World Briefing: September 3, 2024
The U.K. government has decided to suspend a series of arms shipments to Israel against the background of the war in Gaza and the fear of widespread harm to civilians and a violation of international law, British Foreign Minister David Lammy announced on Monday. He added that the suspensions would not affect the supply of F-35 components. “We will continue to work with Israel to tackle the threat from Iran" and the "U.K. continues to support Israel's right to self-defense in accordance with international law," said Minister Lammy. Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force is crafting a recommendation to increase production of bombs, missiles and other ammunition at home, in an attempt to reduce its dependence on other countries, especially the United States, a senior air force officer says. - Haaretz
A nationwide strike in Israel aimed at disrupting major sectors of the economy in an effort to pressure the government to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas began on Monday but a top labour court quickly ordered it to end, citing its "politically motivated" nature. France 24 reported that the general strike on Monday morning brought tens thousands to the streets but was ignored in some areas, underscoring profound political divisions in the country. A major highway was closed for a while on Monday and only a few flights were able to take off from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. The protests, prompted by the deaths of several hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, appear to be one of the biggest political challenges for the beleaguered prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. “Much like the hours following October 7, it is increasingly clear that Netanyahu is completely dysfunctional, and that his personal and political survival is a thousand times more important than the lives of the hostages,” analyst Yossi Verter wrote in Haaretz.
Yesterday evening, emitting his trademark bravado, Netanyahu said he won’t “submit to pressure” from people in the streets. He blamed the lack of a peace deal on Hamas. The ongoing crisis shows no signs of lifting. Teachers will extend their strike into Tuesday
One observer, a Jerusalem resident, Dr. Leora Lider, described Netanyahu’s press conference as “angry, aggressive and defensive.” She added: “It was clear from his body language that he is feeling cornered, overwhelmed by the pressure of the events of this week, the insistence from President Biden and the United States that Netanyahu personally is responsible for the failure of the negotiations; and the return of his upcoming trials.” To summarize his press conference, she wrote: “I am right. I am always right….Nothing is my fault.”
The European Commission is calling on Mongolia to fulfill its obligations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and place Vladimir Putin under arrest during his trip to the country. “Mongolia is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC since 2002 with the legal obligations that it entails. We have raised our concern about the visit and stated our position of the ICC clearly via our delegation in Mongolia," a Commission spokesperson said on Monday, referring to the treaty that underpins the tribunal. “The EU supports the investigation by the prosecutor of the ICC in Ukraine and we call for the cooperation by all state parties." Putin's visit, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, will represent the first time the Russian president has ventured into the territory of an ICC party since the court issued an arrest warrant against him over war crimes committed in Ukraine. A previous trip to South Africa, another state party, was cancelled following an international outcry. - Euronews
The US has seized a private aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing alleged violations on US export controls and sanctions laws. In a statement on Monday, the Department of Justice said the Dassault Falcon 900EX plane had been seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to southern Florida. “This morning, the justice department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13mn through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said Merrick Garland, the US attorney-general. “The department will continue to pursue those who violate our sanctions and export controls to prevent them from using American resources to undermine the national security of the United States,” he added. The move by the DoJ comes as Maduro, a revolutionary socialist in power since 2013, has been cracking down on the opposition following allegations his government rigged the count to steal victory in July’s presidential election in the Latin American country. - FT
Jordan, on Monday, confirmed its first case of the infectious mpox virus, Anadolu Agency reports. According to a statement by the Health Ministry, laboratory tests confirmed the virus in a 33-year-old foreigner who is hospitalised in Amman, but in a stable condition. The Ministry said it will deal with full transparency any developments regarding the disease. The WHO has classified the global mpox situation as a public health emergency of international concern. More than a dozen African countries have reported mpox outbreaks, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for over 90 per cent of the reported cases.
Amnesty International has condemned as "alarming" a wave of preelection detentions and harassment by Azerbaijani authorities of critics, and it has urged the immediate release of political analyst Bahruz Samadov, who is accused of high treason, and others. On September 2, the rights group highlighted that the persecution came ahead of the Caucasus nation's parliamentary elections the previous day, amid its ongoing peace talks with longtime foe Armenia, and with Baku preparing to host a major UN climate conference in November. “The targeting of journalists and activists is nothing short of an attempt to silence dissent and suppress freedom of expression, particularly of those who are advocating for peace with Armenia," Amnesty quoted its South Caucasus researcher Natalia Nozadze as saying in a statement. - RFE/RL
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