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Dear John, “You know why this happened here? People let it happen. They didn’t stand up till it was too late.” — Nuremberg The film Nuremberg, released this week, reminds us of the history of accountability as it relates to the Holocaust. We learn how difficult it was to bring those who had committed heinous crimes to justice, but they ultimately did. You can find resources for the film here, where you can take action for Palestine and demand that the same consequences be delivered to Israeli war criminals. In 1945, the Nuremberg trials established a legal system of accountability for the war criminals who orchestrated the Holocaust. The prosecution brought key German political figures, businessmen, and military leaders to the stand, most of whom were found guilty of crimes against humanity. Some of the most notable principles to come out of the Nuremberg Trials were individual accountability, denial of immunity, and the rejection of the excuse of “just following orders.” So why aren’t these principles being applied to the war criminals of today? The Nuremberg Trials should have set a lasting precedent for war crimes and events of mass destruction – yet for over two years, the state of Israel has been carrying out its full-on genocide of Gaza as the world watches. The Nuremberg Trials and their defining principles were the very foundations upon which the International Criminal Court (ICC) was built. But for some reason, the ICC has failed to uphold these principles in the face of Israel's war crimes. Here are a few examples of the ICC’s negligence: Individual AccountabilityThe International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, and while this is a step in the right direction, it suggests that only two people are responsible for the atrocities in Gaza. But we all know that these two war criminals have not acted alone; they’re supported by IOF soldiers, by media figures who spread Zionist propaganda, by the corporations who funnel weapons to Israel, and of course, by Israel’s bankroller: the United States of America. Denied ImmunityThis principle alludes to this precedent set by the Nuremberg Trials: "The fact that a person who committed an act which constitutes a crime under international law, acted as Head of State or responsible government official, does not relieve him from responsibility under international law." Israeli actors have considered themselves immune to international pushback. However, it is about time Israel and its heads of state are denied immunity for their countless war crimes. How is it possible for Israel to have carried out a fraction of its actions without any sort of persecution or trial? How is an engineered famine legal in the eyes of international law? What about collective punishment? Indiscriminate bombing? Bombing other countries like Qatar and Iran? These are just a few of the war crimes Israel has committed, and it has come out the other side unscathed with no consequences. Rejecting the excuse of “just following orders”When an individual commits such egregious acts as torture and murder, it’s not a legitimate excuse to say, “I was just following orders.” This applies to the countless Israeli soldiers who have been given commands to terrorize the Palestinian people, dating all the way back to the 1948 Nakba. When Israel sent its militias to ethnically cleanse dozens of Palestinian villages, every participating soldier made a choice – they knew what they were doing. Many were even proud of it. After butchering and exiling Palestinians from the now non-existent town of Tantura, Israelis spoke about their experience, keeping score of how many Palestinians they were able to rape and kill as if it were a game. The power that comes with supremacy and impunity can make someone deranged, and that is precisely what we see in the Israeli settler colony, both past and present. Many accounts have surfaced from IOF soldiers doing the same now, manipulating Gazan lives like it’s a game. This is not merely “following orders”– this is being given the green light to operate as murderers. A mere 80 years after the Nuremberg Trials, it seems reasonable to expect that these principles would be enacted to stop the slaughter of over 600,000 Palestinians. Unfortunately, this has not been the case, and the Gaza Strip has never seen such destruction. I honestly believe that circumstances like these showcase the discrepancies of accountability we see in our world. Black and brown people are never awarded timely justice by powers that dehumanize them every single day. The lessons from the Nuremberg film and the actual trials are that one day, all those complicit in the genocide in Gaza will be met with fierce consequences, but it’s our duty to pave the path to that moment. The institutionalized systems of accountability need to uphold their duties to bring justice to those who haven’t seen it in years. We need to make sure it is never too late, ever again. Sign this petition to demand the International Criminal Court stay true to its purpose of justice. 👉 Here are more ways to engage:
Until
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