For Palestine
by Carlos Latuff
Silver Lining
Food for thought
Changing laws for “Israel”?!
Posted by on January 31, 2009
It has been reported that Spain may change some of its judicial laws to prevent the prosecution of Israelis. Are the Israelis lying as their habit? Because I can’t believe what some European rulers are doing to protect “Israel”. Why?! What it is about “Israel” that makes them do that? You can’t protect genocide makers, you can’t protect baby killers, you can’t protect mass murders, and you can’t protect racists. There is ample evidence for Israeli crimes, enough already! What does that say about these rulers are they puppets of “Israel”? It doesn’t make sense, who the heck is Livni with her own history as a Mossad assassin to promise her such a thing? Who is Olmert the corrupt politician who has failed flat on his face? Who is Barak, the war criminal who has enough dead people under his belt to make stones cry? Who are these people you are trying to protect? They deserve nothing from you but the utmost disgust and to rot in jail for all their crimes.
Israel says Spain says it will amend war crimes law
JERUSALEM, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Israel said on Friday the Spanish government had said it would work to amend a law under which a Madrid court is to consider trying seven Israelis over the killing of Palestinians.
Spain’s High Court announced this week it would launch a war crimes investigation into a Israeli ex-defence minister and six other top security officials for their role in a 2002 attack that killed a Hamas commander and 14 civilians in Gaza.
Spanish law allows the prosecution of foreigners for such crimes as genocide, crimes against humanity and torture committed anywhere in the world.
“I was just told by the Spanish foreign minister that Spain decided to change the legislation,” Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told journalists after a telephone conversation with her Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos.
“In order to change the possibility of different organisations, political organisations, to abuse the legal system in Spain in order to put charges against Israelis and others that are fighting terror.”
Spain’s Foreign Ministry did not reply to repeated telephone requests for confirmation.
Spanish state television TVE quoted government sources as saying the possibility of a legal “adjustment or modification” may have been mentioned, but it would not be retroactive and would not affect the case before the courts.
The case, filed on behalf of the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, has sent shockwaves through Israel, which is trying to fend off foreign censure over the civilian casualty toll from its 22-day offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Calls to investigate Israel over alleged war crimes in Gaza conflict prompted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to promise military personnel state protection from foreign prosecution.
Any government-initiated changes to Spanish law would have to be approved by congress. TVE said Spain would not renounce universal jursidiction, which has been on its statute books since 1870.
Livni, who gave no details on how Spain planned to amend the law or handle the case against Israel, said of her conversation with Moratinos:
“I think that this is very important news and I hope that other states in Europe will do the same, and will follow this.” (Writing by Dan Williams; additional reporting by Jason Webb and Martin Roberts in Madrid; editing by Andrew Roche)
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Well, some points:
1) the information came only through T. Livni. Moratinos did not confirm the announcement.
2) Vice-president of Spain’s government Mª teresa Fernández de la Vega asserted that Justice in Spain is independent, so there’s no pressure on judges, officially speaking. In case that in the future the government chages the law, the change will not be retro-active. “Spain is a democracy, with independent Justice”, said de la Vega, “and Israel surely understands that”, adding a little smile.
I wrote a post in Spanish,in my blog Situjihadismo, discuused in comments in English with another blogger:
http://abenyusuf.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/mi-opinion-inmediata/
Congratulations for your excelllent blog, by the way.
A camarade from Spain.
Salam ‘alaikum
Wa’alaykum asalaam,
I was really irritated about this yesterday so when I read it I just wrote a rant lol. I’d be really happy if this is just the Israelis lying as they usually do as you said just a way to pressure Spain. Thanks for the information.
Thank you for your kind words. I wish I knew Spanish, there is so much to read on your blog masha’Allah but I will visit it often and try to get the gist from any post that contains English or Arabic in it.
Baraka’Allah feek