South Africa asks ICJ to order Israel's withdrawal from Rafah

 

South Africa asks World Court to order Israel's withdrawal from Rafah

South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah.

The call is part of additional emergency measures over the war in Gaza, the U.N.'s top court said on Friday. 

In the ongoing case brought by South Africa, which accuses Israel of acts of genocide against Palestinians, the World Court in January ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians.

Israel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It has previously said it is acting in accordance with international law in Gaza, and has called South Africa's genocide case baseless and accused Pretoria of acting as "the legal arm of Hamas". 

In filings published on Friday, South Africa is seeking additional emergency measures in light of the ongoing military action in Rafah, which it calls the "last refuge" for Palestinians in Gaza.

South Africa asked the court to order that Israel cease the Rafah offensive and allow unimpeded access to Gaza for U.N. officials, organisations providing humanitarian aid, and journalists and investigators.

According to South Africa, Israel's military operation is killing the Palestinians of Gaza while at the same time starving them by denying humanitarian aid to enter. 

"Those who have survived so far are facing imminent death now, and an order from the Court is needed to ensure their survival," South Africa's filing said. 

The war has killed nearly 35,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, according to health authorities there. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 253 taken hostage on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched the attack that started the war, according Israeli tallies. 

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, generally rules within a few weeks on requests for emergency measures. It will likely take years before the court will rule on the merits of the case. While the ICJ's rulings are binding and without appeal the court has no way to enforce them.

By Reuters

May 10, 20248:58 PM

Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine in Johannesburg

 

The First Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine is held in South Africa this weekend in an historic move that aims to amplify the urgent need to address Israel’s ongoing genocidal actions against Palestinians – especially in Gaza. 

Organised by the South African Anti-Apartheid Steering Committee (SAAASC), the conference is held from 10-12 May to reflect a "collective aspiration to mobilise worldwide action aiming to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people", and "to dismantle Israeli apartheid from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea".

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor opened the event:

The three-day conference started this Friday at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg.

The event consists of a number of panel discussions and workshops. 

Speakers include Declan Kearney, chairperson of Sinn Fein; Mustafa Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative;  Reverend Munther Isaac from Bethlehem; Ronnie Kasrils, a former South Africa Minister of Intelligence, and others.

“We will not forgive what has happened to Palestinians. The dehumanization of Palestinians. They did not allow Palestinians to bury their loved ones,” Mustafa Barghouti said as the conference began. 

Barghouti added what is happening in Palestine is a global injustice against a people. 

“What we face is not only apartheid, it’s an evil plan by the settler Israeli system to destroy Palestine. 70% of the Palestinian population has been displaced,” he said.

He has demanded that the world asks where international law and human rights are amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and other global conflicts.

He said Palestinians will not leave their land, surrender, or give up. 

Barghouti also thanked South Africa for standing with the oppressed Palestinian people by taking Israel to the International Court of Justice, where Israel stands accused of genocide.

An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in the coastal enclave, and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians.

Kearney said the solidarity of ordinary people for Palestine across the world is “unprecedented” and South Africa's ICJ case against Israel is “courageous.” 

He added that Israel will never defeat the Palestinian spirit of resistance, adding: “We are with the Palestinian people on their long walk to freedom and will never abandon them.”

The conference intends to lay the groundwork for intensifying global mobilisation, organisation and coordination against Israeli apartheid and “develop comprehensive political, legal, public diplomacy, and media strategies aimed at isolating Israel’s regime of oppression,” organisers said in a statement.

It also aims to “support the struggle of the Palestinian people for all their rights, including the right to self-determination, and the right to return.” 

“The conference is a testament to the enduring spirit of international solidarity that helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa, and marks the beginning of a renewed, global movement against apartheid in all its forms. We stand at a watershed moment, ready to translate collective indignation into concrete actions for freedom, justice, and equality in Palestine and beyond,” organisers added.

A song for Palestinians

 

MACKLEMORE - 'HIND'S HALL'

"Once it’s up on streaming all proceeds to UNRWA."

