Anti-Israel UN Investigator Prof. William Schabas ‘Can’t Say’ If Hamas is Terrorist Entity

[King_David]

The man chosen to head the United Nations Human Rights Council’s latest probe into the war in Gaza won’t state clearly whether Hamas is a terror group. Moreoever, he says “some believe Israel ‘gets off easy’ at the UN Security Council.”

International Law Professor William Schabas, appointed to head the UNHRC probe into Operation Protective Edge, also claimed in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 television news anchor Danny Kushmaro Tuesday that past comments he has made on the record, accusing Israel’s government leaders of war crimes were “exaggerated.”

Schabas was questioned about his alleged bias against Israel, which has led the foreign ministry to advise the prime minister not to cooperate with the investigation.

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/anti-israel-un-investigator-prof-william-schabas-cant-say-if-hamas-is-terrorist-entity/2014/08/13/

[King_David]

1. The fix is in

Why would UNHRC appoint someone like this ? It only furthers and lends credibility to accusations as the UNHRC being a kangaroo court .

[wellst0nev0ter]

2. So I Guess This Means Israel Has Been Negotiating With A Bunch Of Terrorists All This Time

Indefensible.

[oberliner]

3. Israel does not talk to Hamas and Hamas does not talk to Israel

All negotiations for cease fires and the like are through a third party, i.e. Egypt. All agreements between Israelis and Palestinians go through the PA.

[wellst0nev0ter]

29. So When Israel Agrees To A Ceasefire, Who Are They Agreeing To?

Egypt, or the PA? Are they fighting them?

[leftynyc]

31. Egypt is conducting the talks

Hamas and Israel do not do direct talks.

[kjones]

4. Why are they worried? They seem to think they've done nothing wrong, so what's the fear for?

We all know it doesn't matter who they pick, none of it will make a difference,
and they'll be deemed "anti-Israel" no matter what.

I do fail to see how Netanyahu IS Israel.
Then again, I guess I don't have an all encompassing concept of "state."
Seems kind of totalitarian to me, to conflate a country as an undifferentiated
whole for which criticism of a part thereof constitutes criticism (hatred, racism,
anti-semitism, I believe are their preferred spin....er, terms) of the whole.

If that's how it works, Israelis' criticisms of our leaders are just as strong
and "anti-American" as any others in the middle east or beyond. Really, you
should see what they say about Obama.

[King_David]

5. The "judge" has a long history of anti Israel bias

Calling for the prosecution of Israel's leaders for a long time.

Now he is "Judging" them ?

It's already a joke .

[intaglio]

6. So a country commits war crimes but no one is allowed to say it

because it is "anti-Israel"

Or to decode it the way Israel wants, Prof. Schabas is "anti-Semitic".

The Hannibal doctrine is a war crime - against Israeli soldiers

The Dahiya doctrine of destroying civilian areas and infrastructure as deliberate policy is a war crime

In the West Bank the IDF has used human shields for its soldiers, civilians were used to enter buildings neighbouring their own properties to trigger any booby traps. This is a war crime.

[kjones]

7. Two things

1. Update me on what this guy has done anti-Israel wise. My comments are restricted to this
story and others, which only show him as having a problem with Netanyahu. As of yet, I haven't
seen any reason for him to recuse himself unless Netanyahu were to be on trial, which would never
happen.I have no idea what else he may have done, as I don't keep tabs on everyone in the world.
Anti-Israeli at this point is such a vague accusation that it could mean anything from being a raving
Nazi to....well, really anything, it kind of seems pointless to restrict it. Considering opinion of the UN,
it seems simply being associated with the organization could be enough to earn the label. So if there
is damning evidence, I'd appreciate being directed towards it so I can update my opinion accordingly.

2. Who would you rather be involved in the investigation? Do you think there should be an
investigation?

2.5. On what grounds do you think criticism of Israel or any of it's constituent parts is
warranted? Are there any?


I certainly criticize my own country a lot, but that's because I have an interest in bettering my country
righting and punishing wrong doings, as well at working towards preventing future ones.

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. So, let's get this straight, then.

The only acceptable head of any enquiry would be someone who was a de facto Israeli partisan? Because that's what unequivocally stating "Hamas is a terrorist organisation" amounts to. The right of the Palestinian people to resist Israeli occupation through force of arms is something generally recognised in international law so long as such resistance is directed against military and not civilian targets. Declaring organised resistance to occupation to be an expression of "Islamist terrorism" serves to delegitimise the Palestinian right of resistance and self-determination (which is in this respect very strikingly similar to the designation of the South African ANC as a terrorist organisation).

[King_David]

9. Certainly not someone who has been actively calling

For the prosecution of Israel for many years and now sits in judgement .

