"A Warning: Israel Will Have No Defense When It Is Charged With Crimes Against the Palestinians" Former PM Ehud Olmert

[AhNowTed]

I realise a lot of folks can't access links, so the text is faithfully copied.

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-07-12/ty-article/.premium/a-warning-israel-will-have-no-defense-when-charged-with-crimes-against-the-palestinians/00000190-a32e-ddf1-abb6-efef44fd0000

Former PM Ehud Olmert

A Warning: Israel Will Have No Defense When It Is Charged With Crimes Against the Palestinians

Arrest warrants will be issued against Israel's political leaders and military commanders – but it is the State of Israel itself that will be put on trial in the end

Almost every day I watch an interview on television with a relative of one of the fallen "wearers of knitted-kippot." Yes, "wearers of knitted-kippot" is the most precise description for these members of the religious Zionist community. Not settlers, not messianists, not annexationists. Heroes. No group in Israel exhibits greater determination, sacrifice, identification, courage and a willingness for combat than they do.

There are others like them – non-religious soldiers from moshavim and kibbutzim; city people from Tel Aviv, Netanya, Herzliya, Haifa, Be'er Sheva and other cities; and those from the periphery, from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat – but none more than them. The number of fallen soldiers among the religious Zionist community well exceeds their percentage among the general population.

We can't ignore this fact, and we mustn't obscure or devalue it. The military is fighting with amazing daring, courage and sacrifice, in part because of the contribution of these soldiers, and those like them. When we speak about togetherness, national unity and solidarity – I'm with them. On the battlefield, the unity exists and strengthens them.

But sometimes when I hear these relatives of the fallen and those abducted – some of them, but not all – my heart breaks and the feeling of unity cracks. Many of them don't want a hostage deal. Their children are hostages and every day they could well pay with their lives. Their fate is unclear, their sanity and psychological resilience are being put to a harsh test, but they think the need for total victory, destruction of Hamas and the destruction of Gaza – along with the unavoidable deaths of many of the hostages, and necessarily also the death of Palestinians who have no connection to Hamas terrorism and may even be its victims as well – stands at the top of the list of priorities. I don't feel unity with this approach.

None of them say it explicitly, but I get the impression that the public figures from the believing, settler community that yearns to settle Gaza and Lebanonand are able to contend with the danger of death to their children – when they are standing with admirable, but also revulsive, determination in their demands to continue the fighting and total victory, they will not have any difficulty containing the burning of Palestinian communities and property of completely innocent Palestinians.

Many of them justify the continuation of the fighting in Gaza and call to expand the fighting in the north, so they can continue the work of destruction and obliteration in the West Bank. All of this on the way to fulfill the greater dream of liberating parts of the Land of Israel and expelling Palestinians, in advance of annexation of all the territories and turning Israel into an apartheid state that will be boycotted and ostracized by the entire world.

This is the dream of thousands of settlers, young people called "hilltop youth" and many others who support them, push them, cover up for them and hide them. Many of the local leaders in Judea and Samaria pay lip service and are filled with self-righteousness. They ignore the data published by the reliable investigative press (for example, Ronen Bergman and staff of The New York Times) and UN agencies, U.S. State Department and the U.S. National Security Council. "It's not that bad," they say. "Exaggerated," and "no foundation for the accusations."

There is a basis. I believe the words of the outgoing head of the IDF Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, a brave soldier, an admirable commander, when he speaks with candor and openness about what his eyes saw in the occupied territories at our hands. He is not delusional and has not invented anything. He saw, his soldiers saw. And everyone knows about the reports on the settlers – not all of them, maybe not even the majority, but a very impressive number of them – who attack, loot, destroy, ruin, burn and kill innocent people – and also attack Israeli soldiers who are unwilling to lend a hand to their crimes.

Often present at the riots in these places are officers from the Border Police. I know many of their commanders in the past and present. They are among the most courageous, determined and daring of Israel's soldiers. But it is impossible to blur the facts that many of them close one eye, and sometimes even two, when criminal acts by Jewish rioters are taking place right next to them. How many of these rioters are arrested? How many of them are put on trial? How many of them are punished according to the severity of their actions? A marginal number. Almost certainly less than the number of protesters thrown to the ground, beaten and humiliated by Ben-Gvir's police officers.

None of this could have happened without the inspiration, back up and support given by the country's most senior leaders. First and foremost, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of TikTok, who controls the government like a violent bully. And along with him, Bezalel Smotrich, the minister for the territories in the Defense Ministry. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir support the settling of the Gaza Strip and Southern Lebanon by Jewish settlers. In the near future a halakhic authority will be found who will locate in the ancient writings the verse or two that will prove Southern Lebanon has always been part of our holy and historic homeland; and from here it is just a short road to a mass settler movement led by Daniella Weiss.

For this delusional goal they are encouraging an all-out war in the north, which is unnecessary and unjustified. Instead, we need to reach an agreement with the Lebanese government, to agree to minor border adjustments, which do not harm any historic Jewish property, and constitute no real security threat to Israel; and to bring about a withdrawal of Hezbollah forces dozens of kilometers from the Israeli border near the Litani River, as we did in practice after the Second Lebanon War. And the most important thing: We must return the residents of the north to their homes and rebuild their communities.

