Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.

UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine

by Oui Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 10:28:10 AM EST

Got its mandate for an investigation after the Israeli bombing of Gaza in 2021.

US Joe Biden Partners with Israel in Gaza Carnage | May 17, 2021 |

Happened before, during the Bush and Obama administration. Shipping arms and munitions to replenish stocks used by Israel to crush the Palestinian people in Gaza. Unconscionable ... immoral ... equates to war crimes and/or complicit to bombing civilians. The United States will live with impunity, Israeli leaders will be judged by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The White House and U.S. Congress will always stand by Israel to avoid prosecution.


Roadside posters from my last trip to Israel of Barack Obama saying "Anti-Semitic" and "Jew-Hater." ©2009 Omar Ha-Redeye

Demonizing everyone opposing Zionism and the transfer of the Palestinian people from their homestead of so many generations.

Israel Nervous About Goldstone Report | by Oui @BooMan on 30 Sep 2009 |

Israel seeks Obama backing on Gaza probe

(Haaretz) -  Israel asked a number of senior members of the Obama administration to assist in curbing the international fallout from the Goldstone Commission report, which accuses Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead.

The Foreign Ministry decided to focus their efforts to combat the report's accusations on the United States, Russia and a few other members of the United Nations Security Council and the Human Rights Council that are involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Israeli message is that the Goldstone report threatens those countries because it makes the war on terror very difficult, and therefore efforts must be made to prevent it from being brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

 

The New York Times just reported [cached] that recent months have seen "a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreement." But other news coming out of the Middle East actually suggests the opposite: that the US has shifted back into the old mold of appeasing Israel by permitting the right wing Netanyahu government to continue its colonization of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, making a two state solution impossible.

Obama hints that Two-State Solution may be Impossible | Informed Comment by Juan Cole - April 2010 |

Obama may well be right. But note the implications of no progress between Israel and the Palestinians on political settlement of their dispute:

    "The two sides may say to themselves, `We are not prepared to resolve these issues no matter how much pressure the United States brings to bear.'"  Obama reiterated that peace is a vital goal, but one that may be beyond reach "even if we are applying all of our political capital."

Obama's team tried to get the Palestine Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas to restart negotiations last year, but the long-suffering Abbas insisted on a freeze on the creeping Israeli colonization of the Palestinian West Bank first. That is, he insisted that Israel not be actively annexing the very territory at issue while the talks proceeded. It would sort of be like negotiating to buy a mansion from a seller who was dismantling wings of it and carting them off to his new residence while he kept jacking up the asking price on his increasingly diminished domicile.

Netanyahu finally agreed to an 8-month settlement freeze on the West Bank. But the offer was insincere. Building within existing settlements would continue, so they would get denser. And, the parts of the West Bank Israel had illegally and unilaterally annexed to its district of Jerusalem would continue to be settled. The first, flawed offer by Netanyahu was enough to bring Abbas to indirect negotiations. But then the implementation of the second bit of insincerity scotched any movement toward peace talks as the Palestinians decided that they had to retain a modicum of self-respect. That the building of 1600 new homes on Palestinian land near Jerusalem was announced just as VP Joe Biden arrived in Israel to kick off the proximity talks made it look as though Israel is not only a fickle and unreliable diplomatic partner, but beyond that, as though its government was intent on kicking Biden in the teeth and humiliating Washington.

One problem Obama faces is that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a coordinating body for the Israel lobbies, has successfully mobilized both houses of Congress against him with regard to putting further pressure on far rightwing Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to stop building settlements. Congress decides on how much money to give Israel annually, and how many weapons to sell it. Obama cannot effectively threaten Netanyahu with a reduction in the billions of dollars a year in aid, trade privileges, loan guarantees, and military equipment sent to Israel by the US. Those goods are in the gift of Congress, and Congress typically yields to AIPAC and its colleagues.

AIPAC Lobbies Congress to Bring Hamas to Its Knees While Tying Bush's Hands | Tikun Olam - 24 Feb. 2007 |

American vision in we can control the Middle East worked out quite well ... didn't it ⁉️
Pouring in more modern weapons and munitions to be complicit in Israeli war crimes.

After the vote at the UN General Assembly it became clear the report from the Commission of Inquiry on OPT, East Jerusalem and Israel played a crucial role to convince 120 nations to approve the Arab proposal.

