Blog written by IRWIN COTLER August 9, 2014
 
Bona Fides: Irwin Cotler co-chairs Canadian Parliamentarians for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran with MP James Bezan, and the Inter-Parliamentary Group for Human Rights in Iran with U.S. Senator Mark Kirk; He is the former minister of justice and attorney general of Canada and emeritus professor of law at McGill University

Gaza: The road not yet taken

The notion that truth is the first casualty of war has found expression in the ongoing fog of the current Israel-Hamas conflict – where truth is obscured or masked by oft-repeated clichés such as “cycle of violence,” false moral equivalences, or unconscionable allegations of Israeli “genocide.” If we want to prevent further tragedies in this conflict — let alone frame the basis for its resolution — then we have to go behind the daily headlines that cloud if not corrupt understanding, probe the real root causes of conflict, and finally travel the road not yet taken to its just resolution.
While the deliberate – and indiscriminate – bombardment of Israeli civilians, and the threat of abductions and mass killings from the terror tunnels, have been the trigger for this latest war, there is a longer and underlying proximate cause: the Hamas Terrorist War of Attrition against Israel since 2000.
Simply put, from 2000 to 2004, Hamas suicide bombers murdered over 1,000 Israelis – wounding some 3,000 – in a horrific and sustained terrorist assault that was defeated in part by the Israeli “Operation Defensive Shield” in 2002, and in part by the building of a security barrier, which dramatically reduced penetration by Hamas suicide bombers. In 2005, with the Hamas terrorist onslaught defeated, Israel moved to unilaterally disengage from Gaza. Accordingly, Israel withdrew all its soldiers and citizens, uprooted all its settlements and synagogues, but left behind 3,000 operating greenhouses and related agricultural assets, the whole as the basis for industrial and agricultural growth and development in Gaza.
How did Hamas respond? They destroyed the greenhouses, brutalized the Fatah opposition, effectively instituted a theocratic dictatorship in 2007, repressed its own people, and began the launching of more than 14,000 rockets and missiles targeting Israeli population centers. In effect, then, Hamas squandered the opportunity offered by Israel to live in peace, to utilize the industrial and agricultural assets, to engage in state-building; rather, Hamas preferred to divert resources for the building of a terrorist infrastructure that would punish its own people while threatening Israel.

In effect, then, this is the third Israel-Hamas war since the 2005 disengagement, with each prior truce or ceasefire only providing a basis and incipient trigger for the next war. In this latest conflagration, Hamas has repeatedly repudiated, yet again, a series of ceasefires arrangements and “humanitarian” pauses – while launching more than 3,000 rockets and missiles in the last month alone.
But while these unceasing terror attacks – and ongoing threats – have once again forced Israel to take action in self-defense and to target the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, this ongoing proximate trigger does not tell the whole story. Rather, it is a symptom, or proxy, for the root cause – the unwillingness of Hamas to recognize Israel’s existence within any boundaries. And more: the public call in the Hamas Charter – and in its declarations – for the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews wherever they may be.
Let there be no mistake about it, Hamas is a unique – and evil – manifestation of genocidal anti-Semitism. These are not words that I use lightly or easily, but there are no other words to describe the toxic convergence of the advocacy by Hamas of the most horrific of crimes – namely genocide – anchored in the most enduring of hatreds – namely antisemitism – with state-orchestrated terrorism as the instrumentality to pursue these goals.
UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon said that one must seek the “root cause” of the Israel-Hamas conflict so as to enable us to resolve it. However politically incorrect it may be to say so, this culture of hatred – this genocidal anti-Semitism – is the root cause and has fueled the ongoing Hamas terrorist war of attrition.

Accordingly, what is so necessary now is not another ceasefire or humanitarian pause, but a ceasefire that is enduring and comprehensive, that will put an end to the Hamas Terrorist War of Attrition that has targeted Israel’s population and engulfed its own, and that will be protective of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians, as President Obama and other leaders have called for. Such a ceasefire will hopefully be the basis for an Israeli-Palestinian peace, anchored in two states for two peoples living side by side in peace and security. This will require traveling on the road not yet taken – an agreed upon, and guaranteed, set of international, legal, diplomatic, political, security, economic, and humanitarian undertakings and initiatives as follows:

