From: RCIRIT%DENVER@VAXF.Colorado.EDU (REMZI CIRIT)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: Palestinians fight expulsions
Date: 28 Dec 1992 13:09:26 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

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Via The NY Transfer News Service * All the News that Doesn't
  Fit
  
  Palestinians fight expulsions
  
  By Joyce Chediac
  
  Israel's expulsion of 415 Palestinians from their homeland has
  raised the struggle there to a new high. A one-day general
  strike on Dec. 22 of Palestinians inside Israel as well as in
  the occupied territories was the strongest such action since
  the uprising known as the Intifada began five years ago,
  according to Israel radio.
  
  The Israeli regime has only upped its repression in recent
  days, killing nine more Palestinians, including several
  children.
  
  Washington's public relations machine wants people to believe
  the Pentagon's new role in the world is to alleviate human
  suffering. They say this is why the U.S. military is in
  Yugoslavia and Somalia. Yet at the same time, one of
  Washington's closest allies has committed a gross violation of
  human rights and international law--and gotten away with
  nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
  
  On Dec. 17, the Israeli government of Yitzhak Rabin expelled
  415 West Bank and Gaza Palestinians in the largest mass ouster
  of Palestinians from their homeland in 25 years. They were
  handcuffed, blindfolded and unceremoniously dumped on the
  border with Lebanon, where they remain living in tents in the
  freezing cold.
  
  Even Israeli military analyst Ehud Ay'aari admits the
  deportees include mosque leaders and administrators of schools
  and charitable institutions.
  
  The human rights groups B'Tselem (Israeli), al-Haq
  (Palestinian), and the Association of Israeli-Palestinian
  Physicians for Human Rights all confirm that there were no
  trials. No charges were made against the deportees. The
  Palestinians were simply thrown out of their country without a
  shred of due process because the Israeli government
  "suspected" them of sympathizing with the Palestinian Islamic
  group Hamas. Hamas has claimed responsibility for killing
  several Israeli soldiers.
  
  A CLEAR WAR CRIME
  
  That these expulsions are illegal and in fact constitute a war
  crime is not controversial. Human rights groups worldwide
  point out the deportations violate Article 49 of the Fourth
  Geneva Conventions of 1949, which forbids the "mass, forcible
  transfer of people living under occupation."
  
  The Bush administration, which has been sending troops abroad
  so freely, is not rushing in to stand up for the rights of
  these Palestinians. It has merely slapped Tel Aviv on the
  wrist. Statements of regret by the U.S. State Department and
  also by President-elect Bill Clinton were pro forma at best.
  This sent a signal to Tel Aviv that the U.S. plans no stronger
  response, such as canceling or postponing the $10-billion aid
  package it recently approved for Israel.
  
  On Dec. 18 a resolution condemning Israel's move was passed by
  the U.S.-dominated 15-member United Nations Security Council.
  However, this is serving as an excuse for no further action.
  The resolution merely called for the secretary general to
  "consider" sending a representative to talk to the Israeli
  government.
  
  This is a far cry from the speedy UN resolutions that paved
  the way for U.S. and other imperialist intervention in
  Yugoslavia and Somalia. Despite all the compassionate
  speeches, these interventions were never meant to help working
  people in those countries. They have instead strengthened the
  global interests of Wall Street and the military-industrial
  complex.
  
  WEST BANK AND GAZA SEALED OFF
  
  Getting its signal from Washington, Israel continues to bash
  the Palestinian people with its iron fist. The West Bank and
  Gaza have been sealed off from the outside world since Dec.
  17. Residents of the territories are confined to their homes,
  unable to buy food or medicine or even take the sick to a
  hospital.
  
  On Dec. 19, when the curfew was lifted for 75 minutes for
  people to purchase food, Israeli soldiers in the Gaza camp of
  Khan Yunis indiscriminately opened fire on demonstrating
  Palestinians. They killed six, including an 8-year-old girl.
  There has been no response from either Bush or Clinton to
  these atrocities.
  
  Despite formidable enemies, the Palestinian people are
  determined to continue the fight to achieve
  self-determination. They are angrier than ever over the mass
  expulsions. The joint leadership of the Intifada has called
  for 10 days of protest against deportations. Progressives here
  can join the fight by demanding that the U.S. government stop
  all economic, military and political support for Israel.
  
  (Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint
  granted if source is cited. For more info contact Workers
  World, 46 W. 21 St., New York, NY 10010; email:
  ww%nyxfer@igc.apc.org; "workers" on PeaceNet; on Internet:
   "workers@mcimail.com".)

Fwd by Remzi Cirit
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish,news.admin.policy