Comment: Nick Clegg, human rights, Palestine and amnesia

December 18th, 2010 • Action, News
Tags: amnesia, comment, Gareth Epps, human rights, liberal democrats, Liberal Democrats Friends of Palestine, MP, nick clegg, palestine, Reading East

Gareth Epps‘, 2010 Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Reading East and new member of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee, recent post on his blog:

In the past, Nick Clegg has unequivocally condemned the blockade of Gaza, called for the EU/Israel Association Agreement to be suspended.

Now, he’s making speeches saying he got it wrong on Israel, speaking to pro-Israeli audiences while giving Palestinian campaigners the cold shoulder (see http://www.ldfp.eu/2010/11/15/mr-clegg-the-lib-dems-and-the-small-case-of-international-law/) and is about to author a change in the Universal Jurisdiction law to protect human rights abusers including representatives of the Israeli regime from attempts to bring them to justice.

I have raised at senior level the dangers of this stance, which runs the risk of unpicking years of carefully balanced and thought-out statements on Israel/Palestine (which in my view and that of many others could have gone a lot further in criticising discrimination and flagrant breaches of international law by successive Israeli governments, which have pandered to and increasingly contain people with outrageous extremist views).

We know that the Conservatives of the major political parties have the most one-dimensional view of this conflict, and will take the side of Israel. That does not legitimise the stance the Coalition government is taking on a fundamental issue of human rights. Rather than believe the spin that the change is ‘technical’, as I have been told by senior Liberal Democrats, I think it’s right to go public on this. Call it Conservative influence in Government, call it what you want, but Universal Jurisdiction is supposed to ensure that there is no hiding place for war criminals. The change of law has been condemned by a cluster of human rights groups including Amnesty who say it “will undermine the capacity of victims of serious international crimes to hold accountable alleged perpetrators who come within the UK’s jurisdiction by making all arrest decisions in such cases subject to political considerations rather than being based on the legal merits. Suspects may therefore find a safe haven in the UK, and the already considerable barriers to bringing such suspects to justice will be heightened.

“Instead of making it more difficult to arrest with a view to prosecuting such suspects, the UK should be seeking to enhance its capacity to do so, and mooted legislative changes are a step entirely in the wrong direction.”

There is no political sense in Nick Clegg pandering to the friends of the Israeli regime. These are people who are not Liberals and who would never consider voting for a party that gives the other side the time of day. He will gain no votes. Indeed, he will lose credibility among the many people such as myself who believe that the Palestinian people are long overdue justice, not collective punishment.

Oh, and Nick? If you’re really serious about being even-handed, then maybe you could answer positively to requests to speak to Lib Dem Friends of Palestine. It’s only fair.

Please contact Gareth to thank and congratulate him for this statement…

Gaza Children Bear Scars of War

November 4th, 2010 • Awareness, Film & Documentary, News
Tags: children, gaza, human rights, mental health, playground

Israel’s war on Gaza almost two years ago killed at least 1,400 Palestinians – including more than 300 children according to human rights groups. Many of the children who witnessed the violence now suffer ongoing psychological damage. Al Jazeera’s Nadim Baba reports on how residents are trying to restore some normality to the children of Gaza.

Soldier and Officer Convicted in Ni’lin Shooting

July 16th, 2010 • Awareness, News
Tags: B'Tselem, checkpoint, conviction, human rights, idf, office, palestinian, shooting, soldier

AJE reports on case brought under pressure from B’Tselem and other rights groups:

B’Tselem:

The special military court convicted Lieutenant Col. Omri Borberg, formerly commander of armored battalion 71 of attempt ed threat s and Staff Sergeant Leonardo Corea of unlawful use of firearms . Both were also convicted of conduct unbecoming. The charges carry a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and a criminal record.

In the judgment, the panel of three judges wrote that Borberg instructed to make Ashraf Abu Rahma, the bound prisoner, think that a soldier would shoot him. “The accused even led his subordinate astray by causing him to shoot towards the blindfolded, bound prisoner.” The judges emphasized that combat is not an excuse to justify criminal action. “The actions of the battalion commander did not take place during a demonstration but rather in an area under complete Israeli control and the threat of shooting was not conducted in the course of combat or police action. It represents a serious blow to fundamental values and a significant erosion of the image of the IDF, his commanders and its soldiers.”

The decision of the military court is important both as measure of justice for the victim, as well as for the deterrent message it sends to soldiers and commanders. The military must embrace the judgment and act decisively and proactively to ensure that the far too common phenomenon of ill treatment of Palestinian detainees is not tolerated.

Jpost: Commander, soldier convicted in shooting of Palestinian

Young Palestinians in Israeli jails

April 19th, 2010 • Awareness, News
Tags: children, human rights, jail, prison, torture, young

It is estimated that around 9,000 Palestinians are detained every year by Israel.

According to human-rights groups, up to 700 teenagers and children were detained last year alone.

More than 270 Palestinians, who are under the age of 18, are currently held in Israeli prisons.

Little is known about the long-term effect of detention on Palestinian teenagers. But with over 760,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel since 1967, experts say detention is a source of trans-generational trauma in Palestine; one that is passed on and bound to repeat so long as the occupation persists.

Prisoners tend to have symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome, experts say, and they warn that young detainees suffer more than adults from this experience, even if they are not tortured.

Child prisoners account for almost 20 percent of patients at Palestines only torture victim centre.