Latest news with #AmichaiChikli
Scoop
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Caught In Belgium: Universal Jurisdiction And The IDF
Two soldiers find themselves in Belgium attending the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, Belgium. Entertainment beckons. The festival, held near Antwerp, attracts somewhere in the order of 400,000 guests over the course of two weekends. The two in question are members of the Israeli Defense Forces, said to be waving a flag of the Israeli Givati Brigade. The gesture is not prudent, given the exploits of that particular unit in the Gaza campaign of flattening and demolishing Palestinian infrastructure, civilian and all. A local, rabble-rousing outfit called the Hind Rajab Foundation, paired with the Global Legal Action Network (Glan), got vexed with the whole display. On July 19, they urged Belgian authorities to arrest the two flag wavers. They were allegedly 'indirectly implicated in some of the most egregious crimes committed during Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza.' A keen eye was focused on the Givati flag, one 'publicly displayed in the heart of Belgium'. Far from merely being a military, it had 'become, for millions, a symbol of impunity, destruction, and ethnic cleansing.' The HRF, having identified an opportunity, were heartened by the arrests, despite an announcement from the Belgian public broadcaster, RTBF, that the two had been released after questioning. 'It signals that Belgium has recognized universal jurisdiction under international law and is treating allegations with the seriousness it deserves. At a time when too many governments remain silent, this action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes with a legal response – not political difference.' HRF director and founder Dyab Abou Jahjah, seeing the stirring, if limited precedent in the move, told the Middle East Eye that 'this was a major milestone' within the broader context of accountability. 'This is the first time that a European country acknowledges universal jurisdiction against Israeli soldiers and acts upon it in a forceful way, arrests them, and brings them to a police station to interrogate them.' In a post on Instagram, the foundation also ruminated on whether this might be 'a turning point in the global pursuit of accountability'. The motivations behind the HRF are clear: 'To the victims and survivors of Gaza: we see you, we hear you, and we carry your demands for justice forwards.' The group's campaign has certainly begun to trouble Israeli officials, apparently prompting Israel's Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli to cancel his visit to the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this year. That Belgium recognised such jurisdiction was hardly novel. The law concerning the punishment of serious violations of international humanitarian law of June 16, 1993 established the principle of universal jurisdiction in Belgium, enabling prosecutions to be taken against alleged violators of international humanitarian law irrespective of whether they were in Belgian territory or otherwise. In 2003, the law amending the Belgian Criminal Code focused on criminalising genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture. In this case, the prosecutors were satisfied that they had jurisdiction because of Article 14/10 of the Preliminary Title of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which came into force on April 28, 2024. The article explicitly grants Belgian courts jurisdiction to try crimes committed outside Belgium based on such international instruments as the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Convention against Torture of 1984. One of the arrested Israelis complained after the arrest, suggesting they had been manhandled. 'The officers hit us, we got blows to the face,' one of them told Israel's Channel 12 news. 'They took us to a secret police station in the compound.' That such treatment is meted out by their own colleagues to Palestinians on a daily basis in the occupied territories was not an irony to appreciate. The arrests did worry a number of Israel's defenders. 'This is a serious incident that requires an immediate response from the State of Israel, including considering diplomatic measures against the Belgian ambassador,' claimed the Israeli Reservists Generation of Victory organisation. The body further went on to castigate internal critics of Israel's war policies such as former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and leader of the Israeli Democrats Party, Yair Golan, accusing them of pursuing a 'toxic media discourse'. Olmert had publicly decried the proposal by the IDF for creating a 'humanitarian city' in Gaza as nothing better than a dressed-up version of a concentration camp. Golan had also drawn the ire of some commentators for telling Kan Reshet Bet's This Morning program in mid-May that, 'A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies for a hobby, and does not set goals involving the expulsion of populations.' The European Jewish Association also expressed concerns that the 'soldiers were carrying out lawful duties in defence of their country, duties comparable to those of any soldier serving in a democratic nation.' That may have been perceived as such, but an absolute fidelity to following orders is no longer fashionable in international jurisprudence, a point sometimes missed even in democratic states. On the glittery surface, apprehending two soldiers of the IDF and temporarily detaining them seems a case of pruning rather than uprooting. The problems remain, festering away in the suffering feats of endurance for those in Gaza. Israel's authorities and the IDF know it. Arresting travelling soldiers for questioning under the principle of universal jurisdiction and a suspicion of committing crimes against humanity has its role, but such a justice is poor if it leaves the prominent leaders and commanders at large. The true criminality of any broad enterprise always lies with the decision makers. Those decision makers continue to elude legal capture or ostracising, despite international arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court. At least for the moment.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
50 Jewish kids removed from flight in Spain, airline rejects antisemitism claims
