Swiss challenge legality of Israeli barrier

...

Paul Seger, a senior Swiss foreign ministry official, said the court
should "make clear once and for all" if the fourth Geneva Convention -
which protects civilians during times of war - was applicable in the
occupied territories.

He stressed that Switzerland was the depository state of the Geneva
Conventions, which form the backbone of international humanitarian
law.

...

Switzerland says the 600-kilometre barrier currently under
construction through the West Bank hampers the free movement of
many Palestinians and cuts them off from their workplaces, farmland
and schools.

"I am very happy about the government's position. They have given a
clear answer to my request and have come out against the wall", said
Ruth-Gaby Vermot, a Swiss parliamentarian.

SwissInfo

that continues to hold the un-numbered bank accounts of victims of the holocaust? I think the word "depository" has been defiled enough by the Swiss government.

innocent women and children to blow up. This is the only issue about the fence that matters. No palestinians are killed by the fence, it is a passive defense, and a justified one. When the palestinians can control their own radicals, the fence can come down. Not before.

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Israel build a fence with lots of entry points for suicide bombers. Israel could call it the Swiss Cheese Fence.

...is that Israel didn't build a barrier in the West Bank, which is occupied territory and therefore is contravening the Fourth Geneva Convention. I'm sure that most people would prefer that if by some chance it is judged legal under international law, that there are plenty of entry points for the Palestinians who find themselves separated from their land and for those in towns cut in two or completely encircled by the path of the barrier. And as the current path of the barrier leaves a large number of Palestinians on the western side of the barrier, I'm still wondering how the GOI is so sure that none of them would be suicide bombers, in which case they don't even have to worry about getting past the barrier...


Violet...

:yourock: :yourock:

had no problem fortifying their own border with Germany and occupied France when it was politically expedient for them to do so to keep out Jews and other undesirables. Gold fillings, however, are always welcome.

And there is no question that they may be accused of a bit
of hypocrisy here and there over the years. But that does not
mean much with regard to whether they are wrong or right here in
defending the fourth Geneva Convention, which most would agree is
and was a step forward in international law.

..

;)