By now many already know that a series of wanted posters have been issued to help identify and possibly some day bring to justice, a number of Israeli officials who are suspected of acts of genocide and illegal warfare[1].

The posters were created and posted by an Israeli human rights group that is maintaining a great deal of anonymity at this point. Their Internet site, as Haaretz relates, details "alleged war crimes committed by senior government officials and Israel Defense Forces officers."[2]

Some of the posters are included with this report, but there are many more. It is also safe to say that there are many, many more, but the lower level soldiers almost always get away with war crimes in Israel, like sniping ambulance drivers in Gaza during the unprecedented attack on mostly civilian targets on Gaza Strip[3].

Allegations of violations of International Law are not by any means restricted to the 2008/2009 winter siege on Gaza either, known as "Operation Cast Lead", which claimed the lives of more than 1400. Schools and hospitals were targeted.

There is a history of war crimes committed by Israelis since the earliest days of the occupation; during the Nakba in 1948, at places like Deir Yassin. For more information about the Nakba or to read testimonials from people who experienced it, please visit the link below titled "The Nakba: Preserving our Narrative." [4]

The Israeli group behind the wanted posters, which incidentally "refused" to identify its members to Haaretz, cite charges against Israel that include alleged war crimes during their offensive against Lebanon in 2006, and other periods in history.

It is not hard to understand why these activists would prefer to remain anonymous, though it is sad that they like so many in Israel, seek real peace and real concessions, they don't want to be led by what many see as a ruthless and heartless band of criminals intent solely on eliminating the Palestinian people from their own land.

Suspects listed are:


Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert,
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni,
Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai,
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter,
National Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer,
IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and his two predecessors,
Dan Halutz and
Moshe Ya'alon,
Former air force commander Eliezer Shkedy and others.

It also explains how to inform the International Criminal Court in The Hague of when the "suspects" are outside Israel, and hence vulnerable to arrest. Regardless of the country of origin, and equally regardless of whether or not a country signed the Geneva Convention, nations that violate certain internationally adopted standards in warfare, are still expected to follow the rules. That is what it takes to avoid this dubious rating[5].

As far as war crimes go, one example is Israel's deputy defense minister Matan Vilnai, who on Friday, 29 February 2008, threatened Palestinians in Gaza with a "holocaust" He told Israeli Army Radio: "The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, [the Palestinians] will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves."[6]

"This date will go down in history as the beginning of a new phase in the colonial conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, whereby a senior Israeli leader, a "leftist" for that matter, has publicly revealed the genocidal plans Israel is considering to implement against Palestinians under its military occupation, if they do not cease to resist its dictates."[7]

References:

[1] wanted.il, includes "arrest orders," photos and personal details.

[2] Israeli human rights activists: Arrest Olmert, Livni, and Barak for war crimes - haaretz

[3] UN Extends Goldstone Investigation of Israel for Gaza War Crimes - Tim King Salem-News.com

[4] “The Nakba: Preserving our Narrative.”

[5] List of war crimes From Wikipedia

[6] Israel's "Bigger Holocaust" Threat Against the Palestinians - ZNet

[7] Israel’s “Bigger Holocaust” Threat Against the Palestinians - noworldsystem.com


Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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