Debunking Israel's Defense Speedrun
Summary
TLDRThe transcript details Israel's defense in a court case brought by South Africa regarding alleged acts of genocide in Gaza. Israel argues that its actions are defensive and aimed at neutralizing Hamas, which it claims has entrenched itself within the civilian population of Gaza. The arguments cover historical context, military strategy, and humanitarian impact, including blockades and evacuation orders. Israel maintains that its measures are in compliance with international law, while countering allegations of disproportionate violence and deliberate starvation of civilians.
Takeaways
- 🎤 Israel presented its oral argument in the case concerning genocide allegations in the Gaza Strip.
- 🛡️ Israel's co-agent, Mr. Tal Becker, argued that any acts that might be considered genocidal have been perpetrated against Israel.
- 📉 The 'Red Lines' document was mentioned, detailing Israel's control over food supply to Gaza, reducing calorie intake to put Palestinians on a 'diet' without causing hunger.
- 🏚️ Evidence from The Washington Post and Associated Press highlighted the scale of devastation in Gaza, comparing it to conflicts in Aleppo and Mosul.
- 🏥 Israel's defense cited Hamas's use of civilian areas for military purposes, including homes, mosques, and hospitals, leading to civilian casualties.
- 🚫 The Israeli 'Deia Doctrine' involves disproportionate attacks on civilian areas in response to rocket attacks, aiming to influence enemy behavior.
- 🔒 Israel maintains control over Gaza's imports, exports, electricity, and communication networks, despite claims of Gaza's autonomy.
- 💼 Israel's independent legal system handles transgressions by its forces, but few convictions have occurred for actions in Gaza.
- 🚰 Human Rights Watch and other organizations report severe restrictions on food, water, and fuel to Gaza, describing it as a 'war of starvation'.
- 🪖 Calls for civilian evacuation by Israel are presented as protective measures, though they result in significant displacement and destruction of homes.
Q & A
What was the purpose of the court meeting mentioned in the transcript?
-The court met to hear the state of Israel present its single round of oral argument in the case concerning the application of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip, South Africa versus Israel.
Who represented Israel in the oral argument?
-Mr. Tal Becker represented Israel in the oral argument.
What argument did Mr. Tal Becker present regarding acts characterized as genocidal?
-Mr. Tal Becker argued that if there have been acts that may be characterized as genocidal, they have been perpetrated against Israel. He emphasized the need for a capacity to commit genocide and the resources required to mobilize such acts.
What did the 'red lines document' mentioned in the transcript calculate?
-The 'red lines document' calculated the minimum number of calories needed by every age and gender group in Gaza, which was 2,279 calories per person per day. From this, the quantity of fruits, vegetables, milk, and meat and poultry was reduced.
How did the Israeli ban affect Gaza's agriculture according to the transcript?
-The Israeli ban on bringing in seeds and exporting produce led to a decline in the quantity of fruit and vegetables Gaza could produce for itself, from 1,000 tons a day to 500 within a few months.
What did the Council for the applicant describe regarding the suffering in Gaza?
-The Council for the applicant described the suffering in Gaza as unparalleled and unprecedented, affirming the scale of the devastation through an investigation by The Washington Post.
How did the Israeli military's strikes compare to other conflicts, according to the transcript?
-The Israeli military conducted 22,000 strikes in the last week, which exceeds the nearly 15,000 strikes carried out by the US-led coalition across Iraq during the 2014-2017 campaign to defeat the Islamic State.
What is the 'Deia Doctrine' mentioned in the transcript?
-The 'Deia Doctrine' was conceived by Gadi Eisenkot in 2008, whereby civilian areas would be disproportionately attacked by Israel in response to rocket attacks. It involves a complete obliteration of the areas from which Israel is fired upon.
What were the consequences of the Israeli blockade on Gaza according to the transcript?
-The Israeli blockade controlled imports and exports, export taxes, territorial waters, airspace, electricity lines, and telecommunications, leading to significant de-development and de-industrialization in Gaza, with high unemployment and poverty rates.
What was the condition of water infrastructure in Gaza as mentioned in the transcript?
-Water infrastructure in Gaza was severely damaged, with seven water facilities being directly hit, leading to a risk of sewage flooding and prompting descriptions of Israel's campaign as a war of starvation.