As Civilian Casualties Reach Record Levels in Gaza, Third Committee Underscores Need to End War, Lift Blockade of Essential Needs, Hold Parties Accountable | 24 Oct. 2023 |

Ms. PILLAY said that the eruption of violence in Israel and Palestine since 7 October is profoundly concerning, citing thousands of civilian deaths and extensive damage to civilian structures.  The Commission unequivocally condemns the killing of over 1,000 Israeli citizens by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups as well as the taking of over 200 Israeli hostages, including children, she added.  It also unequivocally condemns Israeli military attacks, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians. 

The Commission calls for an immediate ceasefire and safe return of all hostages and will continue to collect and preserve evidence, in view of accountability for human rights violations, identifying individual criminal responsibility.  Calling on the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas de facto authority in Gaza to support the investigation and grant access as soon as possible, she urged the General Assembly to support the process.

Turning to the

(document A/78/198), the Chair recalled that, while the report was completed before this upsurge in violence, its findings are "tragically relevant", as it examines the use of force by Israel and the de facto authorities in Gaza.  Israel's increasingly militarized law enforcement in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza consistently violate international humanitarian law, she said. Such actions are linked to Israel's goals of maintaining the unlawful occupation and weakening Palestinian opposition, as well as its political, economic and social cohesion.  The Commission also finds that the indiscriminate firing of projectiles by armed groups in Gaza toward Israeli cities constitute war crimes.

Israel has used excessive force in disrupting protests among Palestinians asserting their right to self-determination, resulting in deaths and permanent injuries, she said.  She added that large scale arrest operations to dismantle armed groups in the West Bank are treated as military operations, resulting in the application of far more permissive rules of engagement.  One such result was the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in May 2022.  The report also addresses the human rights violations of Israeli authorities and Hamas in Gaza of withholding bodies for "bargaining chips", causing severe trauma to families of the deceased, with a particular gendered impact on Palestinian female relatives, she said.  The continuing unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory has overwhelmingly affected Palestinian children, who experience human violations, some of which amount to war crimes, she said.

"Justice takes time, but it is our collective obligation to pursue it," she said, noting that the General Assembly's cooperation to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the Israeli Occupation last year is encouraging.  All parties must cooperate fully with investigations, she added, stressing that, above all, the Israeli Government must end its 56-year occupation and recognize the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.

From the diaries ...

WATCH: An elderly Palestinian man is pushed away by Israeli soldiers as he attempts to stop them from seizing a caravan used as a health clinic in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, & Israel :: Press Conference | United Nations - 25 October 2023

Press Conference by Navanethem Pillay, Chair of the Independent International Commission, and Commissioner Christopher Dominic Sidoti, on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

The Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, Navi Pillay, said that there are "clear indications that international crimes have been committed" in the current conflict.

Briefing journalists in New York today (25 Oct), Pillay added, "So accordingly in line with our mandate, we began collecting evidence of war crimes committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups and by Israeli security forces, and we issued a call for submissions later last week."

Pillay also said, "I assure you that we intend to continue pursuing the fulfilment of our mandate, including in relation to making recommendations, in particular on accountability measures, with a view to avoiding and ending impunity and ensuring legal accountability, including individual criminal and command responsibility."

The Commission's Chair noted, "International law has clear obligations on every state whether they exercising self defense, or hostile warfare to protect civilians, and I fear that this is not happening. Civilians are being targeted and civilian objects, structures are being damaged, irreparably, so it's a huge concern and we are going to be looking into this, expanding on this."  


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Only 8 EU states approved Arab resolution demanding open Rafah border for humanitarian aid. Not my Europe.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 12:11:15 PM EST
Abstained on crucial vote yesterday in UNGA. Islamophobic policy of Rutte IV wins it from Human Rights. In Josep's remarks, mirrored by Israeli politicians for a long time, they are the Barbarians.

Netherlands pledges additional €10 million for humanitarian aid to Gaza | News item - 17 Oct. 2023 |

The Netherlands is providing an additional €10 million in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, development minister Liesje Schreinemacher announced on Tuesday. The funds are intended for food, water and medical care for Gaza's inhabitants. With this commitment, the Netherlands is responding to the UN's urgent appeal for more international assistance. The Dutch contribution is earmarked for UN organizations, a group of international and national NGOs, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

    Liesje Schreinemacher: 'It's vital that this humanitarian aid reaches Gaza quickly. Almost 1.3 million people urgently need water, medicine and food.'

