A WEIRD timing

Over the recent weeks, several leaders from the WEIRD (White/Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Developed/Democratic) world have expressed criticism for Israel's indiscriminate attacks in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

On 10 November 2023, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo characterized Israel's actions in Gaza as "disproportionate." French President Emmanuel Macron echoed this sentiment on 11 November, stating that there was "no justification" for the bombings and saying a ceasefire would benefit Israel while recognizing Israel's right to protect itself. On 15 November 2023, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on Israel to halt the "indiscriminate killing of Palestinians" in Gaza. The following day, Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir said she was "horrified by the ongoing civilian deaths in Gaza" and condemned all breaches of international humanitarian law.

Despite the apparent solidarity, it's crucial to scrutinize the context and actions accompanying these condemnations.

Unlike non-WEIRD leaders who swiftly condemned Israel's disproportionate retaliatory actions following the 7 October 2023 Hamas' Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, statements from WEIRD leaders surfaced almost two months later. In contrast, on 8 October 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged Malaysians to "unanimously back" the Palestinian cause. Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged "the immediate end of war and violence" just three days after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on 12 October 2023, advocated for a "durable peace that produces a viable Palestinian State." Consequently, the timing of the condemnations from WEIRD leaders appears notably delayed and ill-timed.

Denunciations recently made by a handful of WEIRD leaders also came after numerous acts that displayed unwavering support for Israel's atrocities, which, in turn, exacerbated Israel's overboard use of force against Palestinians.

In a joint statement published on 9 October 2023, President Macron of France, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and United States of America (US) President Joe Biden declared that they "support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities." The joint statement was followed by the UK abstaining and the US rejecting and vetoing a UN Security Council resolution on 18 October 2023 that would have condemned Hamas' attack on Israel, calling for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and legally bind all UN Member States, including Israel.

On 27 October 2023, the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution, calling for an immediate "humanitarian truce" between Israel and oPt and demanding aid access to Gaza. This time, Germany, Italy, and the UK abstained, while the US voted against the resolution. In an unsurprising move, a considerable number of WEIRD countries either refrained from voting or opposed the resolution, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

On 15 November 2023, a UN Security Council resolution was passed, calling for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip" to allow for aid delivery and medical evacuations, which the UK and the US abstained from. However, the resolution made no mention of a ceasefire and omitted Israel's retaliatory air strikes and ground offensive in Gaza, which currently have led to more than 1.6 million people being displaced in Gaza, and the death toll has surpassed 13,000, most of whom are Palestinians.

Further, none of the condemnations made by WEIRD leaders addressed concerns that what Israel is doing against the Palestinians may amount to genocide. Under Article 6 of the Rome Statute, genocide is "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group."

Since 7 October 2023, statements from Israeli officials have raised suspicions of genocidal intent towards Palestinians. On 9 October 2023, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant referred to the Palestinians as "human animals." In the ICTY's Prosecutor v. Radislav Krstic case, the use of derogatory terms towards the targeted group was considered evidence of genocidal intent, as seen in cases like the Rwandan genocide, where Tutsis were labeled as "cockroaches," and during the Holocaust, when Jews were termed a "cancer."

Additionally, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on 13 October 2023 that "an entire nation" is responsible for Israel's retaliations and insinuated that Palestinian households possessed missiles. Defending Israel's offensive strategy, Herzog argued, "When you have a missile in your goddamn kitchen, and you want to shoot it at me, am I allowed to defend myself?" On 29 October 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invoked the biblical story of Amalek to justify the killing of Gaza residents. Referring to the Holy Bible in 1 Samuel 15:3, Netanyahu stated, "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." The Prosecutor v. Casimir Bizimungu case in the ICTR highlighted that even if a speech lacks an explicit appeal to commit genocide, it may still constitute direct incitement to genocide in a specific context as long as the speech is not considered ambiguous.

Lastly, the condemnations appear notably hypocritical, especially considering the direct involvement of WEIRD countries in the alleged genocide. On 9 October 2023, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared the UK's commitment to offering "diplomatic, intelligence, or security support," leading to the subsequent deployment of P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships, three Merlin helicopters, and a company of Royal Marines on 13 October 2023, aimed at providing deterrence and assurance. On 12 October 2023, Germany agreed to Israel's request to utilize two Heron TP combat drones. In a more recent development, on 3 November 2023, the US House of Representatives approved a plan allocating US$14.5bn in military aid for Israel.

In conclusion, the recent condemnations by WEIRD leaders concerning Israel's actions in the oPt should be viewed within the broader context of their delayed responses, historical support for Israel, and the absence of addressing potential genocidal concerns. While these leaders express criticism, their actions, including political and military support and abstentions from critical UN resolutions, raise questions about the consistency and sincerity of their stance.