Report: Israel gives Myanmar ‘Tools, Space’ for Genocide

An opinion piece written by journalist Charles Dunst and published by the Israeli daily on Wednesday criticized Israel’s “passive” stance on Myanmar’s crimes against the Rohingya population, who are denied citizenship and are rendered stateless. Israel’s “equanimity gave Myanmar the tools and space to carry out atrocities against the Rohingya”, it said. The article also […]

An opinion piece written by journalist Charles Dunst and published by the Israeli daily on Wednesday criticized Israel’s “passive” stance on Myanmar’s crimes against the Rohingya population, who are denied citizenship and are rendered stateless. Israel’s “equanimity gave Myanmar the tools and space to carry out atrocities against the Rohingya”, it said.

The article also referred to Israel’s position on the appearance of Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on Tuesday over genocide allegations.

In a tweet last week, Israel’s Ambassador to Myanmar Ronen Gilor wished Suu Kyi “encouragement for a good decision and good luck” in the trial.

Later, however, he deleted his tweet, with Israel’s Foreign Ministry saying it had been written “in error”. The foreign ministry also surprisingly condemned “the atrocities that took place in the Rakhine region against the Rohingya”.

“But this new Israeli statement is still too passive. Most glaringly, it fails to note who committed these ‘atrocities,’” read the article.

It also noted that although Israel’s criticism of Myanmar is “a step in the right direction”, it still “lets the country’s criminal actors off the hook”.

“Gilor’s support of Suu Kyi remains more reflective of Israel’s general Myanmar policy: a largely unconditional backing,” according to the article.