URGENT APPEAL TO FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN ISRAEL ON BEHALF OF PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS INSIDE ISRAEL
Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - Palestinian-Arab NGOs inside Israel
From: Diaa [diaa@ittijah.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 6:22 AM
URGENT APPEAL
TO FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN ISRAEL ON BEHALF OF PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS INSIDE ISRAEL
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
We, boards, directors, staff, volunteers and activists within
Palestinian-Arab NGOs inside Israel, the target groups and diverse communities
we represent, urgently appeal to Ambassadors of foreign Embassies based
in this country to immediately take a stance against the bloody actions
and war crimes of Ariel Sharon's government inside the Occupied Palestinian
Territories of 1967 (OPT).
As you must be aware, for the past four
days Israeli Occupying Troops have strengthened their illegal presence
en masse in the OPT, forcing a complete curfew and cutting off electricity
and water, indiscriminately shooting (and killing) those daring to leave
their homes. Ramallah and the surrounding areas are suffering from a severe
shortage of food, water and medicines. The sick and wounded cannot obtain
treatment or medical relief, as Israeli Occupying Troops are not allowing
medical relief organizations to rescue the wounded, injured or sick, nor
are emergency food and water conveys given passage into the OPT. The Israeli
army is demolishing Churches and Mosques. Some are being used as military
positions. A priest has been killed and several nuns injured.
Several humanitarian relief convoys
of food, clothing and medical equipment have been blocked by the Israeli
army, their passage into Ramallah and other besieged Palestinian cities
forbidden. Activists from Palestinian civil society organizations have
been arrested.
It is clear that the same pattern will
be repeated in other areas of the OPT, including Gaza, where the situation
shall be even more dire.
Israeli Occupying Troops have encircled
and trapped the elected President of the Palestinian Authority and symbol
of the Palestinian people, President Yasser Arafat in his house. His life
is in danger through lack of access to water, food and medicines. The Israeli
government is threatening to exile or assassinate President Yasser Arafat.
Foreign press and internationals currently
in Ramallah and Bethlehem cannot accurately report this situation. They
too, are targets of the Israel's Occupying Troops indiscriminate fire,
which pays no heed to the fourth Geneva Convention or any standards of
morality or decency. We express our gratitude and respect to international
civil society groups who have come to Palestine to challenge the occupation
and prevent additional Israeli war crimes. However, this is not enough.
In short, it cannot have missed your
notice that the Israeli government has declared war. This is a new Palestinian
Nakbeh, and it threatens to ignite the whole region.
These actions took place immediately
after the Arab Summits peace proposal. The Israeli Government, fully supported
by the USA administration has clearly extended its hand out in war in response
to the Arab Summit's peace proposal. Ariel Sharon's latest bloody actions
are more in line with colonizing the Occupied Palestinian Territories for
Jewish settlers rather than attaining peace.
Moreover, there is a correlation between
attacks on Israeli citizens and the increasing brutality of the Occupation
in the 1967 Palestinian Territories. More people have been killed under
Ariel Sharon's leadership than any other. This is not without rhyme or
reason.
We, as human rights activists and participants
in building a democratic civil society cannot stand silent as Israel is
given full reign in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Our collective historical memory tells
us that whenever Israeli Occupying troops, combined with an international
media blackout, tacit international encouragement and American strategic
support, there is a real possibility of massacres taking place. Killing
and widespread destruction of public infrastructure have already taken
place. Our collective historical memory reminds us of Beirut, 1982 and
the massacre of untold thousands in Sabra and Chatila, overseen by the
then Israeli Defense Minister, Ariel Sharon. The bloody hands of Ariel
Sharon have only been encouraged into more deadly actions through America's
shameful, partisan stance in this conflict, which heeds neither fact, reason
or conscience.
Our collective sense of justice informs
us that the International community must take action, particularly considering
America's shameful, criminal stance. Our sense of reason tells us that
war does not bring peace; that the only just, secure resolution to this
conflict is to give Palestinians what is justly theirs: an independent
Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, the right of return
for every refugee. Our consciences shall not stay quiet as the Israeli
government targets an entire civilian population and perpetuates the Occupation.
We hold the International Community
responsible for the fate of the Palestinian people, being active in this
region, historically and in the present. Meanwhile, many countries we address
today were (and are) complicit our tragedy - the Nakbeh - of the Palestinian
people.
In this context, we call upon Ambassadors,
representing foreign Embassies and countries in Israel, to do the following:
1. Call (and ensure the implementation of) an immediate halt to belligerent Israeli actions in the Occupied 1967 Palestinian territories in contradiction to the basic Human Rights afforded to each human being, International Law (specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention) and UN resolutions pertaining to the Middle East conflict. Much of Israel's actions within the 1967 Palestinian territories is clearly illegal and are considered war crimes;
2. Demand (and ensure the implementation of) an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territories of 1967;
3. Building on the small unofficial European presence within the OPT, immediately send to the region international monitors and observers to prevent more war crimes and to record those which have taken place;
4. Immediately withdraw financial support for Israel, including aid and preferential trade access, pending a complete and permanent withdrawal from the Occupied Palestinian Territories
senden