American-Israeli “day after” plan for Gaza

While the Biden administration has continued negotiations for a new ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, the US has also been developing plans how Gaza and the Palestinian Territories in general should be governed, in the future.

After the US, Israel and the United Arab Emirates had a secret meeting in order to discuss their post-war plans for Gaza, last week, the UAE suggested that a temporary international mission should be sent to Gaza. The mission would be “responsible for efficiently responding to the humanitarian crisis the citizens in Gaza are facing, establishing law and order, laying the groundwork for governance, and paving the way to reunite Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate Palestinian Authority.” The Emirati government had stated already before the meeting that “the Israeli government would need to allow the Palestinian Authority to have a role in governing Gaza and agree to a political process based on the two-state solution while the US would have a leadership role in any day-after initiative.” (1)

Middle East Eye reported on Sunday that the US, Israel and the UAE “are working towards the creation of a national committee of Palestinian leaders and business figures that will administer Gaza once the war ends.” That national committee “would function as the main representative of all Palestinian factions, but in reality, all of its members would be loyal to exiled former Fatah leader and Palestinian strongman Mohammed Dahlan, who could eventually be installed as successor to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.” (2)

Mohammed Dahlan is a particularly interesting person. He was born in Khan Yunis, Gaza, in 1961. He rose in the ranks of the Palestinian organization Fatah and was leader of the Palestinian Preventive Security apparatus in Gaza from 1995 to 2000 after the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. He has cooperated during several decades with CIA and Israeli intelligence agencies Shin Bet and Mossad in various operations in Palestine and elsewhere. In 2007, President of the US George W. Bush described Dahlan as “our boy”. In 2019, Türkiye added Dahlan to its list of most wanted terrorists because of his involvement in the failed coup attempt in Türkiye in 2016. Türkiye has also offered 700,000 US Dollars for information leading to the arrest of Dahlan. (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

In 2011, Dahlan was expelled from Fatah after falling out with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. The PA accused Dahlan of corrution and conspiring against President Abbas. Fatah has also claimed that Dahlan poisoned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2004. Since 2011, Dahlan has lived in exile in the UAE where he has become top adviser to President Mohamed Bin Zayed. (4, 9, 10)

Several major Western media outlets, such as The Economist, France24.com, TIME, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, have published articles about Dahlan or have interviewed him since the war between Hamas and Israel started. Dahlan has denied that he would be interested in becoming the new leader of the Palestinians. However, he reportedly said during the interview with The New York Times in February that Arab states would support a new “independent Palestinian leader” who would “push PA President Mahmoud Abbas aside to a ceremonial role”. (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

** The post was updated again 30.7.2024. References 7, 8 and 11 were added.

References:

(1) “UAE proposes temporary international mission to restore order in Gaza” Middle East Monitor 26.7.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240726-uae-proposes-temporary-international-mission-to-restore-order-in-gaza/

(2) “US, Israel and UAE working to create new body to govern post-war Gaza” Middle East Eye 28.7.2024

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-israel-uae-create-new-body-govern-post-war-gaza

(3) Information about Mohammed Dahlan in Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Dahlan

(4) “Dahlan: UAE agent, plotter against peoples’ will” Anadolu Agency 15.12.2019

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/dahlan-uae-agent-plotter-against-peoples-will/1673526#

(5) “Palestine papers: Mohammed Dahlan” The Guardian 25.1.2011

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/25/palestine-papers-muhammad-dahlan

(6) “Turkey offers $700,000 bounty for Mohammed Dahlan” Al Jazeera 23.11.2019

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/23/turkey-offers-700000-bounty-for-mohammed-dahlan

(7) “How did Turkey catch Mohammed Dahlan’s spy ring?” Daily Sabah 22.4.2019

https://www.dailysabah.com/columns/yahya_bostan/2019/04/22/how-did-turkey-catch-mohammed-dahlans-spy-ring

(8) “Mohammad Dahlan’s shady regional agenda” The New Arab 2.12.2019

https://www.newarab.com/opinion/mohammad-dahlans-shady-regional-agenda

(9) “Fatah Report Claims Dahlan Poisoned Arafat and Stole Millions” IMEMC News 10.8.2011

https://imemc.org/article/61822/

(10) “Exiled Palestinian official: Arab states will support an independent leader in Gaza” The Times of Israel 14.2.2024

https://www.timesofisrael.com/exiled-palestinian-official-arab-states-will-support-an-independent-leader-in-gaza/

(11) “A vision for the Palestinians after the war” The Economist 30.10.2023

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/30/a-vision-for-the-palestinians-after-the-war

(12) “Could exiled former Palestinian leader Mohammed Dahlan lead Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war?” France24.com 12.11.2023

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231112-could-exiled-former-palestinian-leader-mohammed-dahlan-lead-gaza-after-the-israel-hamas-war

(13) “Exclusive: Palestinian Leader Mohammed Dahlan on Israel, Hamas, and the Prospect of Peace” TIME 21.11.2023

https://time.com/6337833/mohammed-dahlan-exclusive-palestine-israel/

(14) “A Palestinian Exile Champions an Arab Vision for Gaza” The New York Times 14.2.2024

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/14/world/middleeast/mohammed-dahlan-interview-gaza-uae.html

