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Petition signing drive |
Objective: To release the secret files of Kahan Report regarding
Sabra & Shatila Massacre.
Please Click on the Link below that says "Lost Blood Petition" to open and print the petition form and let your friends and
family members sign. |
Dear Sir or Madam:
On September 16, 1982, approximately three hundred men wearing military uniforms swept through the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila killing thousands of people. The victims included defenseless women, children, and elderly persons with no political or military agenda. As a survivor and witness, I have offered my personal account in my book, The Lost Blood, explaining my personal experiences. I offer one side of the story. However, my perspective on the events does not tell the entire story. The government of Israel holds another account known as the Kahan Commission Report, which details the findings of the Israeli Knesset Investigation. Almost twenty-five years have passed and the findings of the Kahan Commission have not been released. After writing The Lost Blood, I am contacted daily by people around the world most of them asking the same question…why? This is a question that I cannot answer. Understanding and healing will never come about without the vital information inside the report of the Kahan Commission. Together, with other people from all walks of life, all religions, and a variety of nationalities, I have formed a coalition. On behalf of the coalition, I am issuing the following statement. This message is for every free man and woman around the globe. It is a reminder that the time has come to take serious action and stand firm in the face of aggression on the part of the Israeli government. We are resolved to send a very serious message that “We The People”, of free will, demand the Israeli government take the necessary steps to declassify and release the findings of the Israeli Knesset Investigation, known as the Kahan Commission, to the international community. In anticipation of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila Massacre on September 16, 2007, the surviving victims, their families, and concerned citizens of the international community recognize that the time has come for the Israeli government to prove their democracy by lifting the veil of secrecy that has kept the circumstances of the report hidden from the world. We understand that the details of the report may damage the reputation of the Israeli government, but by hiding the Report and creating secrecy surrounding the details of what occurred behind closed doors in Tel Aviv, the Israeli government has delayed the world’s healing and may have perpetuated a global environment of distrust that is more damaging to the peace process than the alternative, which is to unseal the report and accept responsibility for any miscalculations and mistakes that occurred. In support of this request, Americans, Arabs, and Europeans have come together to develop and execute a petition to be signed by free people from all over the world to be sent to the United Nations, the White House, the Israeli government, the governments of all European and Arab Nations, and numerous organizations that support human rights and anti-discrimination to put needed pressure on the government of Israel and encourage a strong voice of reason and a response to the cry for justice. Our desire is that the Kahan Commissions findings be used to teach our children about hate and revenge and the tragic consequences that can occur when these two elements are combined. Dear Readers, it is your duty as members of the human race to ensure that the victims that died including women, children, and elderly men, did not lose their lives in vain. Your signatures on this petition will increase our voice and help us achieve our purpose to discover the truth in time for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the tragedy.
Sincerely,
Marco Abraham
Author of The Lost Blood
ISBN #978-0-615-17247- 7 |
Click Here To Sign The Petition
Sabra and Shatila Massacre
Sabra and Shatilla are two Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, where during the First Lebanon War; hundreds of Palestinian refugees were massacred
Ynetnews
Sabra and Shatilla are two Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut. On September 14, 1982, three months after the outbreak of the First Lebanon War, Lebanese President Bashir Gemayel, commander of the Christian forces, was murdered by an explosive device on the roof of Phalangist headquarters in Beirut. In the aftermath of the assassination, IDF forces entered western Beirut. Later, the Phalangists, together with the South Lebanon Army, were assigned the task of flushing out any Palestinian terrorists hiding in the refugee camps.
On the morning of September 16, the Operations Command of the Northern Command and the Phalangist officers discussed how the Christian forces would operate within the refugee camps, in coordination with the IDF. During the course of the meeting, the IDF stressed that the civilian population was not to be harmed. In the afternoon, the Christian forces crossed the IDF lines into the refugee camps in order to confront the unknown number of Palestinian terrorists who were apparently based in the camps.
Shortly thereafter, the Phalangists began indiscriminately killing camp residents, in retaliation for Gemayel’s assassination. The victims included women, children, and babies. According to IDF intelligence estimates, approximately 700-800 Palestinian refugees died.
On the morning of September 18, the Phalangists exited the camps, and the IDF took control of the area. That same night, the Lebanese Health Ministry and Lebanese soldiers began removing the hundreds of bodies for burial. According to witnesses, who later testified, numerous atrocities were uncovered, including rapes, desecration of corpses, and the destruction of houses with their residents still inside.
Despite the IDF’s assessment that a massacre might occur, and notwithstanding the unambiguous reports which reached Defense Minister Ariel Sharon and Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan, the IDF did not prevent the massacre. By the night of September 16, the IDF had begun to receive reports of the killings, and reports reached several policy makers a few hours later. Nonetheless, no action was taken to stop the killings.
The massacre reverberated throughout Israel. Peace Now organized a massive rally in Tel Aviv, and then Prime Minister Menachem Begin was pressured to establish an investigative committee. On September 29, Begin launched a state commission, headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Yitzchak Kahan. Supreme Court Judge Aharon Barak and Major-General (res.) Yona Efrat were also commission members.
On February 7, 1983, the Kahan Commission submitted its findings. The Phalangists were given full blame and responsibility for the massacre. Nonetheless, the commission noted several flaws and failures on the part of some Israeli political and military leaders.
With respect to Prime Minister Begin, the commission neither made personal recommendations nor determined that he had any direct responsibility. However, the commission stated that, “Begin’s noninvolvement in the entire issue charges him with a certain amount of responsibility.”
With respect to Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, the commission determined that he was responsible for ignoring the possibility of a massacre, both by approving the Phalangists’ entrance into the camps and by not lining up resources to prevent the possibility of a massacre. According to the commission, these omissions indicated that the defense minister had not fulfilled his duties. Thus, the commission recommended that he be removed from his position, and, in accordance with these findings, Begin did in fact dismiss Sharon.
With respect to Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan, the commission declared that he had neither taken the necessary steps to prevent the danger of a massacre nor tried to stop the massacre once it had started. As such, Eitan had not fulfilled his responsibilities as chief of staff. However, since he was already about to conclude his term as chief of staff, the commission did not recommend that he be relieved of his duties.
Yehoshua Sagi, head of the Intelligence Branch, was found guilty of indifference and disregard with respect to the Phalangists’ potentially dangerous activities. Thus, the commission recommended that, “Major-General Yehoshua Sagi should not continue in his position as head of the Intelligence Branch.” This recommendation was accepted, and Sagi was dismissed.
In addition, the commission recommended that Amos Yaron, the commander of the IDF troops in Beirut, be transferred to a non-commanding position for three years.
With respect to OC Northern Command Amir Drori, the commission determined that there existed a “breach of responsibility of Major
General Drori who did not take any action connected to the danger expected to arise from the Phalangists’ activities.” Following the commission’s findings, Drori was dismissed.