PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU IS ISRAEL'S BIGGEST PROBLEM

He obstructs a two-state solution to the Palestinian problem, and by attempting to reduce the powers of the judiciary he scorns international law.

On Friday, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza, but stopped short of ordering the Israeli military to completely halt its offensive in the enclave. The ICJ also ordered Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, take effective measures to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, and submit a report to the court within a month on what action it has taken to comply with the order. The decision of the court was confined only to South Africa’s request for provisional measures to prevent further deaths of innocent civilians, not the merits of the genocide case itself, which may take years to determine. It remains unclear if Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government will comply with the order, as the ICJ has no powers of enforcement. Many will remember that in 2022 Russia totally ignored the court’s order to halt its invasion of Ukraine.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet is already under scrutiny for the high death toll of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, which has now surpassed 26,000. But at least he is finally talking to US President Biden about the conflict. After four weeks of silence, the two spoke on the phone for some 30-40 minutes last week, their first conversation since 23 December last year. During the first weeks of the war the leaders spoke frequently, but the tempo of calls between Biden and Netanyahu, who have had a hot and cold relationship for over three decades, has slowed to a snail’s pace. Both Biden and Netanyahu are hemmed in by domestic political considerations.