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RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
How hunger and starvation are used as political weapons in Gaza
Analysis: Hunger has been used as a weapon of war for millennia, but is now recognised both morally and legally as a crime against humanity "We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war". So says UN Secretary-General António Guterres reflecting on the catastrophic reality in Gaza today, where the population of two million are being deliberately and systematically destroyed by famine and malnutrition. He is right of course, except that hunger has been a weapon of war for millennia. In 52 BC, Julius Caesar secured his most important victory against the Gauls, and hunger was his chosen weapon. The Roman army starved its enemy into submission. The fortified town of Alesia, in modern day eastern France, was subjected to Caesar's most audacious siege. In his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Gallic Wars), Caesar boasts of killing 250,000 people, one of the earliest recorded genocides in history. Modern historians will tell you that that's a gross exaggeration, but they also agree that many thousands, mostly women and children, died of hunger and malnutrition in that siege. I wouldn't be surprised if Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a copy of Caesar's Gallic Wars on his desk. From RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Miscellany, Mary Byrne's Looking for Gauls in Gallia Narbonensis on the trail of the Gauls from Caesar's Gallic Wars to Asterix The siege of Alesia was not the first time hunger was used as a weapon of war, and certainly not the last. There have been many sieges since then, and the 20th century was not an exception. Some of the most recent devastating sieges of the last 100 years include Stalingrad (1942-3), Beirut (1982) and Srebrenica (1992-5). Hunger is, and always has been, a weapon of war. In fact, hunger has always been a political weapon, even outside of wars. In his book The Politics of Hunger, which focuses on politics in England between 1750 and 1840, Carl Griffin examines how hunger was deliberately used by the British Empire as a disciplining device. The Irish people were often at the receiving end of this crushing policy. The future is unpredictable, however history has a tendency to repeat itself. Where wars erupt, hunger, malnutrition and starvation tend to follow. What is happening in Gaza today should not surprise anyone, least of all António Guterres. Nor should it surprise US president Donald Trump, who seemed flabbergasted when asked whether Israel was fuelling hunger in Gaza during his recent visit to Scotland: "I don't know... those children look very hungry... that's real starvation stuff". From RTÉ News, aid agencies say humanitarian suffering in Gaza at 'unimaginable' levels It's important to remind ourselves that at least one thing has changed since Julius Caesar's roamed with impunity across France, Germany and Britain, and more recently since the violent supremacy of the British Empire. The advent of the culture of human rights, and the international law framework for punishing or rebuking those who violate human rights, has been a game changer since the end of World War II. Hunger as a weapon of war is now recognised both morally and legally as a crime against humanity. The concept of crime against humanity has legal recognition in international law, thanks to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The crimes that can be charged as crimes against humanity include enslavement, deportation or forcible transfer of population, torture and sexual violence (rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization). It also includes the crime of extermination. While open to different interpretations, according to William Schabas, Professor Emeritus at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway, the deprivation of access to food and medicine can constitute an act of extermination. From RTÉ News, Taoiseach says Israel's Gaza blockade 'clearly a war crime' The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction in accordance with the Rome Statute with respect to four legally recognized crimes: the crime of genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes and the crime of aggression. These are not just abstract concepts, or mere words. The recognition of these crimes is an acknowledgement of our common humanity. Impunity or indifference in the face of these unimaginable atrocities that shock the conscience of humanity risk breaking not just the common bonds that unite all peoples, but also shattering the very meaning of what is to be human. Depriving access to food and medicine is considered by many human rights scholars a violation of a basic right, to be precise the right to subsistence. This right can be traced back to the work of 17th century German jurist and political philosopher Samuel von Pufendorf, but more recently it has been vindicated by some of the most influential scholars in human rights and political philosophy, including Henry Shue, who advocates the right to those material provisions needed for one's self-preservation. As Shue writes in his 1996 book Basic Rights: Subsistence, Affluence, and U.S. Foreign Policy, "no one can fully, if at all, enjoy any right that is supposedly protected by society if he or she lacks the essentials for a reasonably healthy and active life". These essentials, which make up the right to subsistence, include the right to water, food, shelter, and access to basic medical provisions. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, "I'm a genocide scholar. I know it when I see it". Holocaust historian and former Israeli soldier, Prof Omer Bartow, says the IDF campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide Israel signed the Rome Statue on December 31st 2000, but withdrew on August 28th 2002, and they have since formally indicated that they no longer plan to ratify the treaty. Sudan, the United States and Russia also withdrew their signature from the Rome Statute. Nevertheless, if international law is to retain any legitimacy and standing, it is imperative that the international community keeps using these terms, and that politicians and concerned global citizens keep referring to these crimes in relation to current affairs, whether the accused state is a signatory or not to the Rome Statute. The malnourished and starving children of Gaza are not the only victims of this conflict. The biggest casualty of the war in Gaza risks being politics itself. International politics and international human rights law are facing an existential crisis. It takes a gargantuan effort of optimism to keep believing in the power of politics during times of war, but the alternative is too dire to even consider. António Guterres says that we must never accept hunger as a weapon of war because he knows that the UN is being starved of its legitimacy, and international law is being starved of its efficiency. As Israel defends its latest plan to take control of Gaza City, the future of human rights - not only for Palestinians but for all of us - is in the balance.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
All you need to know about Netflix's Asterix and Obelix The Big Fight series and Shrek connection
It is based on one of the popular and original comic books A new comedy series based on a beloved character and suitable for the whole family is coming to Netflix. Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight is streaming from April 30 and is the latest adaptation of the beloved French comic book series. Across dozens of publications, these stories follow plucky Gaul Asterix along with his best friend Obelix and the rest of their village. They are the last remaining holdouts to the Rome Empire. thanks in large part to a magic potion that enhances their strength immediately after drinking. Obelix fell into this potion as a child and so is boosted by its effects permanently. All this helps their village keep the forces of Julius Caesar's Roman Republic Army in a nonhistorical telling of the time after the Gallic Wars at bay. But what is this new Netflix series about exactly? When is it streaming and what is its connection with animated classic Shrek? Here's everything you need to know. What is Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight about? According to Netflix's Tudum website, the series is set In the midst of the first millennium, with Rome desperate to conquer the last independent village in Gaul. This is the home of Astérix and Obélix. The secret to the their battle superiority is the previously mentioned magic potion. This is made by the druid Getafix but when he is struck down by amnesia and can no longer remember the recipe, the villagers are left to their own devices against the might of the Romans. It is up to Asterix, Obelix and the rest of the Gauls to find new ways to keep the Roman conquerors at bay. According to a list on IMDB, there is expected to be around five episodes. They will all release on the same day of April 30. Is The Big Fight based on one of the Asterix books? Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight is indeed based on one of the original books or volumes written by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. So far, it looks like it will be a pretty faithful adaptation. It's based on the seventh volume from 1964, which carried the same title in its English publication. In some regions, it was called The Battle of the Chieftans. In addition to the story details above, the Romans conspire with a Roman-friendly Gaulish village to declare a ritual winner-takes-all fight between village chiefs. They see this is an opportunity to finally take control of Asterix's village and the fight parodies professional boxing. By far from the first Asterix adaptation for the screen, there have been eight animated feature films, at least two CGI centric movies and even six live-action films. One of these includes a the Netflix film, Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom released in 2023. What is the connection to Shrek? This new Netflix series has a perhaps surprising connection to animated classic Shrek. The French production is directed by actor and filmmaker Alain Chabat. He also provides the voice of Asterix in the original French language version. His previous credits also include appearing opposite Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum 2 as Napoleon Bonaparte. Interestingly though, he provides the voice of the French dubbed version of Shrek across all four major films, replacing Mike Myers. Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight is streaming on Netflix April 30.
