Mark Kersten || @markkersten.bsky.social@MarkKersten

"You sound a lot like NY Mayor Mamdani." - fmr journalist Human Rights, International Law, Canadian Law | Prof @goUFV | @WayamoFound | BCL/JD McGill | PhD, LSE

 Vancouver, British Columbia
markkersten.com
Joined April 2009
2,459 Photos and videos
To understand genocide in Gaza & elsewhere, we need to talk about it as a process not an event. Perhaps the most important op-ed I've written for @globeandmail: theglobeandmail.com/opinion/… Thanks to @AlexNeve24 for comments on a draft & @itsmarkmedley & team for running it!

Opinion: Genocide is a process, not an event

We need to understand the nature of genocide – how the ground is laid by dehumanization and slow violence - if we hope to prevent it and hold perpetrators to account

theglobeandmail.com
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Hugh Lovatt@h_lovatt
18h
The latest edition of the UN Human Rights Council's database of businesses involved in Israeli settlements is now out -- listing 214 companies from Israel, South Africa, China, USA, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, France, UK, Germany, and Mexico. ohchr.org/sites/default/file…
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Nicholas Coghlan@NicholasCoghlan
18h
"All States must comply with their obligations under the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime." Yes 🇨🇦. So where's the action on Streit (armoured cars) and Sterling Cross (sniper rifles)? If we think the UN resolutions don't cover them, try our own sanctions regime/Arms Trade Treaty.
Development Canada
@CanadaDev
Sep 24
The people of Sudan continue to suffer. Canada joined partners at #UNGA81 to call for the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers & front-line responders, safe humanitarian access & accountability for violations of international law. Read statement: ow.ly/zevz50ZR3x8
Graphic with Canadian government logo and reads: "Statement: Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice in Sudan"

ALT Graphic with Canadian government logo and reads: "Statement: Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice in Sudan"

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Geoffrey York@geoffreyyork
18h
As long ago as 2014, Canada could have begun developing a vaccine for Bundibugyo Ebola, which is today killing thousands. A top Canadian scientist was urging it, after her lab created a Zaire Ebola vaccine. See her 2014 report below. But it never happened. theglobeandmail.com/world/ar…
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Trip Gabriel@tripgabriel
18h
The NYT confirms Haaretz's report that Benjamin Netanyahu was secretly warned before Oct. 7, 2023 by the Emirati president that Hamas planned a major attack, per 2 sources The warning was not shared with Israeli security chiefs, per 5 ex-officials nytimes.com/2026/09/25/world…

Netanyahu Said to Have Been Warned by Emirati Leader About Hamas Attack Before Oct. 7 (Gift Article)

The warning from the leader of the United Arab Emirates, which lacked specific details about the nature of an attack, never reached the chiefs of Israel’s security establishment, Israeli officials...

nytimes.com
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There are growing fears of a return to civil war in Ethiopia after an offensive by fighters from Tigray into the states of Afar and Amhara and the formation of a new rebel alliance aimed at overthrowing the government of the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed theguardian.com/world/2026/s…

Rebel offensive against Ethiopian army stokes fears of return to civil war

Fighting escalates after Tigrayan rebels form new coalition aimed at overthrowing Abiy Ahmed government

