Dr. Raed Abu Badawiya: Trial of war criminals before national courts in some countries thwarts the American project to impose sanctions on those cooperating with the "Criminal"

Talal Okal: International accountability will open the door to prosecuting Israel as a state and society, which will force a radical review of its policies and future strategies.

Nour Odeh: These steps contribute to creating a feeling among Israeli soldiers that they are being persecuted and break the feeling of protection from accountability.

Muhammad Abu Allan Daraghmeh: The occupying state has begun to realize that there are international bodies working to hold it accountable and that these measures constitute increasing political and legal pressure on it.

Daoud Kuttab: International moves to hold war criminals accountable will accelerate with the presence of broad networks of human rights activists and activists seeking to implement international law

Yasser Manna: Lapid's statements about the Palestinians' superiority in the international arena carry an implicit admission of Israel's declining ability to influence international public opinion

The international arena is witnessing a qualitative shift in dealing with the Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinian people, with the escalation of efforts to hold Israeli soldiers accused of committing war crimes accountable, in remarkable developments that have emerged in countries such as Brazil and Sri Lanka, where local courts have begun to take serious steps to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, reflecting the escalation of international pressure to stop the policy of impunity that Israel has long relied on.

In separate interviews with “I”, writers, political analysts, specialists and university professors confirm that the national courts in these countries’ initiation of prosecution of Israeli soldiers shows a new development in the work of international and local human rights institutions, which seek to promote international justice. They point out that the “Hind Rajab” Foundation, which filed the complaint in Brazil, is a prominent example of the organized efforts of international human rights institutions.

Writers, analysts, specialists and university professors believe that these steps, although local in nature, complement international efforts represented by the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, confirming that this approach represents a clear message to everyone involved in war crimes that they will not be immune from accountability, whether they are political leaders or soldiers in the field.

They believe that Israel faces increasing diplomatic challenges as global public opinion changes towards it, as reflected in the statements of Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, in which he acknowledged the superiority of the Palestinians in the international arena, and which reflect internal concerns about losing control over the international narrative, which puts Israel in an unprecedented defensive position and opens the door to accelerating legal prosecutions in various countries around the world.

Increasing international efforts to activate the principle of "universal jurisdiction"

Dr. Raed Abu Badawiyeh, Professor of International Law and International Relations at the Arab American University, believes that the recent remarkable developments in the international arena in dealing with Israeli war crimes, where international courts, most notably in Brazil and Sri Lanka, have begun to take serious steps to try Israeli soldiers accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, are part of growing international efforts to activate the principle of “universal jurisdiction,” which allows war criminals to be held accountable in the national courts of countries, regardless of their nationality or the place where the crimes were committed.

Abu Badawiya believes that Brazil's move, in particular, to prosecute and prosecute Israeli soldiers who committed crimes of genocide in Gaza reflects serious activity by human rights institutions supporting Palestine at the global level.

Abu Badawiya points out that the Hind Rajab Foundation, which filed the complaint in Brazil, is a prominent example of the organized efforts of international human rights institutions.

According to Abu Badawiya, this organization bears the name of a child who was martyred in Gaza. It operates from its headquarters in Belgium and works globally to initiate criminal lawsuits against perpetrators of war crimes.

Abu Badawiya explains that these efforts reinforce the idea of activating the principle of universal jurisdiction in national courts, which allows for the trial of war criminals and perpetrators of genocide in the courts of member states of the International Criminal Court, stressing that these moves represent the beginning of a broader activation of this principle, which is an important development towards achieving international criminal justice.

Abu Badawiya points out that these steps come in the context of increasing pressure on Israel since the issuance of international arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant. With the escalation of international efforts, complaints are no longer limited to political leaders, but have also begun to target soldiers and officers who participated in military operations against the Palestinians.

Abu Badawiya believes that these moves not only constitute legal pressure on Israel, but also contribute to its diplomatic embarrassment on the international scene, and limit the ability of the United States to protect Israel from legal accountability, as the trial becomes not only before the International Criminal Court.

He points out that there is a US bill under consideration that aims to impose sanctions on anyone who cooperates with the International Criminal Court, which reflects the extent of the political pressures facing the court, but activating national trials in countries relieves that pressure on the ICC and could be an attempt to thwart US efforts to pressure the court.

Abu Badawiya believes that prosecuting Israelis who hold dual nationalities represents an additional pressure tool on Israel, noting that many Israelis hold European nationalities, which opens the way for the courts of those countries to prosecute them based on their national laws.

