Briahna Joy Gray: HORRIFYING TikToks Reveal Extent of Israeli ATROCITIES in Gaza

The Hill
27 Jan 202416:38

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the ongoing legal hearings regarding accusations against Israel of committing genocide, with a focus on the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group as defined by the Genocide Convention. It covers Israel's denial of such accusations, citing them as unfounded and morally repugnant. The script elaborates on a petition filed by South Africa, joined by 16 other nations, alleging Israel's genocidal intent through its military operations in Gaza. It highlights the international legal framework, potential consequences of the hearings, including increased political pressure on the U.S. to cease military aid to Israel, and the broader implications of international law in addressing and preventing genocide.

Takeaways

  • 📺 The video discusses allegations of genocide against Israel brought to the International Court of Justice by South Africa
  • 👮‍♂️ The genocide convention defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group
  • 🤔 The key question is whether Israel had genocidal intent in its actions towards Gaza
  • 😡 Israeli officials have strongly denied the accusations and condemned them
  • 🗣 The petition cites inflammatory rhetoric from Israeli leaders and soldiers about Gaza
  • 💥 It also points to the intensity of bombing and deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure
  • 😱 There are allegations Israel is trying to make Gaza uninhabitable long-term
  • 🏥 Lack of humanitarian access is leading to health crises and deaths
  • 🇺🇸 The US has dismissed the case but domestic pressure is mounting on Biden
  • 🚨 If the court rules against Israel, it could force changes - but enforcement is uncertain

Q & A

  • What are the key allegations against Israel in regards to genocide?

    -The main allegations are that Israel has cut off essential supplies like food, water, medicine and fuel to Gaza, caused mass displacement of the population, deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, and made statements showing intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza.

  • What evidence does the South African petition cite regarding Israel's intent?

    -It cites statements from multiple Israeli officials speaking about destroying Gaza, flattening it, parceling out land, and shipping Gazans out of the area as evidence of genocidal intent.

  • How has Israel responded to the genocide accusations?

    -Israel has strongly denied the accusations, calling them anti-Semitic and morally repugnant. Israeli officials say they are fighting militants, not civilians.

  • What legal obligations could be triggered if the ICJ rules against Israel?

    -Israel could be legally obligated to immediately stop its siege of Gaza. However, enforcement is a separate issue, and prior ICJ rulings have been ignored.

  • What domestic US efforts are underway regarding Israel?

    -Some Congress members want to invoke a law forcing a vote on investigating Israeli human rights abuses, which could lead to blocking military aid.

  • How does the assistant view statements about killing white South Africans?

    -The assistant views those statements as incomparable, because an occupied people have a right under international law to resist occupation, even violently.

  • How would the international response differ if the sides were reversed?

    -The assistant believes the world would strongly condemn Israel and commit resources to its defense if Hamas had killed tens of thousands of Israelis.

  • Does the assistant think all Gazans are legitimate targets?

    -No, the assistant rejects that idea and notes South Africa's petition specifically condemns Hamas attacks while alleging Israel aims to eliminate all Gazans.

  • Can international law be meaningful if it only constrains states?

    -The assistant argues that international law is important but acknowledges its limitations regarding non-state actors like Hamas.

  • What happens next in the legal proceedings?

    -The ICJ will hold hearings and decide if the genocide allegations are plausible. If Israel loses, a longer trial process could follow to determine guilt.

Outlines

00:00

😓 Accusations of Israeli Genocide Against Palestinians

Paragraph 1 introduces the context that hearings are being held to determine if Israel is guilty of genocide against Palestinians. It defines genocide and outlines the arguments from both Israeli and Palestinian sides.

05:00

😱 Evidence of Genocidal Intent in Statements by Israeli Officials

Paragraph 2 details many quotes by Israeli officials that imply intent to eliminate and forcibly displace Palestinians in Gaza as evidence of genocide cited in South Africa's petition.

