Simultaneously, the Palestinian psychology of “occupation” continues, as we witnessed after Israel implemented its disengagement plan from Gaza. It was remarkable to see official Palestinian spokesmen make the argument that Gaza disengagement changed very little and that, as far as they are concerned, Gaza remains “occupied” territory. Mahmoud Abbas stated clearly on July 7, 2005, that “the legal status of the areas slated for evacuation has not changed.” And now, following the Tel-Aviv bombing, Sheikh Mohammad Abu Tir, a Hamas member of parliament, was quoted saying, “Israel and the occupation are responsible. Before the attack, less than two days before, Israel killed 18 Palestinians.”Folks, the foremost document in defining the existence of an occupation has been the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention "Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War." Article 6 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly states that "the Occupying Power shall be bound for the duration of the occupation to the extent that such Power exercises the functions of government in such territory...." If no Israeli military government is exercising its authority or any of "the functions of government" in the Gaza Strip, then there is no occupation.
For more facts on the mythology of the palestinian claim of "occupation", click here.
Keyword(s): "occupation"; Dore Gold; palestinian mythology.
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