HIND'S HALL Written and Produced by Macklemore Sample: "Ana Le Habiby" by Fairouz Video by Macklemore Subtitles by Charles Boonsu Select Video Footage by: Omar - @omaronig Habibi House - @habibihousepodcast Lyrics: The people they won’t leave What is threatening about divesting and wanting peace? The problem isn’t the protests it’s what they’re protesting Cause it goes against what our country is funding Block the barricade until Palestine is free Block the barricade until Palestine is free When I was 7 I learned a lesson from Cube and Eazy E What was it again? oh yea fuck the police Actors in badges protecting property And a system that was designed by white supremacy But the people are in the streets You can pay off meta you can’t pay off me Politicians who serve by any means AIPAC and the interests Of the companies You see puppeteers behind the land of the free But this generation here is about to cut the strings You can ban tik Tok take us out the algothim But it’s too late we’ve seen the truth we bare witness We’ve seen the ruble the buildings the mothers the children And all the men that you murdered and then we see how they spin it Who gets to the right to defend and who gets the right of resistance Has always been about dollars and the color of your pigment But White supremacy is finally on blast Screaming free Palestine until they’re home at last We see the lies in them Claiming it’s anti-semetic to be anti-zionist I’ve seen jewish brothers and sisters out there and riding In solidarity and screaming free Palestine with em Organizing, unlearning and finally cutting ties with a State that’s gotta rely on an apartheid system To uphold an occupying violent History been repeating for the last 75 The Nakba never ended, the colonizer lied If some kids in tents, posted on the lawn occupying the quad is really against the law And a reason to call in the police and their squad where does genocide land in your definition huh? destroying every college in Gaza and every mosque pushing everyone into rafah and dropping bombs The blood is on your hands Biden, we can see it all And fuck no I’m not voting for you in the fall Undecided, you can’t twist the truth The people out here united never be defeated when Freedom’s on the horizon Yet the music industry’s quiet complicit in their platform of silence What happened to the artist what do you got to say? If I was on a label, you could drop me today And be fine with it cause the heart fed my page I want a ceasefire fuck a response from drake What you willing to risk? What you willing to give? What if you were Gaza? what if those were your kids? If the west was pretending that you didn’t exist You’d want the world to stand up And the students finally did Let’s get it

Gaza: Hope is not lost...

 

Dalila Mahdjoub

 

Dalila Mahdjoub - 'Ils ont fait de nous du cinéma' - exhibition at #PacMarseille - #art #marseille

 

Artist Dalila Mahdjoub Ils ont fait de nous du cinéma دارو بينا سينيما @ La Compagnie, Marseille "Dessins, vidéo, sérigraphie, documents, dispositifs panoptiques, périscopes incandescents… autant de voies par lesquelles Dalila Mahdjoub décolonise le langage, avec ce geste simple de faire tomber les lettres du langage colonial. Lenteur, délicatesse redoutable, qui retourne la violence de l’histoire."

Marseille celebrates contemporary arts in May!

 

Printemps de l’Art Contemporain

La 16e édition du festival Printemps de l’Art Contemporain, organisée par le réseau PAC, se tient du 2 au 19 mai 2024 dans 60 lieux d’art contemporain de Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Port de Bouc, Istres, Miramas, Rognes, Châteauneuf-le-Rouge et Rousset. 

L'événement regroupe plus de 160 artistes de la scène émergente française et internationale, "invité·es à participer à ce rendez-vous incontournable de l’art contemporain en France". 

J'ai participé au week-end d’ouverture à Marseille.

Depuis 2007, le réseau Provence Art Contemporain (PAC) fédère des structures engagées dans la création contemporaine, des lieux ancrés dans les centres urbains et les territoires ruraux, issus des secteurs public et privé. 

Pendant le Printemps de l’Art Contemporain, les membres du réseau sont rejoints par des structures complices du festival " autour de la même volonté de défendre la création, les artistes, la mutualisation". 

A Marseille, les quartiers Opéra, Préfecture, Cours Julien, Camas, Joliette, Belsunce, Longchamp, Belle de Mai, et d'autres, sont au rendez-vous pendant près de trois semaines.

*

The 16th edition of the Spring Contemporary Art festival, organised by the "PAC" network, will be held from May 2 to 19, 2024 in 60 contemporary art venues in Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Port de Bouc, Istres, Miramas, Rognes, Châteauneuf-le-Rouge and Rousset.

The event brings together more than 160 artists from the emerging French and international scene, "invited to participate in this unmissable event for contemporary art in France".

I went to the opening weekend in Marseille.

Since 2007, the Provence Contemporary Art (PAC) network has brought together structures engaged in contemporary creation, places anchored in urban centres and rural areas, from the public and private sectors.

During the Spring of Contemporary Art, the members of the network are joined by structures complicit in the festival "around the same desire to defend creation, artists, sharing".

In Marseille, the Opéra, Préfecture, Cours Julien, Camas, Joliette, Belsunce, Longchamp, Belle de Mai, and other districts are there for almost three weeks.

*

Insight in pictures...

A performance by local artist of Caribbean roots, Yoan Sorin:

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Centre Photo:

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Dalila Mahdjoub 

Ils ont fait de nous du cinéma دارو بينا سينيما 

La Compagnie

"Dessins, vidéo, sérigraphie, documents, dispositifs panoptiques, périscopes incandescents… autant de voies par lesquelles Dalila Mahdjoub décolonise le langage, avec ce geste simple de faire tomber les lettres du langage colonial. Lenteur, délicatesse redoutable, qui retourne la violence de l’histoire."

*

The already iconic Hannah Black at Octo:

Marked by a Blank or Occupied by a Lie 

Librairie Semiotext(e) Marseille

*

The hyper-shaken 'Bamboula' exhibition by Moussa Saar

 - At Château de Servières

*

Des exploits, des chefs-d’œuvre

Mucem 

-

And more!

