It is surprising that none of the press, and none of the many
critics of the press, makes mention of the fact that many of
the actions of the Palestinians are in violation of
international law.
The truth is that most of the Palestinian actions are far
worse than illegal. They are morally disgusting and
reprehensible. Though the moral position should be more
powerful, yet since the area of morality is much more open to
interpretation and manipulation, claims in that area are
easily disputed and the masses -- who are not vitally
interested in the situation in Israel and not willing to make
the considerable effort to fully clarify the facts and
arguments -- are easily confused. The legal claims are
simpler and less open to alternate points of view.
One of the most obvious and worst violations of international
law is the targeting of civilians. According to all legal
standards, targeting civilians in any attack is illegal. Thus
virtually all Palestinian terror attacks, including the
suicide bombers and many shooting incidents, are completely
illegal and all those who engage in them, or are in any way
involved with enabling them, are in violation of
international law. This includes most of the institutions of
the Palestinian Authority and of course Arafat himself.
In addition there are legal limits to the weapons and methods
that may be used in warfare. Even if there is a good basis to
take up arms (and the Palestinians do not have a just or
reasonable basis) some arms and techniques are banned by
international law. Putting screws, nails and other metal
shrapnel with explosives in order to magnify their
destructive effects is simply illegal, under all
circumstances. Suicide bombing is not a legal means of
attack.
Moreover, the use of children as bombers or snipers or in any
way in an armed conflict of any nature is illegal. Almost
nine years ago the Palestinian Authority signed agreements
giving up the use of violence in general and agreeing not to
use specific weapons in particular. They break these
agreements daily and these violations have no justification
and are thus illegal.
Israel has a legal division attached to its army that is
charged with ensuring that it "only acts in a manner which is
in compliance with the principles and practice of armed
conflict." Its actions are reviewed by its own court system.
The Palestinians have no such institutions and are acting
illegally.
The Palestinians cannot claim that they have a just cause to
go to war. Israel was negotiating and implementing agreements
made, had given the Authority control of 97 percent of the
Palestinian population and had made a comprehensive offer for
a viable permanent solution, to which the Palestinians
responded with terror and violence.
As the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains, the
situation in Israel today is best defined as an armed
conflict initiated by the Palestinians. This is seen clearly
from the fact that if the Palestinians will now put down
their arms, they can expect to get peace, prosperity and a
state, as they were on the way to doing before they started
the current Terror Intifadah in September 2000. If Israel
lays down its arms, it will be slaughtered.
There are many efforts to have the media term Palestinian
actions as "terror." Perhaps insisting that such actions are
illegal, though less powerful a condemnation, would meet with
less resistance but ultimately prove just as effective.
