Israel and Its Leaders Are Still on Trial for Genocide
Western states would like to move on as if the Gaza genocide never happened, even though Israel is still terrorizing the Palestinian people. But the legal cases holding Israel and its leaders accountable are going ahead despite their best efforts.
Israel is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice, and its prime minister is a wanted fugitive. There can be no real peace without accountability and restitution for the crimes committed in Gaza over the last two years.(Ariel Schalit / AFP via Getty Images)
Since Donald Trump announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians while continuing to occupy much of Gaza. Despite the ongoing violence and repression in both Gaza and the West Bank, Western states clearly want to move on and act as if the atrocities of the past two years had never happened.
Yet Israel is still facing efforts to hold it accountable for its crimes under international law. South Africa has brought a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing it of genocide, which is still in progress. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
John Reynolds is a professor of law at Maynooth University and the author of Empire, Emergency, and International Law. He spoke to us about the ICJ and ICC cases and other efforts to challenge Israel’s impunity through national legal systems. This is an edited transcript from Jacobin Radio’s Long Reads podcast. You can listen to the interview here.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.