On the reason why so many yet too few of us human beings have been very vocal about the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the occupied Palestinian Territories, these past few months…It sure does feel like writing endless rivers into the ocean of bad news we’re swimming in. And sometimes it does feel pointless, yet it matters. It really does …

I. With heart and reason…We don’t write for the sole pleasure of writing. We write because lives depend on it. And perhaps that is the difference some don’t see…

Each debunking, each word used to explain or expose facts, law, history and lobby what can be lobbied.. it’s not for pleasure or a drop of power nobody needs.

No, it’s one drop of blood that will perhaps remain where it’s needed: inside its own human being living and thriving freely on their own land. That’s nothing more and nothing less than wanting the level of freedom we have for every innocent life.

And look… you have people trying to save lives and then anyone else who’s not trying to save lives. Amongst the latter you have people actually very much wanting many lives to end.

It’s like we’re an atom. The nucleus of an atom has protons (+) and neutrons (0).

Right now, the charge of the nucleus is positively trying to kill people. Then you have electrons (-) all around, wanting freedom and stability at the same time for said people. And the first level of freedom is the right to live. At least we try with heart and reason. ❤️

Will the entire atom explode? I don’t know…

A reasonable image ⚛️, no?

II. Let’s talk facts, numbers and lawa. The bloodiest conflict

Israel’s military is killing Palestinians at an average rate of 250 people a day which exceeds the daily death toll of any other major conflict of the past 24 years including Syria (96.5 deaths per day), Sudan (51.6), Iraq (50.8), Ukraine (43.9) Afghanistan (23.8) and Yemen (15.8).

Not to mention the legal and political contexts surrounding the situation in Gaza:

the blockade (1) and the support from Likud towards Hamas in its cynical move to divide an existing Palestinian nation thus preventing the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian State,the illegal occupation since 1967 of the Palestinian Territories, the furthering of the colonisation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem with little to no legal action from our western democracies… with the “indirect” support of the US.According to UNOCHA, there were 23,074 reported deaths in Gaza between 7 October 23 and 7 January 24, an average of 250.8 per day and 330 deaths so far in the West Bank (Not Controlled by Hamas). The latest updates can be found here

b. Famine and the ICJ’s ruling

Since the beginning of October, more than 1 Million people have fled to Rafah. Over 1.9 Millions in total have been displaced in Gaza, which is virtually the entire population of over 2.3 Million people of which 40% are 14 or younger, all facing famine and disease under constant bombardement. This situation is now only heightened by the blocking of humanitarian aid. (Long inspections, rejected items, constant bombardement, Israeli extremist protesters (terrorists) blocking trucks etc…

This is one of the many clear violations of the ICJ’s ruling.

THE COURT, Indicates the following provisional measures:(1) By fifteen votes to two, The State of Israel shall, in accordance with its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of this Convention, in particular:, 25 , (a) killing members of the group; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; ©deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; and (d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;IN FAVOUR: President Donoghue; Vice-President Gevorgian; Judges Tomka, Abraham, Bennouna, Yusuf, Xue, Bhandari, Robinson, Salam, Iwasawa, Nolte, Charlesworth, Brant; Judge ad hoc Moseneke; AGAINST: Judge Sebutinde; Judge ad hoc BarakIII. What about the moral self defense of the Democratic State of Israel?a. Supporting Democracy

Over the years, Israel has been deemed “the only democracy in the Middle East” by the western world and itself.

The unconditional support its military action received in the first few weeks and is still receiving after the International Court of Justice ruled that there are plausible causes of concern to urgently request and apply conservative measures to prevent a Genocide in Gaza, has highlighted something that has been going on for decades: the denial of the most basic rights to the Palestinians: their sovereignty free from occupation and apartheid on their own land.

It is worth noting the unwavering support the US have lended to the current Israeli government plays an important role in the way people around the world are reacting to the most blatant and enduring injustice that started in the 20th century. Indeed this is but a continuation of the past. For instance, let’s have a look at how the US have been using their veto power for decades to deny the Palestinians their own State and their freedom.

b. What about « Arabs killing other Arabs »?

