Letter Attorney Gen: Prevent War Crime In Hebron

GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/

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Gush Shalom to Attorney General: Prevent war crime in Hebron

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[1] Letter to the Attorney General

[2] Ad in Ha'aretz: Serving the settlers

[1] Letter to the Attorney General

Uri Avnery, on behalf of the Gush Shalom movement, sent a sharp warning to the Attorney General, concerning the destruction of dozens of homes in Hebron. Following the text:

December 5, 2002.

Mr. Elyakim Rubinstein,

Legal Advisor to the Government,

Jerusalem.

Sir,

We are in possession of decree 61/02/T, signed by General Moshe Kaplinsky, commander of the IDF in the 'Judea and Samaria' area.

This decree orders the expropriation of 61 (sixty one) parcels, as follows: 'I declare that these lands will be taken over for military needs. I hereby order the demolition of the buildings for military needs.'

To the best of our knowledge and understanding, there are no 'military needs' for this act, which entails the destruction of a whole neighborhood. The purpose of the decree is to create a 'territorial contiguity' between the settlers in Kiryat-Arba and those in the center of Hebron.

In the absence of an urgent military need, this act may be considered a war crime under international law. There is no need to add that the very existence of an Israeli settlement in Hebron is illegal under international law.

As an Israeli peace movement, we are deeply concerned with the moral fabric and the international standing of our state. Therefore we request you to -

(1)Inform the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense that the above action is manifestly illegal and must be cancelled at once.

(2)Warn General Moshe Kaplinsky that the above act may be considered a war crime and entail severe personal consequences for him at any time.

We are convinced that by doing so you will act for the good of the state and the army.

We believe that it is the duty of every citizen in a democratic state to warn against actions that may constitute war crimes, and take all legal steps necessary for their prevention. This we are doing.

Yours truly,

Uri Avnery,

Former member of the Knesset,

Gush Shalom.

Copy: General Moshe Kaplinsky.

[2] Ad in Ha'aretz: Serving the settlers

SERVING THE SETTLERS

[ad published in Ha'aretz, Dec. 6]

Twenty years ago, Moshe Dayan stated that the aim of the settlers in Hebron is the expulsion of all the inhabitants of the town, as a first stage of the expulsion of the Palestinians from the rest of the country.

Since the beginning of the Jewish settlement there, in 1968, the town has not known a single day of quiet. Lewinger, Goldstein and their followers have caused an unending series of provocations, in order to realize that aim.

Following the ambush, in which 11 soldiers and security personnel were killed, the Sharon-Mofaz-Ya’alon trio has decided to destroy a whole Palestinian neighborhood, expel its inhabitants and build on its ruins a new settlement that will connect Kiryat-Arba with the settlers’ colony in the center of the town.

For the first time, the government and the army high command are implementing in cold blood a clear policy of ethnic cleansing. By any standard, this is an international crime.

Gush Shalom,

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P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033,

www.gush-shalom.org

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