theguardian.com
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The only people and states against prosecuting the very worst crimes are those who commit or fuel them.
Rob Jetten
@MinPres
Sep 25
Hoe kun je tegen het berechten van de allerergste misdrijven zijn? Handen af van het ICC en alle andere instituties die de internationale rechtsorde beschermen.
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Genocide isn’t popular at the UN. Go figure.
Ambassador Mike Waltz
@USAmbUN
Sep 25
Terrible to see all these ambassadors to the UN walk out on Israel. Not nearly as many walked out on Iran yesterday — even after they machine gunned 40,000 of their own people.
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"How can you possibly be opposed to prosecuting the very worst crimes? I believe there can be only one response. To say: hands off the ICC, and all those other institutions that protect the international legal order." - Dutch PM at #UNGA government.nl/documents/2026… #ICC
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Mark Ruffalo
@MarkRuffalo
Sep 24
Naza drops for free to the public in November. Public service announcement.
Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם@yuval_abraham
Sep 24
בגלל העניין והחשיבות הציבורית אני ורחלי החלטנו ביחד עם הגרדיאן שהסרט נז״א יהיה נגיש באינטרנט בחינם, ללא הגבלת זמן, כדי שכל אדם יוכל לצפות בו ובעדויות החיילים. זה יקרה בעוד כמה שבועות, בנובמבר, במועד הכי מוקדם שהצלחנו לקבוע. עד אז פנינו לבתי קולנוע בישראל והצענו להם את הסרט ללא עלות, בתקווה שיוקרן בארץ כבר עכשיו, במקביל להפצתו בבתי קולנוע בעולם. הצגתו תהיה החלטה אמיצה אל מול אלימות גדולה שמכוונת להסתרתו. אני יודע שיש ביקוש אדיר לצפות בסרט ואני מקווה שבאופן הזה כולם בקרוב יוכלו לראות אותו: בין אם בבתי הקולנוע ובין אם באינטרנט בעוד כמה שבועות. הרבה דברים לא נכונים נאמרו עלינו ועל הסרט בשבוע החולף. הסרט מבוסס על תחקיר עיתונאי מקיף של שלוש שנים והפרטים בו מאומתים ומוצלבים. הוא ידבר בעד עצמו והאמת סופה להתבהר. עשינו את הסרט כדי לעורר דיון ציבורי לגבי המעשים של הממשלה בעזה, ההרג של יותר מ73,000 בני אדם, רובם אזרחים, הנרמול של מלחמת השמדה, של התפיסה ש״אין בלתי מעורבים״. עשרים וארבעה חיילים וחיילות עשו צעד ודיברו מול מצלמה על מה שחברה שלמה לא רוצה לדבר עליו. ההכרה בזוועות בעזה לא מפחיתה לרגע מהטבח הנפשע של השבעה באוקטובר, שחמאס אחראי עליו, שחיילים מדברים עליו בסרט, ושאין לו שום הצדקה. להפך. הרי ההתעלמות ממה שקורה בעזה היא מהגורמים שסללו את הדרך לשבת הנוראה ההיא. וההתעלמות הזו נמשכת. עיתונות היא לא בגידה. ביקורת היא לא בגידה. זו חובה של כל אזרח שממשלתו מבצעת פשעים לדעת ושל כל חייל שהיה עד להם לספר. מסתובבים כאן אלפי חיילים כאלה, שיצפו בסרט ויזהו את מה שמתואר בו באופן אישי: את ההרג של אנשים לא חמושים שחוצים קו מדומיין, את אישורי הנז״א במאות, את התקיפות המערכתיות בבתי משפחות, את השריפה וההשמדה הפיזית של עזה, רצח וירי על אנשים רעבים במרכזי מזון ופשעים נוספים שאין להם הצדקה. גם אם זה מפחיד, זו חובתכם למצוא את הדרך להעיד על מה שראיתם. יגידו לכם שכדאי להסתיר את האמת למען הסברה בחו״ל, אבל זה קשקוש. שם יודעים כבר הכל. פשעים לא מסבירים אלא עוצרים. הסתרת האמת קודם כל מרעילה את החברה שלנו ומעל הכל מאפשרת לפגיעה בבני אדם בעזה להימשך. ובנימה אישית: אני כותב על מדיניות האש של הצבא בעזה בעברית ב״שיחה מקומית״ כבר שלוש שנים. התחקירים זכו להתעלמות בישראל. עכשיו בפעם הראשונה משהו נסדק במסך ההתעלמות - וזה דבר חיובי. זה דבר בריא. כן, זה מגיע עם מחיר אישי גדול. היה שבוע קשה. אבל בתוכו גם יש המון תמיכה, והרבה נדיבות. מה שבטוח: האיומים לא יעזרו. זה לא מרתיע אותנו. אני ורחלי נחזור לארץ ונמשיך להיאבק על עתיד המקום הזה ביחד עם שותפים רבים.
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Al Jazeera English
@AJEnglish
Sep 24
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu labels Al Jazeera “toxic” during his UNGA speech in New York. Israel has killed 13 Al Jazeera journalists since October 7 and has banned the network from reporting inside the country. 🟡 LIVE updates: aje.news/h39n9z
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Scott Robertson
@sarobertson_
Sep 24
Bob Rae on fighting for democracy: "I think it's really important for people to understand that this is the battle of our lifetime. And our grandparents and our parents fought that battle in the Second World War. We had it on easy street for quite a while. And now we've got to fight again."
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Canada stayed to listen to Netanyahu.
courtneybonneauimages
@cbonneauimages
Sep 24
List of countries whose delegations walked out of the General Assembly hall during the speech by wanted war criminal Netanyahu: Iraq Iran Syria Tuvalu Turkmenistan Yemen Egypt Panama Senegal Palestine Sudan Tunisia Turkey Venezuela Antigua and Barbuda Congo Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Tonga Uzbekistan Angola Barbados Colombia Comoros Dominica Djibouti North Macedonia San Marino South Africa Somalia Algeria Bangladesh Brunei Darussalam Brazil Chile Democratic Republic of the Congo Lebanon Liberia Eritrea Chad Central African Republic Libya Mauritania Jordan Nicaragua Madagascar Niger Peru Saint Lucia Slovenia Afghanistan Bahamas Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana North Korea Eswatini Uganda Pakistan Lesotho Bolivia Spain Cuba Equatorial Guinea Iran Kyrgyzstan Mozambique Myanmar Ireland Maldives Indonesia Kuwait Namibia Malaysia Guyana Kenya
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Rabbi Moishe Indig@MoishIndig
Sep 24
Mr. Netanyahu, you do not speak for New York’s Jewish community. Your government arrests hundreds of innocent yeshiva students each week, while we in New York practice our faith and live freely and safely. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a friend and ally to our community You are not.
Acyn
@Acyn
Sep 24
Netanyahu: The anti-semitic mayor of New York—shame on you. Mr. Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York. They talk to me. They tell me.
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“Many of the suspects who have escaped prosecution in the decades since the end of the WWII on the grounds that they were considered to have played an insignificant role were in fact integral to the implementation of the Hitler regime’s murderous aims.” theguardian.com/world/2026/s…

