Howdy folks,
On Tues, Jan 30 Redneck Gone Green will discuss the ongoing Genocide in Gaza, the rising Jewish resistance to the Netanyahu regime in Israel, and the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice. We will be joined by Margaret Kimberley, Executive Editor of the Black Agenda Report. We will discuss her powerful essay titled Muslim and Arab-American Voters Show Black People How to Exercise Political Power.
We broadcast live at 6pm Eastern 3pm Pacific every Tuesday. You can join us here on Youtube. You can also join us on Rumble. Please subscribe to our Rumble channel and keep an eye out for when we post our livestream 24 hours before our broadcast.
Below my signature is a thought piece that puts the program and the topic into a deeper context. As always, we ask you to participate in this growing community by liking, commenting, and sharing our content.
Onward to the world we deserve,
David Cobb (he/him)
Why I put my pronouns in my email signature
GENOCIDE IN GAZA
It is important to put the current uprising into context. There have been 75 years of Israel Defense Force atrocities against the Palestinian people. This includes ethnic cleansing, illegal settlements, arrests without charges, trade sanctions, demolition of buildings, and seizures of private homes. Often unreported in the midst of such atrocities is a rising social movement opposing Zionism generally and the Netanyahu regime specifically.
Jewish Voices for Peace
Jewish Voice for Peace, founded in 1996, is probably the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world. According to their website:
“We are organizing a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews in solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle, guided by a vision of justice, equality, and dignity for all people.” They have over 300,000 supporters, 1 million followers on Twitter, and maintain chapters on college campuses across the country.
Immediately after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Rabbi Brant Rosen (co-founder of JVP’s Rabbinical Council) grieved for fellow Jews who were killed, yet maintained solidarity with Palestinians.
The Refusenik Movement in Israel
Rooted in a rich history of conscientious objection, the Refusenik movement embodies the spirit of individuals who courageously resist compulsory military service in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Founded in the early 1970s, the movement gained momentum as a response to the occupation of Palestinian territories following the 1967 Six-Day War. Refuseniks refuse to serve in the military, believing that their participation would contribute to the perpetuation of an unjust occupation.
Initially composed of a few outspoken individuals, the movement has grown over the years, drawing support from both within and outside Israel. The Refuseniks explicitly argue that their actions are not anti-Israel, but rather a principled stance against policies they view as detrimental to peace and human rights. Many have faced imprisonment for their refusal to enlist.
In the current landscape, the Refusenik movement continues to serve as a beacon of dissent, playing a crucial role in fostering dialogue and advocating for a more inclusive, just, and peaceful future in the region. The Refusenik movement is a testament to the enduring power of conscientious objection in the pursuit of justice and human rights.
The International Court of Justice Ruling
On Jan 26 the International Court of Justice (IJC) issued an interim ruling in the case of South Africa vs. Israel. South Africa brought charges of genocide against Israel, asking the Court to order Israel to halt all military operation while Israel.
Israel first argued that the ICJ lacked jurisdiction because there was no “formal dispute” between South Africa and Israel. They then argued that there was not sufficient evidence of violations of violations of international law to proceed.
The Court rejected those arguments, ruling that there is prima facie evidence that Israel is committing the crime of genocide in contravention of the Genocide Convention.
In a nutshell this means that Israel wil be put on trial for genocide, a momentous decision that few people (myself included) thought would be possible.
The Court issued following orders:
Israel must immediately ensure that its military does not commit acts within the scope of the Convention Against Genocide.
Direct and punish all members of the Israeli public who engage in the incitement of genocide against Palestinians
Ensure provision of urgently needed basic services, humanitarian aid
Prevent the destruction of and ensure the preservation of evidence to allegation of acts of genocide.
Israel must submit a report detailing how they are adhering to these orders to the ICJ within 1 month.
While there is reason for hope, we must be clear. The court did not order Israel to “stop genocidal acts” as many people are saying. It said it must “prevent” genocidal acts that the court hasn’t yet ruled are actually taking place. Calling on Israel to stop such acts would mean the court had already determined that genocide is occurring.
The court requires Israel to follow its orders, including not to kill civilians, but only “within the scope of Article 2” of the Genocide Convention. This allows Israeli lawyers to argue that Palestinian civilian deaths are occurring outside that scope. An army can kill civilians, even in a war crime, without committing genocide.
The Court’s ruling doesn’t seem radically different from what the United States has been telling Israel: be careful how you defend yourself.
International humanitarian law on the obligations of an occupying power are complex on when it can use force in self-defense. Certainly on Israeli territory Israel has a right under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter to self-defense. But is it lawful to take offensive measures on a territory it occupies, on which it has an obligation under the Geneva Convention to care for the occupied people? Would the occupying Germans have had the right to defend themselves against attacks by the Resistance on French territory? The court never discussed that issue at all.
Palestinians are understandably deeply disappointed by the ruling. They wanted a direct order to halt military operations.
It remains to be seen if the ruling Perhaps will alter Israel’s behavior to substantially reduce civilian casualties and substantially increase humanitarian services.
One thing is clear– there is a growing global movement in support of Palestinian Liberation.
Margaret Kimberley
Margaret Kimberley is Executive Editor and Senior Columnist of Black Agenda Report and the current host of the Black Agenda Radio podcast. Her book, Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents was published in 2020 by Steerforth Press. Dr. Cornel West said, “Margaret Kimberley gives us an intellectual gem or prophetic fire about all the U.S. presidents and their deep roots in the vicious legacy of white supremacy and predatory capitalism. Such truths seem more than most Americans can bear, though we ignore her words at our own peril!”
She is a recipient of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromising Integrity in Journalism, and the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press' 2021 Women in Media Award. She is also a board member of Consortium News.
Ms. Kimberley is a contributor to the anthologies "In Defense of Julian Assange," "Capitalism on a Ventilator: the Impact of COVID-19 on China and the U.S.," and "Killing Trayvons: An Anthology of American Violence." Her activism includes membership on the Administrative Committee of the United National Antiwar Coalition, the Coordinating Committee of Black Alliance for Peace, and the Board of Directors of the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation.
She has appeared in national and international media including CGTN, RT, Al Mayadeen, Deutsche Welle (DW), Al Jazeera English, and Sky News.
Ms. Kimberley's work can be supported on Patreon, and can also be found on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter @freedomrideblog, Instagram, Telegram, BlueSky and Linktree.
She is a graduate of Williams College and lives in New York City.