Arab requests for the right of appeal against judgements by the military courts in the West Bank were rejected by a senior Israel Defense Force officer. Gen. Amnon Shahak, commanding officer of the central command, expressed his objections in an affidavit presented to the Supreme Court yesterday.
The affidavit was in response to an appeal by two Ramallah residents to the Supreme Court to order the establishment of a military court of appeals in the territory. Under the present system, security violators are brought before the military courts, from which there is no appeal.
Shahak, who said Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin concurred with his views, told the high court in his affidavit that the establishment of an appeals court could be interpreted as a sign of weakness at a time when Israel is pursuing a policy of deterrence against hostile organizations. He said all security agencies involved share the view that a judicial forum for appeals would have a negative psychological effect at this time.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
