Prevent mass expulsion of Palestinians under cover of war with Iraq

[Clement Henry <chenry@mail.la.utexas.edu>]

I'm sending this not as an appeal but rather as further documentation
from a very serious organization, the American Friends (Quakers), that
the danger of a major "transfer" (of Palestinians from the West Bank to
Jordan) is no longer being dismissed by either Palestinians or Israelis
these days --and think what that would do to the United State, viewed as
Israel's accomplice in the region...CH

http://www.afsc.org/news/2002/stisrael.htm

Title: Prevent mass expulsion of Palestinians under cover of war with Iraq

Paul Lacey Chairperson Mary Ellen McNish General Secretary

American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102-1479 Phone: 215/241-7000    www.afsc.org

Prevent mass expulsion of Palestinians
under cover of war with Iraq

AFSC Urges Public Statement by U.S. Government

October 11, 2002

Members of an international Quaker delegation who traveled in Israel and Palestine in June heard many Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel express anxiety that the Israeli government may launch mass uprooting and expulsion-referred to as transfer-in the event of a U.S.-led war against Iraq. References were made to the nakba (“catastrophe”) of 1948 and the prospect that a comparable attempt will be made to force Palestinians into exile. Others referred to ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. AFSC staff and other Middle East sources report rising concern over possible attempts by Israel to dispossess Palestinian communities.

These fears are fed by Israelis who publicly favor “transfer” of Palestinian populations. This action has been urged by political, intellectual, and religious leaders in Israel, including those close to the Israeli government. Recent polls show more than 40 percent of the Israeli public is in favor of “transferring” Palestinians out of the Occupied Territories, and as many as one-third favor expelling Palestinians who are full citizens of Israel. The premise is that such deportations would enhance national security and solve the “demographic problem.”

The practice of “transfer” is not new. Large-scale expulsion of Palestinians took place in 1948 and 1967, and small-scale deportations continue until today. A quieter expulsion is already occurring, as thousands of Palestinians have left the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Gaza, and Israel to escape economic hardship and political uncertainty.

It is morally outrageous to uproot and exile people from any country. This constitutes serious human rights abuse and violates international law. The danger confronting us-if and when war is launched upon Iraq-is mass expulsion of Palestinians, carried out under cover of regional war.

Ninety-eight Israeli professors and academic leaders recently published a statement:

“We, members of Israeli academe, are horrified by US buildup of aggression towards Iraq and by the Israeli political leadership’s enthusiastic support for it.

“We are deeply worried by indications that the “fog of war” could be exploited by the Israeli government to commit further crimes against the Palestinian people, up to full-fledged ethnic cleansing.

“The Israeli ruling coalition includes parties that promote “transfer” of the Palestinian population as a solution to what they call ‘the demographic problem’. Politicians are regularly quoted in the media as suggesting forcible expulsion. . . . Escalating racist demagoguery concerning the Palestinian citizens of Israel may indicate the scope of the crimes that are possibly being contemplated.

“We call upon the international community to pay close attention to events that unfold within Israel and in the Occupied Territories, to make it absolutely clear that crimes against humanity will not be tolerated, and to take concrete measures to prevent such crimes from taking place.”

The American Friends Service Committee joins with Israelis who have spoken out against expulsion, and will support Israeli soldiers who refuse to carry out orders to uproot Palestinians from their homes and homeland. Such expulsions would, according to international law, be illegal and constitute a grave breach of Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Bush administration should seek to deter mass expulsions by publicly warning the Israeli government NOT TO ENGAGE IN “TRANSFERS”-MASS EXPULSION-OF PALESTNIANS DURING A U.S. WAR ON IRAQ.

Help spread public awareness of this issue

• Speak out in public debate.
• Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper.
• Write to your elected representatives.

In every way possible, urge the U.S. government to issue a public warning against mass expulsions prior to any U.S. assault upon Iraq.

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Last changed: October 11, 2002.