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During their meeting, Barghouthi gave the council a comprehensive overview of the seven war crimes that Israel committed during its war on Gaza. These included the excessive use of force, attacks on and killing of civilians, the prevention of medical teams from reaching the wounded, the attack on medical teams and their centers, the destruction of the environment and infrastructure, and the use of internationally banned weapons.
Barghouthi presented evidence on Israel’s use of internationally banned weapons—including the use of white phosphorous shells. He also presented a table showing the chemicals in white phosphorous and their impact on civilians.
Cluster bombs were also used by the Israeli military in Gaza—which Barghouthi reminded the Commission was also a banned weapon.
In addition to discussing Gaza, Barghouthi talked about the West Bank and Jerusalem. He talked about the situation in these areas and the extent of racial discrimination the Palestinians experience there.
As evidence, he offered videos showing the extent of Israel’s human rights violations in the Palestinian territories. These included the construction of the Apartheid Wall, settlement activity, and attacks on peaceful demonstrators—which have already killed six people in Ni’lin and Bilín.
Barghouthi also submitted a copy of the detailed report prepared by an independent international medical commission on the Israeli violations of international law and war crimes committed during the war in Gaza.
He questioned the value of these committees on behalf of Palestinian citizens who have asked the question: What good do these committees do if they do not lead to a change on the ground? If they do not stop illegal and inhumane Israeli policies and crimes, what good are they to us?
The challenge for the UN Commission will be how to get the attention of the international community, and use that to impose the long-awaited sanctions on Israel.
Barghouthi expressed his regret that at this time there appears to be no way to deter Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing and the displacement of Palestinians in Jerusalem. These are being caused by house demolitions as part of Israel’s planned Judaization of the city.
This plan includes isolating and seizing Palestinian land for Jewish settlements. He called on the international community to take a firm stance with Israel on these racist policies and if necessary, to impost strict sanctions on the country.
Barghouthi reiterated that he cannot separate the investigation into Israel’s crimes in Gaza from what is happening now in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel’s crimes in these areas include illegal settlements, the Apartheid Wall, consistent stealing of Palestinian resources and land in the territory, military roadblocks and checkpoints.
He said there is no way to erase the more than 60 years of Israel’s crimes and occupation, but that the international community can make a difference now—by imposing sanctions on Israel.
They must deal with Israel the same as they did with the apartheid regime in South Africa. If they don’t, Israel will only increase its crimes and aggression against the children of the Palestinian people.
Barghouthi explained the difficult situation Palestine is facing now with prisoners of war and the suffering experienced by more than ten thousand political prisoners in Israeli prisons. He also reminded the commission that Israel’s use of administrative detention is in violation of international law.
Another pressing issue, Barghouthi said, is Israel’s arrest of three members of the Palestinian Legislative Council—a crime which has been met with the silence of the international community.
These arrests have paralyzed the legislature and deepened internal division in the West Bank. Barghouthi says that the silence of the international community is only strengthening Israel’s aggression against Democracy in Palestine and against human rights.
Barghouthi also said he would provide additional documents at the request of the Commission for their report on Gaza.
Hajj Sami Sadiq also presented on behalf of the village of Aqaba in the Jordan Valley. He gave the Commission a detailed description of the suffering of the people there due to the Israeli occupation and attempted ethnic cleansing which is being carried out now in the region.
Israel has been destroying houses in the Jordan Valley and preventing the construction of new houses. They have also set up military camps on Palestinian territory—which has lead to the injuries and deaths of Palestinians because they throw grenades and other used weapons onto nearby village land. He stressed that no matter what Israel is doing, the people of Aqaba will not leave their village and would not give up their rights.
Barghouthi commended the steadfastness of the population of the Jordan Valley for resisting Israeli practices of ethnic cleansing as well as the entire West Bank for their persistence in the face of countless Israeli crimes.
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