Are the ICC arrest warrants the beginning of the end for Zionism?

There is no doubt that the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant is justified by legal and logical reasons, given the open war crimes and crimes against humanity still being committed in the Gaza Strip. There is also the fact that the Israeli leadership was very clear about its intention to deprive the Palestinians in Gaza of food, water, medicine, medical supplies, fuel and electricity, as well as destroy the civilian infrastructure. This was no isolated incident or trivial matter.

There will be many repercussions after the ICC decision to issue the arrest warrants, and the stigma will attach to both Netanyahu and Gallant (who was sacked earlier this month by the prime minister) as well as the Zionist state. The stigma also extends to the US and the Western countries that support Israel so much that they attacked the court’s decision and accused it of bias in favour of the Palestinians. And we mustn’t forget the Zionist Arab countries that have normalised relations with the occupation state and have remained silent about the arrest warrants.

The move by the ICC has exposed the West, and removed its fake mask of civilisation.

In complete contradiction to the claims of support for democratic values, “shared values” (what values?) and human rights, the US and Europeans in particular are complicit in the killing, rape, brutality and torture of civilians in Gaza, and depriving them of the basic essentials for life to be sustained. US- and European-made armaments have been used by the Israeli occupation forces to destroy civilian infrastructure, turning Gaza into a graveyard unfit for living in, as described by the UN Secretary-General.

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It is to be hoped that we will now see pressure imposed on the Zionist entity with sanctions and embargoes on arms supplies which have generally continued — certainly from the US — despite it being against domestic laws prohibiting the export of arms if there is a chance that they will be used in contravention of international law, as is happening in Gaza. The door is now open for ending Israel’s ability to act with impunity by holding it to account for its crimes against the people of occupied Palestine, not only since 7 October 2003, but also since the 1948 Nakba.

The arrest warrants are unprecedented, signalling a historic shift in the work of the ICC and the struggle for international justice. This is why it has shocked Israeli politicians and their supporters, especially those in the West, who have — predictably — accused the ICC of “anti-Semitism”, insulted the integrity of the court and its officers and, in one case, threatened to invade The Hague.

According to international law professors and experts, the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant are legally and morally binding for all UN member states, including those that are not signed up to the ICC, which was founded in 2002. Neither is likely to be travelling abroad anytime soon apart from possible visits to other rogue states ready to show open contempt for international laws and conventions. The US springs to mind, and Hungary’s far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban has already invited Netanyahu to make an official visit. Other states, including the UK and France, have said that they will abide by international law and fulfil their obligations with regard to the warrants. The occupation state should play its role either by handing them over to the ICC or putting them on trial within Israel, neither of which will happen. Another option is for Netanyahu and Gallant to turn themselves in and go to the ICC voluntarily, which is also not going to happen.

There is no doubt that Netanyahu has become a burden to the Zionist entity, and is prolonging the genocide in order to avoid bribery and corruption charges in Israel.

There are now many in the country who want to see him step down, or removed from office, not least because he has exposed the ugly face of the Zionist state to the world as well as the immorality of its armed forces. The self-declared “most moral army in the world” has not only violated the laws of war, but also filmed and shared the videos of its soldiers doing this on social media. We can watch genocide taking place in real time.

Although Palestinians are not simply a set of statistics, it is worth reminding ourselves that this immoral army has killed at least 45,000 civilians, mainly women and children, and wounded 105,000 more. An estimated 11,000 remain missing under the rubble of their homes. The survivors — so far — of the genocide still face starvation, displacement and a strong possibility of being killed or maimed as they face up to a second winter in tents and other inadequate shelters.

The ICC has taken a first step on the long road to some sort of justice for the people of occupied Palestine. Much more is needed from the free people of the world, though, if freedom and justice are to be the end result. The impunity with which Israel has been allowed to act must end. Today. And its leaders, officials and individual soldiers must be held to account for their crimes. Who knows, we might even be looking the beginning of the end for Zionism and the Zionist state of Israel and its crimes that are surely unacceptable anywhere in the 21st century. We can but hope.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.