Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) hosted an urgent and thought-provoking webinar titled “No More Justification: The Time to End Israel’s Crimes Is Now!” on December 24, 2024. The event brought together a distinguished panel of experts, academics, and activists to shed light on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Israel’s violations of international law, and the role of complicit global powers in enabling these atrocities. The webinar also delved into the Arab regimes’ normalization with Israel and its impact on the Palestinian cause. Through comprehensive discussions, the speakers emphasized the urgent need for accountability, solidarity, and action to end Israel’s crimes and restore justice to the Palestinian people.
The webinar featured a distinguished panel of speakers, including Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, an anti-Zionist Jewish leader and spokesperson for Neturei Karta; Dr. Noa Shaindlinger, Assistant Professor of Middle East History at Worcester State University; Jeff Halper, the head of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD); Dr. Ibbo Mandaza, a Zimbabwean academic and author; Professor Haim Bresheeth, a film studies professor at SOAS; and Sonja van den Ende, a Dutch journalist and political activist. Each speaker brought unique perspectives and expertise to the discussion, creating a comprehensive and compelling analysis of the issues at hand.
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss delivered a passionate and heartfelt speech, rooted in his unwavering opposition to Zionism and his call for justice in Palestine. He began with a prayer, seeking divine guidance to convey a truthful and peace-promoting message. Rabbi Weiss condemned the ongoing Israeli brutal attacks on Gaza, describing them as not only inhumane but profoundly ungodly. He highlighted that the Zionist movement’s appropriation of Judaism and misuse of the Star of David and biblical narratives has misled the world into believing that the oppression of Palestinians is a religious conflict, thereby stifling global action due to fears of being labeled anti-Semitic.
Rabbi Weiss emphasized the distinction between Judaism, a religion of subservience to God, and Zionism, which he described as a political and nationalist movement that has usurped the identity of Jewish people. He cited historical examples, such as the Chief Rabbi of Palestine in 1947 publicly opposing the establishment of a Jewish state. The rabbi pointed out that Jewish communities lived in harmony under Muslim rule for centuries, contrary to the narrative propagated by Zionists. He asserted that Zionism’s transformation of Judaism into nationalism violates fundamental religious tenets, including the prohibition against sovereignty and violence.
The rabbi further detailed how Zionists weaponize accusations of anti-Semitism to silence critics and justify their actions. He condemned the conflation of Zionism with Judaism, noting that it has led to the global vilification of Jews and the perpetuation of atrocities against Palestinians. Rabbi Weiss urged the international community to see through this deception and recognize Zionism’s crimes as illegal, anti-Semitic, and a gross distortion of Jewish values.
He called for grassroots action, comparing the fight against Zionism to the successful global movement against South African apartheid. Rabbi Weiss underscored the role of ordinary people in pressuring governments to stop supporting Israel’s genocidal policies and to advocate for a free Palestine. He drew parallels between historical resistance movements and the current struggle, asserting that collective efforts, guided by faith and truth, can dismantle Zionist oppression.
Closing his speech, Rabbi Weiss appealed to both Jews and non-Jews to stand in solidarity with Palestinians. He encouraged boldness in exposing the Zionist agenda and compassion for the suffering of Gaza. The rabbi reaffirmed his commitment to this cause, expressing hope that divine justice and global unity would ultimately liberate Palestine and bring lasting peace.
Dr. Noa Shaindlinger focused on Israel’s weapons manufacturing industry and its critical role in sustaining military aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, and other regional conflicts. She highlighted how Israeli weapons are developed and tested during operations in Gaza and marketed globally as “battle-tested,” benefiting arms manufacturers while deepening the suffering of Palestinians. Referencing the recent Arrow missile contract involving Germany, she described how Israeli companies profit from conflicts worldwide, including in Yemen and Syria, while Western nations provide diplomatic and financial support under the guise of security needs.
She emphasized the complicity of Western governments, including the U.S., EU, and UK, in supporting Israel’s military industry through arms purchases and lobbying efforts. Dr. Shaindlinger called for a shift in advocacy, urging activists to target arms manufacturers and their political enablers to disrupt the cycle of profit-driven violence. She linked Israel’s aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon to its broader strategy of using occupied territories as laboratories for weapons development, which are then sold internationally to authoritarian regimes.
Dr. Shaindlinger concluded by urging international audiences to focus on the global arms trade as a key factor in perpetuating Israeli apartheid and genocide. She stressed the importance of addressing the interconnected nature of regional conflicts and Israel’s role in exploiting them to solidify its military and economic dominance.
Jeff Halper expanded on the connection between Israel’s military-industrial complex and its global influence. He explained how Israel uses Gaza and the Palestinian territories as testing grounds for developing and marketing military technologies, solidifying its position as a global leader in weapons exports. Halper noted that this practice garners Israel significant support from Western governments, which view Israel as an indispensable supplier of repressive technologies for their own security and control measures.
