Elders group of world leaders calls on Biden to stop arming Israel
The Elders, a group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, says President Biden should stop arming Israel in an effort to stop the war on Gaza, instead of focusing on sending limited amounts of aid to the besieged enclave.
“The United States can influence Israel by not continuing to provide arms. It has provided a lot of the arms, bombs and other arms that have been used on the Palestinian people, and [Biden] is continuing to do that. He’s also providing money,” said Mary Robinson, chairwoman of the organisation.
“This government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the wrong side of history completely.”
Elders’ Chair Mary Robinson says President Biden should not continue to provide arms to Israel.
“The United States can influence Israel by not continuing to provide arms… The Government of Prime Minister Netanyahu is on the wrong side of history, completely. It’s making the… pic.twitter.com/fN3ptMjktz
— The Elders (@TheElders) March 15, 2024
Rights advocates condemn ‘systemic abuse’ in Israeli prisons
Several Israeli NGOs have warned the United Nations that the war in Gaza is contributing towards a “crisis” in Israeli prisons. Advocates say there are a record number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, where they face “systemic abuse” and torture.
“We are extremely, extremely concerned,” Tal Steiner, the executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), was quoted as saying in an interview with the AFP news agency. “What we’re looking at is a crisis.”
She said nine people had allegedly died in prisons since Hamas’s October 7 attack. And “there are almost 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody right now, … a 200-percent increase from any normal year”.
Miriam Azem of the Adalah legal centre said the deepening problem was not getting enough attention. Her organisation had managed to document “19 clear cases” of torture within the Israeli prison system since October 7, including sexual violence, she told AFP. The crisis “requires the immediate intervention of the international community,” she said.
The Israeli Prison Service told the news agency that All prisoners were “detained according to the law” and it was “not aware of the claims” against it. A spokesperson added that any complaints filed by detainees would “be fully examined and addressed by official authorities”.
According to the law of the jungle perhaps. Most Palestinians never get to see a lawyer and either get administrative detention (no legal recourse) or put in front of military courts with 95% conviction rates.
https://www.militarycourtwatch.org/page.php?id=a6r85VcpyUa4755A52Y2mp3c4v
Is this a watershed moment for Jewish solidarity with Palestinians?
Al Jazeera’s UpFront has been discussing the response of the Jewish community to Israel’s actions and policies in Gaza. Many groups across the world have come together to condemn the war and criticise Israel. Marc Lamont Hill spoke to Rabbi Alissa Wise, the founder of Rabbis for Ceasefire, and Eva Borgwardt, the national spokesperson for IfNotNow on the shift in opinion.
