German Chancellor urges 'Israel' to respect international law
4 Min Read
At the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz showed support for "Israel" but shed light on how it should adhere to international law.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a speech at the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 (AP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged "Israel" to respect international law amid growing concerns over its planned invasion of the tightly-packed Rafah.
At the Munich Security Conference, Scholz showed support for the Israeli occupation but shed light on how it should adhere to international law, stating: "Israel has the right to defend their own country, and this is what the United States, and what Germany and many others are just stating."
"We are also very clear on the things that are important to be said. So first that humanitarian aid has to get to Gaza, and more as we see today. Second, that the way the war is handled is according to international law," he stressed.
When asked by the moderator about the Western response to the Israeli war against Gaza, Scholz criticized the response talking about hypocrisy and double standards as the West has failed to prevent the Israeli occupation from committing its crimes in Gaza.
Scholz also stated that his government has been expressing its concerns to the Israeli occupation government and stressing their responsibility to adhere to international law.
"We are asking that they do so, and we are constantly discussing this question, and there's good reason for doing so, and it is something which is so important for all of us," he emphasized.
"We are very clear in this that obeying international law and the rules is something which is not just something we do because we subscribed (to) some agreements globally, it is something which is coming out of our perspective of humankind and how we want to be, and how we want to see ourselves," he added.
Scholz announced that Germany had been partaking in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the war, paving the way for conditions allowing talks for a political solution, a perspective for "peaceful relation between Israel and a future Palestinian state."
"I'm discussing with many of the leaders all around, in Jordan, in Qatar, in the United Arab Emirates, in Saudi Arabia, and in Turkey, and so on, and we're also giving a lot of views, we're sharing our views also with the Israeli government," he stated.
'Israel' has not only ignored the ICJ ruling but further acted against it
UN special rapporteur on the occupied territories, Francesca Albanese, declared on February 10 that "Israel" is violating orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to immediately protect Palestinians' rights and cease all activities amounting to genocide.
"Israel" has until February 23 to hand over a report to the ICJ regarding its compliance with the six orders issued.
"Israel" is required to "take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza, after proof was found of "discernibly genocidal and dehumanizing rhetoric coming from senior Israeli government officials."
The ICJ orders also obliged it to "take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance."
"Israel" was also ordered to prevent the killing of Palestinians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births - all within the context of the Genocide Convention.
Despite the court ruling, Albanese stated that the vicious violence and demolition of residential infrastructure have not ceased
