I can’t remain silent.
I’m sitting here, watching the situation in Gaza. I can’t remain silent. I feel the urgency to speak out against and call for the end of this humanitarian tragedy. I am not an expert in international law or warcrimes. I am simply a human being horrified by the deportation of the majority of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. A person urging each of us to support initiatives that promote equality, justice, and human rights, recognizing the threads that weave our shared humanity.
A few days ago, we marked Holocaust Memorial Day, prompting reflection on the lessons derived from the agony and loss of 6 million Jews and an additional 11 million victims. The question arises: What significance does the commitment to “never again” hold?
As human beings, we must consider the profound suffering inflicted by the U.S.-backed Israel on millions of Palestinians, terrorized and stripped of their dignity as human beings, as well as the anguish and fear of Israeli families who have their loved ones hostage in the hands of Hamas and have been left behind by their own country, Israel. Which has consistently demonstrated a disregard for protecting the lives of Israelis since the start of the conflict using the “Hannibal Directive.”
For me, “never again” extends beyond a specific group; it signifies a universal pledge for all humanity. This universal commitment is exemplified by the existence of the Hague, where the InternationalCourt of Justice (ICJ) operates today. But we are facing a state that does not adhere to the law. U.S.-backed Israel consistently breaches established law, flouting binding Security Council resolutions, disregarding international court decisions, and violating binding treaties.
I am horrified by the current actions of the U.S.-backed Israeli government, and it’s crucial to differentiate them from the Jewish population.
The government, characterized as an occupying apartheid force, has chosen a path of vindictiveness, misery, and a genocidal campaign against Palestinians following the Hamas attack on October 7th. Instead of adhering to international law and avoiding war crimes or potential genocide, Israel seems to be pursuing a course that makes even the brutality of Hamas a joke.
Despite claiming to protect their people, the invocation of the “Hannibal Directive,” which involves targeting their own citizens, and the unfolding events increasingly suggest that the goal of Israel has always been to expand the occupation, ethnically cleanse Gaza and the West Bank, and persecute the Palestinians to pursue its territorial conquest.
Prior to October 7th, 2023, Palestinians endured 75 years of a harsh U.S.-backed Israeli system characterized by racial oppression, denial of fundamental necessities and rights, dispossession, detention torture, and murder. During this period, they had no right to protestor resist. But according to international law, U.S.-backed Israel, functioning as an occupying force, lacks the right to defend itself against the occupied population. Conversely, Palestinians possess the right to defend themselves.
The Hebrew newspaper “Kol Ha’ir” reports that the volume of bombs released by the Israeli army on Gaza in four months surpasses the quantity utilized by Russia during its two-year war on Ukraine. Estimates indicate that the Israeli army’s use of bombs on Gaza exceeds the amount employed by Hitler in World War II. As I type these words, the numbers I convey continue to increase with each word entered.
In over 117 days of war, U.S.-backed Israel killed more than 100 journalists and their families by using AI and the technology of drones. Over 27.000 Gazans have been killed and 66.000 wounded by U.S.-backed Israel since the beginning of the bombing. UNICEF estimates that at least 19,000 Gazan children have been orphaned by the IDF. 2.3 million Palestinians are homeless with no access to water, food, or medications, and Israel is purposely starving them. They have no roof and no possibility to shower; they cannot protect themselves from the rain and the cold; over 8,000 people are missing; and outbreaks and hunger are spreading.
Bombardment, forced displacement, and a breakdown in healthcare: the onset of the conflict in Gaza has led to the displacement of nearly 1 million women and girls. In total, more than 690,000 menstruating women and adolescent girls in Gaza need menstrual hygiene products, along with access to clean water, sanitary facilities, and privacy.
Hospitals, the so-called safe zones, schools, and everyplace in Gaza are bombed by Israeli forces. Children, when they can get the medications, are treated or undergo amputation of limbs without anesthesia; women are having a C-section without any kind of safe support; and they are hungry, dehydrated, and unable to breastfeed. These millions of Palestinians are terrorized and stripped of their dignity as human beings.
The Global South Sounds Alarm on Genocide, Challenges the Colonial Legacy of Western Powers.
The international community, through the United Nations, has the responsibility to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. Undert he 1948 Genocide Convention, Israel is also legally obliged to act against those who incite genocide.
In late December, South Africa filed a lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in its Gaza war, seeking to halt Israel’s military assault. On Friday, January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that the case presented by South Africa stands and Israel is officially under process for genocide because “some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the [Genocide] Convention.” U.S.-backed Israel’s actions in Gaza may constitute genocide, with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, Palestinians.