(15) “Once Hamas’s Sworn Enemy, a Palestinian Exile Rises as a Potential Postwar Strongman” The Wall Street Journal 25.7.2024

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/once-hamass-sworn-enemy-mohammed-dahlan-rises-as-a-postwar-strongman-f64676b1?mod=hp_lead_pos10

Palestinian groups sign “national unity” agreement in China

The horrible and devastating war between Hamas and Israel has continued now nearly 10 months. Over 39,000 Palestinians have died and over 89,000 Palestinians have been injured (1). British medical journal Lancet estimated a while ago that the accumulative effects of the war in Gaza may mean that the real death toll could be more than 186,000 people. That amount of fatalities would represent almost 8 percent of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million. (2)

While the ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel have not been succesful, for various reasons, there have been some positive and significant developments elsewhere. Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian groups signed a “national unity” agreement on Tuesday in Beijing, China. The purpose of the agreement is to end long-running divisions between the Palestinian groups and to create a platform so that they can rule post-war Gaza together. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government around the governance of post-war Gaza. Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time, it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community.” (3)

References:

(1) “Gaza death toll tops 39,000 as Israel kills dozens of Palestinians” Anadolu Agency 22.7.2024

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/gaza-death-toll-tops-39-000-as-israel-kills-dozens-of-palestinians/3282266#

(2) “Gaza toll could exceed 186,000, Lancet study says” Al Jazeera 8.7.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/8/gaza-toll-could-exceed-186000-lancet-study-says

(3) “Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian groups sign ‘national unity’ deal in China” Middle East Eye 23.7.2024

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-fatah-and-other-palestinian-groups-sign-national-unity-deal-china

New study concludes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

A new study conducted by the University Network for Human Rights, the International Human Rights Clinic at Boston University School of Law, the International Human Rights Clinic at Cornell Law School, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria and the Lowenstein Human Rights Project at Yale Law School concludes that Israel has committed genocidal acts in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on the 7th of October, last year (1). The summary and press release of the study report stated on Wednesday (2):

“After reviewing the facts established by independent human rights monitors, journalists, and United Nations agencies, we conclude that Israel’s actions in and regarding Gaza since October 7, 2023, violate the Genocide Convention. Specifically, Israel has committed genocidal acts of killing, causing serious harm to, and inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza, a protected group that forms a substantial part of the Palestinian people.”

“Israel’s genocidal acts in Gaza have been motivated by the requisite genocidal intent, as evidenced in this report by the statements of Israeli leaders, the character of the State and its military forces’ conduct against and relating to Palestinians in Gaza, and the direct nexus between them. As this report details, officials at all levels of Israeli government, up to and including the Prime Minister, have made remarks that not only express blatant and unequivocal dehumanization and cruelty against Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere, but also explicitly reflect intentions to destroy and exterminate Palestinians as such. The patterns of conduct of Israeli military forces in Gaza further reinforce the finding of Israel’s genocidal intent.”

“Israel’s violations of the international legal prohibition of genocide amount to grave breaches of peremptory norms of international law that must cease immediately. These violations also give rise to obligations by all other States: to refrain from recognizing Israel’s breaches as legal or taking any actions that may constitute complicity in these breaches; and to take positive steps to suppress, prevent, and punish the commission by Israel of further genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The facts in this report are current as of May 1, 2023*. Between its finalization and publication, reports emerged of additional, egregious abuses by Israel against Palestinians in the southern city of Rafah and elsewhere, where more than a million Palestinians are seeking refuge. These developments, though not reflected in the report, further demonstrate Israel’s ongoing genocidal conduct and intent, and underscore the urgency with which the international community must act.”

*Please note that the date was “May 1, 2024” elsewhere in the summary, so this is probably a typo.

References:

(1) “Israel committing genocide in Gaza, new study concludes” Middle East Monitor 16.5.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240516-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-new-study-concludes/

(2) “Genocide in Gaza: Analysis of International Law and its Application to Israel’s Military Actions since October 7, 2023” Human Rights Network 15.5.2024

https://www.humanrightsnetwork.org/genocide-in-gaza

Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a grassroots solidarity movement consisting of human rights organizations from around the world, will launch its Freedom Flotilla to Gaza tomorrow, on Friday the 26th of April, in Istanbul. The flotilla of three or four ships will carry over 5000 tons of aid to Gaza. Approximately thousand people will participate in the voyage, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela who said, “I am a living example of what international solidarity can achieve, we defeated the apartheid government.” Hundreds of human rights observers will make sure that the aid gets to Palestinians in Gaza. Around hundred journalists will be reporting on the journey. (1, 2)

References:

(1) “Freedom Flotilla activists determined to set sail to Gaza despite Israeli threats” Middle East Eye 19.4.2024

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-freedom-flotilla-determined-sail-istanbul-gaza-break-israel-siege

(2) “South African solidarity: Mandela’s grandson joins Gaza aid flotilla” Middle East Monitor 24.4.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240424-south-african-solidarity-mandelas-grandson-joins-gaza-aid-flotilla

