Marcia Merry Baker

Jan. 25—Mid-day at The Hague on Friday, January 26, the decision of the 18 judges will be read out at the International Court of Justice (World Court) in the case brought against Israel by South Africa, to stop Israel’s violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, from Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. Dr. Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, will lead her country’s delegation to the Court for the reading.

Jan. 20—An extraordinary international event took place today, hosted by the Schiller Institute, titled, “2024 and 2074—A New Paradigm for the Next Fifty Years; International Youth Dialogue with Helga Zepp-LaRouche.” The three-hour discussion was a hybrid forum based on a live audience in New York City, with online participants, including in groups, from around the world, for an audience of real-time attendees numbering well over 250. At least 20 countries, representing all continents, were represented, from China to Afghanistan to Chile.

Jan. 14—Within less than 24 hours of the World Court presentation by South Africa of the case of Israel committing genocide in Gaza, the U.S.A. and U.K. bombed Yemen, which airstrike was repeated by the United States again the next night. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Greenfield-Thomas defended their attacks, telling the UN Security Council yesterday, that the airstrikes “were consistent with international law and in exercise of the UN’s inherent right to self-defense, as reflected by Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

Jan. 6—The hearing set for Jan. 11-12 this week at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, on the case filed Dec. 29 by South Africa against Israel for genocide against the Palestinians is a battleground for survival of civilization.

Dec. 30—The NATO belligerence against Russia using Ukraine as its proxy crossed the red line today when Ukraine deployed NATO weapons (from Czechia) to strike Belgorod, Russia, killing at least 18, and wounding 108 people. The strike took place in mid-afternoon, local time. Cluster munitions were used, and Vampire missiles, made in Czechia. The strike focused on the city center, hitting a number of sites including the medical college of the state university, and the public ice rink in use.

Dec. 22—Only today did a resolution finally pass the United Nations Security Council, addressed to relieving the catastrophe in Gaza. The resolution does not call for a ceasefire, but only “to create conditions for sustainable cessation of hostilities”—wording pre-approved by the U.S. after days of haggling. Other measures in the 16 points of action address expediting humanitarian aid. The resolution passed 13 in favor, with two abstentions—the U.S. and Russia (for very different reasons).

Dec. 18—The toll of death and misery rises by the hour in Gaza, with the latest official count of 19,500 dead, dozens of thousands wounded, and over two million suffering.

Dec. 9—The first of a two-day world online forum, “A New International Security and Development Architecture,” was hosted today by the Central American and Caribbean Critical Thinking Conference (CPCCC), centered in Nicaragua, with powerful presentations and intense discussion addressing five topics. Over the day-long dialogue (with simultaneous interpretation of Spanish into French, English and German) some 250 people from over 15 countries participated, with questions and comments coming in from Belarus to Peru. The second day, in Spanish, will be a full schedule as well. The entire two-day conference will be available in video archive.

Dec. 2—It seems unimaginable that worse things can happen than the destruction in Gaza underway before the seven-day humanitarian pause began Nov. 24 at 7:00 a.m.; but after it ended Dec. 1 at 7:00 am, unimaginable horrors are taking place.

Nov. 20—This week started with diplomatic initiatives on three parallel tracks, committed to ending the atrocities in Gaza, and more generally, to uprooting the causes for that and for the deadly conflict in Ukraine.