Every year has been catastrophic for Palestinians around the world, but the past 12 months have been unimaginable, writes Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi
History did not start on 7 October. But as the world stops to mourn it will for ever be a reminder of whose lives matter.
Genocide seems like a strange word to keep throwing around. According to Palestinian health officials 42,000 people died. And Palestinian’s population is like 5 million.
42000 dead is awful. But it’s less than 1% of 1% of the population. If Isreal is trying to eliminate all of them, it’ll take 1000’s of years at this rate.
You are ignoring a significant amount to rationalize this as not an act of genocide
It’s well-known what the Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on 9th of October declaring a complete siege on Gaza, cutting off water, food, fuel, stating that “We’re fighting human animals,” and we will react “accordingly.” He also said that “We will eliminate everything.” We know that Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari, for example, acknowledged wanton destruction and said explicitly, “The emphasis on damage and not on accuracy.” So we’re seeing the special intent on full display. And really, I have to say, if this is not special intent to commit genocide, I really don’t know what is.
So, when we look at the actions taken, the dropping of thousands and thousands of bombs in a couple of days, including phosphorus bombs, as we heard, on one of the most densely populated areas around the world, together with these proclamations of intent, this indeed constitutes genocidal killing, which is the first act, according to the convention, of genocide. And Israel, I must say, is also perpetrating act number two and three — that is, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and creating condition designed to bring about the destruction of the group by cutting off water, food, supply of energy, bombing hospitals, ordering the fast evictions of hospitals, which the World Health Organization has declared to be, quote, “a death sentence.” So, we’re seeing the combination of genocidal acts with special intent. This is indeed a textbook case of genocide.
third source under Genocide
Euro-Med Monitor’s death count differs from that reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health — which currently stands at roughly 42,000 — as it accounts for reports by the human rights groups’ field team. But the true death toll is likely to be far, far higher; estimates from health experts have ranged from 100,000 to over 330,000, or about 15 percent of Gaza’s population.
In its over 100-page report, Euro-Med Monitor lays out some of the worst atrocities carried out by Israeli forces over the past year. It details the “systematic acts of genocide committed in Gaza, such as the targeted killing of civilians in homes, shelters, displacement camps, and humanitarian-declared zones,” and too many other examples to list.
I mean you can down vote me, then throw a wall of text at me that no one is going to read. But it doesn’t change the reality.
40 some thousand dead out of a population 5 million people. War is truly fucked up. We don’t have to change the definition of Genocide to try and make a point. It makes the argument sound fake. Like you want to force a response for fiction.
If you looked at the report, you would see exactly how it fits the international definition of genocide. The point of these definitions is to prevent genocide before it gets to the kind of scale we have seen in the past.
What are you talking about, the definition is clearly listed on page 17 of the linked report. Nothing has been changed, the point of recognizing a genocide is to stop it.
I gave you multiple resources, from different sources, that show how holocaust and genocide scholars consider this a genocide. You chose to not read them. I quoted relevant paragraphs that showed the analysis of one of those scholars and the much higher death toll. You chose to not read them. I gave an extremely detailed report by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and even gave the exact page that describes, in detail, exactly how this genocide fits the definition given in international law. You also chose to not read that.
Then you say that I’m a liar? I’m done talking with you
Genocide seems like a strange word to keep throwing around. According to Palestinian health officials 42,000 people died. And Palestinian’s population is like 5 million.
42000 dead is awful. But it’s less than 1% of 1% of the population. If Isreal is trying to eliminate all of them, it’ll take 1000’s of years at this rate.
You are ignoring a significant amount to rationalize this as not an act of genocide
Read the full report here
I mean you can down vote me, then throw a wall of text at me that no one is going to read. But it doesn’t change the reality.
40 some thousand dead out of a population 5 million people. War is truly fucked up. We don’t have to change the definition of Genocide to try and make a point. It makes the argument sound fake. Like you want to force a response for fiction.
If you looked at the report, you would see exactly how it fits the international definition of genocide. The point of these definitions is to prevent genocide before it gets to the kind of scale we have seen in the past.
So the definition of genocide was changed to prevent the old definition of genocide from happening.
So it is exactly what I was arguing. You just changed the meaning of the word to make your rhetoric sound worse than reality.
Honestly. No lie. This makes me wonder how else your group is changing the meaning of words to paint the picture you want people to see.
Speak plain truths, they are damning enough. Lies hurt your argument.
What are you talking about, the definition is clearly listed on page 17 of the linked report. Nothing has been changed, the point of recognizing a genocide is to stop it.
Let me be more clear?
You are lying and speaking propaganda. And it makes you untrustworthy.
When people sell things this hard, I know they are stupid or a liar. And I’m calling you a liar.
I gave you multiple resources, from different sources, that show how holocaust and genocide scholars consider this a genocide. You chose to not read them. I quoted relevant paragraphs that showed the analysis of one of those scholars and the much higher death toll. You chose to not read them. I gave an extremely detailed report by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and even gave the exact page that describes, in detail, exactly how this genocide fits the definition given in international law. You also chose to not read that.
Then you say that I’m a liar? I’m done talking with you