What would it take for the UK government to disassociate itself from Israel’s war crimes?

The answer has already been provided. Israel can commit any crimes they wish in Gaza and the West Bank and the UK will not move beyond words. It is that simple.

This is the moving and powerful statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN about one of Israel’s various massacres, this time the apparent cold-blooded shooting of 15 medics and aid-workers in marked ambulances. [1]

One should not rush to claim a war crime has taken place without investigation. On the other hand, states often use the “we will investigate this” ploy to push the matter into the long grass and deflect attention. How often, for example, in Afghanistan did you read that the US military was “investigating” some latest claim of civilians being killed? How often did you read the follow-up to that investigation in the press?

As regards the recent massacre of ambulance workers, it has all the hallmarks of a war crime. A very authentic video shows incoming fire on marked ambulances. The initial claim from the Israeli military about “suspicious vehicles without lights” is refuted by the video. There is satellite imagery showing attempts to bury the bodies and even the vehicles and attempts to block access [2]. There are multiple reports which must be taken seriously, for example, a doctor, reporting evidence of close-range shooting. The UK in the past has been ready to claim “war crimes” on far flimsier evidence than this. (A rocket embedded in an apartment and claims by a “humanitarian organisation” they themselves funded to produce war crimes reports, for example). [3]

So; this massacre took place. At this point it is not looking good for Israel. The best they could possibly do would be to produce “evidence” that one or more of the people in the ambulances were linked to Hamas. That would in itself not justify the massacre since, that would not establish a military threat. Let’s see what Ambassador Woodward has to say:

Their deaths are an outrage and we expect this incident to be investigated fully, transparently and for those responsible held to account.

Yes; There will be an “investigation”. But let’s not hold our breathe over “held to account”. There is overwhelming evidence that Israel applies different standards to its own soldiers and settlers involved in crimes to Palestinians. [4] Even in very rare cases when settlers or soldiers are found guilty they receive light sentences. This crime is so grave, and so clearly involved significant coordination from the army – with bulldozers sent to the site and organised lying to explain it away that it is highly unlikely that Israel is going to admit anything.

Gaza remains the most dangerous place for humanitarians in the world.

How do they sleep at night? The aim of this line is so transparent. It is not that Israel is massacring aid workers, journalists, children, paramedics etc. It is just that “Gaza is a dangerous place”; like a volcano is a dangerous place. This is called reification.

If Israel does not respect deconfliction notifications from aid workers, to allow them to operate without coming under attack, there will be more appalling deaths like these ones. Aid workers should not have to risk their lives to help those in need.

I wonder if this line isn’t a bit cunning. I have read reports that in this case the paramedics did not contact the IDF first to get permission to go into this area because there was no requirement for them to do so. Is this the British government getting ahead of the game; in the end, they will blame the Red Crescent for not contacting the IDF with their plans?

So we urge Israel to cooperate with the UN fact-finding mission into the hit on a UN compound on 19 March, conduct thorough investigations into all incidents involving aid workers and medical personnel, and ensure accountability for those responsible.

This is confusing. Perhaps this statement is not about the ambulance worker massacre but about another massacre? I think one in a clinic in northern Gaza. So many massacres it is difficult to keep up.

But the UK strongly opposes Israel’s decision to resume and expand its military operations in Gaza. Since operations restarted over 1000 Palestinians have lost their lives, including at least 322 children. And civilians are being compressed into ever-smaller areas.

And so it goes on. Since Israel broke the ceasefire, (“decided to resume”), their programme of war crimes, probable genocide and ethnic cleansing, hundreds of children have already been killed. What does “strongly oppose” mean? Is it like “deeply concerned“? What does it mean? We know what it means; zilch. Nothing. There is nothing at all that Israel can do that will result in any action at all from the British government. They have a multitude of levers; diplomatic, trade, investment, security cooperation, arms sales. Suspending 10% of arms sales licenses is a gesture, [5], not an action likely to pressurise Israel to change course. But enough, one imagines, to provide some kind of legal cover to protect government Ministers in the UK from war crimes charges. Which, one assumes, was the rationale for this decision. (I would assume that this was all explained to Netanyahu in ingratiating tones).

Even evidence that Israeli snipers are deliberately shooting children in the head in Gaza does not move them. [6] Shooting children in the West Bank for throwing stones, i.e. executing children for daring to defy the military, is so routine, no one even mentions it. (Another case today [7]).

One law for Russia, another for Israel

Meanwhile, in other news it turns out that France and other European countries have given permission for Netanyahu to fly over their territory and France in particular has signalled they would not enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu. So much for respect for the ICC. And yet, Macron will still rabbit on about Putin and the ICC case against him. Compare:

PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) – The French government said on Friday that “no-one should escape justice”, as it reacted to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russia President Vladimir Putin. [8]

with

“Such immunities apply to Prime Minister Netanyahu and other ministers in question and must be taken into consideration should the ICC ask us to arrest them and hand them over,” a statement by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs read. [9]

The “immunities” relate to Israel not being a member of the ICC. But, then nor is Russia. (And nor was Ukraine when the above statement was made [10]).

I haven’t yet read John Mearsheimer’s book about the Israel Lobby, but I plan to soon. But, his thesis, that a powerful Israeli lobby group powerfully influences the foreign policy of the US and other Western countries to ensure unwavering support for Israel no matter what they do, is clearly at least consistent with the evidence. There really does seem to be nothing that Israel could do which would cause even slight disaffection amongst the leadership classes of Western nations. Imagine, if it helps, that any other country in the world had a track record of shooting children, causing disproportionate civilians deaths, maintaining “administrative detention” without trial [11], regular massacres, and claiming 20% of their opponent’s land as theirs. [12] – what would be the reaction of the West? (For comparison; look at how they respond to Russia’s “land grab” in Eastern Ukraine). If the answer to any of this is the Hamas massacre of October 7 it fails; no European country would ever argue that one terrorist attack, (let’s call it that), justified an onslaught on a civilian population and openly denying civilians medical and food aid [13] to “pressure” them to reject their leaders. And, at any event, all that the world is seeing in Gaza is not a response to October 7, but an acceleration of a policy which was already in place and already being acted on before.

Notes

What would it take for the UK government to disassociate itself from Israel’s war crimes?

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