British Lawyers Seek Arrest of Ehud Barack on War Crimes

The Guardian is reporting today that 16 British lawyers have filed to obtain an international arrest warrant for Ehud Barak, accusing him of committing war crimes in Gaza.

Fat chance. If recent history is any indicator then it would appear that these laws only apply to people of color in former Soviet or American puppet states as well as a couple of people in the Balkans.

Nonetheless, the Guardian reports:

The legal action relates to alleged war crimes and breaches of the Geneva conventions during the war, which was launched by Israel in response to Palestinian rocket attacks and widely criticised internationally. The death toll is disputed, but the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem found that 1,387 Palestinians died, among them 773 people not taking part in hostilities.

Solicitors are asking a district judge at the City of Westminster magistrates court to issue a warrant for Barak’s arrest under the 1988 Criminal Justice Act, which gives courts in England and Wales universal jurisdiction in war crimes cases. The application alleges that Barak has committed offences against the 1957 Geneva conventions.

Barak, who is also deputy prime minister of Israel and leader of the country’s Labour party, could argue that his government office guarantees him “state immunity” from prosecution. But lawyers from two London law firms, Irvine Thanvi Natas and Imran Khan & Partners, believe the warrant that the international criminal court issued in May last year for the arrest of Omar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, offers a precedent. Bashir is accused of committing war crimes in Darfur.

This would be the shock of 2009 if Barak were dragged away in handcuffs, but don’t hold your breath in anticipation.

gaza, january 2009. (AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

UN to Israel: Let us Rebuild Gaza Schools

Mark Regev has been claiming pretty much since day one that the IDF has been allowing supplies to get into Gaza so that NGOs and other authories in the occupied territories can begin rebuilding efforts. Well, we all know that’s not true. Indeed only recently have people like Tony Blair, managed to put some pressure on the Israelis to get some supplies in, but let’s see how long that lasts.

In the meantime life continues to blow in Gaza, the world’s largest open-air prison. For example, the UN has just issued a press release calling upon the IDF to ease some of its restrictions on imports to Gaza so that they (the UN) can help to rebuild schools destroyed during the Israeli invation in late December\Early January.

From the press release:

The 18 schools that were completely destroyed and the 280 others that were damaged in the Israeli military offensive six months ago have not been rebuilt or rehabilitated because of restrictions placed on the movement of reconstruction materials and other supplies into Gaza, according to a joint news release issued by various UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In north Gaza, 9,000 students from 15 damaged schools have been spread among 73 schools in the same area, with 4,000 of them squeezed into two schools, and some 1,200 secondary students running the risk of being left without a school next month.

“The blockade has caused untold suffering to children in Gaza, who face another academic year in terrible conditions,” said Philippe Lazzarini, acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator of the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) in the joint statement.

More on the UN press release here.

Let’s go fly a kite…in Gaza.

A touching story from Al-Jazeera International. Thousands of Palestinian children have gathered in the destroyed Gaza strip to break the “most simultaneous flown kites” record.

According to the Associated Press, John Ging of UNRWA was quoted as saying, “It is an expression of the demand for liberty by these children,” he said. “Look at what the children of Gaza can do if they are given a chance.”

(hat tip nadine t)

Gaza’s Food Traditions

Even though the Atlantic Monthly publishes the musing of IDF apologist Jeffrey Goldberg* they have managed to post a cool little bit about the culinary traditions of Gaza.

I wonder how long until settlers start claiming Sumaggiye as a traditional Israeli dish?

*qizilbash has never been pleased with Mr. Goldberg since he has become THE critic of Roger Cohen…a move that does not make one beloved in the hearts of the editors of Qizilbash.

Meanwhile in the Palestinian Territories…

A heart breaking report tonight from the BBC about the continued despair of Gazans living in the aftermath of the Israeli offensive at the begining of this year.

From the report:

The Red Cross says that the people of Gaza are unable to rebuild their lives and sliding ever deeper into despair.

There is not the cement or steel to reconstruct neighbourhoods hit by Israeli strikes.

Seriously ill patients are not receiving the treatmentthey need. The water supply is patchy, sanitation on the point of collapse.

Poverty is at what the Red Cross calls an “alarming” level. Large numbers of children are malnourished.

In other news, the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz is reporting that private companies running checkpoints in the West Bank are not allowing Palestinian workers to travel with food or water:

The company stops Palestinian workers from passing through the checkpoint with the following items: Large bottles of frozen water, large bottles of soft drinks, home-cooked food, coffee, tea and the spice zaatar. The security company also dictates the quantity of items allowed: Five pitas, one container of hummus and canned tuna, one small bottle or can of beverage, one or two slices of cheese, a few spoonfuls of sugar, and 5 to 10 olives.

Just imagine.