It needs to become more widely known that our Prime Minister, @Keir_Starmer, who outrageously just this week denied that Israel is conducting a genocide of the Palestinian people, represented Croatia during the merits phase of the genocide hearings at the @CIJ_ICJ in 2014 > But it isn't simply that he represented Croatia in the hearings; Look closer at the argument he made regarding the motivation (i.e. intent) of the Serbian leadership in it's acquisition of territory by eradicating the Croation population (source: ) balkaninsight.com/2014/03/07/ser…

An outrageous things about the new UK government under @Keir_Starmer, and particularly the @FCDOGovUK under @DavidLammy, continues repeating the same line as the previous Tory government regarding Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people as part of an avoidance strategy.

A 🧵 Our government responds to any query about their policy regarding Genocide with the same sentence in various formats: "It is for a competent court to determine that there is a genocide" or "UK policy is that genocide can only be determined by a credible international court."

Key questions for the Labour Party in relation to Luke Akehurst's candidacy:

1. Why have they not taken immediate action in response to complaints that have been raised regarding his offensive social media posts (which he has been frantically deleting in recent weeks). We are led to believe that Labour Party complaints processes and procedures are meant to be robust and swift acting but this only seems to be the case where those who aren't in line with the current ideology of the leadership are concerned. If a left-wing candidate had made remarks about Jews being politically black they'd be suspended under investigation for antisemitism and they'd have a slew of articles in the press written about them with condemnation from the JLM and other organisations. The fact is Akehurst has made numerous offensive comments and remarks. It appears that Labour are okay with antisemitism so long as it comes from someone that is pro-Israel. Akehurst gets a pass for making offensive remarks about Jews and about Palestinians because he is right-wing, pro-Israel and aligned with the leadership of Labour. 2. Why was Akehurst parachuted into the seat of North Durham despite the fact the local Labour Party at least THREE local candidates ready to stand for selection in this constituency? Is it not grossly offensive to Labour Party members to parachute an Israel lobbyist from Oxford into the seat of North Durham?

Outrageous that Labour Friends of Israel, under Christian Wakeford MP, is hosting an event in Parliament on 7th May 2024 entitled 'UNRWA, antisemitism and a better future for Gaza'.

This is despicable at a time where Gaza is utterly destroyed & unliveable. According to information, the event due to be held in Parliament, will feature Knesset member @SharrenHaskel, David Hirsh, and Prof. Rosa Freedman.

The event is focusing on UNRWA with allegations that the UN agency for Palestine Refugees 'perpetuates the conflict'.

It is clear that the UK government is doing everything it can to avoid either confirming or denying that Israel is violating international humanitarian law.

This done in such a way that the UK can continue support for Israel while avoiding legal repercussions in the future. That is why the UK government's line has been that Israel has the 'capability and commitment' to act within International Humanitarian Law.

Such a statement is carefully crafted to avoid taking a position on whether Israel *has* or *has not* violated IHL.

Shoshanna, I feel that you're being deliberately misleading when it comes to this topic and the convention on Genocide.

It isn't about the casualty numbers or 'rate' as you put it.

Read the Genocide convention it explicitly discusses the act (Actus Reus) and intent (Mens Rea)..

https://twitter.com/skjask/status/1769392245940060633

.. I strongly suggest those engaging with @skjask (a well known anti-Palestinian activist) numbers argument pause for a moment and read the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide which lists a number of acts in context of their intent.

On UNRWA allegations, it's important to set out what we do know and weed out the fictions from the facts.

There's a clear timeline of events that has to be understood in order of how they unfolded, as well as the lack of evidence presented for scrutiny and oversight. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearly wasn't prepared for the fact UNRWA chief, Philippe Lazzarini went away from a meeting with an Israeli official in Tel Aviv and reported to both the UN and US that allegations had been made against UNRWA staff regarding 7th October...

Document containing the UNRWA allegations is absolutely scandalous for multiple reasons - but the most striking is that if this is the 'dossier' that various governments used to justify suspending funds then it should make waves politically speaking because there is NO evidence.. ..not a single piece of evidence is presented in the entirety of the document. It contains allegations and a political statement attacking UNRWA and the staff identified.

Nome of the claims can be independently verified because the evidence is not contained in the document.

Firstly, people really need to stop tossing the very serious and traumatic issue of rape around.

Sexual violence that did occur on 7th October horrific & to be condemned.

Portraying Palestinian resistance as 'raping of Jews' is however a racist anti-Palestinian trope.

https://twitter.com/lilydayton_/status/1753614041891647884

Furthermore, the opposite position to that placard in Israeli society is where it is shouted: You don't get to decide how Israel defends itself... all while Israel wipes out entire families in its devastation and vengeful destruction in Gaza.

Three points regarding pro-Palestinian demonstrations that I think are important:

1. Those attending who carrying antisemitic placards/imagery are in a tiny minority and do not represent the movement

2. Behaviour of non-Palestinian activists doesn't negate palestinian rights 3. Palestinians themselves have spoken out on numerous occasions on what they rightly demand from activists in international arenas in terms of solidarity, consistency, commitment to human rights & social justice principles. Palestinian activists also often condemn antisemitism.

