Donald Trump admits Israel has committed genocide as Israel sabotages ceasefire
As an Israeli minister makes a hideous threat and Israel deliberately trashes the ceasefire - Trump just handed those alleging genocide key evidence
Here is where this is now heading: with Israel deliberately sabotaging the so-called ceasefire deal, Israeli not simply resuming its genocidal onslaught against Gaza this weekend, but escalating it to unparalleled levels. Meanwhile, as we’ll see, Donald Trump has conceded that Israel has indeed committed genocide.
An Israeli minister, and key ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, has made clear what this means. Before detailing what he said - and describing it as chilling doesn’t do it justice - let’s look at the broader context.
On Monday, Trump declared “all hell is going to break out” if all the Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday at noon.
We should note that all the hostages being released this Saturday wasn’t part of the ceasefire agreement - three hostages were due to be released - and more to the point it is Israel which has violated the agreement over and over again, by killing multiple Palestinians in Gaza, refusing humanitarian aid which was promised, preventing seriously ill patients from travelling to receive medical treatment including children with cancer, blocking talks on the second phase of the ceasefire deal from progressing - whilst simultaneously unleashing a murderous campaign in the West Bank.
This weekend, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz ran a story headlined ‘Israeli sources believe Netanyahu intends to derail Gaza ceasefire as delegation heads to Doha’, with an Israeli source quoted as saying:
It’s a show. Netanyahu is signaling quite clearly that he doesn't want to move to the next phase. He's sending a team without a mandate and without the ability to do anything.
Another Israeli source said the following:
The process is working, hostages are being released, but Hamas is doing this with the expectation of a second stage, leading to a [full] cease-fire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Once Hamas realizes there won't be a second stage, they may not complete the first.
That is, the Israeli state is lying through its teeth about the ceasefire deal and is preparing to resume its genocidal offensive come what may, and is simply looking for an excuse.
It should also be noted that Yair Lapid, the former Israeli prime minister and opposition figure who nonetheless has supported his state’s genocidal mayhem, said in an interview this week:
“Hamas cannot launch an attack on us. October 7 is far away. I believe there is a chance that this is another semi-artifical crisis that can be resolved by Saturday. We need to work with the mediators correctly and intentionally. Hamas is responding to the fact that the prime minister does not want to move to the next stage.”
With that context, this is what Shlomo Karhi, Netanyahu’s minister of communications and a member of the ruling party Likud, has come out and said about Trump’s “all hell is going to break out” threat:
“When dealing with a Nazi terrorist organization, one must be prepared for such violations. Hamas thinks it can gamble on the lives of our hostages – a grave mistake. No more “beats”, no more games.
The response must be exactly as President Trump has suggested: completely halt humanitarian aid, cut off electricity, water, and communications, and use brutal and disproportionate force until the abductees return. At the same time, clear Gaza of all “uninvolved.” The immigration plan must begin immediately. It is time to open the gates of hell on Hamas – and this time, without any restrictions on our heroic fighters.”
There is nothing subtle about this. Cutting off all of the essentials of life, all of the things that make the continued existence of human life possible. Use brutal and disproportionate force. Ethnically cleanse the entire population. Behave “this time without any restrictions” on Israeli soldiers, as if they were somehow acting with restraint over the last 16 months of genocidal atrocities.
Yesterday, Trump held a press conference with Jordan’s unelected King Abdullah II, and reiterated his commitment to the grave war crime of ethnically cleansing its population.
His statements are, frankly, deranged. He states “we’re not going to have to buy” Gaza, “we’re going to have Gaza”, speaking like a fascist dictator.
But here is a key segment from his stream of consciousness. When discussing the death and destruction in Gaza - in order to justify forcibly deporting its surviving population - he states “a civilisation has been wiped out” in Gaza.
This is a crucial piece of text. e is admitting that Israel has committed genocide, though he probably doesn’t realise it.
As I quote the other day, as Article II of the Genocide Convention clearly states, the definition of genocide includes:
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
In South Africa’s case alleging genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice, what Trump said here will sure prove to be crucial evidence.
In the press conference with King Abdullah, Trump was asked by a journalist under what authority Gaza, as sovereign territory, will be taken. He responded: “Under the US authority.”
Deranged. Completely deranged. Again, speaking like a fascist dictator.
King Abdullah’s response prompted much anger online, with a conciliatory tone, and a promise to take in 2,000 sick Palestinians.
It should be noted that the brilliant journalist Richard Sanders writes - mentioning another superb journalist Peter Oborne - had a very intriguing take:
King Abdullah had no choice in DC but to be placatory to Trump - but he's clearly playing for time to see if the Arabs can agree a unified position.
When Peter Oborne and myself were in Amman last week the dynasty's position was crystal clear.
That position was that Jordan would literally go to war if Palestinians are expelled into its territory, not least because Jordan would be fatally destabilised - and unable to accommodate an influx of refugees in any case
In a statement after the meeting, the King stated:
I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position. Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all.
Furthermore, the Egyptian dictator Field Marshall Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was reportedly furious with the US and Israel, cancelling an upcoming visit to Trump and refusing to cooperate with the ethnic cleansing threat.
Indeed, instead the Egyptian regime has come up with a counter proposal - declaring “its intention to present an integrated vision for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a way that guarantees the survival of the Palestinian people on their land and in a manner consistent with the legitimate and legal rights of this people."
Whether the ceasefire collapses this weekend or after, it’s screamingly clear what’s happening here. The Israeli state believes it has a unique opportunity, with the backing of the US President, to finally dispose of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and then do the same in the West Bank.
A genocide in plain sight. No one can say they didn’t know. All of those who cheered this on and facilitated this must face a reckoning.
No comments:
Post a Comment