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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel to approve aid for IDF officers accused of Gaza war crimes |
| 2009-01-24 |
| The government is set to approve a bill Sunday to grant aid and support to Israel Defense Forces officers in cases where they face suits for alleged war crimes from Operation Cast Lead. The bill, titled "strengthening the IDF's hand after Operation Cast Lead", was put forward by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and coordinated by the Ministry or Defense, Ministry of Justice and State Prosecutor. There is growing concern at the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Justice that Israeli officers will be singled out in a wave of suits for alleged human rights violations. Barak said Friday that the government carries the responsibility for sending IDF soldiers on military operations and as a result is obligated to grant them complete support against any possible harm to them stemming from those operations. "I do not know of any army that operates at the high standards that the IDF operates," Barak said. "There is no place for an automatic backlash following every operation." Barak wrote in the bill that the IDF behaved according to its high moral values during Cast Lead, in spite of the fact that Hamas gunmen fired on IDF troops from areas heavily populated with civilians, in clear violation of international law. "As an army which is unsurpassed in its moral traditions, the IDF has done all that it can in order to adhere to international law, in order to avoid harming civilians who are not involved in fighting," Barak said, adding that such moral principles "have not always been enough to prevent tragedies from happening." "Nonetheless, Hamas cynically uses its civilians in a manner that places responsibility for the results upon their shoulders," Barak added. On Thursday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appointed Justice Minister Daniel Friedman to head a team that will examine methods to avoid war crimes charges for those involved in IDF operations in Gaza. The decision comes as a result of civilian casualties that happened as a result of Operation Cast Lead. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Maybe instead of taking out Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Israel should bomb the Hague, instead. Both are enemies, but it's hard to decide which is worse. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-01-24 15:08 |
| #3 i agree with 3dc. this keeps getting brought up, why not go after Hamas militant6s who used schools and private homes too lure the IDF in, with war crimes. Instead of offering aid too their officers they need too do like most nations would do and tell the international courts too f... off. no one else goes by their word why should israel have too? |
| Posted by: rabid whitetail 2009-01-24 10:15 |
| #2 I do not know why the Jews deserve so much hatred from Europeans and from our own government. I know a lot why it is so but what to tell you when our own populations do not give a damn to our foreign policies. Remember, the nuclear booms in Japan restored peace, and the same is needed to win over the Islamic terrorism. Just blow a few mountains to inhalation and then Pakistan and Iran will talk straight. Every rouge nation facing inhalation will very quickly learn to behave immediately. |
| Posted by: Annon 2009-01-24 04:03 |
| #1 What is this war crimes stuff? Suits if they travel outside Israel or are they going to allow suits in Israel? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-01-24 03:46 |