FLASH
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Regardless of what the final decision of the international criminal court will be, Israel has entered a new era in relation to its relations with its Western allies, including the United States. The actions it takes against the Palestinians will no longer go unaccounted for.
This situation was accelerated by the war with Hamas. But the reality is that the international account would have come regardless. That's because a 57-year occupation of the Palestinian people saw no just solution, coupled with a fascist, racist government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - and bolstered by far-right settler leaders Bezalel Smotrich, the minister of finance and Homeland Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – cannot play without consequences in polite global society.
It is remarkable that on the same day as the ICC announced an arrest warrant request for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Netanyahu government made a move, yet again, to undermine Israeli democracy. The ink on the ICC statement was barely dry before Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi seized reporting equipment from The Associated Press, claiming it had ignored warnings and was providing news sources to the now-exiled Al Jazeera. (He was forced to reverse his decision the same day after strong U.S. opposition.) In addition to agreeing to shut down Al Jazeera with the creation of a new Israeli media law (whose legitimacy is being challenged in Israeli courts) , Karhi knows no boundaries. He has also tried to dismantle Kan, Israel's public media, because his boss finds it unsuitable for his personal interests. So far, on this point, he has failed.
Similarly, at the same time that the Netanyahu government raged against the ICC's dictates, it allowed renegade thugs to attack trucks en route to Gaza with needed and urgent food supplies. This has been an ongoing issue in Israel. Netanyahu has refused to stop the raiding of supply trucks by an organized group of right-wing activists, in fact politically linked to Ben-Gvir, the minister responsible for the police, who have taken politics into their own hands by destroying food supplies traveling in Israel en route to Gaza.
I do not believe that Israel has a policy of starving Gazans to death, nor do I believe that Israel and Hamas should be weighed equally. But I can certainly understand why some, including the ICC, would accuse Israel of promoting a policy of starvation inside Gaza, based on the statements of Gallant, who declared at the start of the war that he planned a "complete encirclement of Gaza".
The Israeli government must vigorously defend the transfer of essential food supplies.
A competent prime minister would insist and ensure that these convoys are protected. But then again, a fair prime minister also wouldn't continue to allow Ben-Gvir to be part of his government, let alone appoint him in the first place.
Words and actions have consequences.
This is the same government that attempted a coup against the judiciary before October 7 and continues to seek ways to neutralize the Israeli judiciary – one of the main pillars of Israel's weakened democracy that has, at the very least, provided a buffer against global actions just like ICC action. In the recent past, global institutions and foreign countries have been assured that Israel's high court would overturn any extreme action by the Israeli government.
But not with this government. Instead, one of its top ministers attended a rally in Spain of European fascist parties promoting their philosophy to coincide with the upcoming European Union elections, led by notables such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the far-right French leader Marine Le Pen, neither a purveyor of a democratic world order nor a believer in international human rights.
This is an Israeli government that allows Jewish settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the West Bank to run over Palestinian civilian populations, destroying crops and property and endangering innocent civilians, as its government raises more funds for settlers, distributes weapons for untrained civilians and refuses to abide by agreements already signed by Israel to support funding and other agreements with the Palestinian Authority.
Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, considered a realist in Israel's current war cabinet and a potential rival for Netanyahu's prime ministership, also refused to accept the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority in the ultimatum he just gave Netanyahu to leave the party's interim seat. his in the current Israeli government. He wants Netanyahu to meet several demands, including formulating a realistic plan for the return of the hostages and a post-Gaza day scenario. But where is the realism in the vision or demands that will avoid international actions or solve the existential issue of occupation? The world is tired of waiting for Israel to offer a credible plan for Gaza – or the West Bank. More countries are announcing that they will recognize an independent Palestinian state.
Any mention of the day after must include the issue of Palestinian freedom. Anyone who has watched the Israeli occupation thicken over the past nearly six decades knew that it was only a matter of time before a terrible darkness descended between Israelis and Palestinians to force the occupation's hand. It is clear that the horrific actions of Hamas on October 7th were not foreseen by almost anyone as the catalyst for where we are today. But here we are.
There must be a strengthening of the Palestinian Authority and a real peace process. Without this, Israel will continue to move away from democracy so many Israeli values, desires and needs.
This is a moment of extreme crisis and the ICC decision is a fire alarm. Calling the decision "anti-Semitic," as some Israeli officials including Netanyahu have, won't cut it. Regardless of whether the ICC was right or wrong, we have come to a point of no return. No one who cares about Israel's future can stand aside./ TheGuardian
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