Amnesty calls for arms embargo against Israel
The 'human rights' organization Amnesty International has called for an arms embargo against Israel that would leave the Jewish state unable to defend itself against 'Palestinian' terrorism."As the major supplier of weapons to Israel, the USA has a particular obligation to stop any supply that contributes to gross violations of the laws of war and of human rights. The Obama administration should immediately suspend US military aid to Israel," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty's Middle East director.Israel's Foreign Ministry slammed the report.
He also called on the "UN Security Council to impose an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups."
The London-based group, which operates in 150 countries, targeted both Israel and Hamas in the 38-page report it issued late Sunday night.
But the bulk of the text detailed Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza and US culpability for Israel's 22-day military operation in the Gaza Strip. Amnesty has been highly critical of Israel in past reports.
Israel's Foreign Ministry fired back Monday morning with a statement saying the report "presents a biased version of the events" of the recent counterterrorist Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, noting that the report neglected to mention the 10,000 rockets and mortars fired at Israel over the last eight years.Israel's NGO Media Monitor also slammed Amnesty.
Moreover, asserted the ministry, the report "does not adhere to professional criteria and objectivity," noting that there was no mention in the organization's report of Hamas's open and deliberate use of civilians as human shields. "Hamas openly and in an organized fashion uses women and children to protect military targets, and booby-trap homes and public buildings," read the statement. "The IDF never intentionally targeted civilians," it pointed out.
The ministry added that credibility of the report is also suspect due to the data having been gathered from witnesses who were "interested parties and under Hamas pressure, as has been documented by many independent investigations in the international media."
Amnesty International also blatantly ignored "the basic fact" that Hamas is recognized as a bona fide terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States and other countries, the ministry said. "This organization [Hamas] has constantly refused to recognize Israel, rejects any opportunity for peace with it, and openly aspires to bring about its destruction."
The harsh report was "clearly part of a campaign to deprive Israel of the means to defend itself," according to NGO Media Monitor director Prof. Gerald Steinberg.The Foreign Ministry also pointed out some facts that Amnesty failed to take into account.
"Amnesty's moral bankruptcy is further reflected by the refusal to condemn the aggression and blatant genocidal objectives as proclaimed by Hamas leaders," he said.
"Journalists who quote from this report without independent verification of the claims, and who omit mention of Amnesty's systematic ideological bias, are contributing to these false claims," the NGO Monitor warned.
"Hamas openly and in an organized fashion uses women and children to protect military targets, and booby-traps homes and public buildings," the statement read.According to Gerald Steinberg of NGO Monitor, Amnesty has a history of blatant bias against Israel:
"In 2002, an Amnesty 'expert' first confirmed the nonexistent Jenin 'massacre,' and in the 2006 conflict with Hizbullah, many of Amnesty's claims were later shown to be unsubstantiated.Among other instances of bias, Amnesty has also claimed that Israel has an obligation to provide food, water and electricity to Hamas' subjects in Gaza - three years after Israel left Gaza.
The factual errors are amplified by inaccurate statements using the rhetoric of international law, using terms such as 'disproportionate' and 'war crimes,' which they apply far more to Israel than to groups such as Hamas. This ideologically biased pattern was repeated in the recent Gaza conflict."
Amnesty is considered so biased and unreliable here that most Israelis ignore its reports. If only the rest of the World did....
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:18 PM
38 Comments:
These wonderful, oh-so-humanitarian organizations come out with so many reports about how Israel breaks 'international law' and is in violation of various treaties - but then just go on without actually tying Israeli actions to any law or treaty. They would be better titled "Why we don't like when Israel defends itself?"
Also, how about enforcing an arms embargo against Israel's enemies...
The "human rights" NGOs are run by the Left. It shows up in how they treat human rights between democracies and tyrannies. What's telling is Amnesty's resort to tired "moral equivalence" rhetoric as though the actions of Hamas and Israel are the same. Truly dispassionate people know who violated human rights in the conflict. For AI, its a matter of complete indifference. That is why its "findings" such as they are, don't even make the headlines in Israel.
