Israel won't cooperate with UN as it continues to violate Gaza ceasefire

[Jefferson23]

Palestinian girls play inside their school which was destroyed during the 50-day Israeli summer aggression in Gaza City, on November 5, 2014. AFP / Mohammed Abed

Published Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Israeli authorities decided not to cooperate with a United Nations Human Rights Council investigation into this year's Israeli aggression on Gaza, an Israeli spokesman said Wednesday.

"Since the Schabas commission is not an inquiry but a commission that gives its conclusions in advance, Israel will not cooperate with the UN Commission on Human Rights over the last conflict with Hamas," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said in a statement.

The UN panel, due to make its first report by March, is meant to look into the conduct of both the Israeli Occupation Forces and the Hamas resistance movement during the 50-day assault.

But the Israeli government has already dismissed the investigation as a "kangaroo court,” accusing its chairman, Canadian academic William Schabas, of anti-Israeli bias.
In August, Canadian lawyer William Schabas was named as the head of the UN commission, angering Israel, where he is widely regarded as hostile to Israel over reported calls to bring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/israel-wont-cooperate-un-it-continues-violate-gaza-ceasefire

[hack89]

1. Who can blame them

A "human rights" organization that has serial human rights abusers as members - can't imagine a more impartial jury.

[sabbat hunter]

2. and the head of the investigation group

has a LONG history of being anti-israel.

[oberliner]

3. "Israeli Occupation Forces and the Hamas resistance movement"

Nice balanced reporting

[Jefferson23]

6. Israeli Terror Forces, is more accurate. n/t

[King_David]

9. That's just silly,

But I'm sure it will help your cred as a serious informed IP commentator.

[Jefferson23]

10. The documented record supports it, especially considering the ease which Israel

labels anyone they don't approve of as terrorists..I think I am being, generous.

[King_David]

12. Oki Doki

Carry on then.

I never hear Legitimate Palestinian spokesman using that rhetoric but you must be a closer aggrieved individual in this conflict than they.

[Jefferson23]

14. Anytime. n/t

[shira]

22. And Hamas is just a resistance group, right?

A fine example of Palestinian self-defense?

[Jefferson23]

23. They're a militant and terror group..like the Israeli Terror Forces, just less powerfully armed. n/t

[grossproffit]

28. SNORT

[oberliner]

21. Really surprising to see you type that

Sometimes you appear so reasonable and other times not so much.

[Jefferson23]

24. That's presuming you're in a position to judge reasonable. n/t

[King_David]

4. "Schabas was named as the head of the UN commission, angering Israel, where he is widely regarded as

hostile to Israel "


Why would they cooperate?

Israel should show them the door.

[Jefferson23]

8. They won't cooperate with anyone..unless they can control the outcome. n/t

[King_David]

11. The last UNHRC report was so biased and anti Israel that the chief investigator

in good conscience , Mr Justice Goldstone, had to retract his report .

[Jefferson23]

13. Yea, and all the other reports were bogus too..I know the line.

I wonder who the next Goldtsone will be..he never did make that trip to Israel.

[King_David]

15. What you referring to ?

A trip to Israel?

[Jefferson23]

16. After the recantation, he was invited to go, he said he would..but never did. n/t

[King_David]

17. How do you know this?

He has family in Israel .

His daughter used to live in Israel .

How do you know he never went back?

[Jefferson23]

18. Because I read. If he has gone back, the press would be all over it. I highly doubt that occurred.

[King_David]

20. It's been a few years I'm pretty sure

he's been to visit his family.
Probably a private visit that your many contacts in the area never informed you about.

[Jefferson23]

26. I highly doubt it...but I can't say for certain, obviously. n/t

[Eridenus]

5. Excuse me? You are posting propaganda

Now that's gone far enough.

Israel has always maintained their ceasefire, and it's the Palenstinians who continue to violate it.

I give you the murder of Dalya Lemkus, whose family are cousins with a family I know.

[Jefferson23]

7. Yea, well, unfortunately, that is not remotely accurate..welcome to the I/P group. n/t

[grossproffit]

19. Yep.

Welcome to the forum. It's nice to have you here.

[King_David]

25. Hello and welcome to IP

Agree with you and

I'm hoping your from Israel ?

This place definitely needs some balance .

[Jefferson23]

27. Israeli authorities have proven they cannot investigate suspected violations

of international humanitarian law by Israel in the Gaza Strip

Published:
5 Sep 2014

Israel launched Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip on 8 July 2014 and ended it, after a ceasefire was declared, on 26 August 2014. During the operation, Israel violated international humanitarian law in some cases, and many other cases are highly suspect. However, B’Tselem does not intend to demand that these suspicions be investigated by Israel’s current investigation mechanisms. This is due to the experience that B’Tselem gained following past military offensives in the Gaza Strip, which shows that there is currently no official body in Israel capable of conducting independent investigations of suspected violations of international humanitarian law. Israel's law enforcement system, in its present form, cannot adequately address suspicions regarding the military’s conduct during attacks on the Gaza Strip in three major areas:

Investigating senior political officials and military commanders: The overall policy guiding the military's actions is laid out by senior political officials, who are also involved in making and authorizing operational decisions. Other decisions are made by senior military commanders whose rank is either equivalent to that of the MAG or higher. In both cases, no mechanism exists for investigating the lawfulness of actions authorized on those levels.

The MAG's dual role: On one hand, the MAG gives legal counsel to the military before and during combat; on the other hand, he is responsible for deciding whether to open criminal investigations into soldiers' conduct. This dual role creates an inherent conflict of interests in cases where orders and commands given following the MAG's counsel raise suspicion that the law was breached. In these situations, the MAG – who was responsible for legally authorizing measures suspected of being unlawful – is charged with retrospectively deciding whether to initiate a criminal investigation into his own conduct and that of his subordinates.

Investigating incidents in which soldiers are suspected of having breached military orders: In the vast majority of such cases, investigations focus only on the conduct and responsibility of low-ranking soldiers and commanders in the field. First, an operational inquiry is usually carried out; then, the MAG decides whether to order an investigation by the Military Police Investigations Unit (MPIU) based on the inquiry's findings. In the rare instances in which an investigation is indeed opened, its findings are passed on to the MAG Corps, where the decision is made as to which measures – if any – are to be taken against the persons involved. Carrying out an operational inquiry in the unit prior to an MPIU investigation delays the criminal investigation – sometimes by many months. Furthermore, it compromises the reliability of eyewitness accounts given by soldiers, who provide their versions during the operational inquiry. MPIU investigators often cannot reach the scene of the incident and have difficulty obtaining testimony from Palestinian victims or witnesses. These procedures are so lengthy that, in some cases, the MAG's decision whether or not to take steps against the perpetrators is made several years after the incident. B'Tselem encountered these issues in the last two military offensives Israel conducted in the Gaza Strip – Operation Cast Lead (2009) and Operation Pillar of Defense (2012).

Operation Cast Lead, December 2008 – January 2009

in full: http://www.btselem.org/accountability/20140905_failure_to_investigate