“So It’s Not About The 7th Of October”: Motaz Azaiza On UN Double Standard Against Palestine (image@ motaz_azaiza)
Motaz Azaiza, the Palestinian journalist says that “it’s not about the 7th October”. He called out the inability of the International Community in calling a spade a spade. In a private meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, Motaz questioned the double standards shown by the International Community against Palestinians. The Gaza photojournalist met with Turk during an official trip to Geneva to directly speak about the realities of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the situation in the Strip.
In his Instagram handle, Motaz wrote about his meeting with Turk. To the question of why Turk hesitates in labeling Israel’s actions as genocide, when the officials openly declare Israel’s war of starvation and indiscriminate bombing as genocide, he replied that they need “proof”, said Motaz.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Gaza journalist that everything must be documented by their office “but unfortunately Israel kicked out their staff out from Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories”. The High Commissioner said “he is not allowed to go there and have no power in front of Israel”.
Motaz questioned the UN on its reluctance in talking about Palestine while it speaks out globally on all matters. The young Gazan photojournalist says that there should not be any exceptions in addressing human rights, and urgent actions should be taken to address the international targeting of Palestinian civilians by Israel. He said, the Palestinian people and global community at large demand accountability on the obscenity unleashed up on the innocent civilians of Gaza by the Israeli occupation force.
Motaz Azaiza said he talked with the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights for an hour and tried his best to make everything clear. He said he urged Turk and the UN Human Rights Council to uphold its commitment to justice and human rights. Motaz said, everyone he met said they are doing their ‘best’, but do not have the ‘power’ to stop Israel.
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Motaz played key role in documenting the harrowing realities of Israel’s genocidal bombing on Gaza. The Gazan’s social media platforms showed raw images from the besieged Strip, ranging from displaced children to scattered body parts of civilians due to brutal and indiscriminate Israeli bombing.
He said, even if everything is documented, the Palestinians are still burdened to “prove” the callous barbarity forced down upon them by Benjamin Netanyahu and his occupation force, while “Israelis are stealing the land and killing the people”.
Motaz was evacuated from Gaza after spending 108 days of war in the besieged Strip. He said, “no other option after 108 days of continuous massacres against us. It’s time to move somewhere else so I can do more work and I pray that I can be a reason to stop this war and help rebuild Gaza again”.
Ever since, he was evacuated to Qatar, Motaz has never stopped talking about raising the Palestinian issue. Within 24 hours of reaching Qatar, he gave interview to Al Jazeera, and never stopped since. He has been meeting with ministers, diplomats and media to speak louder about Palestine.
He has given interview to several international media, who asked him to share his experience.
However, Motaz came to a conclusion after giving interviews to the renowned media outlets. “It’s not about the 7th of October”. Exposing the western media, he said they have been cutting his answers because “they actually don’t like my answer”.
Motaz said he was repeatedly asked whether he condemn the October 7th attack, when he showed up to different western media channel. He said the media outlets thought it to be a hard question for him to answer. He said a lot of journalists asked him to avoid the question. But the Gazan said, “I told myself I am Motaz”.
He said though he answered the question for multiple times, the media outlets never shared it. He said they record his interview and then “take what is suitable for their agenda”.
The Gaza photojournalist clarified his answer on the question of condemning the October 7th attack. Motaz said, if anyone want a besieged Palestinian to condemn October 7th, they need to declare that they condemn what Israel has been doing against the Palestinians before the 7th of October, since 1948 and during the genocide, and after it.
So it’s not about the 7th of October…
I received this different times question (Do you condemn the 7th of October attacks) when I showed with different western media channels, but they keep cutting my answer because they actually don’t like my answer.
They believed it may be… pic.twitter.com/yzbrC6sba0
— MoTaz (@azaizamotaz9) March 12, 2024
He said, “Palestinians are not terrorists, Israel killing Palestinians everyday like its duty for them. Israel is a terror state”.
