Ceasefire Rally at the United Nations (U.N.) Part Four

What is happening in Gaza does it fit the crime of genocide or crime against humanity? 

There is a heated debate in the world on whether the horrible situation on Gaza fit the crime of genocide and/or crimes against humanity. What I would like to do is define what those crimes are as put forth years ago by an impartial world body.

In my book, Theology of Liberation and Reparations Fact Sheet No.1. The author(s) in a profoundly persuasive research paper cites genocide and crimes against humanity and the sources for their presentations,

Genocide: the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group by:

1. killing members of the group;

2. causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

c) deliberately inflicting on the group the conditions of life calculated to bring about its destruction in whole or in part;

d) imposing measures to prevent births within the group; or e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

From the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It became enforceable in 1951.

In light of what you know now constitute genocide, in your honest unbiased opinion dear reader, what is being inflicted upon the people in Gaza, you think it is genocide?

The next consideration is crimes against humanity. Cited from the Nuremberg trials. May be retroactively applied:

“Crimes against humanity: Murder, extermination,enslavement, deportation and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population before or during the war, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds in execution of or in connection with any crime within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, whether or not a violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated.”

Again, now that we understand the definition of crimes against humanity, I ask, is what is being inflicted upon the people of Gaza is it a crime against humanity?

Thus, we have two definitions one of genocide and the other crime against humanity. It is important to note that these definitions were put forward long before the Gaza war.

Well, if you believe that genocide and/or crimes against humanity is being inflicted upon the people of Gaza you are obligated to do something about it. There are many marches and demonstrations that you can join, or if you’re not inclined to demonstrate you can speak out, especially you can reach out to your political representatives, religious and community leaders. And if you’re more of the quiet type, you can pray.

But it seems to me that even if we don’t go as far as genocide or crimes against humanity, what is happening to the innocent people, even children, the elderly, the infirm, people who pose no threat to anyone but who are caught up in a horrible situation and what has happened to them is against all decency, against all of what it means to be human. Let us join together and do what we can to reiterate our demands:

·      Ceasefire

·       Release all hostages

·       Make available humanitarian aid indefinitely

·      Negotiations

·      A permanent solution

 I am with those who believe, including President Joe Biden, in a Two-State solution. And that it is the only permanent solution.