A comprehensive — and enduring — ceasefire framework not only to halt but to end hostilities must be put in place. For such a ceasefire to endure, the casus belli that triggered these latest hostilities – that has underpinned the Hamas War of Attrition – must be addressed and redressed. Simply put, Hamas must cease and desist from its policy and practice of targeting Israeli civilians and terrorizing Israeli civilian populations.
The ceasefire must be accompanied by massive humanitarian and medical relief, the delivery of some of which has thus far been hindered by Hamas itself, as with Hamas’ refusal to allow Gazans to avail themselves of an Israeli field hospital. Clearly, after the tragic death and destruction, there must be mandated and comprehensive international humanitarian assistance.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist militias must be disarmed, as called for by EU Foreign Ministers, as a sine qua non for the cessation of hostilities.
The Hamas military infrastructure – and related military and terrorist assets – rockets, missiles, launchers, mortars, munitions, and the like must be dismantled.
There must be a complete closure – and destruction – of the Hamas terror tunnels – the standing instrument of terror and incipient mass murder. Indeed, captured Hamas battle plans reveal that Hamas was planning a mass terror attack during the Jewish New Year that would have threatened the lives of thousands. Even during the latest ceasefire, Hamas continued to threaten to deploy these terror tunnels.
An end must be put to the Hamas capacity to manufacture rockets and other military assets. Simply put, there must be a supervised monitoring of the importation of building materials – like cement and steel – that have been used for the manufacture of weapons and tunnels, rather than the building of hospitals, schools, and mosques for which they were intended.
The prohibition of the transfer or smuggling of weapons, like those advanced missiles from Iran, which both Hamas and Iran have boasted about, and with which Iran has threatened to re-supply Hamas in recent days. As senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei said this week “Palestinian resistance missiles are the blessing of Iran’s transfer of technology.”
A robust international stabilization and protection force – with the necessary mandate, mission, and numbers – should be deployed to ensure that the ceasefire is respected; that Hamas and other terrorist militias are disarmed; that the military terrorist infrastructure is dismantled; that the terror tunnels are closed and destroyed – the whole to protect against the targeting of Israeli civilians and the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. Indeed, while Israel has been forced to use weapons to protect civilians, Hamas has been using its captive civilian population to protect its weapons.
This international protection force must also be empowered to secure a total interdiction of the transfer, import, or smuggling of weapons into Gaza – which is what triggered the blockade of Gaza in the first place after Hamas assumed power in 2007.
An international framework – one of the most important initiatives of the road not yet travelled – will be necessary to secure and maintain the demilitarization of Gaza, while supervising the entry of people and goods into Gaza.
The deployment of this international protection force – and the demilitarization of Gaza – can provide a basis for the reciprocal opening of border-crossings, the commensurate easing of the blockades, and the development of a Gaza sea port. Indeed, the movement of people, goods, commerce, trade, development, and evolving economic prosperity were precisely what was contemplated – and was clearly possible – when Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. There was then no occupation, no blockade, no Israeli presence – only the potential for Gaza to freely develop and help usher in a nascent peace with Israel and self-determination for its people.
In particular, the dismantling of Hamas’ extensive military and terrorist infrastructure – which is embedded amongst Gaza’s civilian population – and the demilitarization of Gaza – can ultimately lead to a “Marshall Plan” for Gaza with the ultimate goal of securing economic growth, development, and a sustainable peace.
With order restored, an international governing authority – possibly led by the PA, but including European, American, Canadian, and Egyptian representation – should be the mandated trusteeship authority for Gaza. This can serve as a state-building authority that can be the basis for the emergence of a peaceful, rights-protecting, Rule of Law Gaza that can ultimately travel the road not yet taken to a peaceful and democratic Palestinian State.
The direct financing of Hamas which was put to military and terrorist purposes must end. The internationally mandated authority should ensure that banks in China, Turkey, and Qatar do not continue to finance Hamas, and that governments such as Qatar and Iran do not finance Hamas’ war crimes.
A crucial point oft ignored: Palestinian society in Gaza must be freed from the cynical and oppressive culture of hate and incitement. This not only constitutes a standing threat to Israel, but undermines the development of authentic Palestinian self-determination, as in the cruel deployment of Palestinian child labour in the terror tunnels. No peaceful solution will be possible if massive resources continue to be poured into state-controlled media, mosques, refugee camps, training camps, and educational systems that serve the sole purpose of demonizing Israel and the Jewish people, and inciting to war against them.
Indeed, Hamas’ militant rejectionism of Israel’s right to exist –its public call for Israel’s destruction and the killing of Jews wherever they may be – have threatened the safety and security not only of Israelis but of Palestinians too. Regrettably, the Gazan people’s desire – and right – to live in peace and security cannot be realized so long as Hamas continues to hold its own people hostage, and to pursue a strategy of terror and incitement. Indeed, this war in Gaza is not only one of self-defense for the Israeli people, but should lead to the securing of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, who deserve better than to be held hostage by a terrorist regime.
Admittedly, these initiatives, undertakings, and objectives may be difficult to secure. But the time has come – indeed it is long past time – to realize that if we want to protect the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians, this is the road we must travel now