The Dutch government is concerned about the growing crises in the Gaza Strip. It has emphasized that international humanitarian law must be respected. Humanitarian aid workers and other civilians must never be targets of violence. And access for aid workers and relief supplies must be unimpeded. The government consistently stresses this message in its contacts with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and other partners in the region.

The UN needs $294 million to meet the urgent needs of the population in Gaza and the region. The new Dutch contribution is in addition to the €51 million that the Netherlands already budgeted this year for development cooperation and humanitarian aid for the Palestinians.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 01:50:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Dutch Labour and Greens apologise for supporting the pro-Israel motion

The Dutch Labour Party and the Greens apologised on Thursday after receiving a lot of criticism for supporting a parliament motion that underlined Israel's right to self-defence in its conflict with Palestine.

The motion, which had been submitted by conservative Calvinist lawmaker Chris Stoffer (SGP/ECR) [known for inviting Israeli hasbara propagandist to Dutch parliament ... same footing as Islamophobe Geert Wilders], called on the Dutch cabinet to express its support for Israel's right to self-defence in the EU and UN context.

The allied Labour (PvdA/S&D) and Green (GL/EU Greens) parties subsequently caught a lot of flak for having supported the motion, with many criticising the motion for stating that compliance with humanitarian law is "greatly complicated by the asymmetric nature of this war".

"It was never our intention to trivialise violations of international humanitarian law or to formulate exceptions to them. We should have made a different choice here," the allied parties stated in a press release.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 01:55:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
If it hasn't already been defined, VVD PM Mark Rutte would have founded the term "hypocrisy" ... listen to this disinformation and pure warmongering. The Hague is the home of the UN's High Court ICJ and of course the ICC run by British funds for war crimes in the War in Ukraine. Karim Khan should resign.

I tend to look at acts and results, not hollow words and rhetoric ... master of lies and falsehoods in 't Torentje.

Netherlands will plead for humanitarian help for Gaza Strip

The Dutch government will work for humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip and a permanent corridor in the south of Gaza to supply relief goods from Egypt. The government will also argue for "humanitarian pauses" in the combat to provide aid.

However, the Netherlands will not advocate for a ceasefire and will not take a position on whether Israel is committing war crimes at this time, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a parliamentary debate ahead of a European summit on the war between Hamas and Israel, NOS reports.

The parliamentary debate on Tuesday lasted well into the night. Part of the Tweede Kamer argued for a ceasefire. Led by D66 and GroenLinks-PvdA [GreenLeft and Labour party], various parties wanted the Netherlands to stand firm on ending any use of weapons between Israel and Hamas.

The parties also submitted a motion stating that the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner said that Israel was violating international law. In the motion, the parties call for immediately supplying the Gaza Strip with drinking water and fuel.

Rutte objected to the motion. Not because of its purpose but because it states that Israel violated international laws of war. It is not up to the Netherlands to take a position on this complicated issue now. "That requires international research," the outgoing Prime Minister said.

Rutte will also not advocate for a ceasefire. According to him, it is too complicated at the moment, has too many snags, and places the Netherlands in isolation.

The Dutch government is committed to a permanent humanitarian corridor for aid to the Gaza Strip, he said, and humanitarian pauses in the combat for that aid to be provided.

A broad majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, supports the government's efforts. The motions that want the Cabinet to do more will likely not receive majority support. The EU summit is on Thursday and Friday.

Dutch PM decision to raise the Israeli flag

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 01:53:07 PM EST

Racism within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 'This is not who we want to be.'

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 01:56:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 01:57:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations
A/RES/ES-10/21 (draft A/ES-10/L.25), 27 Oct 2023

NOT VOTING: BENIN, BURKINA FASO, BURUNDI, CAMBODIA, ESWATINI, JAMAICA, LIBERIA, N FIJI, RWANDA, SAMOA, SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE, SEYCHELLES, TOGO, TURKMENISTAN

ABSTAIN: ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA, BULGARIA, CABO VERDE, CAMEROON, CANADA, CYPRUS, DENMARK, ESTONIA, ETHIOPIA, FINLAND, GEORGIA, GERMANY, GREECE, HAITI, ICELAND, INDIA, IRAQ, ITALY, JAPAN, KIRIBATI, S KOREA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, MOLDOVA, MONACO, NETHERLANDS, NORTH MACEDONIA, PALAU, PANAMA, PHILIPPINES, POLAND, ROMANIA, SAN MARINO, SERBIA, SLOVAKIA, SOUTH SUDAN, SWEDEN, TUNISIA, TUVALU, UKRAINE, VANUATU, URUGUAY, UNITED KINGDOM, VENEZUELA, ZAMBIA

