If politics is the art of the possible, Turkey seems determined to make it the art of the impossible. The arrest warrants issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other Israeli officials on charges of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” are a striking example. Nobody seriously believes that these warrants will be executed or that they will force Israeli leaders into a courtroom. Turkey lacks both the power to enforce them and the moral authority to corner Israel on ethical grounds. There is, however, a kernel of truth in Israel’s claim that the move is a mere public relations exercise. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, facing growing domestic discontent and criticism over his own human rights record, is adept at using high-decibel international posturing to divert attention. His own judiciary has been widely accused of functioning as an instrument to silence political opponents, as seen in the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier this year. Israel was quick to remind the world of that reality, turning Turkey’s moral sermon back on Ankara.
Still, Turkey’s action is not without foundation. The charges refer to Israel’s conduct during the Gaza war and its recent interception of an aid flotilla bound for the besieged enclave. Israel’s military tactics in Gaza have repeatedly flouted humanitarian norms. The deliberate use of hunger as a weapon, the obstruction of aid, and the indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas have been condemned by human rights organisations worldwide. These actions have left an indelible stain on Israel’s global image, one that even its closest allies find increasingly difficult to defend. Hamas, predictably, has hailed Turkey’s initiative. But the warrants complicate Turkey’s own ambitions. Ankara has been in talks with several Muslim-majority nations about joining a proposed international stabilisation force for Gaza—a key element in the US-brokered ceasefire plan. While the United States views Turkey as a potential player in this multinational force, Israel has made it clear that Turkish troops are unwelcome in Gaza. Washington’s efforts to balance these competing interests will not be easy.
For Netanyahu, these developments deepen Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation. The International Criminal Court had earlier issued its own warrant accusing him of war crimes—a move his government dismissed as “absurd and antisemitic”. Yet, Israel cannot wish away the consequences of its Gaza campaign. In politics, as in life, it is principles, not power, that sustain legitimacy. By weaponising suffering and scorning international law, Israel, under Netanyahu, has forfeited whatever moral high ground it once held. Let there be no mistake: the wheels of justice may turn slowly, but Nemesis is already on the move toward Tel Aviv.