........elections in 2006 against Fatah, after the Oslo agreements barred Hamas from running for office. Bush's reasoning: He wanted the Palestinians to experience "Democracy.".  Also Bush II assumed that Hamas, a terrorist group, had no chance of winning the election. They won 44% vs 42% for Fatah, so here we are today with this clusterfuck called Hamas.

I think it was a good thing. Now the palis can't use the excuse that islamo nazism is not who they are. They revealed themselves thru their choices.  

Just like Obimbo reveals who he is by having the Muslim brotherhood as guests in the whitehouse!

I'm so sick and fucking tired of this shit I'd cheer if someone would simply wipe out the whole goddamn lot of em'. Both fucking sides...I don't fucking care!  

Neither side wants peace, they never have, they never will. Give them both a really big bomb to lob at each other and forever be done with them. Who knows; maybe some developer can come up with something more profitable to do with the land that generates a bigger tax base than a redundantly blown to shit chronic goddamn war zone.

 I apologize for not being a flag waiving, do or die Pro Israel supporter; but I'm fucking sick of this shit

...by over 300 million Muslims who wish they were dead and you're saying Israel doesn't want peace?  Every day they are facing an existential threat and the only thing preventing Israel from being pushed into the sea is their superior weaponry.

Fire your superior weapons and wipe out 290 million or more of the surrounding Muslims. The banks, Wall Street, South Florida and Hollywood California would never allow any sanctions or punitive repercussions against Israel; so they have nothing to fear.

 Just ONCE I'd like to turn on the goddamn news and NOT hear that "Tensions are high in and around the Gaza Strip"

St. Michael the Archangel,  
defend us in battle.  
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.  
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,  
and do thou,  
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,  
by the power of God,  
thrust into hell Satan,  
and all the evil spirits,  
who prowl about the world  
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..

You worthless fucks don't want us back no way no how

-- Modified on 8/9/2014 7:40:48 PM

The only country in the Middle East that is a "true" democracy is Israel. Every where else that it's been tried it's been a disaster for opposition/minority religious groups. Examples: Muslim brotherhood in Egypt; Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, Libya, Palestine, etc.

About Hamas and Israel: Hamas could care less about the almost 2000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, they are simply collateral damage in their ultimate aim of establishing an Islamic state in Israel.

END OF MESSAGE

END OF MESSAGE

together, because...........................???????

Honestly! If you were to level Harlem would the people in Southampton raise a bitch?

We're talking about Banks, Wall Street, South Florida, and Hollywood. Just answer why you lumped those 4 together.  

Perhaps it's because there is a preponderance of people and power brokers of the same faith in those areas. And that does not make me racist or anti Semitic or anything else. It only means I have eyes in which to see, ears in which to hear, and cognizant thought in which to reason.

END OF MESSAGE

I'm sorry you can't handle the truth.

END OF MESSAGE

...system was entirely developed and initially funded by Israel.  That's because during the first Gulf War, the U.S. supplied Patriot missile defense system had only a 40% success rate.  Israel's Iron Dome system has a 90% success rate.  Now the U.S. is funding Iron Dome because they want to get their hands on technology that actually works and is not just another Pentagon boondoggle.

...Iraq, Syria, Gaza and Israel have less than 10% "religious shitheads" yet you want to kill 100% of the population.  

How about America?  At least 10% of our population is comprised of "religious shitheads."  Do you want to "depopulate" America too?

Why can't "American style democracy be transplanted to the Middle East?"

Western style democracy was transplanted to Japan, which was a medeival, quasi-facist state run theocracy.  It was imported to S. Korea, which was similarly an impossible chore, considering where Korea was in 1950.

Indeed, western style democracy has been transplated to many nations that had no history of democracy, but were bastions of dictatorship, like every country formerly under the thumb of the USSR.

It is nice to say that it can't be transplanted, but why can't it?