YES: AFGHANISTAN, ALGERIA, ANDORRA, ANGOLA, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, ARGENTINA, ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, BAHAMAS, BAHRAIN, BANGLADESH, BARBADOS, BELARUS, BELGIUM, BELIZE, BHUTAN, BOLIVIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, BOTSWANA, BRAZIL, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC,  CHAD, CHILE, CHINA, COLOMBIA, COMOROS, CONGO, COSTA RICA, COTE D'IVOIRE, CUBA, DPRK, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO,  DJIBOUTI, DOMINICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EGYPT, EL SALVADOR, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, ERITREAFRANCE, GABON, GAMBIA, GHANA, GRENADA, GUINEA, GUINEA-BISSAU, GUYANA, HONDURAS, INDONESIA, IRAN, IRELAND, JORDAN, KAZAKHSTAN, KENYA, KUWAIT, KYRGYZSTAN, LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, LEBANON, LESOTHO, LIBYA, LIECHTENSTEIN, LUXEMBOURG, MADAGASCAR, MALAWI, MALAYSIA, MALDIVES, MALI, MALTA, MAURITANIA, MAURITIUS, MEXICO, MONGOLIA, MONTENEGRO, MOROCCO, MOZAMBIQUE, MYANMAR, NAMIBIA, NEPAL, NEW ZEALAND, NICARAGUA, NIGER, NIGERIA, NORWAY, OMAN, PAKISTAN, PERU, PORTUGAL, QATAR, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, SAINT LUCIA, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, SAUDI ARABIA, SENEGAL, SIERRA LEONE, SINGAPORE, SLOVENIA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SOMALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, SRI LANKA, SUDAN, SURINAME, SWITZERLAND, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC, TAJIKISTAN, THAILAND, TIMOR-LESTE, TANZANIA, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, TURKIYE, UGANDA, UZBEKISTAN, VIET NAM, YEMEN, ZIMBABWE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

NO: AUSTRIA, CROATIA, CZECHIA, FIJI, GUATEMALA, HUNGARY, ISRAEL, MARSHALL ISLANDS, MICRONESIA, NAURU, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PARAGUAY, TONGA, UNITED STATES

by Cat on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 02:20:17 PM EST
To get top job by NATO ... a$$hole ... war criminal

Even this week sold out the Palestinians to Israel in the UNGA vote ... visited war criminal Netanyahu to show his support ... making a fool of the Dutch voters by intentionally quitting Rutte IV over a non-issue of "migration" taking everyone by surprise. Making his career as NATO Secretary General. I sensed his intention close to a year ago.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte says he is 'completely out of the running' for NATO Secretary General | CNBC - 11 July 2023 |

Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, discusses the upcoming NATO secretary general leadership contest and Dutch defence spending.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 04:43:27 PM EST
Mark Rutte: From Dutch Prime Minister to Potential NATO Secretary General | BNN |

Being NATO secretary-general would be `very interesting,' outgoing Dutch prime minister says.

Rutte, who plans to leave domestic politics after the Dutch election in November, following his government's collapse in July, has previously said he wasn't interested in taking on such a large international role as the NATO leader.

In the heart of The Hague, on a radio program that vibrated with the hum of anticipation, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte revealed his openness to a high-level position at NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), possibly as Secretary General.

This revelation follows a subtle hint Rutte dropped in a previous interview with De Telegraaf, sparking speculation and intrigue in political circles worldwide. This announcement also arrives on the heels of his early departure from his ministerial role due to his self-confessed waning effectiveness.

Leaving behind a chaos of many failures | BNN/VARA |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 04:44:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Israel / Palestine And Trauma. With Gabor Maté | Video - 1.7 million views |

Beautiful Dream of Israel has Become a Nightmare

As a Jewish youngster growing up in Budapest, an infant survivor of the Nazi genocide, I was for years haunted by a question resounding in my brain with such force that sometimes my head would spin: "How was it possible? How could the world have let such horrors happen?"

