Recent report of an independent committee on Israel’s actions against Palestinians points out “exhaustive evidence of genocidal intention” and shows that “there is no attempt to hide it” by current leaders and authorities of the Hebrew state. European Commission will propose today the partial suspension of the UE -Israel Association Agreement – but is that enough?
It’s genocide, yes. This week concluded this week on Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip from 7 October 2023, in the most striking accusation to date, the same day the Hebrew state confirmed that it is officially underway.
Following a series of academic reports on Israel’s genocidal intent in the Palestinian enclave, UN independent commission investigators point to Israel “four of five genocidal crimes” under the 1948 -killer genocide crime convention and punishment; cause serious physical or mental damage to members of a group; deliberately imposing calculated living conditions on the group to cause their physical, total or partial destruction; and measures designed to prevent births within a group.
“This report follows what has been the other various conclusions in the same direction, such as the unequivocal and very relevant report of the Association of Academics that study genocide [IGA]approved by 86% of its 500 members, and what, even within Israel, was concluded by the important non-governmental organization B’Tselem, ”says CNN Joana Ricarte, an international relations specialist and CEIS20 of the University of Coimbra. and this report concludes that there is intention. ”
Given that Israel continues to prevent independent researchers and international journalists in the territory that has been blocking since 2007, and which has occupied militarily before this year, the collection of evidence is based on information on humanitarian employees on the ground and Hamas, which has controlled the gaza range since the same year.
The commission invokes as evidence the scale of murders committed by Israel’s forces – almost 65,000 dead, according to Hamas’s official counting, according to an Israeli general in the reform – the continuing blockade of humanitarian aid, the forced displacement of the population and the destruction of hospitals and, in concrete, of a fertility clinic in the territory. In addition, it says numerous speeches of political responsible, in a report that directly responsible three of these leaders.
“We have come to the conclusion that a genocide is happening and will continue to happen in Gaza, and the responsibility is up to the State of Israel,” said the chairman of the Inquiry Commission, Navi Pillay, in the presentation of conclusions yesterday. “The Commission concluded that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged genocide and that Israeli authorities have not taken any measure against these people to punish this incitement.”
The possible step before the end?
The idea that there is a ongoing genocide “is not new,” says Ricarte, but there is something that differentiates this from previous reports. “When academics declare it, they speak of a historical perspective, they say that, compared to other cases, there is genocide, and what this report brings again is the exhaustive compilation of evidence, including discourses that show intention. The change here is even this exhaustive and extensive compilation of evidence.”
Since this commission is not a legal or legal organism, its reports serve, above all, to gather evidence that may be used by the courts in future cases against the State of Israel, which may immediately lead to increased diplomatic pressure. The commission has, moreover, a cooperation agreement with the International Criminal Court (ICC), with which it has shared “thousands of information”, as its president, former UN’s commissioner for human rights, said yesterday.
When it comes to genocide, “it is basically impossible to find out the conflict,” says the researcher specializing in peace, identities and conflict studies, and it is in this context that the latest report gains strength, at least in theory.
“What it brings differently compared to previous reports is to do what the International Court of Justice [TIJ, a mais alta instância jurídica da ONU] It has not yet done, although in January last year it declared the existence of, ”says Joana Ricarte.“ The check of the court has to always be posthumous, that is why the convention is prevention, so what the UN is doing is considering that there is exhaustive evidence of intention, and that there is no attempt to hide it. ”
A quick press magazine demonstrates this intention of deceit, with a cileness of speeches, particularly given by Netanyahu and his two most extremist ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich (despite everything, not indicted by this report).
At a time when several countries are preparing to recognize the state of Palestine, Israel’s Prime Minister repeated a few days ago that “there will be no Palestinian state,” after years of declaring that the Palestinians do not exist and months to promise forced, deliberate and massive travel from the 2 million inhabitants of Gaza to other countries-a crime against human law.
“All these reports, academic or not, are not produced overnight, are the result of two years of proof collection, in the case by the UN,” says Ricarte. “What this report in the background comes to say is that there has to be marching, the genocide has to be looked at and everything that is being done to prevent the solution of two states.”
