Swiss attack on Israeli policy

MrBrian

Switzerland is refusing to toe the West’s line on sanctions against Iran – and Israel is up in arms

By Neil ClarkFIRST POSTED NOVEMBER 17, 2008

In an attack which shocked Tel Aviv by the harshness of its tone, Switzerland has accused Israel of wantonly destroying Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem and near Ramallah in violation of the Geneva Convention's rules on military occupation.

It's arguably the strongest condemnation of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians to come from any western European country since Charles de Gaulle famously attacked the "oppression, repression and expulsions" of Palestinians by Israel over 40 years ago. And it's come from a country that's not exactly famous for making strong condemnations.

The statement last Thursday from the Swiss Foreign Ministry said that Switzerland - the guardian of the Geneva Convention - regards the "recent incidents", under which scores of Palestinian homes have been destroyed by Israeli bulldozers, as "violations of international humanitarian law" and claimed there was "no military need to justify the destruction of these houses". In addition, the Swiss called east Jerusalem an "integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory" - a statement sure to inflame hard-line Zionists who regard the entire city as belonging to Israel.

The Swiss attack on Israeli actions might surprise some, but it is only the latest incident in a rising 'cold war' between the Alpine republic and the Jewish state. Earlier this year, Israel summoned Swiss Ambassador Walter Haffner to its Foreign Ministry offices in Jerusalem to protest against Switzerland's signing of a multi-billion dollar energy deal with Iran.


http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/45911,features,swiss-attack-on-israeli-policy-escalates-cold-war-by-neil-clark

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081113/world/switzerland_israel_1

fuck

It's about time a western country speaks out against these atrocious acts. I wonder, why are Americans so silent, though?

Byrnzie

_outlaw wrote:

It's about time a western country speaks out against these atrocious acts. I wonder, why are Americans so silent, though?

True. It's a shame that our leaders support Israeli apartheid.

OffHeGoes29

MrBrian wrote:

Earlier this year, Israel summoned Swiss Ambassador Walter Haffner to its Foreign Ministry offices in Jerusalem to protest against Switzerland's signing of a multi-billion dollar energy deal with Iran.

Did any one read this last part?

fuck

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Did any one read this last part?

yep, nothing wrong with it.

OffHeGoes29

So how is Iran any better then Israel?

fuck

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

So how is Iran any better then Israel?

Well, for starters, they aren't occupying and oppressing a people...

OffHeGoes29

Are we talking about the same Iran here? Or is there another Iran that you know of?

fuck

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Are we talking about the same Iran here? Or is there another Iran that you know of?

why don't you quit the bullshit and just tell me who Iran is occupying? who are they oppressing? who have they ethnically cleansed? does Iran have a prison of 1.5 million people? has Iran invaded any country? has Iran occupied a sovereign nation for 18 years, like Israel occupied Lebanon?

RolandTD20Kdrummer

_outlaw wrote:

why don't you quit the bullshit and just tell me who Iran is occupying? who are they oppressing? who have they ethnically cleansed? does Iran have a prison of 1.5 million people? has Iran invaded any country? has Iran occupied a sovereign nation for 18 years, like Israel occupied Lebanon?

They are occupying and oppressing mainstream media folks thoughts via vast amounts of propaganda.

corrupting their fragile little eggshell minds

sponger

I can't think of a time in recent history when sanctions have produced any results besides starving a nation while its leaders continued to prosper.

Commy

sponger wrote:

I can't think of a time in recent history when sanctions have produced any results besides starving a nation while its leaders continued to prosper.

Yes. Exactly. I think the Iraqi sanctions are responsible for killing over 1 million Iraqi civilians. That's a fucking holocaust.

Byrnzie

If any country in the world deserves to have strict sanctions imposed upon it right now then it's Israel.

OffHeGoes29

_outlaw wrote:

why don't you quit the bullshit and just tell me who Iran is occupying? who are they oppressing? who have they ethnically cleansed? does Iran have a prison of 1.5 million people? has Iran invaded any country? has Iran occupied a sovereign nation for 18 years, like Israel occupied Lebanon?

OK..quiting the bullshit


They just had an article about outlawing rap in Iran on yahoo. Now while rap music isn't as important as the religious oppression and oppression of women's rights that goes on over there. Not to mention the amount of money and training they are doing to kill people in Iraq and Palestine.

