Latest news with #HagueGroup
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to Editor: cycleways, Gaza, mining
Today's letters to the editor include criticism of Cr Jim O'Malley over reactions to a cycle way, the war in Gaza, and discussion around Santana mining. Councillor O'Malley and his lost anatomy Poor Councillor Jim O'Malley. He's facing a life ahead of him without an important part of his anatomy, his backside, having "worked his arse off" on the Albany St cycleway committee, only to have people, God forbid, disagree with him. Spectacularly tone deaf to the pleas of the business community's complaints of more disruption, the loss of 68 valuable parking spaces on campus, and the cycling community stating they don't need or want it, Jim seems mainly offended by the suggestion that his conclusions might just be wrong. He is so aggrieved he's threatening to give up politics. Yeah, right. It may be time for the councillor to realise that committees alone don't make a bad idea good, and that the everyday operation of the city may be more important than costly and damaging leisure and vanity projects for a tiny minority. Ian Pillans Dunedin Stand up Wars may be far away, but their repercussions will affect us now and into the future. New Zealand's mild remonstrances on the Gaza genocide do not reflect our strong stances in the past, where we stood up against South African apartheid, nuclear armed ships and the white supremacy of the mosque attacks. We are allowing Israel to destroy a people and a culture. It is conceivable that a Trump-like character might arise in Australia in the future, who fancies a bit of choice agriculture land across the Ditch. Who will protect us — not the US, whose leader covets Greenland among other places? There are alternatives. The Hague Group is standing up for international law with real action. BRICS is an alternative non-aligned trading group that is trying to bypass the extractive US dominated WTO and IMF. These countries are not perfect, but why are we following the US which continually dabbles in regime change and endless failed wars around the world? Peace and diplomacy are rhetorical flourishes at the moment. Building trust is a hard road which requires listening to the perspectives of others, especially when they are in danger of annihilation, and not pattern-matching our own misconceptions. Ann Mackay Oamaru [Abridged — length. Editor.] Take the offer Cole Martin lists many reasons why there's no peace in the Holy Land (14.7.25) but omits the most obvious. Solely blaming a supposed "system of domination," he ignores critical historical context, ongoing Palestinian violence, and Palestinian leadership's refusal to recognise Israel. The West Bank was occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967. Israel gained control of it in a defensive war. Large portions of it are governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), created through the 1990s bilateral Oslo Accords with the goal of establishing a Palestinian state. Those hopes were dashed when Palestinian leaders rejected generous Israeli peace offers that would have given them control over most of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Instead, they launched the Second Intifada, a wave of terrorism that left thousands dead and hardened attitudes on both sides. The violence and restrictions Martin laments largely stem from these actions. Palestinians were offered more opportunities for sovereignty than other Middle Eastern minorities. Yet, they squandered each one, attempting to destroy Israel rather than pursuing statehood. Real change can only come when Palestinians choose to stop the violence, recognise Israel, and build the state they were repeatedly offered. A. Levy Dunedin [Abridged — length. Editor.] Historic tale of ironclad ship battle questioned Tuesday's Today in History (8.7.25) describes in 1862 the use of the novel gun turret on USS Monitor being used "to good effect in a decisive battle with CSS Virginia". Wrong on both counts — the ships fought at close range for three hours, inflicting minimal damage on each other, then returned to their bases. Ineffective and indecisive, black-powder muzzle-loaders firing solid shot achieved little in this historic engagement, the first between ironclad vessels. Richard Lea Clough St Leonards [Today In History is based on old ODT files and is updated annually. We welcome reader feedback on omissions and possible inclusions.] Debt and Covid response RE R John Wilson's letter (15.7.25), what would he have done different so as not get into debt? Remembering every other country spent their way out of Covid. Henry Schakelaar Dunedin Saving our species but losing land Wonderful to read of the "Tireless work to save our native central species" (Central Otago News 3.7.25). Sad then to also read of the proposed Santana Minerals Open cast gold mine with its blasting, digging, trucking and carting away of hillsides to leave "open pits a kilometre wide and hundreds of metres deep" across a swathe of our outstanding natural landscapes (Opinion ODT 9.6.25). Sad as we'll lose the stunning landscape many thousands of tourists fly in to admire or millions of people view on TV. Expecting a second series of the murder mystery drama A Remarkable Place to Die to be shot here from November till the end of April, will be so incongruous with the noisy polluting open-cast gold mining and the arsenic and cyanide that'll leak from the unlined toxic sludge dam it leaves. Or maybe they can incorporate this and the waste of native habitat for native birds and lizards in the series for the German, American, Australia and New Zealand audiences? Lynne Stewart Earnscleugh Overseas plunder RE Gavin Dann's letter (18.7.25), His points re jobs, boost to local economy etc, are valid, to a degree. However, if one is to google Tui Mine Tailings Dam, there is a prime example of the perils of an overseas company mining in New Zealand. Since the days of flax and kauri, we have allowed Australian interests to plunder our resources with little return and no regard for the consequences. By all means, allow mining but not at the expense of our environment, and pay well for the privilege. Jerry Lynch Mosgiel
