After 113 Days: A Continuing Journey Through Disillusion.

113 days have passed since Oct. 7th, 2023. We are still trying to figure out what caused this eruption. In the meantime, we have learned some horrific truths, about what has been going on in Gaza for the past 18 years. Israel still has 139 civilian hostages held in captivity and abused.

Disillusion

I have more questions than answers, sadly. I collect these and put them here to hear your thoughts and comments. Especially, on how we can move from here to a better future. One, without wars, and armed conflicts. A future that sanctifies life and love, rather than death and destruction.

During these past 113 days, some interesting questions have emerged though. Like:

• Why would Muslims want to be ready for a Jihad (a holy war) in Europe and the US?
• Or why if António Guterres wants to assist so much, he doesn't recruit and dispatch 30,000 Christian volunteers to Gaza, to make sure the aid packages are arriving to the ones who need them?
• Why don't the Palestinians have a state?
• Why should Israel be supported?
• What is genocide?
• Why was Israel dragged by a corrupted state like South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) , and why didn't the ICJ dismiss this claim as it has no merit whatsoever?
• Why did it take so long until the world realized that UNRWA was supporting terror, spreading hatred, and intensifying the conflict in the area?
• But, as we are a day after the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I thought it with be befitting to start with the new false narrative adopted by the River & Sea people.

What is Genocide?

The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau —as International Holocaust Remembrance Day , a time to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.

The word “genocide” was first coined by Polish lawyer Raph?el Lemkin in 1944 in his book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe. It consists of the Greek prefix genos, meaning race or tribe, and the Latin suffix cide, meaning killing. Lemkin developed the term partly in response to the Nazi policies of systematic murder of Jewish people during the Holocaust, but also in response to previous instances in history of targeted actions aimed at the destruction of particular groups of people. Later on, Raph?el Lemkin led the campaign to have genocide recognized and codified as an international crime.

"Genocide was first recognized as a crime under international law in 1946 by the United Nations General Assembly".

Genocide was first recognized as a crime under international law in 1946 by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/96-I ). It was codified as an independent crime in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention). The Convention has been ratified by 153?States (as of April 2022). The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has repeatedly stated that the Convention embodies principles that are part of general customary international law. This means that whether or not States have ratified the Genocide Convention, they are all bound as a matter of law by the principle that genocide is a crime prohibited under international law. The ICJ has also stated that the prohibition of genocide is a peremptory norm of international law (or ius cogens) and consequently, no derogation from it is allowed.

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

Article II

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

1. Killing members of the group;
2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Elements of the crime

The Genocide Convention establishes in Article I that the crime of genocide may take place in the context of an armed conflict, international or non-international, but also in the context of a peaceful situation. The latter is less common but still possible. The same article establishes the obligation of the contracting parties to prevent and to punish the crime of genocide.

The popular understanding of what constitutes genocide tends to be broader than the content of the norm under international law. Article II of the Genocide Convention contains a narrow definition of the crime of genocide, which includes two main elements:

1. A mental element: the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such"; and
2. A physical element, which includes the following five acts, enumerated exhaustively:

• Killing members of the group;
• Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
• Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
• Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
• Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

"To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group".

The intent is the most difficult element to determine. To constitute genocide, there must be a proven intent on the part of perpetrators to physically destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. Cultural destruction does not suffice, nor does an intention to simply disperse a group. It is this special intent, or dolus specialis, that makes the crime of genocide so unique. In addition, case law has associated intent with the existence of a State or organizational plan or policy, even if the definition of genocide in international law does not include that element.

Importantly, the victims of genocide are deliberately targeted - not randomly – because of their real or perceived membership of one of the four groups protected under the Convention (which excludes political groups, for example). This means that the target of destruction must be the group, as such, and not its members as individuals. Genocide can also be committed against only a part of the group, as long as that part is identifiable (including within a geographically limited area) and “substantial.”

It follows from this, that a country that is exercising its right of self-defense against a terror organization, is not regarded as committing genocide. But facts are so boring these days. Why bother with facts, rules, and laws when a simple false slogan grabs attention, albeit misleading?

