Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

It seems that the Goldstone Report has facilitated and encouraged a greater use of ‘Lawfare’ against Israel. This forms part of a strategy aimed at delegitimizing Israel’s political legitimacy. Its ultimate aim is to see Israel become a pariah state in the international community.

Today, two London law firms representing a group of Palestinians applied for an international arrest warrant against Ehud Barak, claiming that he committed war crimes and breaches of the Geneva Convention during Operation Cast Lead.

In addition, Ha’aretz reports that ICC Argentinian Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is convinced his office has the authority to launch an investigation into IDF Lt. Col. David Benjamin. Although the ICC has refrained from trying IDF officers (as it lacks authority to do so, as Israel did not sign the 2002 Rome Treaty that founded the court) the court could indict Benjamin as he is also a South African citizen.

Accusing Israeli figures of war crimes forms a central part of Basic Delegitimiztaion against Israel. In the aftermath of the highly critical Goldstone report, we could be seeing more and more of this.

How can Israel fight against this phenomenon?