Around 50 Jewish children from a French summer camp were removed from a plane in Valencia, Spain, on Wednesday evening following a clash with the airline staff. The children, aged 10 to 15, were part of the Kineret Camp and were returning to Paris when the incident took to reports, the situation escalated when the airline staff called in Spanish security. A 21-year-old female supervisor was forcefully detained by officers. Videos of the incident surfaced online which show her being pinned to the ground and woman who was arrested and beaten is the director of the Kinneret summer Jewish French children, aged 10 – 15, were singing Hebrew songs on the @vueling airline crew said that Israel is a terrorist state and forced the children off the aircraft; they - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) July 23, 2025advertisementThe camp organisers said the group were treated unfairly because of their Jewish identity. They accused the airline, Vueling, of antisemitism. Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli also backed this claim. In a post on X, he said, "The Vueling airline crew said that Israel is a terrorist state and forced the children off the aircraft." However, the Spanish airline denied all allegations. In a statement released on Thursday, Vueling said the group displayed "highly disruptive behavior" and "adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight."They claimed that passengers from the camp tampered with emergency equipment and disrupted the safety demonstration. Despite several warnings, the airline said the behavior continued, which prompted the crew to request the help of Spanish police. DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF STORYMeanwhile, witness accounts and reports paint a different picture. One teenager on the flight, 17-year-old Samson, told AFP that the group had boarded the plane calmly. "One of my friends shouted a word in Hebrew because he was still a bit in a holiday-camp mood," he said. He admitted it may have been loud, but added, "We immediately stopped making noise" after being reports also claimed that airline staff used offensive language, calling Israel a "terrorist state." However, these statements could not be of the children said the removal happened simply because one teen had sung a Hebrew Civil Guard said 44 minors and eight adults were taken off the plane. They confirmed that one person was arrested for refusing to leave the aircraft but was later released. A Civil Guard statement added, "The officers were not aware of the religion of the disembarked people at any point during the operation."The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that most of the group reached their destination in Paris by Thursday afternoon, while the rest travelled later on a different flight. In a Hebrew-language statement, the ministry said, "Israel, the Foreign Ministry, and Israeli missions around the world will continue to act and provide assistance to Israelis and Jews in distress wherever they may be."- Ends
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Dozens of Jewish children are removed from flight for being 'unruly' with summer camp teacher arrested - as airline denies anti-semitism claims
The expulsion of dozens of teenage passengers from a jet in Spain amid reports they were endangering the safety of the flight has sparked a row, with the carrier coming under fire for alleged anti-Semitism. Some 44 French-Jewish students aged between 10 and 15 and several adults were escorted off Vueling flight V8166 as it waited on the tarmac at Valencia airport yesterday ahead of its return to Paris. Footage shared to social media appeared to show one adult member of the group being detained by Spanish civil guard officers in the walkway shortly after she was removed from the jet. It was later revealed that the passengers were members of the Kineret Club, a Jewish summer camp group, and were returning to France after a week-long excursion in Spain. A statement released by the club alleged that the captain of the flight ordered the removal of the group 'without a valid explanation', adding: 'The use of a few words in Hebrew was clearly enough to trigger an extremely serious, collective, humiliating, and discriminatory measure. 'No other circumstance could explain the treatment inflicted on this group of children.' The statement, signed by the club's lawyer Julie Jacob, went on to say it would launch a formal complaint and legal action, claiming that the passengers 'were seated, respecting the rules and the staff... they did not pose any disturbance to public order or flight safety'. This triggered outcry in Israel, with Minister of Diaspora Amichai Chikli accusing Vueling and Spanish law enforcement of antisemitism, saying the kids were removed after 'singing Hebrew songs on the plane' and accusing Vueling staff of declaring Israel a 'terrorist state', without providing evidence. In response, a Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. 'A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behaviour and adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's behaviour was related to the religion of the passengers involved.' 'This group mishandled emergency equipment and actively disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration, repeatedly ignoring instructions from cabin crew. 'Despite multiple warnings, this inappropriate behaviour persisted, which forced the crew to activate established security protocols,' the statement read, adding that Spain's civil guard took the decision to remove the passengers after being notified by the captain. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's decision related to the religion of the passengers involved. This decision was taken solely to ensure the safety of all passengers,' it said. Spain's Civil Guard confirmed all the passengers removed from the plane were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved in the removal operation and the arrest of one member of the party were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. The woman arrested following her removal from the aircraft was said to be one of the directors of the club, according to Israeli media, but that has not been confirmed. Vueling shared a lengthy statement rejecting allegations of anti-Semitism Club Kineret alleged in its statement that it had collected written statements from other passengers on the plane 'confirming that the children did not pose a threat to public order or flight safety'. It also said that the group was expelled from the flight 'without care, escort, accommodation or food'. The Civil Guard said 23 minors and two adults from the group boarded a flight belonging to another airline, while the rest spent Wednesday night at a hotel. A spokesperson said arrangements were being made for them to leave Valencia later on Thursday. The Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain today expressed concern about the incident, calling on Vueling to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane. 'The various accounts circulating on social media and in the media to which we have had access do not clarify the cause of the incident,' the organisation said.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
Jewish schoolchildren kicked off plane after singing Hebrew songs