You can follow and support Freedom Flotilla to Gaza here:

https://freedomflotilla.org

Israel’s allies and complicity in genocide

Isabelle Defourny, president of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) France, said a few weeks ago that the US, Britain, France and other nations are “morally and politically complicit with what to our eyes amounts to genocide” by providing military support to Israel. Defourny also said that “for the last six months we have witnessed the choices which Israel makes in waging war on an entire population, a population that is trapped, deprived of food and massively bombed.” She added that “Gaza is progressively being made unfit for human life” and that it “has passed the threshold of absolute horror.” (1)

The United Nations and other international organizations have said that Israel may be committing a war crime by deliberately causing a famine in Gaza. Israel has been obstructing the entry of aid into Gaza. (2) After Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers at the beginning of this month, US President Biden reportedly demanded during a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel has to implement “specific, concrete and measurable” steps in order to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza. Biden also stressed that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation in Gaza are “unacceptable”. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby suggested that there may be consequences for Israel if it does not increase the flow of aid into Gaza and try to safeguard civilians and humanitarian workers, but Kirby declined to provide details. However, Kirby also reiterated that the US still has “an ironclad commitment to help Israel with its self-defense.” (3, 4) Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said that Israel will allow “temporary” delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The statement of the office added, “This increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and to achieve the goals of the war.” (5)

However, Andrea De Domenico, head of UNOCHA, the United Nation’s humanitarian aid agency for Palestinians, said last week that Israel still seems to “systematically” impede the delivery of food and other vital goods by imposing delays at checkpoints (6). It is also notable that the US has suspended funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) until March 2025, even though its own intelligence services expressed “low confidence” in the Israeli allegations against UNRWA in February. Also new independent review for the UN, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, made clear that Israel has failed to provide any evidence to support its claims that some UNRWA workers belong to either Hamas’s military wing or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and helped those groups during the attack against Israel on the 7th of October, last year. The US has been the principal donor to UNRWA. (7)

The US has continued to show its “ironclad commitment” to support Israel. Last week, the US vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution which would have made it possible for the State of Palestine to gain full membership at the UN (8). A couple of weeks ago, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the US hasn’t got “any evidence of genocide being created” in Gaza (9). On Saturday, the US House of Representatives passed a 95 billion-dollar legislative package. A total of 26 billion dollars was given to Israel – 17 billion dollars in defense aid to Israel and approximately 9 billion dollars for humanitarian aid in Gaza and other war-torn regions. According to media reports, roughly 2 billion dollars is expected go to Gaza. The bill for Israel aid was passed with votes of 366-58. It was notable that 37 Democrats and 21 Republicans opposed the bill. The Democrats who voted against the bill on Israel were reportedly very critical of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. (10, 11)

In Britain, Prime Minister Sunak and Foreign Secretary Cameron have refused to publish the legal advice the British government has received regarding the war in Gaza, but there have been claims that the government lawyers have already warned that Israel has breached humanitarian law. According to Cameron, the Israel-Hamas conflict is a “different situation” compared to other situations when Britain published a summary of legal advice before taking military action, for example in Libya and more recently in the Red Sea (12, 13). At the beginning of this month, over 600 lawyers, academics and retired senior judges warned in a letter to Prime Minister Sunak that the British government is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel. The signatories wrote in their 17-page letter (14, 15):

“While we welcome the increasingly robust calls by your government for a cessation of fighting and the unobstructed entry to Gaza of humanitarian assistance, simultaneously to continue (to take two striking examples) the sale of weapons and weapons systems to Israel and to maintain threats of suspending UK aid to Unwra falls significantly short of your government’s obligations under international law.”

“The ICJ’s (i.e. the International Court of Justice’s) conclusion that there exists a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza has placed your government on notice that weapons might be used in its commission and that the suspension of their provision is thus a ‘means likely to deter’ and/or ‘a measure to prevent’ genocide.

The provision of military assistance and material to Israel may render the UK complicit in genocide as well as serious breaches of IHL (i.e. international humanitarian law). Customary international law recognises the concept of ‘aiding and assisting’ an international wrongful act.”

Also in Britain, civil servants who are members of Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have requested a possibility to “cease work immediately” on tasks related to arms export licences to Israel, because they fear that they may be liable if Israel is deemed to have broken international law (16). Prime Minister Sunak and Foreign Secretary Cameron have said that Britain will continue to allow arms exports to Israel just like other “like-minded countries” and “closest allies”. (13, 17)

Germany has faced charges at the International Court of Justice for allegedly “facilitating the commission of genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza in coordination with its military and political ally, Israel. When Nicaragua presented its case against Germany before the ICJ, Nicaragua demanded the judges to impose emergency measures to stop Germany from providing Israel with weapons and other assistance. (18) German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said, “Let me announce here and now that we reject Nicaragua’s accusations. Germany has neither violated the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law, and we will explain this in detail at the International Court of Justice.” (19) Around 600 German civil servants have urged the German government to “cease arm deliveries to the Israeli government with immediate effect”. The civil servants said in their statement, “Israel is committing crimes in Gaza that are in clear contradiction to international law and thus to the Constitution, which we are bound to as federal civil servants and public employees.” According to some estimates, 99 percent of Israel’s arms come from the United States and Germany – Germany is the second-biggest supplier of arms. (20)

