Sunday, June 29, 2008

FAMILIES OF MISSING IRANIAN JEWS MOVE TO BLOCK HIZBOLLAH DEAL

FAMILIES OF 12 MISSING IRANIAN JEWS TO FILE HIGH COURT PETITION TO BLOCK HIZBOLLAH DEAL OVER RELEASE OF INFORMATION TO TEHRAN ON FATE OF MISSING IRANIAN DIPLOMATS

Demand Israel Receive "Quid Pro Quo": Missing Jews for Missing Diplomats

The families of 12 missing Iranian Jews will file a petition in the Israeli High Court of Justice in Jerusalem on Monday, June 30th, seeking to block the government from releasing information on the fate of four missing Iranian diplomats as part of the deal with Hizbollah. The Jews were arrested in the 1990s as they sought to escape from Iran across the border with Pakistan and they are believed to still be in Iranian prisons. The Iranian diplomats were captured by Christian militia forces in South Lebanon in 1982.

The urgent petition, to be filed by the families' attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center human rights organization, demands that the Prime Minister not authorize the transfer of information regarding the diplomats until such time as reliable and detailed information is received about the missing Jews' fate. The families of the missing Jews have never received any acknowledgment of their loved ones' arrests, status or whereabouts from the Islamic regime.

Shurat HaDin claims it has reliable information that at least one of the Jews is still alive and being held as a prisoner in Tehran.

The petition will argue that the government must honor the obligations imposed upon it by the Israeli High Court approximately two years ago that [the Israeli government] "Push forward diligently without sparing any effort in order to gain information about the [12 missing] Jews of Iran." The families are insisting that there be a "quid pro quo" on information about their family members in exchange for the release of the details on the fate of the missing Iranians.

Darshan-Leitner emphasized that, the families' are not appealing against the deal to bring back the Hizbollah captives itself but rather are demanding that the fate of the 12 missing Jews be included as a "quid pro quo" before any information about the diplomats is released.

Background:

In the years between 1994-1997, 12 Iranian Jews who attempted to flee Iran and emigrate to Israel disappeared without a trace. All of the Jews were attempting to cross the Iran-Pakistan border. It is alleged by the families that the Jews were kidnapped by Iranian security services and are still being held captive in Tehran.

Details of a planned prisoner exchange with Hezbollah released by the government of Israel today call for Israel, in addition to other concessions to provide the United Nations with information concerning 4 Iranian diplomats who were abducted in Beirut in July 1982 during the first Lebanon War, by a Lebanese-Christian militia (the Samir Jaja faction), in South Lebanon. The information on the fate of the missing Iranian officials is being requested by Hezbollah's financial patrons in Tehran and the United Nations has been appointed as the transmitter.

In a warning letter sent to the Prime Minister last week, Shurat HaDin wrote: "If the Israeli government intends to honor their court-ordered obligations, the government is not permitted to hand over information in its possession regarding the four Iranian diplomats, which is the last bargaining chip Israel has that could shed some light on the fate of the twelve missing."

Attorney Darshan-Leitner has stated: "We have proof that at least some of these missing Jews are being held in Iranian prisons today. These individuals attempted to come to Israel at the encouragement and with the assistance of the Israeli government. It is therefore the responsibility of the Israeli government to do everything it can to gain reliable, specific information regarding their whereabouts in order to save them if we can and give closure and end the suffering of the wives, children, fathers and mothers [of the twelve] to those who were murdered by the Islamic Republic.

"Without proof that the information has been received from Iran and transmitted through Hezbollah, the only thing we can draw from this is that the fates of the twelve [Iranian Jews] have been abandoned. It is simply unthinkable that the State of Israel would convey information about the four disappeared Iranian diplomats without receiving in exchange information about the twelve missing Jews in Iran. Information about the diplomats is the last bargaining chip in Israel's hands toward acquiring information about the missing Jews in Iran. If we give it up with nothing in return, the possibility of knowing what happened to the twelve missing is totally dead.

"Saving the lives of these missing Jews, still being held in Iranian prisons after years of torture must be a central component of any deal with Hizbollah and Iran."


Contact: Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, 011.972.52.383.7020, 011.972.3.751.4175

Mike Cohen, 011.972.54.499.6453, 011.972.3.751.4175

media@israellawcenter.org

http://www.israellawcenter.org



Main Points of the Framework of the Agreement on the Release of Israel's Missing and Captive Soldiers in Lebanon

(As Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

The Government today (Sunday), 29.6.08, approved the outline for the agreement on releasing the abducted soldiers in Lebanon:

1. The abducted soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev will be returned to Israel, a report on the disappearance of Ron Arad (in continuation of Government decision #978 from 9.11.03) will be delivered to Israel and remains from the Second Lebanon War will also be received.

