American Jewish Organizations Critical of Sec. Kerry’s Describing Jewish Communities in Judea/Samaria & E. J’lem As “Illegitimate”

by Ronn Torossian | August 18, 2013 12:01 am

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has criticized Secretary of State John Kerry for stating that this week that “The United States of America views all of the settlements as illegitimate.” Secretary Kerry said this following the announcement by: Israel: of a program of construction of 1,000 new apartments in Jewish neighborhoods in Judea/Samaria and eastern: Jerusalem.:  Deputy State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf said that “we do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.” Members of ZOA include Sheldon Adelson, Irving Moskowitz,: Ron Hershco[1]: and others

Ronn Torossian[2]

 

Many governments untruthfully claim that Jewish communities in Judea andSamaria: are illegal on the false basis that they contravene: Article 49: of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In fact, Article 49 prohibits “Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not … The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”

Accordingly, Article 49 has no bearing on a situation in which Palestinians are not being deported or forcibly transferred from the West Bank to another territory and in which Jews are not being deported or transferred from Israel to the West Bank; but rather moving there freely of their own will. Moreover, the Fourth Geneva Convention deals only with territories belonging to a sovereign power. In contrast, the West Bank, illegally seized by: Jordan: in 1948 and captured by: Israel: following Jordanian attack in 1967, remains unallocated territory under international law.: 

ZOA National Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt said, “The U.S. in the past has not described Jewish communities in the territories as “illegal” but, under President Obama, it began labeling them “illegitimate” — an imprecise word implying illegality without actually saying so.: 

“In fact, in February 2011, President Obama sought to condemn: Israel: in the UN Security Council for the “illegitimacy” of Jewish communities in the territories. Only when the Arab states refused to oblige and demanded that they be condemned as “illegal” – as we have shown, a legally baseless assertion – was he compelled to veto.: 

“Denouncing construction of homes in Judea/Samaria and eastern: Jerusalem: for Jews —— and only Jews, because they are Jews —— is not only discriminatory, but legally baseless, morally bankrupt and not the act of a professedly close ally.

“We call upon President Obama to rescind this position. In addition to being legally and morally wrong, the Obama Administration’s position incentivizes Palestinian intransigence and prolongs the Arab war on: Israel: by enabling Palestinians to proceed without fulfilling their: Oslo: commitments to end terrorism, arrest terrorists and end the incitement to hatred and murder which permeates Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah/Palestinian Authority.

“If the Obama Administration wants to bring peace, it should be applying pressure where it belongs —— on the PA to fulfill its agreements and accept: Israel: as Jewish state, not on: Israel: over its legitimate plans for providing housing for Jews in Jerusalem.”

Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR firm and Author of “For Immediate Release”, a leading PR book.

Also see,

America’s Constitution Under Attack[3]

Endnotes:
  1. Ron Hershco: http://georillas.com/ron-hershco-says-israel-mobile-marketing-going-up-up-up/
  2. [Image]: https://rightwingnews1.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Ronn-Torossian1.jpg
  3. America’s Constitution Under Attack: https://rightwingnews1.wpenginepowered.com/column-2/americas-constitution-under-attack/

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