Norman, they don't make the headlines, but they have a big effect on Israel's foreign affairs organizations (with the Civil Administration, e.g.), harming us so much from within, because we respond to these reports, not in the press- but enough to make Amnesty, etc to think they matter.
I see from both sides but the difference is this:
With the 10,000 mortars that are dropped on Israel from Palestinian extremist groups, there are less than 200 casualties. With the military agression that Israel shows on the palestinians (seems like every 5 years) there are thousands killed and mostly women and children.
I understand that they use people as human shields, but it doesnt mean to actually break those shields. It's STILL inhumane. You must find other ways of "war".
Amnesty International is a JOKE. Obviously their "middle eastern" part of amnesty international is too ignorant to see what their terrorist imbeciles are doing that they apparently support. Israel tries to protect life. the Palestinian and Hamas supporters wish only to destroy women and children they have only little marbles floating in their pants and are afraid of men. They use their own people to throw down in front so they are not hurt themselves. If these suicide bombers and others of Hamas are so brave and want their "virgins" why don't they blow themselves up among their own people than they can all go live in glory with little allah....
Jasmine, I appreciate your concern for people losing their lives, but there is one very important distinction. Israel's responsibility is to defend Israeli citizens. Everything else is secondary.
Hamas, if they want to claim sovereignty, must protect their own - however, by attacking Israel they are, in effect, placing their own population in harm's way. They are the only ones responsible.
LB, Israel is the one in harms way, they are not even suppose to be there. The IDF is a terrorist organization who wears uniforms but you will never see it that way and it's okay, but you will never live in peace either. Obiously Jews are not God's people, 1. You kill people for a land you worship, 2. God is not on your side when you have to kill 1,000+ of His people, his creation. It's funny how you people talk about how Palestinians brainwash their kids, what about you?
By the way where in the world do you want Hamas to meet the terrorist Israeli army? At the corner restaurant? There is no open land for them to fight you one on one, you stole it all.
Israel is a terrorist nation and should be held accountable as an American citizen i am going to demand my government stop supplying Israel with weapons with which it kills people it holds in a concentration camp...too bad the jews dont recall what it was like i guess we liberated them to soon how about 60 years..then maybe you guys would have a taste of what you are now doing...gail
Cindy and Gail I'm sorry but you are woefully wrong. First Cindy does a mandate by the U.N. mean anything to you. Israel was set up and has a right to exist. Secondly Israel did not steal the land it was bought from mostly Egyptians and Syrians that owned the land. The people that refer to themselves as Palestinians were for the most part sharecroppers that have no further right to the land than a store front that doesn't pay its rent. Jews do not kill for the land they worship they kill in defense. Here is another interesting fact for you more "palestinians" were killed in black september by Jordan than during the entire "occupation." Black September only lasted days not years though. ANd when you hear thousands die its hard to validate those claims because its already been proven that they use ambulances for weapons and hold fake funerals. Gail you are a horrible in what you are saying. Six million wasn't enough death for you. In less than a decade six million lives ended from this earth. There are no concentration camps. Refuge camps yes, but here is the bigger question, why don't their good arab brothers take them in. Secondly more money annually goes to the "poor" palestinians than to all the other charitable refugee programs around the world. Maybe if they werent so busy using it to truly target civilians they could help themselves.
War promotes chaos and death not order and peace no matter who does the killing and the dying. The USA has often supported Israel's interests over those of our own citizens with our citizens approval of the sacrifices we make to keep that nation alive. President Obama hasn't exactly agreed to Bush's famous mantra of "Israel! right or wrong!" but he has indicated that he will support that nation over others. Yet, the newly forming government has clearly established that ot does not believe in verbal negotiation and that Israel gave in too soon to try peace. The prime minister and "Nettie" agree that the new government's goal will be to "topple" Hamas leaders. Israel's greatest talent seem to be killing--especially when a Palestinian--be it woman, chlid, or warrior--is on the other end of the gun or missile. Sine the USA is embroiled in fighting for its fiscal life, I suggest to MJr. obama that he remember that "talk" is much cheaper than "killing," and warn Israel that Americans may not be so open to spending our attenuating cash flow ob bullets to kill the Palestinian-children-human-shields.