Genocide case studies

• Afghanistan
• Armenia
• Bangladesh
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burma - Navigation Link
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• China
• C?te d’Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Ethiopia
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Mali
• Rwanda
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Syria
• Ukraine
• Zimbabwe

Is the UN biased against Israel?

Have you heard any condemnation by the United Nations or its Secretary-General António Guterres about these genocide events, some of which are still ongoing?

How many times was Israel condemned for defending itself?

Tell me who our friends are and I will tell you who you are!

Who was Haj Amin al-Husseini, and what does he have to do with this?

Muhammad Amin al-Husayni (1895-1974) was the Mufti (chief Muslim Islamic legal religious authority) of Jerusalem under the political authority of the British Mandate in Palestine from 1921 to 1937. His primary political causes were:

1. establishment of a pan-Arab federation or state;
2. opposition to further immigration of Jews to Palestine and Jewish national aspirations in Palestine;
3. promotion of himself as a pan-Arab and Muslim religious leader.

In exile between 1937 and 1945, al-Husayni, claiming to speak for the Arab nation and the Muslim world, sought an alliance with the Axis powers (Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ) based on their publicly recognizing:

1. the independence of the Arab states;
2. the right of those states to form a union reflecting a dominant Muslim and specifically Arab culture;
3. the right of those states to reverse steps taken towards the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine;
4. al-Husayni himself as the spiritual and political representative of this pan-Arab, Muslim entity.

In exchange, al-Husayni collaborated with the German and Italian governments by broadcasting pro-Axis, anti-British, and anti-Jewish propaganda via radio to the Arab world; inciting violence against Jews and the British authorities in the Middle East; and recruiting young men of Islamic faith for service in German military, Waffen-SS , and auxiliary units. In turn, the Germans and the Italians used al-Husayni as a tool to inspire support and collaboration among Muslim residents of regions under Axis control and to incite anti-Allied violence and rebellion among Muslims residing beyond the reach of German arms.

Despite his collaboration, the Axis powers were unwilling to promote al-Husayni's political ambitions as he wished. As the Nazi regime collapsed in 1945, French authorities took al-Husayni into custody. He escaped to Egypt in 1946. Al-Husayni devoted the remainder of his life to supporting Palestinian nationalism and to agitating against the State of Israel. He continued to produce and disseminate anti-Zionist, anti-Jewish, and anti-Israel propaganda. He died in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 4, 1974.

The following is a short excerpt from an official German record of the meeting between Adolf Hitler and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, on November 28, 1941, at the Reich Chancellory in Berlin. (Source: Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918-1945, Series D, Vol XIII, London, 1964.)

The Arab countries were firmly convinced that Germany would win the war and that the Arab cause would then prosper. The Arabs were Germany’s natural friends because they had the same enemies as had Germany, namely the English, the Jews and the Communists. Therefore they were prepared to cooperate with Germany with all their hearts and stood ready to participate in the war, not only negatively by the commission of acts of sabotage and the instigation of revolutions, but also positively by the formation of an Arab Legion.

"The Arabs could be more useful to Germany as allies than might be apparent at first glance, both for geographical reasons and because of the suffering inflicted upon them by the English and the Jews".

The Arabs could be more useful to Germany as allies than might be apparent at first glance, both for geographical reasons and because of the suffering inflicted upon them by the English and the Jews. Furthermore, they had close relations with all Muslim nations, of which they could make use in behalf of the common cause. The Arab Legion would be quite easy to raise. An appeal by the Mufti to the Arab countries and the prisoners of Arab, Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan nationality in Germany would produce a great number of volunteers eager to fight. Of Germany’s victory the Arab world was firmly convinced, not only because the Reich possessed a large army, brave soldiers, and military leaders of genius, but also because the Almighty could never award the victory to an unjust cause. (The complete transcript can be read here ).

"The Palestinians never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity during the past 75 years".

Looking at this starting point, and considering that the Palestinians never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity during the past 75 years, it becomes clearer why they don't have their own state.

