[Imc-newsroom] Fwd: [GushShalom] TREASON TRIALS FOR GUSH SHALOM ACTIVISTS, SAYS IAF CHIEF (fwd)

[Mark Enslin]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 09:48:42 -0500
From: Anand Pillay <pillay at math.uiuc.edu>
To: sf-talk at prairienet.org
Subject: Fwd: [GushShalom] TREASON TRIALS FOR GUSH SHALOM ACTIVISTS,
     SAYS IAF  CHIEF (fwd)

>Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 17:25:21 +0200 (IST)
>From: Kobi Peterzil <kobi at math2.haifa.ac.il>
>To: Kobi Peterzil <kobi at math2.haifa.ac.il>
>Subject: [GushShalom] TREASON TRIALS FOR GUSH SHALOM ACTIVISTS, SAYS IAF
> CHIEF (fwd)
>
>
>
>Dear Friends,
>
>Please read the attached "forward" from Gush Shalom.
>We might need your direct help on this matter soon.
>
>To sum-up, few weeks ago, right after Israel killed 15 civilians while
>trying to kill a Hamas activist, GUsh Shalom sent open letters to several
>high ranking officers, warning them that their actions could be illegal
>under international law and might even end-up with a legal suit to the
>international court in the Hague.
>
>This aparently had an enormous effect and made many officers, espeically
>pilots it seems, extremely nervous. A massive attack against Gush Shalom
>was launched in the media with Sharon leading the attack, calling
>the atourney general to file legal suits against Gush Shalom.
>EVen the so-called liberal paper Haaretz joined this attack.
>
>Please read this very last news on the matter. I will keep you posted
>on that.
>
>Thanks, Kobi
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 14:16:13 +0200
>From: "Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Bloc)" <info at gush-shalom.org>
>To: gush-shalom at mailman.gush-shalom.org
>Subject: [GushShalom] TREASON TRIALS FOR GUSH SHALOM ACTIVISTS, SAYS IAF CHIEF
>
>GUSH SHALOM - pob 3322, Tel-Aviv 61033 - http://www.gush-shalom.org/
>
>For immediate release
>
>= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
>= = = = = = =
>-- IAF chief Major General Dan Halutz urges treason trials for Gush 
>Shalom activists
>-- Gush Shalom calls for international support and assistance by 
>international lawyers
>= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
>= = = = = = =
>
>The following headline appears on the frontpage in Ha'aretz Hebrew, 
>as well as on the
>English internet edition (not in the English printed edition):
>
>IAF CHIEF URGES TREASON TRIALS FOR LEFTIST GUSH SHALOM ACTIVISTS
>
>In a preview to a big interview Ha'aretz Correspondent Vered 
>Levy-Barzilai writes:
>
>Attacking leftist Gush Shalom activists for threatening to extradite 
>Israeli air force
>pilots to the international court at the Hague for alleged war 
>crimes, IAF Commander
>Major General Dan Halutz has urged brining the activists to trial. 
>
>"What I have to say about those people is this: we live in a 
>democratic country, and
>expressing an opinion is always allowed, but betrayal is not 
>allowed," Halutz told
>Ha'aretz in an interview. When asked if he suggests placing the Gush 
>Shalom activists
>on trial on charges of treason, he replied, "The proper offense as 
>defined by law should
>be found, and they should be tried in Israel." 
>
>In his first interview since the controversial July 23 air strike on 
>a crowded Gaza
>neighborhood that kill Hamas military leader Salah Shehadeh, as well 
>as 15 civilians
>including nine children, Halutz said "The decision making process was correct,
>balanced, and careful. The problem was with the information, the 
>information changed.
>I reject all the criticism about this operation, before, during and after." 
>
>Halutz referred to the operation as "militarily and morally" proper. 
>
>He said that it is legitimate to strike at a terrorist even if 
>innocent bystanders will be
>hurt. "I have no doubt about it," he said. "Against a man who 
>committed or is positively
>known to have the planning in hand for 'mega-terror,' my answer is 
>categorically yes.
>How many people? I don't know."
>
>[So far the preview of the interview with the Air Force commander - 
>to appear in the
>weekend supplement.]
>
>We sent you earlier the comments of the Prime Minister after he 
>visited the Air Force
>base. It's clear that there is a concerted effort to silence Gush 
>Shalom and put its
>activists behind bars. And with Major General Dan Halutz suggesting 
>to try us for
>treason - be aware that treason is the only offense in Israel for 
>which there exists
>capital punishment, though it has not been applied since 1948.
>
>In the media expressions of the Israeli governmental and military 
>leadership Gush
>Shalom is becoming more and more of a giant. For the simple action 
>of having sent
>warning letters  to a number of officers, with copies to the 
>ministry and to the press (by
>the way: none was sent to pilots!) we are now already depicted as 
>"threatening to
>extradite Israeli air force pilots".
>The IAF chief actually tries to defend the act of throwing a one ton 
>bomb, in the night
>of July 22/23,  on an appartment building in Gaza, killing 15 
>civilians, among them nine
>children, together with Hamas leader Shehadeh [an hour after 
>Palestians agreed on a
>cease-fire). Opposition leader Yossi Sarid defined it as an act of 
>state terrorism, and
>not him alone.
>In these circumstances it seems we are now made into the scapegoat for all the
>national and international criticism which was expressed, and which 
>reportedly is
>greatly worrying the involved pilots.
>
>Halutz' attitude of "no regret, on the contrary" was reason for us 
>to apply today to the
>IDF Judge Advocate General asking him to prosecute the general and 
>the subordiantes
>directly involved. We wrote that general Halutz' continuing 
>assertion that there was
>nothing wrong with the bombing and that it would be also in the 
>future justified, is
>making an investigation of the matter all the more urgent.
>
>With the fury of all those who know they don't have a clean record 
>directed against us
>we have called upon our international contacts to form an 
>international support group,
>and for a committee of international lawyers to assist us.
>
>For more information:
>Uri Avnery
>Adam Keller
>ph: +972-3-5565804 / +972-56-709603 / +972-56-709604
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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>
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>
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>
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>
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