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Jews
in earlier demonstration in solidarity with Arabs in France
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By
Hadi Yahmed, IOL Paris Correspondent
PARIS,
October 16 (IslamOnline.net) - In an unprecedented event, a thousand
French Jews Wednesday, October 15, urged to have Israeli Premiere
Ariel Sharon prosecuted for his “criminal policies” against
Palestinians, and supported the notion of a Palestinian state with
occupied east Jerusalem as its capital.
In
a strongly-worded statement entitled “Another Jewish Voice”, the
signatories said they are against the oppressive practices by the
Israeli army in Palestinian-ruled areas.
“Israelis
will never enjoy peace or even a future for their country unless they
set on the negotiating table and settle a compromise with the
Palestinians,” read the statement, signed by politicians, doctors
and legalists.
It
warned that Israeli actions against the Palestinians “could end up
with their perpetrators standing before the International Criminal
Court”.
Belgium's
highest court ruled
on February 12 that Sharon and a former army commander, could face war
crimes charges once he leaves office.
Palestinian
survivors of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres also attempted last
year to indict
Sharon, who was then a minister of defense, for “war crimes”
committed against them almost 20 years ago.
The
statement carried the French Jews’ denial that the Israeli
government should act on their behalf and their backing to efforts for
“realizing peace, justice and equality in the face of the criminal
policy of Sharon’s government”.
They
also took aims at control of the French political scene by the
pro-Israel extreme rightist groups.
“These
groups point a finger of anti-Semitism at their rivals when it comes
to criticizing the Israeli government or demanding it to comply with
U.N. resolutions,” read the fiery statement.
The
Jewish figures called for the holocaust not to “be exploited in any
way, or be used for justifying any similar persecution”.
It
also slammed the Palestinian attacks against Israelis and the
Palestinian powers’ opposition to the existence of Israel.
Four
Basic Principles
The
Jewish figures underpinned in their statement four basic principles
for peace to prevail between Israel and the Palestinians.
“Palestinians
should have the right to restore their land occupied by the most
powerful army in the Middle East,” read the first principle.
“They
also have the right to enjoy all of their rights entitled under the
U.N. resolutions, including the establishment of their own state”.
The
third principle calls for Jerusalem - now occupied by Israel - to be a
capital shared by both Israel and this coming Palestinian state.
“Fourth,
the Palestinians have the right to seek the return of their refugees
at a time of negotiations on their return to homeland or fair
compensations to be offered in return for those who wish so”.
The
Jewish figures affirmed that they adopt such principles, as they
themselves had suffered persecution. Many of them said that they
belong to families, whose members were victims of the Nazi holocaust.
The
appeal came a few days after nine Palestinians were
killed, including two children and two teenagers, and about 80 injured during
an Israeli incursion in Rafah that began on Thursday, October 9.
Some
1,500 people were left homeless as a result of this several days
aggression.