[Nettime-bold] Re: Israel,U.S. set to boycott talks on territories

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

Does this mean we can expect another Al Qaeda attack 
sometimes before Christmass?
ivo

Date sent:      	Fri, 9 Nov 2001 04:15:02 -0500
Send reply to:  	International Justice Watch Discussion List
             	<JUSTWATCH-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU>
From:           	Daniel Tomasevich <danilo@MARTNET.COM>
Subject:        	Israel,U.S. set to boycott talks on territories
To:             	JUSTWATCH-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU

An international conference on Palestine will be boycotted by
Israel and the U.S.

   Israel is expected to come under fire for alleged abuses in the
   occupied territories during the 13-month Intifada or uprising, in
   which at least 700 Palestinians and 185 Israelis have been killed. New
   Jewish settlements are likely to be slammed as illegal transfers of
   population, diplomats say.


Daniel
(article not for cross posting)
-------------------------------------------------------------

   Reuters Media
   Thursday November 8 11:20 AM ET

Israel, U.S. Set to Boycott Talks on Territories

   By Stephanie Nebehay

   GENEVA (Reuters) - Israel and its staunch ally the United States look
   set to boycott an international conference next month aimed at
   upholding rights of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza
   Strip (news - web sites), diplomats said on Thursday.

   In a statement, Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva rejected the
   meeting as a pretext to misuse humanitarian law as a ``blunt tool for
   political attacks'' against the Jewish state.

   The conference, which Switzerland has called for December 5 in Geneva,
   would also ``undermine'' Middle East peace efforts, according to
   Israel.

   Neutral Switzerland acts as depository of the 1949 Fourth Geneva
   Convention guaranteeing protection of civilians during war or military
   occupation, laying down rules on access to food, medical care, places
   of religious worship and education.

   The United States and Israel stayed away from a similar session in
   July 1999 which declared that the Convention, ratified by 189 states,
   applies to the territories, including Arab East Jerusalem.

   Israel is expected to come under fire for alleged abuses in the
   occupied territories during the 13-month Intifada or uprising, in
   which at least 700 Palestinians and 185 Israelis have been killed. New
   Jewish settlements are likely to be slammed as illegal transfers of
   population, diplomats say.

   ``The U.S. has said all along it doesn't support the idea of a
   meeting. As far as I know there is not a final decision on whether to
   participate but it is probably unlikely,'' Bruce Armstrong, spokesman
   at the U.S. embassy in Berne, told Reuters.

   ISRAEL DISPUTES LEGALITY

   Israel says it observes the humanitarian provisions of the Convention
   but disputes that it legally applies to the West Bank, East Jerusalem
   and Gaza Strip which it says were under no legitimate rule when they
   were captured in the 1967 war.

   Tuvia Israeli, deputy head of Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva,
   told Reuters: ``We will not participate.

   ``We take the Fourth Geneva Convention very seriously. In a practical
   way we do apply it,'' he said.

   The Geneva talks come amid speculation that Palestinian President
   Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) may declare an independent
   Palestinian state following statements by several countries, including
   the United States, backing the state in principle.

   Nabil Ramlawi, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations (news - web
   sites) in Geneva, said he hoped the conference would reaffirm that
   humanitarian law applies to the territories occupied by Israel.

   ``All actions, not only settlements, but deliberate killings in cold
   blood, destruction of houses, injuring people -- its existence in
   Palestinian territory is a crime,'' he told Reuters.

   ``The result will confirm the applicability of the Fourth Geneva
   Convention to the occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem
   which is very important to be said in the critical political
   circumstances,'' Ramlawi added.

     _________________________________________________________________

   Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited.

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