Insight into Marseille's Contemporary Art Festival (PAC) - May 2024

 Corsica-born Senegalese-French artist Moussa Sarr opened his new exhibition at Château de Servières in Marseille as part of PAC, 'le Printemps de l'art contemporain' 2024: 

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more soon 

Gaza: The EU and France call on Israel not to attack Rafah

Monday 6 May 2024

 

As Israel has ordered evacuation from Rafah area in south Gaza, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has called on the Israeli authorities to “renounce” the idea of a ground offensive on Rafah.

Josep Borrell Fontelles wrote on social media on Monday that "Israel's evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable."

He added that "Israel must renounce to a ground offensive and implement UNSCR 2728. The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario."

The French embassy in Israel has also issued a statement saying Emmanuel Macron spoke on Sunday with Netanyahu on the phone. 

The president reiterated that France’s top priority is the release of all the captives as he encouraged Netanyahu to pursue a ceasefire, it said in a post on X. 

Macron also reiterated his firm opposition to the planned Israeli offensive on Rafah and the urgent need to ensure a massive entry of humanitarian aid through all access points to the Gaza Strip, the embassy added. 

On March 24, Macron had warned Netanyahu that any forced transfer of people from Rafah would constitute “a war crime”.

'Horrific suffering'

Israel'z offensive "could lead to the deadliest phase of this conflict, inflicting horrific suffering on approximately 1.4 million displaced civilians in the area", the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Jan Egeland, warned in a statement.

Natalie Roberts, the executive director of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, has also called on the UK government to explain why it has not condemned Israel’s planned offensive on Rafah.

Israeli forces have killed 34,735 Palestinians in its seven-month war on Gaza, according to the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave. 

At least 78,108 people have been injured in the relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. 

Even the Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, has criticised the recent announcements, threats and irresponsible statements made by government ministers and the prime minister regarding the captives.

... "more devoted to 'order' than to justice”

 

“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councillor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the White moderate who is more devoted to 'order' than to justice.”

 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
 In 1963

UK: Local elections on 2 May 2024

 

London, May 1, 2024 (AFP) 

- Britain's ruling Conservative party is expected to suffer heavy losses in crunch local elections this week that are likely to increase pressure on beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

   The polls are the last major electoral test before a general election that Sunak's party, in power since 2010, seems destined to lose to the Labour opposition.

   Sunak has said he wants to hold the nationwide vote in the second half of the year, but bruising defeats in Thursday's votes could force his hand earlier.

   "These elections form a vital examination for the Sunak premiership -- road-testing its claim that the plan is working and the degree to which voters still lend that notion any degree of credibility," political scientist Richard Carr told AFP.

   Incumbent governments tend to suffer losses in local contests and the Conservatives are forecast by pollsters to lose about half of the council seats they are defending.

   Sunak's immediate political future is said to rest on whether two high-profile Tory regional mayors get re-elected in the West Midlands and Tees Valley areas of central and northeast England.

   Wins for the Conservative mayors, Andy Street and Ben Houchen, would boost hopes among Tory MPs that Sunak can turn around their party's fortunes in time for the general election.

   But speculation is rife in the UK parliament that a bad showing could lead some restive Conservative lawmakers to try to replace Sunak before the nationwide poll.

   "If Andy Street and Ben Houchen both lose, any idea that Sunak can carry on is surely done," said Carr, a politics lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University.

   "Whether that means he rolls the dice on a general election or gets toppled remains to be seen."

   Factional infighting has plagued the Tories in recent years, serving up five prime ministers since the 2016 Brexit vote, including three in four months from July to October 2022.

   A group of restive Conservative MPs have drawn up a "policy blitz" for a potential successor to Sunak in the event of massive losses this week, British media have reported.

   

   - Another one? -

   

   Some observers say it would be madness for the Conservatives to topple another leader when Sunak has provided some stability since succeeding Liz Truss in October 2022.

   Others say the party's credibility is already shot so why not try one last desperate throw of the dice to try to stop a predicted Labour landslide.

   Some 52 MPs would need to submit letters of no confidence in Sunak to trigger an internal party vote to replace him -- a tall ask.

   "I still expect Sunak will lead the Conservatives into the general election," Richard Hayton, a politics professor at Leeds University, told AFP.

   "But some MPs may seek to move against him, which will further damage his standing with the general public."

   Sunak, 43, was an internal Tory appointment following Truss's disastrous 49 days premiership in which her unfunded tax cuts caused market turmoil and sank the pound.

   Despite numerous leadership resets under Sunak, the Tories have continued to trail Labour, led by Keir Starmer, by double digits in most opinion polls.

   An Ipsos poll earlier this month put Sunak's satisfaction rating at a joint all-time low of minus 59 percent.

   More than 2,500 councillors are standing in England on Thursday, as well as London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan who is seeking a record third term in office.

   Most of the council seats up for re-election were last contested in 2021, when ex-Tory premier Boris Johnson was popular as he rolled out Covid-19 vaccines.