Switzerland says Israel breaking international law

GENEVA – Switzerland accused Israel on Thursday of wantonly destroying Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem and near Ramallah in violation of the Geneva Conventions' rules on military occupation.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry demanded that Israel immediately halt the demolitions, which Israel has said are aimed at removing illegally constructed shacks.
An Israeli Embassy spokeswoman in the Swiss capital of Bern said the decision to remove the structures was "not an arbitrary decision," but was sanctioned by law.
"This demolition of houses was done under a court order," embassy spokeswoman Shlomit Sufa said Thursday.
Switzerland — as the guardian of the Geneva Conventions — can call meetings of the treaty's signatories if it finds problems with its implementation, but does not have any special powers to enforce the document.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lars Knuchel said the demolitions violated the 1949 Geneva Conventions, regarded as the cornerstone of international law on the obligations of warring and occupying powers. The Fourth Convention states that occupying powers must respect the property of civilian populations under their control.
Switzerland said it lodged a formal protest with the Israeli Foreign Ministry over recent demolitions, which now bring the tally to more than 600 destroyed homes in east Jerusalem and 1,600 altogether in the West Bank since 2000.
The Swiss statement, using unusually harsh language, said the neutral country "regards the recent incidents as violations of international humanitarian law" and notes "no military need to justify the destruction of these houses."
The Swiss statement called east Jerusalem an "integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory" — a phrase that could anger hardline Jewish groups that believe Israel should maintain control over the entire city. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, but Palestinians claim the territory as the capital of their hoped-for state.
Sufa said the Israeli government "regrets" that phrasing in the Swiss statement, noting the status of east Jerusalem and other territories is still subject to a final peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian authorities.
The Jerusalem-based Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions said that so far this year dozens of Palestinian homes have been pulled down in east Jerusalem, and activists say the city has issued orders against 90 more homes.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081113...land_israel;_ylt=Au_r7UHnG54P3TiTDL6wq6F0bBAF
 
they dont go around knocking down houses just for no reason. there are actually two reasons:
A) the house was used as a fire position, arms storage or observation point for militants.
B) the house belongs to the family of a known terrorist.
 
known terrorist

Two points not covered in the article.
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Maybe if the bombers would stop and there were no terrorist activity houses wouldn't be tore down. Nobody setting off bombs killing woman, children, others in Switzerland now are they? Like none of these terrorist have money in Swiss banks, right. But that's money so it's alright aren't we throwing rocks in glass houses. Let the terrorist stop and were go from there.

Next maybe there get 72 families to line up posing for the press saying their orange groves were there before the houses.
 
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[sarcasm]Yes, I'm sure the Swiss have just said this to upset people, we all know what terrible people the Swiss are, constantly supporting and aiding terrorism all over the world. [/sarcasm]

I think we'd better be sure who are acting as terrorists here, and start waking up to who is occupying whose country. Israel has only been in existence since 1947, so I find it hard to see how the Palestinians are the aggressors, they are merely defending what is theirs.

Don't bother telling me I'm an anti semite, as I am of Jewish extraction.

The Jews have no more right to go back and occupy "their" homeland than I do to go back to Northern England and occupy the land of my forefathers.
 
I wouldn't dream of calling you anti semite because of your Jewish extraction.[/sarcasm]

I see you support the Palestinians point of view and I don't. I don't think the Swiss are bad people either there just open minded with who uses their banks.[/sarcasm]
 
How can you not see the Palestinian point of view, it's as obvious as the nose on your face.

And while you are on the subject of Banks, I think you will find that if it were not for the Jewish vote and investment in the USA, Israel would not get a second glance from the USA.

I am very pro USA in world events, but there's no denying that they often let their policies be shaped more by what's good for the USA than facing the facts as seen by the remainder of the world.

Oh,... and by the way, there's probably more Jewish money in Swiss banks than from any other national/ethnic group, so the Swiss have nothing to gain there.
 
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Jewish vote

I know it's a huge problem when ever I go to vote the voting lines are so filled with Jewish people it;s takes forever. [/sarcasm]

You make it sound like there are huge population of Jewish people in the USA, I grew up in NYC and at best I one or two Jewish people in any of my classes at once.

If the English and Jews didn't have the clashes in Israel and Palestinian back in the day I think some English people wouldn't feel the way that you do. No one wants to take the blame for mocking up that region and mistakes were made on all sides.

