“Adagio per sortem, annales se iterum replicabant.”
Before ascension, from under the rubbles, Palestinian children with a bitter smile:
“In articulo mortis. Morituri te salutant (At the moment of death. Those who are about to die salute you).”
From the high seat of human rights and standards Europe replies:
“Mors ultima ratio (Death is the final accounting).”
Then EU continues in a chant-like rhythm and soft of cold brittle voice:
“Sanguis liberorum tuorum et populi tui dolor sit sacrificium pro peccatis meis factis”
(‘Let the blood of your children and the suffering of your people be the sacrifice for the sins of my doing’)
Comes Lady Justice the virtuous UN and whispers:
“Sanguis tuus in ara sancta, purus et absque dolo, sit sacrificium et redemption mea”
(‘May your guileless blood on the holy altar be my sacrifice and my redemption’)
And the freedom bearer and liberty server USA:
“If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there’s still a 30% chance we’re going to get it wrong.”
(Joe Biden, speaking to members of the House Democratic caucus who were gathered in Williamsburg, Va., for their annual retreat.)
By Everyday, In Everyday, On Everyday
The title of my poem means “Slowly through fate, the annals repeated themselves.” This conveys the idea of a slow and ironic repetition of historical events influenced by the fate as we make it.
Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks (24.10) to the Security Council on the Middle East.:
“It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.
The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.
They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.
But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Even war has rules.
We must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law; take constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare civilians; and respect and protect hospitals and respect the inviolability of UN facilities which today are sheltering more than 600,000 Palestinians.
The relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the level of civilian casualties, and the wholesale destruction of neighborhoods continue to mount and are deeply alarming.
I mourn and honor the dozens of UN colleagues working for UNRWA – sadly, at least 35 and counting – killed in the bombardment of Gaza over the last two weeks.
Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself.”
I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.
Let me be clear: No party to the armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.”
The media and the crime
It is not surprising that European governments acted in accordance with their desired version of events, rather than the underdeveloped and ever-changing facts. The EU can leverage its geopolitical and economic power to enforce a ceasefire and international investigation. The mere possibility of war crimes and crimes against humanity should suffice as a compelling reason to investigate. There is significant evidence on the ground, where approximately 6546 human beings were killed, and literally met their demise as a result of the insatiable revenge-fueled bombardment, including 2704 infants and children (as of 10/25/23 at 4:00 PM). The ways of denial to this by European governments and media:
-War Crimes in Armed Conflicts:
– Mass Murder: Deliberate and large-scale killing of civilians during an armed conflict.
– Collective Punishment: Imposing penalties or punitive measures on a group or community for the actions of a few individuals.
– Forced Displacement: Forcibly moving civilians from their homes or communities without legitimate military necessity.
– Denial of Essential Services:
– Cutting off Water: Denying access to clean water sources for civilians is a war crime.
– Cutting off Electricity: Disrupting the electricity supply, especially for essential services, is prohibited.
– Cutting off Food: Withholding or blocking food deliveries to civilians, leading to starvation, is a war crime.
– Cutting off Medication: Denying access to medication during an armed conflict is a violation of international law.
Not to forget the obvious:
That under international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, the safety and well-being of an occupied population are the responsibility of the occupying power that is expected to provide protections for civilians under occupation, ensuring their security, basic needs, and rights.
All these actions are covered by international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which aim to protect civilians during armed conflicts, and perpetrators can be subject to prosecution under international law.
A close to being fair as it is realistically possible in the volatile politicized and tunnel view polarized world from the UN secretary-general’s remarks to the Security Council on the Middle East. António Guterres is now facing scrutiny: How dare he!!!
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said on army radio: “Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives. We have already refused a visa for undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.”
Erdan has already demanded Guterres’ resignation and described his remarks as blood libel. The response reflects a long-running Israeli belief that UN agencies, especially the UN Commission on Human Rights, have an anti-Israeli agenda.
Reflecting on this straightforward event, one might contemplate the arrogance and hostility towards the UN, a recurring pattern, on one hand. On the other hand, examining the media coverage in Europe and the stance taken by European countries, one could logically argue that it appears to endorse such behavior. In stark contrast to the invasion of Ukraine, where the ethical bar was rightfully set high, leading to calls for embargoes and war crimes investigations, this incident didn’t receive the same level of attention, perhaps because it involved a smaller scale conflict. It’s important to highlight that in situations like these, human lives should be treated with the same level of respect and compassion, regardless of the scale of the conflict. However, certain media outlets with a clear bias tend to employ ambiguous and dehumanizing language, using terms like “some” or “less than 100 died” (implying a lack of significance) and “human shields” instead of more direct terms like “killed” or “bombarded.” This choice of language obscures the reality of the situation and downplays the true gravity of the events, avoiding attributing blame where it’s due.
Not to be overlooked is the remarkable, well-crafted lexicon from the bygone days of colonialists and white supremacists, which still lingers in our language. It carries with it a vivid and unsettling essence, evoking the scent of blood and the clang of brass, with a texture that is sticky, reminiscent of gunpowder, and a flavor that is salted with the bitterness of history.
It is an unfortunate truth that many fail to realize and comprehend: THE MEDIA stands as the most formidable weapon of our era. While everyone is aware of the destructive power of words, the media can be harnessed as the ultimate weapon of mass destruction, capable of annihilating everything that exists. Humanity can be redefined, reshaped, and rebuilt according to the agenda it serves.
The examples of the horrors from these recent weeks are too numerous to comprehensively address, but a few instances stand out. For instance, not many have had the opportunity to witness how news outlets like CNN prepare a “LIVE” broadcast from a hotspot, essentially staging and rehearsing it as if it were a scene from a movie. The question that arises is, why go to such lengths to manipulate the presentation of events?
Consider that Clarissa Ward, a journalist at CNN (a highly regarded source for numerous other news outlets), was involved in reporting that seemed to “legitimize” the killing of Palestinian children and civilians in Gaza, generating global media outrage. Her response to this incident was, in all honesty, disappointing. This serves as an example of her approach lacking the ethical standards necessary for responsible journalism. It is important to highlight her readiness to accept and circulate an unverified claim of the alleged beheading of 40 Israeli babies, a story that was later debunked. This narrative, although discredited, was favored by those who sought to incite violence and genocide, further fueling the conflict that has inflicted immense suffering on the Palestinian people.
Staging a news story:
Video where they survive:
Video below saying she wasn’t acting:
Expanding on the topic of media, consider a small example in the coverage of the release of hostages and their accounts of the ordeal they endured. It is crucial to acknowledge that these individuals’ lives were in grave danger, and their stories are theirs to tell, based on their experiences. However, it seems that the media is selective in whose stories it highlights, often prioritizing narratives that align with the mainstream agenda they have adopted. The media, often regarded as the voice of truth in the free world, should ideally remain impartial and committed to representing the full spectrum of experiences and perspectives, regardless of how they might challenge prevailing narratives.
Links to the UN.org and to a related article from The Guardian:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/secretary-generals-speeches
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-10-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-
council-the-middle-east%C2%A0
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/25/israel-says-it-will-ban-un-staff-after-secretary-
generals-comments