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On Friday, the International Court of Justice re-issued its interim ruling against Israel. It must stop its invasion of Rafah, immediately. It must allow aid into Gaza. Israel’s official government response? "No power on Earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza.” We all know that, by now, the second half of that statement is invoking Israeli citizens as human shields to excuse the actions of a genocidal government. It may as well read: No power on Earth will stop Israel.
Quick recap for you:
29 Dec 2023: South Africa lodged a case with the ICJ, alleging that Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians. The case has since been supported by 33 countries and 4 international organisations.
26 Jan 2024: The ICJ handed down an interim ruling (we wrote about it here) that said the case is valid and will proceed; and in the meantime Israel must immediately do everything within its power to protect Palestinians, stop the destruction and facilitate humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
12 Feb 2024: South Africa filed an emergency request for the ICJ to issue additional rulings to stop Israel’s plans to invade Rafah in Gaza. The ICJ denied the request.
28 March 2024: South Africa filed an emergency request for additional rulings on getting aid into Gaza, as Israel is starving Palestinians and causing famine. The ICJ approved this, ordering Israel to immediately allow food supplies into Gaza. Israel responded by killing aid workers delivering supplies, including Australian Zomi Frankcom (more on that here).
10 May 2024: South Africa filed an emergency request for additional rulings to protect Palestinians in Rafah, as Israel had commenced attacking the city. Which brings us to…
24 May 2024: The ICJ rules that the attack on Rafah is a violation of human rights, and Israel must immediately stop.
Clearly, Israel does not give a fuck. It’s now a rogue state, with only the U.S. now having any chance to stop it – and not by expressing half-hearted disapproval, but by cutting off funding and military support. I know this isn’t new news, nor is it the first time you’re reading it in this newsletter, but it bears repeating. So, is this the collapse of the international, rules-based order? And if so, what comes next?
Maybe this is a naive level of optimism, but I still believe we can have some sway here. We have no choice but to believe that; otherwise what is the point?
Australia is still a democratic country. An imperfect democracy, but it still counts. We can fight for a more progressive government, which would in turn be a progressive presence in whatever the next version of the international system looks like. Already, experts are pointing out that the U.S. is becoming more and more isolated from the global community by continuing to support Israel. According to analysis by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the U.S. is “at risk of losing its diplomatic capabilities… alliances could also be transformed in unprecedented ways, potentially jeopardizing Washington's economic relations while affording its competitors newfound commercial and strategic gains.”
What would it look like for Australia to back away from our alliance with the U.S.? Experts have been warning that we need to do this ASAP if we want to have good, productive relationships with countries in our own region – for economic, social, cultural and security reasons. Not to mention, do we even want a military alliance with a Trump 2.0 America? Given how he and this fascist-lite version of the Republican party view international affairs, is it dangerous to remain part of the AUKUS agreement?
Big questions, and while the average person like you and I won’t get a say in much of how these problems are answered… we do have some control over the type of government involved in answering them. A ‘youthquake’ and progressive urgency was largely responsible for Labor’s 2022 win. This government has been heartbreakingly disappointing. So what can we do, who can we get in, to act on our behalf in 2025?
Politicians have already started shifting into election mode, so it’s time to start seriously thinking about to wield what power we do have.
Smart stuff on the Internet 💭
All the stuff I found on the web that made me think, smile, or have an ‘aha!’ moment. Spend your Sunday reading them – you'll be better off for it:
Buying London review – probably the most hateable TV show ever made on Guardian UK
If you are a hater like me, you will love this rare 0 star review of a crappy scripted-reality show. "I saw Selling Sunset as quaffable junk, the sort of telly that passes the time pleasantly. It is hard to feel the same about Buying London, because it is boring and infuriating, and neither are the garnishes I like on my trash."
Review: Morrison’s New Book is Perfect (for playing fuckwit bingo) on The Chaser
Another hater review! This one by friend of Zee Feed, John Delmenico, who tortured himself by buying and reading Scott Morrison’s very very bad book. "However, the worst part of the book was the chapter dedicated to ‘cancel culture’ and young people being too ‘easily offended’ these days. Where he asks completely without irony ‘Are you offended by Jesus?’”
Nonconsensual AI Porn Maker Accidentally Leaks His Customers' Emails on 404 Media
“Once the account was removed after I reached out to Patreon for comment, I got an email assuring me, as a paying customer, that aesthetic illusions was migrating to a new platform. That email CC’d 35 other email addresses of other subscribers... Some email addresses included full names and profile pictures of real people automatically pulled from their Google accounts.”
The Vogue Australian Fashion Week 2024 size inclusivity report on Vogue Australia
I just wrote a piece for Refinery29 calling for this report, and a week later here it is! It’s an interesting read, although I will caution that Vogue has used misleading definitions of straight size and mid size, which has led to the mid-size category being artificially inflated. Mid-size starts at around AU16, not 10 as they’ve recorded in this report. Look, not a perfect report but one that continues a very important conversation.