Halper argued that Palestinians are treated as expendable within the Zionist colonial framework, serving as both targets for weapon testing and propaganda tools to justify Israeli policies under the pretext of combating terrorism. He emphasized that the genocide in Gaza is not an isolated incident but part of a larger settler-colonial project aimed at displacing Palestinians and transforming Palestine into a Jewish state. He linked these actions to broader patterns of cultural and physical genocide seen in other colonial histories, such as those of Australia, the United States, and Canada.
Jeff Halper strongly condemned Arab regimes for their complicity in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, particularly through the normalization agreements spearheaded by initiatives like the Abraham Accords. He criticized countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Egypt for legitimizing Israeli apartheid through political and economic partnerships, including arms deals and technology exchanges. Halper emphasized that normalization represents a severe betrayal of the Palestinian cause, effectively cementing the displacement and oppression of Palestinians while granting Israel international legitimacy. He urged Arab and Muslim communities worldwide to hold their governments accountable and intensify pressure to reject normalization, framing these regimes as essential enablers of Israeli atrocities.
He warned that normalization agreements with Arab regimes, like those initiated through the Abraham Accords, pose the greatest threat to Palestinian rights since the Nakba of 1948. According to Halper, normalization effectively legitimizes Israeli apartheid and cements the displacement of Palestinians. He called for grassroots movements, particularly in Arab and Muslim communities, to pressure governments to reject normalization and to reframe global discourse around the decolonization of Zionism.
Professor Haim Bresheeth delivered a powerful address, linking historical and religious narratives to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Drawing parallels with the story of Jesus Christ, a young Palestinian who sought refuge from imperial violence, he highlighted the stark betrayal of modern-day Palestinians by both regional powers and the global West. Bresheeth emphasized that while Arab regimes, such as Egypt, have abandoned Palestine, the primary enablers of Israeli atrocities remain Western nations, particularly the U.S. and its allies, which finance, arm, and justify these crimes under the guise of international law.
He denounced the complicity of Western elites and media, accusing them of undermining international law and perpetuating chaos across the Global South. Professor Bresheeth criticized the moral hypocrisy of Israeli Jews, many of whom, despite their historical suffering during the Holocaust, support or remain silent about the genocide in Gaza. This cognitive dissonance, he argued, reflects a deep socio-political psychosis and marks both Israel and the West as actors outside the bounds of humanity.
Concluding his speech, Bresheeth called for a united global effort to document and condemn Israeli atrocities. He stressed the need for a peaceful, just future for Palestinians and Israelis who oppose Zionism, asserting that such solidarity is essential to dismantling the apartheid regime and ensuring accountability.
Dr. Ibbo Mandaza expressed grave concern over the global apathy toward the ongoing genocide in Gaza. He criticized the diminishing attention from international media, with the notable exception of Al Jazeera, which has persistently reported on the crisis. Mandaza lamented the lack of follow-up to South Africa’s efforts at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where most African nations, except Namibia, remained silent. He described this indifference as a profound embarrassment, reflecting a broader failure of global solidarity.
Highlighting the complicity of Western powers in arming and enabling Israel, Mandaza condemned the impunity with which Israel continues its massacres. He praised Ireland’s recognition of the Palestinian state and called for similar bold actions to challenge Israeli atrocities. Mandaza emphasized the urgency of coordinated global advocacy to keep the Gaza story alive and to push for tangible measures against Israel, including enforcing UN resolutions and holding Israel accountable for its war crimes.
In conclusion, Dr. Mandaza urged the international community to take concrete steps to end Israel’s impunity and support Palestinian rights. He called for a global awakening to translate outrage into sustained action against the ongoing genocide.
Sonja van den Ende spoke with sorrow and anger about the genocide in Gaza, which she described as an extermination of Palestinian civil society. She condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians, schools, and infrastructure by the Israeli military, highlighting the Zionist government’s goal to expel Palestinians and create a “Greater Israel.” Van den Ende pointed to the complicity of Western nations, particularly the U.S. and Germany, which continue to supply arms to Israel despite mounting war crimes.
She criticized international organizations like the ICJ, ICC, and UN for their inability to hold Israel accountable, blaming their Western orientation and frequent vetoes by the U.S. Van den Ende urged the Global South, including BRICS nations, to take the lead in pressuring Israel and advocating for a just resolution. She also called for Arab countries and Turkey to intensify their support for Palestine, given the West’s loss of credibility in mediating peace.
Concluding her remarks, van den Ende stressed the importance of gathering evidence of Israeli war crimes and keeping the plight of Palestinians at the forefront of global discourse. Despite her bleak outlook on Western intervention, she expressed hope that justice might one day emerge through the collective efforts of journalists, activists, and the Global South.ج
