Israel continues to commit genocide and war crimes in Palestine. As the war continues, in which more than 40,000 Palestinians have died since October 7, 2023, International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 20.
According to TRTworld in an interview with media, Karim Khan was asked about delaying the investigation by saying, “Should I wait until everyone is dead? If it was your father, mother, or grandfather who was taken hostage, would you really want me to wait? If it was your child or sister who was torn apart, would you want me to wait?”
Khan said Israeli authorities were not above international law, adding, “We do not have the luxury of seeing people’s suffering as something to be interpreted in the future. The existence of law must be felt at the right time.”
“Why shouldn’t the law that applies to Ukrainians and Sudanese apply to Palestinians? Is it right that a certain geographical area remains outside the law?” said Karim Khan, reminding that all ICC member states except Canada recognize Palestine as a state and that the court’s judges have the authority to try Israel for crimes committed in Palestinian territory.
Regarding the criticism that Israel is being equated with Hamas, Karim Khan said, “Every victim is equal. I would show the same care and love to a Palestinian child as I would to a Jewish child. This is a matter of equality before the law.”
Attorney General Karim Khan rejected accusations of anti-Semitism by Israelis, saying: “There is a growing tendency to sideline people by simply labeling them as anti-Semitic. What concerns me is what victims expect from the law and the demand for equal application of the law around the world.”
Stating that it would not be right to issue arrest warrants only for Hamas while tens of thousands of civilians are being killed in Gaza, Khan said, “What would have happened if I had issued arrest warrants only for Hamas when there were 30-40 thousand dead, mothers having miscarriages, hunger, and famine? Then they would have said, ‘This disrespectful court is in the pocket of the US, Germany and other powerful countries.'”
When reminded that the ICC would not intervene unless Israelis were tried in their own courts, Khan reacted by saying, “If you read what the experts wrote and look at what is happening on the ground, we see no investigation, no accountability in the occupied territories. I ask again: What is your complaint? Shouldn’t justice be served against a country because it is an ally?”
Regarding the Israeli secret service’s threat to the former chief prosecutor of the ICC, Khan made the following statements:
“It is known that the court and its staff, including me, have been subject to numerous threats and intimidation attempts. Some of these have been made public, some have not. I am afraid these threats will continue. But we must not give up.”
