A COLLECTIVE FAILURE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams International Herald Tribune
Published: July 31, 2006
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/31/opinion/edebadi.php
Israel and Lebanon
As recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, we watch with stunned disbelief as
the fighting in Lebanon and Israel spins out of control, while the humanitarian
crisis in Gaza apparently has slipped from public consciousness. The lack of
global leadership in the face of this violence affecting hundreds of thousands
of civilians is appalling.
The failure of the Group of 8 in July to tackle blatant breaches of
international humanitarian law demonstrates a crass unwillingness to put
civilian lives above politics. The repeated U.S. vetoes in the UN Security
Council, stopping efforts to resolve these crises, are unfortunately
predictable. The Bush administration - backed by strong language in the U.S.
Congress supporting Israeli military operations - has done nothing to mitigate
the overwhelming impact on the civilian population.
The July emergency meeting in Rome, two weeks into the crisis, resulted in
nothing tangible. Only the United States, Britain and Israel oppose an
immediate cease-fire. With U.S. officials describing the destruction and chaos
as the inevitable birth pangs of a new Middle East, how can they expect
anything less than dramatically increased anti-Americanism throughout the
Middle East - if not the entire world?
Watching the wholesale destruction of much of Lebanon, it is almost
embarrassing to call the Israeli response to the kidnapping of its three
soldiers disproportionate. It is collective punishment of the civilian
populations of Gaza and Lebanon. It is collective but personal as we read the
sporadic e-mails describing death and destruction that reach us from women
colleagues in Lebanon. It is collective but personal as a graduate student at
the University of Houston keeps us informed about the impact on her relatives
in Gaza.
The deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, including roads,
bridges, apartment buildings, relief trucks, ports and the airport has resulted
in large numbers of civilian casualties. It has prevented civilians from
evacuating conflict areas, and hindered provision of humanitarian aid. Hundreds
of thousands of refugees - perhaps one out of every five people in Lebanon -
are attempting to flee in a country whose exit points have been deliberately
destroyed. Much of Beirut has again been reduced to rubble. Hezbollahs
increasing attacks against civilian targets in Israel are also heinous and
violations of international law.
While we watch the violence being ratcheted up in Lebanon and the north of
Israel, the Gaza crisis simmers. The Israeli occupation of Gaza may have
changed in form, but the reality is that it maintains control over all aspects
of life there. Israels prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has clearly stated that
his soldiers will operate, enter and pull out as needed. As Israeli attacks
intensified in the north, its forces also began distributing leaflets
throughout Gaza stating that it would begin bombing houses suspected of being
used as weapons caches. They had already destroyed the only power station in
Gaza, leaving tens of thousands without water and sewage.
We do not understand how the international community can continue to stand by
while entire populations are held hostage in what has been described as self
defense.
No deliberate attacks against civilians by armed groups should be condoned by
the international community, either explicitly or implicitly through inaction.
Every new attack leaves dead and wounded in its wake. Every new attack makes
another woman a widow and more children orphans. Every new attack demonstrates
the inability or unwillingness of governments to exercise their moral
obligation to stop the violence. Every new attack underscores our collective
failure to stop making violence our preferred choice for confronting the
problems facing us all.
The UN Security Council must intervene to stop the violence and avoid an
escalation of the conflict that could engulf the region in yet more war. It is
time for internationally mediated negotiations for comprehensive peace in the
Middle East. Such negotiations must include civil society groups, and women
from throughout the region. Women and children suffer disproportionately during
and after conflict, and women must have a voice in finding meaningful solutions
to the violence.
** Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003
for her work defending human rights. Jody Williams received the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1997 for her work with the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines.
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