For an Israeli politician, there is a delicate balance that must be maintained. He must back settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank to ensure political support, but not so much that he winds up in the Hague as a war criminal.
That’s the report coming out of senior Netanyahu aides today, who say that the Prime Minister’s decision last month to evacuate settlers from a house in Hebron after his Attorney General warned him that not doing so would be a war crime.
Most of what Israel does in the West Bank could be defined as a war crime, but since 1967 the international community has mostly resigned itself to shrug off the bulk of such activity, and only gets riled up by the really big crimes.
Attorney General Weinstein’s legal opinion is also weighing heavily on the Ulpana settlement homes, which the Israeli High Court has repeatedly ordered demolished because they are built on private Palestinian land. Weinstein warned that not following through would be a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which forbid moving population into occupied territory.
Of course, moving population into occupied territory is right in Israel’s current far-right coalition government’s wheelhouse, and has been a centerpiece of Israel’s policy in the territory for decades. The International Court of Justice has previously termed Israeli settlements as a “flagrant violation.”
This guy looks like an angry thug, the bullying type.
When and if the US disintegrates, quite a large number of Israeli high officials will be going to the Hague, and no US to veto it.
A consolation prize many Americans will relish.
I tend to view this with a good deal of skepticism. Major thugs like Bibi have a US issued license to act with impunity.
Agreed…it would be different if the Israeli High Court actually had the balls to prosecute Likud and the others who advocate stealing the land. But, that would be akin to the House Republicans cutting Defense spending.
Is it a matter of time ? A recent Malasian Court verdict has found the Bush gang guilty for warcrimes and has passed it on to the Hague. Visit: http://www.countercurrents.org/kfcw120512.htm
I wouldn't get your hopes up. The US might not be a signatory to the ICC but still brings enormous influence to bear, especially when US ex-Presidents are implicated.
Israeli settlement construction in the Occupied Territories started under the Labor party, considered to be a leftist party in Israel.
In an interview with Christiane Amanpour for her series God's Warriors, Shimon Peres, Israel's current president and a noble peace prize winner, boasted how his Labor party initiated the settlements project in the Occupied Territories after 1967.
Right or Left, successive Israeli coalition governments have encouraged and expanded settlement construction since the territory was occupied in 1967 when Israeli forces attacked.
War Crimes are a staple of Israeli Zionist policy, recently seen in early 2009 when Tzipi Livni of the leftist Kadima party defended the 22-day onslaught against Gaza's civilian population. Israeli forces killed 329 Palestinian children during those 22 days.
I think Bibi could careless about war crime label. The real problem is the entire world is looking at Israel as the problem and bibi usual vicitm role is looking really lame. Israel is facing another great departure of the jewish population.
'The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics states that as of 2005, 650,000 Israelis have left the country for over one year and not returned. The great majority of these were Jews. In addition, polls show that at least 60 percent and as high as 80 percent of remaining Israeli Jews “sympathize with those who leave the country/
How can Israel claim to be a democracy with what is clearly a large part of the citizens not even living in the nation? What is needed is a census to identify those dual citizens and the place they actually live. Presently I suspect you would find that many are counted in more than two countries. There is no check to find if someone is a resident of germany, USA, France, Israel. All resident location affect the amount of money that is given to an area. Why should had to get money to a location which states that someone lives at a location but really lives someplace else. Lets have a true census and really identify the residency of people. I fully understand that presently the census is by law to be honest but I think reality gets in the way of money.
The so called "67 borders" really refer to the 1949 armistace line. Israel won the land past the armistace line in the 67 war… and the arabs tried to get it back in 73. Get over it.
Yeah, too bad that "winning land in wars (particularly illegal ones)" is against international law. But you mongrels don't give a sh*t about international law or any law for that matter, we all get that.
Israel winning land was incidental on the Arab aggression.
Until Israel abandons its policy of Lebensraum every word uttered officially by the Israeli government, (including "if," "and" & "but,") should be doubted. Israel is a dishonest player, and as we did with the USSR, we should regard her as such.
Repeat of bad history
The Jews tell us that they were permitted to commit genocide on the Canaanites and take possession of the Promised Land because the natives were all pagans who sacrificed their children to the god of Moloch.
So, comes now the Jews to do a repeat of bad history, to purify the Promised Land of all the natives in Palestine by eviction, starvation, bombs and whatever will get the job done. Problem is, the Jews only excuse is that they are a persecuted people and deserve a land and nation of their own.
And so, now by what the Jews have done instead of one persecuted people we have two people greatly persecuted and more then double the misery.
I seriously doubt it. He's not afraid of The Hague, he owns The Hague and he knows it.
Jewish terrorist
Netenyahu knows that he and every other Isreali pol have nothing to fear from international law (sic). They have only to scream anti-semitism. The anti-semitism card is like being a made man in the mafia in fact it's better as mafioso occasioanally get sent to jail. The anti-semitism card is a license to steal Palestinan land and a license to murder not just Palestinians but anyone they choose including American saliors. The idea of an Isreali war criminal in the dock would be laughable if it weren't so ridiculous.