Latest news with #Roet
AU Financial Review
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- AU Financial Review
Auction houses embrace exhibitions to sell works
Australian artist Lisa Roet is rightly celebrated for the apes and monkeys she has sculpted over the past 35 years, often working in bronze or marble. Her work is achingly beautiful and alive with human connection. Roet's Chimpanzee Finger, 2007, a bronze sculpture measuring 145 x 140 x 50 centimetres in an edition of six, just sold for $90,000 through Menzies auction house.
Middle East Eye
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Austria must expel Israeli envoy over call to execute Gaza children
Democracy and genocide cannot coexist. One must give way to the other. Once upon a time, when a diplomat openly called for genocide, demanded the death penalty for children, and even acknowledged that such demands violated UN conventions, he would have been expelled without hesitation. But in Austria, a country that hosts UN agencies - institutions supposedly dedicated to the principles of human rights and international law - the abnormal has become the norm. In a secretly filmed video leaked this week, Israel's ambassador to Austria, David Roet, calmly advocates for genocide, for the deaths of children, and for the utter destruction of Gaza. His words are chilling, but not unexpected. He is not a rogue voice; he speaks with the full weight of a government that has been allowed to perpetuate violence with impunity. Roet speaks of Gaza as though it were no more than a distant nuisance; an inconvenience to be swept aside. But his words - spoken without shame or fear - are damning. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters He declares that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, and that all who bear arms should be executed, even children. This is a direct violation of international law, denying the humanity of more than two million people, including a million children. This is not just an Israeli issue. It is an international one. This is Austria's issue, because Austria gives Roet a platform. It has neither condemned his words nor expelled him. It has said and done nothing. Dehumanising Palestinians This is where the failure begins. This is no longer just an issue of diplomacy, but one of life and death, of humanity versus indifference. When the world is faced with a call for genocide, will it act? Or will it remain silent, as usual, and watch this evil spread like a cancer? The video begins as a casual conversation among diplomats. A former Austrian consul, Gunter Wiehl-Volgger, jokes about playing golf in Gaza 'whether you like it or not'. This is no innocent remark; it is the voice of someone who sees Gaza as a playground - a place to be occupied, controlled and ultimately destroyed. But Roet's words cut to the bone. With chilling certainty, he declares: 'I proudly represent the state of Israel,' before going on to say: 'If you believe that there are no uninvolved [people] in Gaza … that Israel is targeting babies intentionally, which is not correct.' This is not just a political statement; it is tantamount to a war crime. By suggesting that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, Roet is dehumanising an entire population, paving the way for their annihilation. "I will play golf in #Gaza whether you like it or not" - Former Consul Wiehl-Volgger during visit of Israeli Amb. Roet "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr. Roet's voice," says the activist who took the video. "No one intervened when Roet suggested the death penalty for children." — 🍉 ronnie barkan (@ronnie_barkan) March 22, 2025 Under international law, civilians must be protected at all costs. Roet's words, which have the full support of the Israeli government, run counter to international humanitarian law. The ugliness doesn't end there. Roet continues: 'There should be a death sentence to be killed off in war if you're holding a gun, even if you are a 16-year-old.' This is not a rhetorical flourish. It is a direct call for the extrajudicial killing of children - a clear violation of the most basic human rights. A child, in any war, must be protected. The world has known this for centuries, yet Roet openly advocates for their killing. His contempt for international law is explicit: the 'UN - whatever it is called - charter' is irrelevant. The death penalty for children is his solution. He is neither ashamed nor afraid. And Austria, a host country for the UN, sits in silence. Promise of destruction The video goes deeper still, and Roet's disdain for international efforts to rebuild Gaza is palpable. He mocks the idea of European aid to Gaza: 'Will Europe be crazy enough to invest money again in Gaza? So we will have to destroy it the next time.' This statement is not merely a snub to European generosity. It is a declaration of intent: Israel will not allow Gaza to rebuild. It will not allow Palestinians to survive, nor allow them to live with any dignity. Gaza will be destroyed again. Austrian far-right victory foreshadows dystopia for Muslim population Read More » Austria has the power to expel Roet and stand against this genocidal rhetoric - yet it does nothing, thus betraying the very principles it is supposed to uphold. By failing to sanction Roet, Austria becomes complicit