• Michael Mansfield On Prosecution Of War Crimes In Gaza

    From Lawrence D'Oliveiro@21:1/5 to All on Fri Apr 18 02:15:30 2025
    XPost: nz.politics, uk.legal, alt.politics.international

    Top UK human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield is part of a group that
    has handed over evidence to the Metropolitan Police that implicates 10
    British citizens in crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/16/top-uk-barrister-israel-is-carrying-out-destruction-of-humanity-in-gaza>.

    Al Jazeera: Do you classify what’s happening in Gaza as a genocide?

    I do, yes, no question.

    In this particular instance, if you’re attacked personally in the
    domestic sense or in any other, you’re entitled to defend yourself
    but only up to a point.

    If you’re attacked with somebody holding a wooden spoon, you can’t
    use a machinegun to kill them. … This has gone far beyond
    self-defence.

    ...

    In my view, it’s clearly a genocide because they’ve [Israeli
    officials] made it very clear in various statements. They’re
    talking about a bigger Israel. There’s a political ambition that
    lies behind the whole thing, not for all, you know, members of the
    [Israeli military] and so on, but I think a sizeable proportion.

    ...

    It’s gone beyond plausible.

    [Note: The International Court of Justice said in January 2024
    that it was plausible that Israel was committing genocide in
    Gaza.]

    Also:

    I think we’ll look back and say, actually, thousands turn out for
    marches. Thousands of people are globally angry, upset and feeling
    hopeless, which is why keeping the law alive in the way the chief
    prosecutors tried to do, not just for Israel, but for other
    perpetrators as well, including [Russian President Vladimir] Putin
    and Russia and Ukraine.

    We’ve got to keep the caring alive. You can’t get away from it.
    You can’t hide in your bedroom and think, “Oh, I didn’t start
    this.” No, you didn’t, but if you’re a member of the human race,
    I’m afraid you have a responsibility.

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