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New Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Two rights groups are first Israeli voices to accuse Israel of genocide
TEL AVIV: Two Israeli human rights organisations said on Monday Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the first major voices in Israeli society to level the strongest possible accusation against the state. Rights group B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released their reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out "coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza strip." "The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write," said Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director. "The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights." Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on damage to Gaza's healthcare system, saying: "Israel's actions have destroyed Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a manner that is both calculated and systematic." Israel has fended off accusations of genocide since the early days of the Gaza war, including a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the Hague that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as "outrageous." A spokesperson for the Israeli government called the allegation made by the rights groups on Monday "baseless." "There is no intent, (which is) key for the charge of genocide ... it simply doesn't make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tons of aid most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide," said spokesperson David Mencer. A spokesperson for Israel's military did not immediately respond to request for comment. Accusations of genocide have particular gravity in Israel because of the origins of the concept in the work of Jewish legal scholars in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust. Israeli officials have in the past said using the word against Israel was libellous and antisemitic. When Amnesty International said in December that Israel had committed genocidal acts, Israel's foreign ministry called the global rights group a "deplorable and fanatical organisation." The 1948 Genocide Convention, adopted globally after the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border on October 7 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins, and displaced nearly the entire population of more than two million. International attention to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza has intensified in recent weeks, with UN agencies saying the territory is running out of food for its 2.2 million people. Israel shut off all supplies into Gaza in March for nearly three months, reopening the territory in May but with new restrictions it says are needed to prevent aid from ending up in the hands of fighters. Since then, its forces have shot dead hundreds of Gazans trying to reach food distribution sites. Israel has announced measures in recent days to increase aid supplies, including pausing fighting in some locations, allowing airlifts of food and safer corridors for aid. Throughout the conflict, Israeli media have tended to focus mainly on the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza, with less attention given to Palestinian civilians. Footage widely broadcast in other countries of destruction and casualties in Gaza is rarely shown on Israeli TV. That has been changing, with recent images of starving children having a little more impact, said Oren Persico from The Seventh Eye, a group that tracks trends in Israeli media. "It's very slowly evolving," he said. "You see cracks." But he did not expect the genocide allegation would spark a major shift in attitudes: "The Israeli perception is: 'what do you want from us? It's Hamas' fault, if it would only put down its weapons and (release) the hostages this could all be over'." In an editorial on the mainstream news site Ynet last Monday, journalist Sever Plotzker said images of Palestinians rejoicing over the October 7 attacks and abusing hostages had made Israelis "blind to Gaza." The Israeli public "now interprets the destruction and killing in Gaza as a deterrent retaliation and therefore also morally legitimate." In a comment in the Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Dani Dayan, the chairman of Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, said it was not accurate to accuse Israel of committing genocide. "But that does not mean we should not acknowledge the suffering of civilians in Gaza. There are many men, women, and children with no connection to terrorism who are experiencing devastation, displacement, and loss," he wrote. "Their anguish is real, and our moral tradition obligates us not to turn away from it."
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Two Israeli rights groups accuseTel Aviv of genocide
Thousands holding banners and Israeli flags gather during a demonstration to demand a hostage swap deal with Gaza and the dismissal of the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, in Tel Aviv, Israel on June 22, 2024. PHOTO: ANADOLU AGENCY Two Israeli human rights organisations said on Monday Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the first major voices in Israeli society to level the strongest possible accusation against the state, which vehemently denies it. Rights group B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released their reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out "coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza strip". "The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write," said Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director. "The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights." Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on damage to Gaza's healthcare system, saying: "Israel's actions have destroyed Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a manner that is both calculated and systematic". Israel has fended off accusations of genocide since the early days of the Gaza war, including a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the Hague that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as "outrageous". A spokesperson for the Israeli government called the allegation made by the rights groups on Monday "baseless". "There is no intent, (which is) key for the charge of genocide ... it simply doesn't make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tons of aid, most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide," said spokesperson David Mencer. A spokesperson for Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Accusations of genocide have particular gravity in Israel because of the origins of the concept in the work of Jewish legal scholars in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust. Israeli officials have in the past said using the word against Israel was libellous and antisemitic. When Amnesty International said in December that Israel had committed genocidal acts, Israel's foreign ministry called the global rights group a "deplorable and fanatical organisation". The 1948 Genocide Convention, adopted globally after the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group". PALESTINIAN PLIGHT GAINING ATTENTION At a Jerusalem cafe, Carmella, a 48-year-old teacher whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, said that she was distressed over the suffering an hour's drive away, inside Gaza. "It feels difficult to me as an Israeli, as a Jew, to watch those images and feel anything but tremendous compassion and horror, to be honest. I feel horror." International attention to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza has intensified in recent weeks, with UN agencies saying the territory is running out of food for its 2.2 million people. Israel, which controls all supplies in and out of Gaza, says it has let enough food in, and blames the UN for failing to distribute it. Israel shut off all supplies in March for nearly three months, reopening the territory in May but with restrictions it says are needed to prevent aid from ending up in the hands of fighters. Footage widely broadcast in other countries of destruction and casualties in Gaza is rarely shown on Israeli TV. That has been changing, with recent images of starving children having a little more impact, said Oren Persico from The Seventh Eye, a group that tracks trends in Israeli media. "It's very slowly evolving," he said. "You see cracks." But he did not expect the genocide allegation would spark a major shift in attitudes: "The Israeli perception is: 'what do you want from us? It's Hamas' fault, if it would only put down its weapons and (release) the hostages this could all be over'."
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Germany's Merz announces Gaza aid airlift, mulls upping ante on Israel
FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) attend a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, July 17, 2025. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo BERLIN - Germany will immediately launch an airlift to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza as it considers stepping up pressure on Israel over the "catastrophic" situation in the enclave, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday. As the death toll from almost two years of war in Gaza nears 60,000, a growing number of people are dying from starvation and malnutrition, Gaza health authorities say, with images of starving children shocking the world and fuelling international criticism of Israel over sharply worsening conditions. Germany, together with the United States, has long remained one of Israel's staunchest allies and largest arms suppliers. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday many people were starving in the enclave, contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who denied there was starvation there. The German security cabinet convened for more than two hours on Monday to discuss the situation, Merz told a news conference in Berlin. While it welcomed Israel's announcement of a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza as an "important first step", it agreed more must follow. Asked if the council discussed sanctions like suspending the EU pact governing relations with Israel, a move Germany has in the past rejected, Merz said the council had discussed what options were available. "We are keeping such steps on the table," he said. Before making any decisions, however, he would try to speak with Netanyahu later on Monday and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul would travel to the region on Thursday, possibly together with his British and French counterparts. The German government would then reassess the situation over the weekend. In the meantime, Berlin would do what it could to help alleviate the humanitarian situation, launching an airlift in cooperation with Jordan to deliver aid into Gaza. "Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will closely coordinate with France and the UK, who are also willing to provide such an airlift for food and medical supplies," he said. "We know that this can only provide very limited help for the people in Gaza, but it is nonetheless a contribution we are eager to make." Germany would also prepare for a Gaza reconstruction conference in coordination with regional partners, Britain and France, he said. "No further expulsions from the Gaza Strip must occur." German officials say their approach to Israel is governed by a special responsibility, known as the Staatsraison, arising from the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. They have long believed they can achieve more through diplomatic back channels than public statements. But Merz has come under growing pressure in recent weeks, including from within his own coalition, to take a firmer stance on Israel, and faced broad criticism for failing to join a statement last week by dozens of Western nations condemning the "inhumane killing" of Palestinians. REUTERS
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Germany rules out short-term recognition of Palestinian state
BERLIN: Germany is not planning to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term and said its priority now is to make 'long-overdue progress' towards a two-state solution, a German government spokesperson said on Friday. 'Israel's security is of paramount importance to the German government,' said the spokesperson. 'The German government therefore has no plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term.' France's decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September also drew condemnation from Israel and the United States, amid the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. Germany's stance on Israel is strongly influenced by what it regards as a special responsibility to atone for the Nazi Holocaust against European Jews in which six million were killed during Hitler's 1933-45 regime. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision late Thursday, shortly before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Friday. Britain's immediate priority is alleviating suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a cabinet minister said on Friday, even as Starmer came under growing pressure to recognise a Palestinian state. Italy's foreign minister said on Friday that recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with the recognition of Israel by the new entity. 'A Palestinian state that does not recognise Israel means that the problem will not be resolved,' Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a meeting of his conservative Forza Italia party. France's move, though symbolic, underlined Israel's increasing international isolation over its devastating war in Gaza and could open the door for other major nations to perhaps follow suit. PALESTINIAN LEADER WELCOMES FRENCH MOVE Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement welcoming the French move, credited the leadership of Saudi Arabia with playing 'a key role in encouraging France's decision to recognise the State of Palestine', the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. 