Sep 05 2014
Palestinian American Lawyer Legally Challenges US Aid to Israel Over Gaza Family Suffering
The late comedic actress Joan Rivers, who died yesterday at the age of 81, made, as one of her last public statements, vicious comments about Palestinian casualties of Israel’s war on Gaza. She famously told a reporter at LA airport that Palestinians deserved to die.
Perhaps it is fitting that an American’s perspective on a conflict half a world away is relevant. After all, the US finances Israeli weaponry to the tune of billions of dollars of tax payers money per year.
Now, a Palestinian American lawyer is suing US government officials over that financial support, which he says makes the US complicit in Israel’s killing of his family members.
Akram Abusharar filed his suit about a month ago, against Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. In it he cites the deaths of dozens of family members over the years, as a result of Israeli policies and military actions.
The United Nations has concluded that over 2,100 Palestinians were killed in Gaza during Israel’s most recent 50-day Operation Protective Edge, 70% of whom were civilians.
GUEST: Akram Abusharar, Palestinian American lawyer based in Anaheim, Orange County
2 Responses to “Palestinian American Lawyer Legally Challenges US Aid to Israel Over Gaza Family Suffering”
Dear Sonali and Mr Abusharar
My name is Ilanit Wasserberg, I grew up and educated in Israel! During the last 18 years I live here in L.A.
I had to stop my car and listen carefully to your poor interview with the lawyer , Mr.Abusharar who is planning to sue …. For supporting Israel !
In 1996 I was one of many Israeli citizens who voted and supported the peace process with the Palestinian . As you might remember , our prime minister Mr. Yitzchak Rabin and Mr.Yasser Arafat even got a Peace Nobal prize for their effort to create peace between the two nations. I remember that since then the situation just got worse!!! I / we could not even take a bus since there were suicide bombs Everywhere!!! I could not take the bus, nor sitting in a restaurant or going to the mall. Every day, innocent people , children where dying !!!! It was a huge debate between the people of Israel if we should give the occupied land to the Palestinian or not?! Many of my friends and family thought it’s a beginning of a new area , and we should compromise for real peace with our enemies. Unfortunately, as much as Israel agree to the Palestinians demands it become unsecured to the citizens. I hope you read and listen to Mosab Hassan Yousef, “Son of Chammas”who was brave and honest to describe the reality from the Palestinians terrorist side !
My point is that Israel is NOT the problem! Also the innocent children and people in Gaza( unless they chose Chammas to govern them)
My people, the people of Israel will not sit and let Chamas bomb (again ) cities and civilians in Israel . There is NO reasons , Chamas will keep planning his terror against us. We no longer in Gaza, therefore there is no reasons for the Chammas to build tunnels and to plan invading our land in order to have a mess killing on Rosh Hashanna – the Jewish new year!!!
I serve in the Israeli Army and even now
As a teacher ( yes , I am a Hebrew and Judaic studies teacher) I was taught , Israel and the Jewish people should Defend themselves since no other nation will do it or support us( yes… For example million Jews who were murded during world war 2…and you today!) However, we were NOT taught to kill for revenge (ex we never killed any German for what they did to us during the war)
I would like to emphasis it again and again…. We will always defend ourselves! And that what we did in Gaza few weeks ago.On July
I visited my parents in Tel Aviv with my 3 kids, who are citizen of USA. We were constantly had to be in the shelters since Chamas sent missals in order to kill me! And my people !
Since my people, the people of Israel used are smart enough and used their brain and money wisely and efficiently (compare to the Palestinian)we developed the Iron Dome, a mobile air defense system that developed by the Israeli in order to DEFEND its citizens from missiles) . The Chammas waste it’s money for weapon and not to support and develop Gaza as they promised!
Therefore, while I was listening to Sonali Kilhatkor interview Mr Akram Abusharar, I felt that I can understand his concern for his family in Gaza, just like I am worried for my parents, brother and sister and my grandparent friends who live in Israel.
You accused us, the Jewish people for defending ourselves!!! you mentioned that the even in universities “Academic” field people are afraid to tell their opinions!!! Really?????? Israel is the only ademocracy in the Middle East! We the ,Jewish people believe in the same morals and values like the peoples in Unites States as freedom of speech , freedom of religions, freedom to be who you want to be as long as you so not hurt yourself and other people!!! You were talking about human rights… Accusing Israel for violating human rights????
How dare you???
I wonder…does in Gaza you can be free to say and believe and be who you are? Does Chamas keep human rights?? If yes , why they hide in hospitals and schools and in civilian area. Does Ms Sonali Kolhakor or any American will be safe in Gaza????have any right?? No!!! Noo!!! No! It’s easy to blam others , it take courage and it is VERY SCARY and dangerous to criticize Chamas ( and Mr Abusharar ‘s family will probably will sentence to death with no trail , by Chamas”!!!
We the Israelis , and the Jewish people cherish life and respect other people!!! We will defend ourselves a will make sure our kids , will be safe !!!
It’s very simple Israel represent
Freedom# Democracy#Moral values#Defending #Pursue for safety life for its citizen among its Muslims neighbors ! Life is beautiful ! Inventions! Modern!65 years old!!!!! Please, I invite you to visit in my country , go to the beaches in Tel Aviv ,the Sea of Galilei , Eilat , Jerusalem…meet and speak to my people ! I promise you will change your mind and support us the people in the Holy land!!!!