In France, President Emmanuel Macron was criticized for being ambiguous or biased in his approach during the first months of the Israel-Hamas war – for example, he suggested that “the anti-ISIS coalition” should be used to fight Hamas. However, he has been slightly more critical about Israel’s actions, as well. (21) In January, before the ICJ gave its interim ruling on genocide case against Israel, France’s new foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné suggested that Israel is immune from genocide charges by saying that “to accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold.” (22) Left-wing opposition party France Unbowed (La France Insoumise, LFI) as well as Amnesty International France and many other organizations have demanded suspension of sale of weapons and military equipment to Israel (23, 24). At the end of March, French Foreign Ministry announced that French-Israeli soldiers implicated in war crimes in Gaza will face legal action. The announcement came after release of a video where French-speaking Israeli soldiers engaged in violations against Palestinian captives. According to French media, over 4,000 Israeli soldiers hold French nationality. (25)

A few days ago, Israeli media reported that the Israeli far-right government is increasingly worried that the International Criminal Court ICC may issue soon arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli political and military leaders for alleged breaches of international law in Gaza. The far-right government reportedly had an “emergency discussion” last Tuesday about the ways they could avoid the arrest warrants. Prime Minister Netanyahu asked help from British Foreign Secretary Cameron and German Foreign Minister Baerbock when they visited Israel, last week. (26)

It has been interesting to see that several Israel’s allies seem to knowingly ignore international law in order to support Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians. It has also been interesting to notice that so far Germany has been the only Israel’s ally which has been formally accused of facilitating the commission of genocide in Gaza. Veteran British journalist Peter Oborne wrote that Britain has been involved, way or the other, in many other genocides – for example, in Indonesia 1965-1966, in Rwanda 1994, in Bosnia 1995 and in the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar that started in 2016 – but Britain has felt able to act with impunity, “to act regardless of consequences when it comes to breaches of international law”. (27)

When French President Macron marked the 30th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, at the beginning of this month, he said in his video message that France could have stopped the Rwanda genocide with its Western and African allies but they “lacked the will to do so” (28). Unfortunately the same could be said about some Western powers and the genocide in Gaza.

References:

(1) “US, UK, others ‘complicit’ in what amounts to ‘genocide’ in Gaza — MSF” TRT World 5.4.2024

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/us-uk-others-complicit-in-what-amounts-to-genocide-in-gaza-msf-17650456

(2) “‘Man-made famine’ charge against Israel is backed by mounting body of evidence” The Guardian 20.3.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/20/man-made-famine-charge-israel-mounting-evidence-un-gaza

(3) “Who were the World Central Kitchen workers killed in Israel’s strike in Gaza?” CNN 4.4.2024

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/03/middleeast/world-central-kitchen-workers-gaza-israel-strike-intl/index.html

(4) “Biden presses Netanyahu for steps to protect civilians in Gaza: White House” Al Jazeera 4.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/4/biden-presses-netanyahu-for-steps-to-protect-civilians-in-gaza-white-house

(5) “Israel to ‘temporarily’ reopen north Gaza crossing for aid after Biden call” Al Jazeera 5.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/5/israel-to-temporarily-reopen-north-gaza-crossing-for-aid-after-biden-call

(6) “U.N. official says Israel systematically impeding Gaza aid distribution” CBS News 18.4.2024

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-un-gaza-aid-distribution/

(7) “Israel gave no evidence UNRWA staff linked to ‘terrorism’: Colonna report” Al Jazeera 22.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/22/no-evidence-of-unrwa-staff-links-terrorist-groups-independent-review

(8) “US vetoes UN resolution for Palestinian statehood in favour of never-ending negotiations” Middle East Monitor 19.4.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240419-us-vetoes-un-resolution-for-palestinian-statehood-in-favour-of-never-ending-negotiations

(9) “US does not believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza: Defence chief” Middle East Monitor 9.4.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240409-us-does-not-believe-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza-defence-chief

(10) “House okays $17 billion in military aid for Israel under major spending package” The Times of Israel 20.4.2024

https://www.timesofisrael.com/house-approves-26-billion-in-aid-for-israel-and-gaza-under-major-spending-package/

(11) “US House approves aid package worth billions for Ukraine, Israel” Al Jazeera 20.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/20/us-house-approves-aid-package-worth-billions-for-ukraine-israel

(12) “Sunak urged to publish legal advice over claims government lawyers think Israel is breaking international law” The Independent 31.3.2024

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sunak-legal-advice-israel-gaza-law-b2521282.html

(13) “UK will not suspend arms exports to Israel, David Cameron says” The Guardian 9.4.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/apr/09/uk-will-not-suspend-arms-exports-to-israel-david-cameron-says

(14) “Former supreme court judges say UK arming Israel breaches international law” The Guardian 3.4.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/former-supreme-court-judges-say-uk-arming-israel-breaches-international-law

(15) “UK Judges’ and Lawyers’ Open Letter Concerning Gaza” 3.4.2024

https://lawyersletter.uk

(16) “UK civil servants overseeing arms sales to Israel demand to ‘cease work immediately'” Middle East Eye 5.4.2024

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-civil-servants-overseeing-arms-sales-israel-demand-cease-work-immediately

