Israel has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In December 2004, an Israeli
official explained that the government “supports the humanitarian goal to
ultimately eliminate the consequences of indiscriminate use of anti-personnel
landmines. Towards that end, Israel took several concrete steps including a
moratorium on the export of anti-personnel landmines and cessation of their
production.... However, Israel cannot commit itself to a
‘Total-Ban’ on landmines, as it is required to resort to defensive
operations against terrorists to prevent attacks on its
civilians.”[1 ]
Israel is one of the small number of nations that has abstained from voting
on every annual pro-mine ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996,
including UNGA Resolution 59/84, calling for universalization of the Mine Ban
Treaty, on 3 December 2004.
Israel participated as an observer in the First Review Conference of the
Mine Ban Treaty in Nairobi in November-December 2004. It did not make a
statement to the high level segment. While Israel has attended the
treaty’s intersessional meetings in Geneva in the past, it was not present
for the June 2005 meetings.
Israel is a member of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its
Amended Protocol II on landmines. It participated in the Protocol’s Sixth
Meeting of States Parties held in Geneva on 17 November 2004, and submitted a
national annual report for 2004 as required by Article 13.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use
Israel has said that it “ceased all production and imports of
antipersonnel mines in the early
1980s.”[2 ]In July 2004, Israeli officials disclosed for the first time that
antipersonnel mine production lines have been
dismantled.[3 ]
Israel declared a moratorium on the export of antipersonnel mines in 1994
that was extended for three-year periods in 1996, 1999, 2002 and, most recently,
July 2005.[4 ]Israeli officials
anticipate that the regular three-year renewals will continue into the
future.[5 ]
The size and composition of Israel’s
stockpile of antipersonnel mines remains unknown, but it includes both
hand-emplaced and remotely-delivered mines. Israel’s November 2003
Article 13 report stated that it continued to carry out a program to destroy
outdated mines, but its November 2004 report did not make that
observation.[6 ]
Israel’s November 2004 report stated, “There were no new
minefields put in-place this year.” A similar declaration was made in
2002 and 2003. The last confirmed use of antipersonnel mines by the Israel
Defense Force (IDF) was during its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000.
Israel’s report also stated that “in the past year there were
still many occasions where terrorists used mines, booby traps and other devices
such as improvised explosive devices, causing many casualties among Israeli
citizens. There were also large scale activities done by terrorist groups to
smuggle and accumulate mines, booby traps, and other devices (as well as
improvised explosive devices), mainly through underground tunnels, part of which
the IDF succeeded in seizing, confiscating and
destroying.”[7 ]
However, in this reporting period (since May 2004), Landmine Monitor has
received no specific reports of use of antipersonnel mines inside Israel, and
few reports of use of antipersonnel mines in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.[8 ]The Mine Ban Treaty
prohibits not only antipersonnel mines, but also explosive booby-traps and other
improvised explosive devices that are victim-activated. Media and others are
not always clear whether the devices used are victim-activated or
command-detonated and often use terms interchangeably, citing the use of bombs,
landmines, booby-traps and improvised explosive devices without making a
distinction.
Landmine Problem and Mine Action
Israel is a mine-affected country with mines dating back to World War II
still active inside its borders. Since the establishment of Israel, it has used
mines along its borders, near military camps and training areas, and near
infrastructure, including water pump stations and electric power facilities.
The Haaretz Daily newspaper has reported that approximately 33,000 dunams
(33 square kilometers) of land are mined or suspected of being mined in Israel,
the West Bank and Golan
Heights.[9 ]Syria has previously raised the matter of erosion of minefields along
hillsides in the Golan, which have caused mines to move downhill, reportedly
affecting populations living in the
valleys.[10 ]
There is no national agency to coordinate demining efforts. The Israel
Defense Force’s Engineering Corps and commercial Israeli contractors
continue to clear mines, bombs and unexploded ordnance (UXO) on an emergency
basis, and on a more frequent basis when circumstances permit.
Israel maintains that all minefields within its borders are fenced,
registered and updated on a timely basis by the Israeli Mapping Center (IMC).