While the ICJ doesn’t directly call for a ceasefire, compliance with its orders signals an inevitable cessation of hostility. The Court imposes several injunctions against Israel and reminds Israel that its rulings are binding, according to international law. Third-world states must now enact these orders—arms and diplomatic embargoes, triggering national jurisdictions—to prevent Israel’s genocide.
Professor Francis Boyle, who serves as counsel to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the Provisional Government of the Palestinian Authority, on the ICJ Orders “This is a massive, overwhelming legal victory for the Republic of South Africa against Israel on behalf of the Palestinians. The UN General Assembly can now suspend Israel’s participation in its activities, as it did for South Africa and Yugoslavia. It can admit Palestine as a full member. And, especially since the International Criminal Court has been a farce, it can establish a tribunal to prosecute the highest-level officials of theIsraeli government, both civilian and military.”
Jews who support the “never again” call for universal justice are condemning Israel. They are calling out what Israel is doing in Gazaas genocide: Prof. Alexander Hinton, UNESCO Chair on Genocide Prevention at Rutgers University, for whom the genocide is defined through three lenses: legal, social, scientific, and conventional; and Jewish scholars Profs. Segal, Bartov, and Schabas, who have all come out on record to call what is happening a genocide or very close to meeting even the legal definition (which is the most technical definition).
Genocidal acts, war crimes, and crimes against humanity have been perpetrated and persist, as I write, both in Gaza and the West Bank, by the U.S.-backed Israeli government and its soldiers. It remains crucial to differentiate them from the Jewish population in the world, which is championing the call for justice and peace. An impartial international investigation is essential to examine the actions of both Israel and Hamas, at the very least.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens: Israel Challenges ICJ, Western Nations Halt UNRWA Aid.
The day following the ICJ’s order to cease “(a) killing members of the group [Palestinians]; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group,” Israel continued its lethal actions, with 12 Israeli cabinet ministers participating in a conference focused on ethnically cleansing Gaza. Addressing a conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, January 28, 2024, Ben-Gvir emphasized the necessity for a two-fold strategy: advocating for the departure of Gaza’s existing residents while concurrently promoting the arrival of Israeli settlers into the region. Additionally, there was a concerted smearing campaign aimed at overthrowing UNRWA.
What does UNRWA stand for? UNRWA is tasked with a humanitarian and development mission to offer aid and protection to Palestinian refugees until a fair and enduring resolution to their situation is reached. The mandate of UNRWA is established by theUN General Assembly, its overseeing body, and it is solely the General Assembly that can outline UNRWA’s mandate. The mandate of the agency is not specified in a single source or document.
Instead, it is primarily derived from resolutions passed by the UN General Assembly.
“For those who do not know, UNRWA is the right of return, and abolishing UNRWA is canceling the right of return for the Palestinians to Palestine, and this is the goal behind the whole campaign: abolishing UNRWA. And after abolishing UNRWA and the right to return, countries that host Palestinian refugees are forced to grant them their citizenship and terminate their rights as refugees, which violates Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries.” Mohamad Safa (CEO, Diplomat Rel. @PVAenglish, main representative at the UnitedNations ECOSOC and accredited at the United Nations Geneva Office).
Prominent Israeli Professor Avi Shlaim remarked, “It is not a coincidence that Israel’s attack on UNRWA happens after the ICJ ruling. Israel is trying to discredit the ICJ. It is really heartbreaking that Israeli propaganda is now demonising UNRWA.”
“The immediate response to the ICJ ruling was a coordinated attack by Israel and the combined imperialist powers on UNRWA, designed to accelerate the genocide by stopping aid, to provide a propaganda counter-narrative to the ICJ judgment, and to reduce the credibility of UNRWA’s evidence before the court.” (Accuracy.org)
The Western countries—led by the U.S. and including Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, Italy, Austria, Finland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden—have now suspended aid to UNRWA, and they are starving people in Gaza. Committing an act of collective punishment against a refugee population facing famine, disease, and genocide.
Earlier this month, on January 4, Noga Arbell, a former Israeli official, called for the destruction of UNRWA during a discussion in the Israeli parliament. “It will be impossible to win the war if we do not destroy UNRWA, and this destruction must begin immediately.”Professor Francis Boyle, who serves as counsel to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the Provisional Government of the Palestinian Authority, on the cutting off funding to UNRWA “It is no longer the case of these states aiding and abetting Israeli genocide against the Palestinians in violation of Genocide Convention Article 3 (e) criminalizing ‘complicity’ in genocide. These states are now also directly violating Genocide Convention Article 2 (c) by themselves: ‘Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.
“The defunding of UNRWA is important because it shows intent. Not intent by Israel; we knew that already from South Africa’s ICJ case and the statements of Israeli leaders. But now we have intent by the U.S., UK, and others—intent to aid a genocide, with no plausible deniability.
