Israel Buries Terror Victims as Hague Begins Hearings
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Jerusalem---February 23....Israel will be burying terror victims from yesterday's Palestinian suicide bombing as judges in the Hague today decide upon how Israel may defend herself. At least eight Israelis were murdered and over 60 wounded when a Palestinian suicide bomber from Bethlehem blew up a public bus in Jerusalem.
The
Hague -based U.N. tribunal will hold three days of hearings on the legality
of Israel's anti-terror fence.
"This terror attack (proves) the absolute necessity of the fence as a lifesaving instrument," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said.
Israeli officials said the suicide bombing - the 110th in more than three years of violence - clearly illustrated the need to continue building the anti-terror barrier to keep out future terrorists.
"Today there are more funerals, more suffering, more proof that there's no end to the hatred of Israelis," Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said. "We will continue to take all necessary measures to provide security for our citizens, including the security fence."
Five
of the eight killed in the attack were identified as Lior Azulai, 18,
a senior at Jerusalem's Gymnasia Rehavia high school, St.-Sgt. Natanel
Havshush, 20, Benayahu Jonathan Zuckerman, 18, a senior at Jerusalem's
Experimental High School, Yuval Ozana, 32, of Jerusalem, and Yehuda
Haim, 47, of Jerusalem, the brother-in-law of Israel's consul-general
to The Hague
Another victim is Yafe Ben-Shimon. While the identities of the two other victims were not yet released, pending notification of next of kin.
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"People were screaming 'mommy' and 'daddy.' There were body parts everywhere, including some hands and feet scattered outside the bus." - Israeli medic Reuven Pohl . |
"People
were screaming 'mommy' and 'daddy.' There were body parts everywhere,
including some hands and feet scattered outside the bus," medic
Reuven Pohl said.
"You could see the debris rising up from the nearby Scottish Church,
and then within seconds the smell of explosives came waffling up in
the air," recalled eyewitness David Hazan.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a terrorist group affiliated with Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the terror attack and identified the bomber as Mohammed Zool, 23, from the village of Hussan near Bethlehem.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, addressing a tourism conference Sunday evening, said, "Today in Jerusalem, we received a painful reminder of the cruelty of Palestinian terrorism." He did not indicate what Israel's response would be, but Mofaz met with top security officials Sunday to discuss the possibilities.
The blast went off about 8:30 a.m., the peak of rush hour, as the packed public bus drove past a gas station in downtown Jerusalem. Several high school students were on the bus, and at least two of the dead were teenagers. Sunday is a regular weekday in Israel.
"I felt blood on my head. I saw terrible things. I tried not to look," said Moshe Salama, 56, whose glasses were cracked by a piece of flying debris.
The bomb was laced with pieces of iron, rescue officials said.
The Palestinian terror attack occurred near a meeting of American Jewish leaders.
"The closeness reminds (us) that everyone can be a victim of terror," said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive director of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
The explosion ripped apart the back of the green bus and scattered body parts and shattered glass across a two-block radius. The windows were blown out, the windshield splintered and the roof buckled.
The bomber's family said they could not believe Zool, who had a child and a pregnant wife, was involved. Hours after the bombing, his mother was still waiting for him to return home from his construction job in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities detained several of Zool's relatives for questioning, Israeli security sources said.
Israeli officials said the attack never would have happened had the section of the barrier being built around Jerusalem already been completed. They claimed other areas where the barrier is finished have seen a sharp decrease in attacks.
Just before the blast, Israel began removing a particularly contentious 5-mile section that isolated the Palestinian town of Baka al-Sharkia from the rest of the West Bank.
Israel's Defense Ministry said that section was unnecessary since a new section has replaced it.
Sunday's attack was the first since a suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus near Sharon's house on Jan. 29, killing 11 passengers.
Nir Barkat, a former Jerusalem mayoral candidate, was driving near the bus when it exploded and ran to help the wounded.
"It's horrible what happened here, and the world has to know this," Barkat told Channel Two TV, his hands, pants and shoes still covered in blood.
Final preparations at the baroque Peace Palace, where a panel of 15 international jurists will hear the case, were overshadowed by the terror suicide bombing.
Israeli officials cited it as a grim example of why they must keep up construction of a barrier they say has already thwarted dozens of such attacks but which has drawn international criticism for slicing into Palestinian territory.
About 110 miles of the planned 435 miles of construction for the anti-terror fence has so far been built.
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"It takes some nerve to scold people for defending their children from terrorists - the more so when their method of defense is simply to erect a fence to keep the murderers from reaching their intended victims" - Clifford D. May, the president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies |
At stake is not only an international ruling on the barrier but world opinion in a case that underlines the paralysis of Middle East peacemaking after more than three years of Palestinian terrorism.
The hearings stem from a Palestinian request - backed by the United Nations General Assembly - to decide whether Israel is legally obliged to tear down its partially built security fence.
The Israeli government has refused to attend the hearings, calling the case political and beyond the court's jurisdiction.
But Israel won't remain on the sidelines. A rescue service sent the skeleton of a Jerusalem bus, in which a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 11 people last month, for display outside the court as grim evidence of what Israelis have endured.
