The Russell Tribunal on Palestine finds Israel guilty on crimes of Apartheid & Persecution

Date: 8 November 2011 1:32:27 PM  PST

Subject: [AL-AWDA-News] Russell Tribunal on Palestine finds  Israel guilty of the crimes of Apartheid and  Persecution


Dr.  Hanan Chehata

–November 7,  2011 –

The Russell Tribunal on Palestine and its eminent panel of jurists  has determined that Israel’s practices against the Palestinian people are  in breach of the prohibition of apartheid under international law.  Following two intense days in Cape Town listening to testimony from expert  witnesses, the Tribunal concluded unanimously that “Israel subjects the  Palestinian people to an institutionalised regime of domination amounting  to apartheid as defined under international law.”

The jury reached this  conclusion having paid particular attention to the legal definition of  apartheid and ensuring that each of the defining criteria was met. This  included the following facts: “(i) that two distinct racial groups can be  identified; (ii) that ‘inhuman acts’ are committed against the subordinate  group; and (iii) that such acts are committed systematically in the  context of an institutionalised regime of domination by one group over the  other.” They considered in their judgment the widespread evidence of,  inter alia, “targeted killings”; the “use of lethal force” against  peaceful demonstrators; and the torture and ill-treatment of  Palestinians….

Read the full article