In 2003, IDF began work to improve the recording measures used for minefields
and suspected areas, by using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and other
equipment.[11 ]In January 2004, Israel provided maps of minefields laid by IDF and its
South Lebanese Army ally to Hezbollah, as part of a prisoner
exchange.[12 ]In 2004, “the
IDF Engineering Corps continued to implement their annual program of monitoring
and protection of minefields and suspected
areas.”[13 ]
Mine Risk Education
While there is no special training on the dangers of landmines in schools,
various terrorism awareness programs promote alertness with regard to explosive
objects.[14 ]Israel states that information regarding minefield locations “is
provided by local municipalities to the general population upon land rights and
use inquiries.”[15 ]Israel
requires organizers of field trips (such as those conducted by schools, youth
movements, work places and private citizens) to coordinate their routes with the
relevant Israel Defense Force command, in order to receive briefings regarding
the location of actual and suspected minefields in the
area.[16 ]
Landmine Casualties and Survivor Assistance
In 2004 and the first half of 2005, Landmine Monitor identified no new
landmine casualties. Civilian mine casualties are registered under the umbrella
category of “Victims of Hostile Activities.” It is often difficult
to determine from the occasional media reports of “mine” incidents
if they involved antipersonnel mines or other explosive devices. The total
number of landmine casualties in Israel is not known. The last confirmed
incident occurred in 2000, when an Israeli soldier was seriously injured while
clearing landmines along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Most mine incidents
occurred during the wars of 1967, 1973 and
1982.[17 ]
Landmine survivors were among the members of Israel’s team at the
Paralympics in Athens in September 2004. Doron Shaziri, who lost his leg in a
landmine explosion in 1987, won two bronze medals in competitive
shooting.[18 ]Swimmer Yizhar Cohen,
blinded in a landmine explosion in Lebanon in 1985, also
competed.[19 ]
Israel reportedly has extensive experience in the field of trauma surgery
and rehabilitation. The main Israeli hospitals and centers offering
rehabilitation programs include Tel-Hashomer (Shiba) and Loewenstein in Tel
Aviv, and Rambam and Bnei Zion in Haifa. Israeli healthcare services also treat
people from other Mediterranean countries. Israel has six workshops
specializing in prosthetics, 10 specializing in orthotics, more than a dozen
orthopedic shoemakers, and many physiotherapists working in the field of
orthopedic rehabilitation.[20 ]However, there is reportedly a shortage of rehabilitation specialists,
leading to waiting lists for services. The Ministry of Health provides some
rehabilitation equipment and a limited number of devices to the population, free
of charge.[21]
The Israeli National Insurance Services (Hamosad Lebituah Leumi) covers the
cost of treatment for all Israeli citizens injured by
landmines.[22 ]People with a
physical disability, who cannot continue in their occupation, can receive
vocational training; tuition fees, a living allowance, material and travel
expenses are covered. Widows, orphans and parents of “victims of
hostilities” are also eligible for
training.[23 ]People with lower
limb disabilities also receive compensation for mobility
expenses.[24]
Israel has legislation to protect the rights of persons with disabilities,
including the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law (5758-1998) and its
subsequent amendments.[25 ]
[1 ]Letter from Roey Gilad,
Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Israeli Embassy in London, to
Handicap International (UK), 6 December 2004.
[2 ]Email from Meir Itzchaki,
Regional Security and Arms Control Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 10
February 2003. In the past, Israel produced low metal content blast
antipersonnel mines, bounding fragmentation mines, and Claymore-type directional
fragmentation munitions, designated M12A1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6.
[3 ]Interview with members of the
Israeli delegation to the Eighth Session of the CCW Group of Government Experts,
Geneva, 8 July 2004.
[4 ]Email from Meir Itzchaki,
Deputy Director, Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 19 September 2005.
He indicated Israel had notified the UN Secretary-General of an extension until
July 2008. See also, CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, 9 November
2004, p. 11.
[5 ]Interview with members of the
Israeli delegation to the Eighth Session of the CCW Group of Government Experts,
Geneva, 8 July 2004.
[6 ]CCW Amended Protocol II Article
13 Report, 18 November 2003, p. 6.
[7 ]Article 13 Report, 9 November
2004, p. 10.
[8 ]See Palestine report in this
edition of Landmine Monitor.
[9 ]Jonathan Lis, “IDF
refuses to clear landmines from land for Arab school,” Haaretz
Daily (Jerusalem), 8 September 2003.
[10 ]See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 1014.
[11 ]Article 13 Report, 18
November 2003, p. 5.
[12 ]Interview with members of
the Israeli delegation to the Eighth Session of the CCW Group of Governments
Experts, Geneva, 8 July 2004; Ileil Shahar, “Sharon Stands Behind POW
Deal,” Maariv International (internet news source), 25 January
2004.
[13 ]Article 13 Report, 9
November 2004, p. 6.
[14 ]Interview with Meir
Itzchaki, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem, 2 January 2003.
[15 ]Article 13 Report, 9
November 2004, p. 5.
[16 ]Article 13 Report, 9
November 2004, pp. 4-5.
[17 ]See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 1015.
[18 ]“Paralympic
Heroes,” Jerusalem Post, 3 October 2004.
[19 ]“Army Veterans give
Israeli Advantage in Paralympics,” Associated Press (Tel Aviv), 9
August 2004.
[20 ]Article 13 Report, 9
November 2004, p. 10.
[21]Bruce Rosen, “Health
Care Systems in Transition: Israel,” European Observatory on Health
Care Systems, 2003, p. 87.
[22 ]For more information, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 677.
[23 ]“Disability
Insurance,” National Insurance Institute of Israel, www.btl.gov.il/English/newbenefits/disability.htm,
accessed 23 August 2005.
[24]“Mobility
Benefits,” National Insurance Institute of Israel, www.btl.gov.il/English/btl_indx.asp?name=newbenefits/mobility.htm,
accessed 23 August 2005.
[25 ]For more information, see
“Rights of People with Disabilities: Israel,” Center for
International Rehabilitation, www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/reports/compendium/israel.cfm.