Apocalypse in Gaza & the West’s moral hypocrisy

» Declan Kearney

"It is untenable that international law should seem applicable only in the West and the global north; or where people have white skin, or where they speak English"

Last Saturday in Brussels I addressed the launch of a European Anti-Apartheid campaign in support of Palestine. 

The conference occurred at a time a population of 400,000 Palestinians faces total annihilation in northern Gaza. All food and medical aid to the region has been blocked since 1st October. 

The scenes broadcast from places like Beit Lahia, Jabalia, Deir Al- Balah, and Al Nuiserat during the last three weeks are horrific. Northern Gaza is on the brink of a complete apocalypse. Israel is committing crimes against humanity with complete impunity and yet decisive international action against Israel is non-existent from the most powerful western and Arab states.

Since 8th October the genocide, ethnic cleansing and collective punishment against Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank has shocked our collective humanity. 

The facts are beyond any rational person’s comprehension. 

The confirmed death toll to date is over 43,000 lives.

Nearly 100,000 men, women and children have been injured. 

The actual number of fatalities is assessed to be over 53,000, when an estimated 10,000 missing persons believed to be dead under the rubble are included. 

It is forecast that this war in Gaza will reach 100,000 lives lost, when deaths from injuries, disease, starvation, malnutrition, and other war-related causes, are taken into account.

All right minded people are sickened by the moral hypocrisy of those in the West whose rhetorical censures of Netanyahu's extremist government are meaningless. 

Describing the massacres of women and children; or the murder of Palestinian negotiators, journalists, doctors, and UN aid workers, as 'unhelpful' or 'disproportionate' is simply code to continue with the genocide.  

International laws cannot be applied selectively. No one state is more equal than others. 

It is untenable that international law should seem applicable only in the West and the global north; or where people have white skin, or where they speak English; whilst conversely a lesser standard of international humanitarian law, or none at all, is applied to Palestine, the Middle East and the global south.

The orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in South Africa's case against Israel under the Genocide Convention are clear. 

The legal standard for complicity in genocide is defined within the jurisprudence of the ICJ.

States must act to prevent genocide by Israel against Palestinians. 

They must ensure that they are not party to violation of the Genocide Convention by aiding or assisting in the commission of genocide. 

The implications are indisputable for the US, Britain, Germany, France, and the EU. 

Arms embargoes against Israel should be immediately enforced. Political and economic sanctions must be imposed without further delay.

A week ago an incredulous statement was made that the US needs 30 days to assess whether enough humanitarian aid is being delivered into Gaza before possibly considering a reduction in military support to Israel. And this, while Palestinians are being incinerated and massacred by missile bombardments, burned out of emergency accommodation, and deliberately starved of food. 

The US is obliged to comply with the orders of the ICJ. It is morally inexcusable and a humanitarian outrage that it has not done so to date.

The murderous attacks on Lebanon are a direct consequence of a now-normalised complicity with, and an acquiescence to, the fanatics in Netanyahu's government.  

European and western global leaders cannot have it both ways. 

Arms embargoes and sanctions must be used against all states, not just some, that break international law, and violate national sovereignty. 

The contrast between the West’s robust opposition to Russia’s outrageous invasion of Ukraine, and its indifference towards Israel’s invasion of Lebanon is grotesque.

A tipping point in the Middle East has now been passed. 

Netanyahu is clearly intent on annexing northern Gaza and southern Lebanon, and attempting a full annexation of the West Bank.

This Israeli administration has abandoned any pretence of commitment for a two-state solution. 

Its actions are in total violation of the international rules-based order. 

International humanitarian law does matter. It exists to be enforced when required.

If Netanyahu does not call an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank, and end the aggression against the Lebanese people, then a price must be exacted by the UN and international community – not simply be spoken about. 

Occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid have been inflicted upon Palestinians by Israel for over 75 years. 

In Ireland colonialism, occupation and apartheid have also been our historic experience. 

That is why we will not stay silent and watch as occupation and apartheid are inflicted upon others. 

The decision by Ireland, Norway and Spain to recognise the state of Palestine has stopped Von Der Leyen and others from dictating the stance of European states. 

Their attempts to manufacture an unconditional consensus supporting Israeli genocide have been dismantled. 

Efforts across continental Europe, and within the EU, must now focus upon increased political momentum to recognise the state of Palestine.

Those EU states which refuse to be complicit with the genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation must now demand an end to the EU-Israeli Association Agreement. 

The underpinning human rights clause of that agreement has been utterly traduced by Israel’s actions. 

The Irish government should immediately join South Africa's ICJ case. The Occupied Territories Bill & Illegal Settlements Divestment Bill should be urgently made into law. 

Ireland should demand the imposition of comprehensive economic political sanctions, and arms embargoes against Israel. 

Already a growing number of Irish local government authorities are adopting ethical procurement policies to ensure contracts and services are not made with companies or agencies which will seek to profit, now or in future, from Israeli-imposed apartheid in Palestine. 

There has never been a more urgent need for global anti-apartheid action against Israel, both by multilateral institutions, governments, and international civic society.

In the struggle against South Africa’s apartheid system, such a global campaign played a critical and decisive role.

Currently, national governments and individual citizens can make a fundamental difference by refusing to do any business with either the Israeli state, and or, those organisations and companies which directly or indirectly profit from the repression of the Palestinian people. 

In July 1984, the decision of two young Dublin trade unionists by refusing to handle South African fruit became the catalyst for the iconic Dunnes Stores Strike. That strike eventually changed Irish government policy towards the South African apartheid regime. 

Individual moral actions can have powerful consequences. 

The global landscape is changing.

An effectively organised global anti-apartheid strategy in support of Palestine can make a difference within that unfolding context. European-wide action has an essential role to play in implementing economic divestment and sanctions, and maximum diplomatic and multi-lateral pressure. 

However, none of this can be successfully achieved in isolation from the need to establish Palestinian national unity and achieve political cohesion between all liberation movements and parties, and with civic society.

For a global and European anti-apartheid campaign to be fully maximised, there must be resolution of divisions within the Palestinian national struggle.

Resistance or reluctance to embrace political unity, and provide united national leadership, is both a strategic failure and weakness.

By contrast a united Palestinian leadership which commands overall popular support will give positive impetus to a global campaign.

The Palestinian spirit of resistance will never be defeated. The last 12 months have been a watershed in Palestine’s ‘Long Walk to Freedom’.

It is clear that new international efforts to end the apartheid, occupation and genocide are interdependent with the primacy of national unity. These are the foundations of a roadmap to secure a fully independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.