Reactions are extremely polarized. Yet, on one hand people are calling for the end of what checks all the boxes of a potential genocide and on the other, well.. the opposite. The “debate” has of course stormed through social media alongside various degrees of propaganda from every possible “side”.

In the array of propaganda tools the War crimes supporters enjoy using there is the infamous “no Jews no news” and it comes along a river of other conflicts “Why not talk about Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan etc…” ergo… people are supposedly only speaking out against a possible genocide because Israel is the main character… “What about Arabs killing other Arabs?” You might have already read this somewhere, I know you have!

This argument is cynically both antisemitic and anti democratic as if Israel is a democracy with people of all faiths, why equate an entire diverse population to one belief and the actions of one government? And why equate one belief and its millions of followers to the actions of the current Israeli leadership? It completely contradicts the vision war crimes supporters depict of their beloved non apartheid, non colonial very democratic State.

Finally, it is yet another whataboutist statement: Still, in placing this conflict at the same level of civil wars and illegal wars (Yemen, Syria etc…) it highlights the illegality and disproportionality of said conflict. Let us remember the daily casualties and legal context mentioned above and below. Also Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq etc… are not exactly known as fierce human rights defenders or “democracies”, are they?

Whataboutism is all about that… If everyone is guilty of something, is no one guilty of anything?

The number of average deaths per day for Gaza (250) is higher than any recent major armed conflict including Syria (96.5 deaths per day), Sudan (51.6), Iraq (50.8), Ukraine (43.9) Afghanistan (23.8) and Yemen (15.8).c. Trauma and justice

From a legal and historical and human perspective yes the terrorist attacks orchestrated by Hamas on Oct 7. are absolutely traumatizing. They are legally speaking war crimes and can amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. How many times have you read that?! Too few I can already tell. A case was opened at the icc by several Israeli victims and their families last November.

https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/icc-prosecutor-karim-khan-kc-concludes-first-visit-israel-and-state-palestine-icc-prosecutor

IV. Oppressing within the limits of international lawa. “Denial is not a river in Egypt”

It is part of the occupier’s narrative and strategy to deny justice and law itself to the occupied population. It has always been this way and it’s the very definition of occupation.

The way the Israeli leadership and most westerners talk today about this conflict is nothing short of denying history and law to the Palestinians. In removing history and law out of the analysis of this situation we create an alternate reality which is complete fallacy, and it serves one purpose only: if this is a war on terror free from history and law, then anything can happen outside of law. Well, technically, no. All wars have rules, even this one.

This is an armed conflict happening in a continuum of perpetual war and occupation since 1948. Did Hamas start the current hostilities by their monstrous attacks? Of course they did.

Does it justify the intensity and the disproportionality of Israel’s “Response”? No. Gaza has been destroyed.

b. Nakba 2.0 or Self Defense?

As all occupied Palestinian Territories, Gaza has been recognized by the UN as illegally occupied by Israel since 1967. This matters in how law regulates this armed conflict. (Another source here).

During a speech at the Australian Press Club on November 15, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territories emphasized the following legal context:

“The right to self-defence can be invoked when the state is threatened by another state, which is not the case,”Furthermore, let us remember the past conflicts in Gaza through the eyes of a child, prior to October 2023:

The Nakba has been ongoing ever since it started in 1948, it never stopped it simply went through phases of various intensities.

Over the years, the West Bank has become more and more Israeli and East Jerusalem is barely standing and there.. there is no Hamas.

Israel / Palestine Map: Height of Hamas Control in 2023 Invasion

(October 7, 2023)

V. On the democratic journey of a Palestinian in IsraelOver the past 20 years, an estimated 10,000 Palestinian CHILDREN have been held in military detention by Israel.

As of November 2023, Israeli forces had arrested 880 Palestinian children over the year 2023. A practice that only a military state as Israel allows. When Israel released a list of 300 jailed Palestinians including women and CHILDREN prior to the hostage deal brokered mostly by Qatar, the West did not blink. Children in administrative detention…

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, 7,200 prisoners are being held by Israel, among them 88 women and 250 children aged 17 and under. The plight of prisoners is a key issue for Palestinians: at least 4 in 10 Palestinian men spend some time in their life in Israeli prisons.