Germany investigates 105-year-old suspected former Nazi prison camp guard

Man accused of being accessory to murders at Stalag 326 VI K amid race to prosecute suspects before they die

theguardian.com
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Spokesperson for Foreign Minister @AnitaAnandMP appears to confirm that Canada authorized Netanyahu to fly over the country, despite the #ICC warrant against him. She adds that it was for the #UNGA, but other overflights Canada authorized had nothing to do with the UN...
CTV News
@CTVNews
Sep 24
Netanyahu crosses Canadian airspace with arrest warrant in effect ctvnews.ca/world/israel-hama…
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Police say the shooting at a Belleville Synagogue was a deliberate hate attack. Hate & antisemitism have no place in Canada or anywhere. No atrocity or act of violence ever justifies another. Thinking of the families affected by this cowardly attack. cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/li…

Synagogue shooting was deliberate hate attack: Belleville, Ont., police | CBC

cbc.ca
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Two years ago, 🇨🇦🇩🇪🇳🇱 & 🇦🇺 started a process to bring Afghanistan to the ICJ over discrimination against women & girls. Since then? Radio silence. What is happening with the case? Why hasn't it moved forward? What else can Canada do? Fatema Ahmadi and I for @globeandmail 👇
The Globe and Mail
@globeandmail
Sep 24
Opinion: Where does Canada stand on the rights of Afghan women and girls? theglobeandmail.com/opinion/…
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Two years ago, 🇨🇦🇩🇪🇳🇱 & 🇦🇺 started a process to bring Afghanistan to the ICJ over discrimination against women & girls. Since then? Radio silence. What is happening with the case? Why hasn't it moved forward? What else can Canada do? Fatema Ahmadi and I for @globeandmail 👇
The Globe and Mail
@globeandmail
Sep 24
Opinion: Where does Canada stand on the rights of Afghan women and girls? theglobeandmail.com/opinion/…
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ian bremmer
@ianbremmer
Sep 24
spread of israeli settlements/outposts in the west bank, 1970-2026 - al jazeera
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Anyone have advice on this? @AirCanada destroyed our stroller on a trip to Europe in July. We followed instructions, bought a new stroller, & filed a report. They got back to us & asked for more info, which we provided. That was 3 months ago. Silence since then. Advice? 🙏
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It worked. It shouldn’t have to be this way, but calling AC out here worked. They not only responded but is (rightly) compensating the costs of us buying a new stroller. Thanks to all for the moral support!
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