99 feminist peace organizations, from 25 countries, among them 20 Israeli and Palestinian organizations, sent a letter this morning (Tuesday, December 22, 2009) to the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and to the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, demanding that they not restrict the principle of universal jurisdiction in the UK. Universal Jurisdiction enables national courts to prosecute foreign war criminals – among them Ehud Olmet, Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni and other high ranking Israeli officials – who are responsible for the war in Gaza last year.
The letter was initiated by the Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP), an Israeli feminist organization that was founded in 2000 and is a leading voice in the Israeli anti-occupation movement. The letter was sent following Gordon and Miliband's recent declarations that they will restrict universal jurisdiction in the UK – following an arrest warrant issued last week by a London court against Tzipi Livni, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs during the war in Gaza.
The signatories claim that the Goldstone Report raises serious suspicions regarding systematic and intentional execution of war crimes during the war in Gaza (Opearting Cast Lead). The letter asks Brown and Miliband to "defend and maintain the important principle of universal jurisdiction, despite political pressures by war criminals and their allies."
The organizations further claim that restricting universal jurisdiction sets a dangerous precedent in the prosecution of war criminals from around the world. They stated: "As feminist organizations, we regard this as an act of collaboration with violence against women, since women and girls are particularly susceptible to poverty, displacement and marginalization in times of war, and are more frequently subjected to domestic violence, sexual abuse and rape.”
Eilat Maoz, CWP General Coordinator, said: "We reach out to the international community aiming to protect the people of our region, Palestinians and Israelis alike, from war criminals that still walk freely among us. As Israelis, we have an important role in supporting the international pressure on Israel. The vast response to our call demonstrates that the international community has lost its patience to the Israeli occupation."
Lana Khaskia, CWP General Coordinator, said: "We all witness the growing international public pressure, which influences governments around the world to act. This was the case in the recent decision to label settlement produce in the UK, and in recent successes of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. We see ourselves as a part of this international movement, which calls upon Israel to end the occupation at once."
The letter with the full list of signatories is attached
For further information:
Yoana Gonen, CWP International Relations Coordinator, Tel:
+972-50-5809656
Eilat Maoz, CWP General Coordinator, Tel: +972-50-8575729
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December 22, 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Foreign Secretary David Miliband
Re: Maintain Universal Jurisdiction and Enable the Prosecution of War Criminals
We, international feminist peace and human rights organizations, are writing to you following recent reports regarding your government's intention to undermine the principle of universal jurisdiction, a decision that will diminish the power of the international community to intervene in situations of severe human rights violations and crimes against humanity.
Universal jurisdiction is an essential legal device, symbolizing the responsibility of the global community to prevent crimes against humanity wherever they occur, to bring justice to the victims and to protect the citizens of the world from tyranny, persecution and institutionalized violence. The United Kingdom played an instrumental role in establishing these principles in the aftermath of the Second World War, and should commit itself to protecting and maintaining them. The British government's intent to undermine universal jurisdiction sets a dangerous precedent in defending criminal government officials rather than the victims of their crimes.
As feminist organizations, we regard your attempt to undermine universal jurisdiction as an act of collaboration with violence against women. Socially disadvantaged groups, such as women and ethnic minorities, are more severely affected in situations of war and conflict. Women and girls are particularly susceptible to poverty, displacement and marginalization in times of war, and are more frequently subjected to domestic violence, sexual abuse and rape.
As Palestinian, Israeli and international women, we call on the international community to pressure Israel to follow the recommendations of the Goldstone Report. Today, one year after the Israeli assault on Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, Israel has yet to conduct a thorough, independent and reliable investigation of the war crimes it has committed. The international community is obligated to act in order to ensure that Israel will comply with international human rights and humanitarian law. Issuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials responsible for war crimes against the Palestinian people, among them Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak and Tzipi Livni, is an important means to this end.
The right of national courts to prosecute foreign war criminals for atrocities committed abroad is a central enforcement mechanism in international law. Undermining their ability to do so will be a devastating blow to international human rights and will hinder attempts to bring just peace to the Middle East and to other conflict regions around the world.
We urge you to maintain and secure the important principle of universal jurisdiction, despite political pressures by war criminals and their allies.
