Prem Thakker's first day on the ground included the DNC’s panel on Palestinian human rights – but did it mean anything? Plus, a quick exchange with Josh Shapiro.

“What was very shocking was that while we were all in the room discussing and listening to people impacted by what’s happening in Gaza, we’re not certain that that message will get across to the people at the top of the party,” Khader added. “You look at the themes of the party’s convention – today, tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday – there’s nowhere where Palestinians are included in that narrative.”

While the platform condemned former President Donald Trump for refusing to “endorse the political aspirations of the Palestinian people,” it made no divergence from the status quo policy of vetoing UN Security Council resolutions this year that moved towards Palestinian statehood.

While the platform boasts of being opposed to settler violence, it makes no acknowledgment of the International Court of Justice finding the Israeli government’s occupation and illegal expansions of settlements constitute apartheid.

And to that end, while the platform condemns UN efforts that apparently “single out” Israel, and the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement for the same – apparently ignoring the historical precedent of Americans also boycotting and pushing divestment against fossil fuel companies and apartheid South Africa.

  • @Keeponstalin
    0•3 months ago

    The transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel may constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws and risk State complicity in international crimes, possibly including genocide, UN experts said today, reiterating their demand to stop transfers immediately.

    “These companies, by sending weapons, parts, components, and ammunition to Israeli forces, risk being complicit in serious violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws,” the experts said. This risk is heightened by the recent decision from the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, having recognised genocide as a plausible risk, as well as the request filed by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. “In this context, continuing arms transfers to Israel may be seen as knowingly providing assistance for operations that contravene international human rights and international humanitarian laws and may result in profit from such assistance.”