• 6 Posts
  • 18 Comments
Joined 4 years ago
Cake day: February 20th, 2021
  • rcbrk@lemmy.mltoWorld News@lemmy.ml•The Myth of 'Human Shields'English
    4·
    1 month ago

    When human shields are used, the attacking party must take into account the risk to civilians. 191 Indiscriminate or disproportionate harm to civilians remains unlawful and the civilian population can never be targeted.

    So, from this I understand that every time Israel makes an accusation of “human shields”, it’s a direct admission of guilt of war crimes in that they are knowingly targeting civilians.

  • rcbrk@lemmy.mlOPtoWorld News@lemmy.ml•Australian PM First Western Leader to Be Referred to ICC as 'Accessory to Genocide in Gaza'
    3·
    8 months ago

    Excerpt from the communiqué:

    […] Specifically, this Communiqué analyses Australian government policy and the actions of individual members of the Australian Parliament to show that the Australian government and its most senior officials have both failed to prevent or respond to the genocide committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza and been complicit in the carrying out of this genocide in a manner which falls squarely within Article 25 (3)© and/or (d) of the Rome Statute of the ICC. The evidence compiled herein amounts to a reasonable basis for the OTP to conduct an investigation into such conduct of Australian nationals, and to seek the authorisation of the Pre-Trial Chamber for the same, alternatively, to consider the contents of this Communiqué in the context of the OTP’s ongoing investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine.

    Following 7 October 2023, when Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas attacked Israeli settlements and military installations, killing 1,200 Israeli civilians and military personnel while capturing over 250 individuals, Israel launched a devastatingly violent campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. Over 27,000 Palestinians have since been killed, and more than 1.7 million people in Gaza have been internally displaced. The Gaza coastal strip has been blockaded by the Israeli military, leading to food scarcity, sanitation concerns, the spread of communicable diseases, and widespread despair. Communications have regularly been cut, and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have instituted a devastating bombing campaign that has almost completely destroyed Gaza’s residential stock, places of worship, food outlets, cultural institutions, and educational facilities. Concurrently with this material destruction, officials of the Israeli government and military have increasingly voiced their intention to “wipe out” Palestinians living in Gaza and have explicitly employed genocidal rhetoric consistently and publicly. As this Communiqué highlights, a wide range of respected scholarly and legal sources have determined that such circumstances amount to genocide.

    Since 7 October 2023, the Australian government and individual government Ministers and political figures, such as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Defence Minister Richard Marles, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, have provided explicit political, rhetorical, moral, military, and material support for Israel’s genocidal attack, despite their indisputable knowledge of the extent of the violent attacks. These actors have sought to provide political cover for Israel in international forums, justifying Israel’s bombing campaign as a legitimate right to self-defence that it does not, in fact, enjoy, and refusing to take any action that may positively contribute to stopping the genocidal campaign in Gaza. The Australian government, and its individual members, has, moreover, taken actions that further aggravate the ongoing genocide in Palestine through its cessation of funding for vital aid and humanitarian support. […]

    The rest of the document makes for a well-referenced timeline on the actions by various Australian political figures in relation the the recent Israel-Palestine conflict.

  • rcbrk@lemmy.mltoWorld News@lemmy.ml•What’s Up With Germany’s Pro-Israel ‘Left’? | Novara Media
    0·
    11 months ago

    Machine-generated summary courtesy of Kagi’s summarizer (filling in for TL;DRbot):

    Summary: The “anti-Germans” are a left-wing political movement in Germany that strongly supports Israel and criticizes any expression of solidarity with Palestine as anti-Semitic. While they began as a fringe group opposing German nationalism, they have now achieved mainstream success in promoting pro-Israel stances. They focus heavily on depicting Muslims and pro-Palestine activists as Nazis. Over time, the movement has moved away from leftist politics and toward anti-Muslim rhetoric and support for right-wing positions. Many of its stances have now been adopted more broadly in German policy and discourse. Although the group itself may be less influential, its radical anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim views have permeated German political life. Some former members have even gone on to respectable careers after pushing such views. In this way, the “anti-Germans” have had a significant impact on shaping Germany’s approach to Israel and Palestine issues.

    Dot points:

    • At a pro-Israel demonstration in Leipzig, Germany, flags of Israel and the antifa movement were flown together, showing the unusual alliance between pro-Israel and far-left groups in Germany.
    • The anti-Deutsch movement started as a radical left opposition to German nationalism but is now defined by its hardline support for Israel and criticism of any expression of solidarity with Palestine.
    • Support for Israel has become increasingly mainstream in German politics, while support for Palestine has been marginalized. The anti-Deutsch movement has found new relevance as a result.
    • The anti-Deutsch movement emerged in reaction to fears that German reunification could lead to a resurgence of German nationalism and Nazism. They blamed inherent flaws in German culture and identity for the Holocaust.
    • The movement’s focus has shifted from criticizing capitalism to attacking Muslims and those expressing solidarity with Palestine as antisemites.
    • The anti-Deutsch movement takes an extreme stance, believing that any means are justified to secure Israel’s existence as protection against antisemitism.
    • There have been attacks on pro-Palestine groups in Germany by those claiming to oppose antisemitism, showing the radicalization of some in the anti-Deutsch movement.
    • The anti-Deutsch movement’s extreme anti-Muslim positions have aligned with conservative parties’ rhetoric on issues like immigration.
    • While the anti-Deutsch movement’s influence as a leftist group has waned, its anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim politics have become mainstream in German discourse.
    • Some former members of the anti-Deutsch movement have gone on to respectable careers in media and politics, showing how their views have diffused into the establishment.
  • rcbrk@lemmy.mltoTechnology@lemmy.ml•The Revenge of the Hot Water Bottle
    0·
    3 years ago

    You’re not considering the energy required to smelt the iron.

    Iron filings (in a collected quantity high enough to make manufacturing these heat packs worthwhile) are not a waste product, they are recycled – saving the smelting of that much new iron.

    Sawdust+iron heat packs are a very useful and non-hazardous product, for sure, but aside from situations where a hot water bottle is impractical, hot water bottle still wins.