War crimes and lip service
Hannan HussainHannan Hussain
Source: Al Mayadeen English
3 Nov 2024 13:48
5 Min Read
Britain’s credibility crisis is as clear as day. It claims no role in “Israel’s” war of extermination, but continues to serve as its apologist state.
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The United Kingdom wants to show itself as an ally of the International Criminal Court. In a recent statement, the Ministry of Defence said it would consider “any formal request” from the court “to provide information relating to investigations into war crimes.” But London’s brazen support for “Israel’s” ongoing genocide, including through arms and questionable surveillance, make it unqualified to hold the Israeli regime responsible for grave violations.
If the UK was serious about supporting the ICC on Gaza, why did it promote an air bridge to advance Israeli war crimes? This became a decisive factor in ramping up bloodshed for months, and confirms that accountability for Israeli aggression wasn’t a priority. London is also promoting a Gaza policy that is at odds with international law, given muted criticism of Israeli war crimes and a reluctance to take a stronger stance against Israeli aggression.
All these factors expose its rhetoric on supporting the ICC probe. The UK has played a key role in undermining international momentum to end “Israel’s” brutal occupation of Palestinian territories at the United Nations. This is important because an end to occupation was a key directive of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), indicating the UK’s reluctance to facilitate court orders that serve justice for Palestinians.
The UK also shows few signs of undoing its historical wrongs. In July, it sought to interfere with the jurisdiction of the ICC to give a cover to Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal offensives. London has also entertained US and Israeli pressure to overlook Zionist crimes in Gaza, and demonstrates considerable silence on “Israel’s” ethnic cleansing. These actions have created a climate of impunity that enables Israeli aggression to continue unabated. Over 42,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered, and “Israel” continues to commit heinous war crimes, from torture to destruction of property.
Rather than pushing to end its complicity in this bloodshed, London continues to normalize “Israel’s” violations of international humanitarian law. How is it qualified to hold “Israel” accountable for glaring war crimes at the ICC?
Britain’s credibility crisis is also clear as day. It claims no role in “Israel’s” war of extermination, but continues to serve as its apologist state. This is reflected in the state-backed repression of Palestinian activists, and Israeli pressure to influence so-called prosecutions in the UK. London should be condemned for entertaining Israeli lobbying, and also claiming that it stands with the rule of law at the ICC. It is guilty of flying unwarranted ‘reconnaissance’ flights to arm “Israel” in the midst of the genocide, exposing its denial on lethal aid support.
Palestinian blood is not in vain. The UK, alongside Western allies US, Germany, and France have spared no efforts to demonize and understate the importance of the Palestinian Resistance. Their condemnation has focused on Palestine’s inalienable right to respond to the Israeli occupation, rather than targeting the chief architect of Gaza’s raging genocide.
This sends a powerful message on priorities. If London was so determined to facilitate the ICC’s war crime probes, it would push for a credible ceasefire that ends on Palestine’s own terms – not the interests of the occupation. But the government’s partisan attitude towards “Israel’s” raging genocide shows that justice is barely a consideration.
The UK’s real objective appears more obvious. Keir Starmer’s government wants to tout its commitment to the ICC to strike a contrast with the previous Conservative government. There has been domestic pressure on the UK for its support for the genocide, a reality brought to light by pro-Palestinian election candidates in July. But in some ways, both UK governments are two faces of the same coin. For instance, Starmer offers empty rhetoric to hold “Israel” accountable in the top court, but has refused to characterize Israeli bloodshed as genocide. His government has continued the same policy of espionage in Gaza, ordering dozens of surveillance flights to aid “Israel’s” mass slaughter campaign.
These measures underscore Britain’s cold indifference to Israeli rights violations, and expose a nation complicit in targeted intelligence operations. “Each day we witness clear and unquestionable examples of War Crimes and breaches of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza perpetrated by .. [Israel],” said Mark Smith, a counterterrorism official at the British Embassy in Dublin, who recently resigned. “As a fully cleared officer raising serious concerns of illegality in this Department, to be disregarded in this way is deeply troubling.”
The British government’s ‘targeted measure’ against Israeli arms exports is also a half truth. London has made a conscious choice to prevent the complete suspension of arms export licenses, focusing on only 30 of the total 350 licenses. Despite Smith admitting that international humanitarian law is routinely violated by the Zionist regime, London continues to send weapons and cast doubt.
In light of these glaring contradictions, the UK cannot be trusted to support the ICC’s war crime probe. The government remains committed to shielding “Israel” from international accountability, and may not advance court investigations when push comes to shove.
The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.
Palestine
ICC
United Kingdom
ICJ
Britain
Israel
war on Gaza
Gaza
war crimes
Israeli war crimes
Hannan Hussain
Hannan Hussain
Writer and author.
