Proposal for setting up an international citizens’ tribunal on the deeds committed by the Israeli army and secret services in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories

CEPRID 29 - X - 07

The deeds committed by the Israeli army and secret services in Lebanon, as in the occupied Palestinian territories, constitute a violent affront to the universal human conscience. These are criminal acts, as many people feel instinctively. They are different from the acts that take place in all armed conflict committed by the aggressor as well as by the aggressed. But feeling is not enough. The facts must be established. They must then be assessed in the light of existing international law. This should be done with the detachment and rigour of a process that excludes any a priori conclusions, the results of which will convince all people of good will.

The international community is not an autonomous political and juridical body. It is but a summation of positions adopted by a certain number of governments. In many situations it has proved incapable of applying existing law by distancing itself from geopolitical or ideological contingencies. This impunity has covered up the numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity that have been committed since the end of the second world war.

The unilateral attitude of the United States of America, like the double-speak of many European governments, make it necessary for those defending the law to take the place of failed political powers. The American administration is against any questioning of Israel’s role in acts committed in Lebanon as well as in the occupied Palestinian territories. Germany, Great Britain, Finland and France refuse to support a request formulated at the UN Human Rights Council to investigate the use by the Israeli armed forces of arms that are prohibited by international law. The systematic disinformation practised by an overwhelming majority of the media deprives Western public opinion of balanced information. All this justifies an initiative by the citizens themselves.

This initiative must aim at being of the same high quality as the tribunal initiated by Bertrand Russell during the Vietnam war. It should be carried out with the same rigour, the same credibility and the same concern to go beyond divisions which have no place when it is a question of the rights of people. It must bring together highly qualified experts and personalities who are universally recognized for their moral authority. It must not limit itself up to a restricted circle. For this reason I believe it should not follow in the footsteps of similar initiatives taken in the past, whatever the quality that such work has achieved in the past.

Such an action cannot be carried out properly in a hurry. It require an the formulation of a comprehensive project, together with a precise timetable, the mobilization of appropriate human and financial resources and an irreproachable moral framework. These requirements demand an international mobilization to support such an initiative.

For this purpose we propose that a preparatory committee be set up which will carry out as rapidly as possible all the tasks necessary for launching this initiative. We ask your active participation in creating this preparatory committee.

Coordinateurs:

Raoul Marc JENNAR

chercheur URFIG / Fondation Copernic consultant de la GUE/NGL au Parlement européen (bureau 4E202) 7, place du Château, F 66500 Mosset Tél. (PE) : 00 32 2 283 10 43 Tel. : 00 33 468 05 84 25 Port. : 00 33 632 16 65 52 www.urfig.org raoul.jennar@europarl.europa.eu

Leila Ghanem

Rédacteur en Chef de Bada’el Présidente de l’Association ADEMA 51, avenue Charles Gide, 94270 Le Kremlin Bicêtre Tel: 00 33 1 46 58 24 04 Port: 00 33 615 26 31 14 thearabecologist@yahoo.fr lilia.ghanem@wanadoo.fr

Comité de Parrainage:

Première liste

Raoul Jennar (URFIG)

Leila Ghanem (Résdactrice en chef de la revue Bada’el (liban)/ Présidente de l’ADEMA: Paris) Azmi Bishara ( député au Kneset)

Georges Labica ( PVCR)

Gustave Massiah ( CEDETIM)

Pierre Galiand ( Ancien député européen)

François Houtart(CETRI)

Samir Amine (FTM/ Dakar)

Haytham Manna (Arab Commission For Human Rights)

Paulette Pierson- Mathy ( Professeur honoraire Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Alima Boumedienne (Sénateur européen)

Olivier Besancenot ( député/LCR)

Mtre Nabil Machmouchy (Avocat de la cour représentant juridique d’une trentaine des Association libanaise)

Maitre Raymond G. Merat ( Avocat Honoraire à la cour de Paris, Ancien président d’interjurist)

John Catalinotto (Worker’s World Newspaper(USA))

Rhetta Morane ( the Peer Review Papers Editor for Action Learning: Research and Practice)