The South African
6 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
The Hague Group is gunning for Netanyahu
And about bloody time too, I say. It is now blatantly obvious that wanted war criminal, illegitimate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his berserk blood-thirsty Zionist regime are officially going full Samson option. In the past few weeks, homicidal Israel has expanded its sickening, evil, ethnic cleansing holocaust in Gaza to include bombing Iran and Syria – reigniting a civil war in the latter. All part of the Zionist regime's expansive, imperial, neo-colonial 'Greater Israel' project. Thankfully, it appears more and more countries around the world are finally waking up and uniting against corrupt, psychopathic, mass-murdering, maniac Benjamin Netanyahu, and the neo-Nazi, genocidal, apartheid Zionist regime. Heck, I hear even pro-Zionist US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is slamming Israel for their tendency to insult, assault and spit on…Christians. (No, I'm not making that up.) On 31 January, nine nations – Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa – convened by Progressive International met in The Hague, the Netherlands, to form The Hague Group. Their mission: 'Pursue collective action through coordinated legal and diplomatic measures to hold Israel accountable for grave violations of international law against the Palestinian people, and bring Benjamin Netanyahu to justice.' On 15 and 16 July, Hague Group members from 30 countries across the world converged for an emergency conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogota, Republic of Colombia. They were united by a single purpose: end Israel's impunity, uphold international law and cease the genocide in Gaza. The conference was called in response to Israel's ongoing and escalating violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the crime of genocide. The emergency meeting, co-chaired by South Africa, centred on the legal obligations of states as determined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024; to stop all actions that assist the illegal situation created by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and support the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination. In his address, Zane Dangor, director-general of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said: 'The impunity continues unabated. We are legally obligated not to condone internationally wrongful acts of the government of Israel.' Among the key attendees were ex-British Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and UNHRC Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestine Territory, Francesca Albanese. In her statement addressing the conference, Francesca Albanese said: 'The occupied Palestinian territory today is a hellscape. In Gaza, Israel has dismantled even humanitarian aid, to deliberate, starve, displace or kill a population they have marked for elimination.' She then called on all member states of the Group to fulfil their obligations under International Law. 'I am here to recount to you – uncompromisingly and dispassionately – the cure for the root cause', she said. 'We are long past the time to deal with the symptoms. The Hague Group has committed to obligations under international law.' 'Obligations, not sympathy, not charity.' She said. 'Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel; military, strategic, political, diplomatic and economic, and make sure that their private sectors and other service providers do the same.' Albanese recently came under fire from Israel, the US and their Western pro-Zionist lapdog 'allies' for her astute, clear-eyed report on Israel's unhinged genocide in Gaza. Albanese filed her report Anatomy of a Genocide with the UN Human Rights Council on 1 July 2024. The report thoroughly documents Israel's holocaust in Gaza and cites the ICJ's order that Israel prevent and punish genocide and ensure humanitarian aid – which Israel has ignored. The report summary states (extract): 'After five months of military operations, Israel has destroyed Gaza. Over 30 000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 13 000 children and over 12 000 are presumed dead and 71 000 injured or mutilated. 