U.S. SPOKESPERSON BUCKLES QUESTIONED ON CRITERIA FOR DENYING ISRAELI GENOCIDE
May 15, 2024Jake Sullivan: We believe Israel can and must do more to ensure the protection and well-being of innocent civilians. We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition.
Journalist: You said at the start of this, that we don’t believe what’s happening in Gaza is genocide. What criterion are you using?
Jake Sullivan: We’re using the internationally accepted term for genocide, which includes a focus on intent and it’s not just me standing here at this podium in the context of this International Court of Justice case at The Hague, the United States actually made a presentation backed up by legal analysis, which I would invite you to read because it lays out all of those crieterias.
Journalist: Francesca Albanese, the special UN rapporteur on human rights in Palestine, presented one in March. She presented it in Geneva. The three criterions she used setting international law three acts: Israel’s intent to destroy national, ethnic, racial or religious groups, serious bodily or mental harm to group, inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring physical destruction in whole or in part within imposing measures intent to prevent birth within the group, process of erasure of the native Palestinians. So those three things are happening. How can you say genocide is not being committed?
Jake Sullivan: As I just told you, I think the best way for me to answer that question is actually to ask you to look at the laydown that we gave, which…
Journalist: Are you saying this isn’t happening?
Jake Sullivan: I’m sorry, I thought you asked me how I can say it. I’m saying I’d like you to look at the United States…
Journalist: I just did, I am asking you are saying this isn’t happening?
Jake Sullivan: Do you mind if I finish answering your question before you interrupt?
Journalist: Are you saying that she’s a liar?
Jake Sullivan:The United States has laid down at the International Court of Justice in writing in detail its position on this issue, and I’d ask you to read it. Thank you.
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