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Starmer’s disgrace over Israeli visit grows as UN names Herzog as genocide-inciter

Keir Starmer was already rolling in disgrace over Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit to Britain last week. But now, the shame has grown even further as the UN has called Herzog out by name as a genocide-inciter.

In the UN Human Rights Council’s commission of inquiry report, its analysis directly quoted Herzog to demonstrate the Israeli government’s genocidal intent in Gaza. And it concluded that:

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, have incited the commission of genocide and that Israeli authorities have failed to take action against them to punish this incitement.

Herzog’s words, from 13 October 2023, were:

it’s an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true, this rhetoric about civilians who were not aware and not involved. It is absolutely not true.

Starmer is nothing if not a loyal shill for billionaire interests. And supporting Israel’s colonial crimes is a key part of that. That’s why, despite overwhelming global consensus, he has been a consistent genocide-denier. Ignoring Herzog’s incitement by welcoming him to Britain last week simply added more blood onto his hands. But as the UN now states more clearly the responsibility Herzog has for Israel’s genocide, people are clear that Starmer and those around him must face the consequences.

The social media account of Just Jews UK said:

The UN Commission cited Israeli President Herzog whom Starmer welcomed to the UK last week The CPS gave false information on why the Israeli President could not be arrested No level of spin & denial will erase the complicity of our government with the Israeli regime’s Genocide.

Kneecap condemned Starmer’s warm welcome:

Actor Liam Cunningham summed it up:

Herzog spoke. The IDF followed through.

The UN’s report said:

As early as 7 October 2023, Israeli officials made statements that indicated their intention to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a group. Palestinians were consistently dehumanised by Israeli officials. Furthermore, Israeli authorities made many statements that explicitly called for vengeance, destruction and annihilation. The Commission believes, having analysed the military operations of the Israeli security forces, such statements were expressed to encourage hatred toward Palestinians and violence against Palestinians. The statements were received by the Israeli security forces as an order to destroy Palestinians in Gaza and such order was indeed executed through military operations.

The words of Herzog and other politicians:

shaped the public narrative and garnered widespread public support for their positions

Herzog’s statement, the report said:

may reasonably be interpreted as incitement to the Israeli security forces personnel to target the Palestinians in Gaza as a group as being collectively culpable for the 7 October 2023 attack in Israel.

It added:

Herzog was unequivocally clear that all civilians in Gaza were aware of and involved in and responsible for Hamas’ actions. According to Herzog, if the civilian population did not agree with such actions, they could have risen and fought against Hamas; therefore, according to Herzog, because the civilians did not rise against Hamas, they were all equally responsible.

Notably, the slogan that “there are no uninvolved” in Gaza was subsequently proclaimed by soldiers deployed to Gaza and echoed in several public places. Amnesty International reported a photograph that shows the slogan in Hebrew on an Israeli military watchtower in the West Bank, with the words “Destroy Gaza” in English under the slogan.

Starmer has covered himself in abject shame. There aren’t words strong enough to condemn his despicable choice to invite a man responsible for genocide into the country.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Isaac Herzog

By Ed Sykes

This post was originally published on Canary.