In exchange for the return of the abducted soldiers, the State of Israel will release prisoners and detainees being held in its prison facilities, and will transfer bodies and information, as follows:

A. Prisoner Samir Kuntar and four illegal Lebanese fighters being held by Israel will be released to Lebanon.

B. The bodies of dozens of infiltrators and terrorists, including eight members of Hezbollah, will be delivered to Lebanon.

C. Information on the four missing Iranian diplomats will be delivered to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

D. Following the implementation of the deal, Palestinian prisoners will be released. The number and identities of the prisoners will be determined at the sole discretion of the State of Israel.

2. Mr. Ofer Dekel, the official responsible for the negotiations on behalf of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, will continue the process of implementing the negotiations according to the principles detailed in this decision.

3. The Government will hold an additional discussion in order to complete and implement the agreement according to the principles detailed in this decision.

4. The Government of Israel reiterates and confirms its obligation to exhaust all that is required in order to obtain credible and solid information that will shed light on the fate of Israel Air Force navigator Capt. Ron Arad.

5. At the same time, the Government of Israel reiterates and confirms its commitment to continue acting for the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit.

6. The Government of Israel will not slacken in its efforts to locate and bring home the missing and those Israeli soldiers whose resting place is unknown.

Alex Makes The Grade

Israeli pole-vaulter Alex Averbukh earned his ticket to Bejing on Friday as he achieved the qualifying minimum of 5.55 meters.

Siberian-born Averbukh entered the minds and hearts of Israelis in a big way in August of 2003, as he claimed Israel's first ever European Athletics Championship gold medal in competition in the Munich Olympic Stadium exactly thirty years after the slaughter of the eleven Israeli athletes and coaches in the Munich Olympics by Palestinian Black September terrorists.

Good luck to Alex and the whole Israeli team!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

בהול: משפחות 12 נעדרי איראן לרוה"מ: אין עיסקה בלי מידע

מוצ"ש 29 ביוני 2008
בהול: משפחות 12 נעדרי איראן לרוה"מ: אין עיסקה בלי מידע
מכתב בהול שנשלח לראש הממשלה אהוד אולמרט, על ידי בני משפחותיהם של 12 יהודי איראן הנעדרים מאז שנות
ה-90', בו נדרש ראש הממשלה להימנע מלהביא את עסקת השבויים עם חיזבאללה לאישור הממשלה מחר, ולהימנע מביצוע עסקת השבויים, כל עוד לא יתקבל מידע אמין וחד משמעי על גורלם של היהודים הנעדרים.

בשנים 1994 ו-1997 נעלמו 12 יהודים איראנים שניסו להימלט מאיראן כדי לעלות ארצה, בעת שניסו לחצות את גבול איראן-פקיסטן.

יהודים אשר המשטר האיראני מסרב להנפיק להם דרכון ואינם יכולים לעזוב את איראן באופן חוקי, חוצים זה שנים את גבול איראן-פקיסטן באופן בלתי חוקי, בסיוע הסוכנות היהודית וגורמי ממשל ישראלים, בדרכם ארצה. מאז נעלמו 12 הנעדרים, לא הצליחה מדינת ישראל להשיג מידע כלשהו אודות גורלם, שנותר בגדר תעלומה. בני משפחותיהם, החיים ברובם בישראל, מתייסרים בשל חוסר הוודאות בנוגע לגורל יקיריהם ובשל אדישותה ואוזלת ידה של המדינה.

בימים האחרונים נודע כי כתנאי לעסקת השבויים, דורש החיזבאללה מידע אודות גורלם של 4 דיפלומטים איראנים, שנחטפו בבירות בחודש יולי 1982, בזמן מלחמת לבנון הראשונה, על ידי ה"פלנגות" הנוצריות בלבנון (פלג סמיר ג'עג'ע), שבאותה עת היו בעלי בריתה של ישראל בלבנון.

במכתב שנשלח היום לראש הממשלה באמצעות עו"ד ניצנה דרשן-לייטנר, יו"ר ארגון שורת הדין, דורשים בני משפחות 12 נעדרי איראן כי המדינה תכבד התחייבות שנתנה לבג"צ לפני כשנתיים, לפיה "תמשיך ולא תחסוך כל מאמץ על מנת להשיג מידע אודות גורלם של נעדרי איראן".

