Though charedim in Eretz Yisroel constantly have to defend themselves for not serving in the IDF, this week some were actively involved in high-profile moves to combat Hamas terrorism.
A group of charedim living in Israel and who are part of a larger group of 15 Israelis with Belgian citizenship filed a suit in Brussels this week through Israel-based lawyers Mordechai Tzivin and Nechama Tzivin, accusing Hamas leaders of complicity in war crimes.
Belgian courts let citizens living anywhere in the world request criminal prosecutions for violations of their human rights.
“Our current legal efforts are intended to mark Hamas leaders in public opinion and among decision makers in Europe as the real war criminals. This is the only way for us to offset the ‘legal Intifiada’ being waged by pro-Palestinian groups in Europe. Issuing warrants against Hamas sends an important message – even if no actual arrests are made,” Mordechai Tzivin said in a conversation with VIN News in Israel on Thursday.
With a wide network of connections around the world, Tzivin has provided legal counsel in a number of enigmatic international cases, including the case of two young yeshiva students currently awaiting trial in Japan on charges of smuggling ecstasy into the country.
The motion calls for arrest warrants to be issued immediately against 10 Hamas military leaders and lawmakers, including Ismail Haniya, Khaled Meshaal, Mahmoud al-Zahar, Mohammad Daf and Ahmad Jabri, charging Hamas, during Operation Cast Lead in January, caused injuries, property damage and in one case a relative died as a result of Palestinian rocket attacks.
The plaintiffs, who lived in and around Ashdod, asked not to be identified by name.
The group is making no effort to hide the fact that the case is a reaction to the flood of suits against Israeli military and government officials sweeping through Europe, including an arrest warrant against former foreign minister and opposition leader Tzipi Livni, which prevented her from traveling to London recently.
Tzivin told VIN News that the motion was submitted after six months of legal reparation and is based on solid evidence connecting Hamas leaders to terror attacks. He said the case against Hamas is supported by the Goldstone Report as well as reports issued by Amnesty International and B’tselem.
According to the Goldstone Report, launching rockets and mortars into civilian areas “constitutes war crimes and may amount to crimes against humanity.”
The motion filed in Brussels also cites an Amnesty International report that notes “such attacks constitute serious violations of international and humanitarian law and are war crimes.”
“Hamas is a terror organization which has been regularly violating every article of international law for years,” said Tzivin, “and the European justice system must realize that Hamas is a threat to the EU and to EU citizens, just as much as it is a threat to Israel.”
The motion has been submitted to the Belgium’s federal prosecutor and will now be passed on to an investigating judge.
“This is a first step in a broad offensive across Europe that will include Spain, Britain, Italy and other countries,” Tzivin added. The unprecedented court cases against Hamas officials are expected to limit their ability to travel free in Europe and hamper fundraising.
“The international community and UN agencies have singled out Israel for opprobrium while totally ignoring Hamas war crimes as spelled out by the Goldstone Report,” Atty. Nechama Tzivin told VIN News. “This is a major travesty of justice.”
This is not a Chabad peula any more than say, a store on Kingston run by a Lubavitcher or for that matter my own private businesses are Chabad peulas. The Tzivins are private, independent attorneys who specialize in international criminal cases involving citizens of the state of Israel.
Why must we say Lubavitch is part of this? The Plaintiffs keep their name secret. Yet, we know how much the TUMMA and SAMACH MEM plot against Chabad… and we advertise what we do?