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Alex Lo

Human rights and the laws of war are not universal after all. I have learned that from Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Commission president made an unscheduled trip to Israel where the country’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant made the following statement as his military readied for the Gaza onslaught: “We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly … We are imposing a complete siege on Gaza.
“There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything will be closed.”
Almost exactly a year ago, von der Leyen railed against war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.
“Attacks against civilian infrastructure, especially electricity are war crimes,” she declared.
“Cutting off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with winter coming – these are acts of pure terror.”
You might expect her to comment on Gallant’s harsh remarks, considering he was talking about 2.3 million people in Gaza.
Why Hamas terrorists and Israeli hardliners are two sides of the same coin
Instead, she said: “In the face of this unspeakable tragedy there’s only one possible response: Europe stands with Israel … Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, it has the duty to defend its people.”
I guess the laws of war and the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians don’t travel well, say from eastern Europe to the Middle East.
Von der Leyen is in good company.
Even President Volodymyr Zelensky – whose people have suffered long enough and know a thing or two about being cut off from water, food and electricity – said in January:
“The right for food and clean water should be the basic human right. It must be a global goal! Anyone who tries to deprive people of food or water is an enemy to humanity. We must defeat such enemies together like [Ukraine] and our partners do.” Now, though, Zelensky said Ukraine stood with Israel.
I think there ought to be a difference between “stand[ing] with Israel” and giving it carte blanche in conducting its war in or rather on Gaza.
In fact, in the longer run, they would be doing themselves and Israel a big favour by holding their ally, now understandably furious and demanding vengeance, to show restraint.
Hundreds killed in Gaza hospital blast, Israel and Hamas trade blame
Sadly, they are not. Germany and the United States, if you can believe it, are sending more weapons to Israel, as if the latter didn’t have enough of them to pound on Gaza and level the whole place.
Meanwhile, I can’t believe what I have just watched on Sky News where Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely, declared: “There is no humanitarian crisis [in Gaza]. There isn’t. Israel is in charge of the safety of the Israelis. Hamas is in charge of the safety of the Palestinians.”
Her statement has set social media news ablaze. I think I know what went wrong.
There is a terrible humanitarian crisis going on, perhaps the worst at the moment. There is no point denying an indubitable fact. Sometimes, even Israel has to accept that some uncharitable or inconvenient facts may be aired in the news.
What she ought to have said is that Hamas is solely responsible for the crisis because of the atrocities it has committed against hundreds of Israeli civilians and for its failure of governance over Gaza for almost two decades.
Speaking of inconvenient facts, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has confirmed that a new emergency law is being drafted enabling police to arrest journalists for factual reporting that is considered damaging to national morale during the war on Gaza.
Israeli video and photos show savagery and ease of Hamas attack
Under the draft law, anyone may be arrested and their property seized, for disseminating information that may be factual and accurate but liable to be used as “enemy propaganda”.
Israel and its Western backers are telling the rest of the world that what we are seeing is the opposite of what’s happening. I have heard that appearances can be deceiving.
But being instructed to deceive ourselves in order to comply with what they want us to see is a bit much, like beyond the pale.


The days of EU and Nato may be numbered under von der Leyen and Kallas

Native forest restoration project is literally, and figuratively, bearing fruit

Eye-opening court judgment a snapshot of issues that have plagued Hong Kong for years

State capacity will decide who is the winner in Chinese-American rivalry

My Take

Reality itself is being distorted by the relentless war on Gaza

Palestinian families rush out of their homes after Israeli airstrikes targetted their neighbourhood in Gaza City on October 17, 2023. Photo: AP

Israel-Gaza war: China’s diplomacy shows its growing influence in Middle East

Illustration: Craig Stephens

Smoke rises from an Israeli army position which Hezbollah fighters attacked near Alma al-Shaab, a Lebanese village near the border with Israel, on October 15. Hamas militants in southern Lebanon fired 20 rockets into the Israeli towns of Schlomi and Nahariyya, the group said in a statement. Photo: AP

Israeli video and photos show savagery and ease of Hamas attack

This image was taken from bodycam video footage taken by a Hamas militant. Photo: Israel Defence Forces via AP

Hamas has used some images of its attacks on social media. Photo: Israel Defence Forces via AP

The aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel. Photo: AP

We should not have to choose between Hamas terrorists and Israeli hardliners

Palestinians react at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 17. Photo: Reuters

A ‘total war’ on Palestine would be a war crime

A Palestinian youth reacts as he sits on the rubble following an Israeli military strike on the Rafah refugee camp, on the southern end of the Gaza Strip on Octobers 15. Photo: AFP

Opinion

Israel and its Western backers are telling the rest of the world that what we are seeing in the Middle East is the opposite of what’s happening


Israel and its Western backers are telling the rest of the world that what we are seeing in the Middle East is the opposite of what’s happening.


Israel-Gaza war

Ukraine war

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}My Take | Reality itself is being distorted by the relentless war on Gaza

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Israel and its Western backers are telling the rest of the world that what we are seeing in the Middle East is the opposite of what’s happening

My Take | Reality itself is being distorted by the relentless war on Gaza

Israel and its Western backers are telling the rest of the world that what we are seeing in the Middle East is the opposite of what’s happening