Tag Archives: Israel
31 October 2012
A consortium of 22 European non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) published a report on 30 October 2012, entitled: Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements.
This report concludes that while the European Union (EU) consistently condemns Israel’s settlement policy, and defines Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as being illegal under international law, EU policies help sustain Israeli settlements because of (heavy) trade with these settlements. The report recommends concrete measures that individual member states or the EU can take in order to make sure their policies do not (in)directly support settlements.
Source: The Guardian | EU urged to re-think trade deals with Israeli settlements in West Bank
Source: Der Spiegel | Activists Seek Ban on Trade with Israeli Settlers
Source: Report | Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements
28 October 2012
The New York Times reports that the Sudanese government accused Israel of an attack that destroyed a weapons factory in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. Israel denied nor confirmed the accusations, but senior Israeli officials spoke about Sudan’s role in what they said was a weapons route leading from Iran via the Sinai desert to the Palestinian militant groups in Gaza and Lebanon.
Source: The New York Times | Official Silence in Israel Over Sudan’s Accusations of Air Attack
12 July 2012
Third state involvement in Israel’s settlement activity which can be characterized as recognition, aid or assistance is incompatible with international law. A state can be held responsible for such wrongful conduct in accordance with the ILC Articles on State Responsibility.
This conclusion is reached by James Crawford, professor of international law at Cambridge University, in his opinion on ‘Third Party Obligations with respect to Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories’.
The opinion, which is directed towards European governments in general and Great Britain in particular, could inject fresh momentum into campaigns which seek to block the import of produce from settlements. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Source: The Independent | Israeli settlements can face trade bans, says counsel
10 June 2012
Security researchers think a data-mining computer virus named ‘Flame’ is sponsored by the same entities that ordered the ‘Stuxnet’ virus. In 2010, the Stuxnet virus, which was co-sponsored by Israel and the United States, severely damaged centrifuges in Iran that were used for Iran’s nuclear programme.
Source: Bits | Google Issues New Warning for State-Sponsored Attacks
Source: New York Times | Expert Issues a Cyberwar Warning
31 October 2011
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) voted on Monday to admit Palestine as a member with the necessary two-third majority. The United States, Israel, and some EU Member States voted against the bid, revealing once again the lack of unanimity in European external relations policy. The approval of the bid is likely to cause the US government to cut off a substantial amount of its 60 million USD in annual funding to the body. The US has already threatened to withhold or actually withheld its contributions to UNESCO at earlier occasions and even withdrew from the Organization in 1984, rejoining only in 2003.
For a legal classification of the practice of withholding membership contributions to an international organization in light of the law of international responsibility see C. Ahlborn, ‘The Rules of International Organizations and the Law of International Responsibility’, ACIL Research Paper No 2011-03 (SHARES Series), in particular the discussion on countermeasures by member States of an international organization.
Source: http://english.aljazeera.net