Interview || Days of an important general assembly, in which many states, including Portugal, should officially recognize the state of Palestine, expert Joana Ricarte says that only an offensive that reaches the Israeli economy will stop what the UN said this week, which is the Palestinian genocide, for almost two years for almost two years.
Some consider this report as the most striking so far about the atrocities committed in Gaza of all the documents already published in which Israel is accused of committing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories. What is your reading?
Firstly, it is a report that accompanies what the other other conclusions have been, we have already received one from the Association of Academics that study genocide (IAGS), very relevant, in which 86% of the 500 members voted in favor of the resolution with this conclusion, and we have also had the important non-governmental organization, which made this same conclusion.
These reports are not produced overnight, which means they are the result of almost two years of collecting tests by the UN. What changes, yes, with this report [da comissão de inquérito da ONU] It is the legal issue, the legal issue, related to the crime of genocide. There is genocide when there is intent and this report concludes that there is genocide intention.
How is this intention proven?
The idea that there is a ongoing genocide is not new. The point is that when academics declare it, what they are saying is that, from a historical perspective, compared to cases of the past, there is genocide. What brings again is the exhaustive compilation of evidence, including discourses that show intention. And it aims at three individuals, associating genocide in Gaza with the State of Israel, because these individuals today lead Israel’s foreign and internal policy, namely Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant [em funções à data dos ataques do Hamas e subsequente ofensiva contra Gaza]and the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog. That is, it shows the dimension of the association with the governance of the State of Israel, this is what changes.
Which means that the big change is this survey of evidence that shows the intention of political responsible in the extermination of a people in the Palestinian case?
Yes, the change here is this exhaustive and extensive compilation of proof of intention. What brings differently from the previous reports, from B’TSelem, from IAGS, is to do what the International Court of Justice [TIJ, sob a alçada da ONU] He has not yet done, although in January last year he declared the plausibility of genocide. This is because usually these proofs that a genocide is being committed are collected in loco, but Israel does not give access to the land [nem a investigadores independentes, nem a jornalistas estrangeiros]…
In the context of war, the verification of the TIJ must always be posthumous, which is why the convention is prevention, because it is basically impossible to make a determination in the course of the conflict. So what the UN is doing is considering that there are exhaustive evidence of intention, and that there is not even the slightest attempt to hide it.
As it turned out a few days ago, when Netanyahu again said that there will be no Palestinian state…
Netanyahu has said that there will be no Palestinian condition, which there are no Palestinians, all statements that make clear the proof of intention, at a time before the recognition of the state of Palestine by a series of countries. And what this report in the background comes to say is that it has to march, you have to lock genocide and everything that is being done to prevent the solution of two states.
Many say that while the United States, Israel’s greatest ally, do not exert real pressure and not take concrete measures, Palestinian genocide will continue. Do you agree?
I agree that as long as the US does not change its policies in relation to Israel, Netanyahu, say, it is loose. Now, it’s not just the US who have responsibility. When, in relation to Ukraine, we have political commentators, MEPs, and important personalities like Kaja Kallas [chefe da diplomacia da UE]Ursula von der Leyen [presidente da Comissão Europeia] and António Costa [presidente do Conselho Europeu] To say that the EU has power, which has capacity, which has an agency – when it is in relation to Gaza, the posture is as if there is nothing to do that does not come from the US, and that is not true. Spanish realize this, so far with this recent decision not to participate in Eurovision, they show that there are things to do.
What kind of things?
Through the Association Agreement with Israel, which includes Eurovision, the Horizonte Europa Innovation program, industry and all economic partnerships that place Israel as an external actor to the privileged EU and associated with European space, including economically. It is thanks to him that the EU is Israel’s most important economic partner – corresponding to 30% of exchanges with the State of Israel – and a change in the association agreement would have power, and would not only be symbolic.
The Israeli economy is today a war economy, and Israel is not a state with the dimension of Russia, it is a state with the dimension of Portugal, so 30% break in exchanges would be very relevant, especially in a state that is dealing with an inflation crisis and a production crisis. Of course, the EU has a role to play and put all the burden on the US side – which is clearly the central and main actor, but not the only one – not fair, not honest and not correct.
Several countries are preparing to officially recognize the state of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly, which takes place next week. What is the importance of this step within the international community?
Recognizing the state of Palestine will not end genocide. Supporting New York’s statement about the need for steps to end this will not end genocide. What will end with genocide is to stop selling Israel – and buying, Germany does not only sell, also buys weapons from Israel, as well as France. What will end genocide is to suspend the agreements, this will change the dynamics on the ground. And when the UN unequivocally declares that there is a genocidal intent, it also impacts the public opinion of these countries.
The Von Der Leyen Commission has recommended this week to the European Council that partially suspending the association agreement with Israel after promising that it would do so in its state of the state of the Union. This can have any practical effect?
The way it was done not, because this is not part of its competences, it is not the European Commission who decides for the suspension. However, there is an important symbolic aspect, which is von der Leyen to finally appear to say anything about genocide in Gaza, yet saying that he is Israel’s best friend, with statements that remain frankly anacronic. It’s an important step, even coming with all these ideas at least it’s a change, but it’s not enough, above all because it’s not at your term. The essential discussion will be in the European Parliament.
