FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Cornel West for President
[email protected]
Independent candidate for President of the United States, Dr. Cornel West today called on the International Criminal Court to launch an immediate investigation into likely war crimes committed by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Force (IDF).
As more details and evidence emerge, Brother West believes the global community must intervene and administer comeuppance for clear violations of Articles 6 (Genocide), 7 (Crimes Against Humanity), and 8 (War Crimes) of the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court as part of a larger set of immediate actions to protect Palestinian civilians including, but not limited to, an immediate and enforced ceasefire.
Dr. West commented, “I have seen enough, the global community has seen enough, and people of conscience have seen enough evidence of intentional barbaric and genocidal crimes committed by the Israel Defense Force at the behest of Prime Minister Netanyahu against the Palestinian people.” He added, “In addition to the nearly 20,000 murders of civilians, almost half of them children, the IDF’s indiscriminate killings now include three precious Israeli hostages who were clearly waving a white flag of surrender before they were taken out. As more truth is elucidated from this fog of war, it’s clear there must be swift and righteous justice. The ICC must intervene and demonstrate that no one is above the laws of the global community or basic humanity - Netanyahu and members of the IDF have to answer for the likely war crimes they are committing.”
West’s comments come after video evidence has emerged along with accounts of numerous people in Gaza who witnessed IDF soldiers intentionally shooting and killing Palestinian women and children taking refuge in a school and IDF soldiers burning food and humanitarian supplies meant for Gazans trapped in the southern part of the strip, in addition to reports by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem that two Christian women were targeted and killed at Gaza’s Catholic Holy Family Parish in “cold blood” by an IDF sniper and the apparent use of white phosphorus, supplied by the United States, against Lebanese civilians and Hezbollah fighters.
In addition to supplying the IDF with white phosphorus, Dr. West cited other examples of fact that the U.S. is a direct sponsor of, and complicit with myriad iniquitous activities and tactics used against Palestinian people by Israel. For instance, last week the Biden Administration vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, and more recently Senate Democrats led by Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, have delayed their holiday recess, in part, to secure $14.3 Billion of aid to Israel.
“Instead of rushing to send more money to fuel the IDF’s genocidal war machine, the Senate should be rushing to prevent the loss of more innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives,” West remarked. “ Moreover, until the ICC completes their investigation the U.S. must cease all military aid to the State of Israel - I believe that most U.S. taxpayers don’t want to be associated with funding war crimes, spiritual obscenity, and moral bankruptcy.”
Learn more about Cornel West at CornelWest2024.com. Learn more about Dr. West’s Policy Pillars at CornelWest2024.com/Platform.
Rome Statutes of the ICC: https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/RS-Eng.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yspylXsoDf8 - Gaza school killings report from Al Jazeera
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/15/middleeast/israeli-soldiers-burningfood-gaza-intl/index.html#:~:text=A%20video%20posted%20online%20shows%20Israeli%20soldiers%20burning%20food%20in%20Gaza.&text=The%20Israeli%20soldier%20looks%20directly,of%20food%20supplies%20on%20fire - Reports of IDF soldiers burning food in Gaza
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/12/16/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news/the-deaths-highlight-the-dire-risks-faced-by-the-remaining-hostages?smid=url-share - Killing of three Israeli Hostages by IDF
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256301/two-women-reportedly-killed-amid-israeli-attack-at-holy-family-parish-in-gaza - Latin Partriarchate reports of two women killed by IDF snipers
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