Week of February 5, 2024

Jake Johnson: US Judge Rejects US Complicity Case on Technical Grounds

“A federal judge in Oakland, California, dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday that aimed to stop the U.S. from aiding Israel’s catastrophic assault on the Gaza Strip — but also offered sharp criticism of the Biden administration’s unwavering support for the war.

U.S. Judge Jeffrey White of the Northern District of California ruled that the suit brought by Palestinian rights organizations and individuals in both the U.S. and Gaza falls “outside the court’s limited jurisdiction” and must be rejected on technical grounds.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation on the ICJ order

“On Friday afternoon, president Cyril Ramaphosa [addressed] the nation on the recent International Court of Justice order. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, delivered its judgment on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa.”

Helena Cobban, Just World Ed: Gaza crisis: Deep impact worldwide, and inside Gaza…

“The NYT journos cited their analysis of Israeli military footage, social media videos and satellite imagery as showing that, ‘At least 33 controlled demolitions have destroyed hundreds of buildings — including mosques, schools and entire sections of residential neighborhoods — since November.'”

Jonathan Cook: In waging war on the UN refugee agency, the West is openly siding with Israeli genocide

“Israel has long plotted the downfall of UNRWA, aware that it is one of the biggest obstacles to eradicating the Palestinians as a people.

There is an important background to the decision by the United States and other leading western states, the UK among them, to freeze funding to the United Nations’ Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the main channel by which the UN disseminates food and welfare services to the most desperate and destitute Palestinians.”

The Center for Constitutional Rights: U.S. Court Concludes Israel’s Assault on Gaza Is Plausible Case of Genocide

“After a federal court heard arguments and testimony in the case Defense for Children International – Palestine v. Biden on Friday, January 26, charging the Biden administration with failing in its duty to prevent, and otherwise aiding and abetting, the unfolding genocide in Gaza, a federal judge found that Israel is plausibly engaging in genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza and that the United States is providing “unflagging support” for the massive attacks on Palestinian civilians in contravention of international law. The court’s decision follows a historic ruling by the International Court of Justice last Friday, which also found the Israeli government was plausibly engaged in a genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and which issued a series of emergency measures Israel must take to end its genocidal campaign”