Israel’s Attack on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Explored at Public Forum

Birzeit Universityrsquo;s Faculty
of Law and Public Administration held a public forum on November 20, 2012 on
the repercussions of Israelrsquo;s recent attack on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Faculty Dean Asem Khalil moderated the forum, which featured three speakers:
Saleh Abdel Jawad, political science professor, Yassir Amouri, professor of international
law, and Basim Al-Zubeidi, professor of political science.

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Professor Abdel Jawad kicked
off the forum, saying that Israel appeared to be trying to eliminate the
Palestinian resistance from the scene. This explained its assassination of
Ahmad Al-Jarsquo;bari, a leader of the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, he said, and
recalled the assassination of the leader Kamal Odwan in 1973, through which Israel
negated the resistance movement in Fateh. Hamas should be wary, Abdel Jawad
said. He also asserted that negotiations with Israel have proven to be a failure
due to the fact that Israel always tries to put its interests first.

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Professor Al-Zubeidi also spoke
of the driving forces behind the attack on Gaza: Israeli general elections and Israelrsquo;s
desire to assess Gazarsquo;s strengths as well as the outcomes and effects of the
Arab Spring in the region.

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ldquo;We cannot, in the short run,
measure the results of the attack both positive and negative. They need more time
to be clearer,rdquo; he argued.

nbsp;

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Offering
the legal view, Professor Al-Amouri said that ldquo;what Israel has carried out is a
crime against humanity, a crime punishable by international law.rdquo; He also
stated that Israelrsquo;s excuse of self-defense is void, with no legal conditions
existing that give it the right to defend itself. For example, there was a lack
of parity in the action and reaction between attacker and defender.

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All speakers
were in agreement that the Palestinian resistance was able to attain a large and
undeniable achievement. They also concurred that one of the hidden motives for the
Israeli attack was to prevent Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from going to
the United Nations to request an upgrade in status, as he has said he will do
in late November.

nbsp;

The
speakers closed the meeting with a question and answer session, engaging the
large audience in attendance.