Gaza, Israel |

I will write what I am thinking now, along with some personal memories.

My stance

“Hamas and Israel, which have committed acts of terrorism and genocide, should both be tried under international law as war criminals.”

1. A young Israeli

While living in South America during the 20th century, I met a young Israeli named Ron. He was a shy young man who was traveling around the world without any purpose. It seemed he disliked Israel. He often asked me whether to return to Israel or go to Brazil. After a few months’ stay, he left, saying he was heading to Brazil. I don’t know what happened to him after that.

2. Young Israelis

Around 2001, I had the opportunity to work with an Israeli company. Several young Israelis came to Japan, but they were immigrants to Israel and were originally from South America. They converted and left their families to immigrate to Israel. Unlike the timid young man I met in South America, these men and woman had faces full of ambition.

At that time, there were several battles between Israel and Palestine.

One day, when we were waiting for an elevator, I casually said to an Israeli visiting Japan: “That’s a bit too intense”.

Of course, I know now that such topics should be avoided, but I was too naive. At the time I never imagined that someone who had been raised and received a high level education in another country would so unconditionally approve of such atrocious acts.

It was then that I realized for the first time that a human being could turn her face bright red in an instant.

“That’s not true,” she declared, putting on the most angry expression she could muster in public. I still remember the look on her face at that time.

Years have passed, and these individuals are now middle-aged and elderly. I am interested in about their current views on the ongoing anti-government demonstrations against the Netanyahu administration and their stance on the recent conflict in Gaza.

3. Devil’s works

Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Israel has not hesitated to attack Palestinians with extreme brutality, treating them like animals, beating them, and shooting them to death if they resist.

Figure 1:

This photo is not from this year. In 2014, there were large-scale protests around the world. At this time, Israel carried out a huge missile attack on Palestine, but the Israelis lined up chairs on the hill and watched it all together. I remember a BBC reporter who was reporting on the story getting really angry and protesting against the Israelis.

4. Pray

Meanwhile, the children of Gaza, who have endured hardship since birth, fly kites every year to honor the victims of March 11th.

5. 100% Genoside

The current conflict has resulted in the indiscriminate bombing and killing of Palestinian civilians, including children, by the Israeli military. Over 100 United Nations employees and journalists have also been killed in the attacks. Alarmingly, the Israeli military continues to bomb Israeli hostages as well. More alarmingly, they have committed attacks on hospitals, ambulances and refugee camps, which are clear war crimes.

6. Lame duck

Netanyahu was once ousted from power but barely regained it in the last general election by teaming up with far-right parties. His public support was clearly declining, and he was facing violent protests in the country over the Basic Law revision.

7. War Crimes and Civilization

Idealistic or not, Netanyahu must be held accountable for his actions under international law. If there is no arrest warrant for Netanyahu, it would create a double standard in dealing with Putin. This would undermine the international legal order and represent a regression to a pre-modern world.

Both Hitler¹, during his reign from 1939 to 1945, and Putin, in his invasion of Ukraine, attempted to conceal their atrocities. Even though they sought to justify their actions, they recognized the inherent wrongfulness of mass murder.

However, Israel does not hide its intentions to carry out genocide, which is unprecedented for a modern country. Israel’s actions mirror those of the Nazis, and they continue to carry out massacres clearly aimed at ethnic cleansing in public view. What should we call this, other than insanity?

Even though we are in the 21st century, we are witnessing the same harrowing events that have been documented in history textbooks, such as the genocide of Native Americans and the genocide of the indigenous peoples of South America.

If you were appalled by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in June 2022, which included atrocities such as torture and massacres in Bucha and other areas, then you should recognize that the recent Isreal’s attack is the same thing. Those who were deeply affected by the Russian assault on the Mariupol steel mill, where hundreds of people sought refuge, must be infuriated by the fact that an attack of far greater magnitude is being inflicted upon a defenseless population. There’s no way you can remain unmoved by such an atrocity.

Netanyahu’s war crimes are just as heinous as Putin’s. Just as an arrest warrant has been issued for Putin as a war criminal under international law, arrest warrants must be issued for Netanyahu and the Israeli Cabinet immediately. If not, it would signal the erosion of the international order based on international law and the decline of civilization, where such atrocities could be normalized in the 21st century.

Of course, utopia has never existed and never will. However, the issue is not a simple binary of 0 or 1. The core issue is whether we can maintain a society that strives to uphold the basic principle of justice, where evil is not tolerated.

There are currently ongoing global demonstrations on a scale larger than those in 2014. It is essential for humankind to visualize the actions of each person and share their thoughts in order to maintain civilization.

As a Japanese person, I cannot omit to write the fact that the Empire of Japan also committed a series of despicable massacres in East Asia in the 20th century. ↩︎

Gaza, Israel