ICJ Genocide Ruling - Australia's response?

Write to the Australian Government & your federal MP

From homepage of the ICJ: “The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague,
is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations”

On 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice in The Hague gave its ruling on the case brought by South Africa against Israel, under the 1948 Genocide Convention in relation to Israel’s onslaught in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

A Mondoweiss article by David Kattenburg, "ICJ orders Israel to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and punish calls for incitement”, describes the delivery of the Ruling by ICJ President, Joan Donoghue thus:

Speaking on behalf of the World Court’s 17 justices, two of them ad hoc (from South Africa and Israel), President Joan Donoghue delivered the court’s response to South Africa’s application against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention and its request for an urgent injunction – ‘provisional measures,’ in legal jargon, against Israel.

Donoghue delivered a withering summary of the situation Gaza’s 2.3 million people face after sixteen weeks of unrelenting Israeli violence, featuring acts plausibly defined as genocidal under Article II of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Israel, Judge Donoghue announced, must:

1. take all measures to ensure that acts deemed genocidal under the Genocide Convention do not take place in Gaza; 

2. ensure that its military does not commit genocidal acts; 

3. prevent and punish genocide incitement and rhetoric; 

4. enable and facilitate the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza; 

5. prevent destruction and preserve evidence of genocide in its military operations, and 

6. report to the court within one month, informing the court of its compliance with today’s preliminary measures order, and in response to South Africa’s genocide complaint.

AFOPA agrees with the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) that Australia, as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, has a duty to prevent genocide in Gaza and act to implement the ICJ ruling. We agree the Australian Government must issue a public statement welcoming this decision and reminding Israel it has a duty and obligation to comply with the ruling. The Australian Government should repudiate any statements from Israeli leaders which dismiss the Court and its ruling, as statements that are an affront to the Court, and the international rules-based system.

AFOPA notes the responses of Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, as reported in The Guardian on 27 January, to the effect that Australia has very little to say on the matter. This is in contrast to the Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, who has said the ruling obligates the Australian and international governments to act. He is quoted in the above Guardian article as saying, “The implications of the ICJ’s landmark ruling are clear: the invasion of Gaza must stop, the occupation of Palestine must end and the serious risk of genocide must be prevented. Labor must stop backing the invasion and pressure the Israeli government to end the invasion and end the occupation.”

The Australian Government’s response must go beyond words. Australian opinion polls have shown that this government is completely out of step with public sentiment, not just towards a ceasefire in Gaza, but regarding support for the Palestinian people and their right to self determination and a state.

As stated by the ACIJ in their media release of 27 January, AFOPA requests the following from the Australian Government:

• immediately review its economic ties to Israel and impose targeted sanctions

• all defense industry partnerships must be suspended and a two way arms embargo imposed. This means the government must halt any export of arms and arms components to Israel, including exports being diverted through other countries

• The Australian government should ensure that any of its citizens serving with the Israeli military are investigated in Australia for any commission of international crimes.

• The Australian government must also support the investigation at the International Criminal Court and call on the Office of the Prosecutor to advance its investigation and swiftly and without delay issue arrest warrants for the case files before the ICC since 2014.

Please write to our Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Defence Minister and your local federal MP and put these demands to them. A letter/email in your own words is better than a template. See if you can get a meeting with your federal MP to discuss this matter; AFOPA may be able to organise someone to go with you. Ask us by emailing secretary@afopa.com.au

If you would rather use a template letter, you can use this one drafted by AFOPA.

Write to:

• Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister: Contact form

• Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: senator.wong@aph.gov.au

• Hon Richard Marles MP, Minister for Defence: richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au

• Your federal MP (see Parliament of Australia: Senators and Members)

Free Palestine!