It was a naïve question, that of a child. I know better now: such is reality. Whether in Vietnam or Rwanda or Syria, humanity stands by either complicitly or unconsciously or helplessly, as it always does. In Gaza today we find ways of justifying the bombing of hospitals, the annihilation of families at dinner, the killing of pre-adolescents playing soccer on a beach.

In Israel-Palestine the powerful party has succeeded in painting itself as the victim, while the ones being killed and maimed become the perpetrators. "They don't care about life," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, abetted by the Obamas and Harpers of this world, "we do." Netanyahu, you who with surgical precision slaughter innocents, the young and the old, you who have cruelly blockaded Gaza for years, starving it of necessities, you who deprive Palestinians of more and more of their land, their water, their crops, their trees -- you care about life?

There is no understanding Gaza out of context -- Hamas rockets or unjustifiable terrorist attacks on civilians -- and that context is the longest ongoing ethnic cleansing operation in the recent and present centuries, the ongoing attempt to destroy Palestinian nationhood.

The Palestinians use tunnels? So did my heroes, the poorly armed fighters of the Warsaw Ghetto. Unlike Israel, Palestinians lack Apache helicopters, guided drones, jet fighters with bombs, laser-guided artillery. Out of impotent defiance, they fire inept rockets, causing terror for innocent Israelis but rarely physical harm. With such a gross imbalance of power, there is no equivalence of culpability.

Israel wants peace? Perhaps, but as the veteran Israeli journalist Gideon Levy has pointed out, it does not want a just peace. Occupation and creeping annexation, an inhumane blockade, the destruction of olive groves, the arbitrary imprisonment of thousands, torture, daily humiliation of civilians, house demolitions: these are not policies compatible with any desire for a just peace. In Tel Aviv Gideon Levynow moves around with a bodyguard, the price of speaking the truth.

I have visited Gaza and the West Bank. I saw multi-generational Palestinian families weeping in hospitals around the bedsides of their wounded, at the graves of their dead. These are not people who do not care about life. They are like us -- Canadians, Jews, like anyone: they celebrate life, family, work, education, food, peace, joy. And they are capable of hatred, they can harbour vengeance in the hearts, just like we can.

The trauma doctor: Dr. Gabor Maté on happiness, hope and how to heal our deepest wounds | The Guardian |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 07:07:30 PM EST
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:42:23 PM EST



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:43:28 PM EST
Türkiye to introduce Israel to world as war criminal: Turkish President Erdogan | Anadolu Agency |

Those shedding crocodile tears for civilians killed in Ukraine-Russia war silently watching killing of children in Gaza, says Turkish president

Türkiye will introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Speaking at "Great Palestine Meeting," a pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul, Erdogan said: "Israel, we will also declare you as a war criminal to the world, we are preparing for it, and we will introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal."

Erdogan stressed that the Western world mobilized its politicians, and media to legitimize the massacre of the innocent people in Gaza, adding: "Israel is committing war crimes."

He said Israel is an "occupier," adding: "West owes you, but Türkiye does not owe you."



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:44:33 PM EST
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:46:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Israel pulls diplomats from Turkey to reassess ties as Erdogan blasts its 'war crimes' | TOI |

Turkish president escalates rhetoric as he tells hundreds of thousands at Istanbul rally that the West is the main culprit behind the Israeli army's 'massacre' in Gaza

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:48:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:49:45 PM EST
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:50:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 at 08:51:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Relief for Gazans as communication channels being restored

It is a massive relief for people in Gaza and anyone who has family or friends there. For the first time, people inside Gaza can communicate with each other.

They are finally able to check in on their loved ones, to see who is alive, who is injured, and who has been fortunate enough to survive Israeli bombardment without injuries.

The hope now is that Israel will not cut off Gaza's communication once again.

Communication blackout, fuel shortages worsen the situation in Gaza

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 06:05:35 AM EST
He always wanted to act and look presidential without scrutiny from de Tweede Kamer, Dutch Lower House of Parliament. He refused timely information for debate with opposition parties, lost papers, had poor memory of events and used an old Nokia mobile with no record of his communication as Prime Minister. He managed to keep his broad coalition of parties together. Got away with murder ... literally in Syria conflict and NATO bombing causing collateral damage. A cutting term for Rutte: ruthless with a pretty face ... actor.

About the Gaza War in the year 2021 outlined what his response to the massacre in October 2023 would be ... identical.