'Seventy percent of residential areas have been destroyed. Eighty percent of the population has been forcibly displaced. Thousands have been detained and systematically subjected to severe ill-treatment. The incalculable collective trauma will be experienced for generations to come.' The report concludes: 'There are reasonable grounds to believe that Israel has committed genocide.' (Duh! Ya think?) In that report, and a follow-up video for Double Down News released on 17 July this year, Albanese also revealed how Israel's economy thrives off the genocide in Gaza – particularly through weapons, intel and data companies. And what was the response by the so-called free and democratic US to Francesca's report? For doing her job? For documenting and criticising Israel's holocaust? On 9 July, bible-thumping, AIPAC-funded, rabid pro-Zionist and Eschatological Israel apologist, US Secretary of State, loco Marco Rubio released a press statement titled: Sanctioning Lawfare that Targets U.S. and Israeli Persons. In it, Rubio announced sanctions on UNHRC Rapporteur for Palestine OT, Francesca Albanese. Why? Well, according to Rubio… 'Albanese has directly engaged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of those two countries, making this action a gross infringement on the sovereignty of both countries,' the statement read. Rubio claimed Albanese spewed 'unabashed antisemitism', expressed support for terrorism and open contempt for the US, Israel, and the West. It's worth noting that Rubio's sanctions on Albanese came the day after Donald Trump welcomed indicted war criminal Netanyahu to the White House – for the third time in less than six months. (Which was also around the same time that Trump's Department of Justice and FBI did a u-turn on releasing the Epstein client list.). Responding to the US sanctions in a text to Al Jazeera , Albanese said: 'No comment on mafia-style intimidation techniques.' But she did query why she had been sanctioned for exposing a genocide and denouncing the system. 'They never challenged me on the facts,' she said. Following Rubio's announcement of US sanctions on Albanese, many were quick to point out the hypocritical, tyrannical fascism being displayed by the US – as usual. Human Rights Lawyer and ex-UN official, Craig Mokhiber responded to Rubio on X: 'This is a lawless, vile act, Rubio. Your arrogance will catch up to you. The impunity that you are enjoying now will be gone within a few years, and you will be held accountable for your violations of human rights. There are millions who will work to ensure it.' Indie news publisher Chris Menahan posted a video on X of Israeli Likudnik politician, Danny Danon, openly ordering Trump, last April, to sanction and ban Albanese from the US for 'promoting hate'. And Trump did – through Rubio. Demonstrating, once again, Israel and the AIPAC lobby's stranglehold on POTUS and the US government. In another response to Rubio's sanctions, Iranian-born Swedish writer and activist, Trita Parsi, founder of the Quincy Institute and the National Iranian American Council, posted two photos on X, side by side. The first was of Syria's de facto (HTS) leader, jihadi ex-terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as al-Julani). The other photo was of UNHRC Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Above the images, Parsi wrote: 'The man below is the founder of Al Qaeda in Syria. The US just took his organisation off its terror list and lifted sanctions (and a $10M bounty) on him. The woman below is the UN rapporteur on Israel and Palestine. The US is about to impose sanctions on her. Let that sink in. In his article titled, The Persecution of Francesca Albanese, Pulitzer Prize-winning journo Chris Hedges wrote: 'The sanctioning by the Trump administration of Francesca Albanese is an ominous harbinger of the end of the rule of international law.' He also predicted, 'When the history of the genocide in Gaza is written, one of the most courageous champions for justice and adherence to international law will be UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.' In a recent article by Truthout , Marjorie Cohn wrote: 'In the height of irony, war criminal Netanyahu nominated serial lawbreaker Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. But it is Albanese who deserves that prize.' Richard Falk, who served as UN Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestine from 2008 to 2014, told Truthout that Albanese (above Trump) deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, not punitive targeted sanctions by the US. 'This was an intimidating attack on Albanese, an unpaid civil servant, for her brave truth-telling and expert knowledge – fully in accord with expectations of the job to report periodically to the UNHRC and General Assembly,' Falk said. 'Her well-documented reports have broken the mainstream silence in the West on Israel's genocidal assault, carried out before the eyes and ears of the world, shocking many by its transparency and sadism over more than 20 months. She has also exposed shameful patterns of U.S. complicity with Israeli criminality,' he added By the end of the conference, The Hague Group affirmed that the international community has 'a legal and moral obligation to act, and ensure that the orders of the ICJ are fully respected and implemented'. In a declaration issued after the meeting, the Group agreed to six specific measures aimed at 'restraining Israel's assault on the Occupied Palestinian Territories', including an arms embargo, a review of contracts with companies that benefit from Israel's actions in Gaza, and complying with arrest warrants issued by the ICC against Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. The declaration also called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, and the international prosecution of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The 12 countries committed to the measures are Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and South Africa. The declaration marked the strongest joint statement yet by the group, which has aligned itself with South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. Of the emergency meeting, Riyad Mansour, Minister of the State of Palestine, said: 'This conference and others that will follow are the beginning of a new stage in the struggle of the Palestinian people.' Colombian President Gustavo Petro hailed the outcome as 'a milestone in the defence of international law and human dignity'. In her speech at The Hague Group conference, Francesca Albanese warned that the world is facing a 'critical test'. She also insisted that there was no more 'good' or 'bad' Israel. 