18.8 C
Byron Shire
April 27, 2024

Humanitarian catastrophe

Latest News

Housing not industrial precinct say Lismore locals

Locals from Goonellabah and Lindendale have called out the proposed Goonellabah industrial precinct at 1055A Bruxner Hwy and 245 Oliver Ave as being the wrong use of the site. 

Other News

Sustainable power from carbon dioxide?

University of Queensland researchers have built an experimental generator which they claim absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) to make electricity.

More Byron CBD height exceedance approved

Two multi-storey mixed-use developments with a combined value of $36.2 million have been approved for the centre of Byron Bay, despite both exceeding height limits for that part of the Shire.

Getting ready for the 24/25 bush fire season

This year’s official NSW Bush Fire Danger Period closed on March 21. Essential Energy says its thoughts are now turned toward to the 2024-25 season, and it has begun surveying its powerlines in and around the North Coast region.

Big names at local chess tournament

A major Northern Rivers chess tournament was held at the Byron Bay Services Club in late April. ‘It was well-attended,...

Heavy music with a bang!

Heavy music is back at The Northern this week, with a bang! Regular Backroom legends Dead Crow and Mudwagon are joined by Dipodium and Northern Rivers locals Liminal and Puff – the plan is to raise the roof on Thursday at The Northern. This is definitely a night, and a mosh, not to miss. Entry is free!

Byron Comedy Fest 2024 Laughs

The legendary Northern Hotel’s Backroom opens its doors to laughter when it welcomes The Byron Comedy Fest with eight big headline shows. With audiences packing out shows every year, Festival Directors Mel Coppin and Zara Noruzi have decided a new venue with increased capacity was in order. It also means the festival is an all-weather event – expect all your favourites!

The humanitarian catastrophe being inflicted on the people of Gaza clearly demonstrates the morals and brutality of the current Zionist government and its Western sponsors. What sort of regime demolishes apartment buildings full of civilians, crushing entire families in the rubble? Israel has levelled whole neighbourhoods and killed thirty thousand this way. The survivors are left homeless and starving, denied the basic necessities of life; clean water, food, fuel, shelter, medicines and electricity.

For the past five months, Gaza has been subjected to what I would call a genocidal assault and the destruction of civilian infrastructure; schools, churches, mosques, hospitals, bakeries and thousands of homes. Not a single Western government has spoken out in condemnation of the daily massacres. But a nation that once freed itself from apartheid oppression with the help of world opinion, did have the courage and humanity to challenge Israel. South Africa brought the matter before the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice at the Hague, accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention.

On January 26, the World Court ruled that it is ‘plausible’ that Israel has committed acts that violate the Genocide Convention. Israel’s Zionist regime must now confront what it has done and account for its actions in Gaza. This ruling will also affect countries like Australia, Britain and the US, who are currently providing support for Israel’s assault on Gaza. There will now be increased scrutiny of Israel’s conduct in its treatment of the Palestinians to see if it is in breach of the Genocide Convention, and countries supporting or enabling Israel’s actions will likewise find themselves liable to charges of complicity in the crime of genocide.

Indeed, our prime minister has become the first Western leader to be referred to the International Criminal Court for investigation into whether they have aided or supported Israel’s actions in Gaza, and bear any individual criminal responsibility, by Australian law firm, Birchgrove Legal. This is an invidious position for a nation that claims to respect human rights and the rule of law.

John Scrivener, Main Arm

Previous articleFrom Tyagarah, with love 
Next articleFlowers for you

Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

4 COMMENTS

  1. The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy is a book by John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Professor of International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, published in late August 2007. It was a New York Times Best Seller.

  2. All they have to do is release the hostages and rid Hamas from their lives, until that happens Israel will hunt them down and dispose of them, simple.

  3. The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy is a book by John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Professor of International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, published in late August 2007. It was a New York Times Best Seller

  4. Hey John , just a tad confused as to the reason why
    Bordering countries are

    securing their own
    Borders and refusing the Palestinians
    Fleeing the conflict entry ? Australia
    Has taken more !

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

A fond farewell to Mungo’s crosswords

This week we sadly publish the last of Mungo MacCallum’s puzzles. Before he died in 2020 Mungo compiled a large archive of crosswords for The Echo.

Tugun tunnel work at Tweed Heads – road diversion

Motorists are advised of changed overnight traffic conditions from Sunday on the Pacific Motorway, Tweed Heads.

Driver charged following Coffs Harbour fatal crash

A driver has been charged following a fatal crash in the Coffs Harbour area yesterday.

Geologist warns groundwater resource is ‘shrinking’

A new book about Australian groundwater, soil and water has been published by geologist Philip John Brown.