Rutte voices support for Israel on Twitter; critique from left-wing parties | NL Times - 15 May 2021 |

Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, tweeted his support for Israel in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. Violence has escalated in recent weeks between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces with concern growing that the situation is spiraling out of control.

"I am very worried about the ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. It is unacceptable that Hamas randomly fires rockets at the civil population. The Netherlands supports Israel's right to defend itself proportionally, within the boundaries of international law", the Prime Minister wrote on Friday. "The Netherlands is calling for a ceasefire and dialogue. Everything must be done to prevent civilian casualties."

The tweet was criticized by some members of Dutch parliamentary parties.

"An incredibly one-sided tweet", SP Member of Parliament, Jasper van Dijk, commented, according to Hart van Nederland.

D66 Member of Parliament, Sjoerd Sjoerdsma voiced his disapproval of Rutte's statement on Twitter. He stated, "Yes, of course, the violence needs to stop. But why is Rutte silent about settlement building and expropriations? Why was Rutte silent when Israel injured thousands of Palestinians in Gaza in 2018? You cannot apply international law as you please: it applies always, everywhere and for everyone."

ChristenUnie [the second coming of Christ in Jerusalem] leader, Gert-Jan Segers, on the other hand supported Rutte calling it a "good statement". On his Twitter he wrote on Friday, "There have more than two thousand rockets fired from Gaza on Israeli citizens - Arabs and Jews. If that stops, then Israel will halt their actions against Hamas and Gaza."

Violence in the Gaza Strip has rapidly escalated in recent days. In the night from Friday to Saturday, shelling between Israeli and Palestinian forces continued for the fifth night in a row. Two women and at least five children died on Friday in Gaza City after an Israeli bombing of a house, according to the ANP.

Since Monday, 132 deaths occurred in Gaza, according to the news agency Reuters. The death toll includes 32 children and 21 women. On the Israeli side, eight people have reportedly died due to the conflict between Israel and Palestinian region since the beginning of the week.

@MinPres Today I visited @IsraelPM Netanyahu in Tel Aviv

Later admitted Europe has no voice in the crisis and only America could make a difference. Rutte the little showman meeting the greats of this earth. Destruction, no morals, courage or vision. Like a leaf 🍂 in the wind.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 06:58:58 AM EST
After speaking with Biden, Netanyahu suggests Israel's assault in Gaza will persist | CNBC - 15 May 2021 |

"The President noted that this current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children," the readout said. "He raised concerns about the safety and security of journalists and reinforced the need to ensure their protection."

Netanyahu told Biden that Israel "is doing everything to avoid harming" those who aren't involved with Hamas and that "those not involved" were evacuated from the 12-story building in the Gaza Strip that housed the offices of The Associated Press and Al Jazeera. Three Israeli heavy missiles collapsed the building on Saturday.

The president also spoke with Abbas about tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank and their shared interest in making Jerusalem "a place of peaceful coexistence for people of all faiths and backgrounds."

"The President also underscored his strong commitment to a negotiated two-state solution as the best path to reach a just and lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," according to a readout from that call.

The extraordinary conflagration in Israel and the Gaza Strip has evolved into an urgent early test for Biden's foreign policy. The president was working in the Oval Office for a period of time on Saturday. He usually works from Camp David or his home state of Delaware during weekends.

News that media offices were destroyed triggered international outrage and shock, prompting the White House to respond before the Biden readouts were released.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 06:59:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
My recent comment ...

Biden warns Iran to 'be careful'

We moved the US carrier fleet to the eastern Mediterranean and we are sending more fighter jets to that region, and made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful.

Key words | America Is Back Baby! | Days of Kahane Terror Returns |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 07:00:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Intent of war crimes or worse genocide in speech by Netanyahu.

Netanyahu declares a Holy War of Annihilation on Civilians of Gaza, Citing the Bible | Informed Comment |

In his speech on Saturday, October 27, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made reference to the Bible's instructions about the Amalekites, a favorite trope of his when he has argued that Israel is under existential threat and must respond with lethal and devastating force. He has talked about Iran this way, as well.

The prophet Samuel tells Saul that God wants him to take revenge on the Amalekites for their earlier actions:

    15 1 Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey."
    
4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand soldiers of Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. 7 Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive but utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

The passage goes on to say that Saul initially spared King Agag along with many sheep and other animals, and that God became angry with him for this less than total elimination of the enemy, and expressed regret at having made Saul king.