בני משפחות הנעדרים טוענים במכתבם כי, "אם אכן בכוונת ממשלת ישראל לכבד את ההתחייבות שנתנה בבית המשפט, הרי שהממשלה אינה רשאית לוותר על המידע שברשותה בנוגע ל-4 הדיפלומטים האיראנים – שהוא קלף המיקוח האחרון שבידי ישראל, העשוי לשפוך אור על גורל 12 הנעדרים".

לדברי עו"ד דרשן-לייטנר: "היהודים הנעדרים באיראן ניסו לעלות ארצה בעידודה ובעזרתה של ממשלת ישראל, ולכן זוהי חובתה של הממשלה לעשות כל שלאל ידה כדי להשיג מידע אמין וחד משמעי, שישים קץ לסבלם של בני המשפחות – ילדים, נשים, אבות ואמהות. אי עמידה על קבלת המידע מאיראן, באמצעות חיזבאללה, פירושה היחיד הוא הפקרת הנעדרים לגורלם. לא יעלה על הדעת שמדינת ישראל תעביר לחיזבאללה מידע שברשותה אודות 4 הדיפלומטים האיראנים הנעדרים, מבלי לקבל תמורתו מידע אודות 12 היהודים הנעדרים. המידע אודות הדיפלומטים האיראנים הוא הקלף האחרון שבידי ישראל להשגת מידע על היהודים הנעדרים באיראן, ואם נוותר עליו ללא תמורה, ייסתם הגולל על האפשרות לדעת אי פעם מה עלה בגורל 12 הנעדרים."

דרשן-לייטנר ציינה כי, אם לא ייענו דרישותיהן של משפחות הנעדרים, בכוונתן לעתור לבג"צ נגד עסקת החילופים עם חיזבאללה, ולפעול למניעת ביצוע העסקה, כבר בימים הקרובים.

למידע נוסף: עו"ד ניצנה דרשן-לייטנר, 03-7514175, 052-3837020.
מייק כהן 03-7514175, 054-499-6453
/

No Info No Deal!!


Families of 12 missing Iranian Jews demand Israeli Government not hand over information on missing Iranian officials until details on the fate of their loved ones in Tehran is secured.

An urgent letter has been dispatched to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on behalf of the families of the 12 Iranian Jews, missing in Iran since the mid-'90's. The letter, written by the families' attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, demands that the Prime Minister not authorize a prisoner exchange with the Hezbollah terrorist organization at Sunday's cabinet meeting until such time as reliable and detailed information is received about the missing Jews' fate.

In the years between 1994-1997, 12 Iranian Jews who attempted to flee Iran and emigrate to Israel disappeared without a trace. All of the Jews were attempting to cross the Iran-Pakistan border. It is alleged by the families that the Jews were kidnapped by Iranian security services and are still being held captive in Tehran.

Recently, details of a planned prisoner exchange with Hezbollah have surfaced whereby Israel, in addition to other concessions would provide Hezbollah with information concerning 4 Iranian diplomats who were abducted in Beirut in July 1982 during the first Lebanon War, by a Lebanese-Christian militia (the Samir Jaja faction), in South Lebanon. The information on the fate of the missing Iranian officials is being requested by Hezbollah's financial patrons in Tehran.

In the letter to the Prime Minister, Darshan-Leitner, Director of Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center, the families of the 12 disappeared Iranian Jews demand that the government honor the obligations imposed upon it by the Israeli High Court approximately two years ago that [the Israeli government] "Push forward diligently without sparing any effort in order to gain information about the [12 missing] Jews of Iran." The families are insisting that there be a "quid pro quo" on information about their family members in exchange for the release of the details on the fate of the missing Iranians.

The letter states: "If the Israeli government intends to honor their court-ordered obligations, the government is not permitted to hand over information in its possession regarding the four Iranian diplomats, which is the last bargaining chip Israel has that could shed some light on the fate of the twelve missing."

Attorney Darshan-Leitner has stated: "The missing Jews in Iran tried to come to Israel at the encouragement and with the assistance of the Israeli government. It is therefore the responsibility of the Israeli government to do everything it can to gain reliable, specific information regarding their whereabouts in order to give closure and end the suffering of the wives, children, fathers and mothers [of the twelve]. Without proof that the information has been received from Iran and transmitted through Hezbollah, the only thing we can draw from this is that the fates of the twelve [Iranian Jews] have been abandoned. It is simply unthinkable that the State of Israel would convey information about the four disappeared Iranian diplomats without receiving in exchange information about the twelve missing Jews in Iran. Information about the diplomats is the last bargaining chip in Israel's hands toward acquiring information about the missing Jews in Iran. If we give it up with nothing in return, the possibility of knowing what happened to the twelve missing is totally dead."