A group of Jewish children returning to France from summer camp in Spain were escorted off a flight to Paris after at least one child sang a Hebrew song. Spanish airline Vueling allegedly removed the director of a Jewish summer camp and approximately 50 children forcibly from the flight, according to footage shared on social media on Wednesday. The airline said they had 'compromised passenger safety'. Israel's diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism minister, Amichai Chikli, said the children, aged between 10 and 15, were singing songs in Hebrew on the plane. Mr Chikli alleged that the camp director was arrested in what he called a 'serious' anti-Semitic incident. The children, all from France, are currently in Valencia, awaiting return to France, Ms Chikli claimed. Many of the children were reportedly wearing religious items, including Star of David jewellery, when the incident occurred. The group had been travelling home from their vacation program when the disruption unfolded. Vueling responded to the incident on Thursday, claiming that a group of teenagers mishandled emergency equipment and were confrontational during the mandatory safety demonstration, ignoring cabin crew safety instructions. The airline noted that actions by on-board staff were 'solely in response' to behaviour that compromised passenger safety. The crew requested the intervention of the Guardia Civil, who decided to disembark the group to prioritise passenger safety. According to the airline, the group continued to act aggressively towards authorities at the terminal, leading to one of the group members being arrested. Vueling denied that the crew's decision was related to the passenger's religion. But parents expressed outrage after Spanish police forcibly removed the group of children and handcuffed and detained their 21-year-old supervisor, who insisted they had done nothing wrong. Karine Lamy, whose child was among the ejected passengers, told i24NEWS that crew members had warned: 'If you continue, we will call the police,' after a young passenger started singing in Hebrew. She said that despite the child immediately stopping, police officers boarded the aircraft minutes later and ordered the group supervisor and all children to exit the plane before takeoff. Once removed from the aircraft, law enforcement officers demanded the children place their mobile phones on the ground to check no one had recorded the incident, according to the mother's testimony. The group supervisor intervened, telling officers their actions were illegal, which prompted police to physically restrain her. Officers pushed the 21-year-old woman to the ground and handcuffed her before taking her away, leaving the children aged 13-15 with their counsellors. The remaining officers then instructed the children to retrieve their luggage, and they made it clear they would no longer be permitted to board the flight. Police cited the noise created by the child's singing as justification for barring the entire group from travel, according to the account shared with i24NEWS. The children and their supervisors remained stranded at Valencia airport, searching for alternative flights to return to France. The parent expressed outrage at Vueling Airlines' response to the situation. 'The Vueling company they were travelling with didn't even offer them an alternative solution; they abandoned them. We are panicking for them,' she told i24NEWS. 'A 21-year-old woman was handcuffed because a child sang - we have returned to the worst hours of World War II. And I'm not even talking about the moral damage caused to our children,' she alleged. The incident follows a series of alleged anti-Semitic incidents involving Israeli tourists in Greece. Earlier this week, a large pro-Palestinian protest prevented an Israeli-owned cruiseliner from docking on the island of Syros, forcing the vessel and its 1,600 passengers to reroute to Cyprus. Photographs showed a large crowd on the dock waving Palestinian and Greek flags and brandishing a banner saying 'stop the genocide'. The incident prompted Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis to condemn the protest as 'outrageous'. 'Antisemitism and any form of fascism and racism will not be tolerated in Greece,' he told Parapolitika Radio. Meanwhile, on Rhodes, a popular holiday destination for Israelis, a group of Israeli teenagers were allegedly attacked by a mob armed with knives as they left a nightclub. It followed a reported shouting match between Israelis and pro-Palestinians outside the club, which is known to be frequented by Israelis. The group of 17 to 18-year-olds decided not to get involved, but were allegedly pursued by dozens of assailants.
New Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Explained: Why is Israel bombing Syria?
Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour. It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new government in Damascus. Clashes erupted in the last few days, prompting Israeli airstrikes in defence of the Druze by targeting government bases, tanks, and heavy weaponry. Israel Minister Amichai Chikli has called the Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa "a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay." Despite the incendiary language, a ceasefire has been reached, halting the fighting – for now. Syrian forces have begun withdrawing heavy military equipment from the region, while Druze fighters have agreed to suspend armed resistance, allowing government troops to regain control of the main Druze city of Suwayda. What do the Druze want? The Druze are a small religious minority estimated at over one million people, primarily concentrated in the mountainous regions of Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan. In Syria, their population is estimated at around 700,000 (of around 23 million total Syrian population), with the majority residing in the southern As-Suwayda Governorate – or province – which serves as their traditional stronghold. Since the 2011 uprising against the Assad regime, the Druze have maintained a degree of autonomy, successfully defending their territory from various threats, including ISIS and other jihadist groups. Following Assad's fall late last year, the Druze — along with other minority groups such as the Kurds in the east and Alawites in the west — have called for the country to be federalized. They advocate for a decentralised model that would grant greater autonomy to regional communities. However, the transitional government in Damascus is pushing for a centralised state and seeking to reassert full control over the entire Syrian territory. This fundamental disagreement has led to periodic clashes between Druze forces and government-aligned troops. Despite the temporary ceasefire, tensions remain high. Given the core political dispute remains unresolved, many expect renewed conflict to erupt in the near future.
