UN blasts W. Bank expansion

[Marc7]

UN rights expert: Pullout diverted attention from W. Bank expansion

By The Associated Press

GENEVA - A United Nations rights expert yesterday said the disengagement from the Gaza Strip has allowed the Jewish state to divert attention from its further expansion into East Jerusalem and other Palestinian territories.

"This focus of attention on Gaza has allowed Israel to continue with the construction of the wall in Palestinian territory, the expansion of settlements and the de-Palestinization of Jerusalem with virtually no criticism," South African lawyer John Dugard said in a 19-page report.



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Dugard, who monitors the Palestinian territories for the UN Human Rights Commission, prepares his regular reports during visits to the region. However, he receives no cooperation from the Israeli government, which says his mandate is one-sided.

Itzhak Levanon, Israel's ambassador to the UN offices in Geneva, immediately condemned the report as "distorted in its presentation, excessive in its political conclusions and a repetitive exercise in Israel-bashing."

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has reaped diplomatic rewards for ending the country's 38-year occupation of the Gaza Strip. In the past month, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have held high-level public meetings with Israel - a rare event for Muslim countries - and Silvan Sharon met Friday with Jordan's King Abdullah II for their first talks in months.

But Dugard said the cordial relations have disguised Israel's drive to extend its West Bank settlements and its security barrier, which "is designed to be the border of the State of Israel."

Dugard also criticized Israeli policies in East Jerusalem, where he said large settlements are being connected "in order to make the city more Jewish.

[asim99]

israeli government sure knows how to play the media

[insanity]

When Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plans to 'disengage' from Gaza and a tiny West Bank enclave, he maintained that his unilateral move was principally compelled by the fact that Palestinians were no partners in peace. They never were, his right wing officials parroted, a reality, they contested, and that most likely will not change in the near future.

Thus 'disengagement', for the sake of Israel's security, boils down to demographic supremacy, not Palestinian rights. The Israeli narrative was always clear, albeit iniquitous. "Israel was leaving Gaza in order to retain large chunks of the West Bank," the Jerusalem Post summarized the declared positions of Israel's top officials. This concept was originally initiated by the ever-blunt Chief of Staff Dov Weisglass last year, then Israel's top military strategist, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, and, according to the Post, Sharon himself.

Those unfamiliar with the situation on the ground held their breath for the ground shaking disengagement. Those familiar with Israel's military and political maneuvers however, must have understood; Sharon is once again toying with land, politics and demographics, yet the same sorry ending is awaiting Palestinians: the lock, the key, the prison guard and the ever familiar scene of Palestinians being held captive at checkpoints.

[lip1978]

While the UN might blast W Bank expansion, the Palestinians have wasted no time in blasting Israel with mortar fire from within their new autonomous area.

And the UN's credibility was blasted at their last meeting anyways.

[fakishan]

And the UN's credibility was blasted at their last meeting anyways.

wow, care to elaborate?

the UN might not be vey efficient in prevention, but they commit most of their ressources to research, and are very credible in that area! More so than ANY news source.

[d_jedi]

wow, care to elaborate?
Oil for food program?

[lip1978]

During their 60th anniversary meeting earlier this month they were unable to agree on anything substantial. Koffi Annan himself said he was very dissapointed in the entire proceedings.

And yes, the Oil for Food program was a major catalyst for it's disgrace.

[fakishan]

Oil for food program?

Come on, you're not an idiot. What does the oil for food program scandal have to do with the credibility of UN research? last time I checked, it was a UN study of the program that revealed the scandal. The scandal was caused by politicians, not its various researchers/academics from a gazillion academies across the world.

Their research is credible, their actions and lack of actions, not so much. It is a good thing that both branches (politics and research) are seperatly run. Chances of political bias in their research is nearly nill.

[Happy13178]

israeli government sure knows how to play the media

The israeli government doesn't strap bombs to kids and send them into malls and nightclubs.

[asim99]

The israeli government doesn't strap bombs to kids and send them into malls and nightclubs.

yup, it does not...it chooses to drop bombs from skies, and bulldoze the homes of innocent palestinians and sends tanks to keep them in line...it kills and terrorizes its palestinian subjects in a 'clean' media-savvy manner

give the palestinians some planes and bulldozers and tanks, and i bet they won't need suicide bombers

[asim99]

Come on, you're not an idiot. What does the oil for food program scandal have to do with the credibility of UN research? last time I checked, it was a UN study of the program that revealed the scandal. The scandal was caused by politicians, not its various researchers/academics from a gazillion academies across the world.

