Yesh Gvul demand the prosecution of Dan Halutz for war crimes

We are stepping up our campaign to bring Dan Halutz to justice, now that he has received his official appointment to serve as the next chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces (IDF). We believe that it is outrageous that a man who has yet to face criminal investigation over the killing of unarmed civilians should be appointed to head the IDF.

Yesh Gvul has published the following declaration as a paid advertisement in Ha`aretz (Friday Feb. 25, 2005). The headline refers to the famous promise by Israel`s first prime minister and minister of defence, David Ben Gurion, that `every Jewish mother` who sends a son (or daughter) into the IDF `should know that he/she is in safe hands`.

Gen. Dan Halutz, who has been picked as the next chief of staff, is not the only IDF officer suspected of committing, or bearing responsibility for commission of war crimes. But Halutz is the only officer to boast of `perfect execution` of an extra-judicial execution in which 14 innocent Palestinians – over half children – were killed, and a further 150 innocents injured (in the assassination of Hamas militant Saleh Shehadeh in Gaza on July 22 2002).

Israel`s Supreme Court has hitherto evaded – on procedural grounds – ordering a investigation into that extra-judicial killing of innocents.

Yesh Gvul hereby declares that it will act to bring Halutz to justice before international tribunals which do not exhibit the same clemency towards war crimes as Israel`s judicial system.

For updates and info, visit Yesh Gvul`s website: http://www.yeshgvul.org.il