It’s hard for a lot of Americans to understand that there are some countries that don’t necessarily want elections or freedom of the press like we do. We look at our history and we think that this is what everybody wants. The Middle East is a different ballgame. American democracy is not something you dangle in front of them like animals who are mesmerized by shiny objects. Our style of government is not part of their DNA. They have a different way of life and a different culture and thought process.

Just look at everything going on now and all the violence and strife in areas like Iraq, Libya and Syria. These countries existed for years under oppressive rulers who kept the violence and terrorism in check. We went into Iraq and started this whole mess. Muammar Gaddafi was the leader of Libya for years, as long as I can remember. He got a little out of line in the 80’s and we had to slap him around some, but he mostly was kept in check. There was an uprising a couple years ago that was instigated by elements of the US and Gaddafi was ousted and got sticks jammed up his ass and he was killed. Now we have a situation there where every American has had to leave Libya. Everybody associated with the United States is gone, to where we had a convoy of all our US workers from consulates bussed out of Libya with fighter jets and drone escorts. What is happening in Libya wasn’t allowed to happen when Gaddafi was there. There was unrest, but Gaddafi kept these people in line. So did Saddam Hussein. He was our ally for years and then he went into Kuwait and he wasn’t. Say what you will about Saddam, but Iraq wasn’t the powder keg of chaos that it is now. He kept the chaos under control. His methods may have been harsh, but they were effective.

These people don’t want our democracy. Take a look at Afghanistan. People went to vote and election booths were blown up. Then on top of that a huge stash of weapons that we gave the Aghani government to fight the rebels were recently stolen. So now the opposition in Afghanistan will be fighting our troops with our own fucking weapons. Part of their population doesn’t want elections. The leaders who are being elected are propped up by the US government. They don’t want American involvement. Iraq’s leader Nouri al-Maliki is propped up by the United States. He is the opposite of what Saddam Hussein was. What is happening in the Ukraine now is because of American involvement in their political process. We supported the overthrow of their Russian backed president and put in one who was loyal to the US and as a result you have a huge population of the Russian population who are rebelling. Again, because the United States got involved where they should not be involved.

The Iron Dome missile system is more accurate and cheaper. I wonder what the DOD has to say about this?

As long as Israel continue with settlements and break every international agreements for peace negotiation whenever it is convenient to them, Israel is at fault.  

As as far as Israeli’s getting killed, Israel has killed more Palestinians. There are only tow choices, continue with the Israeli belligerence and kill each other for next 1000 years or negotiate peace and two state solution. Many US presidents have tried to negotiate peace and have lost and new POTUS stating from GWB don’t want to hump in the tar pit.

When the old WWII generation dies and the millennial's take over, the blind support for Israel is not going to exist.  

But, the current political dispensation of Bibbi and company is going to continue with their belligerence as long they can use it to stay in power.

There is never justification for any war.

Bush was right in this case. It proved, Hamas has support among the population. Participate or not, they would not have tucked their tails and gone away.

All other successful democracies are parliamentary democracies. Every country that tried American style democracy ended up in dictatorships. It is playing out in Afghanistan today.

Even in America, it is flawed democracy with electoral college and senate consisting of 2 senators from each state which is not proportional representation  or majority rule which is the reason, we are stuck in a limbo

I mean I dig your shit, even thought you're fucking bat crazy. But talking in code? This isn't some recon mission you're on. SPELL THE SHIT OUT!

After WW II, they decided they can create a country for the Jews in the middle of Arabia encompassing Muslim holly land.  

Why didn’t the allies carve out land from Germany where the holocaust actually occurred. Why in the middle of Arabia?  

Did the allies think the Arabs will subjugated forever?

WTF were they thinking? When you take land from people, create countries and borders breaching every tradition of the land, people are going to tuck their tails and go away

END OF MESSAGE

END OF MESSAGE

I did chuckle at the start when you used the word "perhaps". But saying you're not a racist or anti-semite in the 2nd sentence sounds to me like you are racist or anti-semite. In the public relations world, you either don't use those words, or you slip them in toward the middle of your explanation where they lose their meaning (lol).

I wouldn't worry too much. You're basically a liberal, so you will inevitably will get a pass as do all liberals when they say racist or anti-semitic stuff. At the worst, you might have to appear contrite. No crying, or recalling your own past miserable life as the reason, but some remorse nevertheless. Let's be honest, you're no Mel Gibson. "THEY" will probably ask you to spend a little time at the Shecky Green Home for the Jewish Aged on the Westside, so you can hear Holocaust stories while eating pastrami and gelfite fish.

