PRESS STATEMENT - ISRAEL MUST BE STOPPED FROM COMMITTING FURTHER WAR CRIMES

By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

THE KUALA LUMPUR FOUNDATION TO CRIMINALISE

WAR

AND THE PERDANA GLOBAL PEACE ORGANISATION

AT ITS MEETING HELD ON JANUARY 2ND 2009


The barbaric and wanton massacre of the Palestinians in Gaza which started some days ago and is now still continuing is yet another example of the blatant war crimes committed by Zionist Israel since its establishment in 1948.

Supported and encouraged by the United States and Britain, Israel has ignored international condemnation and insists that she has the unfettered right to murder innocent men, women and children on account of some rocket attacks by Palestinians who were retaliating against the blockade of Gaza. The blockade over the last 9 months has brought starvation and untold suffering to the Palestinians. The heroic Palestinian people have every right to take action in self-defence to break this inhuman siege.

The United Nations has condemned this attempt to starve and deny the medical needs of the Palestinians in order to force them into submission, but as usual, Israel backed by the United States has ignored international opinion and international law.

The peace loving peoples of the world must not just sympathise with the Palestinians but must take concrete action to bring the war criminals to justice.

For various reasons Governments will not do anything to put a stop to Israeli intransigence. It remains for the people to take positive action individually or through their Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO).

We propose that the peoples of the world boycott Israeli products and stop all trade with Israel.

Secondly we call upon the international community to abandon the use of the US Dollar in international trade, and to stop buying United States' bonds. Such purchases have enabled the United States to grant substantial aid to Israel and to supply it with the weapons now being used against the people in Gaza and elsewhere. The concerned peace loving peoples of the world must not, even if it is in a small way, be the participants and financiers in the massacre of the Palestinians, the Iraqis and the Afghans.

Finally we call upon the United Nations General Assembly to condemn Israel the same way that the Security Council condemns Darfur, Rwanda and Burundi and to set up a Tribunal to try Israeli war criminals.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

Chairman

Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War

and Perdana Global Peace Organisation