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Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
@Alonso_GD
Nov 12, 2024 • 19 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X
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In celebration of @FranceskAlbs recent standing ovations at both LSE and SOAS, let me highlight the main contributions her Reports have made to the way we understand the genocide of the Palestnian people in Gaza 🧵
.@FranceskAlbs' first and perhaps most important contribution is to put the issue of settler-colonialism front and centre of the discussion of genocide. In essence, genocide is not an accident, but a feature of colonialism; and it is not a rare find in colonial societies Image
This connection to colonialism is what informs her latest conclusion that colonial genocide does not need to take the form of "mass killing" Image
.@FranceskAlbs has also advanced the theory of "humanitarian camouflage" - That, as she puts it, Israel's use of int'l legal terminology as been strategically deployed "in such a permissive manner as to gut those concepts of their normativ content". Image
In other words, Israel's IHL rhetoric advances rather than constrains Israel's abbility to commit genocide. Take for example the rhetoric surrouding "human shields"... Image
...military use of civilian objects... Image
...proportionality... Image
... evauations... Image
... and the protection of hospitals Image
.@FranceskAlbs has then pointed out that, in the context of this humanitarian camouflage, Israel's genocidal intent needs to be discerned from what she calls a "totality triple lens". Image
This means that analysing Israel's actions with regards to Palestinians as a people through the lens of its "humanitarian camouflage" might lead us to believe that no genocide is taking place, rather a normal war...
...Or that looking at Israel's actions with regards to Palestinian land might lead us to believe there's no genocide taking place, rather a military occupation for security reasons...
...Or that looking at Israel's rationalisation of its conduct might lead us to believe there's no genocide taking place, rather an argument for self-defence under international law...
But when one looks at the totality of Israel's actions, through a triple lens, focused on its plans for the land, its attack on Palestinians as a group and its rationalisation of its conduct, the inescapable conclusion of this collective evaluation is indeed genocide
In terms of the totality of the land, Israel's actions are tied to the establishment of a Greater Israel, a colonial and inevitably genocidal plan - not simply a military occupation. Image
Image
In terms of the totality of the group, Israel is turning Gaza into an "unliveable" geography, not just fighting a war. Image
In terms of the totality of conduct, Israel's purported objectives (defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages) do not preclude the finding of genocidal intent, given that much of what is done in Gaza is not in line with these objectives Image
Image
.@FranceskAlbs deserves much credit for making these connections: the relationship between colonialism and genocide, between humanitarian law and genocide, and between decontextualised legal analysis and genocide.
Yesterday she described herself as a chronicler of genocide. While this is definitely one of her great roles, I think she is more than that. She is showing us how to engage with a colonial, racist and warmongering international law in anticolonial, antiracist and peaceful ways

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More from @Alonso_GD

Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
Oct 12
The nominal debate about sexual organs is a rather dumb one. You either think gender is assigned or innate and frankly that is of little consequence. The consequential discussion is why you think that: it’s either fragile masculinity or concern over safety in private spaces /1
IMO the latter is the only valid reason. I don’t care if a dude is scared that he will “accidentally” be attracted to a trans woman and hit on her. Deal with your own insecurities without trampling on other people’s rights. But safety in private spaces or fairness in sports? Sure
Here’s the thing though: safety and fairness are not “trans issues”. A fully cis male bathroom can be unsafe for a little boy (hi Catholic Church). Privacy concerns can be addressed with lockable personal booths. Transness is not the reason why private spaces can be unsafe
Read 5 tweets
Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
Sep 21
Piers Morgan approaches taxonomy as an ontological phenomenon. Categories are objective, universal and true. He never worries whether a tomato is a vegetable or a fruit, humans have perfectly taxonomized nature and categories never overlap. Hence he thinks this is a clever gotcha
The problem is @EdwardJDavey apparently agrees with him, but has to assume a pro trans position for political reasons. So he is confronted with an impossible problem: his categories are ontological, but his position is not. He cannot resolve the conflict and this is the result
Gender theory and feminism are not about ontological categories. Women are *not* ontologically (by the very fact of being women) the "weaker sex"; they don't "belong in the kitchen"; or "born to be mothers". This is why de Beauvoir said one is not “born a woman, but becomes one”
Read 7 tweets
Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
Sep 16
Unsurprisingly, Elliot’s conclusion is based on a misunderstanding of the applicable law. The statement “inference to genocide requires that no other reasonable explanation exist” is… let’s say inexact.
The applicable test is not “can you *explain* what Israel is doing *as a whole* through any reasonable explanation other than genocide”, but rather whether intent to destroy can be reasonably inferred from a specific pattern of conduct
So saying “it is more reasonable to explain Israel’s actions as trying to destroy Hamas and save hostages, than commiting genocide” is not really what the test requires. What is the specific pattern of conduct that Elliot is examining here? None. He is making an abstract argument
Read 12 tweets
Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
Sep 12
This is what I call “legal vulturing”. Salo loiters above the text looking for anything he can slap a red underline and claim “he is the only one who noticed”. It’s bad faith work that deserves no serious engagement. So let me treat this like the piece of disinformation it is 🧵 Image
Salo claims there is a secret paragraph 141 that scholars ignore on purpose to deny Israel a right to self defence. But article 141 is part of a subsection of the Opinion dealing specifically with self-defence. It goes from §138 to §142.
As Salo shows, in §139, the ICJ concludes that art. 51 of the UN Charter, which sets out the right of self defence, is not applicable to Israel’s actions in Palestine because

1) the threat it claims is not imputable to a state and article 51 only applies between states Image
Read 10 tweets
Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
Sep 11
So far I’ve seen the ongoing collapse of US hegemony as a protracted process of imperial decline, driven by a rally-to-the-flag retreat from the world known as “MAGA”. But now I’m wondering if that rally to the flag will actually lead to a much more violent and sudden process
The US has a heavily armed population which lacks access to mental healthcare and social safety nets. Increasingly, the random and senseless school shooting is being overshadowed by the targeted political assassination as the go-to “exhaust vent” of these social processes
Obviously, this is terrible. A Democratic representative, a healthcare CEO, a conservative commentator and the attempted assassination of the current president can’t be dismissed anymore as fluke accidents. Arguably, some are choosing to do this instead of mass shootings
Read 6 tweets
Alonso Gurmendi Profile picture
Sep 6
The IDF’s new international hasbara law excuse to justify imposing conditions of life that make civilian life in Gaza impossible seems to be that the military advantage of destroying a camera justifies the “incidental” civilian harm of dozens of homes destroyed
Imagine for a second this logic replayed for residential buildings in Tel Aviv. There’s security cameras managed by the city hall on top of the building and a Palestinian group is planning to attack the city. Thus, so the IDF does not use it, they blow up the whole building
It would be deemed one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel’s history. An act of “barbarism” that should be condemned again and again. The logic behind it “oh but we wanted to make average Israelis turn on the IDF so we need to pummel Tel Aviv” would be deemed insane
Read 9 tweets

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