10:03

😡 The Devastating Impact of Israel's Actions in Gaza

Paragraph 3 describes the devastating humanitarian impact of Israel's military actions in Gaza, including destruction of infrastructure, homes, denial of basic needs, and contamination of resources.

15:03

❓ Questions About International Law and Obligations

Paragraph 4 poses hypothetical questions about international law's purpose if it only constrains the occupied and not terrorists, which the speaker rebuts by arguing law obligates stopping ongoing atrocities.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡genocide

Genocide refers to the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular nation or ethnic group. It is considered an extremely serious crime under international law. The video discusses whether Israel's actions in Gaza could be considered genocide, based on evidence like high civilian death tolls, destruction of infrastructure, and statements by Israeli officials about making Gaza uninhabitable.

💡occupation

Occupation refers to control and governance over a territory by a foreign military force. Israel occupies Gaza and controls its borders, airspace, infrastructure, and resources like water. The video notes that an occupying force has legal obligations to provide for occupied civilians.

💡ethnic cleansing

Ethnic cleansing refers to the mass expulsion or killing of members of an unwanted ethnic group to make a region ethnically homogeneous. The video alleges Israeli officials have made statements about ethnically cleansing Gaza or shipping Palestinians to Congo.

💡collective punishment

Collective punishment means punishing an entire group for the actions of a few individuals. Cutting electricity, water, food to Gaza civilians is described as collective punishment.

💡international law

International law refers to the rules and norms that govern relations between nations. The video examines whether Israel has violated international laws against genocide, collective punishment, disproportionate use of force.

💡ICJ

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rules on disputes between nations and breaches of international law. South Africa has petitioned the ICJ to rule on whether Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

💡ceasefire

A ceasefire refers to a temporary stop in fighting and hostilities during a war or conflict. The video notes public support for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza militants.

💡military aid

Military aid means providing funding, weapons, or other support to help a nation's military capability. The U.S. provides billions in annual military aid to Israel, enabling its military operations.

💡Iron Dome

Iron Dome is Israel's air defense system that intercepts incoming rockets and missiles. The video notes U.S. funding helps Israel maintain Iron Dome defenses.

💡human rights

Human rights refer to the basic rights and freedoms inherent to all human beings. The video discusses investigating potential Israeli human rights violations in Gaza like civilian casualties.

Highlights

Hearings will establish whether Israel is guilty of genocide according to the genocide convention

The $64,000 question is whether Israel had genocidal intent to destroy Palestinians

Israel completely ignored a 2004 non-binding ICJ opinion that West Bank barriers were illegal

Israeli officials made statements directly speaking to intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza

Israel destroyed 60% of all housing in Gaza, undermining claim of no intent to displace

Reported plans to flood Gaza tunnels with seawater may contaminate aquifers long-term

Israel denying healthcare, letting babies die and decompose, amputating without pain meds

Biden administration "dismissed and found without merit" the genocide case against Israel

If South Africa wins, could temporarily enjoin Israel from genocidal acts

US has a long record of dodging accountability, even threatening to invade Netherlands

Domestic pressure could force vote on investigating Israeli human rights abuses

Hamas has not killed any additional Israelis since October 7

Over 23,000 Palestinians killed, disease spreading from lack of infrastructure

If situation was reversed and thousands of Israelis killed, world would defend them

Allegation is Israel intends to ethnically cleanse Gaza population completely

Transcripts

play00:05

Brianna what's on your radar well Robbie

play00:08

today marks the first of two days of

play00:10

oral hearings that will establish

play00:11

whether Israel is guilty of genocide now

play00:14

it's important that we're all working

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from the same definition of genocide

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according to the genocide convention