I’m sure the people in Gaza and Chamas would like you to visit their them too….. So Please do that, so you will be able to do objective and honest talk shows in the future!
Sincerely
Ilanit Wasserberg
Dear Ilanit,
In regards to the violence in the mid 90’s after Oslo, it wasn’t quite as one-sided as you portray. During this same time frame there were numerous attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the territories; there was the ongoing targeted assassination campaign being waged by Israel– what some Palestinians refer to as “state terrorism” — with people being hit by car bombs and the like, along with the inevitable “collateral damage” that implies. Also worth mentioning was the attack in Hebron by the extremist Baruch Goldstein opening fire with an automatic weapon in a mosque during morning prayers killing 21 and wounding 300. There is evidence that nearby Israeli guards ignored, or looked the other way, as these tragic events unfolded. And, of course, Yitzhak Rabin himself paid the ultimate price as he was gunned down by an Israeli extremist. There were people on both sides who were committing acts of violence, many of whom, in so doing, were attempting to sabotage the peace process. And unfortunately, if that was indeed their objective, it appears they were successful.
In regards to Gaza, since 2007 the Israelis have imposed a complete blockade — by land, sea, and air. They control everything that goes in and comes out of Gaza. What they have allowed in is completely inadequate and only ensures bare subsistence. This is by design. Dov Weisglass, adviser to Ehud Olmert, was quoted as saying, “The idea is to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.” And this is exactly what they have done. This type of calorie counting, imposed on occupied territory, is nothing less than collective punishment and is a clear violation of international law. And make no mistake, the IDF may have withdrawn, but as long as the area is being rigidly controlled in the manner that it is, this still constitutes an occupation. (As a matter of fact, Noam Chomsky has called Gaza the “world’s biggest open-air prison.”) Given these facts on the ground, is it any wonder the Gazans are building tunnels? Can there be any wonder why they continue to resist? What would YOU do under similar circumstances? It’s a cruel joke for you to say that “Gazans have not developed Gaza as they promised,” when their economy has been in a complete stranglehold for the past 7 years!
And yes, we’re talking about human rights! You have the gall to express indignation because Israel is being accused of violating human rights. You say, “how dare you???” … for accusing Israel. Well, I say… how dare YOU?!?!?!!!! The Gazans are being forced to live under appalling conditions… and their rights are being routinely violated! If the shoe was on the other foot, you wouldn’t tolerate it for 5 minutes … much less for 7 years! (and counting) And on top of the daily indignities they must endure for just wanting to live and breathe free on this planet, they must also endure the periodic “mowing of the lawn” — which is the disgusting term used by Israeli military strategists to describe the brutal military operations they intermittently undertake against Gaza — which only goes to PROVE how ineffective their policy must be (I mean, if they have to do it every couple of years or so, it must not be working too well)… (what was that Einstein said about doing the same thing and expecting different results?)… AND proves what kind of moral lepers these Israeli military people really must be to speak of human beings in such terms.
Now there is much talk about how “Israel has a right to defend itself,” as a matter of fact, this is one of their oft repeated talking points… along with “No country on earth would tolerate having missiles thrown at them.” Well it seems Israel has a right to defend itself and Palestinians have a right to be SITTING DUCKS. And exactly what country would tolerate being kept under a state of siege for years on end? And what country/people without a military — so that they’re essentially defenseless –would tolerate being periodically mauled by one of the strongest militaries in the world? This isn’t war, this is a massacre…. or as Noam Chomsky says “murder,” plain and simple.
And at least if you could say Hamas was the one who instigated this latest round, you might have a leg to stand on, but that simply is not the case. Since the November 2012 cease fire that brought to an end “Operation Pillar of Defense,” Israel has been a serial violator. Within 24 hours, Israel was already in violation of the terms that called for the “ending of all hostilities” between the parties and over the next year alone Israel had been in violation nearly 120 times. In addition, Israel was in violation of the terms calling for “facilitating the freedom of movement and transfer of goods within Gaza.” In terms of this latest flare up, Hamas only retaliated after a series of provocations by Israel, the immediately precipitating event being an attack by Israel that resulted in the deaths of several Hamas members. It was then that Hamas fired off missiles…. which, of course, indicates that Hamas was reacting — acting in self defense — and not the other way around. Of course, regardless of the sequence of events, an occupier bears responsibility for those under its control…. but in this case you can’t even say that there was an instigation on the part of the occupied… that distinction falls completely on the occupier.
And apparently, Netanyahu created a pretext and engineered this operation as a means of breaking up the newly formed unity government between Hamas and Fatah. That was all this was about. Nothing to do with self defense and all the rest of what they’re telling you. All the death, destruction and human misery inflicted on people — all on the basis of a political calculation.
One other point bears stating — under international law the principle of distinction (between combatants and non-combatants) and proportionality must be observed in an armed conflict. When you look at the statistics involved, with (from what I’ve heard) over 70 to 80% civilian casualties (and over 500 children killed), it certainly would appear that Israel did not meet this standard. Considering, that lacking any accountability, Israel is likely to “mow the lawn” once again… to, in effect, kill again… and probably in the not too distant future… I think it’s important that some sort of accountability at least be attempted. That’s why I support the Palestinians attempt to bring their case before the International Criminal Court. And naturally, I support the efforts of the gentleman (in this article) to hold U.S. officials to account for their role in financing, aiding and abetting Israeli crimes. Take note, they are not resorting to violence but are employing legal means as a way of redressing their grievances.