Abu Badawiya stresses that this type of trial could put great pressure on the Israeli government and the military establishment, especially in light of the growing fears of the prosecution of soldiers and officers who participated in the recent aggression on the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, Abu Badawiya refers to the statements of the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, in which he expressed his concern about the superiority of the Palestinians over the Israelis in the international arena, as they reflect an implicit admission of the failure of Israeli diplomacy in confronting the Palestinian narrative, which has become more influential on world public opinion.

Abu Badawiya explains that the human rights and media institutions supporting Palestine played a major role in exposing the crimes of the Israeli occupation, which led to strengthening the status of the Palestinian narrative at the international level.

Abu Badawiya believes that traditional media and social media platforms have contributed greatly to revealing the facts, which made it difficult for the Israeli media machine to cover up the crimes committed in the Gaza Strip.

According to Abu Badawiya, the next stage is expected to witness an escalation in legal efforts against Israeli soldiers, with the increasing evidence and complaints submitted by international human rights institutions.

Abu Badawiya points out that European countries such as Belgium have already begun to implement the principle of universal jurisdiction, which enhances the chances of holding Israeli war criminals accountable.

He believes that activating this principle, in addition to prosecuting dual nationals, may lead to creating a state of increasing pressure on Israel, which contributes to strengthening international efforts to hold accountable those who commit crimes against the Palestinians.

Abu Badawiya expressed his hope that the International Criminal Court would be able to overcome the political and legal pressures imposed on it, especially from the United States, noting that the steps taken by countries such as Brazil could provide moral support for the court, encouraging it to proceed with issuing new arrest warrants against Israeli officials.

He points out that international efforts to hold Israel accountable represent an important step towards achieving criminal justice, stressing the need to continue legal and diplomatic pressure to ensure that perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinian people are held accountable.

Abu Badawiya stresses that the combined efforts of international and national human rights institutions can contribute to strengthening the process of accountability, and place Israel before a new wave of international isolation and legal trials.

Israel continues to bet on America to avoid accountability

Writer and political analyst Talal Okal points out that Israel, which has long disregarded the decisions of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as well as numerous investigations accusing it of committing genocide and crimes against international humanitarian law, continues to bet on American protection to avoid international accountability.

This approach, according to Okal, is misleading to Israeli society and concealing the dangers that await the Israeli state and society due to the crimes committed.

Okal explains that there are tangible developments that indicate the expansion of the scope of international accountability against Israelis, as some countries, including countries that have good relations with Israel, have begun to take strict vetting procedures related to granting visas to Israeli citizens. These procedures include a careful review of the history of applicants for military service, and investigations into their possible involvement in violations of international laws.

This trend, according to Okal, reflects a widespread international readiness to pursue and hold accountable hundreds or thousands of Israelis involved in crimes, making the issue a concern for all of Israeli society, not just the government.

Awkal stresses that the repercussions are not limited to political and military institutions, but extend to individuals and institutions, as everyone who has reached the age of conscription in Israel is required to carry out service orders, whether regular or reserve.

Awkal believes that the danger of this situation goes beyond internal political maneuvers and attempts by parties to exploit the issue, as it relates to the fate of an entire country and its society at the level of individuals and institutions, even if governments and titles change.

Okal asserts that Israeli society faces an existential challenge that goes beyond immediate calculations, considering that this international accountability will open the door to prosecuting the Israeli state and society as a whole, which imposes a radical review of its policies and future strategies.

A natural development of the work of international and local human rights institutions

Nour Odeh, a writer and political analyst specializing in diplomatic affairs and international relations, confirms that the steps that began in Brazil and Sri Lanka, and similar efforts in other countries, to prosecute Israeli soldiers accused of committing war crimes, reflect a natural development in the work of international and local human rights institutions.

The return of these local trials, based on national laws or international law, is an important development in the process of holding perpetrators of serious crimes accountable, especially those who hold dual nationality.

Awda stresses that these courts are not international, but rather local courts in which cases are brought individually in the countries concerned. However, they complement international efforts to hold Israeli war criminals accountable, such as the orders issued by the International Criminal Court to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant.

Awda explains that these steps contribute to creating a feeling among Israeli soldiers that they are being pursued for their actions, which breaks the sense of protection from accountability that they have long relied on.

Awda stresses that this effort does not replace the role of the International Criminal Court, but it enhances the efforts of international justice and puts Israeli soldiers and officials in a state of constant anxiety.

Awda believes that the soldiers’ cold-blooded publication of photos and videos of their crimes has now become a weapon that can be used as evidence in international and local courts.

