A few more words on the word ‘genocide’

 

The text below is the last part of the latest post on my newsletter.

I'm every day more appalled that no leader is trying to stop this, that so many journalists choose to remain silent or to avoid the subject...

A few more words on the word ‘genocide’

"We can no longer be satisfied with the word 'horror'; today we must name the 'genocide' in Gaza," 300 writers wrote this week, in French newspaper Liberation, including J.M.G. Le Clézio, Virginie Despentes and Mohamed Mbougar Sarr.

In the UK, 380 writers signed a similar letter, including Hanif Kureishi, Russell T Davies, Hanif Kureishi, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, George Monbiot, William Dalrymple, Jeanette Winterson, Brian Eno, Kate Mosse, Irvine Welsh and Elif Shafak.

“The use of the words ‘genocide’ or ‘acts of genocide’ to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organisations,” reads the letter.

The writers call for the immediate unrestricted distribution of food and medical aid in Gaza by the UN, and a ceasefire “which guarantees safety and justice for all Palestinians, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the release of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners arbitrarily held in Israeli jails”. If the Israeli government does not heed calls for an immediate ceasefire, sanctions should be imposed, they say.

“This genocide implicates us all,” the letter concludes. “We bear witness to the crimes of genocide, and we refuse to approve them by our silence.”

Organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations human rights council have “clearly identified” acts of genocide enacted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the letter says, while public statements by the Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir “openly express genocidal intentions”.

In France again, the Socialist Party, the Communist Party and the Ecologists jointly denounced an ongoing “genocide” in Gaza on Monday evening, at a rally in Paris.

"Benjamin Netanyahu's government is committing genocide," Olivier Faure told the crowd, hundreds of left-wing activists present at the demonstration. The term had not been used directly until now by the Socialist Party leader, but he took it upon himself to say "loud and clear" on Monday.

Even the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Tuesday that his country is committing war crimes: The former leader, who was in power from 2006 to 2009, said that Palestinian victims are at ‘monstrous proportions’ and that the current PM Benjamin Netanyahu heads a ‘criminal gang’…

Olmert wrote in an opinion piece for the Israeli newspaper and website Haaretz that “the government of Israel is currently waging a war without purpose, without goals or clear planning and with no chances of success”.

He added: “Never since its establishment has the state of Israel waged such a war … The criminal gang headed by Benjamin Netanyahu has set a precedent without equal in Israel’s history in this area, too,” and that “recent operations in Gaza have nothing to do with legitimate war goals.”

“This is now a private political war. Its immediate result is the transformation of Gaza into a humanitarian disaster area,” he wrote.

And on Monday 26 May, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also said that Israel's recent airstrikes killing hundreds of civilians in Gaza could no longer be “justified” as a fight against Hamas.

“Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism,” Merz told broadcaster WDR in a televised interview.

Merz also says he “no longer understands” the Israeli military's objective in Gaza.

A time of change?

More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since 7 October 2023, according to Gaza’s health ministry, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel killed about 1,100 people, half of them civilians .

As I wrote regularly here, Amnesty International, HRW and the UN have already tried to sound alarm about the genocidal actions of the Israeli army and government in Gaza, but politicians were too afraid to change their narrative…

Given the scale of the massacres and destruction perpetrated by the Israeli army in Gaza, even the Israeli historian Amos Goldberg, a specialist of the Holocaust, said in an interview with Le Monde in October 2024 that his country 'criminally overreacted' to the October 7 massacres. “What is happening in Gaza is a genocide because Gaza does not exist anymore”, Amos Goldberg said.

Let’s hope this time they won’t only speak, but also act, and stop arms flooding towards Israel, and tried to reason the only ones who can really stop the catastrophe: The Americans.

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And if you need it again: my post from late October 2023…

Gaza: The crimes we're talking about

Some information, historical details and referential documents to help understand the situation in Palestine.

Melissa Chemam

Oct 30, 2023

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Thanks for reading and caring.

Never have we needed more global stories that these days, so please, do keep on opening your ears and eyes.

With my best wishes for now,

melissa

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An addition tonight:

‘An Ongoing Nakba’: How Israel, the Media, and the West Set the Stage for Gaza’s Genocide

Rula Jebreal joins Naomi to discuss her new book, “Genocidio” and shares her experience growing up around Israeli violence.

Naomi Klein

 and 

Rula Jebreal

Jun 03, 2025

∙ Paid

Journalistes ciblés en territoires palestiniens occupés : stop à l’impunité !

