ICC Arrest Warrants – Justice or an Instrument of Western Powers?

News:

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague recently issued arrest warrants for "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Comment:

While this may seem like a step toward accountability, the ICC’s limitations and underlying geopolitical dynamics highlight a deeper reality: the court serves as a tool for Western powers, focusing on weaker nations while protecting the powerful. Moreover, these very powers are often the root cause and sustainers of the conflicts they claim to address.

The ICC was established in 2002 to hold individuals accountable for the gravest crimes, operating on the principle that no one is above the law. However, its lack of enforcement power and reliance on state cooperation severely undermine its effectiveness. Nations such as the Jewish entity, the United States, Russia, and China have not ratified the Rome Statute, allowing them to operate with impunity. Consequently, the ICC disproportionately targets leaders from weaker nations, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, while sparing those from powerful states or their allies.

This selective justice reflects the court's structural biases, revealing it as less of an impartial arbiter of justice and more as a geopolitical instrument to control weaker states. By shielding powerful nations and their allies, the ICC perpetuates global injustices rather than resolving them.

The ICC is deeply intertwined with Western powers, particularly European nations, which provide its funding and influence its operations. The United States, while not a member, actively intervenes to protect its interests and those of its allies, such as the Jewish entity. This dynamic exposes the ICC’s role as a tool for maintaining the global status quo rather than challenging it. It is naïve to expect justice from an institution that is part of the very system that fuels and sustains conflicts, especially in Muslim lands.

The ICC claims jurisdiction over crimes in the Palestinian territories due to Palestine’s 2015 accession to the Rome Statute. However, the Jewish entity’s strong alliances, particularly with the United States, make it virtually untouchable. Arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant are unlikely to lead to concrete action, as the Jewish entity continues to dismiss the ICC’s authority with impunity.

This situation highlights the broader issue: the ICC and its Western backers are not neutral observers or mediators but active participants in perpetuating the Palestinian crisis. They enable the Jewish entity’s occupation and aggression while paying lip service to justice.

As the ICC’s host nation, the Netherlands exemplifies the hypocrisy of the Western approach. While the ICC issues arrest warrants against leaders of the Jewish entity, Dutch politics simultaneously works to suppress criticism of the Jewish entity by equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism. This move stifles legitimate opposition to the policies of the Jewish entity and highlights the selective application of justice, further undermining the ICC’s credibility.

Turning to institutions like the ICC or Western powers for justice is not only futile but also misguided. These powers are the source of the problem, not its solution. The ICC is merely a tool in their hands, designed to control weaker nations while maintaining the dominance of the powerful. Expecting justice from such a system is naïve.

The true solution for the problems of the Muslims, including the liberation of Palestine, lies within the Muslim Ummah itself. It is only through unity under one banner of the Khilafah that Muslims can reclaim their dignity, sovereignty, and land. The ongoing division among Muslim nations weakens our collective strength, enabling external powers to exploit and dominate.

The liberation of Palestine will not come from international courts or colonial institutions but through the united efforts of the Muslim Ummah. It is time to recognize this reality and work together with Hizb ut Tahrir toward the revival of the Ummah with the implementation of the Khilafah, which alone can provide the comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by Muslims worldwide.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in The Netherlands