Posted on 02/18/2003 1:56:34 PM PST by knighthawk
The Israeli High Court has rejected a petition demanding that Israel supply gas masks to three million Palestinians in the event of a war with Iraq. Human rights groups said the state was obligated to provide protection to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, because the territories were effectively under Israeli control.
But the court ruled that the onus was on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to distribute gas masks, since it was responsible for the safety of its civilians in areas assigned to it under peace accords with Israel.
Israel has handed out gas masks to all Israelis and Palestinians in areas still under Israel's administrative authority amid fears Iraq will retaliate against Israel if it comes under attack.
In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel, although Israeli officials have said the probability of a repeat attack is low.
'Self-defence'
The petition argued that Israel had a duty to protect Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Gaza after the army took over Palestinian population centres in a major offensive against militants last year.
"The state of Israel, as an occupying force, cannot ignore its responsibility for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza only because there is some kind of authority that Israel does not allow to function properly," said Mohammed Dahleh, a lawyer for the Physicians for Human Rights group.
The court ruled that Israel was in Palestinian areas according to its right to self-defence and its presence did not constitute a full military takeover, Israeli media reported.
"If Israel was preventing the distribution of gas masks by the Palestinian Authority, there would be a reason for the petition," Israel radio quoted one of the judges as saying.
The radio quoted a judge as saying the PA could have bought gas masks with taxes transferred to it by Israel.
One of these groups is the International Red Cross. The same group refused to accept the Red Star of David (but at the same time they do recognize the Red Cresent). Why would Israel want to listen to a bunch of Jewhaters? (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/766841/posts)
And they want to create their own state, so why should Israel (they are evil Zionists and all) give them those masks? Those human rights losers complain about Israel all the time, and now they want Israel to listen to them?
And where are all the people who claim to be pro-Palestinian? Can't they give them those masks?
And isn't it just what the Palestinians wanted? They celebrated the Iraqi Scud attacks against Israel back in the first Gulf war. Then they wanted Saddam to shoot Scuds at Israel. And now they want Israel to help them?
We will enter Jerusalem victoriously and raise our flag on its walls. ... We will fight you (the Israelis) with stones, rifles, and 'El-Abed' (the Iraqi missile)..." --Yasser Arafat, reported by the Associated Press, March 29, 1990, at the start of the Gulf War
In the name of Allah, we shall cause fire to devour half of Israel. ..." --Iraqi News Agency, April 2, 1990
"We say to the brother and leader Saddam Hussein -- go forward with God's blessing." --Yasser Arafat, the next day, Iraqi News Agency, April 3, 1990
(http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/724261/posts)
Middle East list
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So quite possibly, Israel has some measure of security just as long as the Pallies DON'T have gas masks.
Sorta like their very own "human shields"...way kewl!
Anyone want to bet that the Palestinian Christians will be SOL ??
Wow, good point! If the Israeli government had to cave in on this issue, they could supply Israeli gas masks to the palis - with defective filters.
I wouldn't bet on it. In 1992 the palestinians danced on the roofs of their houses, cheering the scud missiles on, until one landed near to them, then the cheering wasn't so loud.
If Saddam is prepared to kill his own sons-in-law why should he worry about a few palestinians?
Which is why this is such a politically dumb move for the Israelis.
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