#Israel / Hamas' complete defeat - and then Gaza's rehabilitation
#Ynet is publishing a disturbing proposal written by some Israeli academics and “policymakers,” who are promoting the establishment of a system of governance in Gaza that eerily resembles US's failed state-building experiment in #Iraq, or more closely, the apartheid-era Bantustans of South Africa. The working paper was allegedly already read by government officials.
The paper is titled "From a murderous regime to a moderate society". It was written by four Israeli academics, and reviewed by members of the Military Intelligence Directorate and the War Cabinet. Its authors state that there is a need for Hamas' "complete defeat" - which, in their opinion, includes losing control over territory and "public trials" for its leaders. It also outlines a path for rehabilitation and de-radicalization. "Rehabilitation under fire is doomed to fail," the authors wrote.
The document, written in February, deals with the question of how Gazan society can become “a peaceful neighbor to the State of Israel.” The authors assume that victory - at least in the sense of preventing Hamas' resurgence and harming Israel - requires "rehabilitating and transforming a nation led by “a murderous ideology,” and cultivating stable institutions and an Arab culture that does not educate for jihad and accepts the existence of the of Israel as the Jewish people's nation-state."
The authors’ conclusions are provocative. First, there is a need for Hamas' "complete defeat," which means losing territory (for an unlimited period of time) and "public trials" for Hamas leaders. One of the authors, Dr. Palmor, says: "My position is that the average Palestinian needs to feel defeated. He needs to feel that the path they've taken so far, including education, hasn't worked. In my opinion, we should have declared the entire northern Gaza Strip as Israeli territory, for all intents and purposes." This is his opinion, not the document's recommendation.
All the writers agree that Hamas' defeat is necessary and that “rehabilitation under fire is doomed to fail." To succeed, they propose setting a "positive horizon for the defeated nation, conditioned on achieving concrete and measurable goals," and suggest establishing an "autonomous Palestinian entity."
The authors proposed (already in February) the immediate establishment of an effective mechanism to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They wrote that "it is necessary to achieve control as soon as possible over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in order to prevent further deterioration and to deprive Hamas of one of its most important recruitment bases."
But this is clearly not a “peace plan”: "The state independence of this entity must be conditional on strict conditions, including education for peace, renunciation of violence and terror, and effective security and administrative capabilities," they write. "Even if Israel is not interested in ruling Gaza and prefers to establish a different civilian government in the Strip, the option of Israeli military rule must hover in the background."
A glaring omission in the proposal is, understandably, the occupation itself. Regardless of how Israel chooses to frame the events of October 7th, it's impossible to detach them from the broader context of Palestinian resistance and the right to self-determination, which is enshrined in international law. Israel can continue down the path of entrenching its occupation, but it's unlikely to find much support from its allies. In fact, by doing so, Israel risks becoming increasingly isolated and likened to the apartheid regime of South Africa, a comparison that already has severe diplomatic and economic consequences.
The full article will be published on Friday in "Yediot Ahronot" and ynet.
#France: Court orders company organizing arms fair to ban participation of Israelis
#Ynet is reporting that a district court in France ordered the company organizing the #Eurosatory arms fair, which opens on Monday, to not only ban the participation of Israeli companies - but also Israeli citizens.
On May 31, the French Defense Ministry instructed Israeli security companies not to participate in the fair amid suspicions of war crimes and genocide committed in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the Israeli pavilion, which was supposed to include 74 exhibitors from Israel, was canceled. However, the organizers informed companies that Israeli citizens would be allowed to visit the fair.
#Palestine / Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, to recognize Palestinian state (to be followed by Slovenia and Malta)
With over 140 UN member states now recognizing Palestine, the wave of European support signals growing impatience with the stalled peace process and a willingness to challenge U.S.-backed insistence on direct negotiations favoring Israel's position.
[...] "In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and injured, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states that can live in peace with each other," --- Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere (#Norway)
Israel swiftly condemned the move, recalling its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland, and warning of "dire consequences" if Spain follows through. The Israeli Foreign Minister accused the countries of "undercutting Israel's sovereignty and endangering its security."
[cont’d] as it seems to be the norm now, Israel is dictating Biden and the Republicans what they’re expected to do next…
#Ynet is reporting that while the ministry of foreign affairs is considering punitive measures against countries that will recognize a Palestinian state, they are also expected to turn to the American administration with a request that it approach the relevant countries and clarify the US opposition to the move.
Alongside this, Israel will request an American appeal to friendly countries to encourage them also to oppose recognition of a Palestinian state. Israel will also request a public statement from the administration.
In parallel, an appeal will be made to key figures in Congress requesting that they speak out publicly on the issue and approach the relevant countries, clarifying their opposition to the move.
Additionally, an appeal will be made to Jewish organizations in the #US to speak out publicly against recognition, and also to approach the relevant countries and express to them their strong opposition to the move.
#ICC / Prosecutor asks for arrest warrants for three leading Hamas leaders, as well ass Netanyahu and Galant
[...] The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday said it was seeking arrest warrants against three leading Hamas militants for their alleged roles in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Watch: ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan explains the charges against top Hamas and Israeli leadership in detail in this excerpt from his interview with @amanpour this morning at The Hague
The extent to which Israeli media outlets, such as #Ynet and practically all others, are whitewashing and indoctrinating their readers about Israel's actions in #Gaza should not be underestimated. In this "explainer" of the prosecutor's announcement detailing the charges, Ynet's editor chose to embed photos of humanitarian aid entering Gaza (in contradiction of the charges, I guess), while avoiding more recent evidence of deliberate obstruction of these deliveries with the full knowledge of the IDF and Israeli Police, or the reason for an urgent action needed in Gaza in the first place.