Netanyahu and Trump in the Face of International Law; Immunity and Absolute Ignorance

 

 

 

The French correspondent of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) discussed the negative consequences of this plan for the region in an interview with Bernard Corno, a French expert on the Middle East and a specialist in the field of oil and energy.

The full text of IRNA’s interview with this French expert follows.

IRNA: What goals do you think Trump has in mind for the plan to forcibly relocate the population of Gaza?

In his press conference with Netanyahu, Trump discussed the current situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been severely destroyed, without mentioning who destroyed it. He stressed the need for a complete cleanup of the ruins and the removal of all debris, and proposed relocating residents “temporarily or permanently” outside Gaza. This is the mindset of a real estate investor, the same job Trump once held, who is oblivious to the residents’ attachment to their land and their history, of which he is unaware.

 

Given that Trump repeatedly looked at his notes during the meeting, it seems that these words were dictated to him, probably by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, himself a real estate investor who had made a brief trip to Gaza. Trump has no goal other than to maintain power and perhaps win a Nobel Prize. He is easily influenced and led, because he knows neither the disastrous history of Palestine nor international law.

 

When Trump called Marshal (as Trump deliberately called him) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Trump thought he could convince him to accept two million Palestinians and probably told him that the relocation would be “temporary.” He then made the same offer to King Abdullah II of Jordan, perhaps telling him, “We’re not moving everyone, half will go to Egypt, al-Sisi has agreed…” Trump has learned from a young age to lie, provoke, and threaten.

 

Isn’t Trump’s plan a continuation of the policy of genocide against the Palestinians?

 

If this plan is implemented without the consent of the Palestinian residents, it would certainly be a new violation of international law and a continuation of the genocide being carried out by the hardline Zionist leaders and today by the leaders of Israel. What defines a genocide is the intent and execution of a planned plan to impose intolerable conditions on a specific population. This has already been documented in a complaint filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in late 2023, and has been confirmed by numerous other reports.

 

Like all judges, the judges of the ICC must examine everything, which takes time, but so far the former prime minister and defense minister of Israel have been prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Those who have consistently delivered destructive weapons to an occupying army should be prosecuted for complicity in these crimes, as the Genocide Convention also obliges states to prevent such crimes.

 

Many pundits and analysts have seen Trump’s plan as a clear example of the destruction of a people in its ancestral homeland. What do you think about this?

 

Following Trump’s remarks, many analysts have pointed to the massive population movements before and after the Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923, as well as the events surrounding the separation of Pakistan from India. But after the horrors of World War II, international law was strengthened by the UN Charter, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.

“Nation,” “people,” and “ancestral land” may be difficult to define precisely, but the facts are clear: If your parents, grandparents, and previous generations were born, lived, and worked in a land, you belong to that land. Any foreign-backed armed immigrant who intends to expel you, seize your assets, or enslave you will be met with legitimate resistance. This process has occurred across the Americas for four centuries, with colonizers coming from all over Europe. It has also occurred in the Middle East and the Balkans, under the Ottoman Empire, and in Algeria, where France colonized for more than a century. Nations have long memories, but history is first written by the conquerors.

 

According to some polls, more than half of Americans oppose Trump’s plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians, and see it as a support for the Netanyahu government, which has failed to achieve its goals in the 16-month war in Gaza. What do you think about this?

 

Fortunately, the majority of the American people are against forced relocation. I should point out that when the majority voted for Trump after an expensive campaign, which in my opinion has no democratic aspect, at that time there was no mention of the relocation of Palestinians in his program. Of course, there were other plans for the relocation of illegal immigrants, but not for the Palestinians of Gaza, who came mainly from their own land or from the surrounding occupied territories and are now pleasant villages for Israeli retirees. The Netanyahu government had illegitimate and illusory goals. A popular resistance movement can never be subdued.

 

What is your assessment of the support of some Arab countries for Trump’s plan and the betrayal of the Palestinian people by some of these countries?

 

In their statements, the leaders of the Arab countries completely declared their opposition to this plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to their countries, especially the two countries that Trump had asked for, namely Egypt and Jordan. However, I always distinguish the very rich Arab countries from the less rich Arab countries, because the rich countries have a special status due to their oil exports and the absence of sanctions, while the less rich countries are subject to unfair and sometimes illegal sanctions and have suffered in the wars waged against them. Arab public opinion all wants a just and lasting solution to this colonial war that has been going on for more than a century. The leaders of the Arab countries, whether they are democratically elected or not, which is often not the case, should take note of this. Even the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was forced to declare that he would not sign any agreement with the Israeli government unless there was an independent and recognized Palestinian state.

 

What do you think of Trump’s attempt to normalize Israel’s relations with Arab countries, a plan that was almost forgotten with the Gaza war?

 

During Trump’s first term, he and his son-in-law, Kushner, inspired by dual-citizen advisers who were circulating in the White House and Congress, presented a plan to some Arab countries. Some Arab leaders accepted the plan, especially leaders of wealthy countries that are effectively in power and never answerable to their people, such as the United Arab Emirates, or others who think they need American military and financial support. It created the illusion that relations could be normalized without a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.

 

What do you think is the best solution to the Palestinian issue? Has Netanyahu achieved his goals in the Gaza war?

 

In international law, the right of nations to self-determination is an indisputable principle, but in practice it is very difficult to implement. What constitutes a nation? Who should set its criteria? How many generations should be born in a land? What do historical borders matter, Ottoman, British or even those written in religious texts for centuries? According to current international law, the UN Charter states in its Article 51 that the Security Council has the duty and power at all times to maintain international peace and security. It must act now! The power to do so is enshrined in Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and in April 2025, France will hold the presidency of the Security Council. I hope and must see France take the initiative with other countries and propose a precise and appropriate resolution to resolve this problem.