Over forty people gathered outside Presteigne Assembly Rooms on Saturday January 13th, re-iterating ever more urgent calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also add a new call for prevention of genocide.
Radnor Palestine Links say: “The Genocide Convention of 1948 is clear: genocide means acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, in this case, the Palestinians. Gaza is suffering the highest death toll of any C21st conflict, both from direct bombardment, and deliberate deprivation of food, water and basic healthcare. A horrifying 70% of deaths are of women and children. Babies and young children are dying from malnutrition and avoidable diseases due to collapse of healthcare and basic infrastructure.
“On the 11th and 12th of January, lawyers from South Africa presented a case at the ICJ – the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing a genocide in Gaza and thereby violating the Genocide Convention. While recognising that Hamas committed war crimes on October 7th, the lawyers are quite clear – this in no way justifies or exonerates Israel’s crimes against humanity. Genocide is happening in Gaza, in full view of the world – but still the horror continues.
“The UK, Israel, South Africa and the US are all signatories to the Genocide Convention and therefore under an obligation to respond. Israel has said it will fight the accusation but is rapidly losing international credibility. More and more countries are supporting South Africa’s case.
“Shamefully, the UK stays silent. Our local MP for Brecon and Radnor, still talks of ‘Israel’s right to self-defence’ – even when 100 innocent Gazans are dying every day. She says nothing about the right of Palestinians to act in self-defence.
“But UK lawyers supported Gambia recently when it accused Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group. The lawyers actually stated that there is a lower threshold for determining genocide if the damage has been inflicted on children as opposed to adults. Forced displacement, and deprivation of medical services and food, all also show intent to commit genocide, and are happening in Gaza.
“As long as the UK continues to supply arms and military support to Israel, we are complicit in genocide, and government ministers should pay heed as they could be held individually culpable.
“Radnor Palestine Links invites all concerned local citizens who care about justice and the rule of national and international law, to join us in our weekly gathering to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and the implementation of the Genocide Convention.”
Their next vigil will be at Brookside Square, Knighton, 11.30 – 12.30 on Saturday 20th January.
