Israeli Army Generals will meet the fate of what Nazi Generals Faced at Nuremberg – Suicide/ Execution/ Jail

 “Every soldier is a coward at heart.”

-          Major Bluntschli in ‘Arms and the Man’, George Bernard Shaw

 

In juxtaposition to the cowardice of Israeli soldiers, every revolutionary aiming for Palestinian freedom bravely faces the Zionist Israeli army which is slaughtering civilians/ non-combatants in Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem in full glare of public view globally. The Israeli Generals should revisit the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Code of Ethics which states inter alia:

 

“Purity of Arms

The IDF serviceman will use force of arms only for the purpose of subduing the enemy to the necessary extent and will limit his use of force so as to prevent unnecessary harm to human life and limb, dignity and property.

The IDF servicemen's purity of arms is their self-control in use of armed force. They will use their arms only for the purpose of achieving their mission, without inflicting unnecessary injury to human life or limb; dignity or property, of both soldiers and civilians, with special consideration for the defenseless, whether in wartime, or during routine security operations, or in the absence of combat, or times of peace.”

 

The IDF needs to relook at the plight of Nazi Army Generals and political leaders at Nuremberg trials. Just a few of these citations will make them look at the reality:

 

1.     Nuremberg Executions (Wikipedia)

2.     Final moments of Nazis executed at Nuremberg (The Guardian, 11/09/2009)

3.     Nazi war criminals sentenced at Nuremberg (History Channel)

4.     ‘Death by hanging’: the Nuremberg Trials (The National Archives, 20/11/ 2015)

5.     ‘I knew my father would be hanged’: Remembering Nuremberg

(Al Jazeera, 20/11/2020)

6.     The Execution of Nazi War Criminals (Famous Trials)

7.     Eight Nazi S.S. Officers Sentenced to Death for 1944 massacre At Ascq (You Tube)

 

The 2.3 million Palestinians have exposed the fascist character of the self-styled western liberal democracies. Any teenager without exposure to socialism/ communism can appreciate this and hence forth Karl Marx’s work would be more sought after than ever before. This is a positive fall out of Israel’s war on Palestinians.

 

During the peak of Nazi era the megalomaniac Hitler may not have ever remotely imagined the fall of his empire and top Nazi leaders being brought to justice. Zionist Israel with its mentors/ allies will go down in history likewise. True that only a miniscule number of Nazi political leaders/ army generals, soldiers were convicted; but it is equally true that an international trial took place over several years and a few were indeed convicted.

 

No power on earth can stop the aspirations of freedom loving Palestinians. It is the working class with a broad unity of all forces/ sections of society which have the interest of masses at heart that will overthrow the present ruling classes in Israel, USA, UK, France and Germany.

 

[P.S. Sahni is a qualified orthopaedic surgeon. He has worked extensively at India-Bangladesh border during the Bangladesh Liberation War resulting in 1971 Bangladesh Genocide of Hindus; the victims of Sikh Genocide in 1984; and amongst victims of 1992 anti-Muslim violence.

Blogs: https://pilwatchgroup.blogspot.com/ ]

Countercurrents.org Resisting Fascism Since 2002; Save This People’s Journal; Make Liberal Financial Contributions for Its Survival. Now!

 I have before me the following documents:

• A letter written by K.P. Sasi, associate editor and adviser to Countercurrents.org (CC) dated 28.12.2019 wherein he had made an impassioned appeal to all concerned for contributions to CC. (Quote):

“Why should Binu Mathew while struggling day and night to make the voices for justice heard, struggle even today with appeals for subscriptions?”

K.P. Sasi is no more.

• A tribute to K.P. Sasi dated 27.12.2022 written by Satya Sagar wherein Sasi expressed his last wish – as it were – in conversation with Satya Sagar about a month before his death. (Quote):

“Boss, I have been waiting to discuss with you about what we should do to make sure that Hindutva fascism is defeated in the 2024 elections!”

• An annual fund raising appeal by CC made in December 2022. That this appeal is now carried on a daily basis in CC’s newsletter proves that collectively CC supporters/authors/readers have not risen to the occasion to meet the target amount needed for the current year.