--hatshepsut4@ymail.comt
Human rights NGOs have done a lot of good, and they are not just run by the "left." Amnesty was the first reporting NGO calling out the Darfur genocide. They are interested in the Rights of HUMANS, which includes people who pray to Allah, God, Jehovah, other gods or not at all. While there may not be a legally recognized start of Palestine, it is a nationality that people cling to. And while it maybe be true that Israelis "bought" the original land, they have stepped over the original lines of the Israel state. Plus, the US thinks it fairly "bought" the land from Native Americans, but I think we all know that was not a fair purchase. Hamas is defending themselves too, regardless of whether you recognize the nationality that they assume, you can't pretend that both sides are defending themselves.
Both sides have committed many atrocities, and neither is willing to listen and make a truce (much like the people commenting on this blog, so if you're going to spite people for not having peace, you should look at what's being created here...). Palestine may get the most foreign aid for refugee camps (perhaps owing to the amount of refugee camps there are?), but Israel receives more aid from the US than all other nations combined, and that's for military purposes. I'm a lefty that in the US would probably be seen as Pro-Palestinian, but you others should be ashamed of yourself. Calling people out based on their religion? Saying they deserve more concentration camps? Who's the terrorist now? That kind of talk is not productive, nor does it lead to solutions, just more jabs below the belt.
Oh no matter how they put it ISRAEL IS A TERRORIST NATION ....and I agree with an embargo against Israel ......no only arms embargo but all Israely products as well .........and they must learn a lesson that the world is watching all their abuses .....they will not get away with it ........Palestine must and will become a State ..........My Tax payers money must be used here at home ........and believe me they will shake in their boots when the green american dollars stop coming in to Israel !!!!! Woohooo lets see who is going to back up that abuse ( Russia? , France? England?? I dont think so ......
sarahi - keep your blood money.
Carl - Do you have a comments policy? Regarding antisemitism, perhaps?
I have often wondered how quickly "God's chosen people" would learn to stop killing their neighbors if left without the billions in US military aid to which they've become so accustomed. My guess is they would start "playing nice" real quick. Whatever the case may be it is far past the time to try something new. As far as Jenin is concerned it wasn't the first massacre of Palestinians and , sadly, it won't be the last.
When, LB, do you not scream "antisemitism" to cover for the murderous policies of the government of Israel?
Israel is a terrorist state, perhaps fomenting more death and terror than any other group in hostory.
And for those of you crying anti-Semitism, I had elderly relatives with numbers tattooed on their arms that I was exposed to when I was a small child. Terrifying.
Unfortunately the Zionists, who DO NOT represent me, learned nothing from the Nazi's; or perhaps they learned too much.
AMesty International has lost its moral voice by failing to recognize Israels right to self defence. It is just stupid to believe Israel has to accept Arab rickets being rained down on it. Its like canada or mexico launching rockets on the US. As to those moronic ladies Cindy and Gail who believe Israel has no right to exist on its own land need to study History and stop spewing fecal matter from their mouth. Jews are Gods people. Israel is their land and has been so for 5600 years. Ottoman Turks encouraged Jews to migrate there in the 1860s as ther Arabs were non productive and never paid taxes to the Turks. Its sad that when people are ignorant of factual history they make up cacca. It really shows their lack of education or base stupidity
I don't know what countries all of you represent, but I should hope if a neighboring country to mine were to constantly hit our soil with bombs, no matter how small, no matter if only a "few hundred" were killed, I would hope my country would retaliate in no uncertain terms, even harder than Israel, because some idiot terrorist countries are very thick headed and have no regard whatsoever for human life, be women, children or the pig headed men of theirs, much less have regard for their enemies. Has everyone forgotten the 4 million Jews slaughtered not so long ago? If I were a Jew, I would be darn sure, no one would ever again have that chance. I would blow them off the face of the earth FIRST. By the way, few of you know the Old Testament of the Bible, the amount land granted by God to the Israelites and the fact that they have "given" any of it away at all has angered God. Israel can give every inch of their land away to an Arab and they still would not be satisfied. History has shown that. The Palestinians have been thrown out of every country in the region ... did you know that? Leave it to Israel to even "give" them a small piece to call their own, but they are not satisfied with that. C'mon, some of you guys, do your homework and then show your intelligence.
