I recommend a great podcast.
Venetia Rainey, Telegraph, had a terrific episode “‘This is not a genocide’: ex-IDF lawyer explains why the UN is wrong”. The guest is Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer (“ESB” for short). Former lawyer at the IDF and part of the team defending Israel at the ICJ. (Topical issue as, very recently, the United Nations had countries calling for the denial to Israel of “tools of genocide” and the Mayor of London accusing Israel of genocide.)
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Until recently, it was very rare to hear of a nation being accused of genocide. Nowadays, Israel is accused on a daily basis.
Not only does it have no basis in fact, but I suggest that it’s a nasty attempt to Nazify the Jewish and thereby undermine her moral resolve to stand and defend herself.
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The word “genocide” as gaslighting to accept its own moral defeat
The word genocide entails the clear and specific intent to destroy an ethnic, religious or national group. The humanitarian hardship must have been specifically calculated to destroy that group. Israel’s declared aim is to dismantle Hamas.
The Gaza civilian casualty count is usually the only thing people look at. It’s usually quoted at around 60k. My question is why call this a “genocide” or “mass murder” as opposed to an aspect of warfare?
The problem is the selective cherry-picking and the incomplete picture. For instance, we also have to bear in mind that Israel has:
- Integrated the rules & requirements of law into operational procedures - ESB points out the Israel’s military lawyers work together with IDF operational commanders (e.g. the selection of targets). Thus, the various principles of international law are part of the IDF’s backbone in decision-making. Moreover, IDF commanders are also trained on the law.
- Having a war cabinet (Attorney General present) in which decisions are made about the war and to which the IDF are then accordingly instructed on how to operate. Legal advice present at all levels. Judicial oversight exercised by the Israeli Supreme Court.
- Focused on Hamas targets and Hamas military capabilities (i.e. intent to destroy the enemy’s capacity - not a “people”).
- Issued warnings before air strikes.
- Created evacuation routes.
- Fed civilians.
- Created refugee zones.
- Urged civilians to flee.
- Investigated alleged misconduct by the Military Advocate General.
- Punished soldiers who abused their position and power.
These are not the actions of a genocidal regime.
The civilian casualties in Gaza - while obviously horrible - are a feature of 21st-century urban warfare. A democracy is responding to an enemy engaged in battle in an unprecedented manner in the modern history of warfare.
In the podcast, ESB addressed the question of “aren’t there just too many casualties”:
His answer was to point out the logical corollary of this reasoning. It means that if Hamas is effective & evil enough in managing to hide and shield themselves among its civilians, then a democracy cannot win the war. Such a genocidal regime must be tolerated and accommodated by the democracy. Thus, the lives of Israeli civilians matter less than the lives of Palestinians in Gaza because their enemy is so cruel and so cynical that there’s just no way to win against them.
The word “genocide” is being used to gaslight the Jewish state into accepting its defeat.
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The word “genocide” to delegitimise the Jewish state
I think the word “genocide” serves to delegitimise the Jewish state in the most profound way possible.
Only a nasty cretin would label Israel’s response to Oct-7, in the context of that history, with the same word that describes the unprovoked mass murder of a people (that we all associate with the Nazis and the final solution). Especially to the Jews, having been threatened with obliteration forever, and certainly since Israel’s inception in 1948.
For everyone on Earth, Nazism is the vertible epitome of evil.
Thus, the antisemite - in using the word “genocide” - is seeking to equate Israel with the Nazis. Thereby, transforming the nation into a horrifying monster. This goes to the core of the nation’s self-respect and to the Jewish identity as a whole.
This is pure antisemitism. It also hopes to obfuscate history’s hard truths: you cannot let those who commit mass slaughter hide behind their own civilians.
And yet, we live in a universe where basic moral truths are inverted by those with a nasty agenda.
The only genocidal organisation is Hamas (as per their founding charter’s aim). If this terrorist organisation were to surrender, free the remaining hostages and agree to disarm, then there would be no need for this horrible but necessary war.
It's completely ridiculous. During World War II, individual US and British bombing raids on Germany cities sometimes killed more than sixty thousand people, and no one has ever suggested that a "genocide" against Germany was under way. In any case, that figure for Gaza casualties comes from the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of Hamas -- that is, the number is jihadist propaganda. There's no reason to think it represents anything real.
