Israel faces unprecedented challenges as legal and diplomatic pressure mounts (Analysis)

(CNN) — It has been a tumultuous month for Israel. Never before has the Jewish State been under such intense and sustained international pressure from multiple fronts over its policies toward the Palestinians.

This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined the ranks of world leaders branded as international pariahs by becoming the target of the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant against him and his defense minister. , Yoav Gallant, on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s war in Gaza.

The Court has previously requested arrest warrants against personalities such as the Sudanese Omar Al Bashir, the Russian Vladimir Putin and the Libyan Moammar Gadhafi.

And on Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to immediately stop its controversial military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, stating that the humanitarian situation there is “disastrous” and is expected to “continue.” intensifying.”

Seven months after the Hamas attacks against Israel, in which some 1,200 people died and 250 were taken hostage, the Israeli retaliation war has not achieved its objectives. Senior Hamas leaders remain at large and 125 hostages remain captive in the enclave. Gaza is now in ruins and more than 35,000 Palestinians have died during the Israeli onslaught.

Pressure on Israel to end the war is mounting from all fronts: American college campuses, international courts, American celebrities, Israel’s Western allies, and even the families of Israeli hostages.

But the most significant may be the legal and diplomatic action taken against Israel this month.

Israeli authorities are struggling to contain the fallout. They have accused critics of anti-Semitism and have vowed not to bow to international pressure. “Even if Israel is forced to stand alone, we will stand alone, and we will continue to strike hard at our enemies until victory,” Netanyahu declared in a fiery speech at the opening ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day this month.

Palestinian state

For years, Israeli authorities have opposed unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state, fearing that it would allow the Palestinians to take Israel to international courts and weaken their position in future peace negotiations.

Therefore, the Palestinians have not achieved full membership in the United Nations due to objections from the United States, Israel’s closest ally and main supporter on the world stage. However, a non-binding vote in the UN General Assembly on May 10 showed overwhelming international support for an independent Palestinian state, leaving the United States and some of Israel’s allies isolated.

Israel and the United States maintain that a Palestinian state should only be established through a negotiated agreement.

But as Israel continues to reject the prospect of Palestinian independence, some states have chosen to act independently.

This week, Ireland, Spain and Norway announced their plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state, hoping that other European countries will follow suit.

“We live in a moment in world history in which doing the minimum is both heroic and insufficient. That is why we cannot stop,” said the vice president of the Spanish Government, Yolanda Díaz, in a video published on its page X. ” Palestine will be free from the river to the sea,” he added, using a pro-Palestinian protest slogan that, according to Israel, calls for its destruction, an accusation rejected by those who use it.

The measure sparked swift condemnation from Israel, which withdrew its ambassadors from the three countries.

Aside from international efforts to end the war, Netanyahu is also under intense domestic pressure to reach a deal with Hamas and recover the hostages. Faced with the stagnation of the negotiations, the relatives of the hostages pressure the prime minister to resume them.

This week, the families of seven female Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas released explicit images of their abduction to pressure the government to secure their release.

But there were signs that talks could resume. On Thursday, Israel’s war cabinet ordered the country’s negotiating team to resume talks, without saying when they would take place, and CIA Director Bill Burns has traveled to Europe to try to get the deal back on track, a spokesman said. US official told CNN, adding that the Israelis are “very committed.”

A dilemma for Israel’s allies

The cases brought before the ICJ and ICC have tested Western states’ commitment to the rules-based international order as they struggle to navigate growing legal actions against their ally in these courts.

This has created a wedge between Israel’s Western allies and a growing coalition of Global South countries spanning Asia, Africa and South America that are increasingly vocal in their calls for Israel to be held accountable for its actions in Gaza.

In a recent case before the ICJ, Germany was forced to defend its arms sales to Israel against accusations of “facilitating genocide” brought by Nicaragua. Despite pressure, the court rejected the demand for an immediate suspension of arms exports from Germany to Israel.

Meanwhile, the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant has divided Israel’s Western allies.

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan recounted a conversation with a senior leader who told him: “This court is made for Africa and for thugs like Putin,” underscoring the complexity of the international judicial proceedings.

Although the United States and the United Kingdom have denounced the measure, European nations such as France, Germany and others have affirmed the independence of the court and have not ruled out the possibility of detaining Israeli officials if they enter their territory after the issuance of a court order.

The court is also processing arrest warrants for three senior Hamas officials: Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. A group of ICC judges continues to deliberate on the issuance of these orders.

The response to the petition for arrest warrants has been especially fierce in the US Congress, where a bipartisan effort is underway to criminalize the ICC, which could include sanctions. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to work with Congress to draft legislation to criminalize the ICC.

“If they do this to Israel, we will be next,” Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has led anti-ICC efforts in Congress, declared this week at a Senate hearing, a reminder that no matter how much pressure Israel continues to have a very powerful friend.