Gush Shalom to Attorney General: Prevent war crime in Hebron

[Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)]

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

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Gush Shalom to Attorney General: Prevent war crime in Hebron
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[] Letter to the Attorney General
[] Ad in Ha'aretz: Serving the settlers  

[] Letter to the Attorney General
 
   Uri Avnery, on behalf of the Gush Shalom movement, sent  a sharp warning to the 
Attorney General, concerning the destruction of dozens of homes in Hebron. Following 
the text:

December 5, 2002.

Mr. Elyakim Rubinstein,
Legal Advisor to the Government,
Jerusalem.

Sir,
      We are in possession of decree 61/02/T, signed by General Moshe Kaplinsky, 
commander of the IDF in the 'Judea and Samaria' area. 
      This decree orders the expropriation of 61 (sixty one) parcels, as follows: 'I declare 
that these lands will be taken over for military needs. I hereby order the demolition of 
the buildings for military needs.'
     To the best of our knowledge and understanding, there are no 'military needs' for 
this act, which entails the destruction of a whole neighborhood. The purpose of the 
decree is to create a 'territorial contiguity' between the settlers in Kiryat-Arba and 
those in the center of Hebron. 
     In the absence of an urgent military need, this act may be considered a war crime 
under international law. There is no need to add that the very existence of an Israeli 
settlement in Hebron is illegal under international law.
     As an Israeli peace movement, we are deeply concerned with the moral fabric and 
the international standing of our state. Therefore we request you to -

(1)Inform the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense that the above action is 
  manifestly illegal and must be cancelled at once.

(2)Warn General Moshe Kaplinsky that the above act may be considered a war 
  crime and entail severe personal consequences for him at any time.

     We are convinced that by doing so you will act for the good of the state and the 
army.
     We believe that it is the duty of every citizen in a democratic state to warn against 
actions that may constitute war crimes, and take all legal steps necessary for their 
prevention. This we are doing.

Yours truly,
Uri Avnery,
Former member of the Knesset,
Gush Shalom.

Copy: General Moshe Kaplinsky.  
        

[] Ad in Ha'aretz: Serving the settlers  

SERVING THE SETTLERS
[ad published in Ha'aretz, Dec. 6]

Twenty years ago, Moshe Dayan stated that the aim of the settlers in 
Hebron is the expulsion of all the inhabitants of the town, as a first 
stage of the expulsion of the Palestinians from the rest of the 
country.

Since the beginning of the Jewish settlement there, in 1968, the 
town has not known a single day of quiet. Lewinger, Goldstein and 
their followers have caused an unending series of provocations, in 
order to realize that aim.

Following the ambush, in which 11 soldiers and security personnel 
were killed, the Sharon-Mofaz-Ya’alon trio has decided to destroy a 
whole Palestinian neighborhood, expel its inhabitants and build on 
its ruins a new settlement that will connect Kiryat-Arba with the 
settlers’ colony in the center of the town.

For the first time, the government and the army high command are 
implementing in cold blood a clear policy of ethnic cleansing. By 
any standard, this is an international crime.   

Gush Shalom,
Help us with donations to
P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033,
www.gush-shalom.org
Requests for information about current actions:
info at gush-shalom.org

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