forebodings of war crimes

http://www.abunimah.org

October 9, 2000

Commentary: Forbodings of War Crimes

Ali Abunimah

Nothing reflects the double standards that exist about a situation better than how the media reports two similar
situations.

Lets look at two AP reports, one from December 1, 1998 and the other from October 8, 2000. The first decribes
the situation as it was in Kosovo, the second the present situation in Palestine.

What is striking is not how different the reports are but how similar--the language, the structure, the threats, even
the events. What is very different is how the two situations are being perceived in the world at large.

In Kosovo, there was a \"shaky peace\" following a brutal crackdown on Kosovo Albanians by Serb authorities.
There was even an ostensible \'redeployment\' of Serb forces in Kosovo. Some Serbs and many more Albanians
had been killed or displaced. But, not content to live under Serbian domination, and suffer continued abuses,
Albanians were continuing their campaign of resistance. Responding to this, then Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic began issuing warnings that, \"continued attacks\" by Albanian \"terrorists\" would not be tolerated \"no matter what the price.\" Milosevic also accused Albanians of \"provocative actions\" which \"present an obstacle to the peace process.\" (Government warns of action against Kosovo rebels)

For ten days now, Israeli forces have gone on a rampage against Palestinians in the occupied territories and
inside Israel. Last night, armed Jewish gangs went on a rampage both in the occupied territories and in Nazareth and other towns in northern Israel, attacking and burning shops and houses. Five Palestinians have been reported killed and many injured in these latest attacks. Israeli police reportedly stood by and did not interfere. Of course they did not shoot down Jewish rioters the way they did with Palestinians.

Now, despite the fact that the whole world can count--95 plus Palestinians dead and more than 2000 injured,
Ehud Barak still has the gall to say that \"we are stretching our hand for peace.\" At the same time, Israeli military officers are warning that if Palestinians do not submit willingly to military rule, \"We will use all we have in the army arsenal\" to ensure they do. (Barak says if ultimatum not met, peace process \'abandoned\')

These are frightening forbodings of war crimes. The difference is not the acts or the intent, but the identity of the perpetrators. When Serbs had done less--and I say it openly-- much less to Kosovo Albanians, NATO was
already warning of intervention. When Barak is openly threatening to use one of the world\'s most powerful
armies to carry out reprisals against an occupied civilian population, the world meekly calls for \"both sides to
show restraint.\" Now Barak is reportedly thinking of bringing Ariel Sharon into his government. Sharon is the
unreconstructed and unapologetic war criminal of Qibya and Sabra and Shatila. Palestinians are living in fear
that such minds will use the current \"crisis\" to complete what was not done to them in 1948 and 1967. It may still
seem farfetched, but a few weeks ago the situation we are in now also seemed remote to many people.

And it is not as if Sharon has not thought about the possibility. When NATO intervened in Kosovo, Sharon
instinctively opposed it. The Israeli press quoted him saying: \"Israel .... must not legitimize powerful intervention of the type the NATO states are carrying out,
primarily the U.S., in their attempt to impose a solution in regional disputes...Imagine that one day the Arabs of the Galilee will demand the area in which they live become an
autonomy with connections to the Palestinian Authority.\" (UPI, April 6, 1999)

Already many Palestinians in many areas inside Israel and the occupied territories are too terrified to leave their
homes. Some are determined to stay no matter what, others have already gone to seek refuge elsewhere. They
have good reason to be afraid. Even with all the dead and injured, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Israel had barely used \"one percent\" of its force in dealing with the Palestinians.

So far, all they have to reassure them is a UN resolution which reaffirms Israel\'s duty to abide by the Fourth
Geneva Conventions, but absolutely no sign that any steps will be taken to ensure that it does. With 52 years
experience of the Israel\'s tender mercies, its likely that few people are sleeping soundly in Palestine.

Those of us on the outside must be awake twenty four hours a day to defend them.

Ali Abunimah
ali [at] abunimah.org
http://www.abunimah.org