Outlines
🇮🇱 Israel's Response to South Africa's Genocide Allegation
The court session begins with Israel presenting its oral arguments in the case against South Africa's allegations of genocide in Gaza. Israel's co-agent, Tal Becker, argues that any genocidal acts have been against Israel, emphasizing that genocide requires significant preparation and capacity. Becker highlights the historical context of Gaza's potential for success and the deliberate restrictions imposed by Israel. He contrasts the devastation in Gaza with other conflicts like Aleppo and Mosul, underscoring Hamas's integration into civilian areas. The argument includes references to the Dahiya Doctrine and its impact on civilian areas, indicating Israel's strategy in response to rocket attacks.
📜 Israeli Leaders' Statements and Gaza's Displacement
Israel's leaders, including the Prime Minister and Defense Minister, have articulated their aims in Gaza, emphasizing the need to combat Hamas while affecting the civilian population. The Defense Minister's statements on denying essentials to Gaza and the potential impact on Lebanon are highlighted. The narrative includes the World Food Program's report on the displacement of Gaza's population and discussions on Hamas's evolving rhetoric. The legal justification for Israel's actions is questioned, with references to international laws and past conflicts like the 2014 Gaza invasion. The summary points to ongoing debates about Gaza's status and Israel's control over its population.
🏥 Humanitarian Impact and Evacuation Orders in Gaza
Israel's evacuation orders in Gaza are framed as measures to protect civilians, with officials stressing the severity of staying in conflict zones. Reports from Human Rights Watch and other organizations highlight the destruction of homes and infrastructure, complicating the return of displaced civilians. The account details Israel's tactics, such as targeting water facilities and agricultural lands, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The use of bulldozers to destroy fields and orchards is described, showing the long-term impact on Gaza's economy and food supply. The focus on civilian harm mitigation and the challenges of distinguishing combatants from non-combatants are underscored.
🚰 Starvation and Water Crisis in Gaza
The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza is exacerbated by deliberate actions to cut off food and water supplies. Reports from Euromed Monitor and the UN highlight the extreme hunger and desperation faced by Gaza's population. Israeli tactics include targeting water infrastructure, resulting in sewage flooding and increased health risks. The raising of agricultural lands during ceasefires further cripples Gaza's ability to sustain itself. The summary emphasizes the pre-existing vulnerabilities of Gaza's children and the worsening conditions due to the blockade and military actions. Testimonies from various officials and humanitarian organizations paint a grim picture of the ongoing crisis.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Genocide
💡Hamas
💡Evacuation
💡Starvation as Warfare
💡International Humanitarian Law
💡Proportionality
💡Blockade
💡War Crimes
💡Displacement
💡Right to Self-Defense
Highlights
The court hears Israel's oral argument concerning the application of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Israel argues that any genocidal acts have been perpetrated against it, requiring the capacity and capability to commit genocide.
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, leaving a coastal area with potential for political and economic success.
The 'Red Lines' document calculates the minimum number of calories needed per person per day in Gaza, impacting the quantity of fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and poultry allowed.
Council for the applicant describes the suffering in Gaza as unparalleled and unprecedented, with evidence of significant destruction.
Hamas is accused of entrenching itself within the civilian population, using homes, mosques, schools, and hospitals as terrorist hubs.
The Israeli War Cabinet includes officials with strategies that disproportionately target civilian areas in response to rocket attacks.
Israeli operations in Gaza are compared to other conflicts, showing a high level of destruction in a short time.
Israel's lawful aims in Gaza are articulated by its Prime Minister and Defense Minister, emphasizing defense and the displacement of the civilian population.
International law, including the Rome Statute, is cited to argue against using self-defense to justify criminal behavior.
Israel's robust legal system is tasked with addressing any transgressions of conflict rules by its forces.
Human rights organizations report significant control and blockade measures by Israel over Gaza, impacting imports, exports, and basic infrastructure.
Reports indicate high unemployment and poverty rates in Gaza, with a large portion of the population dependent on international assistance.
Evacuation of civilians from conflict areas is presented as a measure to protect civilians, though it is argued that it also leads to forced displacement.
Human Rights Watch and other organizations report on the deliberate destruction of agricultural land and infrastructure in Gaza, impacting food security.
