Israel at a crossroads: Warnings from within on war crimes and the cost of denial

Defence affairs

“Israel is losing its soul,” warned Gideon Levy, whose columns in Haaretz have long served as moral indicators in Israeli discourse. He is not a lonely voice in the wilderness.

His lament is echoed by his colleague, journalist and author Amira Hass, and by Haaretz’s editorial board, which cautioned, “A nation that refuses to reckon with its actions cannot expect to escape its consequences.” These are not hostile foreign indictments, but urgent appeals from within.

Levy’s words reveal more than anguish; they mark a shift in conscience. Hass warns of the “normalisation of collective punishment” and the gradual erosion of basic moral boundaries. Their critiques echo past examples: in apartheid South Africa, voices from within signaled the collapse of an evil state; in post-Vietnam America, suppressed truths sparked an internal reckoning. They warn that when violence is regarded as normal and impunity taken for granted, the influence of human values will diminish.

While external criticism often dominates headlines, this emotional rising chorus of warnings from inside Israel signals a profound concern for the future of the Jewish state. These internal voices, far from being adversarial, represent a patriotic plea for a course correction; the denial of accountability carries a devastating price, not just for the occupied, but also for the occupier.

Strategic failure 

Hass calls Israeli policy “unsustainable.” The facts speak for themselves. Punitive military practices, widespread civilian killings, and siege tactics have not quelled the Palestinian resistance—they have intensified it. Strategic backlash is no longer hypothetical. The United Nations, European countries, and International NGOs are reevaluating their stance and views of Israel, with enormous long-term consequences for Israel. Arms deals face growing scrutiny. Younger generations—within Israel and across the diaspora—are questioning allegiances once considered unshakable. Even allies are drawing lines: the language of “apartheid,” once confined to activist circles, now appears in mainstream legal discourse. Isolation isn’t looming; it’s underway. The cost of moral and strategic denial is measured in diplomatic erosion and the unravelling of national consensus. These new deep and permanent faultlines in Israeli body politics will have a severe negative impact on Israel in the years ahead.

Legal reckoning: The inescapable pursuit of justice

The warning from Haaretz hits hardest in the realm of law. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), disproportionate force and collective punishment can amount to war crimes. The ICC’s ongoing investigation into the situation in Palestine further amplifies this legal exposure. Israel’s refusal to cooperate with international inquiries may delay accountability, but it cannot erase mounting evidence. Legal scholars, NGOs, and retired officials within Israel have begun sounding alarms: impunity not only threatens the occupied—it corrodes the occupier’s institutions.

The legal problems awaiting Israeli generals and politicians for their participation in actions construed as war crimes and potential genocide are multifaceted and will likely follow them for many years. This is not mere speculation but a consequence of a robust and increasingly assertive international legal framework and action.

Former Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon has accused Israel of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, echoing the allegations by the International Criminal Court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

One of the most direct manifestations of this threat comes in the form of “travel warnings” issued to Israeli soldiers and officials. The Israeli Foreign Ministry and military have issued warnings to numerous personnel, advising caution when traveling abroad due to potential arrests and indictment for war crimes. This indicates an official, albeit often unstated publicly, recognition within the Israeli establishment of the personal risk faced by individuals involved in the ongoing war in Gaza.