by Steve Timmer

Jul 25, 2025, 6:00 PM

Abandoning humanity and convention

Here’s are the lede paragraphs in an article in the July 27th Star Tribune, reprinted from the New York Times:

Amid rising starvation in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli government minister said Thursday that Israel had no duty to alleviate hunger in the territory and was seeking to expel its population.

Amichay Eliyahu, a far-right lawmaker who leads Israel’s Heritage Ministry, said in a radio interview that “there is no nation that feeds its enemies,” adding that “the British didn’t feed the Nazis, nor did the Americans feed the Japanese, nor do the Russians feed the Ukrainians now.” He concluded that the government was “rushing toward Gaza being wiped out,” while also “driving out the population that educated its people on the ideas of ‘Mein Kampf,’ ” the notorious antisemitic text written by Adolf Hitler.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on whether Eliyahu’s remarks had represented the government’s official position.

Eliyahu is not so “far right” in Israeli public opinion, by the way.

“Hating Arabs isn’t racism; it’s values” – British Independent newspaper

Heritage Minister Eliyahu is dead wrong about the responsibilities of an occupying force, as the Fourth Geneva Convention makes clear. Israel is a signatory to the Fourth Geneva convention, although it claims, disingenuously, “King’s X” with respect to what is charmingly known as the “Occupied Territories.” The international community is overwhelmingly of the view that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies in Palestine.

Here are just part of the obligations imposed on an occupying power such as Israel:

Relief Supplies and Action – The occupying power has the duty to ensure that the adequate provision of food and medical supplies is provided, as well as clothing, bedding, means of shelter, other supplies essential to the survival of the civilian population of the occupied territory, and objects necessary for religious worship (GCIV Arts. 55, 58; API Art. 69).

Forced Population Displacement – The occupying power must not transfer or deport the population of occupied territories or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies (GCIV Art. 49 and Rule 130 of the 2005 ICRC customary IHL study).

Destruction and Looting – Any destruction by the occupying power of real estate or personal property is prohibited, unless such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations (GCIV Art. 53). Seizure, destruction or willful damage to institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments or works of art and science, is forbidden and should be the subject of legal proceedings (H.IV Art. 56).

Bibi Netanyahu had already been charged in the International Criminal Court with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, starvation as a method of warfare, and intentionally directing attacks on civilians.

Bibi and Amichay Eliyahu are odious birds of a feather.