December 16, 2009
Yesterday, at almost the same time when Ehud Barak was being given military honors at 
the defense ministry, genocide charges against him were being presented at the office of the Austrian prosecutor, only about 15 minutes walking away.
The charges relate entirely to the Gaza massacre committed between December 2008 and January 2009 by Israeli troops under the command of Ehud Barak, and the whole allegation of crimes in the letter to the prosecutor consists of the so-called "Goldstone Report" itself, and it names as witnesses the members of the commission, judge Goldstone and his colleagues, as well as their interview partners.
At the time when these charges were being presented, the news that an arrest warrant had been issued against Tzipi Livni in the UK had not yet transcended; this only became known in the evening hours, and as of today 15 December, it appears that the Austrian authorities have not taken action against Barak. This could have different grounds. First, the situation of Livni and Barak are different: whereas Livni currently has no function in government, Barak is currently defense minister and vice-premier; 
secondly, Austria is still apprehended in the notion that they have a political and moral duty to ensure the security of Israel, whatever Israel does and probably at any cost to Austria, because of understandable yet irrelevant historical facts, third, England has implemented the Rome Statute of the ICC as a national law, whereas this is not the case in Austria yet. Ultimately the main reason why Austria has not taken action in this case might be the almost absence of public discourse around the crimes of Israel, a situation which will most probably evolve to the better.
At the same time, the governments who still support "negotiations" or a "two-state solution" should disabuse themselves of the notion that Israel, with its genocidal and racist to the extreme posture is in any way a partner for negotiations of any kind, be this with us Palestinians or any other party. The experience of over 60 years of occupation has shown that Israel consistently conducts all negotiations in bad faith, and that speaking with them is a fruitless endeavour. It is time for other approaches in order to solve the problems which they have caused during the last 6 or 7 decades.
I see the arrest warrant against Livni as a first step in the right direction, and would very much greet that in the future the discussion around Israel and its unrelenting criminality was less based on misguided notions of "moral duty" and much more on enacted national and international laws, which is what makes out states of law everywhere.
Here are the charges in German ...
http://www.kawther.info/wpr/wp-content/uploads/SACHVERHALT1.pdf
Thanks for sharing...
AntwortenLöschenOne reason beside all mentioned above for Austian government not taking action, may be the presense of so much Jews there.
Although the Jews living in Austria are mostly nice ones and may be far from Zionists, but there certainly are some Zionists among them who may hamper the government from doing right thing.
This Barak's case and that of Livni's are delightfully new moves, and may bring some fresh air to humanistic and real democratic values of the world any way.
Now, if they'd just arrest Bush and Cheney.
AntwortenLöschenAs was pointed out by Diio on my thread about the Livni case a day or two ago, this needs to be kept in check before it gets out of hand. Otherwise we'll have random warrants in Indonesia and South Africa and Chile for whichever serving politician the cap fits... I think the direct application of the 'genocidal war criminal' label has to come from another contemporary government. It needs that authentic source behind it to carry weight.
AntwortenLöschenI don't 'hate Israel', or Israelis, or Jews. I do understand their policy of excessive force when dealing with Hamas, too. "If you f**k with us, we'll drop bombs on you"... they have the ability to do that. But I do think they took liberties and went way too far, killing innocents and bombing UN aid storage, for example, back in January, and heads must roll. Barak's would be ideal.
A question, just for Jan...
AntwortenLöschenLets say the IRA started up again, in full force, with an official declaration. There's a bomb at Canary Wharf or Oxford Street or a shopping centre. In response, our military brings Dublin to its knees by means of airstrikes. Some of the weaponry used is possibly in breach of the Geneva Convention.
Same thing. Could you imagine it? Would it be fair?
Sorry but it's an international nonsense. If individuals, interested parties or groups were allowed to instigate the issueing of arrest warrants it could literally call a halt to global politics.
AntwortenLöschenThere are, apparently, almost 200 countries represented in Copenhagen this week and, presumably, most will have active opposition at home or with neighbouring countries. While it's interesting to think that most of those representatives could be arrested it would create international chaos.
In the past countries expelled diplomats and there was a tit for tat reaction. This would simply take it to another level.
foreign reporters and photographers were denied entry to the territory by Israel, halting any reports originating from Gaza except those coming from Palestinians.
AntwortenLöschenTHE WHOLE THING WAS A BUNCH OF LIES AND COUNTER LIES
LOTS OF DATA HERE
http://goodstuff4u.multiply.com/photos/album/20/GAZA_2008-09
Nice Jews? Can you define `nice` in this instance.
AntwortenLöschenwe docs are hardly allowed in to treat women and children-
AntwortenLöschenyeah - I have read some stuff along those lines but the coverage all ways shoes doc treating young kids
AntwortenLöschenun (yes, small case) was real bad about this style reporting
to be fair - both side were doing a proaganda war
lol...Don forget we're living in a world of relativity.
AntwortenLöschenAs far as they don't care that much about politics and just make kids and are too busy for bring them up, we can call them nice...still, not all of them though.
Still some ambiguity here? Perhaps 'nice' just isn't the right word... you obviously mean the general Jewish Austrian public, who live their own lives and may not even care that much about events in the Holy Land. Politically apathetic, perhaps? I know many people - some religious, some not, who are that way. Your words do imply though, that a 'Zionist', one who believes in the establishment of a state of Greater Israel, is something other than 'nice'? Is this what you meant? Please elaborate?
AntwortenLöschenYou yourself have elaborated it pretty good, but there's a point in your words. Those who are not "nice", are not only those Zionists who believe in the establishment of a state of so called Greater Israel(New Middle East, and then New Globe, who knows !), but also those who are supporting the occupiers of the current occupied lands of Palestine.
AntwortenLöschenThose jews who are not supporting Zionists, or even are against them, could be called "nice" related and in comparison with the pro Zionists fanatic Jews.
Or we may better call the Zionists "evil", and call the neutral or politically apathetic Jews "normal" in comparison with evil.
Well !...Some people believe you can rarely find a nice Jew, since they love gold and money too much, and you can never trust someone like that, because he/she may sell you for money or gold...lol
Was that a wind up, or do you seriously believe it?
AntwortenLöschenIsn't the whole life just a wind up !!! :)
AntwortenLöschenThat didn`t answer the question
AntwortenLöschenI swear i couldn't find a better and more comprehensive answer to that question.
AntwortenLöschenThis:
AntwortenLöschen"Well !...Some people believe you can rarely find a nice Jew, since they love gold and money too much, and you can never trust someone like that, because he/she may sell you for money or gold...lol"
is not welcome. You've made a blanket statement about a whole religion, even if you're just being humorous. A Jew may not find it funny. As you know - please remember 'free speech, not freedom to insult'.
Ok, i didn't mean to offend any one. I was just kidding in that part of my words. I have some Jewish friends. I sometimes tease them, and talk to them about the golden speaking calf and how they forgot Moses(PBUH)'s commands in his 40 days absence when they saw that golden calf, but i respect their faith and believes, and they know it.
AntwortenLöschenMamnoon-am. Ghabel al-dareh.
AntwortenLöschen