LETTER on Gaza to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

If you are a trainee or fellow of the RACGP

please endorse this letter to the Board. YOu can add your name and position by contacting Firoza at kfiroza@yahoo.com

Dear President and Board of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

We write to you as deeply concerned fellows and trainees of the college. We believe that our college, representing both adult and paediatric medicine, has not upheld medical ethics in the response to the situation in Gaza. We believe that the response, including statements (and lack thereof), support to members and mobilisation for aid has been insufficient. We look to the example of the British Medical Association, who have developed a detailed position statement on the Gaza crisis; and strongly encourage you to follow their lead (statement is attached).

The pillars of medical ethics are beneficence ‘do good’, non maleficence ‘do no harm’, autonomy and justice, which includes medical neutrality. Our Australian medical colleges have a responsibility to both their members and the wider community to be guided by these principles. Whilst our reach and scope is global, it is imperative to remember that all conflicts will also directly involve descendants, immigrants and refugees, thus a local response is also required. Our expectation of the RACGP is for a comprehensive statement on the most devastating conflict thus far in the 21st century. Indeed, Gaza has been called a ‘graveyard for children’ with an estimated 12,000+ killed. 10,000 have lost limbs, 25,000 have lost parents and all 1 million plus have suffered severe psychological trauma. It is unsatisfactory that our College of Paediatrics has not acknowledged this immense suffering. A further 15,000 adults have been killed directly by weaponry, with thousands more now starving, and dying of infectious and chronic disease due to lack of access to their medicines and treatments such as dialysis. Again, it is unsatisfactory that our college does not acknowledge this unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

Whilst acknowledging the current state of events, we also expect the RACGP to support a position that would lead to an end to the violence, displacement and human suffering. This would include supporting an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the free flow of aid into Gaza, and a humanitarian corridor. Adherence to international humanitarian law is also vital. The ongoing targeting of healthcare facilities, in addition to the kidnapping and killing of healthcare workers should be condemned.

We expect adequate support for members. Our RACGP members who are Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims or at a humane level are deeply distressed by the violence and destruction. Members who have fundraised for medical charities, who have shared information on events in Palestine, who have attended vigils and rallies for peace, have been harassed and bullied relentlessly online and in their workplaces. They have feared for their reputation and their jobs. They have not had any acknowledgment of this from the RACGP , nor have they had any specific support or solidarity offered. When doctors work to uphold medical ethics, it is expected that their colleges would stand alongside them.

Finally, as a College representing more than 40,000 medical professionals, we should be working to relieve the human suffering in Gaza with our skills and expertise. There are many ways that our college could assist in coordinating a response - telehealth, advice on antimicrobial resistance, working to get medicines into Gaza, lobbying our government to provide aid and assistance in the face of a destroyed healthcare system. Whilst we work within Australia and New Zealand Aotearoa, medical ethics dictates justice, and that all humans deserve adequate and accessible healthcare.

Multiple statements and articles were released on the Ukraine conflict by the College. (News GP and X) You spoke to the issue of some Ukrainian refugees being denied Medicare. You rightfully acknowledged the suffering of the Ukrainian people. It is concerning that the board has thus far declined to release a similar statement for the people of Gaza, a conflict with a far greater amount of child deaths, deaths of healthcare workers, and destruction of healthcare facilities. Adhering to medical neutrality is vital for our healthcare institutions.

To reiterate, we request a statement of acknowledgement of the conflict in Gaza including a call for a ceasefire, free flow of aid and protection of healthcare workers and facilities. We also request a show of support for members affected by the conflict; and leadership in directing Australian and NZ doctors in aiding the people in Gaza.

Yours Sincerely

Protest Ziggy Marley at WOMADelaide 2024

Ziggy Marley: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Renowned Reggae artist, Ziggy Marley, is headlining WOMADelaide 2024

At first glance this seems quite appropriate as his musical message focuses on freedom, peace and love.

Appropriate until you realise that Ziggy Marley in 2018, attended a spectacular fund raiser in Los Angeles for the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

He helped raise $US60 million for a military whose main role has been to deny every freedom to the Palestinians and enforce a brutal military occupation. Palestinians, including children are kept in administrative detention, a medieval siege has been enforced on the trapped people of Gaza, and the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank are controlled through 565 roadblocks and checkpoints.

