Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded the army shoot Palestinian women and children in Gaza during a cabinet meeting, according to the Israeli media on Monday.
“We cannot have women and children getting close to the border... anyone who gets near must get a bullet [in the head],” Ben-Gvir said during a debate with Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi on the army’s “open-fire” rules at the cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Ben-Gvir, who heads the extreme right Jewish Power party, told Halevi that Israel’s rules of engagement in Gaza were too lenient and ought to be broadened out to encompass civilians.
“You know how our enemies operate... they will try us,” Ben-Gvir said according to The Jerusalem Post.
“They will send women and children as undercover terrorists. If we continue like this, we will reach another October 7.”
Halevi did not argue with Ben-Gvir over the ethics of shooting Palestinian women and children, but rather claimed that it might lead to more “friendly fire” incidents.
War crimes as a designation only mean something if you catch the criminals, which generally means a complete collapse of their sovereign state. In the case of a nuclear weapon possessing nation, that's not gonna end well. Most western governments are still very much willing to do business with Israel because they represent a friendly foothold in the Middle East. Everyone, literally everyone, is well aware they are committing genocide.
The Nazis were able to be tried for war crimes because the world utterly destroyed Nazi Germany. Milosovic was able to be tried for war crimes because Yugoslavia was a failed state and he lost the war. Again, no nukes.
@dangblingus I agree with most of what you have said. Exceptions are things like Comrade Duch who was eventually prosecuted despite the history there.
But I'm pointing out that the world has an especially long memory when it comes to genocides. There are always survivors and their sympathisers who will prosecute if they get the chance. And in this case there is plenty of evidence.
Personally I don't think the current orthodoxy will hold for another 50 years - perhaps not even 30. US hegemony is slipping and becoming more reliant on hard power. As for Israel, it's an arms dealer and a tech exporter. But I've noticed companies in my part of the world have no trouble doing business with countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia.