UN rapporteur demands global action to stop Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza
Francesca Albanese addresses delegates from 30 countries to discuss ways nations can try to stop Israel’s offensive.
The United Nations’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory has said that it is time for nations around the world to take concrete actions to stop Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
Francesca Albanese spoke to delegates from 30 countries meeting in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, on Tuesday to discuss Israel’s brutal assault and ways nations can try to stop the offensive in the besieged enclave.
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Many of the participating nations have described Israel’s war on Gaza as a genocide against the Palestinians.
More than 58,000 people have been killed since Israel launched the assault in October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israeli forces have also imposed several total blockades on the territory throughout the war, pushing Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to the brink of starvation.
“Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel … and ensure its private sector does the same,” Albanese said. “The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.”
Colombia, South Africa lead talks on Israel’s brutal offensive
The two-day conference organised by Colombia and South Africa is being attended mostly by developing nations, although Spain, Ireland and China have also sent delegates.
The conference is co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia, which last year suspended coal exports to Israeli power plants. It includes the participation of members of The Hague Group, a coalition of eight countries that earlier this year pledged to cut military ties with Israel and comply with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For decades, South Africa’s governing African National Congress party has compared Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank with its own history of oppression under the harsh apartheid regime of white minority rule, which restricted most Black people to areas called “homelands”, before ending in 1994.
The gathering comes as the European Union weighs various measures against Israel, which include a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements, an arms embargo and individual sanctions against Israeli officials who are found to be blocking a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Colombian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mauricio Jaramillo said on Monday that the nations participating in the Bogota meeting, which also include Qatar and Turkiye, will be discussing diplomatic and judicial measures to put more pressure on Israel to cease its attacks.
The Colombian official described Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as an affront to the international order.
“This is not just about Palestine,” Jaramillo said in a news conference. “It is about defending international law and the right to self-determination.”
Special rapporteur Albanese’s comments echoed remarks she made earlier on Tuesday addressed to the EU. The bloc’s foreign ministers had been meeting in Brussels to discuss possible action against Israel.
In a series of posts on X, Albanese wrote that the EU is “legally bound” to suspend its association agreement with Israel, citing its obligations under international law.
Albanese said the EU is not only Israel’s top trading partner but also its top investment partner, nearly double the size of the US, and “trade with an economy inextricably tied to occupation, apartheid and genocide is complicity”.
The ancient structures (Candis) and artifacts found in Bujang Valley Kedah prove that Hindu Yindians were there first, long predating Ishmael.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly we must respect and recognize there were Isaacs living in Gaza hundreds of years before Ishmaels even existed. Artifacts dug up prove this. Therefore Isaacs are the bumiputras of Gaza. Ishmaels arrived much later and in fact THEY were the colonizers because they kicked out (genocided) the Isaacs there lah.
Here is what Chat GPT says.
Q: Do ancient artifacts prove Isaacs lived in Gaza long before Ishmaels even existed?
Yes, archaeological evidence from Gaza indicates a Jewish presence predating the arrival of Islam. This is supported by various artifacts, including letters and documents found in the Cairo Genizah, that detail a thriving Jewish community in Gaza for several centuries. Additionally, other artifacts, such as those from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and later periods, demonstrate the long and continuous history of human habitation in the region, including Jewish presence.
Elaboration:
Historical Records and Artifacts:
The Cairo Genizah, a collection of discarded Jewish documents, contains numerous letters and records from the Jewish community in Gaza, confirming a significant and well-established Jewish presence dating back centuries before the rise of Islam.
Archaeological Evidence:
Gaza has yielded a wide range of archaeological finds, including those from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and later periods, showcasing a long history of human settlement and cultural development. These artifacts, including those from the Pharaonic, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, indicate a complex and diverse history of the region.
Jewish Presence in Gaza:
The Jewish community in Gaza is documented to have been a flourishing one for nearly 300 years during the Middle Ages, with evidence suggesting a strong presence until the Crusader destruction of the area in the 12th century.
Early Islamic Period:
While Islam emerged later, the presence of Jewish communities in Gaza continued to be significant, though their influence and numbers fluctuated with various historical events and political changes.
"Jewish presence predating the arrival of Islam" doesn't mean Jewish presence predated Palestinian ancestors, the Canaanites - for example, Jerusalem was built by the Jebusites. They were a branch of the ancient Arabs who arose in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, flourished across its regions, and later migrated along with other Canaanite tribes
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