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genocide is a crime committed with the

play00:22

intent to destroy a national ethnic

play00:25

racial or religious group in whole or in

play00:28

part The $64,000 question is is Israel

play00:32

guilty of this intent Israel has denied

play00:35

the accusation of genocidal conduct via

play00:37

its Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying

play00:40

that the accusation of genocide against

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Israel is not only wholly unfounded as a

play00:44

matter of fact and law it is morally

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repugnant and anti-semitic former

play00:49

Israeli Justice Minister AET shaked said

play00:52

the genocide allegations amounted to a

play00:54

blood liel or an anti-semitic Trope that

play00:57

Jews drink the blood of Gentile babies

play01:00

and president Herzog said quote there's

play01:02

nothing more atrocious and Preposterous

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than this claim domestically Israel's

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Defenders are making arguments like this

play01:09

one from Senator John

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fedman who are we who are they really

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fighting it's a group of cowards they

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hide in tunnels they hide behind

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civilians they attack kill and mutilate

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children women and they do that

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stop talking about proportion on that

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they shot their best shot on October 7th

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and they would have taken more lives if

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they couldn't do that but they couldn't

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do it and now let's also talk about that

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now we're talking about genocide and now

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South Africa now is now bringing that

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kind of a a trial maybe South Africa

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maybe ought to sit this one out when

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they're talking about

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criticizing so far the 84 four page

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petition which was filed by South Africa

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has been joined by 16 other nations the

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brief makes clear that genocidal intents

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can be inferred from the nature and

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conduct of Israel's military operation

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in Gaza for example by failing to

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provide or ensure essential food water

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medicine fuel shelter and other

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humanitarian assistance for gazin by

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forcing the evacuation of 85% of the

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population from their homes and killing

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over 21,000 people including nearly

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8,000 children of course those numbers

play02:32

have grown in the weeks since South

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Africa's petition was filed it also

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cites the mass murder of healthcare

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workers and journalists who are being

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killed at quote a rate significantly

play02:42

higher than has occurred in any conflict

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in the past 100 years and reports of

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summary executions of unarmed people

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including Israeli hostages waving White

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flags of course the intensity of the

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bombing Campaign which outstrips the

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bombing of Dresden in World War II and

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which features so-called dumb heavy

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bombs with enormous blast radiuses being

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dropped in one of the most densely

play03:05

populated places in the world those are

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also cited as evidence of genocide if if

play03:10

South Africa's petition is successful

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and it is able to meet the standard of

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showing that genocide is plausible

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Israel which is a signatory of the

play03:18

genocide convention could be called upon

play03:20

to stop its Siege of Gaza immediately

play03:23

now whether or how international law

play03:25

would be enforced is a different

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question as the New York Times noted

play03:29

Israel completely ignored a 2004

play03:32

non-binding opinion from the icj that

play03:34

security barriers in the West Bank were

play03:36

illegal and should be dismantled they're

play03:39

still up but certainly a finding from a

play03:41

binding International court that Israel

play03:44

has committed genocide would

play03:46

significantly increase the political

play03:47

pressure on Joe Biden to stop

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facilitating Israel's Siege with

play03:51

American weapons and billions of dollars

play03:54

in military aid the pressure is already

play03:56

mounting Al jaer reported a shift in in

play03:59

tone from Israel's prime minister as the

play04:02

icj hearings approached Netanyahu put

play04:05

out a statement yesterday insisting that

play04:08

Israel has no intention of occupying

play04:10

Gaza note that forced Mass displacement

play04:14

can be considered a genocidal act

play04:16

however it's important that you know

play04:17

that BB's recent statements are in

play04:19

direct contradiction with a number of

play04:21

statements from senior Israeli officials

play04:24

that are cited in South Africa's 84 page

play04:26

petition statements that speak directly

play04:29

to the question of Israel's intent to

play04:31

ethnically cleanse Gaza for example on

play04:34

October 9th Israel's defense minister

play04:36

declared a Complete Siege on Gaza

play04:38

barring electricity food water and fuel

play04:41

on the grounds that Israel was fighting

play04:44

Human animals he went on to say that

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quote Gaza won't return to what it was

play04:48

before we will eliminate everything if

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it doesn't take one day it will take a

play04:53

week it will take weeks or even months

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we will reach all places president