In an interview with Owen Jones, Chris Gunness, who was UNRWA spokesman until 2020 for 14 years, takes apart Israeli claims about a tiny proportion of staff that have been used to justify Western countries pulling the plug on funding—catastrophic collective punishment during a humanitarian disaster.
War is never the solution. The violence of one side never, ever justifies the violence of the other. The hard work of diplomacy must be used because wars generate only violence, destruction, starvation, misery, and grief; they could destroy humankind.
Applying all diplomatic, political, and economic measures is paramount and the way to put an end to the genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli administration.
I find it hard to believe that Canada would suspend funding to UNRWA in this critical moment when Palestinians need humanitarian aid more than ever. If UNRWA collapses because of this decision, many people will die. UNRWA has suffered significant losses amid the conflict, with 152 of its personnel losing their lives in Gaza and 145 of its facilities sustaining damage.
Israel’s allegations against a few UNRWA employees have not yet been proven and may be based on forced confessions obtained through torture. It is totally irresponsible to punish the entire population of Gaza based on these claims.
U.S.-backed Israel’s siege has been deliberately depriving the people of Gaza of access to food, water, medicine, and electricity. The International Court of Justice finds it plausible that these acts could be genocidal. Shockingly, Canada’s decision threatens to make the situation worse.
Canada must immediately reverse this decision and increase funding to UNRWA. Canada must do everything it can to bring an end to Israel’s genocidal war and siege.
The cut in funding betrayed Canada’s global reputation as a humanitarian country and a peacemaking nation. There are no excuses for Justin Trudeau and Ahmed Hussein’s actions. Trying to minimize the damage of the shameful decisions by saying that they are working with other organizations is just a political show. Twenty NGOs with joint statement said on January 29th, 2024: “We are outraged that some donors have united to suspend funding for UNRWA, the main aid provider for millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the region. This comes amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”
As a Canadian, I identify with a nation that advocates for peace and justice for everyone. This includes championing the rights of the First Nations and Inuit, as well as supporting the rights of Palestinians, Israelis, and individuals of various nationalities, races, and religions.
Gratitude to Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, and Luxembourg for their unwavering commitment to continue funding UNRWA.
CIJ Ruling Exposes Western Nations’ Hypocritical Stance in Israel’sGenocidal Actions and War Crimes.
As UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese stated, “Genocide is a dormant gene of settler-colonialism.” Amid the grandeur of imperial ambitions, the sinister underbelly of colonialism manifested in acts of genocide—the intentional and systematic destruction ofentire communities.
Israel’s settler colonialism in Palestine is fuelled by religious motivations and historical claims. Emerging from 19th-century European roots, the Zionist movement aimed to establish a Jewish homeland, viewing it as a fulfillment of religious promises. This narrative draws strength from biblical ties to the region, emphasizing a divine right to the land. The ideological fusion of nationalism and religious fervour justifies the settlement enterprise.
This approach intertwines political objectives with religious beliefs, contributing to the complex and contentious nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As we delve into the historical tapestry of conquests, forced assimilation, and systemic violence, the shadows cast by colonizers reveal a complex web of motivations, ideologies, and consequences.
The ideologies behind colonialism have evolved over time, and different colonial powers had varying justifications for their imperial pursuits.
Colonial powers used the differences in culture, ethnicity, and religion for the creation of “us vs. them” mentalities, fostering dehumanization, discrimination, and violence. They used the “terra nullius” defence, meaning “land belonging to no one,” to conquer regions inhabited by indigenous peoples who had different land-use systems that were not recognized or understood by the colonizers. This concept allowed colonial powers to disregard the presence and rights of indigenous populations, leading to the dispossession, displacement, and mistreatment of native communities. A cultural presumption that imperialist poet Kipling represented at one point in history as the moral burden of the white race, who are “divinely destined” to “civilize” the brutish, non-white inhabitants of the barbarous parts of the world. And that is the root of colonialism, the dehumanization operation, and the seed of genocide.
The chilling resonance of such atrocities should reverberate through history, serving as stark reminders of the human cost of conquest. But today the masks are lifted. Colonial powers find themselves at a critical moment for integrity in front of the genocide that Israel is committing in Gaza. But with the ruling of the CIJ, the international community, through the United Nations, must prevent and punish the crime of genocide that U.S.-backed Israel is committing.
On one side, there are nations with a history of aggression and genocide in denial of the events in Gaza, employing double standards, and engaging in political maneuvering. On the other side, there are nations that were victims of these aggressors, raising the alarm.
The ICJ’s decision will, at the very least, expose the hypocritical stance of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Europe, and France, who support Israel against genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice. These states struggle to distance themselves from a legacy of violent arrogance persisting through centuries, marked by wars that still resonate with historical atrocities.
