Category: Genocides

Genocide in Gaza

You said:

I am puzzled why the genocide in Gaza is not widely recognized or condemned. Explain.

ChatGPT said:

The lack of widespread recognition or condemnation of events like those in Gaza can stem from a complex interplay of political, historical, and social factors. Here are some reasons that could explain this phenomenon:

  1. Framing and Narratives:
    • The way the situation in Gaza is framed in media and political discourse can significantly influence perception. If the narrative emphasizes national security, terrorism, or self-defense, it may overshadow or delegitimize the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
    • Words like “genocide” carry heavy legal and emotional weight, and many governments or organizations may avoid using them without a formal determination by international bodies like the United Nations.
  2. Geopolitical Interests:
    • Many powerful nations, including the U.S. and EU countries, have strategic alliances with Israel. These alliances can lead to reluctance to criticize Israeli actions, as doing so could strain diplomatic or military relationships.
    • On the other side, Palestinian advocacy often lacks equivalent global influence, particularly in terms of economic or political leverage.
  3. Historical Context and Guilt:
    • The legacy of the Holocaust and the historical persecution of Jewish people has created a strong global commitment to supporting Israel as a refuge for Jewish people. This history can sometimes result in a reluctance to critique Israeli policies for fear of being labeled antisemitic.
  4. Media Coverage and Bias:
    • Mainstream media in many countries often reflects the perspectives of their governments or dominant political and economic interests. As a result, reporting may downplay the scale of Palestinian suffering or present the conflict as a balanced “clash” between two sides, rather than one marked by disproportionate power dynamics.
    • Media blackouts or restrictions on journalists in Gaza also limit the ability to convey the full extent of human suffering.
  5. Complexity and Fatigue:
    • The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has persisted for decades, leading some people to view it as an intractable issue. This can result in apathy or avoidance of engaging deeply with the situation.
    • The constant stream of global crises (wars, pandemics, climate change) can also dilute public attention and outrage.
  6. International Law and Accountability:
    • The structures of international law, such as the UN Security Council, often hinder accountability. Veto powers (e.g., by the U.S.) can block resolutions condemning actions in Gaza.
    • The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been criticized for being slow and ineffective in pursuing justice in cases involving powerful states or their allies.
  7. Misinformation and Polarization:
    • Social media amplifies polarizing narratives, making it harder to establish a consensus about what is happening and how it should be addressed.
    • Both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates use social media to frame their narratives, often leaving the broader public unsure whom to believe.
  8. Dehumanization and Racism:
    • Palestinians are sometimes dehumanized in global discourse, framed primarily through the lens of extremism or terrorism. This framing can desensitize people to their suffering.
    • Broader Islamophobia or orientalist attitudes in the West also play a role in diminishing empathy for predominantly Muslim populations.

This combination of factors creates an environment in which events in Gaza are not universally recognized as genocide or widely condemned, despite the severity of the situation. Addressing this requires persistent advocacy, critical media engagement, and a willingness to challenge entrenched political and social biases.

Warmongering Netanjahu

I am against giving power to any single individual – be it a monarch, a president, or prime minister. I prefer the government of Switzerland, where power is diffused among seven members of a Federal Council.

The history of wars is predominantly a history of single leaders.

The current war against Ukraine is the decision of one man: Putin.

And the current genocide of Gaza is also the decision of a single leader: Benjamin Netanjahu, the Prime Minister of Israel.

But he has recently tried to deflect world attention from his genocide of Gaza by destroying the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, 2024. This was a deliberate attempt to get Iran to respond, which it did.

For many years now, Netanjahu has tried to get the US to attack Iran for harboring a nuclear weapons program – akin to the charge against Iraq for harboring a program for weapons of mass destruction.

If this lunatic is not removed, he may plunge the world into World War III.

Gaza and Genocide Deniers

In my opinion, of all the scholars of the Palestinian-Israeli relations that I know, Norman Finkelstein is the best informed and the most reasonable in his recommendations — which are to follow the international law, the United Nations resolutions. and to pay attention to human rights watchdogs — like Amnesty International.

I agree with him, and I also agree with the International Court of Justice that a plausible case can be made that a genocide is taking place in Gaza.

With the ICJ finding in mind, I have watched various debates on this issue on Youtube, taking note on who affirms and who denies that a genocide is taking place in Gaza.

The most scholarly debate on Youtube is the following:

The participants were Norman Finkelstein and Mouin Rabbani, on one side, and Benny Morris and Steven Bonnell (aka Destiny), on the other.

Commentary: Since the debate was set-up by Lex Fridman, he must be held responsible for including Destiny, who was obviously in a company beyond his competency, and who Finkelstein, during the debate, called a moron and an imbecile.

Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine

In a recent artickle, “Who caused the Russo-Ukrainian war, NATO or Russia?”. Alexander J. Motyl answers the question better than do the Pope, John Mearsheimer, or Jeffrey Sachs by placing the cause on Russia instead of on NATO.

But his question is not revealing enough. Although we do speak of countries as if they were agents, this kind of talk is misleading. It is the governments of countries which are the responsible agents, and we must understand the structure of governments before we can locate the responsible parties. For example, the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs Wade was decided by the majority members of the nine-member Supreme Court, and we can name them. But Russia is not like, for example, Switzerland with a seven-member executive; it is a country with a permanent leader – a dictator: Putin, who does not need to consult anyone in order to take action. It was Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. Putin – not Russia – is the cause of the genocidal invasion of Ukraine.

See also: Why Mearsheimer is wrong about Russia and the war in Ukraine. Five arguments from Alexander Stubb.

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