Awda spoke about the changes in global awareness towards Israel, considering that the world has begun to realize the seriousness of the crimes committed by the occupying state, not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

Awda points out that this shift is not limited to supporting the Palestinians, but also stems from a global awareness that normalizing Israeli crimes means opening the way for their repetition in other places around the world, which threatens the entire international justice system.

Awda explains that there are countries that have already begun taking practical steps, such as South Africa, which informed its citizens who hold dual citizenship that it will open investigations into their participation in service in the Israeli occupation army.

Awda believes that these transformations indicate that the world is fed up with Israel’s crimes, even if these transformations are not reflected in government policies in some countries because of their connection to political or economic interests with Israel.

Awda discussed the statements of the Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who indicated that the Palestinians have outperformed the Israelis in the international arena, describing these statements as reflecting an internal Israeli crisis, as the Israeli media is trying to mislead the people and obscure the extent of international condemnation of Israel’s crimes, especially in Gaza.

Awda expected that the legal prosecutions against Israeli soldiers would escalate, noting that there are hundreds of published evidences and documents proving that they committed crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Awda confirms that these steps come within the framework of preserving the international justice system that was built over 80 years, as many countries in the world today refuse to abandon this system in favor of protecting Israel from accountability.

Awda points out that Israeli soldiers now fear traveling to many countries because of the possibility of being prosecuted legally, considering that this feeling of fear is a natural result of the accumulation of legal and diplomatic efforts, which must be built upon to achieve justice.

Awda asserts that Israel today faces unprecedented challenges on the international scene, as it is no longer able to cover up its crimes as easily as it did in the past. Although the road is still long, the accumulation of these efforts puts Israel in a defensive position and strengthens hope for holding the perpetrators of crimes accountable and achieving justice for the Palestinian people.

A snowball that expands over time.

The writer and expert on Israeli affairs, Muhammad Abu Allan Daraghmeh, confirms that the steps taken recently by the Brazilian court, and before it by a court in Sri Lanka, to arrest and investigate Israeli soldiers for committing war crimes, represent a major and unprecedented development in the pursuit of Israeli soldiers involved in committing crimes against humanity.

Draghmeh points out that the occupying state has begun to realize that there are serious international bodies working to hold it accountable, even if they do not succeed in prosecuting it completely, as these measures constitute increasing political and legal pressure on it.

Draghmeh asserts that despite the Israeli soldier’s escape from the Brazilian court, the matter reflects the efforts made to document crimes and prosecute their perpetrators. These steps also show a change in the global judicial approach towards Israel, as 12 attempts to prosecute Israeli soldiers in international courts have been documented in recent months.

According to Draghmeh, these efforts could turn into a “snowball” that expands over time if the necessary executive tools and international support are available.

Draghmeh stresses that the success of these efforts requires global cooperation and a retreat from the policy of collusion pursued by many countries with Israel, which hinders the progress of criminal cases against it.

Draghmeh points to the international efforts supporting the Palestinians that seek to document the crimes, as what the Israeli soldiers themselves publish on social media sites has been monitored, and their data, names, photos and locations are documented.

It is expected that international measures will escalate against Israeli soldiers involved in war crimes, noting that there are lists that include hundreds, and there are those who spoke about thousands of soldiers whose names and photos were documented on social media sites, and these data have become part of international efforts to prosecute them legally.

Draghmeh points out that some Israeli journalists recently spoke about Israeli soldiers who asked not to be photographed during their visit to military sites in southern Lebanon and the recently occupied southern Syrian territories, for fear that these photos would be used to prosecute them internationally.

Despite the important developments in the international arena, Draghmeh stresses that what is more important than media deterrence is achieving field deterrence on the ground, to stop the crimes of genocide and violations committed against the Palestinians.

Draghmeh believes that this requires a strong executive body at the international level that works seriously to implement these prosecutions and transform them into effective pressure tools against Israel.

Regarding the statements of the Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, in which he asked about the stage at which “the Palestinians have surpassed the Israelis in the international arena,” Draghmeh believes that these statements come within the framework of internal political disputes in Israel.

Draghmeh explains that the Israeli opposition, led by Lapid, no longer has a strong influence on the course of events inside Israel.

Draghmeh points out that Lapid's statements cannot be separated from the context of the political conflict between him and Netanyahu. While it was expected that he would defend the soldiers because the issue concerns the military institution, he chose to direct criticism at Netanyahu's government, in an attempt to achieve political gains at Netanyahu's expense.

Countries that supply weapons to war criminals are complicit in the crimes.

