draft UN resolution from the Human Rights Council that condemned Israel’s “grave human rights violations in the Palestinian territories.”
The delegation reinforced their earlier stance during their visit, saying what they saw was evidence of war crimes.
On the assassination of de facto Minister of the Interior Sa’id Siyam, the delegation noted the illegality of assassination for political purposes under international law. They further condemned the assaults on the members of PLC, including the continued detention of PLC speaker Aziz Dweik.
On arriving to Gaza the delegation was received by PLC member Ismail Al-Ashqar of Hamas, and Head of the Committee of Security and Internal affairs in the PLC Salem Salamah. The Gazan leaders expressed their discontent over Europe’s silence over the Gaza war, adding that it “gave Israeli the justification to continue its destruction and war against the Palestinians.”
He demanded the Swiss and European parliaments pressure the international court to ensure Israeli war criminals are brought to a speedy trial.
I have thought for a while now that Switzerland, Norway, and Turkey are three countries well positioned to try to open good channels of communication with Hamas. (Qatar, China, and Russia could also provide valuable help in this.)
Those of us around the world who support national self-determination for oppressed, colonized, and occupied peoples, and the respect of democratic principles need to focus centrally on these values in the weeks and months ahead. While it is good for human-rights organizations to focus on Israel’s war crimes, I worry there’s a chance that too much energy will be expended in that essentially bacward-looking task rather than on the broader, forward-looking task of doing all the political things that are necessary to secure a final peace agreement between israel and all its neighbors within the shortest time possible.
At the end of the day, it is only a final peace agreement that includes ending the occupation(s) and the Palestinians winning their true national independence that can assure the ending of this situation of occupation and control by a despotic foreign military power. If the occupation isn’t ended and a final peace secured, then the tragedies and atrocities of the past months will be followed by repeat performances as sure as night follows day.
Anyway, even though there is currently a situation of fragile ceasefire, this is still a situation in which the rights of the Palestinians– in Gaza, in the West Bank, and those in exile– are being significantly abused on a major and continuing basis.
End the occupation! Secure the final peace!
It strikes me that this sounds an awful lot like Obama’s wanting to look forward. What about the rule of law, without which any future deal would crumble? International law must be respected by our own country as well as Israel. Those who take their country in violation of law should suffer the consequences. Just as Bush took Nixon’s extremes to another extreme, future leaders will do the same against the Palestinian people.
Well,
Bringing the Israelians to trial is not only looking backward. It is also looking forward : if the Israelians are condemned for their crimes, they will have to pay compensations to Gaza people and to give money for reconstruction. Just to see the Israelians destroy government buildings and the like.
Switzerland for instance had financed a statistical office and helped the PA to put up statistics in the West Bank. But when Sharon put Arafat under siege in Ramallah, they bombed different places including buildings. of the PA.
If the Israelians are condemned and have to finance the reconstruction, perhaps that they will think twice before destroying the few structures of government existing in Gaza and the Westbank.
The Israelians are still sueing German firms in order to receive compensations.. but what about the damages they are doing to the Palestinians..
Good points, yes. But when the harm is still massively ongoing, I think the highest priority should go to ending the harming, and once that’s been achieved people can spend more time looking back. It’s a question of where you focus your energies. Certainly, documenting the harm caused is very important. But if we’re talking about expending political energies, I’d say they should go first of all to ending the occupation by securing the peace agreement, and after that there can be continuing efforts to secure accountability for past misdeeds.
Sorry,
I’m on my laptop and have problems with the pointing device. Here is the correct text :
Well,
Bringing the Israelians to trial is not only looking backward. It is also looking forward : if the Israelians are condemned for their crimes, they will have to pay compensations to Gaza people and to give money for reconstruction. The EU and Switzerland have contributed a lot to help the Palestinian Authoriry after the OSlo accord. But we are stuffed to help the Palestinians to build their government and then just watch the Israelians destroy what we have helped building.
Switzerland for instance had financed a statistical office and helped the PA to put up a census in the West Bank, we had equipped the statistical office with computers and the kind of equipment needed for statistical work. But when Sharon put Arafat under siege in Ramallah, they bombed different places including the buildings of the census bureau.
If the Israelians are condemned and have to finance the reconstruction of Gaza, perhaps that they will think twice before destroying the few PA government structures existing in Gaza and the Westbank.
Concerning the visit of the Swiss parlementarians in Gaza, there is a short TV footage of them in Gaza (French). One was from the ecologist (green) party, the other from the worker’s party (former Communist party, who renounced to revolution) and another from the Socialist party (which is represented at the Swiss government); the footage doesnt’ show the fourth member, so I don’t know of which party he was. The report however mentions that they were all there privately (not in an official mission).