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Spanish court to
continue the investigation of the Shechade case
Press Release
28 February 2009
A Spanish court has published yesterday (27 February 2009) its decision
to continue the investigation of the Shechade case.
This decision corresponds to the Spanish court's policy, and counters
attempts made in vain by Israeli politicians to convince the public that
Israel will receive preferential treatment at international tribunals.
The Spanish judge has stated in his decision that it has been made, in
part, due to the Israeli Supreme Court's rejection of Yesh Gvul's
petition on this matter, submitted in cooperation with 5 prominent
Israeli authors and poets: Amos Keinan, Yitzhak Laor, Ronit Matalon,
Sammy Michael and Nathan Zach.
In the "Yesh Gvul" petition, submitted in September 2003, we asked that
the Israeli Supreme Court (sitting as the High Court of Justice)
instruct the opening of an investigation into the Shechade case: The
dropping of a 1 ton bomb on a densely populated neighbourhood of Gaza in
July 2002, killing 14 civilians, half of them children, and injuring
around 150 innocent civilians.
Yesh Gvul has warned since the start that attempts to whitewash the
investigation would lead to the indictment abroad of those responsible
for this illegal and immoral act.
Yesh Gvul regards Israeli Supreme Court judges Dorit Beinish, Eliezer
Rivlin and Ayala Procaccia as responsible for the Spanish court's
decision. Not only has their pitiful ruling to reject Yesh Gvul's
petition paved the way for the Spanish court to investigate and try
those responsible for the dropping of the 1 ton bomb, it has done much
more, by signalling to IDF commanders and soldiers, as well as to the
Israeli government, that no one will be brought to justice for the
deliberate killing of innocent people, "since there are no longer judges
in Israel".
Since such are the policies and rulings, even after the war on Gaza, the
Israeli government refuses to conduct an independent investigation of
its acts, some of which are alleged war crimes. Therefore, Israeli
officers, soldiers and politicians may have to answer to foreign
tribunals in the future, for these acts.
Yesh Gvul
http://www.yeshgvul.org/news_e.asp?id=420adae106cdbd40b80f5bb03d4c0b10
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