Not everything the Israeli's do is perfect I know that but my opinion is and I may be wrong is was basically a crap hole in the sand and the Jews made the country. You don't think if the Israeli's didn't turn the area into something that others would be fighting so much over useless sand without oil in it and little water? Once the Jews did something with the area everybody and their mother said my family has an orange grove there. [/sarcasm]

Didn't Jordan, Syria, and Egypt kick out a lot of people and forced them into the areas around Israel? They didn't want them either it's just easier to push the problem onto somebody and say it's there fault. Better to keep certain people in check and drill it into their heads that the Israeli's caused all the problems in the Middle East. England and others just got sucked into like so many others.

I know there are three sides to most issues and no one group or groups are completely right or wrong on everything. I really believe that part of the blame is that when the region were being split up by the powers that not all parties were looked after. Like how some groups weren't welcome in the countries I mentioned the powers in charge had difficult times dealing with them as well, thus they got shafted.

I don't have an answer for something that was done in 1948 didn't England and France have more to do with how that region were split up? I just think it's a much smaller amount of real people who may have lost land and a whole bunch of outsiders filled with hate and pointed them at Israel to better control them. I'm not Jewish but feel that surrounding counties kick out their cast out's and that there was already a large unhappy groups in the region. What better way to save your own government or Kingdom is to make unhappy people look at somebody else? It's the oldest trick in the book and who goes against the people who supplies you with some medical and food right? Mix it all together and you have a mess.

Most of this is just my opinion and I'll be honest I don't know a lot on how Israel was voted on by the UN and became a country and who did it. If you could explain and know better then I how it was set up I'll be willing to listen.
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Rock45 your lack of knowledge about the pull of the Jewish vote in your own country astounds me. Do you know what AIPAC is? And you obviously don't know what sarcasm is, so I guess it was lost on you.


Next time you see a senator ask him whether he is aware of the Jewish vote, and ask him how important it is to US politics. Before you get into these things, at least have the decency to read a little bit about the subject. http://www.shma.com/oct_04/influencing_america.htm this is not from some anti Jewish group , but fromRabbi David Teutsch who is the Wiener Professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization and Director of the Levin-Lieber Program in Jewish Ethics at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. A very Pro Israel group.

you may well be correct that the area was a "crap hole in the sand" but it was someone else's crap hole, and the fact that it was a crap hole does not give someone else (the Brits) the right to give it away to another group, regardless of how well intentioned they might be.

If you owned some unfenced and undeveloped rangeland somewhere, and another group just arrived and told you, Oh no,.... we were given this land by Spike Jones (who never owned it in the first place) to build a wonderful settlement here, and also,... where you are not going to be welcome,.... would you be happy?
 
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Vote

I'm more aware then you think and why can't just disgust something without put downs? Why are you so high and mighty with me expressing my opinion? I didn't personally attack you in my post what's up your ass?
 
I'm more aware then you think and why can't just disgust something without put downs? Why are you so high and mighty with me expressing my opinion? I didn't personally attack you in my post what's up your ass?
Well, I'm very sorry if it appears to be a put down, (See my signature), but sometimes I find it is far easier to to tell the truth, rather than let people try to treat me like a mushroom. (Kept in the dark and fed on sh!te)

For a person who alleges to be somewhat politically aware, you are certainly doing nothing to demonstrate it. e.g. you comment indicating that the Jewish vote is not viewed seriously by your Federal politicians.

I would still like to hear your answer to the question that I put to you in my last post, regarding other people just walking in and taking over your land? I'm just interested to know.

Don't worry, we did it here in Australia too, the major difference between our views being that I'm not necessarily proud of it, and we no longer shoot our Aboriginals when they want parts of it back.
 
demonstrate

You still have the high and mighty tone in your words so there wouldn't be much point and countering now would there? How could I possible say anything that you might listen to anyway. Dripping sarcasm

It comes down to opinion you have yours and I have mind. There's something that bothers you about this topic I see but you know I don't care anymore.
 
But you won't answer the question will you? Won't or can't.

What would you do in a similar circumstance,... or do you just believe that there should be one rule for yourself, and another for everyone else? (Especially if they are only Arabs living in a "craphole in the sand" as you so eloquently describe it).

This is not sarcastic, it's a straight question deserving of a straight answer.

You were quick enough off the mark to castigate the Palestinians, but you haven't come up with a single reason to support your choice. Unfortunately, I feel your post was deserving of my original sarcasm as it left no other logical answer and your answers ever since have done nothing to change my mind.
 
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The Jews have no more right to go back and occupy "their" homeland than I do to go back to Northern England and occupy the land of my forefathers.

They wouldnt allow you in mate, you speak fluent English and dont wear a towel around your head. lol
 
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Yeah,... you certainly seem to have your share of problems in that respect :)

Too right we do.

