Israel-Hamas war in Gaza: Belfast Jewish leader queries genocide finding by UN Commission Of Inquiry On The Occupied Palestinian Territory And Israel
A Belfast Jewish leader has questioned how a UN commission could find Israel guilty of genocide when the UK came to the opposite conclusion only last week.
Michael Black, deputy chair of Belfast Jewish Community, was speaking after the UN Commission Of Inquiry On The Occupied Palestinian Territory And Israel concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages on 7 October 2023, prompting an Israeli response which Hamas says has cost 65,000 lives in Gaza.
The UN commission does not speak for the UN.
It is made up of three independent experts commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council.
Israel has refused to cooperate with the commission and the council, accusing them of anti-Israel bias.
Only an international court can make a formal finding of genocide – by proving genocidal motive of a perpetrator.
The commission said Israel had committed four of the five “genocidal acts” defined under the 1948 Genocide Convention;- Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the group in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.
“The Commission finds that Israel is responsible for the commission of genocide in Gaza,” said commission chair Navi Pillay. “It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it “categorically rejects this distorted and false report”.
It added: “Three individuals serving as Hamas proxies, notorious for their openly antisemitic positions — and whose horrific statements about Jews have been condemned worldwide — released today another fake ‘report’ about Gaza.”
Mr Black had not studied the report in detail but said if true, the findings would be "shocking".
"However there must be serious questions as to its veracity, because as only last week the UK government said it had 'not concluded' that Israel was carrying out a genocide,” he added.
He queried where the authors got their evidence - and whether the UN could be trusted to carry out the investigation, bearing in mind what he saw as its record.
He added: "The UN peacekeeping force on the border of Israel and Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to build up arms dumps on the border for years to attack Israel.
"And we know UNRWA in Gaza had been infiltrated by Hamas, and that hatred of Jews was taught in UN schools in Gaza.
"Hamas is a terrorist group which is officially dedicated to the destruction of Israel - I would like someone to tell us how Israel is meant to deal with it?"
But SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP affirmed the report findings, after meeting Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot.
“The United Nations has declared what we already know – that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza," she said. "This statement is powerful, particularly given the UK Government’s continued denial of the genocide that is unfolding before our eyes.
“The Palestinian Ambassador today outlined the horrifying situation in Gaza, as well as the degradation of the rule of international law. Not only is the UK Government denying genocide, they are continuing to trade with Netanyahu’s regime."