This government wants a war in the north to advance its great dream – a war of everyone against everyone, mutual destruction, expulsion of Palestinians and annexing the territories to Israel.

Given all this, I am warning you:

I am warning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: The day is drawing near when arrest warrants will be issued against you for the crimes being carried out every day in Judea and Samaria by Israel, with the support of its government, while you intentionally turn a blind eye to it. The events in Gaza can be defended, because it's possible to claim they are not a result of policy, order or intention by Israel, not even by you. In the worst case, as we all know, you are not really managing, leading or directing. After all, you're not responsible for anything.

But these arguments won't be available to you concerning events in Judea and Samaria. Here crimes are committed on a daily basis, not by soldiers and not against soldiers, but by rioters who are Israeli citizens, Arab haters, with the clear intention of expelling them from their homes and the villages where they have lived all their lives.

As prime minister, you know about all these events. If you choose to ignore them too, you won't be able to deny you heard the warning of the head of the Central Command and other senior IDF commanders. I have spoken with a few of them and they are ashamed that these things are happening in areas under our control.

When these accusations are made against you, Mr. Prime Minister, not a single person with a conscience will be found among us, or in the international arena that supports us, who will be able to defend you.

I am also warning Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for whom there will also be an arrest warrant. He is responsible for security, he can act and struggle against the reckless policies of Netanyahu and Smotrich, who is in charge of the territories in the Defense Ministry. Gallant prefers to be addicted to the continuation of the war in Gaza, to the warnings and threats of Hezbollah, and closes his eyes to what is happening in the territories under his responsibility.

I am warning Ben-Gvir, the minister of threats, incitement and supporting the hilltop youth – you won't avoid arrest warrants. Given the incitement, division and bullying that you unleash against the army commanders and specifically the chief of staff, the Shin Bet chief and Mossad warriors, you deserve arrest warrants from the attorney general. But even if she won't do it, you'll get arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court for the responsibility you bear and of which you are even proud.

I am warning Smotrich, who is actively extending the war and blocking negotiations for a hostage-release deal, encourages settling Gaza, inspires the hilltop youth, and supports Jewish settlement in southern Lebanon and total war in the north, the expected result of which will be the destruction and death of thousands of citizens among us and among them. Arrest warrants await you, too.

I am warning the police, Border Police and army commanders. You won't be able to shirk responsibility for the crimes being committed against the Palestinians in the territories. Arrest warrants will also be issued against you, and you'll have no real response.

Indeed, arrest warrants will be issued against the prime minister, leaders, cabinet ministers and commanders personally – but it is the State of Israel that will be tried in the end. All this at a time when Israel wants to end the war, return the hostages, withdraw from Gaza, bring in an international force, Arab or European, that will preserve the gains from the war that will prevent Hamas from rehabilitating and returning to power in Gaza. Israel wants to launch negotiations with the Palestinians over a peace deal between them and us, and the establishment of a nonmilitarized Palestinian state as part of a regional agreement that will create a stable, strong and reliable axis. Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the United States would form the base of and stand as the backbone of regional security against Iran.

I issue this warning because if we continue to reconcile with crimes against the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, serious and painful sanctions will be levied against Israel, and we won't have a good defense.

Except there's loads of evidence that Israeli society has an extremely robust civic society, full of debate, criticism of the government & IDF, demos etc. There are undoubtedly some nasty forces in the ascendant right now, as often happens when a society has been traumatised, but they are a minority.

I think the most recent polls demonstrated that the majority of Israelis felt that the force Israel was deploying on Gaza was proportional?

Except there's loads of evidence that Israeli society has an extremely robust civic society, full of debate, criticism of the government & IDF, demos etc

That’s exactly why not stopping the egregious acts of abuse, especially by some of the settlers and the IDF (and they were going on before Oct 7 too) is so surprising and upsetting.

There are undoubtedly some nasty forces in the ascendant right now, as often happens when a society has been traumatised, but they are a minority

The nasty forces, even if a minority, seem to be wielding enough power to cause problems though, and were doing so before the general society was traumatised by Oct 7. Acting in seemingly unquenchable revenge since then is just bringing another level of violence.

Anyone could see that poor young man had Downs Syndrome, and the family confirmed that he was disabled to the IDF.

@ScrollingLeaves the first response I would have had on reading that article from the bbc, if soldiers representing my country had behaved in that way, would have been absolute disgust and I would have made sure people knew they were not doing that in my name, but that hasn't happened.

The usual Israeli response to objections to their atrocities is as follows:

1. We haven't heard reports of deaths, will check into it.
2. The people were killed, but by a faulty Palestinian rocket/bomb.
3. OK we killed them, but they were terrorists;
4. OK they were civilians, but they were being used as human shields.
5. OK there were no fighters in the area, so it was our mistake. But we kill civilians by accident, they do it on purpose.
6. OK we kill far more civilians than they do, but look at how terrible other countries are!
7. Why are you still talking about Israel? Are you some kind of anti-semite?

By the time all these stages have been completed the media will have moved onto something else or Israel will be committing the next atrocity!!

