Paris Middle East Conference: Time for Israel to decide

2017, January. Paris. Middle East Conference. Time for Israel to decide whether it is serious being a member of the international community or whether it chooses the path to pariah status, building illegal colonies on stolen land, flouting international law and disrespecting world opinion. Such pigfaced arrogance is bound to have negative consequences.

The Machiavellian approach

There are two types of lawyers. The first type understands that the practice of law is perfectly simple since the rules are laid down as clearly as possible, those who draw them up are in general terms competent and have an eye for detail, taking care not only to word the documents carefully but also to punctuate them adequately. The second type is a cynical, manipulative figure who understands that rules and laws are made to be broken and it is just a question of how much money is used or power exerted to reach the Machiavellian goal.

In signing international agreements and conventions, Israel is bound by their terms, and the very notion that a State can sign a treaty and then weasel its way out, accepting some of the terms and not others, is not only sheer, shitfaced arrogance but also an insult to the international community.

The fact is that Israel signed the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which basically prohibits countries from moving populations into territories occupied during a war. Hence the colonies which Israel is building outside its original borders are illegal, period. It is perfectly simple. So simple, indeed, that the United Nations Security Council, whose deliberations are legally binding, has stated that the terms of the Convention apply. Also, the United Nations General Assembly, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Court of Justice and the High Contracting Parties to the Convention. Apart from this, several UN Resolutions have declared the Israeli settlements built on stolen land are illegal.

Israel, the chosen thief

Israel, of course, thinks it is above international law, or for that matter any law. It does what it wants, when, where and how it wants because it knows that the Jewish Lobby in the USA is so powerful that it pulls Washington's strings and therefore Washington's sickening Poodles in Europe will jump obediently and abstain when Washington vetoes UN Resolutions condemning Israel.

The result is that Israel continues to steal land which does not belong to it, continues to bulldoze Palestinian homes, continues to dessecrate Palestinian cemiteries, continues to expropriate Palestinian farms, dispossessing Palestinians, splitting up families, seizing land and property from children whose grandparents held the rights.

And what does the international community do? Nothing. It is fitting that this Conference is held in Paris, the capital city of one of the countries which started this mess (along with its bedmaster, the UK) by drawing lines on maps.

When Israel gets real, when Israel admits that it has to follow the norms of international law to be wholly accepted into the international community, and in so doing moving back to the borders drawn up in 1948, Israel will be accepted into the hearts and minds of the international community. Netanyahu is too emotionally stupid to realize this, as is most of the Knesset.

Time for a new generation of Jews to work alongside Jews against Zionism and together with the hearts and minds of the international community. To date what has ruled Israel is those in legion with the Devil, claiming the Jews are the chosen people (how racist does it get?) and disregarding the norms of international law.

Look where we are. Israel hanging by a thread, waiting for the day when someone ups the ante and does something spectacular. These days it isn't that difficult, let's be honest. And when, not if, when it happens, maybe Israel will think twice about its shitfaced arrogance. So suppose Israel started thinking in an intelligent manner from today?

Emotional intelligence is not that easy for the type of person who kicks those who have fallen in the head, for the type of person who shoots kids in the eyes, for the type of person who steals property, builds homes on it and cocks a snook at the international community.

Conclusion: Israel, in a word, is stupid.

 Photo:  מיכאל יעקובסון.

 Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru 

Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey

[email protected]

*Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey has worked as a correspondent, journalist, deputy editor, editor, chief editor, director, project manager, executive director, partner and owner of printed and online daily, weekly, monthly and yearly publications, TV stations and media groups printed, aired and distributed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe Isles; the Russian Foreign Ministry publication Dialog and the Cuban Foreign Ministry Official Publications. He has spent the last two decades in humanitarian projects, connecting communities, working to document and catalog disappearing languages, cultures, traditions, working to network with the LGBT communities helping to set up shelters for abused or frightened victims and as Media Partner with UN Women, working to foster the UN Women project to fight against gender violence and to strive for an end to sexism, racism and homophobia. A Vegan, he is also a Media Partner of Humane Society International, fighting for animal rights. He is Director and Chief Editor of the Portuguese version of Pravda.Ru.