 

On Western Sahara

 

Britain's foreign minister, David Lammy, said on Sunday (1 June) that the UK considers Morocco's autonomy proposal as the most feasible basis to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara, according to Reuters.

The conflict in the region pits Morocco, which considers the territory as its own, against the Algeria-backed Polisario front, which seeks an independent state in the desert territory. The autonomy plan submitted by Morocco in 2007 stands "as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting resolution of the dispute, Lammy told reporters after talks with Morocco's foreign minister.

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Colonialists are aligning, while the UN has been recommending a referendum for the future of the region for decades...

France, the US, Spain, and the UK have either actively supported or passively enabled Morocco’s claim — despite UN resolutions clearly backing the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.

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⚖️ What the UN Says

• Western Sahara is classified by the UN as a "non-self-governing territory".

• The International Court of Justice (1975) found no sovereign ties between Morocco and Western Sahara that would affect the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.

• The UN promised a referendum on independence in 1991, but it has never taken place — largely due to Morocco’s obstruction and lack of pressure from Western powers.

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🌍 Western powers on their position

🇫🇷 France: Protector of the Monarchy

• France is Morocco’s strongest backer in Europe and at the UN Security Council.

• Motivated by strategic, economic and security ties, including arms sales, counterterrorism cooperation, and influence in the Sahel.

• France has repeatedly blocked stronger UN language on human rights in Western Sahara and opposes any expansion of MINURSO’s mandate to include rights monitoring.

• The French elite, including former colonial officials, see Morocco as a key ally and a pillar of ‘stability’.

🇺🇸 United States: Trump’s recognition  

• In 2020, Donald Trump recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco normalising ties with Israel (Abraham Accords).

• The Biden administration has not reversed this recognition, despite its illegality under international law — effectively cementing the US as a supporter of Morocco's claim.

• Strategic reasons include military cooperation, intelligence-sharing, and using Morocco as a stable regional partner.

🇪🇸 Spain: Post-colonial Complicity

• Spain was the colonial power in Western Sahara until 1975, when it illegally ceded the territory to Morocco and Mauritania under the Madrid Accords (never recognised by the UN).

• While it officially supports a UN process, Spain has grown increasingly pro-Moroccan, especially under pressure over migration and territorial disputes (e.g., Ceuta and Melilla).

• In 2022, the Spanish PM endorsed Morocco’s autonomy plan — a reversal of decades of supposed neutrality, likely driven by diplomatic blackmail from Rabat.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Silent endorsement... until today

• The UK had not formally recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara until today but it has done very little to support Sahrawi rights or push for a referendum.

• Like others, Britain prioritises trade, security, and regional stability — and avoids confrontation with France or the US on this issue.

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🛢️ Strategic interests trump principles

Across all four countries, a common pattern emerges:

• Economic interests (especially in phosphate, fisheries, arms, and trade).

• Security alliances, particularly counterterrorism and migration control.

• Political expediency — treating Morocco as a regional "moderate" ally.

Self-determination for the Sahrawi people becomes a sacrificed principle, despite decades of UN resolutions.

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What This Means

It’s a stark example of how colonial legacies endure, and how international law is often selectively applied — upheld against adversaries, ignored when allies are involved.

For Sahrawis, it’s a prolonged betrayal: a people waiting decades for a vote they were promised, watching the world’s most powerful democracies enable their erasure.

What counts in life...

 

Newsletter: From a genocide to another...

 

From Namibia to South Africa and Gaza: History at a crossroads

While, the word 'genocide' gets thrown around counter-productively by the US President, real events finally get the recognition they deserve. But a lot remains to be done...

Melissa Chemam

May 28, 2025

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Check my newsletter from the link:

From Namibia to South Africa and Gaza: History at a crossroads

While, the word 'genocide' gets thrown around counter-productively by the US President, real events finally get the recognition they deserve. But a lot remains to be done...

Melissa Chemam

May 28, 2025

Newsletter update

 

A tale of two 'Pompidous'

In an attempt to give a break from world daily news… two exhibitions not to miss this spring, in a Centre Pompidou, the famous Paris one and the little sister museum, in the east of France, in Metz.

Melissa Chemam

May 24, 2025

A tale of two 'Pompidous'

In an attempt to give a break from world daily news… two exhibitions not to miss this spring, in a Centre Pompidou, the famous Paris one and the little sister museum, in the east of France, in Metz.

