Allegations About Idfrole on Golan Sparks Storm of Criticism

Former Supreme Court Justice Haim Cohen has come under withering criticism for charging last week that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) is violating the human rights of the Druze on the Golan Heights and for claiming that the army had imposed a “barbaric law” on the Golan. Cohen who is the president of the Association for Civil Rights, made these charges at a press conference here last week.

Sources lose to Premier Menachem Begin advised Cohen to “see if Israel’s neighbors have human rights, not to speak of human rights organizations.” Interior Minister Yosef Burg rejected the term “barbaric” and asserted that no violence has been used to force the Druze to accept Israeli identify cards in place of their military ID cards which have been withdrawn.

Burg, a National Religious Party member of the Knesset, said Cohen’s allegations were “vicious,” based on false information. He said Cohen’s past as Supreme Court justice did not give him the right to make such charges.

IDF REACTS SHARPLY

The IDF reacted sharply to the charges. It issued a statement over the weekend totally rejecting the allegations. An army spokesman said the IDF has been acting “wholly in accordance with the law, with patience, tolerance and considerable restraint.” The spokesman said the army resorted to force only

The army spokesman said that the IDF was implementing emergency regulations,which are “a legitimate and integral part of the Israeli law.” The IDF, the spokesman added, was called upon to install law and order to four Druze villages in the Golan only after “a minority of the local population imposed a strike on the entire population with force and violent means.”

SOME PUBLIC SUPPORT

Several public figures supported Cohen. Labor Alignment MK Yossi Sarid said the army should have disobeyed what he termed illegal commands. Alignment MK Uzi Baram demanded a special session of the Knesset to discuss the charges. At romey General Yitzhak Shamir said he would not react to the charges and the counter-charges since some of the issues raised such as the legality of requiring Druze to hold Israeli ID cards, was being dealt with by the Supreme Court.

The Association, reacting to the charges against it, said it was standing by its orginal complaints and demanded an official commission of inquiry to investigate the situation on the Golan. The Association’s allegations referred to the 40 days of military blockade of four Druze villages during which the population was confined to the immediate area, deprived of basic services and allegedly subjected to physical abuse for refusing to accept Israeli ID cards.

The blockade was imposed February 25 after Druze leaders called a general strike to protest Israel’s annexation of the territory February 14. The blockade was lifted April 5 but the strike is continuing and is now in its 10th week.