Western officials in protest over Israel Gaza policy
JVL Introduction
Civil servants in a variety of Western countries are increasingly concerned at their governments’ policy with regard to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Over 800 of them have taken the unprecedented step of releasing a statement warning their governments, among other things, to “Stop asserting to the public that there is a strategic and defensible rationale behind the Israeli operation and that supporting it is in our countries’ interests“.
It is signed by civil servants from the US, the EU and 11 European countries including the UK, France and Germany.
RK
This article was originally published by the BBC on Fri 2 Feb 2024. Read the original here.
Western officials in protest over Israel Gaza policy
More than 800 serving officials in the US and Europe have signed a statement warning that their own governments’ policies on the Israel-Gaza war could amount to “grave violations of international law”.
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This is the FIRST TIME EVER that civil service officials have come together internationally en masse and TOLD their governments they must change track because what they’re supporting is criminal, indefensible and a genocide.
It’s so impressive that these officials have taken their stand for international law and against mass murder in spite of everything which could have silenced them.
The whole ethos of civil service is that the politicians decide policy and the officials implement it. Breaking their code must have caused the officials huge anguish. They’re putting their entire careers and futures at risk.
The verdicts of the Nuremburg Trials were that “following orders” isn’t an acceptable defence for war crimes. The officials have courageously decided to resist atrocities their political masters wilfully ignore.
This does seem like a hugely significant development – of what’s happening behind the scenes.