Israeli Human Rights Group: IDF Isn’t Enforcing Law on Troops in West Bank, Gaza
Since the outbreak of the second intifada in September 2000, the Israel Defense Forces has initiated investigations in 1,091 cases against IDF soldiers suspected of criminal activity against Palestinians or their property. Of these cases, only 118 resulted in indictments, according to army statistics recently released to the Yesh Din human rights organization.
According to the same statistics, released following a request from Yesh Din, during the first seven years of the intifada, 239 Military Police investigations, 22 percent of the total, were initiated in cases involving the injury or killing of Palestinians.
Over the same period, the B’tselem human rights organization maintains that more than 2,000 Palestinian civilians were killed. The IDF’s figures for the number of Palestinian civilians killed is much lower, but they too acknowledge that during those years, more than 1,000 “bystanders” were killed.
Advertisement
The Military Advocate General’s office altered its investigations policy in the territories during the first few weeks of the outbreak of the intifada, which very quickly escalated into broad fighting. Instead of investigating every single Palestinian death, a decision was made by the MAG to investigate only the cases in which there was suspicion that civilians were harmed without justification.
For example, investigations are currently initiated in (the relatively few) cases involving the death of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank as a result of IDF shooting.
However, in the cases when innocents are harmed during assassinations carried out from the air in the Gaza Strip, there is almost never an investigation.
A number of human rights organizations have petitioned the High Court of Justice demanding that the IDF be required to initiate a criminal investigation in every instance in which a civilian is killed. The justices have still not offered a ruling on the petition filed four years ago.
Of the investigations initiated, 427, some 39 percent, were opened because there was suspicion of violence - not involving gunfire. Some 308 investigations (28 percent), involved cases of suspected violations against Palestinian property in the territories.
A total of 117 other investigations, about 11 percent, are described as “other,” a category which involves the illegal use of firearms, which did not cause injuries, accepting bribes, unbecoming conduct, and so on.
The number of indictments resulting from these investigation is very low. The IDF does not specify how many cases were closed because the investigators concluded that the suspects commited no felony, and how many were closed because those responsible were not found or that there was insufficient evidence against the suspects.
Only in 30 cases, involving the killing or wounding of Palestinians, were indictments filed. Of these, only one has been filed since January 2005.
In 16 cases the suspects were convicted - the percentage of guilty verdicts in cases where charges were filed for violence being much higher than other cases.
Yesh Din described the picture that emerges from the data as “depressing,” suggesting a failure to enforce the law on soldiers operating in territories. The human rights group says this is all the more evident when the numbers of Palestinian civilians killed during the intifada is taken into account.
The group says that the IDF has an obligation to protect civilians who are not involved in the fighting but that the data shows that the army is evading its responsibility.
© 2007 Haaretz
A terrorist govt is not going to prosecute their terrorists….
…and what happens when 1000 Israelis are killed by Palestinians?
…not and investigation, but an onslaught.
What happens when a handful of Israeli soldiers are captured by Lebanese?
An entire country is decimated.
Military Occupation dehumanizes the occupied as well as the occupiers.
The following is ONLY an excerpt from a 12/13/07 Report by PCHR:
When we think of crimes against humanity, we must be aware that governments and governmental groups can be more dangerous than individuals in this regard. Governments have the most power to inflict harm and are most likely to be recidivist. This kind of terrorism is the most dangerous brand.
Extrajudicial killing or physical liquidation is the most prevalent practice of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against the Palestinians.
It reveals the immoral nature of the Israeli government.
More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in extrajudicial killings since 2000.
Extrajudicial execution is a policy which is not new or exclusively used since 2000.
…Extrajudicial executions or “targeted killing” (as Israeli politicians like to define the practice), is clear evidence of state terrorism.
It is execution without trial.
It is a policy of killing outside the boundaries of any legal framework.
…The Israeli government has built its policy of extrajudicial executions on a specific understanding of the political situation.
It means they [Israeli govt. has] hidden objectives other than their claim of combating Palestinian terror.
They are trying to exploit the general international atmosphere of combating terrorism and depict the Palestinian activists as terrorists.
…The killing of civilians, and those who are involved with the Palestinian resistance, without trial, is amoral and an affront to any just legal system. Sadly, these crimes have been openly endorsed by many Israeli leaders.
…According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), the IOF killed 603 Palestinians during these crimes. Statistically, the victims of this policy constitute 20 percent of the entire intifada’s Palestinian fatalities. They are classified as follows:
* Extrajudicial killings produced 603 victims total.
* Three-hundred-and-nineteen of the victims were intentionally targeted by the IOF.
* Two-hundred-and-twelve were civilians and passersby unintentionally killed in the process. They constitute 35 percent of all victims.
* Sixty-eight children were among the victims. Presumably, they were also unintentionally killed during the execution of these crimes, whether they were playing in the streets, passing by, or with their families in targeted houses or vehicles.
…Israel’s stubborn insistence to continue this policy of killing and to continue intimidating Palestinian civilians in this way is a grave violation of international human rights law.
Full Report:
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9160.shtml
Public Service Message to USA from:
Eileen Fleming, Reporter and Editor
Http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author “Keep Hope Alive” and “Memoirs of a Nice Irish American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory”
Producer “30 Minutes With Vanunu”
More Truth:
119 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 971 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.
1,027 Israelis and at least 4,345 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000.
7,633 Israelis and 31,531 Palestinians have been injured since September 29, 2000.
Every day, the U.S gives more than $7,023,288 to the Israeli government and military -and at least $108 billion since 1948-but provides nothing to the Palestinians.
Israel has been targeted by at least 65 UN resolutions and the Palestinians have been targeted by none.
0 Israeli homes have been demolished by Palestinians and 4,170 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel since September 29, 2000.
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/
Another Public Service Message to America from:
e
Http://www.wearewideawake.org/
“…a decision was made by the MAG to investigate only the cases in which there was suspicion that civilians were harmed without justification.”
As opposed to the civilians harmed WITH justification?
A light unto the world? What a joke.
Bravo COMMON DREAMS for publishing this article from Ha’aretz! They usually tell it like it is. Hope you’ll publish more of their articles and edtorials because the big media in the US have been screening out what the Palestinians are enduring, at the hands of the IDF and with generous support from American taxpayers!!!!
Not to mention the neo-cons adopting some of the deplorable tactics practiced by the IDF, no doubt they exchange “recipes” for shooting “militants” from the skies above and locking people up without trial. Even Sharon admitted they keep some Palestinians in jail to serve as bargaining chips. From there to Guantanamo it’s not very far, is it?
Thousands of years of being on the receivning end of prejudice and abuse, unfortunately for the Palestinians, they are the target for Israel’s cathartic venting! The weak skinny kid has grown up into a monster! The cruelty being displayed by Israel is horrible - one can see karmic bad times ahead.
You said it Southern Cross. It makes me wonder what would happen to this ‘mighty’ IDF if a real, well funded, well trained, well fed army were to decide to run amok in the ‘holy land’?
I bet they would want peace then…..
It’s been said that these people are amongst the smartest in the world..funny how they can’t seem to figure out how to make peace, or define their borders, or make a straight ’security’ wall, or even figure out why the hell the whole world’s getting tired of their shit.
Well, when you follow a dumb ass religion that tells you that God deems you better, and more worthy than 7 billion other people in the world that are not of your ‘race’, well, you’re gonna knock heads with people from time to time….
The time will come when Israel just won’t be worth the time or effort to maintain anymore. It’s just a damn shame that Jews that just want to live their lives in peace will go down with them-and that’s exactly what will sadly happen. Israel still is the weak, skinny kid…go out and fight a real war for once.