With the shadow of the International Criminal Court (ICC) looming over his government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used the UN podium to mount a public defense, dismissing the court’s war crimes probe and categorically denying the charge of genocide.
“Would a country committing genocide plead with the civilian population it is supposedly targeting to get out of harm’s way?” he asked the near-empty chamber. This defense rests on the argument that Israel’s evacuation warnings are proof of its intent to protect civilians, a claim sharply contested by human rights organizations.
His statement was a direct challenge to the ICC prosecutors who have condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a war crime. It also defied the sentiment of the many nations and global citizens who have accused Israel of collective punishment and disproportionate force.
The mass walkout by over 100 diplomats suggested his defense was not convincing the international community. By refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the legal challenges he faces, Netanyahu further positions Israel as a nation acting outside the bounds of the international legal framework that the UN itself represents.