First of all, I get the frustration at the court not ordering a ceasefire. I was disappointed and frustrated at first too, since a ceasefire was the biggest and most important preliminary measure South Africa was requesting - and of course we just all want this horror to finally end for the people in Gaza. So I get the frustration and disappointment, I really do.
However, I do think this ruling is still a major win for South Africa, Palestine, and international law as a whole and here's why:
The court acknowledged that it has jurisdiction over this case and completely dismissed Israel's request to throw out the case as a whole. It will now determine at the merits stage (that will probably take years) whether Israel is actually commiting genocide.
The court acknowledged that Palestinians are a "distinct national or ethnic group and therefore deserving of protection under the genocide convention". Pull this out next time someone tells you "there's no such thing as Palestinians, they're all just Arabs".
The court acknowledged very unambiguously that "at least some" of Israel's actions being genocidal in nature is "plausible". South Africa has a case, officially. Israel is accused of genocide, in a way the ICJ deems "plausible", officially. This is huge. (And seriously, how freaking satisfying was it to hear all of those genocidal statements by Israeli politicians read out loud and used as justification for this rulling?)
The court might not have ordered a "ceasefire" in those words, but they did order Israel to "immediately end all genocidal acts" (which includes killing and injuring Palestinians) and submit proof that they actually did. How are they going to comply with this ruling without at least severly reducing or changing what they're doing in Gaza?
In fact, this wording might actually be more appropriate for a genocide (vs a war), as author and journalist Ali Abunimah notes on Twitter:
He's completely right. Israel lost today, by overwhelming majority (I mean, 15 to 2? I heard people predict the rulings would be very close, like 9 judges vs 8, but instead we got 15 to 2 (and even 16 to 1 on the humanitarian aid). Holy shit.) The court disimissed almost everything Israel's side of lawyers said, while acknowledging that South Africa's accusations are "plausible".
And this is important especially because of Mr Abunimah's second tweet there^. Because the question is, where do we go from here?
This ruling means that Israel is officially /possibly/ commiting genocide and that should have huge international consequences. The rest of the world now HAS to take these accusations seriously and stop arming and supporting Israel - and if they won't do it on their own, we, the people, have to make them. This is THE moment to rise up all around the world, especially in the countries most supportive of Israel (the US, the UK, Germany): Protest, call your representatives and demand a ceasefire and an end of arms deliveries to Israel.
We now have a legal case to back our demands: If Israel is, according to the ICJ, "plausibly" commiting genocide, then all of our governments are, according to the ICJ, "plausibly" guiltly of aiding in genocide. And we need to hold that over their heads and demand better. We need to do that right now and in huge numbers. Most politicians only care about themselves and saving their skin. We have to make them realize that they could be accused of aiding in genocide.
(As a German, I'm thinking of Germany here in particular: After South Africa's hearing, our government dismissed their case as having "no basis" - how are they going to keep saying that now that the ICJ officially thinks otherwise? Over the last months, people here have been arrested at protests for calling what's happening in Gaza a genocide. How are the police supposed to legally keep doing that now that the ICJ has officially deemed this accusation "plausible"? I used to be scared to use the word "genocide" at protests or write it on my protest signs - not anymore, have fun trying to arrest me for that when the ICJ literally has my back on this one 🖕🏻.)
So yeah - don't be defeatist about this, don't let Israel's narrative that they "won" (they didn't) take over. This might not be everything we wanted, but it's still a good result. Don't let what the court didn't say ("ceasefire"), distract you from the very important things that they did say. Let this be your motivation to get loud and active, especially if you live in any country that supports Israel. Put pressure on your governments to not be complicit in genocide, you now officially have the highest international court on your side.
no way! I actually did it!! here's all 93 hetalia characters, my beloved
the last time I did one of these was like 7 years ago 🥲 here's the previous ones: 2016//Sept 2015//Feb 2015
hope you all enjoy, this is my little treat to the hetalia fandom, also the last digital art I'll do for the next 5 months but I've got something else big to post in a while plus sketchbook stuff!
Germany really be like "um actually we've committed like one of the most well known and efficiently executed genocide in history so we should be the only genocide experts capable of deciding what does or does not qualify as a genocide from now on 🧐", that's like if convicted serial killers were the only people allowed to judge whether someone else also qualifies as a serial killer or not that's how absurd these nazi descendants sound
[Image description: Tweet by bhavani kunjulakshmi that says: Your solidarity with Palestine is accused of anti-semitism? Like your feminism is accused of misandry/man-hating? Like your anti-racism is accused of reverse racism? Like your workers rights’ unionism is accused of treachery? Like your protests are accused of vandalism?
The oppressor will always find ways to appropriate, co-opt, and manipulate the language of the oppressed to claim victimhood and to justify their violence as self-defense. \End description]
Chinese Grand Prix 2016 cool-down room. everyone remembers the iconic seb blowing up at kyvat but before that he actually congratulates nico in german, needs to get his attention like 4 times. (there's also a longstanding belief that nico spoke in german in cooldown rooms only to mind game lewis, but it's actually seb who would start speaking to nico in german first)
rough translation because nico's voice is muffled and seb swallows half his words:
seb: (FOUR TIMES) nico, you won't be able to sleep tonight huh? - you won't be able to sleep tonight, 'cause you're so well rested - I said, you won't be able to sleep tonight, you're so well rested, it was so quiet up front/you were so untroubled up front...
nico: something was possible today lol
and then seb turns to kyvat to yell at him in English 😭😭 (and here's Nico's reaction)
A sweater for niece with some pink hearts (the pink is hand dyed, I wanted to go for a soft pastel pink, with confetti like other Coors (blue, gry, violet) but moved the yarn way to much 😅)
key trait of every doctor who is that they're sopping wet in one way or another, the difference is how they handle it. 10 is sad wet and pathetic and left out in the rain yes but 13 is wet and pathetic like a cat that fell in the bathtub and is now running through the whole damn apartment getting water everywhere while you try to catch her and dry her off. 12 has his head under the faucet and is trying to drink from it but all the water is running down his face instead. there's no use trying to find the wettest doctor because they're all pathetic. idk
As a German I've been rightfully taught my whole life to remember my history — remember how my people helped decimate an entire population, with the intent of completely eradicating it, actively committing genocide. Now I'm asking: "Israel, do you remember?"
Mati Diop (Atlantics) just won the Golden Bear at Berlin and shouted “I stand with Palestine!” as she accepted her award. Her film deals with the returning of plundered royal treasures from the African Kingdom of Dahomey from Paris to the present day Republic of Benin.