Their research is credible, their actions and lack of actions, not so much. It is a good thing that both branches (politics and research) are seperatly run. Chances of political bias in their research is nearly nill.

quoted for truth

[Happy13178]

yup, it does not...it chooses to drop bombs from skies, and bulldoze the homes of innocent palestinians and sends tanks to keep them in line...it kills and terrorizes its palestinian subjects in a 'clean' media-savvy manner

give the palestinians some planes and bulldozers and tanks, and i bet they won't need suicide bombers

It makes me ill to think what some of the extremists would do if they got their hands on any heavy equipment. But frankly, if they do get them, and attempt to use them, the idiots would probably try to use them the same way they use suicide bombers...towards civilian areas, and say "Well, Israel did this, and the US did that, so we're...". Then you can watch them get demolished on CNN.

[asim99]

It makes me ill to think what some of the extremists would do if they got their hands on any heavy equipment. But frankly, if they do get them, and attempt to use them, the idiots would probably try to use them the same way they use suicide bombers...towards civilian areas, and say "Well, Israel did this, and the US did that, so we're...". Then you can watch them get demolished on CNN.

i suppose u mean they will use the equipment the way israel uses it

[d_jedi]

Come on, you're not an idiot. What does the oil for food program scandal have to do with the credibility of UN research? last time I checked, it was a UN study of the program that revealed the scandal. The scandal was caused by politicians, not its various researchers/academics from a gazillion academies across the world.
I was talking about the credibility of the UN in general (ie. "elaborating" on lip 1978's assertion that the "UN's credibility was blasted").. do you not think the oil for food program affected the credibility of the UN? That countries and people will be less likely to trust the motivations of UN personnel because of it?

Their research is credible, their actions and lack of actions, not so much. It is a good thing that both branches (politics and research) are seperatly run. Chances of political bias in their research is nearly nill.
As for the report, I have not read it (no link provided in OP.. and I didn't feel like searching for it), and have no comment on it. I do, however, agree in principle with building a wall to deny suicide bombers access to Israel, if indeed it is effective for this purpose (suicide bombings have decreased since construction began.. but it's not clear how much of a factor - if any - the wall has had in that regard).. desperate times call for desperate measures (edit: but before someone comments that the desperate times for the Palestinians justifies suicide bombings.. I absolutely do not believe this is the case. There is no justification for terrorism, and the use of terrorism invalidates any legitimate grievance you may have had, IMHO).

[Happy13178]

i suppose u mean they will use the equipment the way israel uses it

No, the way their idiot citizens use suicide bombers now. I don't believe that Palestinians really want peace, and giving them heavy weapons of any kind would be akin to putting crates of weapons inside a maximum security prison and then unlocking all the doors. I'd like to believe that most palestinians want nothing to do with any of the militant garbage and would like to live peacefully. But I also don't see them stopping the militant groups from terrorist actions, and going about trying to push out Israel from their perceived stolen lands in a peaceful way. I really don't care what happened in the past, or who took what lands, or whose god is the right one. When I see on the news that Israel is pulling out its troops from Gaza, and in the next paragraph that palestinians are still attacking, I have little sympathy for any of the "downtrodden" or "innocent". The world would be a better place if the militant groups and extremists ceased to exist, and it seems like most of them live in palestine now.

[asim99]

No, the way their idiot citizens use suicide bombers now. I don't believe that Palestinians really want peace, and giving them heavy weapons of any kind would be akin to putting crates of weapons inside a maximum security prison and then unlocking all the doors.
that's pretty much describes the way israel is oppressing the palestinians

When I see on the news that Israel is pulling out its troops from Gaza, and in the next paragraph that palestinians are still attacking, I have little sympathy for any of the "downtrodden" or "innocent".
of course, you conveniently chose to ignore that gaza pullout was accompanied by an expansion of settlements in the west bank

The world would be a better place if the militant groups and extremists ceased to exist,
add oppressing governments to that, and i'll say amen

and it seems like most of them live in palestine now.
and some of them lead the nation of israel