(17) “‘None of our closest allies have stopped’: Rishi Sunak defends decision not to suspend arms sales to Israel” LBC 10.4.2024

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/rishi-sunak-suspend-arms-israel/

(18) “Nicaragua to ICJ: End Germany’s support of Israeli ‘genocide’ in Gaza” Al Jazeera 8.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/8/icj-to-hear-nicaragua-case-against-germany-for-facilitating-gaza-genocide

(19) “Germany responds to Nicaragua’s accusation that it encouraged Israel to commit Gaza genocide” Middle East Monitor 6.4.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240406-germany-responds-to-nicaraguas-accusation-that-it-encouraged-israel-to-commit-gaza-genocide

(20) “German civil servants demand ‘immediate’ end to Israeli arms supplies” Al Jazeera 7.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/7/german-civil-servants-demand-immediate-end-to-israeli-arms-supplies

(21) “Macron’s rift with diplomats deepens after missteps on Israel-Hamas war” Politico 22.11.2023

https://www.politico.eu/article/in-wake-of-setbacks-on-israel-hamas-war-macron-seeks-second-wind/

(22) “French Foreign Minister Rebuked for Suggesting Israel Is Immune From Genocide Charges” Common Dreams 18.1.2024

https://www.commondreams.org/news/france-israel-genocide

(23) “France under pressure to suspend military sales to Israel as war in Gaza grinds on” France 24 22.2.2024

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240222-france-under-pressure-to-suspend-military-sales-to-israel-as-war-in-gaza-grinds-on

(24) “French, German arms sales to Israel hit by legal action” Politico 12.4.2024

https://www.politico.eu/article/11-ngos-take-france-to-court-over-arms-sales-to-israel/

(25) “France to prosecute French-Israeli soldiers committing war crimes in Gaza” The New Arab 30.3.2024

https://www.newarab.com/news/france-charge-french-israelis-committing-crimes-gaza

(26) “Netanyahu’s office hosts emergency talks on feared ICC warrants for PM, ministers” The Times of Israel 19.4.2024

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-office-hosts-emergency-talks-on-feared-icc-warrants-for-pm-ministers/

(27) “War on Gaza: History tells Sunak and Cameron they can safely ignore the ICJ” Middle East Eye 10.4.2024

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/war-gaza-history-sunak-cameron-ignore-icj

(28) “President Macron says France and its allies ‘could have stopped’ the 1994 Rwanda genocide” AP News 4.4.2024

https://apnews.com/article/france-macron-rwanda-genocide-responsibility-anniversary-17d4414fa511b563b6c87045803c2eb9

Six months of disastrous war in Gaza

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has continued six months now. The statistics are horrible. About 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, and thousands more are missing under the rubble of collapsed buildings – they are presumed dead. Nearly 76,000 have been injured. Almost all 2.3 million people in Gaza face starvation. According to the United Nations, there will be famine in various parts of Gaza by May. In North Gaza, people have to survive on 245 calories a day, which is only 12% of their caloric needs. Over 80% of Gaza’s population have been internally displaced. The war has damaged or destroyed roughly 62% of all homes in Gaza. Only 10 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are functioning partially. The war has damaged or destroyed 84% of health facilities. (1)

During his speech to the media on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said (2):

“Over the last six months, the Israeli military campaign has brought relentless death and destruction to Palestinians in Gaza – with more than 32,000 people reportedly killed and more than 75,000 injured – the vast majority women and children. Lives are shattered. Respect for international humanitarian law is in tatters.”

“More than half the population – over a million people – are facing catastrophic hunger. Children in Gaza today are dying for lack of food and water. This is incomprehensible, and entirely avoidable. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

“I repeat my urgent appeals for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, the protection of civilians, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.”

“Six months on, we are at the brink: of mass starvation; of regional conflagration; of a total loss of faith in global standards and norms. It’s time to step back from that brink – to silence the guns – to ease the horrible suffering — and to stop a potential famine before it is too late.”

References:

(1) “Israel’s war on Gaza – six relentless months of death and destruction” Al Jazeera 7.4.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/7/israels-war-on-gaza-six-relentless-months-of-death-and-destruction

(2) “Secretary-General’s Press Encounter on Gaza” United Nations 5.4.2024

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2024-04-05/secretary-generals-press-encounter-gaza-scroll-down-for-arabic

SOS alert for imminent genocide of Palestinians in Rafah

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has issued an urgent SOS warning for the imminent genocide of Palestinians in Rafah, South Gaza. Here are some important things the Lemkin Institute pointed out:

“On Wednesday, 27 March, Israel launched several bombing strikes on the city where nearly 1.4 million people are sheltering. These attacks could be the opening salvo to Israel’s promised ground invasion of the town, which is home to the critical crossing to Egypt. This bombing is a genocidal act conducted by Israel against a trapped civilian population.

We welcome the current plan to reschedule a meeting between the US and Israel to discuss Israel’s plan for a ground invasion of Rafah, a plan that US President Biden opposes. Everything must be done to secure the safety of Palestinians in Rafah, the last sanctuary for a population facing genocide in the form of attrition and forced displacement.