VI. On the dangerous road to freedom of speech for Israelisa. Citizens

Israeli voices of justice and peace calling for the end of the occupation and apartheid do exist!

Most amongst the regular citizens are simply being silenced. Not everyone has the platform and global recognition of Gideon Levy (2)or Ilan Pappe (3) for example. Yet they are speaking loudly, but are they heard? Well that is another question… the entrepreneur I am sees opportunities in times of crisis. The bigger the crisis, the bigger the opportunity.

On November 9, Jerusalem teacher Meir Baruchin was arrested by Israeli police for opposing the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians on Facebook. His phone and laptops were seized, and he was interrogated for suspected treason. After four days in jail, he lost his teaching job and still faces charges. Baruchin says that Israelis expressing sympathy for Gaza face persecution, job loss, and imprisonment, contrasting it with what he believes would be harsher treatment if he were Palestinian.

Citizen led initiatives like Standing Together have been leading the conversation between Palestinians and Israelis for years. And since Oct 7 they have been even more vocal on the subject of illegal occupation, war crimes and solidarity amongst innocent civilians Israelis and Palestinians alike. As their motto says:

“Where There is Struggle There is HOPE”Yet Israeli citizens who dare speak out for their fellow human beings which were born on the wrong side of the wall are systematically censored by the current israeli leadership even at the Knesset.

b. Democratic censorship

The case of Ofer Cassif is no exception. (6)

In January, Ofer Cassif, an Israeli lawmaker, sparked controversy by backing South Africa’s accusation of “genocidal acts” by Israel against Gaza’s Palestinians at the International Court of Justice.

Following a 14–2 vote by an Israeli parliamentary committee, Cassif now faces potential expulsion from the Knesset.

Conclusion: From Israel , Palestine to the world, with justice will come peacePeace and justice advocates have been working hand in hand for years, hebrew and arab voices alike have been speaking out against occupation, apartheid, terror, war crimes and now genocide.

The barbarity of the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas which killed 1200 israelis, did traumatize an entire population, the whole world actually is still traumatized. Not to mention, the fate of the hostages still in Gaza.As of February 14, 2024, 134 hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

That said, removing this conflict out of the equation of the historic and legal context surrounding Israel , Palestine only adds barbarity to the barbarity. Oct 7. cannot justify the tremendous loss of innocent life in Gaza and in the West Bank:

28,473+ in Gaza killed, in addition to 382 in the West Bank. (6)

Who can possibly still think this is a war on terror and not on civilians? The contradiction in the Israeli leadership’s rhetoric speaks for itself. One day “it’s an entire population out there that is responsible” , another day after having spoken to lawyers and American representatives, “we are not at war with Palestinians, we are at war with Hamas”.

4 months after the start of this conflict, Israel is now facing serious charges at the ICJ. The ultimate court of justice now holds the key to either more impunity and the barbaric war crimes or justice and peace. Yet, only a political solution will end the circle of violence.

Allow me to conclude this piece with two quotes

“we have on this earth what makes life worth livingon this earth, the lady of earththe mother of all beginningsthe mother of all endings”Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet and author and who wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. (13 March 1941–9 August 2008)

“We need to break the cycle of violence.”Maoz Inon a peace activist whose parents have been murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7

If martyrdom started in the land of all beginnings and all endings, can it not end there too?

From the river to the sea, let justice free

palestinians and israelis

from barbarity,

let justice restore humanity.

References

The Blockade imposed on Gaza:https://www.ochaopt.org/content/gaza-strip-access-and-movement-september-2023https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/02/15/israel-blocks-food-aid-destined-for-gaza-at-the-port-of-ashdod_6526783_4.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Levyhttps://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/pappe-ilan-1954Ofer Cassif https://time.com/6590628/israel-ofer-cassif-knesset-south-africa-icj/https://www.ochaopt.org/?_gl=1*l48zwj*_ga*Njc3Mzk5ODM2LjE3MDgxNjk0MzQ.*_ga_E60ZNX2F68*MTcwODE2OTQzNC4xLjAuMTcwODE2OTQzNC42MC4wLjA.Maoz Inon https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/10/19/hamas-killed-my-parents-but-israels-war-is-not-the-answer