The growing number of campaigns in the UK to bring charges of war crimes against Occupation forces military commanders have served to highlight not only the crimes of the Occupation, but also the complicity of European governments in sustaining these crimes and ensuring that perpetrators continue to evade justice. Despite such clear opportunities to bring war criminals to court, governments have failed in their responsibility to do so and in turn apply pressure to end the Occupation and Israeli Apartheid.
A recent campaign by activists and human rights organizations instructed UK lawyers to file charges against Zionist occupation forces Commander Almog. However, upon arrival in the country, he was told to remain on the airplane in London airport and so escape being taken into custody. . In fact, UK law allows police to board the plane to make an arrest, yet Almog was allowed to leave the country without even being questioned. Undeterred, activists are also currently compiling cases against former Occupation forces chief of staff Moshe Yaalon and his successor Dan Halutz. Yaalon has cancelled a scheduled visit to Britain for fears of arrest over charges of war crimes against Palestinians.
While such lawsuits barely scratch the surface of the crimes of the Occupation – and are limited to targeting individuals and specific events rather than the systemic nature of Zionist occupation, ethnic cleansing and apartheid – they are becoming an increasingly powerful instrument of political boycott and isolation. While international governments are holding talks with Israeli military and politicians, these cases highlight that it is effectively war criminals that they are talking with and lending support to.
Directly targeting this international complicity, War on Want in the UK is currently compiling a lawsuit that aims to bring the European Union and the British government to court for not respecting obligations ensuing from the decision of the ICJ declaring the Apartheid Wall to be in violation of international law.
As a first step in the procedure, the European Commission has been formally requested to provide evidence of all written communication with the Israeli authorities (including minutes of meetings and internal memoranda) relating to the Apartheid Wall since the ICJ ruling of July 2004. A parallel request is being made of the UK government under the Freedom of Information Act. (See: https://www.waronwant.org/?lid=10331) This information will be the baseline upon which the court case will be built.
As part of a comprehensive strategy towards the isolation of Apartheid Israel, these court cases filed and under preparation are sending a clear message to decision makers that activists will utilise all means to ensure that their governments will put effective pressure on the Occupation, and that war criminals or exponents of the apartheid regime will not be allowed to move freely in their countries without fear of the consequences.