Transcripts
I watched Israel's response to South
Africa let's get right into it the court
meets this morning to hear the state of
Israel present its single round of oral
argument in the case concerning
application of the convention on the
prevention and Punishment of the crime
of genocide in the Gaza Strip South
Africa versus Israel I shall now give
the floor to the co-agent of Israel Mr
tal Becker you have the floor Excellency
if there have been acts that may be
characterized as genocidal then they
have been perpetrated against Israel
there needs to be a capacity or a
capability to commit a genocide to be
able to engage in the level of violence
associated with genocide perpetrators
need time to develop the capacity to do
so mobilize the resources and take
concrete steps that will help them to
achieve their objective the Hamas
incursion was repelled in a couple days
when Israel withdrew all its soldiers
and civilians from Gaza in 2005 it left
a coastal area with a potential to
become a political and economic success
story in 2012 Amir AAS wrote for hararat
an article confirming the existence of a
soall red lines document the red lines
document calculates the minimum number
of calories needed by every age and
gender group in Gaza
2,279 calories per person per day from
this they reduced the quantity of fruits
and vegetables milk and meat and poultry
the idea is to put the Palestinians on a
diet but not to make them die of hunger
the quantity of fruit and vegetables
gazak could produce for itself was
expected to decline from 1,000 tons a
day to 500 within a few months due to
the Israeli ban on bringing in seeds as
well as the ban on exporting produce
remarkably Council for the applicant
described the suffering in Gaza as
unparalleled and unprecedented the
devastation and the scale of the
campaign was affirmed by none other than
an investigation by The Washington Post
the evidence shows that Israel has
carried out its war in Gaza at a pace
and level of Devastation that likely
exceeds any recent conflict Aleppo they
say is 1 and a half times the size of
Northern Gaza however nearly twice as
many structures were destroyed in
Northern Gaza in 7 weeks as were
destroyed in Aleppo over 3 years there's
also mosul Iraq in Iraq as reported by
the Associated Press on December 22nd
during the 2014 to 2017 campaign to
defeat the Islamic State in Iraq the
us-led Coalition carried out nearly
15,000 strikes across the country by
comparison the Israeli military said
they conducted 22,000 strikes in the
last week what is actually unparalleled
and unprecedented is the degree to which
Hamas has entrenched itself within the
civilian population throughout the the
strip with thousands of access points
and terrorist hubs located in homes
mosques un facilities schools and
perhaps most shockingly hospitals every
civilian casualty in this conflict is a
human tragedy the current Israeli War
cabinet includes Gadi eisenkot who in
2008 while IDF chief of Northern command
conceived the DEA Doctrine whereby
civilian areas will be
disproportionately attacked by Israel in
response to Rocket attacks Israel would
take one important lesson away from its
war with Lebanon its complete
obliteration of the Beirut suburb of
deia and a new initiative led by former
IDF Chief of Staff Gadi eisenkot would
bear its name what happened in the DEA
quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in
every village from which Israel is fired
on this isn't a suggestion this is a
plan that has already been authorized
retired Major General Gora Island would
invoke deia in his policy prescription
for Israel in the event of another war
with
Lebanon serious damage to the Republic
of Lebanon the destruction of homes and
infrastructure and the suffering of
hundreds of thousands of people are
consequences that can influence his bla
Behavior more than anything else
according to several Israeli officials
as reported in an investigation by the
Israeli 97 magazine the bombing of power
targets um Power targets meaning private
residences as well as public buildings
infrastructure and high-rise blocks
which sources say the Army defines as
power targets is mainly intended to harm
Palestinian Civil Society to create a
shock that among other things will
reverberate powerfully and Lead
civilians to put pressure on Hamas but
the court is not told how many thousands
of casualties are in fact
militants Israel's lawful AIMS in Gaza
have been clearly and repeatedly
articulated by its prime minister you
must remember what Amal has done to you
says our Holy Bible and we do remember
and we are fighting it's defense
minister we'll remember that it was on
October 9th when defense minister yov
gallan announced no food no water no gas
it's all closed we're fighting animals
and are acting accordingly just days
later he told
troops amid growing tensions with
Lebanon he revealed it is the citizens
of Lebanon that will pay the price of
these kinds of mistakes what we are
doing in Gaza we can do in Beirut and
all members of the war cabinet as the
Prime Minister
reaffirms Israel seeks neither to
permanently occupy Gaza with regard to
bringing the population back in the
words of Israeli Minister of Foreign
Affairs Eli Cohen at the end of this war
not only will Hamas no longer be in Gaza
but the territory of Gaza will also
decrease or to displace its civilian
population on December 14th the world
food program published a food security
update where they reported that more
than
85% of the population of Gaza have been
displaced and I now invite Professor
Malcolm sha hamas's explicit goal is to
eradicate Jewish life from the Holy Land
setting aside the fact that Hamas rarely
invokes the charter according to to a
2009 report from the United States
Institute of Peace a Federal Institution
