More On Gaza Beach

On June 16, there was a request for a UN probe:

UN observer in Palestine, Riyadh Mansour, submitted a request to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to order an international probe in the circumstances linked to the massacre of seven Palestinian family members on a Gaza beach last week.

It is to be noted that member states in the Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Non-aligned Movement (NAM) supported the Palestinian demand. Annan promised me to study the demand which needs Israeli approval, Mansour said, adding that he asked the Israeli leadership to forward an exhaustive report to the UN on the Gaza beach incident. [emphasis added]

The OIC reaction is an interesting contrast to the complete failure of the OIC to respond to their fellow Moslems when Russia invaded Afghanistan in 1979:

According to Bernard Lewis, in The Crisis of Islam:

Two member states, South Yemen and Syria, boycotted the meeting; Libya's delegate delivered a violent attack on the USA, while the representative of the PLO, a full member of the OIC, abstained from voting on the anti-Soviet resolution and submitted his reservations in writing.

...But it was left to the United States to organize, with some success, an Islamic counterattack to Soviet imperialism in Afghanistan. The OIC did little to help the Afghans...[p 91-92]

The Arab League, for its part, failed to condemn the Sudanese government’s policies in Darfur at their summit meeting in Khartoum in March 28-29 this year. I don't know anything about NAM.

Anyway, when Olmert rejected any international inquiry on Sunday into the incident, he was responding to the UN.

This is just as well, considering for example what happened when Israel agreed to let the Hague look into legality of the Security Fence:

Buried deep in the text of its opinion is a bombshell that purports to radically rewrite the rules of international law governing the inherent right of states to defend themselves and their citizens.

The ICJ recognises that this right is enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. But the ICJ then says that this right is limited to self-defence in the case of armed attack "by one state against another state". That limitation does not appear anywhere in the text of Article 51 itself. Article 51 recognises that states have an inherent right of self-defence "if an armed attack occurs". It does not say that the armed attack must have been carried out by, or be attributable to, another state. [emphasis added]

This would impact the fight against international terrorism as well as affecting Israel's options if the PA claims (as it does) that it has no control over the terrorist attacks being launched against Israel. I don't know how much weight this decision by the ICJ actually has.

Who knows what kind of damage the UN could cause Israel if it was placed in a position of authority over Israeli actions.

Meanwhile, it is being reported that Israeli intelligence believes that Hamas increased tensions in the area--even before the Gaza beach incident--in order to head of Abbas' referendum. Apparently, someone forgot to tell Hamas that the referendum really has nothing to do with peace and recognition of Israel. According to the same article, Hamas may also intend to prevent Olmert from carrying out his Convergence Plan--whatever form it may take--but if it is carried out, then Hamas can again take credit.

Also, the Telegraph is reporting on the repurcussions of the shrapnel being recovered from the bodies of Palestinians Arab bodies. The difference is that they are reporting that the shrapnel recovered by Palestinian doctors shows it came from the Israelis, according to Marc Garlasco's examination. Look's like that will offset Israel's discovery that the shrapnel they recovered indicated it did not come from Israeli ordnance, the points raised by the German newspaper Sued Deutsche.

See also: Hurray For Pallywood--At Gaza Beach (June 19)
See also: Human Rights Watch / Garlasco Admit Israel Not Responsible (Updated) (June 20)
See also: Will Israel Go To The Videotape? (June 26)

Crossposted at Israpundit

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Hadil Ghalia and Marc Garlasco.