Pacifica Commentary for July 15, 2004

Hello, this is Blase Bonpane with a comment.

Well here comes the New York Times with crass disinformation. The headline states that

the July 9th decision of the World Court is not binding. If we understand the framing of

this decision as non-binding we will understand the entire approach of the United States

and Israel before the rest of the world. Whatever element of international law the U.S.

and Israeli governments do not approve of is declared non-binding. This is similar to

organized crime stating that the judicial conviction of its leader is non-binding. But it is

binding regardless of what organized crime says.

By using the term non-binding the U.S. and Israel are defying the United

Nations Charter and the whole foundation of International Law together with

humanitarian conventions and treaties. The U.N. Charter is a treaty and as such it

becomes incarnate in the Constitution of the United States. Our Constitution, however, is

the greatest obstacle for the current administration in Washington. We can expect it to

continue to be trashed by crass illegality.

What word should be used rather than non-binding. The correct word is unenforceable.

The World Court's decision is unenforceable solely because of the military power

of the United States and Israel. It is unenforceable solely because of the ideology of

might makes right. It is unenforceable with the same logic that Stalin used when he

asked how many divisions the Pope had. The one dissenting vote on the wall was U.S.

Judge Thomas Buergenthal.

The 56 page opinion of the World Court stated that if Israel wanted to build the wall, it

could do so entirely legally, on its own side of the green line. However it could not do so

on illegally occupied territory. The court actually excluded the small section of the wall

which is built within Israel.

The wall is a land grab. When completed it will represent the taking of a substantial

portion of the West Bank by the Israeli government.

In addition to the binding decision of the World Court, on October 21, 2003, 144 nations

of the General Assembly of the United Nations condemned the apartheid wall being built

by Israel and demanded that it be torn down.

The wall is from 198-330 feet wide. This includes razor wire, two thirteen foot deep

trenches, two frontage roads and more razor wire. At this time 500 bulldozers and

earthmovers are carrying out the largest national project in Israel. Israel claims that this

wall will deter suicide bombers. A substantial number of the Israeli people disagree, they

think it will create more suicide bombers.

Mr. Sharon, tear down that wall!.

For a free copy of this commentary call: 323/852-9808....323/852-9808.

This is Blase Bonpane.