Ahead of president Isaac Herzog's scheduled visit to the Netherlands on Sunday, a local pro-Palestinian organization submitted a request to arrest him for war crimes in Gaza. The Foreign Affairs and Justice ministries are preparing to prevent embarrassment and to ensure that there will be no harm during the visit.
More stories:
Herzog was invited by Dutch King Willem-Alexander to participate in the opening event of a new Holocaust museum, with the participation of Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and a delegation of families of Gaza hostages accompanying Herzog. The March 30 organization, a pro-Palestinian body, filed a request for an immediate arrest warrant against Herzog upon his arrival in the Netherlands.
2 View gallery
President Isaac Herzog will try to avoid arrest in The Netherlands next week
( Photo: Oren Ben Hakon)
Harun Reza, who heads the organization, submitted a detailed complaint emphasizing Herzog's central role in "fostering a climate suitable for genocide in Gaza." According to him, Herzog made a direct and indirect contribution to systematic atrocities against the Palestinian population, in actual violation of international humanitarian and criminal laws.
The complaint refers to Herzog's public statements, which, according to the pro-Palestinian organization, express dehumanization of the Gazan people and justify disproportionate military operations, hence creating an environment that allows for large-scale violence and the potential for genocide. The argument relies heavily on international law, particularly Article 25 of the Rome Statute, which outlines the legal grounds for complicity in international crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity.
2 View gallery
Pro=Palestinian demonstrators at the Hague in The Netherlands
(Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo)
The complaint describes the dire humanitarian situation resulting from the Israeli military operations carried out "under Herzog's management," detailing the indiscriminate killing of civilians, including thousands of children, the massive destruction of homes and the erasure of vital civilian infrastructure, from water supplies to hospitals and schools.
This legal action is based on the wider context of documented violations by Israel, reported by organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNRWA and B'Tselem. These include, among others, the deliberate targeting of non-military sites such as religious buildings, residential areas and educational institutions, using civilians as human shields, and blocking essential products that lead to hunger and suffering on a large scale.
Ad
Unmute
In light of the evidence against the president, the complaint urges the Dutch authorities to take immediate legal action, exercising Dutch jurisdiction over such international crimes. The complaint calls for the arrest of President Herzog upon his entry into the Netherlands, with the aim of bringing him to justice for his "critical role" in the ongoing humanitarian disaster, war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
Did you find a m