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Should Biden be tried for genocide crimes? | The Chris Hedges Report

The Real News Network・33 minutes read

The Center for Constitutional Rights is suing President Joe Biden and top officials for complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza, with over 30,000 Palestinians killed and widespread famine due to Israel's blockage of humanitarian supplies. The court case aims to hold the defendants accountable for failing to prevent genocide and using US influence to end hostilities against Palestinians in Gaza.

Insights

  • Lawsuit filed against President Biden and officials for complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza, highlighting failure to prevent genocide and unconditional support for Israel.
  • Urgency for legal intervention to stop furthering genocide in Gaza by halting the supply of US military hardware, with a dismissal of the case prompting an appeal for recognition of genocide claims against senior US officials.

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Recent questions

  • What is the lawsuit against President Biden about?

    Alleged complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

  • What are the consequences of Israel's blockage of humanitarian supplies?

    Widespread famine, deaths from starvation, and infectious diseases.

  • What legal aspects of genocide are discussed in the lawsuit?

    Acts of killing, causing harm, and creating conditions to destroy a group.

  • What is the role of the United States in the Gaza crisis?

    Accused of failing to prevent genocide and being complicit in crimes against humanity.

  • What was the outcome of the court hearing regarding the lawsuit?

    Dismissed on political question grounds, with an appeal filed.

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Summary

00:00

Lawsuit accuses US officials of Gaza genocide

  • The Center for Constitutional Rights has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Defense for Children, Palestine, Al-Haq, and eight Palestinians and US citizens with relatives in Gaza, accusing President Joe Biden and other officials of complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza.
  • The lawsuit is being heard in a federal court in California, with lawyers representing Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attending the proceedings.
  • Since the October 7th incursion by Hamas and other groups, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, with thousands missing, 60,000 injured, and nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million people displaced.
  • Israel's blockage of humanitarian supplies has led to widespread famine, causing deaths from starvation and infectious diseases.
  • The lawsuit charges Biden, Blinken, and Austin with failing to prevent genocide by providing unconditional military and diplomatic support to Israel.
  • The Center for Constitutional Rights is asking the court to declare that the defendants violated their duty to prevent genocide and to use US influence to end hostilities against Palestinians in Gaza.
  • Katherine Gallagher, a senior staff attorney at the CCR, and plaintiff Ayman Nijim, a Gaza native and doctoral student in California, discuss the dire situation in Gaza, highlighting mass starvation and impending death.
  • Ayman describes the ongoing genocide in Gaza, emphasizing the destruction of cultural institutions, lack of basic necessities, and the urgent need to end the genocide.
  • Katherine explains the legal aspects of genocide, detailing the acts of killing, causing harm, and creating conditions to destroy a group, with the intent to target the Palestinian population in Gaza.
  • The United States is accused of failing to prevent genocide and being complicit in crimes against humanity in Gaza by supporting Israel's actions and blocking measures for a ceasefire.

18:16

Civilian population in Gaza targeted, IHL violated.

  • The civilian population in Gaza is being targeted, constituting a crime against humanity.
  • Specific crimes include murder, extermination, deportation, and enforceable transfer.
  • Over a million people were ordered to move from north to south in Gaza for safety, but many were bombed on the way and rendered homeless.
  • International humanitarian law (IHL) applies to the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, protecting civilians.
  • IHL has been used to justify attacks rather than protect civilians, leading to war crimes.
  • Israel claims hospitals are Hamas command centers to justify attacks, violating IHL.
  • Protection for civilian objects and civilians under IHL should be maintained, but scrutiny and proportionality are lacking in attacks.
  • The laws in Israel create a caste system, restricting movement and discriminating against Palestinians.
  • Israel has repeatedly ignored international law, especially in the occupied territories.
  • The United States has pushed back against legal actions regarding Israeli officials' crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory.

35:59

US Weapons Fuel Genocide in Gaza

  • The vast majority of weapons used against the Palestinian population in Gaza come from the United States, continuing even after October 7th through at least December.
  • The court was asked to intervene to prevent furthering a genocide by stopping the supply of military hardware used to kill over 31,000 Palestinians and injure tens of thousands more.
  • A hearing took place on January 26th in Oakland regarding the preliminary injunction and the government's request to dismiss the case.
  • The legal argument presented was that the case was not a challenge to policy but a request for the court to enforce laws against genocide and its furtherance.
  • Testimony from plaintiffs, including a doctor from Rafah and Defense for Children International Palestine, highlighted the dire situation in Gaza.
  • The judge acknowledged the gravity of the crimes and found a plausible genocide occurring in Gaza, urging the executive defendants to cease support for it.
  • The case was dismissed on political question grounds, but an appeal was filed on March 8th, with support from Jewish Voice for Peace.
  • The urgency for the appeal stems from lives at risk in Gaza, especially children facing famine due to the ongoing genocide.
  • The hope is for the court of appeals to recognize its responsibility to address claims of genocide against senior US officials.
  • The sense of betrayal felt by Palestinians from the international community, especially Arab countries like Egypt, who are complicit in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, is profound.

53:33

Ayman Nijim and Katherine Gallagher on Dropping Practices

  • Ayman Nijim and Katherine Gallagher discussed dropping practices.
  • Ayman Nijim is from Gaza and Katherine Gallagher is a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights.
  • Appreciation was expressed towards the Real News Network and its production team: Cameron Granadino, Adam Coley, David Hebden, and Kayla Rivara.
  • Contact information for Chris Hedges is available at chrishedges.substack.com.
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