This text is one of a number of "genocide narratives" in the Hebrew Bible where the Israelites were ordered to wipe out other peoples, including the Canaanites (Psalm 83:4; Isaiah 19:1-10; exodus 17:8-16, Joshua 8:24-25). In Hebrew the technical term for this sort of total holy war was herem, which is cognate to the Arabic haram, a sacred space.

We need to talk about 'Kike' -- how did the slur originate anyway? | The Forward - 10 March 2021 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 09:24:33 AM EST
From the BooMan diaries ...

Netanyahu hat-tips settler who called for extermination camps | Mondoweiss - 14 April 2018 |

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu yesterday responded to a video by former 'Amona settler Avihai Boaron, who praised Netanyahu for building `Amona land thieves a new settlement, by thanking him and promising to visit.

Boaron was editor of the newszine at the time, and in charge of editorials. The editorial caused some outrage back in 2011, and Boaron never denied or distanced itself from it. Then in 2015, a blogger named Rav Tzair ("a young rabbi") exposed Boaron as the writer. At that time, the country was gearing up for elections, and I was surprised to find out Boaron was a candidate in the Jewish Home party, albeit in the unrealistic 19th slot. I rang up Boaron, and we had a stormy short conversation, in which I asked him to deny his writing of the article and he, refusing, shouted that I was "trying to destroy [Naftali] Bennett" and cut off the conversation. Bennett is the leader of the Jewish Home party.

Zionism and the Biology of the Jews | author Raphael Falk - 2008 |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 09:26:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Grandfather Mendele as I Remember Him: The Founder of Modern Yiddish Literature

Chaim Tchmrnowitz, perhaps better known among Hebrew readers under the pen name Rav Tzair ("The Young Rabbi"), is one of the leading figures in Jewish scholarship and Hebrew literature. In these reminiscences of Mendele Mocher Sforim (1836-1917), Dr. Tchemowitz recaptures the quality of that Jewish renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries which produced Sholom Aleichem, J. L. Peretz, Hayim Bialik, and other larger-than-life figures of the culture of Eastern Europe. Mendele (Shalom Jacob Abramowitsch) is commonly regarded as the father of modem Yiddish literature; in his greatest works--notably Dos Kleine Menshele ("The Little Man") and Die Klyatshe ("The Dobbin")--he satirized the ruling powers in the Jewish community, and brought into the Jewish literature of Eastern Europe, for the first time since the Middle Ages, a concern with secular experience: nature, love, personality. A translation of his story "The Red Calf" appeared in the November 1946.  



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 09:28:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 09:27:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Stop the bull$hit ... close the Bible and counter the Orthodox or fundamental false interpretation of the Will of Jahweh - God - Allah ... people count, you and me.

From the diaries ...

Genocides in the Old Testament | by DoDo - 10 Sept. 2010 |

In conclusion: the OT is a horrific, barbaric, genocide-advocating ancient text. Just like the Koran or the Bhagavad-Ghita.

Both George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Bibi Netanyahu uses Biblical phrases to wage illegal war of genocide on civilians. Stop the idiocy.

Editorial Calling for Death Camps for `Amalekites' Raises Storm Among Religious | Haaretz - 23 Jan. 2011 |

The editorial then continued: "It would be interesting to see whether they [these rabbis] will leave concentrating the Amalekites into death camps to others or perhaps decide that wiping out Amalek is no longer relevant. Time will tell."

The leaflet's editors declined to say who they meant by "the Amalekites." But Eliyahu, while stressing that he was not the editorial's author, said he interpreted it as a query about what would happen should the issue of destroying Amalek ever arise in the future, rather than as a call to destroy any particular group of people today.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 09:32:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
US blasts coalition lawmaker who called Jewish terrorist `holy righteous man' | TOI |

Responding to far-right MK's defense of Duma terror attack perpetrator Amiram Ben Uliel, State Department calls on Israel, PA to refrain from 'inflammatory rhetoric and actions'

The State Department condemns far-right coalition MK Limor Son Har-Melech after she defended the Jewish terrorist responsible for the 2015 murders of three members of a Palestinian family as a "holy righteous man."

"It is critical for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to refrain from unilateral steps that exacerbate tensions and undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution. This certainly includes inflammatory rhetoric and actions," reads a statement from a State Department spokesperson. "We would refer to the Knesset member to discuss those comments."

