State appeals to Supreme Court to prevent exposure of document containing minimal calorie requirements for residents of the Gaza Strip

News Release – For immediate release – Sunday, May 1, 2011

On Thursday, April 28, 2011, the state appealed the Tel Aviv District Court ruling that the Defense Ministry must provide Gisha with the “red lines” document, in which the Defense Ministry apparently determined the minimal number of calories residents of Gaza should be allowed to consume, as part of the restrictions on the transfer of civilian goods into the Gaza Strip. The district court ruled that the Freedom of Information Act requires disclosure of the document for the sake of public interest in transparency.

In the appeal, Deputy State Attorney Uri Keidar argues that the document in question is a draft whose disclosure is not compulsory. However, the court’s ruling stated that when the matter in question involves a strong interest in public health and security, the document must be published – even if it is a draft – because the rationale for the non-publication of working drafts does not apply.

Attorney Tamar Feldman, director of Gisha’s legal department says: “It is not clear why the state insists on concealing from public view the documents upon which the Gaza closure policy was based. It cannot be understood as anything but an attempt to avoid embarrassment likely to result from revealing details of a policy that restricted food products and other civilian goods that pose no security risk“.

On October 28, 2009, Gisha submitted a petition to the court on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act, requesting that the Defense Ministry and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories disclose the policy according to which the transfer of civilian goods into the Gaza Strip was permitted or forbidden, and clarify the procedures and criteria upon which the security apparatus decided which goods could enter the Gaza Strip. At first the state refused to respond to the request for information, then it claimed that there were no written procedures, and later it admitted the documents existed but argued that their disclosure would endanger national security. Finally, the state changed its position and agreed to reveal most of the procedures, which were made available to the public in October 2010. In March 2011, the district court ruled that the state must also reveal the “red lines” document and the list of officials who were charged with enforcing the closure on the Gaza Strip. The list of officials was transferred to Gisha last month.

Gisha explains that without the “red lines” document, one cannot understand how decision-makers determined the “minimal” amounts of food they would allow residents of Gaza to buy. The other documents that have already been exposed show that the state restricted the kinds and amounts of food it allowed into the Gaza Strip, supposedly in order to exert pressure on the Hamas regime.

Even though the policy changed following the events surrounding the flotilla, the state continues to prevent residents of Gaza from transferring building materials, exporting goods from the Gaza Strip and traveling between Gaza and the West Bank.

Source

 

Articles 55 and 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly establish that Israel, as the occupying power, not only has a duty to ensure medical supplies reach hospitals in the OPT, but to ensure and maintain the services of the hospitals too. As High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, other states not only have a moral duty but also a legal obligation to ensure Israel abides by its commitments to the protected population of the OPT.

As a States Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel is obliged under Article 24 of the treaty to recognise the right of every child under its effective jurisdiction “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services”.

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• IsraelKills Dialysis in Gaza – 450 Patients Lives Are In Danger
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• Factsheet on Gazan Children’s Access to Medical Care ~ by Al Mezan | 173 children died
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• UK Diplomat wife dies after forced to renew Jerusalem permit – report
• Recently : Two Children & Lives of Dozens of Others Endangered Israel’s Infringement of Medical Care
• Infant close 2 death as Israel denies medication – report
• If U have no idea about avoidable mortality by Israel’s deliberate policies: Meet BABY FIRAS – video
• Ethnic Cleansing Israeli Style: Starve Them; Shoot Them then Give Them Cancer
• PUT PALESTINIANS ON A DIET – Media Bury documents revealing israel’s deliberate policy of near starvation for Gaza
• Israel to Supreme Court to prevent exposure of document containing minimal calorie requirements for Gaza – May1, 2011

█▌ VERY IMPORTANT & SHOCKING REPORT ABOUT EFFECTS FOR HEALTH BY POLICIES & DISCRIMINATION OF MEDICAL CARE & ACCESS TO CARE.

• Arab-Palestinian Citizens of Israel: Discrimination in Access to Health; Lower Health– REPORT

While in the horrible holocaust, 1 in 6, so 1 million people died of the Nazi but exactly similar deliberate deprivation, Israel is doing exactly the same to Palestinians. Research (see link below) showed the annual deathrate by violent & passive aggression is about 5000 deaths a year. Called Avoidable mortality or Excess Death.

█▌ For the sake of children and ill people in Palestine, share this post as wide as you can and keep sharing it. Health is no choice for many, right to medical care is a Human Right. Infringement of such is a passive form of aggression which policies Israel deliberately deploys with the intention to ethnic cleanse.

• More about Avoidable Mortality – Research
• For all related news about health / related issues in Palestine | Category Health

SHARING = CARING!

Due to unbelievable & increasing shocking news like this, this post will be updated continuously the coming days with related news and more resources. Please keep checking for updates.