Maybe in some banana republic ?

Speaking of banana republic it's the UNHRC .

This "judge" is not impartial he should recuse himself .

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. Netanyahu is Israel, now? Since when?

[King_David]

11. Is he recusing himself from judging Netenyahu?

Who exactly is he judging.

He's been appointed by the UNHRC ?

The whole things a joke.

If an inquiry is to be taken seriously ( and it should happen and it should be above reproach ) it should be appointed by some other impartial body not that joke called the UNHRC and it should be done by someone impartial and not this "judge" who has already rendered the verdict biased and meaningless.

[Scootaloo]

12. You've got it absolutely right

The only acceptable head of any enquiry would be someone who was a de facto Israeli partisan?

The only people acceptable to sit in judgement over right-wing racist brutalizers are - according to right-wing racist brutalizers - people who are SUPPORTIVE of right-wing racist brutalization.

[azurnoir]

13. so unless he shows anti-Palestinian bias he's unacceptable-got it n/t

[leftynyc]

16. Who are you quoting?

I haven't seen anything like that posted.

[azurnoir]

17. read the title yes I know it says Hamas but is it Hamas who's dying or is it simply Palestinians

[leftynyc]

30. In other words

nobody said what you did. Got it.

[azurnoir]

14. same publication that raced to claim Mohammed Abu Khdeir was an honor killing and Arabs had already

been arrested for it, take this well salted

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/body-of-arab-boy-found-in-jerusalem-forest/2014/07/02/

and in just case Mohammed Abu Khdeir was the Palestinian boy burnt alive by Israeli vigilantes as revenge for the 3 Israeli youths killed in the West Bank

[King_David]

18. What has that to do with the topic. ?

You welcome to start your own thread.


What do you think of a "judge" who has made plenty of negative comments about Israel and their leaders in the past , expressed pretty strong sentiments and opinions and now suddenly touted as an impartial investigator , prosecutor , judge and jury?

Thoughts?

[azurnoir]

20. it says something about the bias and veracity of the publication it self

and it may surprise you that some of us can separate the role of judge from personal opinion

[King_David]

21. Ha ha

That's funny .

Maybe in some banana republic like Iran or Russia or the UNHRC .

[azurnoir]

22. would you like another example of the publications bias and reporting?

http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/hamas-rockets-injures-3-in-sinai/2014/08/13/

10:50pm A child was killed and two other children were injured from a 9:57pm rocket launch from Gaza, according to a Reuters report.

The rocket landed in the Sinai.

The rocket hit their home in the town of el-Mattallah south of Rafah.

The murdered child was identified as Sara Salama, 13, and the injured children wwas her brother Khaled, 8, and her sister Rahaf, 2.

It is not clear if the rocket was a misfire, or a deliberate message to Egypt.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=870037

here is what reuters really said the difference is in placing of blame, seems Egypt thinks it may have been home grown insurgents who fired the rocket

One child was killed and two others were wounded when a rocket landed on their home in the Egyptian town of el-Mattallah south of Rafah, near the border with Gaza, security and medical sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

Sara Salama, 13, died while her brother Khaled, 8, and sister Rahaf, 2, sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital.

The rocket impact is the third to hit the area in recent weeks, security sources said, adding that Egyptian authorities were investigating the incident.

---------------------------------

Egyptian security forces have been struggling to quell an Islamist insurgency in Sinai that has killed scores of soldiers and policemen.

The violence surged after the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Mursi last year and the militants extended their reach to Egypt's mainland with a series of bombings, prompting the army to intensify its attacks on them in Sinai.

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFL6N0QJ50F20140813



do you know the meaning of "banana republic"? I don't think Iran or Russia quite fit

[King_David]

23. The publications not the issue

What is , is a very biased judge , the inquiry is doomed to be a joke as it's starting that way.

The last inquiry was also a joke and the head of the enquiry landed up retracting most of his findings.

[azurnoir]

24. an awful lot of attention is beig paid to something that is claimed to be a joke

almost like if it is catapulted enough times someone will actually believe it

[King_David]

25. Well this dudes discredited

I heard even Canada has said as much.

[azurnoir]

27. not really and in fact so much not so that I posted a youtube link to the video

from your OP

[King_David]

28. Time will tell of course

We probably will see what Obama says soon enough.

[leftynyc]

15. No surprise

And people wonder why Israel pays no attention to the UN these days.

[King_David]

19. I don't understand ,

Do they want their report to be taken seriously or not ?

Was Roger Waters too busy ?

[azurnoir]

26. This is a youtube link to the video in the OP it should be watched

the word here is context the antithesis to propaganda

#t=286