These ten questions needing answers from UK politicians were posted as a comment on the blog overnight by RobertJ. I think they are far too relevant not to post here. If there are more, please add them in comments. A final list might then be produced for social media.
- What are the internationally recognised borders of Israel? Please provide an internationally recognised map.
- How long has the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem lasted?
- Ditto for the Golan Heights.
- Ditto for the more recent occupation of Syria?
- Do Palestinians have an internationally recognised right of self-determination?
- Do occupied peoples have an internationally recognised right to forcefully resist occupation?
- Do Palestinians have an internationally recognised right to both forcefully resist occupation and an internationally recognised right of self-defence?
- Is the modern state of Israel, created by international agreement, bound by international law
- What do you understand by the term “rogue state” and how should they be dealt with by the international community?
- What will happen to Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife when he is no longer Prime Minister?
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Suggestion: everybody write to their MP with the questions – fill in the ones with simple numbers (or give the MP the option of ticking a choice). Turn it into an easy to fill in questionaire – obvs with a nice comment box @ the bottom for the elected REPRESENTATIVE to add their profound comments.. make em squirm.
& if they don’t respond – I wonder how to make that public.
Done
Ta
Good stuff.
There has been nothing said at all about any rules that are being adhered to or not – but after all, this is genocide.
Declassified UK on its website also has a list of 70 questions the UK government should answer regarding Gaza. The more questions we ask, the better.
Wow, I had better look
All great questions which we need our politicians to answer. Not at all confident that they will, though.
I think it pretty obvious why international law is being ignored in this case: because Trump’s US don’t give a flying f— about it. As far as Trump and his lackeys are concerned international law – or indeed any law (as we’re seeing on a near daily basis in the US) – applies on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis.
That’s the truth of the matter and that’s going to apply for as long as Trump (or Trumpists) are in power in the US – which may be a very long time. Netanyahu knows this. Starmer knows this (just look at the utterly insulting response to Starmer’s comment about a ceasefire from Trumps envoy to Israel)’. Indeed, EVERY head of state (and their diplomatic service) knows this by now.
And so the rest of us need to wake up and stop pretending what we see with Israel and Gaza is simply about that conflict (the same applies to Ukraine). It isn’t. It’s about a new BULLY on the international stage. One free of conventions, rules, niceties, manners, and, more fundamentally, morals, ethics, empathy and any other “woke” attribute. This is now about international relations based on threats, blackmail, corruption, force, intimidation, and downright humiliation. POWER – red in tooth and claw.
So yes, there’s a significant and pressing issue over Gaza, as there is with the war in Ukraine. But this is now far broader, deeper and fundamental, than that. It’s about how the rest of the world (and particularly democratic countries) responds and deals with the new bully in the playground. I’d argue this is particularly pressing because as democracy is destroyed in the US, and thus domestic resistance is crushed, the totalitarian bully will start forming alliances that will result in a totalitarian hegemony. This is almost certainly what Trump, Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states (and Turkey?) have in mind for the middle East.
And so the fundamental question is who or what will stand against the unhinged, lawless and powerful bully ? Certainly not Starmer. But will the EU? Or certain member states? In the meantime I can’t see anything stopping whatever Israel wants to do with Gaza and Palestinians. And by Friday Zelenskyy and Ukraine may also be sacrificial lambs to the cult of Trump.
Much to agree with
Including on Zelensky
The questions are very good, mostly rhetorical since we already know the answer. A good barrister would enjoy grilling anyone who has a vested interest in Palestine and it’s future.
Netanyahu would, I’m sure, visibly shrink if he was ever subject to such a cross examination. As might Trump or Starmer or many others. The Hague awaits them all, I hope.
All NATO members are being urged to up their military spending to 5%, most of which will go to enrich the worlds weapons makers.. many of them in Israel and the US. Much cheaper would be to actually enforce international laws; first sign of backsliding would be hit with sanctions that would just become harsher the longer the law breaking lasted and it would apply to every country equally.
There was an interview this week with a regular Gaza commentator and actual GHF aid worker who has been into Gaza and back with the new aid organisation to the distribution point. A couple of stats stood out
– around 72% of those Gazans killed in the 15-45 age range were males
– over 1,000 Israeli military are under investigation for combat crimes
The inference being this is evidence of indiscriminate slaughter.
Link to the video below, although it is long, I just include it as a reference for the stats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYmY1sllh-0
Males are collecting the food. That is why they are dying in greater numbers.