The USA is responsible for nearly eradicating the Native American population and participating in numerous conflicts against the global south, including Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, and Gaza!
The United Kingdom is accountable for imperial transgressions globally, encompassing devastating famines in India, the violent suppression of the Mau Mau uprising, and the Amritsar Massacre. And Gaza!
Germany bears responsibility for the initial genocide of the 20th century in Namibia, as well as the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities. AndGaza!
France is responsible for the torture inflicted upon numerous African nations through colonialism, along with the bloodshed of 1.5 million Algerians who sacrificed their lives for Algeria’s independence. And Gaza!
Canada is responsible for the genocidal annihilation of the First Nations and Inuit, as well as cultural genocide through the forced assimilation of the natives that remained. As a signatory to the Genocide Convention, drafted after the Holocaust and Second World War, Canada has an obligation to uphold international law, specifically preventing genocide from occurring. Supporting South Africa’s application at the ICJ brings us one step closer to a ceasefire and could stop a potential genocide in its tracks. While leading the truth and reconciliation processes, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s position on Gaza is like him walking on eggshells. Instead of stating its position as clearly as it is doing for Ukraine, he seems more committed to not annoying the powers who sustain him politically and the United States.
The European Union is incapable of having a shared foreign policy because the 27 states are divided over Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which is in contrast with near unity when Ukraine accused Russia of violating the Genocide Convention. Contrast explained by the axis of imperialist alliances.
When these nations refer to “shared values,” we need to recognize that these are not principles of freedom and democracy but rather economic interests rooted in aggressive settler-colonialism. The Western formula has always been “International Law for thee, but not for me.”
What is happening here is clearly a battle in which a change in the global socio-political structure is at stake.
On the one hand, an imperialist system led by the United States has put public institutions in crisis by increasing the power of the lobbies of private multinationals that are out of control, which has facilitated the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, the thinning of the middle classes, and the general impoverishment of the world’s civil society, already characterized by abyssal and intolerable inequalities.
On the other hand, the US-led capitalist system is put in crisis by the new BRICS alliances (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), to which other ME states must be added.
The two wars, Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza, represent, at this historic moment, the leverage in the two conflicts that is strategically employed to manipulate the dynamics underpinning socioeconomic and political agreements.
The imperialist mindset of the Western world can only endorse the concept of a “rules-based international order” for preserving global peace and security when it is dictated by the US and its allies. It is now imperative to foster a multipolar world where every nation has equal rights and is held accountable under the rule of law.
The masks have been lifted. The conflicts are not driven by the rationales presented in propaganda but stem from a ruthless, ethically devoid colonial mindset. If the act of taking innocent lives, especially those of infants and children, is deemed a heinous crime, which it is, then it should be condemned as such in all conflicts, not just when it aligns with the political convenience of one world or the other.
Gaza’s Cry for Justice: Independent Reporting Exposes Atrocities and Media Bias, Holding Politicians Accountable.
“The Holocaust did not commence with the gas chambers; it began with hate speech. We must unite in our efforts to prevent and eradicate hate speech in all its manifestations.” UN Geneva Director-General @UN_Valovaya’s plea during the #HolocaustRemembranceDay commemoration. The assertion that the Holocaust was initiated by the propaganda machine is a valid observation. The influence of communication in moulding public opinion is now more forceful than in Goebbels’s era.
Our ability to comprehend factual information is crucial. The late John Pilger was recognized for his investigative journalism and insightful analysis of global issues. I watched his documentary “The War You Don’t See” from 2010, a production where he served as the writer, producer, and director.
In his film, he questioned the role of the media in perpetuating war narratives and underscored the responsibility of journalists to present a more accurate and comprehensive view of conflicts. The documentary featured interviews with journalists, media insiders, and experts to provide a multifaceted examination of the complex relationship between media, government, and war.
The documentary addressed the impact of war on civilians, emphasizing the often-overlooked human cost of conflict. The film suggested that civilians are the true victims of war and that their stories are frequently sidelined or misrepresented in main stream media. The suffering, excruciation, and annihilation of civilians are what you don’t see.
Pilger’s work aimed to encourage audiences to critically assess the information presented to them and to be aware of the potential biases and agendas at play in media coverage of conflict. He advocated for transparency and government accountability, arguing that a free and independent media is essential for holding those in power responsible for their actions, especially in the context of war.
Today, more than ever, we need to understand the impact of modern media and technologies (social media, YouTube, AI, drones, algorithms) in shaping warfare and our understanding of war. We need to understand the role of journalists in perpetuating or challenging government narratives and propaganda.