They don't have a state because they have mastered the art of missed opportunities. They blame Israel for everything and they live to eradicate the state of Israel. They could have had a state, and it could have been similar to Israel. They just had to put the effort into that and not into terror.

As simple as that.

Fast forward 75 years

War is a tragedy for all parties involved, I don't claim otherwise.

It's not a tragedy for Hamas, it's the culmination and materialization of all its efforts.

I don't know anyone in Israel delighted to go to war, lose friends or relatives, get injured, crippled or killed. No one.

This war was forced on Israel on Oct. 7th 2023.

Hamas sees it as a holy war, and it's the outmost honor to die as Shaheed. This is one of the fundamental differences between Israel which sanctifies life, and Hamas which sanctifies and practices death.

"War is a tragedy for all parties involved!"

When listening to Hamas officials since then, it is apparent that they intend to commit genocide of the people of Israel. As simple as that. They state so much, loud and clear in every TV interview they had since. It's in their charter.

When we look back, we see where it comes from. It's deeply rooted. There is a reason why Israel insists on abolishing all charters calling for its destruction.

We might have discarded that as insignificant prior to Oct. 7th, but we surely can not allow ourselves to do that after that day.

Evidence of deep terror infrastructure

During the past 113 days, Israel's activity has uncovered some very disturbing evidence, about the role played by international organizations in Gaza. The main one is the activities of UNRWA of course, which was shown to have aided, and supported Hamas activities in Gaza for many years.

The education system run by UNRWA was found to indoctrinate, children from kindergarten to adulthood, deep hate against Israel and its Jewish citizens. It was also found that terror-supporting themes, ideas, and doctrines were weaved into the teaching material, school plays, and summer camps.

Amongst others, it was found that:

• UNRWA personnel on their payroll were also active terrorists in the Hamas organization;
• at least one UNRWA teacher held an Israeli boy captive in his home for 51 days;
• UNRWA operated under Hamas's instructions and fully cooperated with it;
• The organization misappropriated funds and diverted them to unworthy causes;
• Testimonies have shown that Hamas controls everything in Gaza, including UNRWA ;
• Hamas steals the contents of the aid trucks entering Gaza and does with the supply as he pleases;
• At least one doctor held an Israeli child hostage in his house;
• A Brigadier General in Hamas who was recruited in 2010, managed the Kamal Adwan Hospital'
• Command posts, ammunition and explosives were found in and under Gaza Hospitals;
• Testimonies evidenced that Hamas had its fleet of Ambulances to be used to transport terrorists, explosives, ammunition etc. in Gaza, knowing that Israel would not fire on them;
• Terrorists use plain clothes when they fight the IDF, so when they are hit, they seem to be 'uninvolved civilians';and the list goes on and on and on. This is the source of the pic above

So where does all of that leave us?

Nowhere optimistic at this point I fear. After 113 days, Israel still has civilian hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, without any real sign of life. It is unclear whether medications that were supposed to be delivered to the hostages, as part of the humanitarian aid pact, were indeed delivered. There is no evidence as to the health or mental condition of these hostages, and their release does not seem to be approaching.

I can offer some thoughts of my own to conclude:

• What if the United Nations recruited 30,000 Christian volunteers, who would be willing to come to Gaza to make sure that the aid packages arrive to the ones who need them the most?
• What if these volunteers had GoPro cameras that would livestream what's going on, and the world would see how Hamas is abusing its population and committing war crimes?
• What if the United Nations and António Guterres demanded the release of all Israeli Hostages immediately or all funds and assets belonging to Hamas will be frozen within 24 hours and then forfeited by the applicable seizing states?
• As this will not happen, what if the states that have such funds and assets under their jurisdiction, make this demand and execute such a sanction?

It's easy to state that you want to fight terror. Why no one takes firm action, is the real question. It's not only in bank accounts, businesses, and real estate, it's also in cryptocurrency wallets and these can be seized as well.

What do you think?

Sources:

https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/learn-about-genocide-and-other-mass-atrocities/what-is-genocide

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/what-is-genocide

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide

https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml

https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-official-record-what-the-mufti-said-to-hitler/