‘I don’t want to answer that question’: Cameron pressed on Israel-Gaza war crimes

In any realm in any respect so you’ve never had a piece of paper put in front of you by a foreign office lawyer that says that Israel is in breach of its International humanitarian commitments under International humanitarian law um look I I I the reason for not answer

This question I can’t recall every single bit of paper that’s been put in front of me I see I look at everything I mean of course there are lots of things that have happened where you think well surely that is that was something that shouldn’t have happened and and so I

Don’t want to answer that question because forg me 2013 you were quite happy to say from the dispatch box that war crime to be committed by the Assad regime when it came to chemical weapons use and two years later you were happy to say that Hamas had committed a war

Crime when they shot Rockets into Israel yeah well I do think there’s a difference between you know using chemical weapons to kill people and Israel fighting a a conflict where they’re trying to deal with a terrorist force that inflicted an appalling attack on their a difference in setting or

Specifics or scale but not in principle which was your willingness and ability to determine whether or not international law have been broken yeah I’m I’m not sure we’re going to get a lot further with this um I mean if you’re asking me if you’re asking me

But if you’re asking am I worried that Israel have t has taken action that might be in breach of international law because this particular premises has been bombed or whatever yes of course I’m worried about that and that’s why I consult the foreign office lawyers when giving this advice on arms exports so

That’s why I don’t go so your if you put it that way I’m happy to say yes of course every day I look at what’s happened and ask questions about is this in line with international law could the Israelis have done better to avoid spilling casualties of course I do that

We have no doubt that you’d ask those questions it’s about the response you’ve received yeah I I I I I understand that the question that you want to answer but the question that I want to ask is the point have you received legal advice which says that Israel is in Bach of the

Short answer to that is no but but I but but but I I I I want to qualify it instantly because it’s not fair on the lawyers because of course the lawyers give you lots of advice saying look we’re worried about this event that event this event that event we’re going

To go away we’re going to consult with the Israeli authorities we’re going to ask a bunch of questions and then we’re going to give you considered legal advice given everything on the basis of you know capability commitment and everything else have they broken international law so that’s why it’s not

Really a yes or no answer but I’m trying to be helpful by explaining how the job works

David Cameron, the UK foreign secretary, has appeared before the foreign affairs select committee and was asked whether Israel had breached international humanitarian law in its war in Gaza.
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After being pressed by the committee’s Tory chair, Alicia Kearns, Cameron initially said he did not want to answer that question before saying he was ‘worried’ that Israel may have taken actions that were in breach of international law.

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32 comments

  1. Pretty much every western nation is acting in a similar way because the US backs israel, and the west depends on the US army as a guarantee of peace and so in the end "might makes right" and this reality of politics….

    if you want a change focus needs to be on the US and its people need to protests against Israel otherwise its gonna be unlikely that anything is gonna change.

    though thruthfully israel is a genocidal war criminal and should be forced to stop collectively by all democratic nations.

  4. I think you'd probably remember being handed a piece of paper that says Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law.😂😂😂

  6. gree with you 💯 % Israel needs to stop injustice. Enough is enough the Palestinian& the warld is tried of sward of injustice.

    But I have one word for you Mr. Ramaphosa &people of South Africa, You're instisting Israel to stop genocide against Palestinian but on the ather hand you gave order the South Defence Force in Democratic Republic Of Congo to put off MONUSCO Uniform & wear SADC uniform so as to provide support to FDLR/ Interahamwe a group of extremists Hutu who committed genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda 1995 & still continuing with genocide in East Congo though the world is quite. As survivar of 1994 Tutsi genocide, I see you as a nothing rather than a hypocrite. If Nelson Mandela was alive he wouldn't allow you to collaborate with Tutsi genociders. You're speaking about injustice, & Oppression what about your injustice against Congolese Tutsi in collaboration with Hutu genociders/FDLR ? We Tutsi community we really need to open the case against South Africa for collaborating with murderers of our people.

    Continue to RIP Papa Mandela , RIP Win Mandela 😭😭😭😭😭😭

  17. you know, understand even without consulting any lawyer or professional WHAT ISRAEL IS DOUNG IS WRONG , TOTAL CRIMES , UN HUMAN yet you have no strength to admit it and stand against it.

  23. A lawyer asking a politican for a strait answer sounds like the title of a Brian Rix farce in the west end.Neither knows the truth,or is interested in the truth.

  31. Worst example to children:

    Teacher: Why didn’t you attend school yesterday.
    Pupil: I don’t want to answer that question.

  32. Shame on Israel, …..Uk, Usa. For their support, … and even EU passive attitude in front of the genocid in Gaza!!!!!!

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