The government of Rwanda’s official Twitter account pumped out five tweets miraculous for their fake compassion and outright mendacity. Apparently, the media coverage of the atrocious Israeli plan to expel 40,000 African refugees and the opprobrium meted out to Rwanda as the repository of these “dregs,” has hit a nerve.
It’s well documented in Israeli media that the far-right Israeli government has an extraordinarily close relationship with the Kagame regime, which has been accused of genocide in Congo. Israel also armed the previous Rwandan government which was accused of genocide and overthrown by Kagame himself.
Haaretz reported that in return for Rwanda accepting expelled refugees from Israel, the latter would provide both agricultural aid and weapons for the former’s army fighting in Congo. Since Kagame draws the lion’s share of the blame for the murder of over 4-million Congolese, that means that Israel is an accessory to genocide, as it is by arming the Burmese junta which has ethnically cleansed 500,000 Rohingya Muslims. Further, Israel supplies weapons to some of the most corrupt, brutal dictatorships on the continent. It also supplies computer, networking and technical support allowing these same dictators to claim victory in “democratic elections.”
Israeli human rights activists and the media have also documented that when they arrive in Rwanda and other third-country destinations, the refugees are given nothing: no food, shelter, or identity papers. All contrary to international humanitarian law. They are prey to Rwandans who exploit them and their vulnerability. Many refugees try to leave the country and make their way north again. Some have ended up executed on Libyan beaches by ISIS. Again, all this documented by media reports.
So the claim of Rwandan sympathy for their African brothers sisters is a cruel joke. Its government has no more compassion for these unfortunate people than it does for a cockroach. The refugees are pawns in a game played by two powerful countries pursuing their own murderous interests.
As for the denial of the “secret deal” with Israel, the Rwandans can deny all they like. But no one is buying it. There is an agreement either secret or in writing; one worked out between the two governments themselves or agents acting on their behalf.
Great reporting. I think here, you are correct. The corroborative information is solid re: Kagame. Israel is opening an embassy in Rwanda and the quid pro quo sounds likely. These back-end dealings, however, are a furnace of enmity for the deal-makers by people involved and witnessing what is happening. It deteriorates the credibility of the deal-makers, and so, the benefit appears short term, tactical and not long-term and strategical.
The only issue I’ll stake as well is how Israel seems to negotiate “the right of return” or “forced return” of refugees to Rwanda, but rejects adamantly the internationally recognized right of return of Palestinians.
By definition, to refuse the indigenous their right of return is to posture as a colonialist enterprise. Israel’s “Leviathan”, the occupation, the existence of “settlers”, and more undoubtedly re-affirm that Israel bears a colonialist identity, one that consists of land theft, the re-terming of the identity of the occupied country, etc., based on various pretexts that Israel’s supporters also often try to blockade from scrutiny because an examination of those “justifications” de-legitimizes the moral advertisements of Zionism.
There are no “secret deals” made to restore Palestine. Rather, the “secret deals” involve expelling Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt and eviscerating Palestine from existence.
Soli
It seems to me Israel is missing a chance for developing some complementary lines of business here.
After all, it’s a documented fact that Israelis are leaders in the international illegal organ trade.
It’d be interesting to compare the language in the above Twitter posts to other posts made by the government of Rwanda.
My guess is that the language would be noticeably different, and my guess is that Israel herself probably wrote the above posts. They’re just too pitch-perfect.
I could be wrong. It’s just a thought.
[Comment deleted: your next comment violation results in moderation]
“After all, it’s a documented fact that Israelis are leaders in the international illegal organ trade.”
don’t things need proof on this blog?