The International Civil Society and Parliamentary Peace Mission condemned the Zionist regimeâs âcollective punishmentâ of Lebanon which destroyed civilian infrastructure including residential complexes, entire villages in south Lebanon, bridges, roads, power stations, and petrol stations that will require billions of dollars to reconstruct.
The mission welcomed the ceasefire and called for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Occupation troops from South Lebanon. The partisan role of the international media that has been part of the US-Israeli disinformation strategy was condemned.
The strong participation of delegates from the global south that had gathered in Lebanon in solidarity with the struggle against Zionism shows the rising awareness about the obstacle Apartheid Israel poses to the achievement of justice and equality all over the world. In order to succeed, it is crucial that the solidarity with Palestine goes truly global involving all the social and political actors able to make a difference within their countries.
The group recommends:
– reparations to be paid to the victims of Apartheid Israelâs aggression;
– the setting up of an international war crimes tribunal for the trial of Apartheid Israeli policy-makers and the military for crimes against humanity; the international peace movement must facilitate this process;
– withdrawal of Occupation troops from Lebanon including the Shebaa Farms;
– the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state;
– withdrawal of Occupation troops from the Golan heights;
– release of all prisoners in Israeli jails;
– end of US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan;
– end to all US and Zionist regime threats to Iran and Syria.
Mission members include MPs from India and the Philippines and members of peace groups from the southern hemisphere.
Full text of the statement and participant members:
STATEMENT ON THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN LEBANON BY THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY AND PARLIAMENTARY PEACE MISSION Press conference, Beirut, August 14, 2006
We, the members of the international peace delegation comprising India, Philippines, Brazil, Norway, France, and Spain express our solidarity with the people of Lebanon in their resistance to Israeli aggression.
The victory of the Lebanese resistance over Israel has inspired the peoples of the world who see in this a reassertion of peopleâs power. The resistance has for the first time broken the myth of Israeli invincibility, its supposed military and political superiority over the region. This victory is a defeat for the US-Israeli designs for a âNew Middle Eastâ that is another term for Zionist expansionism and US hegemony that are integral parts of the global imperialist project.
The courageous Lebanese National Resistance led by the Hizbollah and its secretary general Hasan Nasrallah has led to this historic victory. The unity of the Lebanese people across religions and classes, and the resistance of the civil society have also been central to the victory over Israel and the United States.
We join Lebanon in mourning the death of all innocent civilians. We condemn the Israeli policy of widespread targeted killing of civilians as an instrument of state terror. The Israeli attack on civilians is a grave violation of international laws and should be treated as a war crime.
We also express sympathy with the plight of foreign migrant workers in Lebanon who have been displaced in this aggression. We demand that their governments give all necessary assistance. This is an important part of the large-scale displacement of one million Lebanese creating a major humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli policy of âcollective punishmentâ has destroyed civilian infrastructure including residential complexes, entire villages in south Lebanon, bridges, roads, power stations, gas stations that will require billions of dollars to reconstruct. We call on the international community to help the people of Lebanon in this gigantic task of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
We welcome the ceasefire and call for immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon. Israel must pay reparation for the victims of the aggression. We call upon the global peace movement, including the Israeli peace movement, to resist the Israeli-US aggression.
We condemn the partisan role of the international media that has been part of the US-Israeli disinformation strategy.
We recommend:
– the setting up of an international war crimes tribunal for the trial of Israeli policy-makers and the military for crimes against humanity; the international peace movement must facilitate this process;
– withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon including the Shebaa Farms;
– the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state;
– withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Golan heights;
– release of all prisoners in Israeli jails;
– end of US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan;
– end to all US and Israeli threats to Iran and Syria.
Mission members:
Walden Bello, Focus on the Global South, Philippines Mohammed Salim, MP, Communist Party of India (Marxist), India Kjeld Jakobsen, CUT Brazil and Hemispheric Social Alliance, Brazil Mujiv Hataman, MP, Anak Mindanao, Philippines Seema Mustafa, Resident Editor, Asian Age, India Kamal Chenoy, All India Peace and Solidarity Organization, Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament, India Kari Kobberoed Brustad, Norsk Bonde-Og Smakbrukarlag, Norway, La Via Campesina Gerard Durand, Confederation Paysanne, France, La Via Campesina Feroze Mithiborwala, Forum against War and Terror, Mumbai, India Vijaya Chauhan, Rastra Seva Dal (Youth Organization), India Herbert Docena, Focus on the Global South, Philippines German Guillot, interpreter, Spain