Let’s be honest Israel has a right to protect itself, however they have to be a law abiding nation. There have been several UN resolutions against Israel because of their behavior. Let’s see let start with resolution 111 was put forth as a result of the death of 56 Syrians at lake Lake Tiberias. Resolution 228 condemned Israel for actions taken on Jordanian territory in 1966 where IDF forces carried out a planned military raid without cause. Resolution 517 called for Israel to disengage from Lebanon and cease all combat activities. There are many more resolutions to be listed but in a nutshell Israel a larger power broker in the Middle East can easily take steps to bring peace however this will never happen as long as the Israeli government behaves in the heavy handed manner that they have used for decades. Hamas is to blame to by causing Israel to use harsh force in trying to protect her citizens. Most people can read the news and tell the difference between 200 civilian deaths over a few years and thousands in a 22 day period. The United Sates is to blame as well by allowing the military industrial complex to take such a large role in selling arms to a nation that is known for human rights abuses under the cover of self defense. President Eisenhower forewarned the incoming Kennedy administration about this and said that a strong military is ok but beware of an industrial complex that uses weapons and war as a reason to make a dime. The one thing that would get Israel’s attention would be to cut aid of military nature to them, and then let them go at it alone. Sooner or later they will see that weapons alone will not help and that diplomacy can and does help when done with true honesty and compassion
AMERICAN JEW LOVING GOVERNMENT WILL SURLY KEEP SUPPLYING CLUSTER BOMBS AND BULLETS TO THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE WAR MONGERS, SHALOME!
This is dumb dumb dumb dumb.
What would you do when Israel is overrun by the oh-so-innocent militants of Palestine and their child suicide bombers? You stupid "human rights" organizations never stop and think about what would happen to all the Israeli people should they lose the ability to defend themselves. Just imagine, every Israeli civilian slaughtered by Hamas because their army ran out of ammunition. How stupid would you feel when you ran out of aid to supply to them because of a crisis you created? What would you say then, that Israel should have stood up for themselves?
Why don't you go to Hamas and say, "Hey, you know all that aid we're giving you? How would you like it to stop? It just might go away if you keep using you civilian population as pawns in your game with Israel."
Hamas needs to stop using schools and houses as hideouts. Hamas needs to stop training children to be suicide bombers and gunman. And the international press needs to stop looking upon Hamas as victims of Israeli aggression. If they'd pull their liberal heads out of their liberal asses, they'd be able to write a fair story. As long as they have the support of the press and aid organizations that seem to think what the media reports is solid truth, Hamas will be free to continue operating as they have.
That's what needs to change. Not Israel, not the flow of arms to a sovereign country that seeks only to protect itself. Leave Israel alone.
Amnesty Int'l aids & abets terrorist organizations whenever it issues propaganda in support of a terrorist's efforts. Therefore, Amnesty Intl meets the definition of a terrorist organization. The US should seek out and destroy Amnesty Intl and jail every member and every person who has provided financial support it can find. Start with tax returns filed with charitable contributions to Amnesty Intl. The IRS shhould remove Amnesty Intl from its list of 501(c)(3) organizations.
Hamas' tactic of hiding terrorist and military targets behind women & children is a war crime and the act of a coward. Hamas must be destroyed.
Dakota 1955, is that you, Mark Elf? Zionism is the belief of most Jews. Get used to it that Jews have a country and most in the Diaspora support it. If you don't like it, you're free not to make aliyah to Israel.
Jasmine, war is a terrible thing. But without war, evil can destroy the world. We saw that in World II and Nazi Germany nearly won because at no point before the war, where the Western powers willing to stop Hitler when he could have been stopped without loss of life.