'It is impossible to disentangle Israel's state policies and economy from its longstanding occupation. It has been inseparable for decades. This is the complicity. Now, that economy has turned genocidal. There is no good Israel, bad Israel ,' she argued. To illustrate her point, Albanese suggested the HG delegates and members consider this moment as if they were back in the 1990s deliberating the case of apartheid South Africa. She asked: 'Would you have proposed selective sanctions on SA for its conduct in individual Bantustans? Or would you have recognised the state's criminal system as a whole?' 'And here, what Israel is doing is worse. 'This is not just a legal matter – it is a moral one. 'The time for action…is now,' she added. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is the international community finally speaking up about Israel?
International public opinion continues to turn against Israel for its war on Gaza, with more governments slowly beginning to reflect those voices and increase their own condemnation of the country. In the last few weeks, Israeli government ministers have been sanctioned by several Western countries, with the United Kingdom, France and Canada issuing a joint statement condemning the 'intolerable' level of 'human suffering' in Gaza. Earlier this week, a number of countries from the Global South, 'The Hague Group', collectively agreed on a number of measures that they say will 'restrain Israel's assault on the Occupied Palestinian Territories'. Across the world, and in increasing numbers, the public, politicians and, following an Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza, religious leaders are speaking out against Israel's killings in Gaza. So, are world powers getting any closer to putting enough pressure on Israel for it to stop? Here's what we know. What is the Hague Group? According to its website, the Hague Group is a global bloc of states committed to 'coordinated legal and diplomatic measures' in defence of international law and solidarity with the people of Palestine. Made up of eight nations; South Africa, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia and Senegal, the group has set itself the mission of upholding international law, and safeguarding the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations, principally 'the responsibility of all nations to uphold the inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, that it enshrines for all peoples'.Earlier this week, the Hague Group hosted a meeting of some 30 nations, including China, Spain and Qatar, in the Colombian capital of Bogota. Also attending the meeting was UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who characterised the meeting as 'the most significant political development in the past 20 months'. Albanese was recently sanctioned by the United States for her criticism of its ally, Israel. At the end of the two-day meeting, 12 of the countries in attendance agreed to six measures to limit Israel's actions in Gaza. Included in those measures were blocks on supplying arms to Israel, a ban on ships transporting weapons and a review of public contracts for any possible links to companies benefiting from Israel's occupation of Palestine. Have any other governments taken action? More and more. On Wednesday, Slovenia barred far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering its territory after the wider European Union failed to agree on measures to address charges of widespread human rights abuses against Israel. Slovenia's ban on the two government ministers builds upon earlier sanctions imposed upon Smotrich and Ben-Gvir in June by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and Norway over their 'incitement to violence'. The two men have been among the most vocal Israeli ministers in rejecting any compromise in negotiations with Palestinians, and pushing for the Jewish settlement of Gaza, as well as the increased building of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. In May, the UK, France, and Canada issued a joint statement describing Israel's escalation of its campaign against Gaza as 'wholly disproportionate' and promising 'concrete actions' against Israel if it did not halt its offensive. Later that month, the UK followed through on its warning, announcing sanctions on a handful of settler organisations and announcing a 'pause' in free trade negotiations with Israel. Also in May, Turkiye announced that it would block all trade with Israel until the humanitarian situation in Gaza was resolved. South Africa first launched a case for genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice in late December 2023, and has since been supported by other countries, including Colombia, Chile, Spain, Ireland, and