Governing the narrative of the events has the power to shape public opinion in favour of official propaganda in manufacturing wars. How do they do it?
Watching the documentary, you will learn that the techniques used can apply perfectly to the war in Gaza. One of the key characteristics of propaganda is the selective presentation of information. The aim is to shape perceptions in a way that aligns with the propagandist’s goals. That involves presenting information selectively, emphasizing certain aspects while downplaying or omitting others. This selective presentation is intended to create a specific narrative that aligns with the propagandist’s objectives.
We are observing the main media’s attempt to distort the fundamental “FiveWs and How” questions, which serve as the foundation for serious journalism, research, and police investigations.
Adhering to the principle of the Five Ws a report is deemed comprehensive only when it addresses these questions, commencing with the interrogative words: who, what, when, where, why, and how. In actions, it is imperative to observe the doer (who), the aids or instruments employed, the nature of the action (what), the location (where), the motivation (why), the method (how), and the timing of the deed (when).
In the case of Gaza, to justify the right of Israel to defend itself, the narrative needs to start on October 7th, omitting that Israel is a rouge apartheid state that is oppressing Palestinians through a 75-year siege and Hamas exists as an organized political force to fight in the occupied territories defined as terrorists. Who labelled Hamas as terrorists? Remember that the U.S. officially labelled Mandela’s political party, the African National Congress, a terrorist group, and Mandela’s name remained on the U.S. terrorism watch list till 2008.(See the pattern here?) That is deception.
Deception is a strategy with the purpose of gaining an advantage, protecting oneself, or achieving a specific goal by leading others to believe in something false or inaccurate. It involves creating a false impression, providing misleading information, or manipulating perceptions with the intention of causing someone to believe something that is not accurate or true.
Why did Israel kill more than 100 independent journalists in over100 days of war?
Because the journalists on the ground weren’t embedded with Israel and their killing reflects an “electronic battlefield,” where they become a target because they became the eyes and voices of civilians, they describe the “war you don’t see” when journalists are in bed with administrations, politics, organizations, and the lobbies that are financing their mainstream media.
As the American journalist Jamal says during his interview with Pilger, “the important distinction between embedded journalists and independent journalists is that when you choose to embed, you are giving the military the full power to control where you go, how you get there, what you see and when you see it, and in a lot of instances, even how you are going to report that.”
With the reporting of independent journalists in Gaza, we can see the atrocities and hear the voices of civilians. We are witnessing, for the first time in history, a documented genocide. What is more horrifying is the sense of impunity of the Israeli genocidal government in showing its acts and intentions to commit genocide too.
Here, CBS News senior foreign correspondent Charlie D’Agata recently accompanied the Israeli military into Gaza, explaining the difference between embedded journalism and independent journalism.
The alarming issue arises when reporting shows clear bias or neglects to fact-check influential sources with significant stakes and potential consequences. Investigating certain topics is often avoided, and instead, news outlets tend to merely echo press releases from the vested interests they cater to.
The main media is excluding information that doesn’t portray theUS, Israel, and their allies favourably and frequently exaggerating aspects that align with their political narrative. The outcome is a distorted version of the day’s events. We are observing western politicians manufacturing wars and embarrassing themselves with speeches that are trying to twist, coerce, and negate the fact that Israel is committing genocide.
Watch this interesting analysis that Peter Oborne, a British former chief and political commentator for The Daily Telegraph, gave to Owen Jones during an interview. Oborne talks him through the media’s complicity in the horrors of Gaza, Israel’s defiance of the ICJ ruling, and the outrageous role of our political establishment.
Gaza’s Cry for Humanity: Breaking Through Divisiveness to End Genocide.
We are living in the “Global Village” that Marshall McLuhan envisioned. A place where electronic communication technologies are bringing people closer together, transcending geographical boundaries, and creating a sense of interconnectedness and global community.
The global village is proving our capacity to preserve and manifest the best of our humanity; we are navigating in a world marked by constant change, uncertainty, and isolation. Where divisiveness is amplified by the power of algorithms that shape and drag our thoughts deeper in one direction, we are reduced to an audience fragmented into tiny slivers.
Consequently, we find ourselves in a significantly cluttered media landscape that, with its content, must cut through the cluttered society—us. The media trains us to be more skeptical of others and less tolerant of diverse opinions, diminishing our ability to acknowledge our shared humanity and our belonging to the human community. Additionally, it intensifies our unease with engaging in political discussions, which is a fundamental aspect of democracy.
Our shared humanity implies the necessity of putting effort into recognizing historical injustices, including instances of genocide associated with colonial practices. It is an important aspect of acknowledging the impact of colonialism and working toward justice and reconciliation in the present day. Efforts to document and address these historical wrongs should contribute to the prevention of future atrocities and the promotion of human rights and dignity.
