Isreali War Crimes: Outrages Against Civilians In Palestine, Lebanon

The laws of war require governments to prevent outrages against civilians. The Israelis have failed to honor the laws of war, and have inflicted war crimes on the Palestinians.

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The Geneva Conventions and Protocols on Human rights require controlling powers to respect civilians. When under Israeli care, the Palestinians have been subjected to unlawful violations of Geneva.

The attacks against Israel will only end when Israel comes into compliance with its international obligations, withdraws from the illegally occupied territories, makes restitution to the abused civilians, and peacefully agrees to meet at the settlement talks under no conditions.

No nation or group has to recognize Israel. Whether a group does or does not recognize Israel does not mean that Israel does or does not exist. The semantics of whether a party or group does or does not recognize Israel is meaningless and is an irrelevant precondition. The way forward is for Israel to release all funds which they have illegally held, and return that money to Hamas.

Israel has engaged in war crimes. Under the laws of war, when war criminals will not stop, they become legitimate military targets. Hamas views Israelis as legitimate military targets. It makes no difference whether Israel or other nations do or do not agree with the conclusion.

The resolution to this problem is to take a broad view at the Geneva Conventions and consider what basis there is to come into full compliance. Israel has refused to consider this starting position, and it rejects any mandate that Israel change its position or is at fault.

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Israel, in refusing to exercise self-restraint, has shown the world its illegal war crimes conduct in Lebanon. Israel no longer has any credible excuse not to agree that Israeli actions and grave breaches of Geneva have substantially contributed to the cycle of violence.

Whether their troops were or were not unlawfully inside Lebanese territory or were or were not lawfully detained is irrelevant. There is no excuse for the Israelis to have committed any war crimes.

Israel is now the target of an international war crimes investigation. The Israelis have brought this on themselves.

Israelis have until now not been lawfully disciplined for meaningless excuses. Israel does exist only as an entity that justifies war crimes, and immunizes itself from prosecution by hiding behind the Untied States. Those days are over.

Israel no longer deserves sympathy. Regardless whether Israel is or is not recognized, it remains subject to Geneva. Until the Israelis are prosecuted for war crimes and agree that they are a nation that is subject to Geneva, nobody needs to concern themselves with whether Israel is or is not recognized. Israel fails to recognize its obligations under Geneva and should not be treated with any more or less respect than it has shown anyone else. Israel has no power or authority to compel anyone to treat Israelis better than the Israelis treat others.

Israel must be treated as the fully recognized nation it is: One subject to the Geneva Conventions. Until Israel agrees that Israeli actions are grave braches, there is no need for anyone to take sides. Israel’s right to exist. Israel does exist, and its citizens have committed grave breaches of the laws of war. Israelis have no right to commit grave breaches of international law.

Being deprived the right to act in a reckless manner is not the same as being denied the right to exist. Israelis may exist so long as they permit others to exist. Israelis shall be respected so long as Israelis respect the rights of the Palestinians and Lebanese to be free from outrages.

Until the Israeli government agrees to comply with the Geneva conventions Israel shall remain a legitimate military target. Israel must fully cooperate with its international obligations and fully cooperate with the war crimes tribunal that aims prosecute Israelis for war crimes.