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Herzog erased the distin between

play05:00

militants and civilians saying it's an

play05:02

entire nation out there that is

play05:03

responsible it's not true this rhetoric

play05:06

about civilians not aware not involved

play05:08

is absolutely not true Israeli Minister

play05:11

for National Security bavier said on

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November 10th oh to be clear when we say

play05:15

that Hamas should be destroyed it also

play05:18

means those who celebrate those who

play05:20

support and those who hand out candy

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they're all terrorists and they should

play05:25

be destroyed the Israeli minister of

play05:27

energy and infrastructure tweeted that

play05:29

all the civilian population in Gaza is

play05:31

ordered to leave immediately Israeli

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minister of Heritage said after a month

play05:35

of bombardment quote the north of the

play05:38

Gaza Strip more beautiful than ever

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everything is blown up and flattened

play05:43

simply a pleasure for the eyes we must

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talk about the day after in my mind we

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will hand over lots to all those who

play05:50

fought for Gaza over the years that's

play05:52

him openly announcing an intent to

play05:54

parcel out Palestinian land to the

play05:56

soldiers who destroyed it the Israeli

play05:58

minister of Agri culture announced quote

play06:00

we are now actually rolling out the Gaza

play06:03

nakba Deputy speaker of the knesset and

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member of the Foreign Affairs and

play06:07

security committee said now we all have

play06:09

one common goal erasing the Gaza Strip

play06:13

from the face of the Earth isra Army

play06:16

reservist Major General goria elens

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wrote people should be told that they

play06:20

have two choices to stay and to starve

play06:23

or to leave he later told a newspaper

play06:26

that the only way to see the hostages

play06:28

alive again was to quote create a severe

play06:31

humanitarian crisis in Gaza he's

play06:34

repeatedly called for Gaza to be made

play06:36

uninhabitable on social media addressing

play06:39

the controversy around the Aliva

play06:40

Hospital bombing he said quote I hope

play06:43

that the head of the CIA got an

play06:45

explanation of why this is necessary and

play06:48

why the US must ultimately back even an

play06:51

operation like this even if there are

play06:54

thousands of bodies of civilians in the

play06:56

streets afterward these quotes go on for

play07:00

pages and pages and pages in South

play07:03

Africa's petition now even if you

play07:05

discount these admissions Israel's claim

play07:08

that it does not intend to permanently

play07:11

displace Gins are undermined by the

play07:13

choice to destroy 60% of all housing

play07:16

stock in Gaza including by conducting

play07:19

controlled demolitions one might ask

play07:22

whether there's a real threat of Hamas

play07:24

hiding in a given building if soldiers

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have time to set charges walk away a

play07:29

distance and blow up a building while

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recording it for social media the

play07:34

infrastructure and foundations of

play07:35

Palestinian life have also been

play07:37

deliberately targeted according to the

play07:39

petition including court buildings

play07:42

legislative buildings the public library

play07:44

universities Christian and Muslim

play07:46

religious sites museums and the central

play07:49

archive containing thousands of

play07:51

historical documents and National

play07:53

records moreover reported plans to flood

play07:56

the tunnels of Gaza with seawater may

play07:58

have the effect of of contaminating

play08:00

gaza's aquifers and soil for the long

play08:03

term undermining the ability to grow any

play08:05

crops there literally salting the Earth

play08:08

like medieval armies making the land

play08:11

uninhabitable reports that Israelis in

play08:13

talks to export gazin to the Congo also

play08:17

don't exactly scream right of

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return now the South African report also

play08:23

notes the consequences of Israel denying

play08:26

Health Care to Gaza specifically citing

play08:29

five premature babies that were left to

play08:32

die and to decompose in an ICU along

play08:36

with 40 kidney patients at alifa

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hospital pregnant women are undergoing

play08:41

cesarians without anesthesia limbs are

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being amputated without pain meds over