Responses from Parliamentary questions asked by @DanCardenMP & @RichardBurgon published today providing insight into the @FCDOGovUK ministers position on Israel, the legal advice regarding compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Arms export licenses🧵 UK Government continues to regard the @CIJ_ICJ case brought by South Africa against Israel as "wrong and provocative" and that "Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide".

This doesn't address the question asked by @DanCardenMP - more on that below >

We should not simply dismiss the allegations made in the WSJ piece alleging that 10% of UNRWA employees have links to militants. However, it is right to scrutinise the background of one of the authors of the article in terms of their links to the IDF & the IDF spokesperson unit.



It is evident that it is not appropriate for Carrie Keller-Lynn to be part of the journalistic team reporting on these allegations in the WSJ. Her past close relationship w/ Aliza Landes, who was assigned to the IDF Spokesperson Unit, is an important matter not the be overlooked

Let's be clear about Palestinian resistance:

When Palestinians demonstrate for their rights face-to-face with Israeli soldiers while being shot at, tear gassed and brutalised. That is resistance.

A Palestinian mother protecting her child from abduction. That is resistance.

https://twitter.com/mishtal/status/1749015812910747781

A Palestinian protecting their home and land from violent armed Israeli settlers (backed up by the Israeli military). That is resistance.

Palestinians going on strike and calling for boycotts & sanctions. That is resistance.

Palestinian artwork & graffiti. That is resistance.

Breaking: Here is crucial information from the action taken by @alhaq_org & @GLAN_LAW in relation to UK arms sales to Israel and the @FCDOGovUK's attempt to hide it's internal reports and assessments of the legal framework and reality in Gaza: glanlaw.org/israel-weapons…
It turns out that @FCDOGovUK did four "risk assessments" between 7th October and 18th December, which also included writing to the Israeli government in November on a small number of issues.

Israel did not provide a response to specific issues raised in the UK gov letter.

A Palestinian colleague in Gaza) just wrote (About Hamas):

"Foreigners that give unwavering unconditional support for a party that is infamous for shooting its own people for having a different opinion and for breaking its already inhumane laws is gross and disturbing. We feel nobody is doing anything sincere to help our situation. Also, we Palestinians have a right to defend ourselves from Israel and from Hamas. By the way, everyone seems to forget that Hamas is not the only Palestinian group in Gaza. There are at least four other partys >

Let's be absolutely clear on a principle I've held for a long time:

Palestinians are not our political pornography. I find it absolutely obscene that some so-called activists think that repeatedly posting images of dead Palestinians (including children) over and over is okay. So many factors to think about when you engage in such behaviour:

1. The impact it has on Palestinians here on this platform and elsewhere.
2. That you are in fact playing into the dehumanisation of those Palestinians killed by using images of their dead bodies as 'shock' value.

Hi @EylonALevy, I think you need to familiarise yourself with what international law says in regards to this matter. First, though, it is easy for you to allege a person is 'Hamas-affiliated' in order to justify Israel's killing of them. But this again isn't how the law works...

https://twitter.com/EylonALevy/status/1744483043643986330

1. Being a member of an armed group - which also has a political and media wing alongside a military wing - is not illegal under international law.
2. Palestinians, unless taking direct participation in armed hostilities, are protected persons and retain civilian status >

Eylon discusses de-radicalisation of Palestinians by using an analogy to Nazi Germany (as though it is the same context and type of process) while deliberately erasing the fact that the source of Palestinian radicalisation is violence, occupation & oppression meted out by Israel>

https://twitter.com/EylonALevy/status/1744498426807509323

According to the Wiener Holocaust Library - which hosts The Holocaust Explained () the process of de-radicalisation in post-WWII Germany was actually a large scale de-nazification process that took different formats depending on which Zone you were in... theholocaustexplained.org/about-us/

Israel advocacy is attempting to take advantage of ordinary peoples lack of knowledge on Genocide and what it means, so let's be clear that it isn't simply a matter of how *many* people from an identified group (in this case Palestinians of Gaza) are slaughtered... a short🧵 There is a social & philosophical debate regarding Genocide - we often learn about it from organisations that have been set up to (1) commemorate past genocides and (2) teach us lessons regarding how Genocide comes to pass I.e. dehumanisation, discrimination, prejudice etc.

Okay, even though I don't get paid for this, let's go... we will start with the overall premise of your article: That Israel isn't Apartheid South Africa.

You are correct. That is why every single human rights organisation & legal advocacy group doesn't make that analogy 1/?

https://twitter.com/LordIanAustin/status/1741198424890802412

Israel advocacy always insists on inserting the claim that Palestine solidarity activists are comparing Israel to Apartheid South Africa but this simply isn't true.

We look at the International Convention on the crime of Apartheid - un.org/en/genocidepre…

1. Palestine solidarity advocates that are falsely accused of antisemitism usually refer back to Jews and definitions provided by Jews on what is and isn't antisemitism.

2. People of colour absolutely face white people telling them what is and isn't racist on the daily. 3

https://twitter.com/BennettArron/status/1662362946230538241

3. The issue here is efforts to redefine antisemitism in a way that provides political protection for Israel. This is being done by Israel advocates who literally go about telling Palestinians that to oppose Zionism is antisemitic.