Specifically, I am referring to the 84-page “application” that South Africa filed with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 29 December 2023, accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
The application is a superb description of what Israel is doing in Gaza. It is comprehensive, well-written, well-argued, and thoroughly documented.
Reminds me of the parable about The Mote and the Beam
The Captain
Is there something wrong with Russia declaring peace in Ukraine–and withdrawing from all of Ukraine?
False equivalency
Just Israel and Gaza if Hamas declares no more war and recognizes Israel Netanyahu is done. He is proven wrong.
Hamas keeps proving Netanyahu is right. The Israelis are insisting on a resolution. Why not?
Fantasy. Russia abandon Ukraine?
False equivalency.
20 x over
Why was this reported? It is true. It is reasonable to state. Clearly, the moderators had not seen it. It is a reasonable position.
Do I have to report everything to stop this sort of silly action?
There are 120 members in the Israeli Knesset, but one man towers above them all. His name is Ofer Cassif, and he is, perhaps, the most despised man in Israel. His crime—if you can call it that—is that he put his moral convictions into practice by signing a petition in support of “the upcoming hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague”… “accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.” (Times of Israel) Here’s what he said:
> “My constitutional duty is to Israeli society and all its residents, not to a government whose members and its coalition are calling for ethnic cleansing and even actual genocide.”
I wonder if this guy will be assassinated like Yitzhak Rabin by an ultranationalist?
Rabin was disparaged personally by right-wing conservatives and Likud leaders who perceived the peace process as an attempt to forfeit the occupied territories and a capitulation to Israel’s enemies.
The Likud leader and future prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Rabin’s government of being “removed from Jewish tradition […] and Jewish values”.
For me, that was the crux turn in the horror show of Israel Palestine, the moment the most promising path out was closed. And there was Netanyahu showing his ugly true colors.
Both sides have self-righteous manipulative monsters bent on vengeance for ancient sins, and their annually ever less innocent acolytes, followers and captive general populations.
From that assassination on I have been begging my Palestinian and Israeli friends to leave their homes for almost anywhere else, taking as many of their families and loved ones with them as they can.
Now there is no visible exit from this catastrophe until far far far more horror and suffering has taken place on both sides. Those in power on all sides everywhere are guilty surrendering to blind evil, and all are to some degree culpable.
david fb
Screenwriter Tony Kushner was on Amanpour last night. They showed a clip from “Munich”. that summed up the current situation. an Israeli sympathizer and a Pal talking about why they do what they do. Wish I could remember all the dialog. It was very insightful.
,ah, the net is a wonderful thing. Here is the scene I saw last night.
I totally agree with this.
But it is not that simple. The Muslim infighting is never ending. Resolved in SA by a dictatorship. Same with Egypt and the others. Israel and the US allowing the only exception Jordan supporting that country to stay free of dictatorship and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Is this all really a war with Israel? No.
If this was on the US border? Good luck with that. So let’s not be too hypocritical.
In the 2001 period we decided to go around the world for two wars. We splattered far more blood for 20 years. Now we all say it was wrong? Really? Now? Okay everyone now says they knew it was wrong in 2001. Good luck with that claim as well.
Pursuant to the PNAC plan to leverage a “Pearl Harbor scale event”, which 9/11 offered, to establish USian military domination of the world.
Steve
We have domination anyway.
If we did not you would have a harder time with any of it.
It is not a bed of roses with us in management. It is a bed of thorns without us.
Steve,
Thank you for the video, terrific.
I have had deeply nationalistic, good, honest Israeli and Palestinian friends together with me for dinner. They all loved it. The discussions were intense, respectful, and fruitful. And they almost all agreed that even having such discussions in their homeland would be difficult, and realizing the visions of our discussions would seem utterly fanciful.
Tragedy.
david fb
That clip is why Netanyahu is forcing the issue. Hamas has been forcing the issue all along. The war for the Israelis forces the issue entirely. Resolve it now. Take Gaza as it is off the border with Israel. The Palestinian’s position is clear.
It is ethnic cleansing.
Must add there never was any other Palestinian position. Yes, there are plenty of other voices but not controlling positions. Abbas does not hold elections for that reason.
Not where I ever wanted to go. I knew it would go there. The reverse is equally true for the Jews if it festers for a hundred years. Making it more difficult endlessly. The West Bank is next. Not my plan but done differently. At some point, some of that population is made Israeli citizens. I do not know yet how Netanyahu will approach that. I hate allowing religious Jews to be violent with the army backing them up. Sickening.
Ahh, yes. Movie clips. My go to clips tend toward Disney - the kids have fun and the parents are made to think.
My amateur analysis is that the middle east has a lot of problems dealing with the past. The Lion King is a great tale of learning to deal with your past. And while I’m sorely tempted by Pumbaa’s advice to “put your behind past you” I’m going with the wise man … errr … monkey.
Never rectify a situation if the other guy could. Or the monkey did it.
Interesting interview on Amanpour tonight, with a former aide to a former Israeli PM. He was asked about a recent journalist’s column, that stated that Netanyahu is going to keep the war going, maybe expand the war, to prevent Israeli elections, to keep himself in power, and keep himself out of prison. The former aide said he hoped Netanyahu had motives other than that. Would not be the first time a “leader” was content to burn everything to the ground, to postpone his own demise to the very last moment. I remember the scene in “Band Of Brothers”, when word arrived of the paperhanger’s suicide. One of the GIs said “why didn’t he do that in the first place, and save everyone a lot of trouble?”
Steve
In a Friday press release, Hebestreit stated that while Germany supports the International Court of Justice in its work, it also supports Israel’s right to self-defense and rejects the ICJ’s accusation of genocide.
“The federal government firmly rejects the accusation of genocide made against Israel. It has no basis whatsoever,” Hebestreit reiterated in a post on X…
Canada does not accept the premise of South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice which says Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
DB2