P.S. On a previous post you basically said the same shit willy did. Willy was compared to Hitler, the KKK, Nazis, and BP suggested a little dental work. You on the other hand, got a little cliff note version of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Oh by the way, willy is not a liberal, he's an anarchist, big difference.  

 

You don't have to be a flag waving pro-Israelite. But you are just as big a hater as you have joined willy wonka in calling for the genocide and murder of my people, my tribe, my family. I take this shit VERY personally

What you're posting definitely DOES make you sound just like the worst.

Fuck me, to think I once thought you and I had common grounds

END OF MESSAGE

Yeah, I have to agree, Blaming the Jews for what's wrong with your life does sound so "1930's" doesn't it? and we all know how well that worked out for the world.

Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those blind supporters of Israel, but blaming the Jews for everything that's wrong with your life is a bit over the top. Ok, it's a lot over the top.

but don't worry Doc, in a few years he'll be "chink bashing" and then it will be my turn to be offended when he starts blaming "those rich chinks" for everything that's wrong with world. You do know that they have been calling the Chinese "Yellow Jews" for decades, I've always considered it a compliment. lol

Right when RRO2610 opened his mouth, you just knew it wasn't going to end well. I doubt anyone well give his daily plutocracy, corporatocracy, wall street, and 1% rants any credence going forward (lmao).

......for Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom(OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIP). Inquiring minds would like to know.

but blaming the "Rich Jew Bankers and Hollywood Producers" for the "demise" of this country isn't going to get a lot of support from anyone but maybe Xiao and "Tall&Dim" lmao

I don't think he is even going to get Willy on board with this one.

Honestly, any one who thinks this country is bad should hop on a plane and see the rest of the world. People aren't risking death to get into this country for no good reason. Our "poor" have flat screen TV's, their poor don't even have electricity. Our poor drink bottled water at a buck a bottle, their poor don't even have running water. I could go on, but what's the point?

Not until the Arab world joins modernity and puts behind them, their following of the genocidal parts of the Quran will any progress be made. The Jews gave up their genocidal ways thousands of years ago. Those few Jews that still live in the past are dominated by their own modern majority. The portions of the Arab world that still believes in the genocidal teachings of the Quran are now dominant. Even if their activist numbers are small there are a substantial number of those sympathetic and another sizable number of those afraid. This leaves just a small minority that actually wishes to or has the power to join modernity.

It seems many in the rest of the world, including several right here in TERland have trouble seeing this reality. They range from “everyone must be a winner” to “everyone should be a loser”. Our present administration follows a policy “no one should be a winner”. I have no problem picking sides

I assume you mean "DNA" in a figurative sense, and don't mean if you were to take a Syrian baby and raise him here he would not adjust.

That said, again, "Why Not."  Democracy was not part of the cultural DNA of Japan or Korea.  Japan didn't want democracy.

Everything you say about the middle east could have been said about Japan.  DIfferent life, culture, values, believes, desires.  

I am not disgreeing with your uber-long explanation, but it avoids the question.  If democracy could be imported to Japan, which had every trait you mention above, why not.

You don't have to list the cultural differences again.  Just why can't they be changed as they were in other places equally distant from democracy

Doc!  I just gave your team my blessing to waste 290 Million of your adversaries. How much more "common grounds' could that be?

  Can a man not merely state that he is sick to death of 40 years the same disheartening news?

You certainly would have gotten a pass from me, BUT that is NOT what you said, You placed the blame squarely on the "Jew" bankers, Hollywood producers, and just plain residents of areas with a high percentage of Jewish residents.

Even I took offense at your statements, and I am far from a flag waving, right wing, "Israel is our best friend" nut job.

I get it, you hate rich people who "play the game" instead of opting out like you have, and I suppose from your POV "rich Jews" are an easy scapegoat, but who do you set your sights on next? Me perhaps?

You and I are friends, but your bitterness really gets the best of you sometimes, and you definitely crossed the line this time. Your post sounded just like something that Xiao or Tall&Dim would have said.

I merely said that if Israel chose to use it's superior weaponry against the proven uncivilized hordes surrounding them the banks, Wall Street, South Florida and Hollywood Ca would not vote for any punitive sanctions against Israel for doing so. In fact I don't think ANY large western metropolis would.