Darshan-Leitner emphasized that, if the families' demands are not answered, they intend to immediately appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court to stop Israel's intended prisoner exchange with Hezbollah.

For more information please contact Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner 052-383-7020




Thursday, June 26, 2008

PM To Terror Victims: "I Transfer Money To Hamas!"


PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE ADMITS IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT:
"ISRAEL IS TRANSFERRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HAMAS IN GAZA"

In an unprecedented move, the office of Israel's Prime Minister admitted today that it is allowing the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza due to "Israeli political considerations."

In a letter dispatched to Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of human rights organization Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, the prime minister's office (PMO) writes that the transfer of funds to the Hamas controlled Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip takes place after "consultations among the relevant bodies."

"At this point," reads the letter, dated June 25, 2008, "due to conclusions that there is an Israeli interest that the transfer of funds continue, a decision was made to continue to transfer certain sums of money to the Gaza Strip."

The official PMO letter was dispatched to Shurat HaDin, an organization representing hundreds of terror victims in an ongoing global battle against terror funding, in response to a series of warning letters from the organization to the prime minister, the Bank of Israel and the Israel Postal Bank, in which Shurat HaDin demanded that all transfers of funds be halted to Hamas and the Hamas controlled organs in the Gaza Strip.

In dispatching the letters on behalf of Shurat HaDin's clients, themselves victims of Hamas terror acts, Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner wrote: "The coin of record in the Gaza Strip is the New Israeli Shekel (NIS)." Most of the financial activity in the Gaza Strip runs on a cash basis, using the NIS. Tens of thousands of Hamas terrorists and governmental official get their salary in Israeli currency – in cash. Thus, the transfer of large sums of cash into the Gaza Strip is, by definition, an act that directly fuels the terrorist activity of Hamas and is therefore a violation of the Terror-Funding Act of 2005 and the domestic and international laws against money laundering."

The warning letters from Shurat HaDin also note that a portion of the cash funneled into Gaza is used to replace Israeli currency in Hamas' coffers that has physically deteriorated and another portion serves the international money laundering trade, most notably the money "smuggled" by Hamas from Iran via the Egyptian border. Without these activities, Hamas' financial hold on the Strip would collapse and thus these acts are directly responsible for shoring up the Hamas control over Gaza and its continued terrorist activity launched from the region.

The Bank of Israel has not denied these allegations, yet it has done all in its power to tone down its involvement and especially the fact that it forces Hapoalim and Discount Banks to provide financial banking services to the Strip, all the while violating Israel's terror funding laws.

The Israel Postal Bank has confirmed that it does transfer funds to the Gaza Strip "with the knowledge of the relevant governing bodies."


Today, for the first time, the Israeli government has admitted that it allows and encourages the financial support for the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip – knowingly and openly.

In reaction to the PMO letter Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said that "the government of Israel cannot fight against the Hamas with one hand, and continue to finance it with the other. The government of Israel calls on governments the world over to shun, reject and embargo the Hamas government in Gaza, and stop transferring funds to it while at the same time she herself is allowing the transfer of Israeli currency into the hands of the enemy. This government claims to be fighting against the smuggling of tens of millions of dollars and euro into the Gaza Strip via the Egyptian border, all the while participating in the laundering of this money by exchanging them for New Israeli Shekels."

"Since our client's demands to bring this sad comedy of the criminally absurd to a halt has fallen on deaf ears, we are now prepared to take all possible legal action to stop this bizarre and scandalous activity."

The letter:

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION (with comments in red):

Office of the Prime Minister
Legal Counsel

Jerusalem, 25 June 2008
File # - 63280 – 23

Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
Beit HaKeren, Hata'as 10
Ramat Gan, 52512


Hon. Ma'am,

Re: Transfer of Funds to Gaza Strip
Ref: Yours of 17.4.08

Your letter to the Prime Minister referenced above was transferred to the legal department in our office for the purpose of an answer. Our answer follows:

1. The transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip (what PA in Gaza - Gaza is controlled by Hamas!) takes place with the knowledge of the government of Israel for political reasons.

2. The transfer of funds takes place after consultations on the issue with the relevant bodies participating, in which the possible options were weighed and the possible ramifications of stopping the transfer of funds. At this stage, in light of the conclusion that there is an Israeli
interest that the transfer of funds continue to take place, it was decided to continue to transfer a certain amount of money to the Gaza Strip. It should be clarified that the issue continues to be raised in a forum that meets on a regular basis, as necessary. By doing so, we are ensured that
the transfer of money is only done after all the relevant factors are taken into account.

Sincerely,

Michal Grossman, Esq.
(Acting) Assistant to Legal Counsel

Cc: Mr. Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister

Families of Missing Iranian Jews: No Info No Deal!


