European Left-wing Politician Urges ICC To Investigate Israel's Genocide

JAKARTA - More than 60 left-wing politicians from Europe and Latin America signed a petition launched on Tuesday, calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israeli leaders for genocide.

"We will not allow genocide to happen quietly and conspire," said Ione Belarra, Spanish Minister of Social Rights, when launching the initiative.

"If you allow brutality to continue, you will be part of that brutality," he added.

The petition mentions several Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

The commissioner also said that the ICC had sufficient evidence to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant.

In addition to encouraging investigations and prosecutions of Israel's leadership, the petition also calls on Israel to end the residential, apartheid, and expansion of the Israeli State's colonial project.

The petition was signed by Belarra, along with dozens of other prominent left-wing politicians such as Jeremy Corbyn of the British Labor Party, Manon Aubry of the French Insoumise Party, Joana Mortagua of Portugal's left-handed party Bloco de Esquerda, and Peter Mertens of the Belgian Workers Party.

The petition is open to the public, and has been signed by hundreds of people from various backgrounds, including retirees, teachers, and engineers from around the world.

The Justice for Gaza or Justice initiative for Gaza aims to "unify the various voices of the international civil society, leaders and political representatives, as well as citizens from around the world" to urge the ICC to act now as well.