To achieve equality in rights, freedom, and peace for all humanity, future change must be marked by the end of the colonialism mindset, which prioritizes economic hegemony over many.
We need to remember that we are interconnected. There is hope for humanity when you can observe the huge number of people who are looking for new forms of solidarity, new lifestyles of better quality, and who are committed to being more consumption- and environmentally conscious. But knowledge is only the first step.
The destruction in Gaza represents a crisis of humanity in a silent world witnessing a genocide unfolding there. The ability to empathize with the suffering of another human being is profoundly humane; it makes the distinction between a system that connect shaving inside a pulsing hearth and one that is based on the not empathic connections made by microchips and algorithms.
The lack of empathy makes us complicit in the suffering, causing the loss of many innocent lives. As exemplified by what is taking place in Gaza.
As human beings, we need to consider the suffering of Palestinians and the suffering of Israeli families that have their beloved hostages in Hamas’ hands and are experiencing abandonment by their own country, Israel, which has consistently demonstrated a disregard for protecting the lives of the hostages since the start of the conflict using the “Hannibal Directive.”
The path to a sustainable world begins when our personal healing aligns with the healing of humanity, acknowledging that, as human beings, we all share the common pursuit of hope, peace, and belonging to the human community in our diverse lives.
Appendix
Alternative Sources for Providing Valuable Perspectives for Comprehending Current Events.
Besides perusing conventional newspapers and consuming mainstream media, seeking insights from independent journalists, activists, professors, international lawyers, and various alternative sources can provide valuable perspectives for comprehending current events.
Here are a few recommendations:
International Court of Justice (CIJ). Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in theGaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
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Oct7factcheck.com, Committed to thorough research and data collection to ensure an accurate representation of the events of Oct7 and its aftermath.
Great to see thorough investigation by @jdiamond1 at @CNNfinding that “Israeli commanders failed to prove their claim during a three-hour visit to the Bani Suheila cemetery and the surroundingarea.” Journalism like this is critical and should be applauded.
Confirmed TRUE: the IDF fired upon Israeli citizens during Oct 7. With a tank. During an active hostage negotiation.
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Independent Jewish Voices, A grassroots organization in Canada grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism & advocates for justice and peace for all in Palestine-Israel.
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Jewish Voice for Peace. Like generations of Jewish leftists before us, we fight for the liberation of all people.
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Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention. It engages in global grassroots genocide prevention, promotion of just human security, and support for accountability. Genocide Prevention | Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention
“The safety and sanctity of refugee status in the region have been routinely violated by Israel – this is no longer an allegation but forms a critical part of the South African case before the ICJ. Taking action against UNRWA as a whole represents an intensification of anti-refugee acts, including the 58 refugee camps reliant on UNRWA funding, core responsibilities, and daily operation.”
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Chris Hedges, the former Middle East Bureau Chief for The New York Times, spent seven years covering the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Chris Hedges “The Genocide in Gaza”
Chris Hedges “The Death of Israel: How a Settler Colonial State Destroyed Itself”
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Dr. Nicola Perugini (@PeruginiNic), Associate Professor at Edinburgh, international law scholar, and leading expert on human shields in conflict and the intentional destruction of hospitals.
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John Pilger was an investigative journalist and critical analyst of international issues. His 2010 documentary film “The War You Don’t See” was written, produced, and directed by him.
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The Elders, Founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, are independent global leaders working together for peace, justice, human rights, and a sustainable planet.
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Avi Shlaim is a prominent Israeli Professor and British historian of Iraqi Jewish descent.
“Avi Shlaim calls for critical reflection” – The Economist
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Norman Gary Finkelstein is an American political scientist and activist. His primary fields of research are the politics of the Holocaust and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Finkelstein was born to parents who are both Jewish Holocaust survivors in New York City in1953.
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Francis Anthony Boyle is an American human rights lawyer and professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He has served as counsel for Bosnia and Herzegovina and has supported the rights of Palestinians and indigenous peoples.
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Avram Noam Chomsky is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. As Chomsky said, “education is not memorizing that Hitler killed 6 million Jews; it’s learning to spot the signs of history repeating itself.”
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Clayson Monyela is a South Africa’s Head of Public Diplomacy.
To be clear… the #ICJ has effectively ordered an immediate ceasefire & for #Israel to halt military operations. The order: “The state of Israel shall ensure WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT that its MILITARY does NOT commit any acts described in point 1. These are: a) Killing of members of the group (Palestinians) b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm. #Israel must submit a report next month on how they’re implementing these measures.
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UN News is the official United Nations News Service, a one-stop shop for all information related to the @UN and its agencies. Breaking news, features, and human stories.
