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Israel's Attorney General: IDF Killing of Palestinian Terrorists Was Legal

(Jerusalem Post) Dan Izenberg - On Monday, the Justice Ministry spokesman released a letter by former Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz from January 7, 2009, that refuted charges by Ha'aretz investigative reporter Uri Blau that the IDF was carrying out targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists in violation of a High Court of Justice ruling. The charges were based on top-secret documents given to Blau by an ideologically motivated former IDF soldier. In response to a demand for an investigation into the allegations in the article, including the killing of key Islamic Jihad terrorist Ziad Malaisha, Mazuz wrote, "The IDF operation met all the conditions laid down in the High Court of Justice ruling regarding 'targeted killings.' The attack took place after the possibility of arresting the fugitives was ruled out as being impossible to achieve." "The attack was aimed at senior and extremely dangerous terrorists, who were involved in preparations to carry out dangerous terror attacks, and regarding whom the security system had reliable and precise information....It was carried out in awareness of the duty to avoid harming innocents and reduce the danger to them, and after implementing the principle of proportionality." Mazuz added that "the legal aspects of the operation were examined at each one of the planning stages and there is no basis to the charge that the IDF 'ignored' the High Court's instructions regarding targeted killing operations. On the contrary, the operational officers in the general staff, who had close legal consultation, were aware of the High Court instructions and stressed and carried them out in all stages of the planning and the approval of the operation."
2010-04-13 08:37:09
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