I went back to UK a few years ago for a visit, I arrived at passport control and was asked by a non indigenous person what was the purpose of my visit. I said, “I don't need a reason to visit. I was born here, were you?”

I thought I was going to get deported from my own country of birth.
 
But you won't answer the question will you? Won't or can't.
Your very locked into the way you want to believe so my opinion would shed little light on this topic seems a little senseless.

What would you do in a similar circumstance,... or do you just believe that there should be one rule for yourself, and another for everyone else? (Especially if they are only Arabs living in a "craphole in the sand" as you so eloquently describe it).
Like below I wished I described the region better then saying crape hole. I have my beliefs and opinions like you do and like you I’m entitled to feel and think the way I want about the Palestinians.

This is not sarcastic, it's a straight question deserving of a straight answer.
Do you tape yourself just to listen to yourself speak?

You were quick enough off the mark to castigate the Palestinians, but you haven't come up with a single reason to support your choice.
I did but you failed to listen, Jordon’s king had many Palestinians killed one time using machine guns mounted on truck and forced many out his country into the areas around Israel. This forces angry, desperate and unhappy people on Israeli’s border thus helping to create the problem and support what I said about pointing the people in the region to look at Israel as the problem, an old timeless trick. You didn’t listen or respond to my points or opinions so why do you feel all deserving of my answers to your Palestinian views and opinions? Thus the high and mighty chip you seem to have big time.

Unfortunately, I feel your post was deserving of my original sarcasm as it left no other logical answer and your answers ever since have done nothing to change my mind.
My describing Israel and that area as a crap hole in the sand in 1948 I admit is crude on my part and wished I chosen my words different. You feel my post was “deserving” of your original sarcasm I don’t you could have worded it differently to get your point across but you didn’t. That’s what I meant by a “put down”, I even asked for help on trying to learn how Israel was better form and even put in a thumbs up and a smile face icon to make sure I didn’t come across the way you did.
 
senojekips...:)
A) There was no Palestinian state here before. They dident call them selves palestinians, and the whole concept of independent arab states dident exist until the 1920s...
B)You can fight for independence with out killing women and children as a main tactic. Also you can avoid hiding behind civilians so they dont get killed(than again, the palis wouldent be able to use it for PR needs later).
C)If the palis want their own country why dident they take the 1947 partition and go to war instead? Why did Arafat not take te 2000 deal that gave him 98% of the occupied land and the rest in land exchange?
Ill ansawer that for you- their national movement is against any co-existance. Until they decide they really want peace there will be no peace...
D) have you considred what an ARAB regieme would treat a huge rebellious population like?! I wqould say we treat them with silk gloves compared with what they get from even their own leadership.
 
So much to say, I have so much to get of my chest regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue..........

Don't you Israelis always have an excuse for everything. Israel's harsh policies are not because of security concerns only, it plans to subjugate the Palestinians economically, socially, and culturally in order to continue the occupation, and that is no different from South African government. How does cutting electricity to Gaza and parts of West Bank security concerns? How is cutting food supplies to Palestinian civilians security concerns? How is cutting fuel supplies to Palestinian population security concerns? How is cutting foreign aid to Palestinians and asking EU and U.S. to stop sending aid security concerns? How is not letting UN and foreign aid workers in security concerns? How is not letting in international journalists in security concerns besides the fact that Israel wants to hid their atrocities from the eyes of the world?

Israel gained their independence through violence against the Arab civilians and the British administrators, they bombed and terrorized the Arabs and British, even assassinated the British diplomat in Cairo. Every nation that was under occupation fought back with whatever means they had against their occupiers in order to gain the freedom to run their country, the Americans did that with the means that were in their disposal in 1776, the French and the other Europeans did that against German occuppation, the Asians did that against Japanese occupation; the Iraqis, Afghans, Somalis, Sudanese, Algerians all did that against their occupiers. If Israel doesn't want the Palestinians to fight back why are they occupying Palestinian territories?

Definition of Terrorism:
ter·ror·ism
–noun
1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/terrorism>

Why is Israel being hypocritical when it comes to terrorism? Israel uses tanks, apc, fighter bombers, artillery, assassinations squads, mass arrest sweeps, bulldozing civilian houses, and UAV. I don't condone any form of terrorism but this is how is see things, bombs kill people, maim people, cause destruction and further more is used to have a psychological effect on its target, so when Palestinians who don't have fighter bombers, artillery, tanks and advance systems uses suicide bombs as means of delivering bombs do to lack of jet fighters its called terrorism and true it is terrorism, but when Israelis use fighter jets, helicopters, artillery, UAVs, and tanks to deliver bombs its not labeled as terrorism, even though the bombs delivered on a person's body and those delivered by fighter jets have the same effect the killing, maiming, destruction and psychological effect and in the end Israelis killed more Palestinians than Palestinians killed Israelis, its pure Israeli hypocritical at its best.

