Last week — specifically 21st November — arrest warrants were issued for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, after months of investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC). [1]
It has argued that Netanyahu and Gallant both bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza. [1]
The ICC has also said there are reasonable grounds to believe that,
“…each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.” [1]
War crimes of murder, persecution, starvation
As the World Court has stated,
“The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024.” [1]
In issuing the warrants for arrest, it noted that decisions allowing or upping aid into Gaza were regularly conditional, and not made to meet Israel’s obligations under international law.
Such decisions were not even taken for the assurance that Gazan civilians would be sufficiently provided for.
As of early November, the UN said virtually no aid reached northern Gaza in 40 days, robbing an estimated 75,000–95,000 people of food and nutrition. [2]
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, warned,
“This month alone, 27 out of the 31 planned missions were rejected, and the other 4 was severely impeded, meaning they were prevented from accomplishing all of the critical work they set out to do.
“To be clear, all attempts by the UN to support people in besieged areas in North Gaza have been denied or impeded.” [2]
Should the majority of Israelis be arrested?
There is a major concern around the silence of mainstream media as well as the World Court in regards to large parts of the Israeli population.
In February — during the height of the Gaza genocide — a poll conducted by the Israeli Democracy Institute found more than two thirds of Israeli Jews against the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza. [3]
It gets even worse; Israeli Jews who had this view also believed that no aid should reach Gaza, even if it came via international bodies not linked (a spurious connection made by some) to Hamas or the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. [3]
In fact, there have been multiple occurrences where Israelis have looted and raided UN aid convoys heading to Gaza!
Earlier this month, 97 trucks were looted in clear sight of Israeli military installations at the Karem Abu Salem crossing. [4]
Armed settlers forced the drivers to unload cargo at gunpoint, injured aid workers, and damaged the vehicles, all while finding it amusing. [5]
Protests for prisoners but not innocent Palestinians
In Israel, protests and a nationwide strike have taken place because of Netanyahu’s reluctance to make a deal with Hamas to get Israeli prisoners home.
People have also been angered by the dismissal of Yoav Gallant earlier this month. But when it comes to humanitarian aid for Gaza, there has not been a single protest — let alone strike — by Israeli Jews.
Even if opinions were to have changed since February and somehow all Israelis now want to allow aid into Gaza, the crime of inaction — of omission — choosing to stay silent in an apparently democratic state, means a large part of the population themselves bear criminal responsibility for the ongoing crime of starvation.
Needless to say, this implicit and explicit support has caused the deaths of children, babies, and women.
Israel has no legal right to exist
Can you imagine if the ICC sought the arrests of two thirds of Israel (roughly 6.5 million) — those that supported the starvation of 2.2 million Gazans?
If this were the case, two thirds of Israel would no longer have the right to live in Israel, as the arrest warrants would indicate.
And Israel does not have the financial, political, or military capital to maintain the Zionist regime with only a third of its population.
Therefore, if legalities were actually implemented on a broader scale, it would not be able to exist, let alone possess the right to exist.
The dagger many people fear to use
As we scour our social feeds — looking at debates with pro-Palestinian figures and Zionist media hosts — the idea of the dissolution of the State of Israel is where a lot of journalists and pro-Palestinian figures fail to go, out of a lack of understanding or fear.
If cable media were to have existed in the 60s to 80s, it’s likely pro-Palestinian figures would have been proud to talk about the right for Palestinian statehood.
Such figures would have been calling for the dismantling of the terrorist state that is Israel, as a lot of them would have seen and felt the colonisation during its prime phase.
Today, it is our responsibility to ensure we carry on the legacy of the generations of the fallen among the resistance and great thinkers of yesterday.
We must feel proud of the opinions we hold; we must allow dignity to override fear in this period of great oppression.
Indeed, Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) tells us,
“So do not fear the people, but fear Me, and do not exchange My revelations for a small price.
“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed — then it is they who are the disbelievers.” [6]
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[2] https://press.un.org/en/2024/db241119.doc.htm
[3] https://en.idi.org.il/articles/52976
[5] https://x.com/SuppressedNws/status/1789963866404692320
[6] al-Qur’ān, 5:44
