The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management issued a statement 2 days ago.
Boy, aren’t these people just really good with words! See how they got all the right notes, shed a tear for every single victim? See how level-headed they sound? Doesn’t that make you feel like they know how to run things? Maybe we should just let them cook! The Israeli government will have to listen them! You can’t argue with that logic! They’ll have to look out! Or else they better watch out for—
What’s that? They haven’t brought up sanctions? Really—like, at all? No reconsidering free-trade deals or treaties? No embargo on weapons? No stopping to carry out surveillance flights over the Strip? No UN humanitarian troops? No sanctioning of individuals participating in the genocide? No, arresting war criminals when they set foot on the signatories’ soil?
That can’t be right! They sounded so concerned! Lemme see again -quickly shuffles papers around my desk- Ah! There it is, right at the bottom of the page:
We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire
So that’s it, then? 22 months of genocide, of gunning down civilians and children for fun and all our leaders are able to manage is *being prepared to take further action???
Not even “preparing”, mind you! That would be too active — too aggressive ! What would Bibi think? He might actually break into a light sweat! Can’t be causing him that much trouble.
My country, and every other country represented by the clowns who signed this statement, are pantomiming the most sorry excuse for concern I’ve ever seen. I am disgusted that they would even consider publishing a rag like this given how wilfully and consistently they acted in ways that enabled this genocide and emboldened its perpetrators.
The people aren’t dumb—gaza is making the veneer of respectability of the “West”, whatever that means, peel off like cheap nail polish. They say they are standing up for democracy, the rule of law, peace, and freedom, but everyone sees they stand for the freedom to use their power, while being left in peace. We can never let them forget their shame.
It’s too late for tens (hundreds) of thousands that were starved, beaten, shot, burnt and blown to bits. But it’s not too late — never too late— to do the right thing. Sunk cost can’t be saved. But our humanity can. Not forever, though.