Anies Rasyid Baswedan@aniesbaswedan
Ending Genocide, Enforcing Justice
The world cannot continue to pretend that reasonable solutions will be possible so long as Israel remains under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime. His government has overseen a genocidal campaign that has crossed the threshold of humanity’s most serious crime. Until accountability is enforced and the present path is altered, the prospect of genuine peace will remain obstructed.
At this moment, the most urgent priority is not abstract negotiations, but the immediate cessation of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the lifting of the inhumane blockade that strangles its people. The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has already determined that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. There is no moral or legal basis to soften this language. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against PM Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The international community must recognize that words of condemnation alone are no longer sufficient. Justice must follow!
The logical next step is to ensure that these crimes are prosecuted before an international tribunal. Anything less would be an abdication of the duty to uphold international law and human dignity. Some nations in the West have begun to recognize the State of Palestine, an overdue act that tragically required the enormity of genocide to compel action. But this must not be the endpoint. The next decisive move is to secure Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations, affirming the rights of its people in the family of nations.
Only after halting the genocide, securing justice for the victims, and ensuring Palestine’s rightful place in the international order, can we begin to speak of a sensible, durable solution for all. Until then, the credibility of the international system itself hangs in the balance. For it is not only Gaza that is under siege, but also the very principles of justice and humanity on which our common future depends.
