“A Watershed Event”: ICC Charges Against Netanyahu First Time Court Has Gone After Western Leader
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Published 2024-05-21
Israel and the United States have both strongly condemned the International Criminal Court’s decision to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes charges, calling it “outrageous” and seeking support from other allies in opposing the court’s moves. On Monday, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan outlined specific charges against Netanyahu and Gallant, including “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” and “extermination.” The ICC also sought arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas — Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif — for war crimes including extermination and murder, the taking of captives, torture, rape and other acts of sexual violence. The warrants for Israel’s top leaders, which must still be approved by a panel of ICC judges, is “a watershed event in the history of international justice,” says war crimes prosecutor Reed Brody. “This is the first time that a Western or pro-Western leader is [the] subject of an indictment request.” We also speak with Israeli historian Ilan Pappé, author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, who says Israel’s strident response to the ICC prosecutor is no surprise. “This is the kind of Israel we have in 2024. It doesn’t care about international law. It doesn’t care about international opinion,” says Pappé.
Transcript: www.democracynow.org/2024/5/21/international_law_i…
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All Comments (21)
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Bullying the International courts and wanting to investigate themselves. You wouldn't allow crooks or robbers investigate themselves no matter what resources they had
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As an American, I am appalled and ashamed of the double standard. Do we stand behind human rights always or only when they are enforced against perceived political opponents?
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But Russia is not a member and America had no issues when an arrest warrant was issued for Putin.
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Nobody is above the law
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Double standard of genocide Joe ! Were it Poutine ?
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Double face of America
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What's the point to arrest warrants without any arrests?! Outrageous!
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tfw israel's actions and rampant abuse of the term "antisemitism" will undoubtedly lead to the word losing nearly all meaning and make the spread of actual antisemitism much easier
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Not alone should Netanyahu, members of his cabinet and military leaders be prosecuted, but they should be prosecuted in Nurenberg, preferably in the same rooms as the original Nurenberg trials as a message to those who said "never again".
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Netanyahu slams the ICC's request for arrest warrants, why? He reacts the way a guilty person always acts. Netanyahu knows full well he is guilty. Otherwise, he would be anxious for the chance to go the court and prove his innocence. But his only defense is to smear any attempt to force him to face justice. Those defending the Israelis who have been accused of crimes similarly have no defense but to call those seeking justice, antisemitic. These defenders do not want justice they want to be above any law, to have no court or law apply to them or Israel.
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The ICC should not give a FCUK about US threats and do what's right for humanity!
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Biden, Scholz, and Bärbock need to be held accountable as well - aiding and abetting
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So international law is apparently optional and does not applies when it goes against USA.
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I am getting really fed up of hearing "antisemitism", "antisemitism", "anti bloody semitism". Israel really isn't doing itself any favours with this antisemitism call, no matter what it is they are accused of doing.
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It breaks my heart as an American to see how evil and corrupt we’ve become. 💔💔💔 We cannot support the continued massacre of the innocent civilians, women, and children of Gaza. Free Palestine.
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Before the US says it is not genocide, truly look and understand history and the condition of the Palestinians... But you won't because of the politics, power and economic interest of the US in the region.
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They are too used to getting away with atrocities for decades. 🤬
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Birds of same feather flock together.
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Arrest them !!! Include Biden and Blinken
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The USA response to the ICC is DISGUSTING