We at the Lemkin Institute emphatically condemn Israel for its denial of the transport of aid to the north of Gaza, deepening the risk of widespread famine. We call on Israel to immediately halt all offensive measures taken on Rafah, and throughout Gaza, and act in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728, which called for an immediate ceasefire.”

“Regarding the recent passage of UNSC 2728, the Lemkin Institute strenuously disagrees with the stance of the United States, which claims that the resolution is ‘non-binding.’ The US abstained from voting to allow the resolution’s passage. The US position is founded neither in international law nor in the United Nations Charter. Claiming UNSC resolutions are non-binding presents an unprecedented threat to the ‘rules-based international order’ of which the United States is a primary architect. The international community must immediately take action in line with Resolution 2728 and coerce Israel into ceasing its genocidal campaign. Israel must further allow the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Hamas must release Israeli captives being held in Gaza and Israel must release the thousands of arbitrarily detained Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.”

“We would also remind President Biden of his stance that a ground invasion of Rafah would violate a ‘red line’ for his administration. In his State of the Union speech, the President acknowledged that ‘Israel also has a fundamental responsibility, though, to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.’ There is no way to ensure that protection in urban combat with an army that has proved to be motivated by genocidal zeal. If the US President fails to act on his own words to prevent the further genocide of the people of Gaza and to behave in accordance with the rules-based international order he purports to prize, his betrayal of humanity will be remembered by the world forever.”

You can read the full SOS alert here:

https://www.lemkininstitute.com/sos-alerts-1/sos-alert—gaza—6-

The arrogance of some Americans vs. some differing thoughts

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council was finally able to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after the US abstained from the vote. It is notable that several US officials said that the resolution is “non-binding” even though the resolution is considered to be legally binding in international law. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby also said, “Our vote does not – and I repeat that, does not – represent a shift in our policy.” In spite of that, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accused the US for “abandoning its policy in the UN” and cancelled Israeli delegation’s visit to the US – the delegation was supposed to talk about the planned Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, Southern Gaza. (1)

While the bellicose and arrogant behavior of Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli far-right Zionists has become familiar during the war between Israel and Hamas, it has been quite surprising to see how biased, arrogant and shameless some American public figures can be. Here are just some examples. At the end of January, Democratic congresswoman and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that some pro-Palestinian protesters, who supported a ceasefire in Gaza, might be connected to Russia and President Putin. Pelosi said, “For them (i.e. the protesters) to call for a ceasefire is Mr. Putin’s message. Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message. I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia.” When asked whether she believed that the protesters were “Russian plants”, Pelosi replied, “Seeds or plants. I think some financing should be investigated. And I want to ask the FBI to investigate that.” (2)

At the end of February, President Biden caused an outrage when he talked about his hopes for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while eating casually ice cream. Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, said on X, “Nothing says ‘we’re taking this seriously’ like talking about a war that has killed ~30,000 people with an ice-cream cone halfway to your mouth.” Many commentators also pointed out that the timing of President Biden’s comment was particularly interesting. Biden talked about the possibility of an immediate ceasefire just before the crucial Democratic primary election in Michigan, where Biden was in big trouble with Muslim voters who have been very critical of his unconditional support of Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. Israel and Hamas didn’t believe that there was a chance for an immediate ceasefire, then. (3)

Also in February, Thomas Friedman, veteran journalist of The New York Times who has reported decades about the American-Israeli alliance, reached a new low with his dehumanising article “Understanding the Middle East Through the Animal Kingdom” where he reduced Middle East nations to insects. He wrote that Iran is like a “parasitoid wasp” which “injects its eggs into live caterpillars” – according to Friedman those “caterpillars” are Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq and the “eggs” are Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Kataib Hezbollah. In other part of his article, Friedman also wrote that Hamas is like a “trap-door spider” that “leaps out at great speed, seizes its prey and hauls it back into the burrow to be devoured, all in a fraction of a second.” While describing the Middle East as a “jungle”, Friedman wrote, “We have no counterstrategy that safely and efficiently kills the wasp without setting fire to the whole jungle.” Journalist Belén Fernández pointed out that burning down that particular “jungle” has been modus operandi of the American-Israeli alliance for decades and Friedman seemed to endorse that strategy. (4)

Far-right Zionists have been highly critical of President Biden’s talks about two-state solution and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, so the far-right Zionists have put their faith on former president Trump and other Republicans. Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir accused Biden for giving Palestinians humanitarian aid and fuel, which according to Ben Gvir went to Hamas. Ben Gvir continued, “If Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different.” (5) David Friedman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel under President Donald Trump, said during an interview that he would like to present to Trump his idea of a one-state solution where there is only one state, the State of Israel where Palestinians would have “a permanent residency” and that status would give them “self-governance on civil matters, but not voting rights in national elections, only local ones”. When asked if he would want to serve another term under a potential future Trump administration, Friedman replied, “Of course. I mean, you know, he’s a dear friend. He’s been a leader like Israel has never had in the Oval Office.” (6) Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, said during an interview that Gaza could be a valuable “waterfront property” and that Israel should move Palestinians from Gaza to Negev desert and after that to Egypt before “cleaning up” Gaza (7). Trump himself said during an interview that was published on Monday that Israel made “a very big mistake” by bombing Gaza so massively because that has ruined Israel’s public image. He urged Israel to “finish up” the war and to be very careful because Israel is “losing a lot of support” internationally. (8)