99 Signatories:
Palestine/Israel
Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP) - Israel
Addameer - Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association -
Ramallah, Palestine
AlDeer Association, Palestinian Women of Wadi Ara - Israel
Al-Haq - Ramallah, Palestine
Assiwar - Arab Feminist Movement in Support of Victims of Sexual Abuse - Israel
BOYCOTT! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within - Israel
International Women's Peace Service (IWPS) - Palestine
Movement of Democratic Women in Israel (TANDI) - Israel
New Profile - Israel
Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy - Ramallah, Palestine
Palestinian Union of Progressive Women, Balad (National Democratic Assembly) - Israel
Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development – Ramallah, Palestine
Social TV - Israel
The Israeli Committee for a Middle East Free of Atomic, Biological and Chemical Weapons - Israel
The Raging Grannies - Israel
Women in Black - Israel
Women in Black of Tel Aviv - Israel
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Israel Section - Israel
Yesh Gvul - Israeli Support Group for Refuseniks of the Occupation and War Crimes - Israel
Zochrot ("Remembering") - Israel
International
Ain o Salish kendra (ASK) - Bangladesh
Association pour la Reconnaissance des Droits et Libertés à la Femme Musulmane (ARDLFM) - France
Associazione federativa femminista internazionale - Casa internazionale delle donne - Rome, Italy
Autonomous Women's Center - Belgrade, Serbia
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace - Toronto, Canada
Casa Baltimore/Limay, Baltimore Committee - Maryland, USA
http://www.casabaltimorelimay.org
CODEPINK Women for Peace - USA
CODEPINK Greater Boston - Massachusetts, USA
Collectif des féministes pour l'égalité (CFPE) - France
Collectif Judéo Arabe et Citoyen pour la Paix - Strasbourg, France
Djazairouna - des Familles Victimes du Terrorisme Islamiste - Alegeria
European Feminist Initiative (IFE-EFI) - International Network
Fairchance Consultancy - UK
French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP) - France
Global Sisterhood Network - International Network
http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org
Global Women's Strike - International Network
http://www.globalwomenstrike.net
Global Women's Strike - Ireland
Global Women's Strike - USA
Gramya Resource Center for Women - Hyderabad, India
Institute for Feminism and Religion - Dublin, Ireland
http://instituteforfeminismandreligion.org
International Civilian Missions to Palestine (CCIPP) - France
http://protection-palestine.org
International Prostitutes Collective - International Network
http://www.prostitutescollective.net
International Wages Due Lesbians - International Network
http://www.allwomencount.net/EWC LesbianBi/IWDL.htm
International Wages for Housework Campaign - International Network
Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East - Austria
Jewish Voice for Peace - USA
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Jüdische Stimme für Gerechten Frieden in Nahost (Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East - EJJP) - Germany
http://www.juedische-stimme.de/js-ejjp.html
l'Association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS) Paris Centre - Paris, France
Legal Action for Women - UK and USA
http://www.allwomencount.net/EWC LAW/womenagainstlaw.htm
Marea - Feminist Quarterly - Italy
Mersinia Art Center - Ayia Napa, Cyprus
MRAP - Movement Against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples - Paris, France
News from Nowhere Co-operative - Liverpool, UK
http://www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk
Nijera Kori ("We Do It Ourselves") - Bangladesh
Office of the Americas, Los Angeles, California - USA
http://www.officeoftheamericas.org
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) - UK
Rural Women's Movement (RWM) in the province of KwaZulu Natal - South Africa
http://www.ruralwomensmovement.org
Saheli Women's Resource Centre - New Delhi, India
Scottish Women Against Pornography - Scotland, UK
Secularism Is A Women's Issue (SIAWI) - International network
Sheffield Palestine Women's Scholarship Fund - Sheffield, UK
Senza Paura - Restiamo Umani - Genova, Italy
Single Mothers Self Defence - UK
South Asians for Human Rights - Colombo, Sri Lanka
http://www.southasianrights.org
Southall Black Sisters - UK
http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk
The Kolo: Women's Cross Cultural Collaboration - Olympia, Washington, USA
http://www.kolocollaboration.org
The Network Against Honour-Related Violence - Sweden
Women Against Fundamentalism (WAF) - UK
http://www.womenagainstfundamentalism.org.uk
Women for Justice - Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Women for Palestine - Australia
http://www.womenforpalestine.org
Women for Peace - Switzerland
http://www.frauenfuerdenfrieden.ch
Women in Black of Caen - France
Women in Black of Lyon - France
Women in Black (Les femmes en noir) of Paris - France
Women in Black of Strasbourg - France
Women in Black - Italy
Women in Black of Rome - Italy
Women in Black of Turin - Italy
Women in Black of Venice - Italy
Women in Black of Belgrade - Serbia
Women in Black of Mallorca - Spain
Women in Black (Vrouwen in het zwart) of Maastricht - The Netherlands
Women in Black of London - UK
Women in Black of Sheffield - UK
Bay Area Women in Black - California, USA
http://www.bayareawomeninblack.org
Women in Black of Amherst - Massachusetts, USA
Women in Black of Union Square, New York City - New York, USA
Women in Black of Seattle - Washington, USA
Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP) - Toronto, Canada
Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) - International Network
Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike - Guyana
Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike – USA
Women Solidarity for an Independent and Unified Iraq - UK
http://solidarityiraq.blogspot.com
Women Will Association (WWA) - Baghdad, Iraq
http://iraqiwomenswill.blogspot.com
Women's Commission of the Socialist Party - USA
Women's Initiative for Citizenship and Universal Rights (WICUR) - Paris, France
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) - International Network
Women's Welfare Center - Pune, India
World March of Women, International Secretariat - International Network