play08:46

1,000 children have lost either one or

play08:49

both legs infectious disease is

play08:51

spreading as there are hundreds of

play08:53

Palestinians per every remaining toilet

play08:55

and sewage is running in the street even

play08:58

the dead aren't allowed to rest as the

play09:00

South African report cites an allegation

play09:02

that Israeli bulldozers quote excavated

play09:05

and exhumed a hospital mask grave on

play09:08

December 16th only to quote drag the

play09:10

bodies with bulldozers and then crush

play09:13

them now after reading all this John

play09:15

Kirby Biden's National Security Council

play09:17

spokesman says he's

play09:20

unpersuaded um as you know the uh you

play09:23

dismissed a few days ago the case that

play09:26

brought by South Africa against Israel

play09:29

the icj did you read the indictment and

play09:33

if you did do you believe that cutting

play09:35

off water electricity and fuel on a

play09:38

civilian population does not constitute

play09:40

a war crime by itself nothing else yes I

play09:42

read the indictment and as I said and I

play09:46

we stand by what we what we said about

play09:47

this we find it without Merit we found

play09:50

find it counterproductive and I'll leave

play09:52

it

play09:53

there now if South Africa wins before

play09:55

the icj it could lead to Israel being

play09:58

enjoined from conduct ing further

play09:59

genocidal acts but that injunction would

play10:02

be temporary the next step would be a

play10:04

trial process that could take years now

play10:07

America has a long record of dodging

play10:09

accountability on the international

play10:10

stage as journalist Abby Martin noted

play10:13

America is so adverse to ACC

play10:15

accountability that George Bush passed a

play10:18

law known as the ha Invasion act which

play10:21

would allow the US to invade the

play10:23

Netherlands to prevent America from

play10:25

being charged with war crimes with no

play10:28

way to enforce the icj's decision it's

play10:30

worth noting domestic efforts to force

play10:32

Biden to end his support for Israel

play10:34

Siege which could not continue without

play10:37

us

play10:39

support Bernie Sanders has in in invoked

play10:43

section 502b of the foreign assistance

play10:45

act which would force a Senate vote on

play10:48

whether Israel has violated the human

play10:49

rights of Gins if the vote passes the

play10:52

state department would be forced to

play10:53

investigate abuses and Congress would

play10:55

then vote on whether to block military

play10:58

aid as a result of of those findings are

play11:00

there 50 Congress members who would do

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the bare minimum of voting for merely an

play11:05

investigation into alleged abuses

play11:07

committed by a country to which we've

play11:09

sent an unprecedented amount of Aid now

play11:12

I'd argue that this is where domestic

play11:14

political pressure should really turn

play11:16

Congress members should be asked about

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their willingness to investigate merely

play11:19

investigate Israeli war crimes at town

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halls and presidential candidates on

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both sides of the aisle should be asked

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to weigh in and this is why journalism

play11:28

is so important

play11:29

if senators are never asked to defend

play11:31

their votes they will be able to vote

play11:34

with impunity ignoring that 60% of

play11:36

Americans want a ceasefire

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accountability requires that there be

play11:41

some awareness of what could be done

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will you vote to reelect your Congress

play11:45

member if they vote down in mere

play11:48

investigation into Israeli war crimes

play11:50

while voting in favor of increased

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funding to a country accused of

play11:55

genocide so these are the stakes uh

play11:58

before as the hearing started being live

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streamed very very early this morning at

