Thursday, January 11: The End of Hypocrisy
Will Israel and its western supporters ever face justice??
Today, the trial against the apartheid state of Israel began. A lawyer representing South Africa’s case at the ICJ opened by describing Israel’s killing of Palestinians as 'unparalleled and unprecedented'. To my knowledge, this is the first real attempt at holding Israel accountable since its formation in 1948. I’m not exactly expecting the Nuremberg trials, but it’s certainly an interesting piece of legal theater that could potentially have real political consequences.
Regardless of the trial’s outcome, we’re witnessing history folks. Right now there are African women and men who are fighting to save Palestinian lives (not to mention the international legal system) against the ruthless attacks supported and funded by most of the western powers. Naturally, the US state department released a statement saying, “Allegations that Israel is committing genocide are unfounded. In fact, it is those who are violently attacking Israel who continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews.” Go ahead and chalk this up as yet another stain on the history of US foreign policy.
"The first genocide in history where its victims are broadcasting their own destruction in real time in the desperate, so far vain hope that the world might do something."
-Blinne Ni Ghralaigh, lawyer for South Africa, at the ICJ
This article does a great job connecting Biden and the current administration to the genocide in Gaza. Biden and his spineless ignominious lackeys refer to the apartheid state as a “close partner.” And of course any partner is allowed to utilize the same behavior and tactics that the west has been employing for decades. Take the deliberate targeting and destruction of hospitals and schools, for example. When Russia did it in Ukraine, Antony Blinken and John Kirby were quick to call it barbaric. Kirby said, “Hitting playgrounds, schools, hospitals is utter depravity.” He was of course talking about Russia, not Israel. But when asked what the Biden administration would do if Israel continued to commit war crimes, this coward’s answer was, “We will continue to support it.”
Truth be told, I don’t care if what’s happening in Gaza meets some abstract legal definition of genocide. I know that regardless of this ICJ hearing, we’ve witnessed three months of genocide against the people of Gaza. I oppose what I’m witnessing because I was raised to understand that murdering thousands of innocent people is wrong. I guess some people missed that lesson in basic humanity.
Side Items
Surprise!! FBI Entraps Kids: Undercover FBI agents in Colorado spent over a year (and untold sums of taxpayer money) to help an autistic teenager plan a trip to join ISIS. A group of four undercover agents in Denver spent over a year talking to a 16-year-old online (dare I say “grooming” him) about joining ISIS and they arrested him shortly after his 18th birthday when he went to the airport. At some point people will realize what a magnificent waste of resources the FBI has become
Guess Who’s Back??: According to the head of the UN health agency, almost 10,000 died from COVID-19 last month, fueled by holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent new variant globally. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that hospital admissions during the month of December jumped 42% in nearly 50 countries. I guess this COVID thing really wants to stick around