'President Abbas urged all countries, especially European nations that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine, to do so based on the internationally endorsed two-state solution,' it cited Abbas as saying. Saudi Arabia has been pushing France to recognise Palestine over the past year with efforts led by Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan, said a source close to the royal court. Palestinians have long sought to create an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - lands Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war - through a mediated peace process. Many accuse Israel of having destroyed Palestinian statehood prospects through increased settlement building in the West Bank and by levelling much of Gaza during the current war. Israel rejects this. The Palestine Liberation Organization recognised Israel's right to exist in peace in 1993 at the start of the U.S.-backed peace process which set up the Palestinian Authority, which Abbas heads, in what Palestinians hoped would be a stepping stone towards statehood. But Hamas and other Palestinian Islamist militants who dominate Gaza and frequently clash with Israeli forces in the West Bank refuse to recognise Israel. Hamas' 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse. - Reuters
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: Scotland reminds Trump that peaceful protests can be policed
A reader is impressed by the fair mindedness of Police Scotland Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's gratifying to know that Police Scotland's priorities for Donald Trump's forthcoming visit are 'maintaining public order, while balancing the right to peaceful protest' (your report, 23 July). This measured approach to Trump's controversial visit is one that very few police forces in the world would adopt. The American police, bolstered by the National Guard, acted very differently and violently to quell the peaceful protests recently in Los Angeles. Unlikely as it might be, Donald Trump could learn something from our police in action. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sadly, the current UK Government don't seem to follow the police's example, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, whom I once admired, has deemed the peaceful Palestine Action to be a terrorist group, punishable by imprisonment, for simply waving a banner or flag. The right to peaceful protest lies at the very heart of any democracy. Donald Trump should be shown just how unpopular he is in Scotland by peaceful means. That same right should be afforded Palestine Action. Donald Trump during his visit to Turnberry Golf Courses in May 2023 (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images) Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Words not enough Hungarian author Arthur Koestler famously railed against the people's indifference to the Nazi Holocaust long after it happened. One wonders whether the train of events would have been different had the publicity then been as it is now for the atrocities going on in Gaza over the past 22 months. No one can deny the visual and other evidence that children have been dying, from bombing and from malnutrition, now amounting to starvation. Their carers are severely weakened, and aid agencies report that 'our colleagues are wasting away'. The question arises: how can 'we' support this? At the very same time, in the very same news report, the UK Government is planning to cut aid to the occupied Palestinian territories. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Words are not enough. The testimonies of those on the ground must direct urgent action. Israel will never admit the truth, although on a Radio 4 debate on Tuesday, the Israeli Labour leader was forthright in her condemnation of Benjamin Netanyahu's policies. When will the much trumpeted 'values' we are supposed to cherish – support for the needy and upholding international law among them – be put into effect by rapid action to stop the 'plausible genocide' and meantime to get the most needy out, here, for medical treatment, as the First Minister has proposed. Pat Bryden, Edinburgh Shallow 'truth' The claim by UK Environment Minister Steve Reed that 'pollution levels in Scotland are worse than they are in England' beggars belief and requires an immediate apology. According to the latest report from the Independent Water Commission (IWC), Scotland has more waterways in 'good' ecological condition than England and Wales. The final report from the IWC found that 66 per cent of Scotland's water bodies were of good ecological status, compared with 16.1 per cent in England and 29.9 per cent in Wales. Indeed, 87 per cent of Scotland's entire water environment is assessed by SEPA as having a high or good classification for water quality, up from 82 per cent in 2014. In the post-truth world, which is now so prevalent, by trying to undermine the case for public ownership of water Mr Reed has only created a furore that has served to highlight the benefits of this approach. Alex Orr, Edinburgh A good sign Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Announcements made by the UK Government this week confirmed that the water industry in England is in an absolute mess – literally and financially. The root cause initially lies with the original decision to privatise water in England by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher and then the choice by the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to tolerate the mess Thatcher created rather than do anything about it. Fortunately, the people of Scotland fought off the various overtures back in the late 1980s to have our water wrested from public control. What the unfolding