Families of 12 missing Iranian Jews demand Israeli Government not hand over information on missing Iranian officials until details on the fate of their loved ones in Tehran is secured.

An urgent letter has been sent today (Thrusday) to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on behalf of the families of the 12 Iranian Jews, missing in Iran since the mid-'90's. The letter, written by the families' attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, demands that the Prime Minister not authorize a prisoner exchange with the Hezbollah terrorist organization at Sunday's cabinet meeting until such time as reliable and detailed information is received about the missing Jews' fate.

In the years between 1994-1997, 12 Iranian Jews who attempted to flee Iran and emigrate to Israel disappeared without a trace. All of the Jews were attempting to cross the Iran-Pakistan border. It is alleged by the families that the Jews were kidnapped by Iranian security services and are still being held captive in Tehran.

Recently, details of a planned prisoner exchange with Hezbollah have surfaced whereby Israel, in addition to other concessions would provide Hezbollah with information concerning 4 Iranian diplomats who were abducted in Beirut in July 1982 during the first Lebanon War, by a Lebanese-Christian militia (the Samir Jaja faction), in South Lebanon. The information on the fate of the missing Iranian officials is being requested by Hezbollah's financial patrons in Tehran.

In the letter to the Prime Minister, Darshan-Leitner, Director of Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center, the families of the 12 disappeared Iranian Jews demand that the government honor the obligations imposed upon it by the Israeli High Court approximately two years ago that [the Israeli government] "Push forward diligently without sparing any effort in order to gain information about the [12 missing] Jews of Iran." The families are insisting that there be a "quid pro quo" on information about their family members in exchange for the release of the details on the fate of the missing Iranians.

The letter states: "If the Israeli government intends to honor their court-ordered obligations, the government is not permitted to hand over information in its possession regarding the four Iranian diplomats, which is the last bargaining chip Israel has that could shed some light on the fate of the twelve missing."

Attorney Darshan-Leitner has stated: "The missing Jews in Iran tried to come to Israel at the encouragement and with the assistance of the Israeli government. It is therefore the responsibility of the Israeli government to do everything it can to gain reliable, specific information regarding their whereabouts in order to give closure and end the suffering of the wives, children, fathers and mothers [of the twelve]. Without proof that the information has been received from Iran and transmitted through Hezbollah, the only thing we can draw from this is that the fates of the twelve [Iranian Jews] have been abandoned. It is simply unthinkable that the State of Israel would convey information about the four disappeared Iranian diplomats without receiving in exchange information about the twelve missing Jews in Iran. Information about the diplomats is the last bargaining chip in Israel's hands toward acquiring information about the missing Jews in Iran. If we give it up with nothing in return, the possibility of knowing what happened to the twelve missing is totally dead."

Darshan-Leitner emphasized that, if the families' demands are not answered, they intend to immediately appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court to stop Israel's intended prisoner exchange with Hezbollah.


Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Knesset Committee: Destroy Murderer's House!

Family members of the eight murdered Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva students, along with their lawyers from the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center and representatives of the school, participated in a Knesset Interior Committee hearing today on the topic of home demolitions for terrorists.

In what many would concider a surprise, all Knesset members present called for the government to promptly demolish the former home of the terrorist who attacked the Yeshiva in March. The terrorist is a member of a wealthy family that lives in the Sheikh Jerach neigborhood of what is called by the media "East Jerusalem."

The MK's reiterated that they have no interest in revenge, but that they believe that such punishment deters future terrorists from acting, giving them pause for thought knowing the family home would be demolished as a result of their act.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Dror Eldar, the father of one of the young victims, told the committee that "demolition was a necessary part of the war on terror. It is obvious that the next murderer is already planning his act and our war on terror must target the financial sources behind the terrorists."

The Prime Minister's Office, Defense Ministry and IDF did not send a representative to the meeting.

Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of the human rights organization Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center and the advocate for the victim's families told this blogger that the Knesset members also unanimously agreed that the municipality of Jerusalem has got to do more to halt the continued illegal expansions in the eastern part of town. "The police has yet to release its report on the attack or investigate how the terrorist obtained a weapon, and this a full three months after the attack," she said.

The Jerusalem Post also reported that rebel Kadima MK Marina Solodkin raised the idea that in cases like the murders at Merkaz Harav, in which the attacker held a blue Israeli identity card (full, legal and equal citizenship - no obligations obviously), the terrorists and their immediate family living with them should lose their citizenship immediatly. "Real justice is both demolishing the house of the terrorist and taking away citizenship," she was quoted as saying.