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 Defence 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 19 July, 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 recognised 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........

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