Can a nation be held accountable? Can the reported death and injury of over 6,900 Palestinians make Israeli
politicians accountable? The International Coalition Against Impunity, a UN affiliate body, is pushing for it. Do the people of Gaza need the justice of a war crimes trial following the carnage? Gulf News readers voice their opinions on the issue of bringing Israeli politicians and military leaders to The Hague.
Israeli leaders should be tried for war crimes for Gaza.
Israeli leaders should definitely be brought to The Hague. I fail to understand why the international community and United Nations are so weak in their stance against Israel, while they can take strong actions against other nations that violate rules and regulations. Muslim countries need to unite to fight a common cause. Leaders and people need to have strong faith in their hearts and rise above sectarian and political differences. We need to unite under a common leadership, regardless of our limitations and weaknesses.
Asif Raza
Dubai
What the Israeli government has done is absolutely wrong and unjustifiable. Despite condemnation from almost every country, it continued to bombard Gaza. The Israeli leadership should be severely punished for war crimes. The current governing party should be removed from power and put behind bars. So many people have been killed and wounded as a result of the Israeli invasion.
Lokhesh Pinto
Dubai
Israeli government should definitely be tried because they have attacked the Palestinians based on their own beliefs. Although I do not think they should get capital punishment, they should definitely be imprisoned for life. The leadership of a country should serve as role models for ordinary citizens. Such acts can create insecurity everywhere, because they are related to Jews and Muslims worldwide.
Shalvin Venugopal
Sharjah
The Gaza invasion is the most gruesome act committed by Israeli leaders, due to the greed over territorial possession. Every day newspapers showed the images of children searching for their parents among the debris and revealed the intensity of the destruction caused. Recovering from the scars of the war now seems to be a distant and bleak dream. Israeli leaders should realise that though the war can be won, peace can never be! They have to be tried for war crimes and repay for the great loss caused.
Megha Tony
Dubai
Any violation of a ceasefire should be met by an international trade ban.
Israel should be strictly taken to task in case of any such violation in the future. However, this is not the first time Israel has attacked and broken a ceasefire. The world has been a silent spectator to the beastly acts of Israel in Gaza. It was a war on humanity that was left unanswered. Only if a trade ban is imposed will Israel feel the heat of the protests and cries of thousands of innocent people who were affected. It would be a lesson for anyone who breaks a peace treaty.
Arun Sudhakar
Dubai
Although imposing a ban might be a good way to punish the government, the citizens will severely suffer from such an action by the international community. This is because even basic necessities would not reach the people. Businesses would also be affected. Therefore, countries should come up with some other form of punishment for the party, which violates the ceasefire.
Jackie Jagger
Sharjah
When a ceasefire is in place both sides should respect it. Whichever party violates the peace agreement, it will definitely be labelled as the initiator of violence even if it had a good track record. Why should anyone help the party, which violates the ceasefire in any way or form? The ban may have an impact on the residents, but then economically it would also weaken the leadership. Each government should consider the consequences before taking any action.
Jash Badlani
Al Ain
By taking this action, other countries can prove that they wield significant economic control over Israel and Palestine, if they don't act according to the international laws suggested by the United Nations. This is how other countries can show support for peace. It is one way to discourage anyone from initiating violence. Even though ordinary citizens will suffer from an international trade ban for a short term, perhaps the benefits will be greater in the long run, because the attacking party as well as other countries would pay heed.
Ali Abbas
Dubai
With the current level of destruction in Gaza, no amount of aid would truly be enough.
We could donate as much as we have but it would still not be enough for the people of Gaza. I was quite busy with work during the entire episode, but still tried to donate clothes through a charity organisation. However, the need is for financial help to rebuild Gaza, and it will be very difficult for the Gazans to stand up again after the Israeli invasion.
Marvyn Macaraan
Dubai
The donations made by people will definitely help Gaza to some extent, but we will never be able to repair the damage done. All the destruction caused by the invasion was just awful. Our university organised a collection campaign, but I would love to help in more ways. We need to take the time and make the effort for people who were affected to help them return to a normal life.
Zain Butt
Abu Dhabi
While we may be able to help them with the physical destruction, we can never compensate for the emotional damage done. I wanted to donate blood to those injured but was not able to. We need to go to Gaza to spend time with the people there, especially children. We need to make them realise that everything is alright. People here are financially sound, and I think we should make the effort to provide the emotional support to Palestinians.
Sukhpreet Kaur
Abu Dhabi
We can never repair the damage done in Gaza. There is too much of destruction and people have been devastated mentally. Even though it would be a great gesture to do more for the Palestinians, I do not think people will opt for it. Everyone is too busy with their lives and with the economic slowdown they can ill-afford to make extra efforts. However, the damage done can never be justified, especially with the killing of so many innocent people.
Fatima Godhrawala
Abu Dhabi
Peace and sovereignty for the Palestinian people is possible within the decade.
There are too many hindrances to realistically expect peace within a decade. It has been 60 years since the conflict started, and no one has been able to come together to work towards a peaceful resolution. It looks highly unlikely that anything can be achieved in the next 10 years. What happened in Gaza was horrible and we did not expect Israelis to kill innocent civilians so indiscriminately. They were unable to differentiate between civilians and fighters and were probably looking for an excuse to cause maximum damage.
Suzan Seherin
Sharjah
It would be very hard to achieve peace so soon. Israel is usually looking for excuses to wage war. There could be many reasons in the future that would lead to more conflicts. Additionally, the media shows only part of the entire conflict, which causes confusion. Currently, Palestine has suffered a huge setback because of the destruction in Gaza, and it will take a long time for any resolution to come through.
Ebrahim Saeedi
Dubai
I do not think peace can ever be achieved. The most important requirement for any peaceful resolution of the issue is for Arab countries to unite and take serious action. The need for peace needs to overweigh our internal conflicts, which does not seem likely to happen, any time soon. Additionally, there is a lot of infighting within Palestinian factions, which will be a major hindrance towards achieving peace.
Meysam Khorram
Dubai
Unless there is a peace treaty signed by both the parties, there is no chance of an end to this conflict. I think there needs to be an effort made by both the people and the governments. I saw the damage in Gaza through the pictures of destruction and the dead animals in the zoo were sickening. We need to organise more activities to make people aware of such activities, to push for peace.
Bharat Priyani
Dubai
