by Peter Garcia-Webb on Fri, 2014-08-01
The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution that will now go to the Senate. It calls on the international community to recognize and condemn Hamas’ breaches of international law through the use of human shields and condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council’s biased commission of inquiry into Israel’s Gaza operations. There is no evidence that Hamas has used human shields, nor that UNHRC is biased.
The full text is shown below.
The bill has many steps to pass before it becomes Law. But it is important. The House has given Israel the all clear as far as war crimes are concerned. The House has accepted that Israel has gone to extraordinary lengths to target only Hamas actors.
But the current data show that 1,437 Palestinians have been killed, 23% of those were children. And 8,265 Palestinians have been wounded, 30% of those were children. Israel has bombed or shelled hospitals, ambulances, schools, UN facilities, the emergency phone call system, sewerage facilities, water facilities, Gaza’s only electricity generating plant, fishing boats and fishing nets, houses, homes, mosques, etc.
Israel has used banned weapons including DIME bombs, tank flechette shells and gas.
In one Bill, the House is attempting to sweep all that aside, and blame the whole thing on Hamas. There is no truth in war.
Such is the strength of the right wing Zionist lobby in the US.
Such are the depths to which democracy in the US has sunk.
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 107
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the term human shields refers to the use of civilians, prisoners of war, or other noncombatants whose mere presence is designed to protect combatants and objects from attack;
Whereas the use of human shields violates international humanitarian law (also referred to as the Law of War or Law of Armed Conflict);
Whereas Additional Protocol I, Article 50(1) to the Geneva Convention defines civilian as, [a]ny person who does not belong to one of the categories of persons referred to in Article 4(A) (1), (2), (3), and (6) of the Third Convention and in Article 43 of this Protocol. In the case of doubt whether a person is a civilian, that person shall be considered a civilian.;
Whereas Additional Protocol I, Article 51(7) to the Geneva Convention states, [T]he presence or movement of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not direct the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military operations.;
Whereas since June 15, 2014, there have been over 2,000 rockets fired by Hamas and other terrorist organizations from Gaza into Israel;
Whereas Hamas has been using civilian populations as human shields by placing their missile batteries in densely populated areas and near schools, hospitals, and mosques;
Whereas Israel drops leaflets, makes announcements, places phone calls and sends text messages to the Palestinian people in Gaza warning them in advance that an attack is imminent, and goes to extraordinary lengths to target only terrorist actors;
Whereas Hamas has urged the residents of Gaza to ignore the Israeli warnings and to remain in their houses and has encouraged Palestinians to gather on the roofs of their homes to act as human shields;
Whereas on July 23, 2014, the 46-Member UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution to form a commission of inquiry over Israel’s operations in Gaza without a single mention of the indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas or the use of human shields, with the United States being the lone dissenting vote;
Whereas public reports have cited the role of Iran and Syria in providing material support and training to Hamas and other terrorist groups carrying out rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza;
Whereas throughout the summer of 2006 conflict between the State of Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah, Hezbollah forces utilized human shields in violation of international humanitarian law;
Whereas Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other foreign terrorist organizations typically use innocent civilians as human shields;
Whereas the United States and Israel have cooperated on missile defense projects, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow Anti-Missile System, projects designed to thwart a diverse range of threats, including short-range missiles and rockets fired by non-state actors, such as Hamas;
Whereas the United States has provided $235,000,000 in fiscal year 2014 for Iron Dome research, development, and production;
Whereas, during the most recent rocket attacks from Gaza, Iron Dome has successfully intercepted dozens of rockets that were launched against Israeli population centers; and
Whereas 5 million Israelis are currently living under the threat of rocket attacks from Gaza: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
(1)
strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields;
(2)
calls on the international community to recognize and condemn Hamas’ breaches of international law through the use of human shields;
(3)
places responsibility for the rocket attacks against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Islamic Jihad;
(4)
supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas’ rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out attacks against Israel;
(5)
expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict;
(6)
supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors;
(7)
condemns Hamas’ repeated refusals to accept a cease-fire with Israel;
(8)
supports efforts to permanently demilitarize the Gaza Strip, removing Hamas’s means to target Israel, including its use of tunnels, rockets, and other means; and
(9)
condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council’s biased commission of inquiry into Israel’s Gaza operations.
Passed the House of Representatives July 30, 2014.
Comments
Human Shields
Submitted by Colinjames (not verified) on Fri, 2014-08-01 21:44
We, the Holy and Wholly Indispensable people strongly condemn civilians getting their heads, bodies, and limbs in the way of our bombs, and these people should be punished IMMEDIATELY. Israel and USA are the arbiters of truth, the defenders of humanity, and our souls remain pure and unsullied. Anyone who believes otherwise is a terrorist and/or anti-semite, and shall be arrested as an enemy combatant. Any nation who opposes this resolution shall be placed on the Axis of Evil list and subject to Freedom Bombs and Democracy Operations. This resolution shall also include unlimited funding for Israel and Kiev to continue their heroic struggles for Not Killing Civilians.
Human Shields
Submitted by Peter Garcia-Webb on Sat, 2014-08-02 09:15
Thank Colinjames both for your satire and for taking time to make a comment
exonerate
Submitted by Don Nash (not verified) on Sat, 2014-08-02 21:21
The US Congress is wholly occupied Israeli territory and every last congressional lickspittle, aside from their being feckless and spineless, is a bought and paid for Israeli whore. Legislation that is rife with the odor of ‘Israel first’ comes as no surprise. It is amorally shameful but not really much more than the per usual our world gets from the Beltway Banditos.
exonerate
Submitted by Peter Garcia-Webb on Sat, 2014-08-02 23:24
Thanks for your comment Don. Sadly enough for the truth, and even more sadly for the people of Gaza, you are of course right.
house bill
Submitted by Emory (not verified) on Sun, 2014-08-03 06:31
Thanks Don Nash. Your comment was completely accurate and extremely well written. I had intended to write a similar comment but I don’t think I can say it any better than you did. Thanks again for demonstrating that not all Americans are brain washed by the main stream media.
Gaza atrocities
Submitted by Ram2009 (not verified) on Sat, 2014-08-02 23:40
Already Israel has been labelled a terrorist state. The US/UK are complicit in the terror by supplying the weapons used.
Thanks Ram2009,
Submitted by Peter Garcia-Webb on Sun, 2014-08-03 06:53
Thanks Ram2009, Agreed. Egypt has just let a boat full of new weapons for Israel through the Suez canal.
Poodles
Submitted by tom dee (not verified) on Sun, 2014-08-03 09:33
Has the poodles of the US House of Representatives been recognized as an official subdivision of AIPAC. I am not sure if the poodles of the house understand how so many of our citizens are hurting. We need to do something and sending large amounts of ammunition and dollars to the middle east should never happen can clearly when one side has a huge military and the other is unarmed there is no emergency.
Thanks tom dee,
Submitted by Peter Garcia-Webb on Sun, 2014-08-03 10:43
Thanks tom dee, Well the Republicans certainly are, and quite a few of the Democrats also. Sadly the President is falling over himself to allow Israel to “defend itself” by destroying a university, not to mention everything else.
Source: https://petergarciawebb.com/peter-garcia-webb/2014-08-01/us-bill-seeks-exonerate-israel-war-crimes