Turkiye. In January of 2024, the ICJ issued its provisional ruling, finding what it termed a 'plausible' case for genocide and instructing Israel to undertake emergency measures, including the provision of the aid that its government has effectively blocked since March of this year. What other criticism of Israel has there been? Israel's bombing on Thursday of the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, killing three people, drew a rare rebuke from Israel's most stalwart ally, the United States. Following what was reported to be an 'angry' phone call from US President Trump after the bombing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement expressing its 'deep regret' over the attack. To date, Israel has killed more than 58,000 people in Gaza, the majority women and children. Has the tide turned internationally? Mass public protests against Israel's war on Gaza have continued around the world throughout its duration. And there are clear signs of growing anger over the brutality of the war and the toll it is taking on Palestinians in Gaza. In Western Europe, a survey carried out by the polling company YouGov in June found that net favourability towards Israel had reached its lowest ebb since tracking began. A similar poll produced by CNN this week found similar results among the American public, with only 23 percent of respondents agreeing Israel's actions in Gaza were fully justified, down from 50 percent in October 2023. Public anger has also found voice at high-profile public events, including music festivals such as Germany's Fusion Festival, Poland's Open'er Festival and the UK's Glastonbury festival, where both artists and their supporters used their platforms to denounce the war on Gaza. Has anything changed in Israel? Protests against the war remain small but are growing, with organisations, such as Standing Together, bringing together Israeli and Palestinian activists to protest the war. There has also been a growing number of reservists refusing to show up for duty. In April, the Israeli magazine +972 reported that more than 100,000 reservists had refused to show up for duty, with open letters from within the military protesting the war growing in number since. Will it make any difference? Netanyahu's hard-right coalition has been pursuing its war on Gaza despite its domestic and international unpopularity for some time. The government's most recent proposal, that all of Gaza's population be confined into what it calls a 'humanitarian city', but has been likened to a concentration camp and has been taken by many of its critics as evidence that it no longer cares about either international law or global opinion. Internationally, despite its recent criticism of Israel for its bombing of Gaza's one Catholic church, US support for Israel remains resolute. For many in Israel, the continued support of the US, and President Donald Trump in particular, remains the one diplomatic absolute they can rely upon to weather whatever diplomatic storms their actions in Gaza may addition to that support, which includes diplomatic guarantees through the use of the US veto in the United Nations Security Council and military support via its extensive arsenal, is the US use of sanctions against Israel's critics, such as the International Criminal Court, whose members were sanctioned in June after it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes charges. That means, in the short term, Israel ultimately feels protected as long as it has US support. But as it becomes more of an international pariah, economic and diplomatic isolation may become more difficult to handle. Solve the daily Crossword
Express Tribune
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Israeli exceptionalism and Global South
Listen to article Two events in the past week provided yet another glimpse of the global political shifts and growing inter-state tensions. One was a meeting in Bogota, Colombia, convened by the Hague Group, which is expressly opposed to the Israeli-US exceptionalism in the Middle East (read Palestine) — an issue that has already caused ripples in Europe too. The other event revolved around Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's extensive visit to China, with a message that Sino-Australia relations remain unaffected by the intense tariffs' wars that the US President Donald Trump is waging. The Hague Group is an alliance of eight countries committed to cutting military ties with Israel and which insists on compliance with the arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court. The group consists of Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa. A joint statement issued after the meeting of nearly 30 countries — including China, Malaysia, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, i.a. — demanded enforcement of international rulings to halt what they described as genocide in Gaza. The Bogota declaration called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid and the international prosecution of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Hague Group declared after the meeting that the international community has "a legal and moral obligation to act". "This includes suspending all military trade with Israel and ensuring that the orders of the ICJ (International Court of Justice) are fully respected and implemented," it said. However, only 12 of the participating countries — including six founding members (Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Malaysia, Namibia, and South Africa), plus Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Nicaragua, Oman, and Saint?Vincent and the Grenadines — formally signed the joint declaration to underscore their commitment to the six specific measures (such as arms embargoes and port restrictions). Pakistan's absence was conspicuous if viewed it against the presence of almost all the heavy-weights of the Islamic fraternity - Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkiye, Bangladesh, and Qatar invited. Reportedly, the diplomat assigned to attend got his visa "very late" and hence missed the event, but one wonders if that was the only reason for one of the lead Muslim countries to miss such an important event in support of the Palestinian and against the Israeli aggression? Yet, the formal declaration, and its literal endorsement by a dozen countries marked the strongest joint statement yet by the group as well leading nations of the Global South. The Hague has aligned itself with South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. While the court has issued provisional measures ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide, critics say those rulings have been largely ignored. Also present was Francesca Albanese, the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. She warned that the world is facing a "critical test". "The events in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide," she said. "This is not just a legal matter — it is a moral one. The time for action is now." Now to the Australian PM Albanese's weeklong discussions and meetings in Shanghai. The visit carried two distinct messages; despite being the core member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and the Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS) partnership, the country's PM is ready to defy Trump's aggressive posturing in general, and the unjustified US campaign focused on China containment. This geo-political alignment cast its shadow also on the Sino-Aussie relations, leading to unnecessary tensions since 2017. The second message centred on Australia's resolve to maintain economic autonomy — national interest — and steer its trade relations with China clear of the partnership with the US and other allies. Bilateral relations have been on the mend since Albanese took office in 2022 as Australia's 31st prime minister. In an apparent thaw, China lifted its import restrictions on Australian lobsters in December last year. That is why PM Albanese chose to engage with Premier Li Qiang — a meeting that coincided with the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Both vowed to ramp up economic cooperation, and work for greater market and industrial integration - something that is sweet music to the Chinese ears because of Beijing's non-aggressive approach rooted in geo-economic relationships. And these are rapidly expanding under the Belt and Road Initiative. In a world riven with turmoil and uncertainties all around, it is indeed a welcome sign that as a key ally of the United States, Australia realizes the long-term hazards associated with political brinkmanship and economic coercion. It probably realizes that the Global South probably offers more economic and trade cooperation dividends than the partnership in geopolitically driven alliances. As political and economic centres gravitate towards China — and very soon to India too — the future belongs to Asia: a reality that the Global North needs to realise sooner than later instead of peddling narratives that blatantly paint China and its allies in bad light.
Business Recorder
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Gaza genocide: Hague Group meets in Colombia to step up pressure on Israel
KARACHI: Colombia has hosted a keynote meeting of the Hague Group this week with ministers and envoys from 30 countries working to coordinate legal and diplomatic action against Israel over its war in Gaza. The two-day summit in Bogotá involved eight founding members, Colombia, South Africa, Cuba, Bolivia, Namibia, Senegal, Malaysia and Honduras, who formed the coalition in January to defend international law and Palestinian rights. It marks the first time the group has met outside Europe, with participants aiming to turn 'years of rhetorical condemnation' into binding measures. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in May over the 'war of extermination' in Gaza, said the initiative was a shift 'from statements to collective action'. South Africa has already faced US aid cuts and politically motivated investigations after filing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The Bogotá meeting followed months of escalating legal and diplomatic pressure. In July 2024, the ICJ ruled Israel's settlement expansion unlawful, and by the end of the year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Delegates in Bogotá focused on pushing states to enforce those ICC warrants, halting arms sales to Israel, and blocking Israeli military-linked vessels from entering occupied ports. 'What we want is to disrupt the flow of weapons and resources that allow Israel to keep punishing Palestinians,' Colombian deputy foreign minister Mauricio Jaramillo told El País. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, urged states to cut military, trade and diplomatic ties with Israel, warning that Gaza faces 'a genocide beyond dispute'. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