which read the charter itself contains
statements that reflect a lack of
hostility toward Jews on the basis of
religion for example as article 31
States under Islam the followers of the
three religions Islam Christianity and
Judaism May coexist peacefully and
safely according to the Rand Corporation
the major defense Think Tank Hamas
dropped the language explicitly calling
for Israel's destruction which suggests
an effort by Hamas to portray itself as
more of an Islamic National Liberation
movement these atrocities do not justify
violations of the law in reply still
less genocide but they do justify
mandate even the exercise of the
legitimate and inherent right of a state
to defend itself you can't invoke
self-defense to justify criminal
Behavior per the Rome statute the fact
that the person was involved in a
defensive operation conducted by forces
shall not in itself constitute a ground
for excluding criminal responsibility
further the criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia ruled in its decision
for Milan martic that the rule which
states that reprisals against the
civilian population as such or
individual civilians are prohibited in
all circumstances even when confronted
by wrongful behavior of the other party
is an integral part of customary
international law and must be respected
in all armed conflicts reprisals must
always be proportionate to the attacks
to which they are respons responding and
must never aim at civilians or protected
objects if these conditions are not
respected then it is an act of Revenge
that Israeli forces have transgressed
some of the rules of conflict then the
matter will be tackled at the
appropriate time by Israel's robust and
independent legal system the last
largescale invasion of the Gaza Strip
was in 2014 operation protective Edge as
it was called which Amnesty
International called deliberate
destruction and Target getting of
Civilian buildings and property on a
large scale carried out without military
necessity I've never seen such massive
destruction ever before said then Red
Cross Chief Peter murrer yet only four
Israeli officers were convicted of any
wrongdoing the harshest sentence was 7
months for stealing a credit card two
soldiers who used a 9-year-old child as
a human shield received 3-month
suspended sentences no jail as from
Israel's withdrawal of its civilian and
Military Pres from Gaza in 2005 which
brought an end to its belligerent
occupation it's more popular to say that
Gaza is somehow free from Israeli
control even though it enforces what a
un report described as a medieval
military blockade controlling imports
and exports export taxes the territorial
Waters in airspace and has blocked the
building of an airport in Seaport they
control electricity lines the underwater
cable that phone calls are placed on the
network that provides internet and the
frequencies assigned to Palestinian cell
phone companies there's a reason Human
Rights Watch The International Committee
of the red cross the United Nations and
Israel's leading expert on international
law professor yuram denstein of Tel Aviv
University have all concluded that Gaza
is occupied by Israel and is therefore
responsible for its population it has
failed considerably at maintaining their
well-being Michael link special rator on
human rights in the Palestinian
territories reported in 2022 Gaza had
undergone a multi-decade process of
ddevelopment
and
de-industrialization resulting in a 45%
unemployment rate and 60% poverty rate
with 80% of the population dependent on
some form of international assistance as
bet selum concludes Israel has continue
to control nearly every aspect of life
in Gaza from outside and I now give the
floor to miss galit Ragan you have the
floor the application presents Israel's
call to civilians to evacuate areas of
intensive hostilities
quote as an act calculated to bring
about its physical destruction quote
this is a particularly egregious
allegation evacuation of civilians is
recognized under International
humanitarian law as one of the measures
that may be implemented to protect
civilians from the effects of ongoing
hostilities indeed such evacuation may
even amount to a duty that the party to
the conflict has towards civilians
Israel's energy Minister Israel Katz
made it clear when he said said all the
civilian population in Gaza is ordered
to leave immediately we will win they
will not receive a drop of water or a
single battery until they leave the
world indeed the alternative to leaving
was declared in no uncertain terms by
defense minister YF Gan those who want
to save their life please go south and
by IDF leaflets and cell phone audio
messages your presence north of Wadi
Gaza puts your life in danger whoever
chooses not to leave North Gaza to the
south of Wadi Gaza might be identified
as an accomplice in a terrorist
organization and the destruction of
homes and property ensured that there's
nowhere for them to go back to in the
trial judgment for Madan nich and vinko
martinovich the criminal Tribunal for
Yugoslavia interpreted that the
deliberate destruction of homes was
indicative of intent to forcibly
displace civilians when a genuine
evacuation takes place there is an
obligation to bring the population back
when the hostilities have ended no
attempts to return them were made in
fact most of their houses were torched
the IDF maintains a civilian harm
mitigation unit it works full-time to
provide advanced notice of areas in
which the IDS intends to intensify its
activities Israeli defense minister yoav
gallan ordered over 1 million residents
in gaza's North to relocate South gaza's
North contains all of Gaza City and the
largest hospital in all of the Gaza
Strip alifa the New York Times also
