The Duran Podcast - ICJ ruling ignored. Biden White House isolated

Episode Date: February 24, 2024

ICJ ruling ignored. Biden White House isolated

All right, Alexander, let's talk about what is happening in the Middle East and with the war in Gaza. And, well, it looks like Israel is not following the ICJ ruling. That's clear. And Netanyahu is starting to come out with his plans for the area, Gaza's future, I guess you could say, when and if this conflict comes to an end. What do you make of the activity that is happening in Gaza and in Israel? Well, the war in Gaza continues, but it should be said that, you know,

we were all expecting this big Israeli offensive to happen against Rafa, and it hasn't yet happened. We've also been told repeatedly over many weeks that there's going to be an all that war between Israel, Israel and Hezbollah in the north, and that also still hasn't happened. Perhaps it's premature to think that these things won't happen. But clearly there are forces who have restrained. I suspect that they're internal to Israel, by the way.

I suspect that the military in Israel is experiencing all kinds of problems. And that they're saying to Netanyahu, we need to slow down and think about what we're doing. because Netanyahu himself continues to be very defiant. And the other ministers in the Israeli government also continue to use escalatory language, which I have said many, many times in legal terms, is incredibly unwise. And it basically makes the case against Israel. that has been brought in the International Court of Justice. Now, Israel has defied the orders of the International Court of Justice.

It has shown no indication that it has any idea of complying with them. It's acted exactly as it did before. And moreover, its rhetoric is the same. The rhetoric of Israeli officials remains every bit as bad, as it was previously. So now we have another set of hearings in the International Court of Justice. More and more countries

are now piling in. Saudi Arabia is piling in. China is piling in. They're making very, very heavy submissions against Israel. It's highly likely, given the decision we got from the ICJ before,

that we're going to get not just a stronger decision, this time, but quite plausibly a referral to the Security Council. The Security Council has just had an extremely fractious and bad-tempered meeting in which Algeria proposed a full ceasefire in Gaza. 13 countries of the Security Council supported it, including all of the United States' allies, including France. Britain was the only one that didn't support it. It abstained. The United States vetoed the resolution, and that has created an enormous amount of anger. And I think we are now

very close indeed to the moment when, if there is a further veto of the next resolution of the Security Council, it will be taken to the General Assembly. I think that things are crystallising fast now in that direction. So it is very bad. And I don't want to turn to parochial affairs. But we had a catastrophically disorganized debate in the British Parliament on Wednesday. The Labour Party up to now has resisted calls for a ceasefire. It's like the British government tended to back Israel in this conflict. The Labour Party is now in effect saying that they support a kind of ceasefire in Gaza, which is an important shift of position.

They had to use extremely dodgy procedural mechanisms to prevent a resolution being put before the British Parliament, which would have called for a ceasefire, and which would have resulted in many members of the Labour Party breaking ranks to support that immediate resolution. So we see that in Britain, even in Britain, support for the United States' position is cracking. And in Germany as well, we now have Annalina Bebock, of all people, coming out increasingly and talking about a support for a ceasefire.

The administration is taking the United States towards total isolation. What do you make of China's comments with regards to the ICJ? You mentioned that just briefly in your comment on your statement. And I think it was like the Chinese legal representative addressing the ICJ saying that Palestine has a right to defend itself. That's basically what he said. What do you make of those? That is exactly what he said and he also said that people

who are occupied have an inherent right of resistance. Now that is going much further than China has ever done before. And the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has been traveling around the world. He was in Europe

a few days ago for the Munich Security Conference. He's had meetings with Blinken and with Jake Sullivan recently. And he's obviously, what he's doing, I think, is he's, the Chinese are sensing that there is this major hardening of positions about this conflict around the world. And they are capitalizing on it.

They are at the same time showing that they understand this. And that they are seeking to lead it in some way. And of course, they're leading it against the United States, because the United States doesn't basically accept. Certainly Hamas and people that Gaza have any right to defend themselves at all. I mean, if you listen to American comments, comments from the US officials, I mean, in effect, that is all but what they're saying. Now, this is nonetheless a big departure from China

because China doesn't like generally to appear to be supporting insurgent forces because, of course, it's also got concerns about its own territory. But this is the stance they're taking now. By the way, as the Chinese representative said, it is a well-established legal position. It is one that the United States has itself taken in the past. After all, in effect, that's what the Declaration of Independence says, just saying. So it's not a departure from established law, international law,

but it is a significant departure from Chinese people. policy and it is a reflection again of how the mood around the world is changing and how isolated in effect the United States has become. Are they even more worried by the way than what the Chinese are saying is the Americans must be very concerned about the increasingly tough stance being taken by their old ally Saudi Arabia, which is also hardening continuously its position, and is also making submissions to the ICJ. And of course, even a country like India, which has been had historically good relations with Israel, well, at least under the Modi administration, perhaps. They are starting

to shift position and are taking a stronger line as well. So what's the US's strategy in all of this? I mean, Netanyahu, he's moving further and further away from a two-state solution. He's coming out and pretty much saying it that he's not in favor of any type of two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. So he's moving further away from that. The U.S. continues to play, it seems, both sides. They're on the one side. They're appeasing Netanyahu. On the other side, they're saying, no, no, Algeria.

