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ICCinvestigatingIsraeliwarcrimes:IsIndiabendingtowardsIsrael?TheHindu

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OPINIONCOMMENT

Published:July7,201501:08IST|Updated:July7,201511:58IST
July7,2015

IsIndiabendingtowardsIsrael?
VIJAYPRASHAD

AP
Israelibombskilled500Palestinianchildrenandorphaned1,500more.PictureshowsPalestinianchildrenplayinginKhuzaavillageinthe
southernGazaStrip.
ByabstainingfromacrucialvotethatwouldhaveallowedtheICCtoinvestigateIsraeliwarcrimes,Indiasendssignalsofadisturbingly
differentstancetowardsPalestine.
Ayearago,IsraelbeganitsassaultontheGazaStrip.Morethan2,100Palestiniansdiedinthebombingsevenoutoftenwerecivilians,
accordingtotheUnitedNations.Israelibombskilled500Palestinianchildrenandorphaned1,500more.Duringthewar,theUNHuman
RightsCouncilempanelledacommissiontoinvestigatetheconductofboththeIsraelistateandthenonstatePalestinianresistance.That
panel,ledbyformerNewYorkSupremeCourtJudgeMaryMcGowanDavis,hasnowproducedareportthataccusestheIsraeligovernment
ofactionstantamounttowarcrimes.TheDavisReportsaidthatIsraeliconductwasreflectiveofabroaderpolicy,approvedatleasttacitlyby
decisionmakersatthehighestlevelsofthegovernmentofIsrael.
LittlewonderthenthatamajorityoftheUNHumanRightsCouncilforwardedthisforensicreporttotheInternationalCriminalCourt(ICC)
forfurtheraction.WhenIsraelsbombingendedinAugust2014,theICCsProsecutorFatouBensoudasaidthatshewouldnotopenafileon
IsraelbecausePalestinewasnotamemberoftheICC.HerrefusaltoinvestigatewarcrimesbyIsrael,shesaid,wasnotduetopolitical
pressure.PalestinejoinedtheICCinApril2015.TheHumanRightsCouncilssubmissiontotheICCopensthedoorforMs.Bensoudatolive
bythestandardshehassetherself.AninvestigationofIsraelshouldnowcommence.
TheDavisReportisonlythemostrecentofthemanyUNinvestigationsintoIsraels2014bombingofGaza.OnApril27,theUNSecretary
GeneralreleasedasummaryreportonIsraeliattacksonUNschoolsthathadbeenusedassheltersinthewar.Innoneofthesevencases
lookedatindetaildidPalestinianmilitantsusetheschoolsasalaunchpadfortheirretaliationattacks.TheUNhadgiventheIsraelisprecise
GPScoordinatesfortheseschools,whichwerenonethelesstargeted.PierreKrahenbhl,theCommissionerGeneralfortheUNReliefand
WorksAgency(UNRWA),whichrunstheschools,saidatthetimeofoneoftheattacks,Todaytheworldstandsdisgraced.Icondemninthe
strongestpossibletermsthisseriousviolationofinternationallawbyIsraeliforces.ThesewordswerevalidatedbytheUNsummaryreport
fromAprilandintheDavisReport.
WhattheDavisReportfoundwasthatIsraelsmilitarydeliberatelytargetedcivilianareas,hittingresidentialbuildings,whichareprima
faciecivilianobjectsimmunefromattack.Israelsassaultsonhomesincreasedafter2009.Asanindicator,inthe2009war,14percentof
civiliancasualtieswerewomen,whileinthiswar,thatincreasedto20percent.Chillingly,theDavisReportdidnotstudyattacksbyIsraelon
UnitedNationsshelters,medicalfacilities,ambulances,andothercriticalinfrastructurebecausethesepatternshavebeenarecurring
realityinthisandpriorconflicts.Inotherwords,Israelhasmadeitahabittobombhospitalsandpowerplantstoinflictpunishmentonthe
PalestiniansacrimeagainsttheFourthGenevaConvention.
TheUNwasnotaloneinitsallegations.TheIsraeligroupBreakingtheSilencereleasedareportonMay5thatdocumentedstatementsfrom
IsraelisoldierswhohadtakenpartintheattackonGaza.Oneinfantrysergeantsaid,AnythinginsidetheGazaStripisathreat.Theareahas
tobesterilised,emptyofpeople,andifwedontseesomeonewavingawhiteflag,screaming,Igiveuporsomething,thenhesathreatand
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7/7/2015

