Israel’s far-right defence minister openly pledges to ethnically cleanse Gaza

The settler-colonial state’s far-right defence minister, Israel Katz, has openly stated Israel’s intention to ethnically cleanse Gaza. Genocidal intentions have being central to Israeli state ideology. Lawyers and human rights groups attacked Katz.

The Guardian reported on 29 May:

Katz said the mass departure of Palestinians from Gaza would go hand in hand with the exclusion of Hamas from power.

Katz himself said:

We committed that Hamas will not rule Gaza civilly or militarily, and so it shall be, and also the voluntary emigration plan from Gaza will be implemented.

Everything at the right timing and in the right manner.

Yet Israeli human rights groups warned that the conditions created in Gaza by Israel mean there would be nothing ‘voluntary’ about a removal scheme.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said:

Creating living conditions that do not allow for survival, freedom and dignity, and subjecting civilians to them until they say they want to leave is not a plan for ‘encouraging voluntary emigration’ but a plan for forced evacuation and expulsion.

In Israel, elections hinge on racism and militarism

One expert warned that the context around a US-Iran peace deal and upcoming Israeli elections could dictate what happens to Gazans.

International Crisis Group analyst Mairav Zonszein said:

Because we are looking at an extension of the ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation in Iran and Lebanon, Israel – and Netanyahu specifically – will be looking for ways to show that they’re doing something on the security front, and that means exercising military power.

In a bleak commentary on the racist and militarist nature of Israeli politics, she added:

Unfortunately talking about ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not necessarily something that will hurt you in domestic politics. In fact it might even help you.

The Canary reported on 21 May:

And there are fears that Israel could remove Palestinians from their land, depositing them in Somaliland.

Somaliland and Israel have agreed to normalise relations and open embassies in their respective capitals.

Some would that Gaza’s future hinging on Israeli voter prejudice speaks to the failure of the so-called ‘international community’. Yet this can just as easily be read as sign of its success. That is, if we view the global ‘liberal’ order as being built upon the suppression and expropriation of indigenous populations around the world. Which — on this evidence, at least — we certainly should.

The crime of the century is underway and the supposed guardians of human rights aren’t just indifferent. They are complicit. Palestinian lives simply do not factor in their grand calculations.

Featured image via Kobi Gideon/GPO/Getty Images