Is Benjamin Netanyahu Transforming From A Pariah To An International Fugitive? (image @netanyahu)
Over one year ago, confident in the growing ties with the Arab countries, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a map of “new Middle East”. Today, it appears that Netanyahu is at the end if his conscience. In the new map, Palestine was completely equated out from the Israeli Prime Minister’s new cartography. The occupied land of West Bank and Gaza Strip appeared to be part of Israel in the new map.
All the ambitious plans were marred when Hamas, the resistance movement of Gaza, unleashed an unprecedented blow on Israel on last October 7th. Netanyahu, who took up the helm of power in the country and swore to thicken the security for the Israelis, became prey to scrutiny as more than 1000 Israelis were killed, and over 250 were abducted by the enemy, who came from Gaza, which has been under thicker Israeli restrictions and blockades for decades. The embarrassment caused can be read out from the amount of brutality shown against the Palestinians in Gaza.
Ignoring all calls of restrain, even after being at the other end of global condemn for his conduct of war in Gaza, and at the receiving end of thousands of Israelis’ wrath for not bringing back the hostages from Gaza, he is going forth with his plans. Netanyahu is on the brink of launching a major escalation against Hezbollah.
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He remains scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly this Friday, which for sure will see some major walk outs like it happened during his previous speeches after the war started. Protests on the streets of midtown Manhattan might also take place.
After the pager blast in Lebanon where more than 30 were killed and nearly 3000 injured, tension raised producing a clear mark for the possibility of a broader regional war.
Netanyahu hopes that his trip to New York may offer him a chance to evaluate support for an escalation in Lebanon, or to let his allies, including Joe Biden, know that he had made his decision and would not be talked down from a broader war.
His conduct of war in Gaza, which apparently blatantly defied all the redlines on international rules, has garnered a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. The nearly one-year long bloodshed and brutality in Gaza is likely to make the Israeli PM a global fugitive. The ICC judges are regularly rumoured to be close to approving a warrant that could accuse Netanyahu of war crimes.
Over 200 humanitarian workers were killed in Gaza by Israel. Over 173 journalists were also killed by Israeli air strike. Bombing at UN Schools and refugee camps happen regularly.
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Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Occupation Force only had one excuse for all the atrocities. They claimed that the hospitals, schools, and mosques they burned down was Hamas command centre. Notably, even after more than 11 months of their investigation and intelligence reports, no proper evidence was provided to back their claims.
They said staff from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had taken part in the 7 October Hamas-led attacks, and nine members of the organisation had their contracts terminated after an internal UN review.
It is not clear if the Israeli PM is ready to escalate the war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Iran, and Yemen’s Houthi, along with war in Gaza. Cross border bombing took a note higher with the pager blasts.
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Last year, while addressing the UN on the recently concluded Abraham Accord – a landmark agreement that normalised relations between Israel and two Arab states, Bahrain and UAE, with expectations that Saudi Arabia may soon sign the accords as well – he said, “When the Palestinians see that most of the Arab world has reconciled itself to the Jewish state, they too will be more likely to abandon the fantasy of destroying Israel and finally embrace a path of genuine peace with it,” Netanyahu said, holding a crude map with the words “The New Middle East”.
However, the bloodbath in Gaza after Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th last year sort of distorted all the normalisation. Recently, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country would not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
October 7th appears to be the beginning of Netanyahu’s downfall from a Pariah to an international fugitive.
