Israel is placing barriers to legal proceedings for Palestinians in Gaza seeking compensation for lost relatives from an Israeli military offensive three years ago, causing dozens to place their cases on hold.
Israeli policies impose expensive court fees into the tens of thousands of dollars that most Gazans can’t afford. Other restrictions on travel prevent Gazans from entering Israel to testify, see medical professionals or meet with their lawyers.
Israel claims the legal fees prevent frivolous lawsuits, but many legitimate suits will be dropped if they continue to face such steep costs. Some Palestinians say the imposed expenses are meant to insulate Israeli soldiers from the law.
Gaza resident Mohammed Abdel-Dayim is currently pursuing one such lawsuit. He is suing Israel over the deaths of four relatives during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli assault on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 in which up to 1,400 Palestinians were killed, 5,000 injured, and billions of dollars of infrastructure damage and numerous incidents of IDF attacks on civilian facilities.
Abdel-Dayim’s son “was a volunteer medic who died when Israeli tank fire struck the ambulance he was driving” and his “three nephews were killed the next day when Israeli shelling struck a mourning tent where the family was grieving,” according to the Associated Press. An Israeli court asked Abdel-Dayim to pay $22,000 in court fees to even continue with the case. But his annual income is $6,000.
Some cases, fortunately, have been successful. The Israeli Justice Ministry says that various Palestinians were paid a total of $6 million in damages from the state and in August, Israel’s Defense Minister settled a case of court, paying about $137,000 to the family of a mother and daughter who were shot dead while waving white flags.
But many others are finding the Israeli-imposed barriers to justice insurmountable. “The victim must pay for justice,” said Abdel-Dayim. “Israel should be ashamed.”
Oh what a shock! Israel is playing games with the legal system that only one group/religion can look for getting the justice from the courts. The courts of Israel like everything else is only for the correct religion.
There is no justice system in Israel but a rule of we have the guns and you do not.
We will allow you to have elections but if you vote for anyone but our puppets we will blockade and starve you. We will drop bombs on your children and we will eventually get you to leave so we can get the jewish majority and have a democracy. We cannot have a democracy while you stay in the land that you owned for 800 years.
It is funny that the correct religion of Israel people have no problems filing law suits in the United States and they do not face problems created to make sure they cannot look to the courts for justice. The take about how bad they were treated in the old country then they act the same.
What about Justice for Israelis murdered by the barrage of rockets from Gaza, a.k.a Hamastan?
Oh, well. Stop the occupation and return their land if you don't want them fighting back. As for those that killed while the Palestinians were defending themselves against the genocidal Zionists…oh, well. Sh*t does happen!
You can't expect any less. Now, they should file their suits in Spain. Maybe Iran. Or some other country that is a tad less Zionist friendly and let's see what happens. Hey, if some whackadoodle judge in Miami can award millions of dollars to another whackjob in Miami against Fidel Castro in Cuba, they can surely find some judge somewhere to do exactly the same thing.
we can talk about justice for the 28 Israelies killed by Hamas rockets after the million plus Ghazans receive justice for being imprisoned in their city, their food, water, air and electricity controlled by Israel. We can talk about justice for the Israelies when the children of Gaza get justice for the trauma, anguish and malnutrition due to the blockade. The Gazan farmers who can’t work on their lands because of IDF cowards sniping them, The Gazan Fishermen who can’t fish in their own waters due to Israeli Navy attacks, The babies, sick and elderly who need medication that’s not allowed inside, the Gazans who sleep in tents due to lack of construction material to rebuild homes destroyed by Israel. We can talk about justice for Israelies when the Palestinians get justice for 60 plus of oppression, murder, torture, humiliation, rape, war discrimination, dehumanization and demonization.
Yes, then we can talk about justice for the Israelies.