Jan 23 2009
Human Rights & Gaza: A Symposium
As a tenuous and temporary cease-fire holds in Gaza, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously called for a lasting truce. In the wake of Israel’s twenty-two day assault on the coastal strip, more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed and thousands more injured. Presented by France and Britain, the agreed upon press statement of the Security Council urged that a lasting halt to hostilities be grounded in efforts to open border crossings into Gaza while subsequently taking preventive measures against arms smuggling. Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official has reportedly rejected any notion of reconciliatory talks with Fatah and instead will send a delegation to Egypt this weekend to discuss the consolidation of the cease-fire in place since Sunday.
Aside from diplomatic efforts seeking to secure a truce, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues. The U.N. has stated that preliminary efforts aimed at reconstructing the devastated coastal region will costs hundreds of millions of dollars while long term projects will most likely reach into the billions. Food, water, shelter, sanitation, fuel, electricity, and medical facilities suffered severely as two-thirds of Gaza’s population was left without power and one-third without running water during the course of the assault. In addition, the U.N. will be launching a probe into weapons used by Israel as international criticisms accuse it of committing war crimes. The International Atomic Energy Agency will be investigating whether or not depleted uranium was added to munitions. The Israeli army is reportedly conducting an internal investigation into its use of white phosphorus, however, U.N. investigator Richard Falk has stated that an independent investigation is needed into the actions of Israel’s military.
Falk was also one of four panelists present at this week’s Human Rights & Gaza Symposium held at UCLA. The distinguished visiting professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara joined Saree Makdisi, Lisa Hajjar, and Gabriel Piterberg in the event.Special thanks once more to Global Voices for Justice for making this recording of the symposium available.
GUESTS: Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and distinguished visiting professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, author of more than 20 books including his latest, “The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order after Iraq.” Gabriel Piterberg, Associate Professor of History at UCLA, author of, “The Returns of Zionism.”
6 Responses to “Human Rights & Gaza: A Symposium”
Preident Obama’s categorical assumption that Israel is always right may be his biggest political weakness. The real loyalty of politicians is to their ambition. The mythical “Jewish Vote” is one segment of the electorate they find it hard to risk alienating. If I were an Israeli, I would try not to alienate the U.S. Israel’s policies in Gaza have been widely criticized by American Jews for a number of years now.
President Obama has promised change. What comes next?
I STARTED LISTENING TO KPFK A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO THE START OF THE ISRAELI INVASION OF GAZA.
BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMMING I HAVE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, BECOME INFORMED OF THE FACT THAT ISRAEL, BOTH IGNORES INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS TO WITHDRAW FROM THE OCCUPIED TERTITORIES, AND IS ACTUALLY THE ONE WHO VIOLATED THE CURRENT CEASEFIRE.
I FEEL THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE LIKE ME AS THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PRESENTED IN THE REGULAR MEDIA. NOR ARE AMERICANS REMINDED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH THAT IT IS US SUPPORT WHICH MAKES THIS POSSIBLE.
THIS CRITICISM OF CURRENT US POSITIONS, AS KPFK’S GUESTS REVEAL, ARE HELD BY NUMBERS OF JEWISH VOICES.
CONSEQUENTLY, I THINK SOME NEW TACTIC SHOULD BE RESORTED TO.
WHAT OCCURS TO ME:
PEACEFUL MARCHES – (MARTIN LUTHER KING AND GANDHI) – AROUND THE GAZAN BORDERS, (ONCE A WEEK)- (PREFERABLY, BY WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AROUND 13 YEARS OF AGE),-CARRYING PLACARDS SHOWING PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXTS OF NAZI ATROCITIES, DRAWING PARALLELS BETWEEN THE GAZAN SITUATION AND THAT OF JEWISH EUROPE.
ALSO, PLACARDS LISTING ADDRESSES OF ANCESTRAL LANDS IN ISRAEL.
(MOREOVER, WHY ARE REPARATIONS NEVER MENTIONED.
ALSO, NAOM CHOMSKY HAS POINTED OUT THAT THIS, TOO, IS ETHNIC CLEANSING.
AS INDEED, ISRAELI GOVERNMANT SPOKESPEOPLE HAVE UNEQUIVOCALLY STATED.
THE GAZANS ARE TO BE KEPT UNDER STRESS AND DEPRIVATION UNTIL THEY ARE TOO DEBILITATED TO RESIST.
AS AN IRISH HISTORIAN HAS STATED:
“MALNUTRITION IS A TWELVE LETTER WORD FOR STARVATION”.
FINALLY, THE FACTS AND DETAILS OF VIOLATIONS, ETC. SHOULD BE MORE CLEARLY AVAILABLE ON A WEBSITE FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. (PERHAPS IN CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT).
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