AFOPA strongly protests the presence of Ziggy Marley at one of our most loved cultural events, whose aim is to promote equality and harmony.

If you are as appalled as we are please take action:

1. Sign this petition: Womad, Cancel Ziggy Marley's 2024 appearance

2. Attend the protests to be held outside the main entry to WOMAD, on Plane Tree Drive and Hackney Road on Friday 8 March and Saturday 9 March. If we have sufficient numbers we will also have a group at the Frome Road entrance. Times to be notified. Placards, banners and leaflets will be provided.

3. If you have tickets for WOMADelaide please wear your keffiyeh, attend Ziggy’s concerts and turn your back on him. Details of the days and timing of his concerts have yet to be released.  More information to come.

From Visualizing Palestine

Message to Heath Workers in Adelaide - Join our vigils for our colleagues in Gaza!

A message to Health Workers in South Australia

Contact AFOPA on secretary@afopa.com.au to be put in touch with the vigil organisers.

Australian Museum removes Palestine from Ramses exhibition

See lead item below the UPDATE announcement

UPDATE: Success! Response from Australian Museum following complaints about Ramses Exhibition

Following an email and letter writing campaign by AFOPA, APAN and Palestine supporters around Australia, the CEO of the Australian Museum sent the following message to AFOPA, today, 28 December 2023 (all emphases theirs):

Dear Australian Friends of Palestine Association

Please see the following statement in response to your letter to Kim McKay AO, Director and CEO received on 26 December 2023.

Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is currently on a 10-city world tour. Produced by World Heritage Exhibitions, the exhibition is now in Sydney at the Australian Museum providing an insight into the rule of Ramses II and Ancient Egypt some 3000 years ago.  

To provide both historical and modern geographic context for visitors, text panels refer to both ancient geographic locations such as the site of the Battle of Kadesh and modern geographical context referencing Ramses’ battles in what is known today as Libya and Palestine.   

For clarity in the exhibition the text panel will be updated to read:

Ramses was second in command, fighting alongside Seti I in what is today known as Libya and Palestine.

The terms Libya and Palestine are not being removed from the text panels. In the context of this exhibition, we are adding the words “what is today known as” to provide current geographical clarity. 

Australian Museum 1 William Street Sydney NSW 2010 Australia

_____________________________________

See also Wikipedia on this topic: Australian Museum

AFOPA thanks all our members and supporters for responding to this campaign and writing to the Australian Museum

______________________________________

Australian Museum removes Palestine from Ramses exhibition

Post from Australian Jewish Associations' social media announcing their discovery at the Australian Museum

We have just written to the Director & CEO of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Ms Kim McKay AO about our dismay at the Museum removing the word Palestine from part of the Museum's exhibition, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs. 

The screenshot above is from the Australian Jewish Association's (AJA) Facebook page, highlighting the use of the word Palestine in part of the exhibition. It appears that the AJA then wrote to the Museum complaining about this. You can see in the screenshot below that, astonishingly, the Museum, via their own Instagram page, told the AJA that the Museum would, in the next couple of weeks, remove the word Palestine from the exhibition.

This attempt to rewrite history for politically motivated reasons cannot go unchallenged. I urge you to write to the Museum about their decision and their dismissive attitude towards the Palestinian community, with whom it appears, the Museum has not consulted about this matter.

This is not an insignificant issue. To let this rewriting of history go unchallenged amounts to cultural genocide, the ideological expunging of cultural identity from history. You can access AFOPA's letter here. An email or letter in your own words would be best. 

Contact the Australian Museum:

Kim McKay AO
Director & CEO Australian Museum
1 William Street
Sydney NSW 2010
Australia
c/- feedback@australian.museum

(yes it is an unusual email address)