I too felt dismayed, especially given this particular case where it was so pointedly cruel on every level, including an emotional one, with that poor, helpless man not only attacked by the dog, at their command, but deliberately locked away alone and left to die without the comfort of the love he’d depended on all his life.

I do appreciate that MNHQ have repeatedly deleted the anti-Semitic posts.

Anti semitism is carried out by ignorant people, nasty people. Sadly, they hide away on marches and assume others support them (some will do). They pop up on MN and either new users or name changers. They contribute nothing useful. Probably why many Jewish mn users avoid these threads. I don't blame them, it is vile.

Re the OP, this below is from Haaretz.

■ ICJ: The International Court of Justice, announcing its advisory legal opinion regarding the legality of Israel's occupation over the West Bank and East Jerusalem, called Israel's occupation"de facto annexation" and that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.

• The ICJ called for the evacuation of Israeli settlements, for the return of displaced Palestinians and for the payment of reparations for damages. The Court also called out Israel's "systematic failure" to prevent settler violence against West Bank Palestinians.
• The ICJ said Israel's occupation involves "systematic discrimination, segregation and apartheid" and said that "racial segregation" in the West Bank is due to "the complete separation of two peoples."
• The ICJ also said that Gaza is effectively occupied by Israel despite its 2005 disengagement from the Strip.
• Netanyahu lashed out at what he called the ICJ's "lies" saying "the Jewish people do not occupy their own land." Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the ruling was "antisemitic" and added that the time for annexation is now. Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected the ruling, which it called "blatantly one-sided."
• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the court's decision, calling it a "victory for justice," adding "The Palestinian presidency urges the international community to demand that Israel, as an occupying power, end the occupation and withdraw unconditionally."

As far as I can see Israel is in the process of committing slow motion suicide. They’re just shedding allies and goodwill with no thought to the consequences and in the current Jenny Side have just painted themselves into a corner with no means of escape, other than just killing every Palestinian or ethnically cleansing them which nobody in the world would accept.

Everything depends on the US.

Everything.

Israel can put two fingers up to the ICJ as long as the US backs them and keeps sending bombs.

Yes we can all see what is happening. We are irrelevant.

We are irrelevant.

Never a truer word spoken.

Don't give up hope. We may feel irrelevant, but every effort we make does still matter, if only so that the world does not forget what is being done and so that people whose loved ones are dying know that they (we) are not alone.

Even if this world holds no guarantee of justice, when it comes to the end of this life, I believe there is a next life, in which justice will be for all.

We are not irrelevant, so long as we remember and hold compassion in our hearts for innocent people suffering.

@Scirocco

Thanks. You're right.

I'm doing my best to raise awareness, sent some money etc.

We can all do what we can, on social media, supporting efforts on the ground.

But it is so little in the scheme of the mountain ahead.

I know history will rightly condemn this apartheid and genocide.

In the meantime I feel like screaming half the time.

“Israel” didn’t exist for 2,000 years-and then the settler colonial ideology of Zionism turned up. I’m sure the land your house is on was once owned by a loin clothed ancient Briton. I’m sure you’d be perfectly happy for their descendants to knock on your door and force you to leave with tanks and F-16’s?? If you have to go back 2,000 years to prove your property rights you don’t have any! Religion is a man made construct. It’s not “indigenous” to any piece of land, which is just earth, rocks and water.

OK hold on.

Jews are indigenous to the holy land.

So are Muslims.

Muslims and Jews occupied the holy land together for centuries.

This is about Muslims having the same rights of self determination, and civil rights in their homeland, as the Jewish people enjoy.

So nice to finally meet the person in charge of when history started! So when did history start? How far back are we allowed to go to suit your chosen narrative? So fascinating!

This is absolute nonsense. Where do you think the 'Israelites' come from? The kingdom of Israel was founded around 920-720 BCE. The diaspora was created by the Jews consistently being chucked out. Just because religion is created by humans doesn't make it any less real. All people come from somewhere & the Jewish people have an incontrovertible link to Israel. The only conceivable reason to dispute this (assuming a basic capacity to read a book) is if you are an antisemite.

I know isn't it a revelation!?

With regards to the article, I have no time for illegal settlers. I want them all out. The violent ones should obviously be locked up and the non-violent ones should be moved to within Israel's borders. It should be noted, though, that plenty of blind eyes are turned when it comes to violence and terrorism by Palestinians by their own government as well. It's very much not a one-sided issue, despite how he's making it sound in that article.

The violent illegal settlers are scum 🤷🏻‍♀️ I have no problem with admitting that. I don't feel the need to defend or justify their terrorising of Palestinians. Israel needs rid of them just as bad as they do Hamas and other terrorists. They're both a danger to Israeli society as a whole, just in different ways. And as I firmly want Israeli society to continue, I hope they figure out a workable solution to the illegal settler problem sooner rather than later.

Completely agree.

OK can we agree on something at least.

1,000 years or 2,000 years - whatever.

Muslims and Jews are indigenous to the land for centuries.

Israel exists.

This is about the Palestinians having a homeland too.

Not occupied, and not at the whim of Israel.