At CC’s ‘birth anniversary’ in March 2023 one learns that every day the worry lingers in the editor’s mind about how the next day’s issue will see the light of the day. So the CC editorial team is facing the uncertainty and insecurity of a casual worker.

A simple step to resist Fascism

One of the simple steps to resist fascism which ordinary citizens could take is to save a progressive journal/newspaper from dying by making donations/contributions. While the radical pieces being contributed by authors abound, there is no corresponding urgency to ensure economic viability of CC in consonance with CC’s principles about funding.

Countercurrents.org I feel is the beacon of hope since it has taken head on communalism – which historian Dilip Simeon reminds us is India’s version of fascism. In 2015 Binu Mathew, CC Editor visited Kandhamal, Orissa in eastern India and extensively reported about the worst communal violence against Christians in 2008 there. In December 2002 Binu Mathew wrote a piece in CC when Narendra Modi was re-elected as Chief Minister of Gujarat even after the horrific carnage of Muslims in Gujarat that has turned out to be prophetic. He had cautioned: “The Fuhrer is here”.

All the same the killings of Sikhs in 1984; that of Muslims in 2002; and of Christians in 2008 could be construed as fascist acts undertaken by different ruling class parties of the day.

Personal is Political

As a member of the minority Sikh community I feel secure as I see CC in the forefront of taking up cudgels on behalf of every minority group. As India descends into a fascist state, CC offers a protective shield.

I would like to do my bit to make CC economically sustainable. This would be a step to ensure K.P. Sasi’s last wish which should be the dream of every concerned citizen. I am making a contribution of Rs. One Hundred Thousand (Rs. 100,000) from my savings in memory of my parents who witnessed and suffered the trauma of communal partition of India in 1947. My grandparents – paternal and maternal – had managed to leave safely their respective hometowns in what now constitutes Pakistan. The partition of India resulted in mass killings, rapes, suicides and unprecedented displacement of people from both sides of the border. The local Muslims of the village ensured that my grandparents suffered no harm till the Indian military arrived and transported them to the railway station from where they – along with unending number of people – boarded a train to Delhi. Overnight they had become refugees and paupers too! My parents had however migrated to Delhi much earlier as my father was employed here. The day Indian independence was declared on 15 August 1947, my youngest sister was born bringing some cheers in our family. She was nicknamed ‘Azadi’ – a Persian word that means freedom or liberty.

Long live CC!

Indian readers can support here https://countercurrents.org/subscription/

All others can do so here https://buy.stripe.com/7sI6pW3nTgDofEQ5kk

[P.S. Sahni is a qualified orthopaedic surgeon. He has worked extensively at India-Bangladesh border during the Bangladesh Liberation War resulting in 1971 Bangladesh Genocide of Hindus; the victims of Sikh Genocide in 1984; and amongst victims of 1992 anti-Muslim violence.

Email: pilwatchgroup@gmail.com

Blogs: https://pilwatchgroup.blogspot.com/ 

https://aidsbhedbhavvirodhiandolan.blogspot.com/]

Activists of the World Unite; Bombard with Emails the International Criminal Court Demanding Fast Track Enquiry into War Crimes Against Palestinians

 

The ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank including East Jerusalem by the Israel-USA-UK-France-Germany combine must be relentlessly brought to the notice of the International Criminal Court (ICC) till it investigates the crime on a war footing. A large number of public protests have taken place outside The Hague headquarters of the ICC since October 2023. Just a glimpse of some of these protests can be had:

 

1.     Pro-Palestine demonstrators in The Hague urge ICC action. (Reuters, 18.10. 2023)

2.     Thousands rally in Hague to show solidarity with Palestine. (Anadolu Ajansi, World Middle East, 29.10.2023)

3.     World condemns Israel’s war on Gaza as it marches for Palestine. (Al Jazeera, 11.12.2023)

4.     Pro-Palestinian activists occupy international court entry, demanding action against Israeli leader. (AP News, 23.10.2023)