Tayssir Quba’a ( Vice président du Conseil National Palestinien)

Jean Bricmond/ Belgique

Alain Krévine ( LCR)

Mireille Fanon Mandes France( Cedetim, de droit-solidarité/AIJD et de l’UJFP)

Hugo Ruiz Diaz Baulbueh (AIJD)

Moncef Marzouki ( Comission arabe des droits de l’Homme)

El Mostafa Soleih ( Commision arabe des droits de l’homme)

Nasser Ghazali ( Comission arabe des droits de l’Homme)

Hassan Jouni (Pofesseur en Droit université libanaise)

Mohamad Tay (Professeur en Droit université libanaise)

Maitre Abdel Majid Abdely ( Avocat Dr en Droit international/ Tunisie)

Maitre Abdelssalam Ben Moussa Avocat à la cour / Tunisie)

Samah Idriss Rédacteur en Chef de Aladab/ président du Forum liban,ais Assaha)

Helmi Sha’arawi (Président de l’ARC/Egypt)

Chahida Elbaz (Chercheur / Egypt)

Violette Daguerre (Présidente de la comission arabe des droits de l’Homme)

Saida Garrach ( L’Association Tunisienne des femmes démocrates)

Hilary Wise (Campagen de solidarité avec le peuple Palestinien /Londres)

Patrick Bond Universitaire Kuwazula Natal / afrique du Sud)

Dennis Brutus

Lau Kin CHI ( Peace Women Across the Globe/ Hong Kong))

P.K. Murthy (Représentant des syndicats des mineurs/ Inde)

Remy Herrera Universitaire/ FTM /France

Abdel Azim El Maghraby Asst. Secretary of the Arab Lawyers Union)

Rifat Moustafa (Lawyer & International Arbitrator )

Sabah Al- Moukhtar ( Arab Lawyer Netwok)

Jamila Idrissi Urfig Mosset / France

Saad Mehio ( Journaliste/ Liban)

Cassem Ezzedine Ecrivain/ association Ecologia/ Liban)

Salameh Kayleh (Ecrivain)

Monique Crinon (CEDETIM)

Fouad Dib ( Doyen faculté de droit/Damas)

Mamdouh Habashi ( AGEG/ Egypt)

Ayse Berktay / Istanboul ( Tribunal of Irak)

Bernard Founou ( FTM/ Da kar)

Ari Sitas (Universitaire/Vice président of the ISA Afrique du Sud )

Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General

Sara Flounders, co-director, International Action Center

LeiLani Dowell, Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST—youth organization)

Toufic Ben Abdallah (ENDA)

Aminata Traoré ex ministre de culture Mali

Qais Ghanem ( medecin & human rights activist at the U of Ottawa, Canada

Michel Warschawski (Centre d’Information Alternative, Jerusalem)

Sergio Yahni (Centre d’Information ALternative, Jerusalem)]

Lea Tsemel (Avocate, Jerusalem)

Amy Bartholomew (Associate Professor Department of Law

Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada)

Dr Fayez Bictache Chercheur politique,ancien ambassadeur.

Louis Adam juriste comptable France

Roland Raivard Professeur France - Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General

Sara Flounders, co-director, International Action Center

LeiLani Dowell, Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST—youth organization)

Toufic Abdallah (ENDA)

Aminata Traoré ex ministre de culture Mali

Qais Ghanem ( medecin & human rights activist at the U of Ottawa, Canada

Amy Bartholomew (Associate Professor Department of Law

Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada)

Dr Fayez Bictache Chercheur politique, ancien ambassadeur

Niloufer Bhagwat Tribunal Brussel

Christine Pagnoulle Tribunal Brussel

Raymonde COUDERT Université Paris7 - Denis Diderot

Abdul Ilah Albayaty (BRussells Tribunal Advisory Committee)

Hana Albayaty (BRussells Tribunal Executive Committee)

Ian Douglas (BRussells Tribunal Advisory Committee)

Dirk Adriaensens (BRussells Tribunal Executive Committee)