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uh regular morning time uh in Europe and

play12:05

already you're seeing clips of the South

play12:08

African um petitioner making the case

play12:10

citing a lot of the evidence that I

play12:12

included in this radar and really uh

play12:14

interestingly using many Tik toks from

play12:17

Israeli soldiers that they posted

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voluntarily to prove the point about

play12:20

intent and about the relationship

play12:22

between the statements coming from

play12:24

senior members of the Israeli government

play12:26

uh and the behavior of the army as they

play12:28

conduct the sieg

play12:29

do you think calls from South African

play12:32

politicians to kill the Bowers kill the

play12:35

white people are genocidal statements so

play12:39

there are a couple of things there under

play12:41

international law an occupied people has

play12:43

the right to resist including violently

play12:45

and if you are the occupier you have an

play12:47

obligation to provide basic needs for

play12:49

the community that you're occupying so

play12:51

Food Water Shelter Etc that's part of

play12:53

why this charge of collective punishment

play12:56

is such a serious one um secondly uh

play12:59

Israel has made the argument that Hamas

play13:01

are the real people who have violated

play13:02

international law and they should bring

play13:04

this petition and they have every right

play13:06

to do so but the question is uh under

play13:08

the genocide convention to which Israel

play13:10

and the United States and Palestine are

play13:12

all signatories there is an obligation

play13:14

for all of the signatories to play a

play13:16

role in not just condemning genocide but

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stepping in and preventing genocides

play13:21

from happening so that's what's going on

play13:22

right now Hamas has not killed

play13:25

additional um it has killed soldiers in

play13:27

the purpose of this war but it has not

play13:29

killed any additional Israeli civilians

play13:31

since October 7th and so the question is

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what are you enjoying Hamas from doing

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on the other side of things you have

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over 23,000 people now that have been

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killed many more stand to die because of

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the um uh hygiene and and and sanitary

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situation in Gaza with disease spreading

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uh quite widely most people living in

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tense millions of people UN unhoused in

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an entire country destroyed from an

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infrastructural perspective and the

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question is is what is the obligation of

play14:00

all the signatories of the genocide

play14:01

convention to force Israel to stop the

play14:04

ongoing actions that are happening right

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now I guess if international law is only

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capable of preventing the victims of a

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terrorist attack from wiping out the

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perpetrators of that some people will

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ask does should international law be

play14:23

followed or have some kind of validity

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if it only constrains the Reg State

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actors and does nothing or can do

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nothing to prevent the kind of terrorism

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that Hamas engages in and that a

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majority of the people in Gaza

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support what good is it so I think that

play14:40

if if Palestinians were killing tens of

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thousands of uh Israelis over the course

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of the last few months not only will we

play14:49

have seen Mass International

play14:50

condemnation which by the way the South

play14:52

African petition does unequivocally

play14:54

condemn the acts of Hamas on October 7

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we would have seen American troops and

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American money committed even more than

play15:01

has already been done so I don't want to

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see by the way to defend Israel so this

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is a counterfactual that I think if it

play15:07

were the situation went reversed and

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there were tens of thousands of Israelis

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being killed by Palestinian absolutely

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the International Community would have

play15:12

risen to their defense the same way that

play15:15

we send more money to Israel than any

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other country in the world precisely for

play15:19

the Iron Dome and to prevent that exact

play15:21

thing from happening but your question

play15:23

there Robbie seems to imply that all of

play15:26

the people of Gaza are in fact

play15:28

legitimate victims legitimate targets

play15:31

for Israel what you said there the

play15:33

question that you asked I did not say

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that you you specifically just asked is

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the international law appropriate is

play15:40

international law good and meaningful

play15:42

and something we should support if it

play15:43

only constrains Israel from wiping out

play15:45

the targets the argument that uh the icj

play15:49

that South Africa is making before the

play15:50

icj that Israel is not wiping out the

play15:52

targets that its statements clearly show

play15:55

an intent to wipe out all of Gaza to

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eliminate all of the housing in Gaza to

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make it so that no one can grow um crops

play16:03

or drink water in Gaza ever again to

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parcel off the land of Gaza to uh the

play16:09

soldiers in Israel to ship people from

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Gaza to Congo or at the very least to

play16:15

Egypt and to ethnically cleanse the

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population so there it's no longer a

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population of 2.3 million Palestinians

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in Gaza that's the allegation and that's

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the violation of international law well

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we will continue to follow those

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developments and we'll have more Rising

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right after

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[Music]

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this

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