Monday, March 30, 2015

Unmatched violence. There was no war. There was a woman of conscience.

The Israeli Supreme Court (click here) ruling in a suit seeking damages over Rachel Corrie’s death sends a dangerous message to Israeli armed forces that they can escape accountability for wrongful actions, Human Rights Watch said today. Israel’s Supreme Court on February 12, 2015, exempted the Israeli defense ministry from liability for actions by its forces that it deemed to be “wartime activity,” but wrongly refused to assess whether those actions violated applicable laws of armed conflict.

What war? The war against Rachel? 

The all too familiar Israeli bulldozers are a moral equivalent of deaths in the public square. No one is exempt from them, not even American protesters.

Iran is not innocent in human rights violations.

Since Iran’s crackdown (click here) against anti-government protests following the 2009 presidential election the human rights crisis in the country has only deepened. There is a broad-based campaign underway to severely weaken civil society by targeting journalists, lawyers, rights activists, and students. The number of executions has risen sharply since 2010, and authorities tightly restrict access to information by blocking websites, slowing down internet speeds, and jamming foreign satellite broadcasts. In March 2011 the UN Human Rights Council appointed a Special Rapporteur on Iran in response to the worsening rights situation in Iran, but authorities have so far refused to allow him access to the country.

One does not equate to the other, both stand in autonomous violations to innocent people unable to protect themselves.

Every country is measured on their own merit. To state one country's violations equate to all other countries conducting the same level of violations would result in a very dangerous world whereby the worst nation holds the standard. 

Allies of the USA are suppose to uphold standards the USA would like to have them emulate. There is no reason for human rights violations in Israel, except, for their politics. Human beings should not be a negotiable instrument in elections. Do I have to close that loop by stating Palestinians are human beings?