— Musings —05.23.2024 09:47 AM
The ICC: anti-Semitic and anti-justice
Here.
— Musings —05.23.2024 09:47 AM
Here.
And today the ICJ has purported to “order” Israel to halt its Rafah offensive. Has the ICJ ever purported to dictate the military operations of any other state? Or to require that state to justify the defence of its citizenry?
Whatever shred of credibility the UN, the ICJ and the ICC had left is now gone. We needed them as a bulwark against the likes of Trump, Putin and Orban, but they overplayed their hand and now it will be easier than ever for nationalists to call for their dismantling.
Yes, they have. They ordered Russia to stop in 2022. They’ve ordered the USA to get out of Nicaragua once upon a time.
Conduct matters. Israel’s government is not entitled to carte blanche.
Jason,
Sure, conduct matters but that’s precisely it: the ICJ and ICTY got nowhere with Milosevic until his own people sold him out. (Thank God they did.)
In Netanyahu’s case, his direct intent is not genocidal. It remains to be seen if the end result can constructively be proven to be so.
Bibi is in power because none of the coalition partners are feeling significant heat from party members. Otherwise, he would be long gone as prime minister. Plenty hate Netanyahu but the party numbers simply aren’t there to do anything about it. Entrenched he remains, polls or no polls.
Ronald
Ultimately, I would agree that Netanyahu doesn’t have the “intent” to carry out genocide, however, I also believe he is perfectly willing to let the extremists do as they will in order to stay in power and sidebar his own corruption scandals. The bigger issue with Netanyahu is to find out to what degree he is both indirectly – and directly – responsible for October 7. As long as there are (what few remain) people in global power who continue to accept that Netanyahu is the voice of the Jewish people and not simply the horrifically flawed leader of an electoral body, he has some shielding there.
Some of his cabinet is going to have a hard time denying genocidal intent. “There will be no electricity, no food, no water. We are fighting human animals” – Yoav Gallant. It’s kind of hard to claim innocence when you’re going on international TV to announce your upcoming war crimes.
Remember, Milosevic and his cronies used the self-defense of the nation as an excuse for his crimes as well.
We may not get him unseated. But we can stop funding his military until some common sense prevails. Contrary to what they say in public, the IDF is not even remotely close to being at risk of being outgunned by Hamas, even if Biden and Scholz stop supplying arms.
Jason,
Well, West Bank settlers looting aid convoy trucks while the IDF watches are not exactly helping the Israeli cause. They have begun a process of undermining their side by their unacceptable permissive attitude. Neither a humane nor smart military strategy.
If I were of flag rank, a colonel or major, I would move in against those settlers without orders. And then I’d gladly take my lumps at a court-martial, that is, if my superiors had the guts to try and court-martial me.
Jason,
As for the Hamas terrorists, they aren’t the swiftest: by firing rockets into Tel Aviv, they’re begging the IDF for a Rafah clear out. This will only egg on Netanyahu. To say their strategy is counterproductive is an understatement. As for a PR win, they have no mileage to gain since both camps are already entrenched either in favour of the Palestinians or the Israelis. There are no converts to be had on either side.
Hamas will sacrifice thousands of innocents without hesitation, because they know the IDF and it’s leadership won’t stop the disproportionate massacre as a response. They’ll continue their fruitless attacks, striking fear and little else in Israel, and in response another hundred Palestinians will be condemned – and another few percentage points of global support for Israel will plummet as a result of the needless overreaction that just won’t stop.
This is why my heart breaks for the kids of Palestine: they’re caught between two regimes that cannot be trusted and are indifferent about their suffering AT BEST – and at worst, actively want them dead for political points and land grabs – and also, they have too many in the global power structure that thinks they should be treated as terrorists simply for existing. It’s a pretty bleak existence.
I want all murderers brought to justice, whether October 7th perpetrators or racist settlers, but I will not apologize for wanting the carnage to end on all fronts first and foremost.