When Justice Becomes a Choice: The Cowardice of Realpolitik in the Face of Genocide

So here we are — in a world where the law of nations bends not before truth, but before power.

The International Criminal Court did what it was built to do: issue an arrest warrant for a man accused of orchestrating mass death — Benjamin Netanyahu. The warrants were not symbolic. They were meant to say, no one is above the law.

And yet, what followed was the same tragic theatre we’ve come to expect from the so-called “civilized” world — a chorus of hesitation, hypocrisy, and diplomatic cowardice dressed in the language of “procedure” and “realpolitik.”

A Handful Who Still Remember What Justice Means

A few countries — just a handful — dared to speak the words the world needed to hear.

Ireland stood firm, saying it would absolutely respect and implement the ICC warrant.
The Netherlands, with admirable clarity, said it “implements the Rome Statute 100%.”
Canada, Spain, Norway, and New Zealand — all reaffirmed their commitment to the principles they helped build, vowing to uphold the rule of law if Netanyahu set foot on their soil.

Six nations. Out of one hundred and twenty-four.

Six nations willing to treat international law not as decoration, but as duty.

Belgium: The Fall from Law to “Realpolitik”

At first, Belgium seemed to understand its moment in history. Ministers spoke boldly: “We will support and enforce the ICC warrant.” The Justice Ministry assured that everything is in place for execution.

But then came the whisper — “realpolitik.”

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, in a moment of astonishing candor, said it plainly: “If I’m being honest, I don’t think we would either.”

And there it was — honesty at the expense of honor.
A government acknowledging that legality bows before convenience. That justice stops at the border where power begins.

Belgium retreated into the comfort of excuses — procedural details, diplomatic caution, geopolitical “reality.” In doing so, it exposed what “rule-based order” truly means: rules for the weak, exceptions for the powerful.

Poland: From Moral Memory to Political Amnesia

Poland’s story cuts even deeper — because it is a betrayal wrapped in tragedy.

As an ICC member, Poland was legally bound to execute the arrest warrant. Its own deputy foreign minister admitted, “We are obliged to respect the decisions of the ICC.”

Then came the Auschwitz commemoration — an event meant to remind the world of the cost of silence. And yet, the Polish President, Andrzej Duda, asked his government to guarantee Netanyahu’s safety.
The government went further, passing a formal resolution ensuring he “will not be detained.”

In other words: the man accused of crimes against humanity would be welcomed at the site that stands as humanity’s eternal warning against such crimes.

Holocaust memory turned into political shield. Justice, once again, murdered at the altar of diplomacy.

Legal experts called it “a purely political decision.” Protesters called it what it was — a disgrace.

The Two Faces of the West

Belgium and Poland didn’t act out of ignorance — they acted out of fear. Fear of angering an ally. Fear of confronting the same double standards that sustain their moral comfort.

And so “realpolitik” became the polite word for moral surrender.

Because what does it say about a world where small countries dare to speak truth — Ireland, New Zealand, Norway — while those who once lectured the world about law and morality quietly look away?

It says that justice, when it touches Israel, becomes “complex.” That genocide, when livestreamed from Gaza, becomes a “security operation.” That international law is not a system — it’s a privilege.

Justice Is Not Optional

When the ICC issued its warrant, it drew a line in history: between those who stand with law, and those who stand with power.

Every government that chose to backtrack, hesitate, or hide behind procedure should remember this — history does not record excuses. It records choices.

Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, and Canada chose to honor justice.
Belgium and Poland chose to betray it.

And when the survivors of Gaza someday stand before the world — just as the survivors of Auschwitz once did — it will not be forgotten who enforced the law, and who helped bury it under the rubble of “realpolitik.”

Because justice is not a diplomatic variable. It is the last fragile thread holding the idea of humanity together.

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