we're going to veto this resolution because we have our own negotiation and resolution in the works, which is going to lead towards a two-state solution, and it's going to be a way to create long-term peace and stability in the region, prevent Israel from going into Rafah. It seems like you're getting this, this Dr. Jekyll, Mr. High, like two completely opposite strategies going on at the same time. two completely opposite positions going on at the same time. And I don't see, is there a convergence point somewhere? Is this... But just quickly about Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has, in practice, always opposed to a two-state solution. What his ultimate conception of how the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians would be resolved. he has never clarified. I mean, most people, many people assume the worst of Netanyahu, but he has always basically opposed the setting up of a Palestinian state. He's now saying it quite openly. I mean, he's making it absolutely clear that as far as he's concerned, there must never, ever be a Palestinian state. Again, he doesn't offer a plan for a peaceful, resolution of this conflict. But on this issue of a Palestinian state, he is now absolutely clear. The United States, or at least the administration, always says that they support a Palestinian state.

And they also hint that they might move forward to recognize one. And they're telling us all sorts of things that they're going to do. And there's they also, we have all these leaks that we regularly get about how impatient and frustrated Biden is becoming with Netanyahu. But what is happening is that people around the world are no longer believing this. They think that the administration is only saying these things as a way of keeping the pressure off. and that he doesn't really mean them and that deep down it actually does support

what Netanyahu is doing I mean that's the impression that's been given my own view by the way about this is that there isn't exactly a cunning plan or anything like that I think this is a deeply chaotic and very divided administration I don't think it can resolve

its line about the Middle East because there are too many many factions. So there's some people who want to say, you know, we do support a Palestinian state. We do want to see a settlement of this conflict. We do want to see peace in Gaza. But they can never overcome the resistance of the hardliners. Of the most hardline of all, is, of course, Biden himself. But that's what I think. But, I mean, in a way, it's irrelevant. Because most of the world, I think, say in November, December, they were perhaps aware, they thought that the Americans might eventually come round.

I think now what the Americans are doing is just exasperating them. They're becoming more angry. And you can see that from the stance that Saudi Arabia is taking. The Saudi Arabia, which up to, you know, a few weeks ago, was prepared to give the Americans to some extent the benefit of the doubt is becoming more and more hard line all the time in its statements and in the actions which it is starting to take. So, you know, you can string people along up to a point,

but once they've figured you out, you can't string them along further and what you risk doing is you risk people seeing you as duplicitous and dishonest, which is, I think, what most of the world now thinks about the United States, or if not the United States, about this particular administration. Yeah, it seems like the whole world is aligning against the Biden White House, the U.S. China, Russia, Bricks, Africa, the Middle East, South America. Well, indeed. Let's talk quickly about South America because we've now seen a complete collapse in relations between Israel and Brazil.

Now, this was, I mean, you know, Brazil, the major power, Lula, a friend of Bidens, at least so we were led to believe at one time. and I mean Lula made a speech about Israel with some parts of which by the way to the historical comparisons he was making

I would have some I'd say you know I'd say you know hold back a little I mean I'm not sure those were wise to say but he is clearly furious with the whole situation

and you know it's a reflect I mean some of the anger that he's focusing on Israel I suspect he also feels about the Americans. So the Israelis then said that his persona non grata in Israel. And the result is that Brazil, the most powerful South American state of all,

has now recalled its ambassador from Israel. So relations between Brazil and Israel have completely, totally broken down. And one sense is that most of South America is now heading in the same direction. There's Millet in Argentina. who is very supportive of Israel and has suddenly converted to Judaism. But I think the rest of the South American countries, the big ones, aren't going to stop drifting away.

And, you know, again, this was a region which in the past had pretty good relations with Israel. You know, I can remember a time when the Israelis didn't really have problems in South America, will they do now? Yeah, all right. We will end it there. The durand.com. We are on Rumble, Odyssey, pitch, shoot, telegram, rock fin, and Twitter X,

and go to the Duran shop, 15% off all t-shirts. Take care.