Gail, the Jewish people desire peace. But peace cannot exist in the absence of truth and justice. A peace based on lies and terror cannot endure.
Hatsheput,does any one suppose America's funding Hamas will make it more moderate and change its views towards Israel? I hear calls for BDS towards Israel from the Left but nothing equivalent directed isolating the genocidal and Nazi Hamas.
Jacqueline, Hamas' target is Jewish children. That is who Israel is is protecting from Hamas. I don't get why so many intelligent people see nothing wrong with a gang of Jew-killers. People who seek to to murder children deserve neither understanding or mercy.
Sarahi, it is not Israel that is standing in the way of Palestinian aspirations. The Palestinians have done that job all by themselves for the basic reason I just mentioned to the next poster.
Schiffer, if the Arabs didn't teach their children to hate and kill Jews, there would be no Jenins and no Gazas. But Israel's critics aren't demanding the Arabs love their children more than they hate the Jews.
Buyers and sellers, if the Jews control the US government and the world, why are you free to express your hate for them?
Carl has received more comments on this one particular topic than any other and in closing, while many of the posters have mentioned at length Israel's alleged transgressions towards the Palestinians, they have not once mentioned the human rights of the Jews.
Where oh where are the witnesses for Sderot?
Now the entire world knows jews are terrorist, Israeli military IDF is a terrorist organization under uniform and israeli government is run by a gang of terrorist, and the country is stolen from Palestinian and all these have been possible by tax payers money of democracy champion USA (whose moral ground is now questioned by Guantanamo). When AI tells against incidences in Darfur, Georgia or other parts of the world then it becomes legitimate but if it goes against Israel or USA, it becomes invalid. So much double standard of you guys? Now the world simply gives damn to so called right to exist or right to self-defence, rather it should be "right to killing" to so called "self choosen people". Do you know the jews are the cursed (by the creator) people on earth and their forefathers were converted to cursed monkeys and pigs (all jews know this but they don't tell).
Almost everyone - you're doing exactly what I said the NGOs do in their reports - blame Israel of horrendous violations of law - without citing any single law in connection to specific Israeli actions.
Norman - thanks. I'm a relative newcomer to israelmatzav and wasn't sure if there was some sort of policy here to simply ignore those who decide to mindlessly bash Israel.
Amnesty, ACLU, PETA.....it's all the same thing. Get some mentally ill with money together, fabricate outrage if you can't find any, and you too can run and/or be a member of a similar group. It helps to have nothing better to do, and to be able to elicit help from those that also have nothing better to do. If they'd all go plant some trees or something, at least what they do would be constructive.
Amnesty International speaks the truth. They have exposed abuses and violations of various governments and Israel is of no exception.
There should be a world-wide arm embargo against Apartheid Israel until it ceases to kill innocent people it occupies against their will by force.
41 years of occupation of millions of people born in the wrong religon, many just children who haven't done anything.
The world maybe helpless against the Zionist injustice but will surely not forget.
There will not be any long term peace over there. The jihad has begun and the only thing that can stop it is God himself. This is in the bible, folks. Seriously! if people would really read their bible, they would understand more of what's going on. The entire world will be at war in the near furure. The battle of armageddon has begun. There will be bloodshed like this world has never seen. Also the seven years of tribulation has begun. The bible has been around for thousands of years and it hasn't changed. Man began over there where Iraq is, and he could very well end there. God is coming, whether you want to believe it or not. Israel is the chosen tribe of people. Israel has the ability to kick this war into high gear. Everyone better just leave them alone. They've got big marbles, to build their country right in the midst of their enemies. Jesus spoke of these times with the parable about the fig tree. Our U.S govt. put the jews in place in 1948. They got their land back after thousands of years of struggle. They are there to stay. I sometimes think the U.S. govt is afraid of them. Anyway,read your bible and you will be shocked at how it is all coming true right before your eyes.