MK Limor Son Har-Melech is a far-right Israeli settler and politician who serves as a member of Knesset for the Kahanist Otzma Yehudit party of Ben Gvir.

'Special Interrogations,' Confessions and the Duma Arson Attack | Lawfare blog |

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 08:53:59 PM EST
Prominent rabbi urges release of Palestinian family's killer, calls detention 'evil'

Tzvi Kostiner, head of pre-military academy, says convicted murderer Amiram Ben Uliel 'didn't do anything, but even if say he did -- come on, accept him'

The head of a pre-army religious academy in southern Israel called for the release of a right-wing extremist convicted of killing three members of a Palestinian family in an arson attack in 2015.

Amiram Ben Uliel was sentenced to three life sentences plus 20 years for the deadly firebombing in the West Bank village of Duma in which Riham and Saad Dawabsha were killed along with their 18-month-old son, Ali Saad. Only the couple's eldest son, Ahmed, survived the terror attack, with terrible burns; he was 5 years old at the time.

Ben Uliel was found guilty in 2020 of three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, arson and conspiring to commit a racially motivated crime, as part of a "terrorist act".

There have been demonstrations calling for Ben Uliel's release, largely focusing on the fact that his confession was obtained using what the Shin Bet security agency calls "special measures" -- decried as torture by Ben Uliel and by rights groups.

During one of these rallies, Rabbi Tzvi Kostiner was filmed saying that Ben Uliel's treatment by the courts was "one of the greatest injustices" by the State of Israel.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 08:54:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Settlers Taunt Dawabshe Family Over Infant's Murder: "Ali's on the Grill!"

Dawabsheh family was murdered by settler terrorists. Two members of the terror cell were convicted. This week, a court crippled the prosecution of one of them, vacating his confession

Israeli Wedding Celebration of Hate

After Pres. Reuven Rivlin denounced the attack and perpetrators, the father of one of the suspects called him "Der Führer."  Other settlers called for burning more Palestinians alive.  Shortly after the murders, a settler wedding featured celebrants pretending to stab a picture of the baby with mock knives (see video).  It was ugly: a country transforming before one's eyes into a terror state.

In Biblical Terms Terrorists Were Called Amalekite

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 08:56:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Shame on you ... resign ⁉️

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Oct 29th, 2023 at 10:29:21 PM EST


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Oct 30th, 2023 at 11:56:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
the last man that I'd ask for answers A/V (EN) 30 min
"Professor Shlomo Ben-Ami, former Israeli minister of foreign affairs & public security. He discusses the strategic blunders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that made Hamas' attack on October 7 possible, the security and civil structures in Israel which have upheld the ongoing occupation, why a political solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict still exists, Israel having no viable endgame in Gaza, and why a ground invasion to destroy Hamas is likely to take a long time if it is even possible, why the only winner from the Gaza war will be the US weapons manufacturers, Israel's UN ambassador demanding that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres resign for saying Hamas' attack did not happen in a vacuum"
by Cat on Tue Oct 31st, 2023 at 03:25:47 AM EST
US Stands Isolated in backing Gaza Massacre | Informed Comment |

On Friday, October 27, the nations of the world voted in the UN General Assembly, by a vote of 120 to 14, for an "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities" in Gaza. The resolution was sponsored by the government of sometime U.S. ally King Abdullah of Jordan.

Israel's UN Ambassador responded with utter disdain, accusing those who voted in favor of the "ridiculous resolution" of supporting "the defense of Nazi terrorists" over Israel. In Gaza, Israel's response to the global call for a truce was to escalate its bombing and expand its ground invasion.

The U.S. corporate media have not helped Americans understand how isolated our government is in its unconditional support and resupply of weapons for Israel's genocidal military campaign, which has killed over 8,000 Palestinians, 30% of them women and 40% of them children, while destroying hospitals, apartment buildings, streets and schools, and turning Gaza into nothing short of hell on Earth for the bereaved survivors. According to Save the Children, Israel has killed more children in Gaza in three weeks than have been killed in all global conflicts since 2019.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Nov 1st, 2023 at 10:37:58 PM EST
Burden of Bibi Netanyahu and the US administrations since Camp David ...

Lost in the Woods: A Camp David Retrospective

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Wed Nov 1st, 2023 at 10:38:51 PM EST
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