events of the past week have proved is how right Scotland was to stand up to Thatcher and make such a decision. In Scotland, clean water for all citizens is practically a given. This is due to the decision not to privatise the provision of public water. Public ownership continues to pay dividends for Scotland's citizens and this is notable against the backdrop of what is happening in England. Whitehall has created the disaster of privately owned public water utilities all on its own. It sold the assets, set up the regulator, allowed that regulator to green light capital extraction via dividends and massive loading of debt on to the private utilities, and now has the predictable mess of a collapsing system and bankrupt companies to clean up. It's a crisis entirely of Whitehall and Westminster's own making, and so it's only fair that credit is given to Holyrood and Scotland that Scottish Water is a beacon of success by comparison. This should give many of Scotland's citizens confidence and assurance that we can run many of our own affairs well here, and we don't need Whitehall or Westminster's input. Jim Finlayson, Banchory, Aberdeenshire Waiting to die? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After the recent salutations from contributors regarding the Scottish NHS outperforming the NHS in England and Wales, The Scotsman's latest article regarding the horrific waiting times (23 July) and missed targets for A&E is frankly astounding. What a comfort it is to know that 67.7 per cent of patients were seen within the four-hour target period – to make this a bit easier to understand, that's 32.3 per cent of people not being seen within the target time. This is just one example of the incompetence of the SNP government, one of myriad other failures – Police Scotland not investigating crimes, the continued ferries saga, the marvellous laminated list of bullet points for teachers to deal with violent and unruly children (next will be the issue of feather dusters as a deterrent) and the pontificating on international matters where there is no devolved power to do so. Instead of pretending to be statesmen or women, perhaps the mundane day job these people were elected to do might get their attention for a microcosm of their time. While people sit waiting in A&E across Scotland in the hope of being seen lose the will to live, Swinney and co continue to spend £9 million per annum on "pretendy' embassies – and then there are the air miles and flights associated with visiting said pretendy embassies. Go on, defend that in the present climate with the above stats staring out from the page. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just yesterday I heard someone on the radio stating they believed that the SNP were back on track to be the largest party at Holyrood in 2026. If this is true, we, as a country, deserve everything we get – minus an NHS app! David Millar, Lauder, Scottish Borders Ruff justice James Penrith writes that almost 100 per cent of those dog owners he polled who use shock collars to improve their pets' behaviour report no negative effects (Letters, 23 July). This is a tremendous breakthrough for behaviour control. If the collars cause no pain to dogs then presumably they can be fitted to small humans, i.e. children. Any child who is about to step in front of a bus, steal another child's toy, yell loudly while a parent is concentrating on their phone or in fact do anything out of line – can be gently dissuaded. But let's go further. Mr Penrith says that these collars would help prevent the mauling and maiming of livestock by dogs owned by responsible dog owners. So why not fit the collars to the owners and provide the farmers with the controls? I also see great potential for their use on car drivers. The collars would be humanely fitted, of course, and each pedestrian would carry a control. Traffic problems fixed! No more mauled or maimed pedestrians. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I forget, Mr Penrith. Hw many dogs were tested for pain during your survey of those caring, responsible, dog-collar owners? Roger Meachem, Edinburgh Green cover-up The Scotsman article 'Green light for 50mW battery storage farm' must be challenged (21 July). The planning application by Galileo for this 50 megawatts development at Middlerigg Farm, between Bathgate and Armadale, was 'granted unanimously' by the local council. I bet it was not 'granted unanimously' by residents, but hey, they don't matter if we are saving the planet. Project manager Laura Petrie says it will play 'a critical role in tackling climate change'. Wait a minute, Scotland is responsible for a miniscule 0.1 per cent of global emissions, so shut down Scotland tomorrow and it would not make one iota of difference to a changing global climate. Why do developers of wind farms, solar farms and battery storage never let the public – and the local authority planning departments – know the amount of greenhouse gases that will be created by their manufacture, transport and installation, and how many years it will take for the project to recoup those emissions? It should be mandatory that this information is made available, but politicians are frightened that the truth will lead to stronger opposition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Add in the risk of battery fires and the pollution and health problems caused by the mining of rare metals in other countries and the green claims by politicians, developers and the green brigade are shown to be a deliberate cover-up. Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian Write to The Scotsman
