Israeli Prime Minister facing global isolation for crimes against humanity

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now confronting serious allegations from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Karim Khan prosecutor of ICC has called for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant his defence minister, on charges of committing “war crimes” in Gaza, including “wilful killing,” “extermination and/or murder,” and “starvation.”

Netanyahu, 73, often called “Bibi,” has been dominant in Israeli politics for many years. Nevertheless, his handling of the recent conflict with Hamas in Gaza has drawn heavy criticism both at home and abroad. The October 7 exceptional attack by Hamas, which killed over 1,170 people, mostly civilians, marked a focal point of this criticism. Netanyahu has vowed to “eliminate” Hamas, leading to a violent conflict that has killed at least 35,562 people in Gaza, according to local health officials. Despite calls from the United States and other allies to abstain, Netanyahu remains firm. He declared, “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone,” as Israeli forces pushed into Rafah in southern Gaza. Before this conflict, Netanyahu was esteemed by his Likud party supporters for his defense of Israel against threats from militant groups and Iran. His critics, however, tagged him the “crime minister” due to ongoing corruption charges and his efforts to limit the judiciary’s power,  which many feared would harm democracy.

Netanyahu is well known for his political savvy and persistence. He is Israel’s longest-serving leader, having spent more than 16 years as Prime Minister. During his term, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been ruined, and Jewish settlements in the West Bank have expanded rapidly, hurting chances for Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu made a political comeback in December 2022, after a series of elections and a short-lived multi-party government formed mainly to oppose him. Facing growing isolation at home, he allied with far-right nationalist parties and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, groups previously seen as fringe. Netanyahu was Born in Tel Aviv on October 21, 1949, as the son of a historian involved in right-wing Zionist groups. He has two sons with his wife, Sara, and a daughter from a previous marriage. In the late 1960s, he served in an army commando unit, reaching the rank of captain. The death of his elder brother, Yonatan, during a 1976 raid to rescue hostages in Uganda, deeply affected him.

Netanyahu spent a section of his youth in the United States, graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and working as a business consultant and diplomat. This helped him build a strong public profile. He became the leader of Likud in 1993 and, at 46, was elected as Israel’s youngest-ever Prime Minister in 1996. Although he lost power in 1999, he returned a decade later and held the position for over ten years. All through his career, Netanyahu has avoided meaningful peace talks with the Palestinians, focusing instead on expanding West Bank settlements. His government has also increased military raids against militant strongholds in the West Bank, calling Jenin a “nest of terrorists.” Netanyahu has also targeted Iran’s nuclear ambitions through political efforts and covert operations. This covert conflict became public in April when an airstrike, widely credited to Israel, destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, leading to a major escalation. Despite his controversial leadership, Netanyahu achieved diplomatic success by regulating relations with several Arab states under the Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States. He believes a similar agreement with Saudi Arabia would be a “quantum leap for peace.”

In his autobiography, Netanyahu reflects on his varied roles in defending Israel. “As a soldier, I fought to defend Israel on battlefields. As a diplomat, I fended off attacks against its legitimacy in world forums. As finance minister and prime minister, I sought to multiply its economic and political power.” His main goal, he writes, has been to “secure the future of my ancient people.”

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