The Israeli government imprisons anyone that attacks its policies by simply characterizing them as Anti-Semitic and thus imprisoned for speaking out against Zionism or they are characterized as "would be terrorists" that need to be arrested before they committed any crime even though their is no prove of their terrorist activities. The Israeli political system only embraces political attack from other Israelis and not even the Israeli-Palestinians that live in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinians are ostracized if they speak against the system and are black listed. The South African repression was based on race, but the Israeli repression is based on race also and not only national identity, the Palestinians are racially different from the Israeli Jews.

Israel wants to keep major parts of the West bank, it wants a Palestinian state that is economically and financially dependent on it in order to subjugate them whenever a future Palestinian state doesn't bow to Israeli manipulations. How do you expect Palestinians to have a viable state when you have many major settlement in the West Bank and continuously building more settlements on Palestinian territories? How will Palestinians have a viable state when Gaza and West Bank aren't even connected? How will the Palestinians have a viable state when Israel claims all of Jerusalem? How will the Palestinians have a viable state when it carries out policies of divide and conquer between the Palestinians? How will the Palestinians have a viable state when Israel is economically, financially, and militarily subjugating them? When you answer theses questions you will see that Israel being committed to a Palestinian state is only lip service and it never plans on going through with it, it only wants to make the world believe it wants a Palestinian state in order not to have pressure from the their American allies, the EU, the UN, Russia, China, Turkey, and its Arab neighbors.

"From 1967 to 1989 the UN Security Council passed 131 resolutions directly dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict. Of the 131 resolutions passed, 43 could be considered neutral while the remaining 88 either criticized and opposed the actions of Israel or judged against its interests. Nearly half of the 88 resolutions against Israel "condemned", "censured" or "deplored" the member state or its actions.[3] During this time, in the UN General Assembly, 429 resolutions against Israel were passed, and Israel was condemned 321 times.[4] The United States has used its veto power to prevent resolutions concerning Israel from passing through the Security Council on 42 occasions since 1970." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_UN_resolutions_concerning_Israel_and_Palestine>
 
(Takes off his ranks)

Dear United Somalia...

Don't you Israelis always have an excuse for everything. Israel's harsh policies are not because of security concerns only, it plans to subjugate the Palestinians economically, socially, and culturally in order to continue the occupation, and that is no different from South African government.
LOL.
Subjegate them economically? The Palis dident have any economy exept for olive groves and sheep/goat herding before 1967. The only reason they have universities, industry, anything at all, is because they were controleld by a western nation instead of a backwards arab dictatorship.
Subjegate them socially and culturally? Israel allowed the palis to have their own municipalities, schools, musqs. Even when those schools preeched hatred and the musqs cried for murder and terror...
How does cutting electricity to Gaza and parts of West Bank security concerns? How is cutting food supplies to Palestinian civilians security concerns? How is cutting fuel supplies to Palestinian population security concerns? How is cutting foreign aid to Palestinians and asking EU and U.S. to stop sending aid security concerns? How is not letting UN and foreign aid workers in security concerns? How is not letting in international journalists in security concerns besides the fact that Israel wants to hid their atrocities from the eyes of the world?
Well, I thought Hammas wanted to be independent. You cant ask us to leave Gaza strip, see it taken over by lunatics with a facist-theocratic agenda, and than feed and supply them? Get it in your head- We are out of Gaza. We dont owe them anything. These people elected a recognized terrorist organization into office. Why should we take care of their ****ing electricety.
Israel gained their independence through violence against the Arab civilians and the British administrators, they bombed and terrorized the Arabs and British, even assassinated the British diplomat in Cairo. Every nation that was under occupation fought back with whatever means they had against their occupiers in order to gain the freedom to run their country, the Americans did that with the means that were in their disposal in 1776, the French and the other Europeans did that against German occuppation, the Asians did that against Japanese occupation; the Iraqis, Afghans, Somalis, Sudanese, Algerians all did that against their occupiers. If Israel doesn't want the Palestinians to fight back why are they occupying Palestinian territories?
Again, your laughable.
Firstly, just because other people do it, dosent make it morale or legitemet.
Now, as to the "Israeli Terrorists"... In the 1930s and 1940s there were 3 Jewish Militant groups in "Palestine". The biggest of those groups did not attack civilan targets, and more over helped the british to capture people who did. The two other groups did engage in terrorisem, and were generally critisized by the Jewish public. Even those two groups usually chose to inform the british before bombing buildings, to avoid casualties.They also attacked mostly military and gov' targets. Now, the Palis on the other hand- All of their groups that i know of(and i know over 8) attack civilians on purpose. Most of them have targeted schools, kindergardens,etc. They never once tried to mitigate civilian casualties. They also fight from behind civilians, so they can make israel look bad when there is colleteral damage.
Why is Israel being hypocritical when it comes to terrorism? Israel uses tanks, apc, fighter bombers, artillery, assassinations squads, mass arrest sweeps, bulldozing civilian houses, and UAV. I don't condone any form of terrorism but this is how is see things, bombs kill people, maim people, cause destruction and further more is used to have a psychological effect on its target, so when Palestinians who don't have fighter bombers, artillery, tanks and advance systems uses suicide bombs as means of delivering bombs do to lack of jet fighters its called terrorism and true it is terrorism, but when Israelis use fighter jets, helicopters, artillery, UAVs, and tanks to deliver bombs its not labeled as terrorism, even though the bombs delivered on a person's body and those delivered by fighter jets have the same effect the killing, maiming, destruction and psychological effect and in the end Israelis killed more Palestinians than Palestinians killed Israelis, its pure Israeli hypocritical at its best
LOL. Only diffrence is, when one of our soldiers kills a little girl, we put him in jail. When one of your "freedom fighters" bombs a school bus, he is treated like a hero.
The Israeli government imprisons anyone that attacks its policies by simply characterizing them as Anti-Semitic and thus imprisoned for speaking out against Zionism or they are characterized as "would be terrorists" that need to be arrested before they committed any crime even though their is no prove of their terrorist activities. The Israeli political system only embraces political attack from other Israelis and not even the Israeli-Palestinians that live in Israel, the Israeli-Palestinians are ostracized if they speak against the system and are black listed. The South African repression was based on race, but the Israeli repression is based on race also and not only national identity, the Palestinians are racially different from the Israeli Jews.
Hmmmm. no, your wrong. You have no idea what goes on in my country. If we arrested every arab that spoke against Israel we wouldent have any arabs. For christ sake, we have arabs in parliament(!). We have arab police officers and judges. So if you have no idea, dont give your opinion. Also you cannot be a palestinian-israeli. If your palestinian, go live in the PLA. I dont want you in my country, because your national movement dosent even recognise my right to be here.
Israel wants to keep major parts of the West bank, it wants a Palestinian state that is economically and financially dependent on it in order to subjugate them whenever a future Palestinian state doesn't bow to Israeli manipulations. How do you expect Palestinians to have a viable state when you have many major settlement in the West Bank and continuously building more settlements on Palestinian territories? How will Palestinians have a viable state when Gaza and West Bank aren't even connected? How will the Palestinians have a viable state when Israel claims all of Jerusalem? How will the Palestinians have a viable state when it carries out policies of divide and conquer between the Palestinians? How will the Palestinians have a viable state when Israel is economically, financially, and militarily subjugating them? When you answer theses questions you will see that Israel being committed to a Palestinian state is only lip service and it never plans on going through with it, it only wants to make the world believe it wants a Palestinian state in order not to have pressure from the their American allies, the EU, the UN, Russia, China, Turkey, and its Arab neighbors.
I dont give a rats ass about them having a viable state. I dont want them to depend on me, I dont want anything to do with them. However the facts are that the Arabs deliberetly passed several oppertuneties to have a pali state, because they dont want it as much as they want to destroy israel. As for us "deviding" the palis...LOL. They are doing it on their own. PLO and Hammas are mortal enemies. One is a secular and rotten org that lives by robbing its own people, and the other is a bunch of deranged jihadist who would rather kill for another 300 years than give up one bit of land.
From 1967 to 1989 the UN Security Council passed 131 resolutions directly dealing with the Arab-Israeli conflict. Of the 131 resolutions passed, 43 could be considered neutral while the remaining 88 either criticized and opposed the actions of Israel or judged against its interests. Nearly half of the 88 resolutions against Israel "condemned", "censured" or "deplored" the member state or its actions.[3] During this time, in the UN General Assembly, 429 resolutions against Israel were passed, and Israel was condemned 321 times.[4] The United States has used its veto power to prevent resolutions concerning Israel from passing through the Security Council on 42 occasions since 1970."
No ****? An organization that has more than 30 muslim countries in it, use to have all of the warsaw pact in it, not to mention the self-hating west europeans. The UN is an empty shell. To qoute a 70s cartoon strip in the jerusalem post- "The arabs could get a UN resolution that the world is square".
 
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