5.     Mass Protest in The Hague calls out Israeli war crimes. (Unicorn Riot, 01.11.2023)

6.     How a pro-Palestine protest turned into a chase. (Mare-online, 11.11.2023)

7.     Dutch civil servants call for Gaza cease fire in rare protest. (The New Indian Express, 21.12.2023)

8.     Pro-Palestine protests walk 21km ‘Nakba March’ to the ICC. (Middle East Monitor, 18.12.2023)

 

Going through these and other protests covered by the media I got the feeling that the ICC headquarters at The Hague has been converted to what activists in India get to see at the national protest site Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

 

Activists from any part of the world working in any sphere of life e.g. gender; sexuality; caste/race; communalism (the Indian face of racism); trade union could individually or through their parent organization join this campaign. A simple way of showing solidarity with Palestinians is to send an email to the ICC asking for the ongoing enquiry initiated at the behest of several countries, professional bodies e.g. Reporters Without Borders or RSF, NGOs and individuals to be conducted on a war footing. See statement of the Prosecutor of the ICC here.

 

True, the ICC is bourgeoisie institute and not much is expected out of it; equally true this can still be used even as efforts by socialists/communists organizations have been continuing for long to prepare and mobilize the working class for a revolutionary change. Comrades swearing by Marx and Lenin are right about the need for a revolutionary change. This need is greater today as right wing forces have raised their ugly heads globally. However for the present civil society organizations should be seen as allies in the quest for justice for Palestinians. In any case mass protests are ongoing globally; the UN is doing its bit though facing veto by the USA. The sympathies of the world are with the Palestinians.

 

[P.S. Sahni is a qualified orthopaedic surgeon. He has worked extensively at India-Bangladesh border during the Bangladesh Liberation War resulting in 1971 Bangladesh Genocide of Hindus; the victims of Sikh Genocide in 1984; and amongst victims of 1992 anti-Muslim violence.

Blogs: https://pilwatchgroup.blogspot.com/ ]

Legal Notice to Mr. Mujtaba for Plagiarism

 

Sunak & Olaf Scholz can be Served Arrest Warrants by ICC for Complicity in War Crimes Against Palestinians

 

Several petitions have been filed in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for proceedings against Israel. The Public Prosecutor of the ICC has visited Israel, Palestine (Gaza Strip) and even talked to families of victims. As the Israeli government has not ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC it claims to remain outside the jurisdiction of ICC. However the UK and Germany have ratified the Rome Statute. It is public knowledge that Sunak and Olaf Scholz did visit the scene of ongoing crime in Israel in October 2023 and promised to stand by Israel in this war. The UK government has sent arms and ammunition (see here).

The German government followed suit (see here).

 

The ICC has thus the jurisdiction to investigate the complicity of these two individuals viz. Sunak and Olaf Scholz and the governments they represent viz. UK and Germany. As suppliers of arms and ammunition to Israel in the ongoing Holocaust-II of Palestinians, they/their respective governments are indeed complicit in the crime against humanity. After satisfying that arms and ammunition were supplied to Israel through its own independent investigations, the ICC could issue warrants of arrest against the two entities.

 

Meanwhile the USA and Israel are smarting under the fig leaf of an excuse that they are both not signatories to the Rome Statute and are outside the purview of ICC. Even the mere issuance of warrants of arrest against Sunak and Olaf Scholz would be a moral victory for the international community. Why, even the act of pressing for legal proceedings at ICC alone would change global power equations.

 

France had strengthened its naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. This announcement was made by Macron on October 25 according to Le Monde:

“The move marks a significant reinforcement of France’s military posture in the war between Israel & Hamas.”

However the French government is at pains to explain that the naval presence is for humanitarian aid only.

 

There are positive signals all round. The ongoing worldwide mass protests against the Israeli government; the 153 countries opposing Israel at UNGA; the European Parliament election in 2024; and the domestic pressure in Israel, USA, UK –  countries due for general elections in 2024 could eventually lead to a Nuremberg-II Trial!

 

[P.S. Sahni is a qualified orthopaedic surgeon. He has worked extensively with the victims of Sikh Genocide in 1984; amongst victims of 1992 anti-Muslim violence; and at the India-Bangladesh border during the Bangladesh Liberation War resulting in 1971 Bangladesh Genocide of Hindus.

Blog: https://pilwatchgroup.blogspot.com/ ]