In, an Israeli army spokesman said yesterday that the country is just “doing what any sovereign country would do in place of Israel” after the attacks of 7 October 2023, echoing the government’s first reaction to this report, which classifies as “biased and liar” and that, in his opinion, should motivate the “immediate dissolution” of the commission.
Putting the burden only in the US “is neither honest nor correct”
A week after a majority of UN countries have, a commitment to the solution of two states in the conference of France and Saudi Arabia this summer is still a fact that, without the US on board, it is more complicated to wage the Genetinian people’s genocide – the US being the largest of the only 10 countries that voted against the resolution.
“I agree that until the United States do not change its policies in relation to Israel, Netanyahu is on the loose,” says the expert in international relations – “but not only the US” who have power of influence.
“Regarding Ukraine, we have political commentators, MEPs and important personalities in Europe like Kaja Kallas [chefe da diplomacia da UE] and António Costa [presidente do Conselho Europeu] To say that the EU has power, has capacity, has an agency, but when it is in relation to Gaza, it is as if there is nothing to do that does not come from the US – and that is not true. ”
Ricarte highlights the EU association agreement with Israel as a powerful instrument available to Europeans to wag the Hebrew state, something that could gain breath in the face of the UN report and the impact it may have with public opinion in the EU – and something that, the Spanish has already noticed ”, when the head of government, Pedro Sánchez, defended this week that Israel must be prevented from sports events or Another character, such as the European Song Festival.
“By announcing that, [os espanhois] They show that there are things to do, ”says Joana Ricarte.“ The Association Agreement puts Israel as a privileged external actor associated with European space, and this includes Eurovision, the Europe Europa Innovation investment program, but also industry and economic partnerships, which make the EU the most important economic partner in Israel, corresponding to 30% of commercial exchanges. ” The slower in the last 20 years, driven by military purchases, “with the EU would have power, not just symbolic,” he says.
Eu has “tools to stop this” or not?
With the renewed efforts to take the city of Gaza, at a time when much of the Palestinian enclave is already under Israel’s military control, the EU diplomatic high representative has re -invoking yesterday that the block “has no tools to really stop it”, this is a new offensive that, considers Kaja Kallas, “will only bring more devastation, more destruction, more in -interview deaths,” as mentioned in an interview. To Lusa. However, they advocate experts such as Joana Ricarte, one of the EU’s most powerful tools is really in the hands of sowing.
“Israel’s economy is now a war economy, and we are not talking about a state with the size of Russia, but of a state with the dimension of Portugal, so a 30% break in exchanges would be very relevant, especially with the inflation crisis and the production crisis. Of course the EU has a role to play and put all the burden in the US – clearly the central and main actor, but not the only one – is not fair, not honest, not fair, but not the only one. correct.”
In the same interview with Lusa in Brussels, Kallas assumed that suspending the association agreement with Israel “would have a very heavy financial cost” for Telavive, days after Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, having taken advantage of her state of the Union’s speech to announce that she will propose to the European council-a step that confirmed the head of diplomacy yesterday, will be taken this Wednesday.
“It is not the commission that decides the suspension, but there is an important symbolic aspect, von der Leyen finally appears to talk about genocide in Gaza, still saying that he is Israel’s best friend, and with statements that remain frankly anacronic,” says Ricarte. “These are still important but not enough statements, above all because it is a partial suspension and because this is not at the level of your mandate. The essential discussion will be in the European Parliament.”
In presenting the conclusions of the Inquiry Commission, Navi Pillay made a point of stressing that “the international community cannot remain silent before the genocidal campaign launched by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” especially in view of what they consider to be “clear signs and evidence of genocide.” “The omission in acting to prevent it equals complicity,” said Pillay – and the measures announced so far by several countries, however symbolic importance they may have, are not enough, argues Ricarte.
“Recognizing the state of Palestine will not end genocide. Supporting New York’s statement will not end genocide. What will end with genocide is to stop selling – and buy, because Germany does not only sell, also buys weapons from Israel, as well as France – and suspend the agreements. This is what will change dynamics on the ground.”
