TRIBUNAL AGAINST ISRAEL JUSTIFIABLE - RAIS
Malaysia General News - January 12, 2009, Monday

KUALA LUMPUR Jan 12 - Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the setting up of an International Criminal Tribunal for Palestine is justifiable as Israel is not complying with the international resolutions that have been agreed upon and continues to violate international law.

He said such a move, like what had been done in cases involving Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Rwanda, was permissible under Article 22 of the United Nations (UN)Charter and must be carried out as the death toll and injuries among the Palestinians were increasing daily and it was clear that Israeli troops were committing excessive violence.

"The bombing raids and ground attacks launched against the Palestinians were killing the elderly, women and children. Schools, places of worship, hospitals and humanitarian aid centres were also not spared by the Israeli troops.

"Although the UN Security Council had issued Resolution 1860 requiring Israel to cease fire immediately, attacks against the Palestinians were still continuing.

"The Israeli attacks on Gaza which has now entered its 17th day, have killed at least 778 Palestinians including 219 children while another 3,000 are injured," he said when winding up the motion condemning Israel for the attacks on Palestine at the Dewan Rakyat, today.

Dr Rais said the Israeli attacks on Palestine were not acceptable to the civilised international community and the law of the jungle adopted by Israel would only breed vengeance which would lead to violence.

"The brutal killing of a family member will surely breed vengeance and willingness to die (among those affected) as there is no point in living any more. Just look at the gory pictures carried by the newspapers and television stations. Those among us who see the pictures are drawn to tears, it's worse for those who are going through such experiences in Gaza.

"Should we just keep quiet. Certainly not. A responsible nation will not keep quiet. Malaysia will not keep quiet and will continue to champion the cause so that the cruelty and violence committed by Israel against the people of Palestine in Gaza will be stopped immediately," he said.

However, Dr Rais pointed out that it did not mean that Malaysia wanted to champion the cause by joining the war because Malaysia would act based on the international law and UN Charter and it was not proper for Malaysia to act on its own.

He said Maslaysia proposed and fully supported the creation of a UN peacekeeping force to enforce a ceasefire and, upon its formation, Malaysia was prepared to participate in the force if required to do so.

Malaysia's objective was to see that the violence committed by Israel was strongly condemned by the international community, said Dr Rais.

"But this was taking too long. The Prime Minister has written letters to his counterparts within the UN Security Council, heads of governments within the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

"The President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has urged him to hold a Special Emergency General Assembly of the UN under Resolution 355A(V) -- Uniting for Peace -- on the crisis in Gaza.

"Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York has been instructed to lobby and follow up on the letters sent by the Prime Minister. I personally have written letters to the Foreign Ministers, our friends in ASEAN, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Non-Aligned Movement.

"We welcome the assembly as it gives the international community a chance to state their stand and aspiration in tackling the crisis in Gaza. This is the democratic way," he said.

He said Malaysia had long supported the cause of the Palestinians and helped the Palestinian people by channelling aid towards capacity building through technical assistance programmes.

The Foreign Minister said that since the attacks on Gaza broke out, Malaysians had come out in numbers to protest against the Israeli attacks and to hand over numerous protest notes to the United States government via its ambassador in Kuala Lumpur while mosques throughout the country had held special sermons and prayer of need so that an immediate solution could be achieved.

"Malaysia is also following the developments in the Middle East closely. The conflict between Hamas and Fatah is unnecessary. Malaysia calls upon the leaders of Fatah and Hamas to close ranks immediately and unite for the sake of Palestinian solidarity.

"This is the only way to show the Palestinian strength and facilitate efforts at setting up a nation that would lead to national development and prosperity for the people," he said.

Dr Rais also said that the sufferings and hardships borne by the people of Palestine called for immediate assistance from the international community and Malaysia too had provided assistance to the Palestinians.

"The Malaysian government has agreed to contribute RM3.4 million ($1US million) which will be channelled through MERCY Malaysia to hand over the humanitarian aid needed by the Palestinian people in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry has also reactivated the Palestinian Humanitarian Fund and welcomes contributions in the form of cash.

"The Foreign Ministry will monitor the utilisation and channelling of the contributions received," he said.

The minister also said that the resolution passed at the Dewan Rakyat today would be handed over to the United States Congress and Parliaments of the European Union via the Foreign Ministry and Malaysian missions abroad.

Thirty-one members of Parliament participated in the seven-and-a-half hour debate on the motion.

Meanwhile in IPOH, Gerakan also joined in the call for the setting up of the war crimes tribunal by the United Nations to initiate criminal proceedings against the Israeli government.

Gerakan deputy president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said the offensive and aggressive action in Gaza by the Israeli government was causing immense injuries, deaths and destruction.

"The act amounts to an action against humanity and it is an international crime. We fully agree tha Gaza's scenario is like a concentration camp where civilians are injured and killed indiscriminately," he said in a statement here.

Chang, who is also the Gerakan Legal and Human Rights Bureau chairman, said the the attacks were so atrocious that children, women and even personnel of the UN were not spared.

"Israel's acts of atrocities must be condemned and stopped immediately," he said.

Chang said the criminal proceedings must be intiated against the Prime Minister and other leaders of the Israeli government who approved the inhuman aggression against the Gaza civilians and the brutal acts of genocide against the Palestinians.

Posted for Fair Use only.