in the destruction of Gaza and the eradication of Palestinian life. Austria's failure to act is not merely a national disgrace; it is also a direct affront to the UN. As a host country, Austria is bound by the UN Charter and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to ensure that diplomats adhere to the standards set forth by the international community, and refrain from any activities that endanger peace and security. Roet's statements - advocating mass executions and mocking international law - breach the very principles meant to protect the dignity and rights of every human being. These include the European Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines the fundamental rights of all individuals, regardless of who they are or where they come from; Protocol No 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which calls to abolish the death penalty; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a promise that every child deserves safety and care. High stakes Roet's statements are not merely errors; they are a denial of the basic, inalienable rights that bind us all. And still, the Austrian government has taken no action. Roet boasts in the video of how close he is with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker: 'I have the WhatsApp of the chancellor, which means we are the only embassy, the only diplomats, who have met Mr Stocker.' The world must choose now: will it stand against genocide, or will it stand with those who normalise it? The silence from Austria is deafening, but the silence from the UN is even more telling. If Austria refuses to expel Roet, then the UN must move its operations out of Vienna. Institutions that claim to uphold international law and human rights cannot continue to operate in a country that tolerates genocide. Such inaction would make the UN complicit in the very crimes it was created to prevent. If Austria does not act, this is not just Austria's failure. It is the world's failure. Any nation that continues to operate within Vienna's UN framework, without confronting Austria's complicity in genocide, becomes an accomplice in this evil. History will judge us all. Austria's failure to expel Roet will not be forgotten. The world must choose now: will it stand against genocide, or will it stand with those who normalise it? The choice is ours. The stakes are too high to remain silent. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Middle East Eye
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli envoy to Austria suggests executing Gaza minors in secret recording
Israel's ambassador to Austria, David Roet, has suggested executing Palestinian minors involved in armed conflict, a secretly recorded video has revealed. During a closed-door meeting with the local Jewish community in Innsbruck on Thursday, Roet said that "there should be a death sentence" for teenagers for "holding a gun" or a "grenade". He provided no evidence of children carrying weapons in Gaza. The video was recorded two days after Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire on 18 March, by which time more than 500 Palestinians were killed, of which almost 200 where children. Roet dismissed concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza, stating: "If you believe that there are no uninvolved [people] in Gaza… you're believing that Israel is targeting babies intentionally, which is not correct." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters According to Unicef, more than 14,500 children have been killed by Israel in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October 2023. These figures do not include the number of children Israel has killed since it broke the ceasefire. Overall, Israel has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and wounded 113,000 more since its bombardment of Gaza began. At least 10,000 people are still missing, likely dead and buried under rubble. 'Fascist psychopaths' Roet also questioned whether Europe should invest in Gaza's reconstruction, suggesting the enclave would simply be destroyed again. "Will Europe be crazy enough to invest money again in Gaza? So we will have to destroy it the next time," he remarked. Roet further revealed he was in direct contact with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker via WhatsApp and claimed to be the only diplomat who had spoken with him. "I will play golf in #Gaza whether you like it or not" - Former Consul Wiehl-Volgger during visit of Israeli Amb. Roet "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr. Roet's voice," says the activist who took the video. "No one intervened when Roet suggested the death penalty for children." — 🍉 ronnie barkan (@ronnie_barkan) March 22, 2025 According to Roet, Stocker sought a meeting to reassure him that Austria's ties with Israel would remain intact. The activist who filmed the meeting condemned Roet's remarks. "I felt sickened by the calm in Mr Roet's voice as he made these statements. No one intervened when he suggested the death penalty for children," they said. "This makes me think how corrupted the issue is when people with the power to change something suggest committing war crimes as a solution," the activist added. "To end the suffering, we must challenge the fascist psychopaths turning us against each other and profiting from imperialist deals."