The Foreign Ministry dispatched a team to deal with the press, and hundreds of Israeli demonstrators, including relatives of victims of suicide bombings, were flown in.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz responded to Sunday's bombing in Jerusalem with a vow that "we will continue to build the fence in accordance with the government's decision."
In overnight operations, Israeli forces demolished the bomber's family home near Bethlehem - a standard reprisal - and arrested 11 suspected militants in the area, the army said.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's office condemned the bombing and called the timing harmful for the campaign against the barrier. It was Yasser Arafat who walked away from a peace deal at Camp David which would have provided an entity for the Palestinians. If Arafat would have accepted the Camp David accords many Israelis and Palestinians would be alive today and both sides would have been enjoying prosperity rather than shattered economies.
A World Court decision would be non-binding, but Israel is concerned a finding against it could be used to lobby for international sanctions. Its 1971 opinion that South Africa's occupation of Namibia was illegal generated U.N. sanctions.
About a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, South Africa, Algeria and Cuba, are due to present oral arguments in support of the Palestinian position.
The United States, Britain, the European Union and many Western countries have expressed doubts about the security fence but are joining Israel in shunning the hearings. They oppose the court's involvement, saying it may interfere with peacemaking.
A decision by the court could take several months.
Of the 934 Israelis murdered over the last 41 months, 584 have been killed by Palestinian suicide bombers.
"The anti-terror fence would not have been needed had there been no terrorism against innocent Israelis," said a foreign ministry spokesman. "The anti-terror fence is not a border. The border will be determined by negotiations. The Palestinians will not be cut off from their fields, places of commerce and urban centers."
Israeli officials state that the terrorists target their victims for death. "Death is irreversible. Inconveniences caused by the fence are reversible. The right to live free from terrorism must take precedence".
A legitimate temporary security measure, Israeli officials state that the anti-terror fence will help to end terror and restore calm, steps that are necessary for renewing the peace process.
More than 950 people were murdered in attacks carried out by Palestinian terrorists since late September 2000.
Thousands of Israelis have been injured, many of the victims maimed for life. The terrorists infiltrated Israeli cities and towns and carried out attacks - including suicide bombings - on buses, in restaurants, shopping malls, and even private homes.
"No other nation in the world has before this time faced such an intense wave of terror, especially in the form of suicide bombings," said an Israeli government official. "In almost all of the cases, the terrorists infiltrated from Palestinian areas in the West Bank. The Palestinian leadership has done nothing to stop them and has even encouraged them."
"The security fence is a temporary defensive measure, not a border," he said.
As a result of the unceasing terror, Israel decided to erect a physical barrier. The absence of such a barrier makes infiltration into Israeli communities a relatively easy task for terrorists. No terrorists have infiltrated from the Gaza Strip into Israel in recent years, because an electronic security fence already exists there.
The Government of Israel has an obligation to defend its citizens against terrorism. This right of self-defense is anchored in international law.
The security fence will not annex Palestinian lands, change the legal status of the Palestinians, nor prevent the Palestinians from going about their daily lives. It will not establish a border, which is to be determined by direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Despite the many pictures being shown in the international media of a tall concrete wall, more than 97% of the planned 720 km. (480 mile) security fence will consist of a chain-link fence system. Less than 3% of the fence will be constructed of concrete. The short concrete sections are intended not only to stop terrorists from infiltrating, but also to block them from shooting at Israeli vehicles traveling on main highways alongside the pre-June 1967 line.
The security fence forms a strip approximately the width of a four-lane highway. At its center is the chain-link fence that supports an intrusion detection system. This technologically advanced system is designed to warn against infiltrations, as is the dirt "tracking" path and other observation tools.
The decision to build the security fence was taken only after other options were tried, but failed to stop the deadly terrorist attacks.
Despite its numerous commitments, the Palestinian Authority has failed to fight terrorism. The obligations that were violated by the Palestinian Authority were contained in the Oslo Accords and subsequent agreements, as well as in the Roadmap that was presented to the sides in May 2003.
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"Had
there been no terrorism, Israel would not have been compelled
to build a fence to protect its citizens," Danny Seaman,
director of Israel's government press office told the INA. "The
Palestinians must dismantle the terrorist organizations, confiscate
weapons, arrest the planners and perpetrators of terrorist acts,
stop incitement and resume security cooperation with Israel; all
these steps are required by the Roadmap. These measures are imperative
for renewing the peace process."
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"Had there been no terrorism, Israel would not have been compelled to build a fence to protect its citizens," Danny Seaman, director of Israel's government press office told the INA. "The Palestinians must dismantle the terrorist organizations, confiscate weapons, arrest the planners and perpetrators of terrorist acts, stop incitement and resume security cooperation with Israel; all these steps are required by the Roadmap. These measures are imperative for renewing the peace process."
The route of the fence has been determined solely on the basis of security needs and topographical considerations.
The fence is being built in such a way that, if necessary, the relevant parts can be moved to different locations. In this context, it will be remembered that when Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, in fulfillment of UN Security Council Resolution 425, the UN delineated the border between Israel and Lebanon. Israel moved its security fence, sometimes only a few meters, to comply with the new border.