Speaking of bombing Gaza, at the beginning of this month it was reported that, by using a legal loophole, the Biden administration has made more than 100 weapons sales to Israel, including thousands of bombs, since the start of the war in Gaza, but the deliveries “have escaped congressional oversight because each transaction was under the dollar amount requiring approval” (9). This week it was reported that the Biden administration has not determined that Israel has violated international humanitarian law and therefore there are no grounds to halt arms exports to Israel. On Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said to reporters, “We have not found them (i.e. Israel) to be in violation of international humanitarian law, either when it comes to the conduct of the war or when it comes to the provision of humanitarian assistance.” (10) In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Arab countries don’t want to rebuild Gaza if the Palestinian question is not resolved and if Gaza is “leveled again” in the future (11). A couple of weeks ago it was reported that according to the UN already 35% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged (12).

According to latest Gallup poll, 55% of Americans now disapprove Israel’s war against Hamas. However, it is notable that there is a great divide between the two major parties: 64% of Republicans support the Israeli military action in Gaza but only 18% of Democrats support it. (13)

Some Democrats and progressive public figures have become increasingly critical about Israel’s actions during the Israel-Hamas war. A couple a weeks ago, Democratic senator and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer caused a big surprise when he criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu harshly, gave a stark warning that Israel is in danger of becoming a “pariah” and called for new elections in Israel (14). In February, Jon Stewart, talk-show host of The Daily Show, said something quite essential when he commented Israel’s relentless bombing campaign in Gaza. Stewart said to Israel, “Palestinian liberation is an idea. Unless you have a bomb that kills ideas. Do you have a bomb that kills ideas? I mean, how long would it even take to bomb this shit out of an idea?” (15, 16) As long as the occupying power, i.e. Israel, continues its oppression against the Palestinians, there will quite certainly be some sort of resistance movement against Israel.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the leading progressive Democratic politicians, said on Saturday that the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is an “unfolding genocide” and demanded that the Biden administration should suspend aid to Israel’s armed forces (17). Renowned American professor Jeffrey Sachs said couple of weeks ago, “Of course, what the government of Israel doing, is unconscionable. World opinion is united against Israel. The problem is the United States remains complicit in these war crimes because it’s traditional in U.S. politics that politicians show no space between the United States and Israel. It is, I think quite likely, that the International Court of Justice is going to find that Israel is in violation of the genocide convention. And does the United States want to be complicit in genocide? This is a pretty straightforward question.” (18)

References:

(1) “Will the UN ceasefire resolution stop Israel’s war on Gaza?” Al Jazeera 26.3.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/26/will-the-un-ceasefire-resolution-stop-israels-war-on-gaza

(2) “Pelosi condemned for suggesting pro-Palestinian activists have ties to Russia” The Guardian 30.1.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/pelosi-condemned-pro-palestinian-russia-ties

(3) “Biden Expresses ‘Hope’ for Gaza Ceasefire While Eating Ice Cream With Seth Meyers” TIME 27.2.2024

https://time.com/6835515/biden-gaza-ceasefire-ice-cream/

(4) “Thomas Friedman: Dehumanisation par excellence amid a genocide” Al Jazeera 17.2.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/17/thomas-friedman-dehumanisation-par-excellence-amid-a-genocide

(5) “Attacking Biden, Ben Gvir says Trump would have been more supportive of Israel” The Times of Israel 4.2.2024

https://www.timesofisrael.com/attacking-biden-ben-gvir-says-trump-would-have-been-more-supportive-of-israel/

(6) “Top Trump advisor Amb. David Friedman suggests a ‘one-state solution’ to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” All Israel News 1.3.2024

https://allisrael.com/top-trump-advisor-amb-david-friedman-suggests-a-one-state-solution-to-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict

(7) “Jared Kushner: Gaza could be a valuable ‘waterfront property'” Middle East Eye 19.3.2024

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jared-kushner-gaza-could-be-valuable-waterfront-property

(8) “Trump warns Israel that it’s ‘losing a lot of support’” Politico 25.3.2024

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/25/trump-says-israel-should-finish-up-gaza-war-00148910

(9) “US uses loophole to keep 100 arms sales to Israel under the radar amid Gaza war – report” The Guardian 7.3.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/06/israel-weapons-sales-loophole

(10) “US overlooks Israeli abuses in Gaza to justify arms transfers: Advocates” Al Jazeera 27.3.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/27/us-overlooks-israeli-abuses-in-gaza-to-justify-arms-transfers-advocates

(11) “Arab countries do not want to rebuild Gaza if it is ‘leveled again’: Blinken” Anadolu Agency 17.1.2024

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/arab-countries-do-not-want-to-rebuild-gaza-if-it-is-leveled-again-blinken/3110944#

(12) “Satellite images show 35% of Gaza’s buildings destroyed, UN says” Middle East Monitor 13.3.2024

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240313-ramadan-arrives-as-families-face-famine-in-gaza

(13) “Majority of Americans disapprove of Israel’s war against Hamas: Poll” The Hill 27.3.2024

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4559102-majority-americans-israel-hamas-gaza

