BBUK responds to the ICC arrest warrants decision

B’nai B’rith UK believes that the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, as well as those from Hamas, shows that yet another international institution has become deeply politicised. Comparing the Hamas terror pogrom of 7 October to the Israeli government’s response is an egregious form of moral and legal equivalence. Hamas terrorists set out to butcher, maim, burn and rape as many civilians as they could get their hands on, while taking others hostage. By contrast, the IDF has told civilians to flee Gaza, thereby attempting to minimise civilian casualties as far as possible. The statements of some hardline Israeli figures have not reflected government policy, which is predicated on destroying Hamas’ military assets throughout the enclave rather than starving the population. Sadly, this war is taking place in many residential areas, the consequence of terrorists embedding their infrastructure in schools, mosques and hospitals. But this does not mean that striking at them is a violation of the laws of armed conflict, as many experts in urban warfare have pointed out. The ICC case is therefore misguided and morally flawed.