Israel has made the use of public lands a priority in building the security fence, in order to avoid, as much as possible, the use of private lands. If this is not possible, then private land is requisitioned, not confiscated, and it remains the property of the owner. Legal procedures allow every owner to file an objection to the use of their land. When private lands are used, owners are offered full compensation, in accordance with the law; this compensation is offered both as a lump sum and also on a monthly basis.
In addition to its efforts to ensure the security of its citizens, Israel attaches considerable importance to the interests of the local Palestinian residents. Israel recognizes the necessity of finding an appropriate balance between the imperative need to prevent terrorism and defend its citizens, and the humanitarian needs of the Palestinians.
Most Palestinians will be on the eastern side of the fence. They will not be cut off from their commercial and urban centers.
No Palestinians will have to relocate. Israel will make every effort to avoid causing hardship and interference with their daily lives.
Dozens of crossing points have been set up to enable the movement of people and goods. The security fence was located, to the greatest possible degree, on unused land to avoid harming agriculture. Palestinian farmers will have access to their fields and will reach them through special gates that are being built into the fence. Trees affected by the construction will be replanted.
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"Saving
lives must always come first. The security fence has only one
purpose: to keep the terrorists out and thereby save the lives
of Israel's citizens, Jews and Arabs alike."
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"Saving lives must always come first," said an Israeli spokesperson. "The security fence has only one purpose: to keep the terrorists out and thereby save the lives of Israel's citizens, Jews and Arabs alike."
The security fence is not an obstacle to peace, as the Palestinians are trying to portray it. In fact, by providing a barrier to terrorism, it will help restore quiet to the region and thereby increase the chances of achieving peace. It will not create permanent facts on the ground that will affect the outcome of negotiations.
Israeli officials state that the Palestinians seek to blame Israel, the victim of terrorism that is taking a purely defensive measure. Moreover, they ignore the hundreds of innocent victims murdered by Palestinian terrorism emanating from the West Bank. There would have been no need for a security fence had there not been an orchestrated campaign of terrorism that targets Israeli men, women and children for death. Death is permanent. It is irreversible. The inconvenience caused to Palestinians by the security fence is temporary and reversible, once terrorism stops and peace is achieved.
"It takes some nerve to scold people for defending their children from terrorists - the more so when their method of defense is simply to erect a fence to keep the murderers from reaching their intended victims," said Clifford D. May, the president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
"Yet critics have lashed out at the Israeli government's decision to erect a security barrier to separate Israel proper from the West Bank communities that have harbored suicide terrorists for years. Not the least of these critics is the International Court of Justice in The Hague which has granted itself the jurisdiction to hold a hearing on Israel's fence next month."
Using fences to keep out those intent on committing crimes is hardly an innovative idea, says May. As the media watchdog group PRIMER (Promoting Responsibility in Middle East Reporting) has illustrated in a series of pictures available at its website, such barriers can be found virtually all over the world.
For example, the U.S. has a fence along its southern border. That fence is primarily to keep out Mexicans seeking jobs rather than bombers seeking children. But if the former is justifiable, surely the latter is as well.
A well-fortified zone divides Korea. The purpose is to keep out North Koreans who, one supposes, consider Americans to be "military occupiers" of South Korea.
India is in the process of erecting barriers to separate its territory from that of Pakistan - from which Jihadi terrorists have frequently infiltrated. The terrorists say India is "occupying" Kashmir. Heard any objections from the European Union?
Botswana is erecting an electric fence to keep out Zimbabweans attempting to escape Robert Mugabe's oppression. Apparently, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan hasn't a problem with that barrier - or with the Marxist, racist dictator Mugabe, for that matter.
Unlike the countries above, Israel is fighting a war. The enemy's base is on the West Bank. Over the past three years since Yasser Arafat turned down the offer of an independent state in more than 95% of the West Bank and Gaza, 900 Israelis have been killed and 6,000 injured by terrorists whom Arafat has never seriously attempted to suppress. On the contrary, Arafat has encouraged and funded them.
Those who argue that the fence should not represent a final border have a point. The Israelis concede that point, agreeing that any borders between Israel and what may become an independent Palestinian state should be "determined by negotiations."
"The problem is that the Palestinians who now wield power refuse to negotiate a deal that would lead to a Palestinian state living peacefully next to a Jewish state," said May. "Some Arab leaders are candid enough to acknowledge this reality. Three weeks ago, Prince Hassan Bin Talal, uncle of Jordan's ruler King Abdullah, told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that Israeli Prime Ariel Sharon is a pragmatic leader who is having trouble finding a pragmatic partner on the Palestinian side. 'Unfortunately, we can see the growing influence of Hamas and Hezbollah among the Palestinians,' he told the newspaper."
"Indeed, Hamas and Hezbollah are not interested in borders with Israel," said May. "Their openly stated goal is to destroy Israel and to replace it with a radical Islamist state."
With Wire Services
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Terror Victims Emergency Numbers Hadassah
Hospital in Ein Karem: 1255122 Jerusalem Municipality: 106 Non-Hebrew speakers: 1255081010 |