Jerusalem's Royal committee urges action to halt genocide in Palestine

AMMAN — Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs Abdullah Kanaan on Sunday stressed that the international community and its organisations must uphold their legal and moral responsibilities to protect the Palestinian people and prevent the genocide being carried out by Israel.

In a statement issued to mark the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide, Kanaan said that the Israeli occupation neglects international law, legitimacy, and international courts, expanding its extremist practices, genocide acts, and ethnic cleansing to the extent of threatening the security and stability of the region and the world. 

Kanaan stressed that the committee calls on the world to adopt a "strong" and actionable stance that compels the occupation to adhere to international law and be held accountable for its ongoing crimes. 

He said that the genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation is not only targeting Palestine but is also an assault on justice, humanity and moral values globally. 

The secretary-general urged international organisations to speak out decisively to stop the genocide being committed by Israel.

He added that genocide is defined as the total or partial destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, referring to the signing of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Paris in December, 1948. 

This convention stipulates that committing, planning or conspiring to commit genocide is a crime that necessitates punishment, he noted.

Kanaan pointed out that designating genocide as an international crime means that the law to combat it is binding for all nations, even those that have not ratified the convention, including Israel, which falsely claims to respect international legitimacy.

He further noted that despite global condemnation by legitimate organisations and international courts of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces, the world remains incapable of curbing the occupation’s arrogance and its systematic plans in Palestine, particularly given that Israel’s strategy is fundamentally built on genocide and forced displacement.

Kanaan said that Israeli practices have turned international commemorative days, including the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide, into "empty slogans" lacking real enforcement measures that would hold perpetrators accountable and prevent further crimes, as evident in the ongoing Israeli violations and repeated massacres against Palestinians.