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Dutch police have raided a firm in Holland on the grounds that it was supplying cranes to help build the separation wall that Israel is constructing to separate itself from the Palestinians. This wall is called a separation fence by some and an apartheid wall by others (apartheid means 'separation' and in hebrew it is called the 'hafrada' or separation fence).

As the press release linked to below reports - the international court in the Hague ruled in 2004 that the apartheid wall was illegal under international law - where it was being built on West Bank land (i.e. not on the border of Israel, but as a means of grabbing more land). The wall should be built on the 1967 border - the so-called 'Green Line' and not as a means to steal land.

The press release says that computers and other documents were seized and that prosecutors were to decide whether to prosecute the firm for violation of International Law.

http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/cha ... 287503841/

I don't agree with an Israelli land grab, but this raid seems to be entirely politically motivated.

Any tool that can be used for a constructive purpose can also be used to commit a crime. The supplier of cranes cannot be held responsible for what they are used to construct. Unless the Dutch government wants to impose sanctions on Israel using due process (and perhaps they should), this would seem highly illogical and seems to reflect the personal politics of some people in law enforcement.

Well, the press release states that the International court judgement:

International Court judges called for upon all UN member states and Geneva Convention signatories not to cooperate with erection of the Wall and to prevent their citizens from any such cooperation.

Wouldn't that make the Dutch police and judicial actions more a matter of law than political? I presume that there is political pressure to follow or ignore international law (depending on one's view of Israeli actions) - and I agree that until relatively recently it would have been unthinkable of European nations implementing International Law in respect of Israeli violations.

Gush Shalom, the Israeli Peace Bloc, regards this episode as yet another alarming sign of Israel's deteriorating international position, fast slipping down to a disastrous total isolation. "A decade ago, authorities in the Netherlands would not have considered taking such measures. The Israeli Government, renewing settlement construction, promoting loyalty oaths and ever new provocations, confronts the entire the world, alienates Israel's best friends and takes us on a mad gallop into the abyss".

Indeed.

Cheers,
Shafique