reports that while fleeing and is da air
strike struck a convoy of vehicles
trying to flee the north along a main
Highway despite the evacuation order to
separate Hamas from the civilian
population Israel is still bombing the
South which is crammed with hundreds of
thousands of fleeing refugees and as I
reported days ago last Tuesday the IDF
spokesperson said the emphasis is on
damage rather than on Precision Israel
has public publicly stated repeatedly
that there is no limit on the amount of
food water shelter or medical supplies
that can be brought into Gaza I wanted
to begin with a new report from Human
Rights Watch the Israeli government is
using starvation of civilians as a
method of warfare in the Gaza Strip
which is a war crime Israeli forces are
deliberately blocking the delivery of
water food and
fuel they remind us that this was not an
unfortunate un intended consequence of
War but a plan which was openly stated
at nauseum by Israeli officials the
Israeli energy Minister the one who
oversees the supply of energy into Gaza
stated on October 16th I strongly oppose
the opening of the blockade and the
introduction of goods into Gaza on
humanitarian grounds according to Human
Rights Watch the Israeli Army has also
been employing bulldozers in an example
that can hardly be called unintentional
since the beginning of the Israeli
military's ground offensive on October
27th satellite imagery reviewed by Human
Rights Watch indicates that Orchards
grain houses and farmland in Northern
Gaza have been raised the raising of
agricultural land continued in Northern
Gaza during the 7-Day ceasefire which
began on November 24th and ended on
December 1st when the Israeli military
was in direct control of the area
farmers in this area planted crops such
as citrus fruit potatoes dragon fruit
and prickly pear contributing to the
livelihoods of Palestinians in Gaza
other crops include Tomatoes cabbage and
strawberries some plots were raised in a
day trees that yield citrus fruit as
well as the cacti that yield dragon
fruit take years of care to mature
before they can yield fruit
highresolution satellite imagery shows
bulldozers were used to destroy fields
and
Orchards tracks are visible as well as
mounds of Earth on the edges of the
former
plots euromed monitor gives us further
understanding of the sheer desperation
of the situation in a recent report on
starvation comprising a sample of 1,00
people in Gaza euromed monitor concluded
that more than 71% of participants
reported that they suffer from extreme
hunger
98% say they eat insufficient amounts of
food and 64% admitted they had eaten
grass immature and expired food and I
invite Mr omry sender to address the
court you have the floor access to water
has also been a priority according to
Ocha or the UN office for coordination
of humanitarian Affairs on November 4th
and 5th seven water facilities across
the gaja STP were directly hit and
sustained major damage including three
sewage pipelines and Gaza City two water
reservoirs in Gaza City Rafa and jabia
refugee camp and two water wells in Rafa
the Gaza municipality warned about the
imminent risk of sewage
flooding indeed the targeting of water
infrastructure prompted euromed to
describe Israel's campaign as a war of
starvation the Israeli War of starvation
has taken very dangerous turns including
cutting off all Food Supplies to the
northern half and bombing and destroying
factories bakeries food stores water
stations and tanks throughout the entire
Enclave prior to the ongoing Israeli War
70% of the Gosa strip's children
suffered from varying health issues
including malnutrition anemia and
weakened immunity however euromed
monitor said the number has increased to
over 90% as a result of the
unprecedented Israeli attacks Kat the
unit in the ministry of Defense in
charge of monitoring the humanitarian
situation kette or the office of
coordination of government activities in
the territories is the unit in the
ministry of Defense in charge of
monitoring the humanitarian situation in
Gaza in his words here's ket's director
gasan Alan head of the coordinator of
government activities in the territories
explained and I now invite Mr
Christopher Staker to take the floor you
have the floor sir I address the fifth
requested measure this specifies types
of Acts to be regarded as deliberately
inflicting conditions of Life calculated
to bring about physical destruction it
seeks further impermissible implied
rulings on the merits for instance it
refers to so-called expulsion and forc
displacement of Palestinians from their
homes this is an apparent reference to
Israel's practice of issuing calls for
civilians to temporarily evacuate areas
of intense hostilities which is in fact
a measure to mitigate harm to civilians
this measure thus seeks the Court's
ruling that evacuation calls amount to
expulsion and forc displacement of
Palestinians from their homes just one
small problem as described by the
criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia in the
appeal judgment from ilir stakic
although displacement for humanitarian
reasons is justifiable in certain
situations the appeals chamber agrees
with the prosecution that it is not
justifiable where the humanitarian crime
that caused the displacement is itself
the result of the accused's own unlawful
activity with regard to Bosnian Muslims
the displacement was involuntary and
that to the extent it had a humanitarian
purpose this was only because of a
humanitarian crisis that the appellant
himself had deliberately caused as the
authority responsible for international
Loy advice to Israel's government and
cabinet I can attest that in contending
with these challenges Israel remains
committed to international
law
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