Sandy, I agree with you on some points. I don't understand where people get off on standing up for the low down palestinians. They are the aggressors. That land is Israels birthright. Arabs have no right to it at all. They are descendants of "Ishmael" They are cowards. Some people on this thread must be KKK or something and don't know what they're talking about when they say the Jews stole that land.huh! Arabs are the worst people on this earth. We have people living in America that want to stand up for the arabs against Israel. Israel don't claim to be the chosen ones. God himself proclaimed it to Moses. Get real people and stop make comments when you don't know what's going on. The entire world is changing for the worst. It won't get any better.I'm not a doomsayer. I just know that bible prophecy is being fulfilled. It's a good thing too because people that don't believe in God will finally get too see him.
There are millions of Jews living here in America that send a large percentage of their income to their homeland. I know this to be a fact. Therefore, I think Israel could survive without help from our govt. if need be. Stop thinking that the U.S. govt alone supports Israel. The aid they get from us is just icing on the cake. The palestinians however,are like people on welfare. Lazy cowards who breed only to have children as shields.
LB,
Blogspot has only two options: Screen all comments in advance or let them all through and delete them after the fact. I don't have the time to screen all comments in advance. (I had done a longer response, but it got stuck in traffic and disappeared).
Amnesty International is a light for humanity, not the jewish state. They (the jews) have been ran off their original lands due to their severe pograms against other "non believers" of their "faith". They are the original inventors of the "cleansing jihad", in which they would kill all living things in their early expansions thousands of years ago. They have an arsenal of over 200 nuclear weapons and continuously violate all of the non-aggression and expansion pacts they have aggreed to since 1948. There needs to be an end to this excuse of wrong-doing to their group which somehow empowers them to destroy others in their vicinity, namely the palestinians. Tanks and artillery, helicopters and smart weapons, to include nuclear weapons against disenfranchised indigenous cultures armed in desperation with ak47's and human bombers and "dumb" rockets. Doesnt this speak volumes to any of you? Violence begets violence. Love to you all!
spauldos,
I think you are wrong in accusing Jews as a people for the crimes of the Israeli state and of Zionism.
One must clearly distinguish between Apartheid Israel, its systematic violations of the rights of natives born in the wrong religion AND Judaism or Jews in general.
Let's focus on the issue:
The Israeli state along with its army must be tried for crimes against humanity.
Zionism must know that it is not above the law and that history will judge its injustice and its unethical principles.
Karim, by your own standard Arab nationalism has committed ghastly crimes against minorities and women. Every Arab regime is an apartheid regime that should be dismantled - and they are terrorist regimes too that unleash murderous violence on their own people as well as upon Israel.
Amnesty International ignores Arab racism, brutality and violence against minorities and women. Since you talk about lawfare, I doubt a single Arab regime could remain unscathed if the charges lodged against Israel where applied against them.
I'd like to see that kind of hopenchange come to those who until now have dished it out to Israel and see how well they would take it.
Carl - don't worry about the posters who don't really have anything useful to contribute that we haven't heard for the past century. Its a waste of time to try to change their minds.
Spauldos, Israel is a light to the nations. The world just doesn't realize it yet. All the Arabs and the Iranians have been able to do is react rather than initiate and they are falling further and further behind.
On the day their oil finally runs out, no one will care about them anymore.
mmrahim talks a lot about Israeli terrorism and brutality. He doesn't talk much about the love of death and desire for jihad that is extinguishing an entire young generation among the Palestinians. No one forced them to hate Israel and to kill Jews. All that has been entirely self-inflicted.
Now live with it!
Carl - Did not know it worked like that. Oh well.
I'm still waiting for one person to stop yelling like they're in Union Square and actually tie the "Zionist crimes" to actual proof of a crime AND the law broken. Anyone? Oh, ok.
As the rabbis said, "To what can this be compared?"
I wonder how most Americans would react if a few tens of thousands of illegal immigrants took over San Diego County, claimed it as "their rightful country", and began launching rockets and other terrorist attacks against Los Angeles and Orange Counties and the UN issued sanctions against the USA for fighting back?
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