_____
From: Brad Parker, Defense for Children International - Palestine
[mailto:advocacy@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2015 4:32 PM
To: Miriam Vieni
Subject: ACTION ALERT Gaza one year on: Justice eludes Palestinian
children
Problems viewing this email? Open
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition?e=eb946bee7
b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig
n=ope_anniversary&n=1> it in your browser.
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition?e=eb946bee7
b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig
n=ope_anniversary&n=2> Petition: Stop Arming Israel
Dear Miriam,
On August 1, 2014, Rafahs streets were busy with residents emerging from
shelter in anticipation of a 72-hour temporary truce set to begin at 8 a.m.
that morning. The ceasefire never took shape as clashes broke out between an
Israeli army reconnaissance unit and Palestinian fighters, which led to the
capture of Israeli soldier Lieutenant Hadar Goldin.
Within the hour, Colonel Ofer Winter, commander of the Givati Brigade,
initiated the Hannibal Directive, which authorizes the use of maximum force
to prevent the capture of a missing soldier by enemy forces.
An Israeli military inquiry determined that more than
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition?e=eb946bee7
b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig
n=ope_anniversary&n=3> 2,000 bombs, missiles and shells were fired during
the entire day, including 1,000 in the three hours following the
capture.(1)
While an Israeli military forensic unit confirmed on August 2 that Goldin
was dead, and the chief military rabbi issued a death certificate that
evening, Israeli attacks on Rafah continued through August 4. At least 135
Palestinians lost their lives over these four days. Defense for Children
International Palestine (DCIP) confirmed that 82 children were among the
dead.(2)
The Hannibal Directive permits indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks
against civilians in complete violation of international law. Despite
overwhelming evidence of war crimes, not one perpetrator has been held
accountable.
In the first half of 2014, the U.K. government approved £7 million ($11
million) in weapons transfers to Israel including ordinance that was likely
used in the 2014 bombing of Gaza.(3) While the U.S. government allowed
Israel to resupply itself from a U.S. weapons stockpile located in Israel
with grenade and mortar rounds at the end of July last year.(4)
Children
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition?e=eb946bee7
b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig
n=ope_anniversary&n=4> in Gaza deserve justice. The U.S. and U.K.
governments share complicity with Israels human rights violations in Rafah
and elsewhere in Gaza.
Take Action!
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition?e=eb946bee7
b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig
n=ope_anniversary&n=5> Sign the petition to President Barack Obama and
Prime Minister David Cameron, urging them to investigate and impose an
immediate arms embargo on Israeli military units that violate human rights
and international humanitarian law as required by their arms export control
laws.
Sign now and share:
http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/campaign_gaza_one_year_on_petition?e=eb946bee7
b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig
n=ope_anniversary&n=6>
It has been one year since Israel's deadly military offensive on the Gaza
Strip, Operation Protective Edge
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/operation_protective_edge_a_war_waged_on_gaza_
s_children?e=eb946bee7b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_me
dium=email&utm_campaign=ope_anniversary&n=7> . The 50-day operation killed
547 Palestinian children, 535 of them as a direct result of Israeli attacks,
and left 3,374 children injured. In a context where systemic impunity is the
status quo, the need for justice and accountability is urgent.
Thank you for taking action,
Admin__Signature_Brad_Parker_e-signature.png
<http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/dcipalestine/mailings/31/attachments/o
riginal/Admin__Signature_Brad_Parker_e-signature.png?1435952090>
Bradley Parker
International Advocacy Officer & Attorney
About U.S. and U.K. Arms Export Controls
U.S. law known as the Leahy Law prohibits the U.S. government from
providing military assistance to a foreign military unit where credible
information exists that the unit has committed a gross violation of human
rights.
The U.S. must investigate whether the deadly attack on Rafah constituted a
violation of the Leahy Law. If so, the specific units involved should be
ineligible to receive future U.S. military equipment, training, or other
types of assistance. In addition, individuals involved in the attack on
Rafah should be denied U.S. visas as stipulated by the law.
The U.K. applies the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing
Criteria when deciding on a case-by-case basis to sell weapons to countries.
The government should not export arms if a clear risk exists that they
might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious
violation of international humanitarian law. The criteria also prohibits
the transfer of weapons if they would provoke or prolong armed conflicts or
aggravate existing tensions or conflicts or be used to assert by force a
territorial claim.
The U.K. government must reconsider its decision that arms exports to Israel
meet these criteria and impose an immediate arms embargo.
<http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/themes/55df4dedec8d836262000004/attach
ments/original/1411669856/separator.png?1411669856> Sources (1) 'Black
Friday': Carnage in Rafah (Amnesty International & Forensic Architecture)
https://blackfriday.amnesty.org/
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblackfriday.amnesty.org%2F&e
=eb946bee7b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&u
tm_campaign=ope_anniversary&n=8> (2) Child Survivors of Israel's Hannibal
Directive (Defense for Children International - Palestine)
http://www.dci-palestine.org/child_survivors_of_israel_s_hannibal_directive/
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/child_survivors_of_israel_s_hannibal_directive
/?e=eb946bee7b626761dd2efdfa2b76334f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=emai
l&utm_campaign=ope_anniversary&n=9> (3) Arming Apartheid: UK Complicity in
Israels Crimes Against the Palestinian People (War on Want)
https://www.stoparmingisrael.org/wp-content/uploads/arming-apartheid.pdf
<http://www.dci-palestine.org/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stoparmingisrael.org%2Fw
p-content%2Fuploads%2Farming-apartheid.pdf&e=eb946bee7b626761dd2efdfa2b76334
f&utm_source=dcipalestine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ope_anniversary&n=10
(4) U.S. defends supplying Israel ammunition during Gaza conflict(Reuters)
