World has had enough of Israel abuses in Palestine: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Anthony Hall, professor of globalization at Lethbridge University, about Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom calling for a “thorough” investigation into the killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces in the past few months.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: It is quite clear that the Israeli authorities are not very inclined towards a credible and thorough investigation into the killings of Palestinians in recent months. What do you think that is so?

Hall: I think we are seeing a very radicalized Israel, a Likudnik Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and we are seeing a moderate and sensible voice, Margot Wallstrom in Sweden who is in electoral politics, ran on a policy of acknowledging a Palestinian state, and she quite correctly is connecting what is going on in Israel and the treatment of Palestinians, identifying it has extrajudicial killing and disproportionate lethal homicides. In the last few months, 21 Israelis versus 103 Palestinians in this dead, in this unfortunate tragic situation, which obviously accounts Palestinian lives as being much less valuable than Israeli lives.  

Press TV: Of course this obviously brings us to the stance that Margot Wallstrom is making. Is this just unique for Sweden or is this a reflection of growing activism on the part of people when it comes to Palestine, when it comes to the question of the Israeli atrocities being committed against Palestinians?

Hall: Unfortunately in countries like Great Britain and Canada, we do not see public opinion being well represented in our parliaments, in our legislatures. Margot Wallstrom is speaking for not only the people in Sweden but a massive constituency of people, the world over, who are saying enough is enough. It is time to turn the page on this issue, to come to some kind of resolution. The Palestinians are human beings, they have human rights, and they are part of the international system. Margot Wallstrom is recognizing that along with millions of people, the world over, it is time that the radical government in Israel, the extremist lawbreakers running the government of Israel, come into line with world public opinion.  

Press TV: It is also when it comes to this investigation will it ever take place because let’s not forget even UN officials have expressed their exacerbation as far as Israeli uncooperativeness when it comes to allowing them access even to those areas where these atrocities have been committed?

Hall: Unfortunately the radicalization of the Israeli state has become quite pervasive and it has undermined the overall integrity of the rule of law within countries and between countries - international law. So we are living in quite a lawless era as Vladimir Putin recognizes frequently and to depend too much on international institutions when these institutions are dominated by corrupt governments like Netanyahu’s government in Israel, this means that people have to find other ways to express our desire that respect for human lives, that the rule of law must be made to prevail in some way even if it means transcending the limitations of our international institutions right now.   

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