Delivery time2024-02-03 09:46
A large number of people joined in criticizing… “Support for Israel is likely to be a serious violation of international law.”
“Western governments ignore experts’ concerns… This could amount to war crimes and aiding genocide.”
Gaza baby injured in Israeli airstrike
On December 6 last year (local time), a mother and son injured in an Israeli military airstrike were brought to a hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Palestine. 2022.02.03
[AP 연합뉴스 자료사진. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jinhyeong Park = More than 800 current officials from the United States and 11 European countries called for policy change, warning that the West’s policy of supporting Israel in the war in the Gaza Strip could be a “serious violation of international law.”
It is extremely unusual for officials from Western countries to join together to voice their dissatisfaction with their own government’s policies, so the repercussions are attracting attention.
According to the BBC and CNN on the 2nd (local time), they said in a statement that the US and European governments will be involved in “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of this century” due to their ‘non-questioning’ support for Israel without demanding responsibility. He pointed out that he was taking a risk.
They criticized Israel’s “unbounded” military operation in Gaza, which “resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of preventable civilians and the deliberate blocking of aid.”
He also said, “Israeli military operations have completely ignored the important counter-terrorism expertise accumulated since the September 11 attacks,” and added, “This has not contributed to Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas and has strengthened the persuasive power of Hamas, Hezbollah and other negative actors.” .
He then expressed concern that the policies of the U.S. and European governments supporting this “there is a significant risk that they may be contributing to serious violations of international law, war crimes, and even ethnic cleansing or genocide.”
They also argued that such pro-Israel policies are causing the risk of additional deaths of Palestinians and endangering not only the hostages held by the Palestinian armed political faction, Hamas, but also Israel’s own security and regional stability.
They also criticized, “The current policies of our governments have undermined their own moral standing and weakened their ability to defend freedom, justice, and human rights globally.”
Participants urged their governments to “use all their influence” to achieve a cease-fire and “develop a lasting peace strategy that includes a secure Palestinian state and security guarantees for Israel.”
Regarding the motive for making the statement, they explained that they had internally expressed concerns as experts, but “they have been dismissed due to political and ideological considerations.”
Although the names of the participants were not made public, the BBC reported that nearly half of them were found to have been in public service in their countries for at least 10 years.
In the United States, about 80 officials and diplomats participated in the statement, a source told CNN.
This statement was coordinated by officials from the United States, the European Union (EU), and the Netherlands, and officials from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland reportedly participated.
Previously, in the United States last year, officials from various government agencies, including the White House, the State Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), protested by issuing a letter to President Joe Biden protesting his policy of supporting Israel.
An anonymous U.S. official with more than 25 years of national security experience who joined the statement told the BBC, “(The government) is not listening to the voices of those who understand the region (Middle East) and its dynamics.” It said concerns “continue to be ignored.”
“The real difference here is not that we are failing to prevent something, but that we are actively complicit. This is fundamentally different from any other situation I can remember.”
A senior British official who signed the statement also told the BBC there was “growing unrest” among British civil servants.
Robert Ford (66), former U.S. ambassador to Syria and Algeria, said, “In my experience of observing foreign policy over the past 40 years, this statement is unique,” adding, “The problems and impact of the war in Gaza are serious enough that officials feel they need to come forward publicly.” “It does,” he said.
In response to this statement, a British Foreign Office spokesman said: “As the Foreign Secretary (David Cameron) said, Israel is committed to acting within the framework of international humanitarian law and has the capacity to do so.”
“We are also deeply concerned about the impact on civilians in Gaza,” he said, adding that he wanted a ceasefire as soon as possible.
The European Commission also said it was looking into the contents of the statement.
Regarding this move, the Israeli Embassy in the UK stated that Israel is following international law and that “Israel will continue to act against genocidal terrorist organizations.”
Previously, on the 26th of last month, the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide and improve the humanitarian situation of Gaza residents, followed by a collective statement from officials from Western countries, which dealt Israel another diplomatic blow. There is an analysis that says it was worn.
US President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
[UPI 연합뉴스 자료사진. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
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2024/02/03 09:46 Sent
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2024-02-03 00:46:42