ReplyDeleteNone of the people who keep screaming "genocide" about Gaza have anything to say about the religious war in Yemen which is killing far more people. As you say, they are just obsessed with condemning Israel on whatever grounds they can come up with.
If Israel had a "clear and specific intent to destroy" the Palestinians, it could easily do so. The only reason Hamas and the other jihadist groups haven't already committed a genocide of Jews is that they lack the power to do so.
Indeed, the intention is the act opposite of wiping out the Palestinians. The intent is to protect them as much as prosecuting this war.
Delete"None of the people who keep screaming "genocide" about Gaza have anything to say about the religious war in Yemen which is killing far more people. As you say, they are just obsessed with condemning Israel on whatever grounds they can come up with."
Delete100% correct. Nor do they have anything to say about Russia's invasion of Ukraine (and thankfully Ukraine is fighting back and giving the Russians one hell of a fight).
Plus the word is being used to silence all questioning about what Hamas has done and the antisemitic language of the "Gaza Groupies"--try to speak up and you are hit with charges of being a "genocidal freak" or a "Nazi".
Stop all your insane explaining . Of course it is a genocide and many Jews consider it as that. Of course you surrender to the Netanyahu government. He is a ganster of the worst category and infidel seems to be obsessed by Germany which he probably never visited. Liam you should inform yourself better than with an IDF lawyer.
ReplyDeleteSandra
Do you have any arguments in your objection?
DeleteI wonder why so few understand what Liam and you with your very correct comment understand. How the propaganda of lies and poison works and manages to brainwash so many people in the world. What saddens me the most are the bloggers here who have often used the word genocide in this context, argued with me and talked among themselves with such great ignorance.
ReplyDeleteSoon the troll will also arrive with her poison words, what a tough world to live in.
Notice how that troll never addresses the specific details of what anyone says. She just throws insults and calls people names. I think it's safe to just ignore her. I've run into a few trolls like that over the years. What they really crave is attention.
DeleteHi Yael and infidel,
DeleteThe thing is most of these commenters rarely articulate an argument in opposition to anything I argue,. Obviously I welcome counter arguments and try to approach them in good faith. But I always get a variation on "well you need to educate yourself and stop fawning over Netanyahu" . Yawn!
Of course Israel had a right to defend itself after the horrific attack by Hamas, but killing 68,000 people (if that figure is correct) is rather more than self-defence. Whether you call it genocide is a matter of debate, but it's certainly disproportionate.
ReplyDeleteThere is no reason to think that figure is correct, and even if it were, the Israeli government's primary duty (like that of any national government) is to protect the security of its people and territory. After October 7, the bottom line is that Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in existence as a functioning entity. The Israeli government is morally obligated to secure that outcome. The blood shed in Gaza is entirely on Hamas's hands. If they had not attacked Israel, none of this would be happening.
DeleteTo put it in blunter terms, what Israel is doing to Gaza is the same as what the US and British air forces did to German cities during World War II, and for the same reasons -- and the death toll in Gaza is tiny compared to what happened during the bombing of Germany. But just as the Nazi regime had to be destroyed whatever the cost, so does Hamas today.
Hi Nick
DeleteThanks for commenting, and I appreciate your perspective.
I would just reply with 2 points.
1) The problem to some extent is in the concept of "proportionality" overall. As you know, Hamas committed rapes on Oct-7. I don't have a figure handy, but, for the sake of argument, let's assume its 50 rapes on men and women. Would the Israeli military be justified in committing 50 rapes also on the basis of some proportionality. You can't look at the conflict from the point of view of saying "well, they killed 20k of our people, so we have to kill 20k". Israel has a military objective. It makes a list of enemy military targets and military capabilities (which include the tunnels and weaponry etc.). In fighting this war, each military target/operation undergoes a necessity test and proportionality test.
2) As I wrote above, this is not a normal war. The typical framework of battles is something like ww1 and ww2. You duke it out in the fields. Sometimes, like Stalingrad, you fight in cities. But the nazis never hid behind schools and old peoples' homes. Never before has an enemy deliberately put schools, hospitals, nurseries on top of and in front of their military. Since Israel has to fight and get the hostages back, the resultant deaths have to be placed on Hamas' shoulders. If Hamas surrendered & gave up the hostages, Israel's military activity would stop. What we see is what happens when a Nazi-like army hides itself and its weapons in the homes, schools, hospitals and religious centers of its population and fights to the last man.
That's why I take the view I do.