Melissa Chemam

May 24, 2025

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On journalism

 

 A useful reminder :

The late French journalist Hubert Beuve-Méry (founder of Le Monde) said: 

 "The duty of journalism is not to please, nor to do harm, but to publish what is true."

UK suspends trade talks with Israel over new Gaza offensive

 

UK suspends trade talks with Israel over new Gaza offensive

Foreign minister condemns 'dark new phase' of conflict

Israel's ambassador summoned over offensive

West Bank settlers hit with new sanctions

LONDON, May 20 (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday paused free trade talks with Israel, summoned its ambassador, and announced further sanctions against West Bank settlers as its foreign minister condemned a "monstrous" military escalationin Gaza.

The Israeli military announced the start of a new operation last week and medics in Gaza say Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days.

Israel has also blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March, prompting international experts to warn of looming famine, although some trucks were allowed to enter on Monday.

Foreign minister David Lammy said the offensive was "a dark new phase in this conflict", called for Israel to end the blockade of aid and condemned comments by finance minister Bezalel Smotrich on the possible cleansing and destruction of Gaza and relocation of its residents to third countries.

"It is extremism. It is dangerous. It is repellent. It is monstrous, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," a visibly angry Lammy told lawmakers, adding the operation in Gaza was "incompatible with the principles that underpin our bilateral relationship".

"Today, I'm announcing that we have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement."

Israel said Britain had not advanced the trade talks, which started formally in 2022 under a previous Conservative British government, for some time.

"The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago," a spokesperson for its foreign ministry said. "External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction."

SELF-DEFENCE

Britain has said it is committed to Israel's security and argues it has a right to self-defence following the deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas.

However, Lammy said the new offensive would not secure the release of remaining hostages and that January's ceasefire had shown the better path that Israel should follow.

Earlier Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "horrified by the escalation" after issuing a joint statement with France and Canada. Lammy said Britain would take further action if Israel pursued its military offensive.

Netanyahu has said his country is engaged in a "war of civilization over barbarism" and vowed it would "continue to defend itself by just means until total victory."

Israel's ground and air war has devastated Gaza, displacing nearly its entire population and killing more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities.

Britain suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licences with Israel last year over the risk that equipment could be used in serious violations on international humanitarian law.

Britain on Tuesday also sanctioned a number of individuals and groups in the West Bank who it said had been linked with acts of violence against Palestinians, building on sanctions on a number of settlers and settler organisations imposed in 2024.

Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in a 1967 Middle East war as illegal, and their expansion has for decades been among the most contentious issues.

(Reporting by Muvija M, Sachin Ravikumar and Sarah Young, writing by Sam Tabahriti and Alistair Smout; Editing by Kate Holton and Conor Humphries)

Britain, Canada, France threaten sanctions against Israel over Gaza

 

Britain, Canada, France threaten sanctions against Israel over Gaza

The leaders of Britain, Canada and France threatened sanctions against Israel if it does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The leaders of Britain, France and Canada warned on Monday that their countries would take action if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions.

The Israeli military announced the start of a new operation on Friday, and earlier on Monday Netanyahu said Israel would take control of the whole of Gaza.

International experts already have warned of looming famine.

"The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law," a joint statement said.

"We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank ... We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions."

The three governments added they "strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza", and that the level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable.

In response, Netanyahu said that "the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on 7 October while inviting more such atrocities".

He said Israel will defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved, reiterating Israel's conditions to end the war which include the release of the remaining hostages and the demilitarisation of the Gaza strip.

Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try to pressure Hamas into freeing the hostages the Palestinian militant group took on 7 October 2023, when it attacked Israeli communities.

"We have always supported Israel's right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate," the three Western leaders said in their joint statement. They said they would not stand by while Netanyahu's government pursued "these egregious actions."

The Western leaders also stated their support for efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and said they were committed to recognising a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution to the conflict.

Hamas welcomed the joint statement describing the stance as "an important step" in the right direction toward restoring the principles of international law.

Israel's ground and air war has devastated Gaza, displacing nearly all its residents and killing more than 53,000 people, many of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.

The war began with the 7 October 2023, Hamas-led attack in which the militants killed about 1,200 people, including over 690 civilians, and seized 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

 (Reuters)

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For more, listen to:

 UN rapporteur says Israel's war in Gaza is 'emptying the land completely'