More 60 left-wing politicians from Europe and Latin America signed a petition launched Tuesday, November 14 by Ione Belarra, Spanish minister for social rights, calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israeli leaders for genocide. Open to anyone, the petition, in its first hours, has amassed thousands of signatures.
“We’re not going to allow a genocide with our silence and complicity,” Belarra said in announcing the initiative. “If you don’t stop the brutality in time, it drags you along with it.”
Prominent supporters include leftist politicians like Jeremy Corbyn from the UK's Labour Party, Manon Aubry from France's Insoumise, Joana Mortagua of Portugal's Left Bloc, and Peter Mertens of the Workers' Party of Belgium.
The petition names several Israeli leaders – including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
The communique also said that the ICC has enough evidence to launch arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant.
Beyond pushing for the investigation and prosecution of Israeli leadership, it calls for an end to “occupation, apartheid and the expansion of the colonial project of the State of Israel.”
#JusticeForGaza is:
an initiative that aims to bring together diverse voices from international civil society, political leaders and representatives, and citizens from around the world to support the call for investigating the government of Israel for crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, as part of the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation against Israel for war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza. Crimes against the civilian population include daily indiscriminate bombings, including of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and shelters, in addition to the total siege and cutting off of water, food, electricity and fuel supplies, as well as the use of white phosphorus. This is in addition to forced displacement, psychological warfare, ethnic cleansing plans and the threat of a military offensive by land, sea and air by Israeli forces ever since.
You can read the full text and sign your name here: Justice For Gaza – #Justiceforgaza
Belarra has accused Israel of carrying out a “planned genocide” in Gaza, after thousands of Palestinians, including hundreds of children, were killed in Israel’s bombardment of the besieged enclave. She has called on the international community to sanction Israel. She also condemned world leaders for an apparent double standard, saying while alleged human rights abuses in Ukraine have been decried, there is a “deafening silence” on the victims of Israeli bombardment.
Belarra has urged Spain and other nations to break off diplomatic relations with Israel in protest against its assault on Gaza.
She has also backed a legal initiative to bring the Israeli regime before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Palestine.