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UN Human Rights Palestine, @OHCHR_Palestine, is internationally mandated to monitor and report publicly on human rights in theOPT and is the official UN voice on human rights in the OPT.“UN Human Rights Office calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately end the unlawful killing of Palestinians in the occupied#WestBank , which the office has increasingly documented after 7October, and to provide accountability for all unlawful use of force.”
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UN Special Procedures: The Special Procedures of @UN_HRC are human rights experts independent from any government or organization, serving in their individual capacity. “Gaza: UN experts condemn killing and silencing of journalists”
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Haaretz is Israel’s leading outlet.
“’You’re Dancing on Their Blood’: Israeli Hostage Families Outraged Over Resettlement Conference”
“In this ‘crazy zone’ in the West Bank, they shoot Americans too” by Gideon Levy
11,500 children have been killed in Gaza. Horror of this scale has no explanation | Opinion | Gideon Levy
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Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, The Canadian Foreign Policy Institute informs people about the country’s diplomatic, aid, intelligence and military policies abroad.
Canadian officials face threat of prosecution for complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The US labelled Nelson Mandela a terrorist. And Canada banned members of the ANC from entering the country without a visa until2012. Here. See the video here.
Amazing list of speakers yesterday demanded Defund Genocide, Not Aid to Genocide Angela Davis, Gabor Mate, Roger Waters & many others raised voices against & others governments cutting aid to UNRWA while ICJ finds it “plausible” Israel committing genocide. Here.
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Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME)
CANADA’S REDIRECTION OF GAZA AID FUNDING MAY VIOLATE ICJ ORDERS ON GENOCIDE
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Decensored News, History, mass media, geopolitics, science, tech, health, and human freedom. Examining power structures and #propaganda with a focus on primary source research.
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Accuracy.org, the Institute for Public Accuracy, is an independent media outreach organization broadening public discourse with well-documented analysis of current events.
“World Court Cited UNRWA Against Israel, Now, U.S. Is Targeting It.”
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Davide Mastracci, • Opinion Editor @mapleopinion, formerly knownas Passage •Aspiring Marxist •Words:Al Jazeera, Electronic Intifada, HuffPost Canada, Canadaland, etc.
Saturday morning newspaper headlines in Canada…
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Sulaiman Ahmed, investigative journalist, MA Philosophy, PGCEMathematics, LLB Law, Author.
WSJ HIT-PIECE AGAINST UNRWA WAS WRITTEN BY EX ISRAELI SOLDIER CARRIE KELLER- LYNN.
An interesting analysis was made by Sulaiman about the Hamas’s1988 charter, the updated 2017 charter, and the recent small book. Intheir charter, they envision a land where Jews, Muslims, Christians,and people of other faiths or no faith live in peace, harmony, andsafety. He compares this to the charter of Netanyahu’s Likudgovernment, which aims to have complete control over the entiretyof the land. (Here)
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Mark Kersten, Human Rights, International Criminal Justice,Canadian Law | Prof @goUFV | @WayamoFound | BCL/JD McGill |PhD, @LSEnews Author: Justice in Conflict (OUP 2016)
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Craig Mokhiber, Human rights lawyer, justice campaigner, global citizen.
All states have a duty under international law to act to stop genocide. Yemen did so by blocking shipping to the offending regime. The US is now bombing them for daring to interfere with the US-supported genocide in Gaza. There is your “rules-based order.”
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TheBreachMedia, Journalism to map a just, viable future.
If you read Canada’s major newspapers, Palestinians have never been massacred—only Israelis.
Canadians are filling the streets for a ceasefire in Gaza, but JustinTrudeau won’t budge. Why?
Read here how Canada’s major newspapers are failing to present the breadth of public opinion about Gaza.
Canada’s double standard on genocide is here.
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Max Blumenthal, editor.
As the “Hamas mass rape” narrative collapses, new evidence surfaces suggesting the Guardian’s @mck_beth not only plagiarized NBC’s similarly bogus report, she copied from the same document furnished to both outlets by the Israeli government. The Guardian needs to explain this.
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Owen Jones, Guardian columnist, author, and podcaster. YouTube channel.
“Israel’s Claims Torn Apart By Ex-UN Spokesperson: The Truth AboutUNRWA, w/ Chris Gunness” (here)
Peter Oborne knows the British media industry inside out and offers a devastating account of media complicity. (here)
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The Intercept, is an award-winning news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism.
NEW YORK TIMES PUTS “DAILY” EPISODE ON ICE AMID INTERNAL FIRESTORM OVER HAMAS SEXUAL VIOLENCE ARTICLE because of weak evidence. Sources at the Times say Gettleman has been assigned a follow-up to gather evidence supporting his original reporting.