(14) “A speech that sent shockwaves from Washington to Jerusalem” CNN 15.3.2024

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/15/politics/schumer-israel-speech-analysis/index.html

(15) “Jon Stewart On Israel – Palestine” The Daily Show 27.2.2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zbN3AuHG8

(16) “Jon Stewart On Israel – Palestine on The Daily Show” – Happy Scribe 27.2.2024

https://www.happyscribe.com/public/the-daily-show-ears-edition/jon-stewart-on-israel-palestine-murtaza-hussain-yair-rosenberg

(17) “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls Israeli Gaza campaign an ‘unfolding genocide’” The Guardian 23.3.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/23/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-israel-gaza-campaign-unfolding-genocide

(18) “Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Is ‘Complicit’ in Israeli ‘Genocide’ in Gaza” National Review 17.3.2024

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/columbia-university-professor-jeffrey-sachs-u-s-is-complicit-in-israeli-genocide-in-gaza

First Holocaust denial, now Nakba denial

Holocaust denial has been and still is a very worrying part of predominantly Western antisemitic far-right thinking. Perhaps as a sign of times, a new worrying phenomenon has emerged: Nakba denial. Last week it was reported that Germany’s leading Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the opposition Christian Democratic Party (CDU) have ordered high schools in Berlin’s borough of Neukölln to distribute brochures titled “Myths#Israel1948”. The brochure is created by Jewish association Masiyot. The brochure lists and debunks five “myths” regarding the creation of the state of Israel and Palestinian Nakba, or “Catastrophe”, when – among other things – Israel’s pre-state militia, the Haganah, destroyed over 530 Palestinian villages and forced over 700,000 Palestinians to leave their homes during the 1948 Palestine war. According to the brochure, the Haganah was merely a “defensive” Jewish resistance movement. One essay criticizes the United Nations because of its “extremely one-sided” view of Nakba and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The attempts to distort events regarding Nakba are particularly chilling now because it seems increasingly likely that Israel is trying to get rid of Palestinians way or the other – I wrote about this in my post “What is the endgame of Israel and its allies?”

Read the full story about Nakba as a “myth” on Middle East Eye:

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/berlin-schools-handout-leaflet-myth-israel-1948

More information about Nakba:

https://www.un.org/unispal/about-the-nakba/

https://imeu.org/article/quick-facts-the-palestinian-nakba

Isolated USA on the international arena

On Tuesday, USA once again vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel (1). On Wednesday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing regarding Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, representative of the USA told the ICJ, “The court should not find that Israel is legally obligated to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from occupied territory. Any movement towards Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration of Israel’s very real security needs.” It is worth remembering what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli far-right politicians have said about Israel’s “security needs”, lately. I wrote about them in my post “What is the endgame of Israel and its allies?” For example, Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly said at the end of January that Israel’s “security needs” leave no space for a sovereign Palestinian state and that after the war ends, Israel wants to keep security control of “all land west of the River Jordan”, i.e. the Palestinian territories. Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, said, “The overall message of the American representative is that the court (i.e. the ICJ) should be at the service of the American and Israeli negotiation strategy – not that the American and Israeli negotiation strategy should abide by the court’s ruling. But a World Court cannot be at the disposal of the US. It is otherwise unclear why a potential ruling by the court that the occupation is illegal would be a burden on the negotiations.” (2, 3)

The unconditional support of Israel is making the USA increasingly isolated on the international arena. This was obvious also at the G20 summit in Brazil, on Thursday. Several journalists were accidentally able to listen to a closed-door meeting of top diplomats. During that meeting, some of the close allies of the USA expressed their frustration because of the vast amount of casualties in Gaza and because of the USA’s reluctancy to join calls for a ceasefire. Australia called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and opposed Israel’s planned and potentially devastating ground offensive in Rafah, South Gaza. Australia’s representative said, “We say again to Israel — do not go down this path. This would be unjustifiable.” Political expert Richard Gowan said about the meeting, “A year ago, the US had Russia on the back foot over Ukraine… Now the Biden administration looks like it is losing its grip on events in Ukraine and Gaza, and could lose its grip on the November elections too.” (4, 5)

References:

(1) “World slams US ceasefire veto at UN Security Council on Israel’s Gaza war” Al Jazeera 21.2.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/world-condemns-uss-latest-un-security-council-veto-on-gaza-ceasefire

(2) “US tells ICJ Israel should not be ordered to immediately end occupation” Al Jazeera 21.2.2024

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/21/us-tells-icj-israel-should-not-be-ordered-to-immediately-end-occupation

(3) “Netanyahu defies Biden, insisting there’s ‘no space’ for Palestinian state” The Guardian 20.1.2024

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/20/netanyahu-defies-biden-insisting-theres-no-space-for-palestinian-state

(4) “G20 meeting reveals extent of US isolation on Gaza” Semafor 23.2.2024

https://www.semafor.com/article/02/22/2024/g20-leaked-audio-reveals-just-how-isolated-us-is-on-gaza

(5) “Gaza ceasefire veto prompts US isolation at G20 summit in Brazil” Al Mayadeen 23.2.2024

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gaza-ceasefire-veto-prompts-us-isolation-at-g20-summit-in-br