The ICC Strikes Back: No Leader Is Above the Law

Netanyahu faces unprecedented charges. Critics call it biased; advocates hail accountability. Will power politics crush the court’s stand for justice?

From blocking aid to targeting civilians, Netanyahu and Gallant face war crimes charges. Can the ICC survive the backlash from global superpowers?

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has, in its history, often faced resistance from powerful states. But the threats it now confronts following its decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif signal an unprecedented assault on the very notion of international accountability. By targeting senior figures on opposing sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the ICC has affirmed its commitment to impartial justice. Yet instead of supporting this principled stand, some of the world’s most influential nations have chosen to undermine the court’s authority, demonstrating not just a disregard for justice but an implicit acceptance of impunity for heinous crimes.