Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
Justine McCabe, International Committee, 860-354-1822, justinemccabe@earthlink.net
GREENS WARN THAT ISRAEL'S GAZA 'DISENGAGEMENT
PLAN' WILL NOT BRING PEACE
Adherence to international law, including Palestinian refugees' right
of return, remains key, say Greens.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders strongly
criticized Israel's 'disengagement plan', calling it a disingenuous
attempt to bypass peace negotiations based on international law.
"Although Israel plans to dismantle its
illegal settlements and military bases in the Gaza Strip, it will
maintain control of all Gaza's borders, water, and electricity"
said Stan Heller, Connecticut Green and Chairperson of the Middle East
Crisis Committee. "Gaza will continue to be an open-air prison.
Obviously, Palestinians would welcome the departure of Israeli
soldiers and armed settlers. But as in the Oslo redeployments, the
current 'disengagement plan' pretends to bring peace while continuing
to prevent Palestinians from exercising their basic rights to
self-determination, freedom of movement, and ability to develop their
economy. Under international law, this is still occupation."
Greens have joined numerous Israeli and
Palestinian peace activists in calling for (1) an end to the illegal
occupation of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem; and (2)
the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their land. Research
shows this can be implemented with little disruption to current
Israeli population patterns. For example, about 78% of Israeli Jews
reside on only 15% of the land, and over 90% of village refugees would
return to empty sites.
"How can there be peace when since 1948 over
6 million native Palestinians have lived as refugees -- the vast
majority within a 60 miles of their former homes in Israel?"
asked Justine McCabe, member of the party's International Committee.
"In other, more recent ethnic conflicts, the U.S. and the
international community have encouraged Bosnian, Kosovar, and Rwandan
refugees to go home and live together with former enemies. Why are
Palestinian refugees and Israelis any different?"
In keeping with a long-standing body of human
rights and humanitarian international law (U.N. Resolution 194;
Article 13 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights), the
U.N. has announced a 'New Global Standard' demanding the return of
confiscated refugee housing and property to refugees and internally
displaced persons.
Greens noted that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, while promoting the disengagement plan, has internally
indicated that withdrawal from Gaza is key to consolidating Israel's
dominance in the largely Palestinian-Israeli area of the Galilee (Jaleel),
Negev (Naqub), and in Greater Jerusalem, the large settlement blocs
and 'security zones.'
Israel has requested 2.2 billion dollars in a
direct grant from the U.S., to cover not only the costs of dismantling
the few illegal settlements in Gaza but also for funds to 'develop,'
i.e., 'Judaize' areas in Israel where most Palestinian-Israelis now
live, including many of the 500+ destroyed villages to which
Palestinian refugees would return.
"In return for removing a tiny percentage of
the over 400,000 settlers who are still living on confiscated
Palestinian land, Israel expects American taxpayers to foot the bill
and create more obstacles to real peace," said Jake Schneider,
treasurer of the Green Party of the United States. "This
misguided U.S. policy only decreases the security of Americans as well
as Israelis and Palestinians."
Greens cited warnings from some Jewish-Israeli
peace activists, including Professors Ilan Pappe, Uri Davis, and Tamar
Yaron, that the disengagement scenario may result in harm to
Palestinian civilians as Israeli officials respond to what they regard
as provocations by Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.
Professor Pappe said, "Confirming our worst
fears, General Eival Giladi, head of the Coordination and Strategy
Team of [Sharon's] office, went on record in print and on television
to the effect that 'Israel will act in a very resolute manner in order
to prevent terror attacks and fire while the disengagement is being
implemented,' and that 'If pinpoint response proves insufficient, we
may have to use weaponry that causes major collateral damage,
including helicopters and planes, with mounting danger to surrounding
people.' This scenario would be similar to what has already happened
in the past -- a tactic that Ariel Sharon has used many times in his
military career -- i.e., utilizing provocation in order to launch
massive attacks."
MORE INFORMATION:
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1711 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party International Committee
http://www.gp.org/committees/intl/
"Israel Decides to Keep Gaza Sealed off after Pullout. PNA:
Israel Will Remain 'the Occupying Power' after Withdrawal"
Palestine Media Center, August 9, 2005
http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=956
"Withdrawal is a prelude to annexation: US hypocrisy is not new
but Condi Rice has taken it beyond chutzpah" by Avi Shlaim
The Guardian, June 22, 2005
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,1511839,00.html
"Peace is more than pacification"
Discussion with Mazin Qumsiyeh over the Israel-Palestine conflict,
over Gaza disengagement, human rights, as well as the moral imperative
of the one state solution. Interview by Sabine Matthes in Junge Welt,
August 13, 2005
http://www.qumsiyeh.org/peaceismorethanpacification/
(English)
http://www.jungewelt.de/2005/08-13/028.php
"A 'warning' from Israel that merits the world's attention"
(editorial)
The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon), July 27, 2005
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=17119&categ_ID=17&edition_id=10
U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Fifty-sixth session: Item 4 of the provisional agenda. Final report of
Mr. Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur on housing and property restitution
in the context of the return of refugees and internally displaced
persons
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G05/146/95/PDF/G0514695.pdf?OpenElement