Holland…Sharon’s Visit Under Fire

Protests are planned in a number of major cities, and another major demonstration is to be staged outside the Parliament building in case the government officials decide to receive Sharon there.

“It is a disgrace for The Hague –- standing for international law -– to receive such a war criminal as Sharon,” Zeid Tayem, head of the Palestinian community society in The Netherlands, told IslamOnline.net.

Dutch analysts believe Sharon ’s visit is a brazen challenge to a recent resolution by The Hague-based International Court of Justice ruling the Israeli separation wall — jutting deep into the West Bank — is “illegal” in July.

The court, the tope UN legal body, issued a ruling demanding Israel to dismantle the wall and pay reparations to Palestinians affected by its construction.

Sharon -– called the champion of Jewish settlements in Palestinian areas — was quick to defy the resolution, saying his government would push for the wall construction.

Belgium ‘s highest court ruled in February that Sharon could face war crimes charges once he leaves office after an appeal by 23 Palestinian survivors of Sabra and Shatila massacres during which between 800 and 2,000 Palestinian refugees were slaughtered by Israeli forces and allied Christian militia in 1982 in Lebanon .

Palestinian Flags

Tayem, a well-known Palestinian activist, said Palestinian flags could be seen fluttering on the windows of thousands of houses in The Netherlands and Belgiam, where Sharon would also visit.

“The Israeli prime minister would be received with slogans chanted and calls made to bring him to justice as a war criminal," he added.

Diab Abu Jahjah, the head of the Arab-European association, for his part, decried the fact that Sharon would visit the countries one of which once sought to put him on trial for a war crimes record.

Abu Jahjah accused the Israeli intelligence service, the Mossad, of killing the head of the force which manned the massacre in the two Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon before the now-cancelled trial before The Hague tribunal.

Anniversary

Sharon ’s visit comes a few days after a ceremony was held in Amsterdam to commemorate the massacre of Sabra and Shatila.

A large number of Dutch people along with representatives of local and European mass media showed up for the event.

The festival was also attended by Soad Sorour, a survivor from the massacre, who recalled her experience on the hands of the Israeli soldiers and the phalangist militias.

Sabra & Shatila are two refugee camps in Beirut the Palestinians resorted to after being forced to flee their villages and towns in 1948. They went there hoping that, one day, things will change and they will return to their homes in Palestine .

Addressing the festival, Mohamed Abul Leil, secretary general of the Fatah movement in the Netherlands , held Israel accountable for the massacre in Lebanon as well as for the daily aggressions against the Palestinian people.

“Israel, which carries out a systematic state terrorism, is directly responsible for the massacres of Sabra and Shatila, Deir Yassin, Bahr Al-Baqar and Qana as well as the daily crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza, Nablus, Hebron and elsewhere."

Abul Leil urged the Dutch government to cancel Sharon ‘s visit to the country.

“This is to protect the country’s reputation as the current EU president, and not to honor a war criminal who is responsible for daily massacres against the innocent Palestinian civilians.”