ICCinvestigatingIsraeliwarcrimes:IsIndiabendingtowardsIsrael?TheHindu

theresauthorisationtoopenfire.BreakingtheSilencesYuliNovaksaid,Atroublingpicturearisesofapolicyofindiscriminatefirethatled
tothedeathsofinnocentcivilians.
Indiaabstains
Strikingly,IndiaabstainedinitsvoteattheHumanRightsCouncil.ItjoinedKenya,Ethiopia,ParaguayandMacedoniaalllobbiedby
Israeloverthecourseoftheyear.TheU.S.wastheonlycountrytovoteagainstthemotiontoaccepttheDavisReportandsendthefileoverto
theICC.Fortyonestates,includingtheeightsittingEuropeanmembers,votedtocensureIsrael.Lastyear,Indiahadvotedinsupportofthe
HumanRightsCouncilresolutiontosetupthecommissiontoinvestigatewarcrimes.Inthedebatelastyear,Indiasambassadortothe
HumanRightsCouncil,DilipSinha,bemoanedtheheavyairstrikesinGazaandthedisproportionateuseofforceresultinginthetragicloss
ofcivilianlives.NowIndiahasdecidedtoabstain.Why?
TheMinistryofExternalAffairs(MEA)saysthattherehasbeennochangeinitspolicytowardsthestruggleofthePalestinians.Thereason
fortheabstentionisthatIndiaisnotasignatoryoftheRomeStatutethatsetuptheICC.TheMEAclaimsthatIndiahasapolicynottovote
foraresolutionthatrefersacountrytotheICC.ButastherecordshowsIndiahasvotedatleasttwiceforUNHumanRightsCouncil
resolutionsthatdorefercasestotheICC.BoththesecasesareaboutallegationsofSyriangovernmentviolationsinitscivilwaronceon
March23,2012,andagainonJune1,2012.TheprincipledstandtorefrainfromcollaborationwiththeICCdoesnotseemasclearas
suggestedbytheMEA.China,bytheway,isalsonotasignatorytotheRomeStatute.Yet,ChinavotedwiththemajoritytoaccepttheDavis
report.WhydidIndiavotetosendtheSyriangovernmenttotheICCbutnottheIsraeligovernment?
Onesuggestedanswerispolitical.IsraelhaspinneditshopesontheNarendraModigovernmenttobreakIndiastieswiththePalestinians
andjointheUnitedStates,PalauandNauruintheproIsraelblocintheUN.TheBharatiyaJanataPartyanditsancestorshavecalledfor
closetieswithIsraelsince1948,largelybecauseoftheirantipathytoMuslims.Mr.Modihasalreadysuggestedthathewouldbethefirst
IndianheadofgovernmenttovisitIsrael.ThisnewalignmentcouldverywellbesignalledbyIndiasabstentiononthisvote.Suggestionsof
principlebytheMEAarewellandgood,butthesemightnotcontaintheentirestory.Other,lessnoble,motivationsmightbeatplay.
Immunityoraccountability?
OnJune14,Israelreleaseditsownreportonthewar,whichsuggestedthatithadcommittednowarcrimes.Thisispartofitscampaignto
whitewashthewarandthecontinuedoccupationofPalestinianlands.IsraelssettlementactivityandsecuritywallsintheWestBankand
EastJerusalemanditsthrottlingofGazabyembargohaverenderedthetwostatesolutionmoot.Thereisnopossibilityforthecreationof
Palestineinthemotheatenlandthatremains.AonestatesolutionisequallyimpossibleifIsraelinsiststhatitisaJewishState,anethno
nationalistconceptthatdeniestherightsofPalestiniansinsideIsrael.Israelipolicydirectlyleadstoendlessoccupationandpunctuatedwars.
ThatiswhytheDavisReportwasconcernedthatnothingwouldcomeoftheirwork,sinceimpunityprevailsacrosstheboardsforviolations
ofinternationalhumanitarianlawandinternationalhumanrightslawallegedlycommittedbyIsraeliforces,whetheritbeinthecontextof
activehostilitiesinGazaorkillings,tortureandilltreatmentintheWestBank.
PressureonIsraeltochangeitspolicydirectioncouldcomefromanICCinvestigation.IndiasabstentiondoesnothelpthesituationinWest
Asia.Infact,ithasgiventheIsraelipolicymakersrespite,andhasbetrayedtheslimhopesofthePalestinianpeople.
(VijayPrashadteachesInternationalStudiesatTrinityCollege.HeistheeditorofLetterstoPalestine:WritersRespondtoWarand
Occupation(2015).)
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towardsisrael/article7392529.ece
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