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For
the application of the Geneva conventions and of international law
within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
No to
the military collaboration and to military equipment trade with
Middle-Eastern countries
No to
the purchase of Israeli military equipment within the 2005 Swiss
armament programme
Unacceptable violations of human rights and of international
humanitarian law
The
recent decrease on violent actions and the announced disengagement
from the Gaza Strip would fail to hide the continuous aggravation of
the situation for the Palestinian population in the Occupied
Territories. With the expansion of the Israeli settlements, the
construction of the Annexation Wall and the encirclement of cities
and villages, the State of Israel and the Israeli Armed Forces
continue to seriously violate the Palestinian population human
rights and the international humanitarian law, in particular the
Forth Geneva Convention (transfer of a segment of its own civilian
population by the occupying power within the occupied territory,
house demolishing, collective punishments such as the closure of
whole areas, torture, administrative detention, deportations). UN’s
Security Council Resolution 242 of November 22nd 1967 demands the
State of Israel to withdraw from the territories it occupies. It
also requests all parties of the conflict to respect the sovereignty
and
political independence of all States. As well it requests the
concerned Arab States to
recognize Israel’s right to exist. Furthermore, the majority of the
Arab countries
continue to violate the most basic human rights, refusing their
citizens freedom of
expression and arbitrarily imprisoning non-violent political
opponents. Torture and illtreatment
are common practice within the region.
The
commitment for a peaceful solution ought to be credible and
authentic
Following
a phase of relative “reserve” when it comes to military
collaboration with Israel, the federal Council has decided to
include within its armament programme 2005 the purchase of Israeli
military equipment worth 150 million Swiss francs. The credibility
of its foreign policy is put at stake by this action. The
International Court of Justice, backed up by Switzerland, recalls
that “all States are obliged not to give help nor to contribute to
the status quo created by the construction of the Wall” and that
“all States members of the Geneva convention related to the
protection of civilian populations in war times, of 12 August 1949,
are obliged, within the frame of United Nations Chart and of
international law, to assure that Israel complies with the
humanitarian international law incorporated to this convention”.
The commitment of Switzerland, signatory of the Geneva
Conventions, for the application of international humanitarian law,
is not credible nor authentic since Switzerland continues to engage
in military cooperation (production and purchase of military
equipment, visits of high-ranking delegations, secret services) with
the Armed Forces and the military industry of a State that
systematically violates humanitarian international law.
Given
its real extent, its symbolic and political meaning, such military
cooperation would enhance an opportunity for concrete actions to be
taken in Switzerland towards a non-military solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on UN resolutions and
humanitarian international law.
For the above reasons, we demand an immediate moratorium to the
cooperation with armament industries, the Army and the Secret
services of all countries involved in the Middle-East conflict. This
moratorium must be valid until the application of the humanitarian
international law and UN Resolutions 194 (General Assembly), 242 and
338 (Security Council).
In
particular, we demand the Federal Council and the Parliament to
nullify the purchase of Israeli military equipment worth 150 million
Swiss francs, foreseen within the frame of the Swiss armament
programme for 2005.
The following associations support this petition: (state: 3 June
2005)
Société pour les peuples menacés SPM, Berner Mahnwache für einen
gerechten Frieden in
Israel/Palästina, cfd l’ONG féministe, Collectif Urgence Palestine
Genève, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Association Suisse-Palestine, Groupe pour
une Suisse sans Armée GSsA, EPER Entraide protestante, Œuvre suisse
d’entraide ouvrière OSEO, Pain pour le prochain,
Palästina-Solidarität Region Basel, Association suisse pour les
droits humains (MERS), Droit Pour Tous, Communauté de travail
Swissaid / Action de carême / Pain pour le prochain / Helvetas /
Caritas / EPER, Palästinakomitee Zürich,…
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Thank you for sending this page, even partially filled, before
August 30th 2005, to:
GSoA, Postfach, 8031 Zürich; Fax 044 273 02 12
Thank you for your contribution towards the collection of
signatures. This text
(as well as German, French and Italian versions) can be downloaded
from the
site www.gsoa.ch
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