No, they don't occupy large amounts of foreign land like Israel, but they are still an oppressive government none the less. I'm not saying Israel isn't guilty of any of the said above, but you can't pick one side or another.......when they are both just as bad.

polaris

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

OK..quiting the bullshit


They just had an article about outlawing rap in Iran on yahoo. Now while rap music isn't as important as the religious oppression and oppression of women's rights that goes on over there. Not to mention the amount of money and training they are doing to kill people in Iraq and Palestine.

No, they don't occupy large amounts of foreign land like Israel, but they are still an oppressive government none the less. I'm not saying Israel isn't guilty of any of the said above, but you can't pick one side or another.......when they are both just as bad.

ahhh ... the whole boths sides are bad talking point ... :rolleyes:

is it the same when you sell arms to african dictatorships or pakistan but then say countries like iran can't have weapons? ... move past the bs and see things for what they are ... life as an israeli is like living in some estates in beverly hills but yet palestinians who have equal right to the land live in the slums of some ghetto ...

this is and never has been a conflict where both sides are equally to blame

OffHeGoes29

polaris wrote:

ahhh ... the whole boths sides are bad talking point ... :rolleyes:

is it the same when you sell arms to african dictatorships or pakistan but then say countries like iran can't have weapons? ... move past the bs and see things for what they are ... life as an israeli is like living in some estates in beverly hills but yet palestinians who have equal right to the land live in the slums of some ghetto ...

this is and never has been a conflict where both sides are equally to blame

I was talking about Iran, and there are other methods of fighting for your freedom instead of killing innocent civilians.

How is it that American troops kill Iraqi civilians and people are all over it, but when a Palestine or any terrorist kills civilians its ok? Innocent civilians are the same no matter where they are from or what kind of social status they have. It should not be tolerated, nor supported, no matter what side you are for.

Didn't Iran call for the destruction of Israel? Do you support that?

polaris

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

I was talking about Iran, and there are other methods of fighting for your freedom instead of killing innocent civilians.

How is it that American troops kill Iraqi civilians and people are all over it, but when a Palestine or any terrorist kills civilians its ok? Innocent civilians are the same no matter where they are from or what kind of social status they have. It should not be tolerated, nor supported, no matter what side you are for.

first of all - compare the numbers ... what's the ratio of innocent civlian death? ... it's not 1:1 ... and that's strictly death figures ... if we factor in displacement and hardship through sanctions - it's outrageous ...

so ... if there are other ways of fighting for freedom - why are americans in iraq killing innocent people to the tune of 1 million since the war started?

Sludge Factory

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

I was talking about Iran, and there are other methods of fighting for your freedom instead of killing innocent civilians.

How is it that American troops kill Iraqi civilians and people are all over it, but when a Palestine or any terrorist kills civilians its ok? Innocent civilians are the same no matter where they are from or what kind of social status they have. It should not be tolerated, nor supported, no matter what side you are for.

Didn't Iran call for the destruction of Israel? Do you support that?

I don't think Iran called for the destruction of the Israel state. What you are suggesting is a misinterpretation that has been brought up time after time. What Iran was calling for was the destruction of the current Israel regime controlled by the zionist influences.

Byrnzie

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Not to mention the amount of money and training they are doing to kill people in Iraq and Palestine.

Please elaborate. You've lost me here.

Collin

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

How is it that American troops kill Iraqi civilians and people are all over it, but when a Palestine or any terrorist kills civilians its ok?

Nope, I don't think anyone here will say it's ok.

But people realise the difference between the situation and I seriously hope you can grasp the difference as well.

The Americans claim to be helping, claim to be bringing democracy, freedom... Yet they kill the very people they say they are protecting.

The Palestinians are fighting against an oppressive regime that has killed their families, destroyed their homes, taken their land for the last couple of decades.

fuck

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

They just had an article about outlawing rap in Iran on yahoo. Now while rap music isn't as important as the religious oppression and oppression of women's rights that goes on over there.

ok, so outlawing rap and having weak rights for women = ethnic cleansing, massacring people, etc...

thanks for clearing that up.

also, religious oppression is actually MUCH more prevalent in Israel than it is in Iran.

Not to mention the amount of money and training they are doing to kill people in Iraq and Palestine.

huh?

No, they don't occupy large amounts of foreign land like Israel, but they are still an oppressive government none the less. I'm not saying Israel isn't guilty of any of the said above, but you can't pick one side or another.......when they are both just as bad.

no. they both aren't "just as bad." Israel is much worse. Israel is a terribly oppressive regime occupying a people and land. they have invaded and attacked several countries. Iran is leagues away from doing anything as bad as Israel.