Writer and political analyst Daoud Kuttab explains that the Rome Statute of 1998, which established the International Criminal Court, represents one of the fundamental pillars of international law in the prosecution of war criminals. This treaty, which was signed by 120 countries around the world from the five continents, includes all countries of Europe, South America and Australia, while 112 countries have committed to incorporating its provisions into their national legislation, making it legally binding on these countries.

Writers point out that commitment to the provisions of the Rome Statute includes cooperation with the International Criminal Court in arresting and surrendering war criminals, which is an international legal responsibility that falls on all signatory states.

Writers assert that countries that supply war criminals with weapons and ammunition are considered partners in crimes according to international humanitarian law, which exposes them to legal accountability.

Writers believe that international movements to hold war criminals accountable will continue and accelerate, especially with the presence of broad networks of human rights activists and activists around the world who work to implement international law.

These efforts, according to the writers, are not limited to pursuing the individuals involved only, but extend to include countries and institutions that support or collude with the perpetrators of the crimes.

In a related context, writers discussed the statements of the Israeli opposition leader, which included an implicit admission of the decline in Israel’s ability to control international public opinion.

Writers explain that these statements reflect the reality that Israel is trying to deny to its people through media outlets that deliberately ignore the crimes committed in Gaza and the global reactions to the “genocidal war.”

Writers confirm that digital media and social media platforms have become effective tools in exposing violations, making it difficult for Israel to cover up what is happening in Gaza.

Writers believe that the opposition leader's admission reflects growing internal concern about the repercussions of the ongoing crimes on the international scene, in light of the increasing calls to hold those responsible for these violations accountable before international courts.

The writers stress the importance of escalating international legal and diplomatic efforts, considering that continuing pressure on Israel represents a necessary step towards achieving justice and holding accountable those who committed crimes against the Palestinian people.

Signs of a decline in Israel's immunity

Writer and expert on Israeli affairs Yasser Manna believes that the legal steps taken by courts in countries such as Brazil and Sri Lanka against Israeli soldiers accused of committing war crimes carry profound implications for the decline of the immunity that Israel has enjoyed for decades at the international level.

Manna believes that these legal steps show an increasing willingness on the part of international courts to deal seriously with accusations of war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories. This trend is an indication of the escalation of international pressure against Israel, as countries become more daring in confronting human rights violations committed by the occupation forces.

Manna asserts that this shift exposes Israeli officials to the possibility of legal accountability, which opens the door to a new wave of international legal proceedings that may affect Israeli leaders and soldiers alike.

On the political level, Manna believes that these developments enhance support for the Palestinian cause by highlighting the violations suffered by the Palestinian people. They also embarrass Israel internationally and portray it as a state that defies international laws, which could lead to tension in diplomatic relations with countries that adopt such legal steps.

Manna points out that these measures may contribute to strengthening Israel's international isolation in the long term, especially if countries and courts continue to prosecute Israeli soldiers involved in genocide and human rights violations.

Regarding the statements of Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, in which he expressed his surprise at the Palestinians’ superiority over the Israelis in the international arena, Manna believes that they reflect growing internal fears of this shift.

Mana believes that Lapid's statements carry an implicit admission of Israel's declining ability to influence international public opinion, which reflects the weakness of Israeli diplomacy in the face of the growing wave of international sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

Manna points out that these statements come in the context of the Israeli opposition’s criticism of the current government, holding it responsible for failing to confront international changes. They also reflect fears that the continuation of this trend may lead to an escalation of legal and diplomatic pressures on Israel, which may lead to serious repercussions on the level of international relations, especially with its traditional allies.

According to Manna, there are strong indications that legal action against Israeli soldiers may escalate in the near future, and as evidence of hundreds of soldiers’ involvement in genocide and human rights abuses grows, the international community is becoming more willing to hold these soldiers and officials accountable.

Manna points out that the intensive activity of human rights organizations enhances the momentum of these measures, as these organizations strongly push for holding those responsible for the violations accountable, which places Israel before more trials that affect its leaders and soldiers.

In another context, Manna believes that the change in the international climate and the increase in popular support for the Palestinian cause are two decisive factors in pushing more countries to file legal cases against Israel. With the continuation of escalatory Israeli policies, Israel may find itself facing a growing wave of international isolation, accompanied by escalating legal and diplomatic pressures.

Manna asserts that these developments pose a strategic challenge to Israel, as the possibility of international accountability looms on the horizon in an unprecedented manner, which could lead to serious repercussions that threaten its political and diplomatic standing on the world stage.