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AJEnglish, for breaking news alerts, follow @AJENews.
“Canada is legally exposed unless there’s a major shift in our foreign policy towards Israel.”
“Israel’s war on Gaza has exposed the true nature and purpose of Western media.”
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The Arab News, The New Arab is a fast-growing English-language news and current affairs website bringing you the biggest stories from the Middle East and North Africa and beyond.
Israeli officials rely on Gaza health ministry death toll, contradicting public claims
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Democracy Now! Independent, daily global news hour.
In a landmark lawsuit filed by @theCCR, the Biden administration is standing trial in the United States for failure to prevent genocide in Gaza.
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Guardian news, independent journalism.
How war destroyed Gaza’s neighbourhoods – visual investigation.
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The CCR, “We fight against oppression. We stand with social justice activists and communities under threat. We use the power of the law to achieve justice for all.”
Defence for Children International – Palestine v. Biden
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Sam Husseini, independent journalist.
The Provisional State of Palestine could have invoked the Genocide Convention. Can now do many things, see my most recent piece.
South African minister Pandor @DIRCO_ZA: “we encourage States that are so inclined to approach the Court to intervene in the proceedings so as to send a strong message to the international community that the situation in the Gaza Strip is indefensible.”
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Rula Jebreal, Visiting Professor, The University of Miami. Author. Foreign Policy analyst.
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EuroMedHR, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. Defending Freedom Throughout Europe and the MENA Region.
Statistics on the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.
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Mehdi Hasan, Former host, @mehdihasanshow on @MSNBC & NBC’s @peacockTV. New York Times best-selling author.
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Dr Myriam François, Story hunter. Journalist, presenter, writer, and documentary filmmaker.
‘Israelism’: The promised land needs a new narrative’ (here)
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Caitlin Johnstone, 100% reader-funded writer. All works free to republish, bootleg, use or c/p. All works co-authored by Tim Foley.
An Egyptian woman at the Rafah crossing exposes western media hypocrisy on Palestine.
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Kenneth Roth, @KenRoth Former executive director of Human Rights Watch (1993-2022). Now visiting professor at Princeton SPIA.
Israel vs UNRWA:Deflection and deception
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Craig Murray, Historian, journalist, dissident, human rights activist, and former diplomat.
Quality and Propaganda – Craig Murray
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William l. Youmans, Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University.
“The current crisis in Gaza shows the extent to which legacy media in the United States continue to misinform the American public on foreign policy. Only one Palestinian national was a guest on any of the shows. By contrast, Israeli guests appeared a total of ten times on all four programs.” (here)
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Ralph Wilde, int.l law; human rights law; colonialism; self-determination; refugees; IHL; occupation; use of force; int.l orgs; UNlaw.
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Trita Parsi, is the co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, as well as the founder and former president of the National Iranian American Council.
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Zachary Al-Khatib. Zachary’s practice also includes select civil matters including defamation, human rights and wrongful dismissal cases, and estates disputes (particularly issues involving Islamic wills and inheritance).
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Dimitri Lascaris, is a lawyer and journalist. Avocat et journaliste.
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Aaron Maté, Journalist with The Grayzone, where I host “Pushback.” Contributor to Real Clear Investigations. Temporary co-host of “Useful Idiots.” In 2019, won the Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media for Russiagate coverage in The Nation.
[unlocked] Biden sacrifices American troops, and Mideast security, for US-Israeli hegemony
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Mona Shtaya, a Palestinian digital rights defender, has pinned in her profile an interesting discussion which emphasizes the need to address the role of social media platforms in allowing genocidal incitement to spread and flourish, calling for increased efforts to protect people and prevent genocide.
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Prof. Faisal Kutty, (TheMuslimLawyer), Lawyer & Law Prof. | Speaker @TEDx | Words @TorontoStar @AJEnglish @MiddleEastEye @CBCNews
An analysis of social media videos found Israeli soldiers filming themselves in Gaza and destroying what appears to be civilian property. The footage provides a rare and unsanctioned window into the war. Here via NYT
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Tayab Ali, Partner at Bindmans LLP | Head of International Law | Crime, Fraud & Regulatory | Ranked in Chambers & Partners | Legal500 | Director at ICJP.
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Avi Lewis, Filmmaker, Climate Activist, Educator. Associate Prof @UBCGeog, Former NDP Candidate
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Alon Mizrahi is an Israeli author, blogger, and public speaker.
“Started talking about how terrible zionism is for jews, too”
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Azaiza Motaz, independent photojournalist. Portraits and people, @unrwausa Gaza content producer.
“Today, I sat down with @AJStream for a personal conversation about my experiences during the war.”
