46 2009 of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists
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צ דצ קד קת רצדק ד ו ף צ ד צ ק ד צדק קת צ ר ד ד קו ת ףר ד ו תרדוףף Spring THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 46 2009 OF JEWISH LAWYERS AND JURISTS In this issue Gaza Gaza and proportionality IAJLJ denounces HRC enquiry commission Human rights IAJLJ challenges Lithuania over Nazi collaborator Israel and the family of nations The new anti-Semitism In the courts Holding terrorist states accountable A civil approach to Argentina’s AMIA bombing Brazil supreme court defines racism crime The International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists Honorary President Judge (retired) Hadassa Ben-Itto (Israel) Honorary Deputy Presidents Honorary Vice Presidents Itzhak Nener (Israel) Joseph Roubache (France) The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf (U.K.) Dr. Oreste Bisazza Terracini (Italy) Justice (retired) William Kaye (Australia) Members of the Executive Committee* Members of the Board of Governors President Alex Hertman (Israel) Alex Hertman (Israel) Irit Kohn (Israel) Prof. Yaffa Zilbershats (Israel) First Deputy President and Haim Klugman (Israel) Coordinator with International Bodies Avraham (Avi) D. Doron (Israel) Irit Kohn (Israel) Daniel Lack (Switzerland) Judge Marcos Arnoldo Grabivker (Argentina) Vice President and Academic Adviser Stephan R. Greenwald (USA) Prof. Yaffa Zilbershats (Israel) Aliza Ben-Artzi (Israel) Alon Kaplan (Israel) Vice President and Secretary General Avishay Sapir (Israel) Haim Klugman (Israel) Judge (retired) Blanche Kay (Israel) Brig. Gen. (retired) Dov Shefi (Israel) Vice President and Treasurer Efraim (Efi) Chalamish (USA) Avraham (Avi) D. Doron (Israel) Ethia Simha (Israel) Gilles Kaufman (France) Vice Presidents Ivan S. Levy (South Africa) Daniel Lack (Switzerland) Jeremy D. Margolis (USA) Judge Marcos Arnoldo Grabivker (Argentina) Jimena Bronfman (Chile) Stephan R. Greenwald (USA) Jonathan Lux (United Kingdom) Prof. Joseph Gross (Israel) Permanent Representative to Michael Kobsa (Switzerland) the UN in Geneva Dr. Lipa Meir (Israel) Daniel Lack (Switzerland) Dr. Maria Canals De Cediel (Switzerland) Maurizio Ruben (Italy) Permanent Representative to Dr. Meir Rosenne (Israel) the UN in New York Prof. Michla Pomerance (Israel) Efi Chalamish (USA) Olaf S. Ossmann (Germany) Suzanne Last Stone (USA) Representative to the Dr. Tamar Gidron (Israel) Council of Europe in Strasbourg Justice Vera Rottenberg-Liatowitsch (Switzerland) Gilles Kaufman Prof. Zeev Segal (Israel) Executive Director Ronit Gidron (Israel) * All members of the Executive Committee are members of the Board of Governors JUSTICE No. 46, Spring 2009 Contents Editorial Board Adv. Michal Navoth President’s Message 2 Adv. Ronit Gidron-Zemach, Executive Director Gaza and proportionality: 3 Adv. Marvin Hankin When do the numbers embarrass the values? Mr. Paul Ogden Allan Gerson Adv. Eli Schulman Advisory Board IAJLJ statement on the appointment of a Commission 6 Dr. Tamar Gidron of Enquiry by the UN Human Rights Council with regard Prof. Amos Shapira to the events of the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip Dr. Mala Tabory Prof. Yaffa Zilbershats Holding terrorist states accountable using civil litigation 8 Special Adviser Stuart H. Newberger, Aryeh S. Portnoy and Joshua Dermott Adv. Irit Kohn, First Deputy President IAJLJ, AJLA host second international conference 14 Editor-in-Chief in Buenos Aires Adv. Michal Navoth Cesar Rosenstein Managing Editor Mr. Paul Ogden A civil approach to the AMIA bombing in Argentina 15 Rodrigo Luchinsky Research Assistant Ori Shlomai IAJLJ panel debates media influence at Tel Aviv dinner 17 Cover The new anti-Semitism 18 Tel Aviv (photo by Paul Ogden); Tel Aviv Irwin Cotler 100 symbol courtesy City of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Graphic Design Supreme Court of Brazil defines crime of racism 19 Climax Design Studio Jacksohn Grossman www.climax-design.co.il Photo essay: Tel Aviv turns 100 24 Publication of JUSTICE is made possible through the IAJLJ challenges Lithuania’s refusal to jail Nazi 26 generous assistance of the collaborator Nadav Fund. IAJLJ calls for rescinding high treason charge 30 JUSTICE is published by the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists against Panayote Dimitras 10 Daniel Frisch St. Tel Aviv 64731, Israel Israel and the family of nations: 31 Tel: 972 3 691 0673 The Jewish nation-state and human rights Fax: 972 3 695 3855 Alexander Yakobson and Amnon Rubinstein E-Mail: [email protected] © Copyright 2009 by IAJLJ The role of international law in negotiations 35 ISSN 0793-176X between states JUSTICE is published for members and friends of Robbie Sabel the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. Opinions expressed in JUSTICE are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the Divorce, updated Israeli style 39 views of JUSTICE or the International Association of Edwin Freedman Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. The accuracy of articles appearing in JUSTICE is the sole responsibility of Redux: Membership in IAJLJ no proof of judge’s partiality 42 their authors. Articles in English are welcome but should be preceded by a query to the IAJLJ Advisory Michal Navoth Board at [email protected]. Back issues of JUSTICE are available at www.intjewishlawyers.org. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to JUSTICE, 10 Daniel Frisch St., Tel Aviv 64731, Israel. Spring 2009 1 JUSTICE President’s Message IAJLJ is acting to counter the new threats to Israel’s existence ur Association is the only group out of all the Third, our Association is acting to promote a ONGOs that comprises jurists whose objective worldwide dialogue on the legal actions against terror is to employ legal means to protect the rights of the and the countries aiding terror, such as Iran. This Jewish People and the State of Israel. In so doing, we activity is not only a concern of the Jewish people and make use of our comparative advantage as the State of Israel, but of the whole free world. jurists, lawyers and judges. Indeed, global In parallel with these activities the realities require us to combine our efforts to Association continues to serve as an NGO confront the many challenges of the present with special status at the United Nations. times. The underlying objectives and values Most of our activities take place at the Human of our Association have not changed since Rights Council in Geneva. A year ago our its establishment in 1969 by many jurists, Association was the first to urge a boycott of led by the late Justice Arthur Goldberg of the the Durban Review Conference held recently United States Supreme Court, the late Nobel in Geneva. This conference, a continuation of Prize laureate and president of the European the ignominious conference that took place Court of Human Rights René Cassin and the eight years ago in Durban, South Africa, late Haim Cohen, Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme under the pretext of the protection of human rights and Court of Israel, but our activities change and our the rights of minorities, served in large measure as a agenda is adapted according to the challenges posed by forum for assaults on the State of Israel. We are pleased changing realities. that many countries chose to boycott the conference The State of Israel faces new threats to its existence. and that many more marched out of the room when the First and foremost is the Iranian threat, a country whose Iranian president delivered his hateful tirade against leaders openly declare their wish to wipe Israel off the our people. map and who aid those who seek to harm Israel and Finally, this coming June a legal conference will the Jewish people – led by Hamas and Hizbollah. In take place in Madrid, Spain, to be attended by addition to the financing and aid which Iran provides representatives of our Association and by prominent to these organizations, Iran is acting to develop nuclear Spanish jurists. This conference will be in collaboration weapons that will threaten not only Israel, but the entire with Casa Sefarad Israel (www.casasefarad-israel.es). free world. Iran’s activities necessitate a legal response. The topics to be discussed are at the forefront of the First, in the realm of the United Nations’ Security worldwide legal agenda, including issues involving Council, our Association turned to that body and changes to the Laws of War, Universal Jurisdiction, demanded it impose sanctions on Iran due to its calls and crimes against humanity. At the conference we will for the destruction of the State of Israel. have an opportunity to present the Israeli legal system, Second, our Association is active in the realm of of which we are proud, and familiarity with which will the legal systems of various jurisdictions, both in foster a better understanding of the moral values of the countries where Jews and non-Jews were victims of the State of Israel and the need to protect them. activities of Iran (such as Argentina) and in countries In order to further our activities, we need the help where victims of terror perpetrated by organizations of all our members worldwide, and indeed, the sponsored or financed by Iran are entitled to sue for Association’s existence since 1969 has been possible damages. Our Association is acting to reinforce the only through the commitment of the Jewish and non- legal rights of those harmed by Iran and terrorist Jewish jurists who support us. organizations aided by Iran and to increase awareness Alex Hertman of those rights. President 2 No. 46 Gaza and proportionality: When do the numbers embarrass the values? Israel s recent incursion into Gaza was condemned by many as being disproportionate to Hamas’ provocations. An examination of the values international law seeks to protect, and those which Israel and Hamas sought to further, enables a clearer picture By Allan Gerson that it is immaterial whether resort to war was just or not, provoked or unprovoked: he is still bound by the same riting in The New Republic during the recent laws of armed warfare.