Former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague said that Israel intimidated and pressured her while she was working and living in the Dutch city. She reported the incident to the Dutch government and authorities, but they did little to nothing, the Gambian former ICC prosecutor told Al Jazeera in an interview.

Former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague said that Israel intimidated and pressured her while she was working and living in the Dutch city. She reported the incident to the Dutch government and authorities, but they did little to nothing, the Gambian former ICC prosecutor told Al Jazeera in an interview.

It started shortly after she started investigating Israel’s actions in Palestine in 2015. Two men showed up at her home in The Hague and gave her an envelope with $500 inside, saying it was from someone she had helped. She reported the incident to the ICC and the Dutch authorities.

“The assessment that was made was that it was to show me that they know where I live, that was the purpose,” Bensouda told Al Jazeera. She said the police concluded that the car the men were using had been rented from the airport earlier in the day and that their telephone numbers were Israeli. “I do not think the Dutch authorities did more.”

She said the incident left her feeling not intimidated, but definitely insecure. “I, of course, expected more support,” Bensouda said. “When it came to support from the Dutch government, I’m not aware of anything extra that was done to support me at the time.”

  • Mihies@programming.devEnglish
    11·
    28 days ago

    Are they now? What political actions are those? “We are concerned” sort of? The only actions AFAIK worth mentioning are joining the SA legal case against genocide and some countries are not exporting/buying weapons to Israel. Besides that we (EU) are happily having Israel as our greatest friend, notably Germany even actively enabling them. Even worse, just elected far right populist prime minister in Slovenia is really drooling when it comes to Netanyahu and Israel in general.

    • Buffalox@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      28 days ago

      Stop being an idiot!!

      These are official EU policies with regard to Israel:

      https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/05/28/extremist-israeli-settlers-eu-lists-four-entities-and-three-individuals/

      The Council today adopted additional restrictive measures against four entities and three individuals under the European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. Those listed are extremist Israeli settlers and organisations

      EU is criminalizing the settlers and essentially labeling them as terrorists.

      https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-position-situation-middle-east/

      protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and full respect of international law by all parties

      EU basically telling Israel and USA that the war against Iran is illegal.

      Arms embargo against Israel:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_embargoes_on_Israel_since_2023

      Since 7 October 2023, several countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, Canada, Colombia, the Netherlands and Belgium have ceased the sale of weapons to Israel.

      That is Italy, Spain, Netherlands and Belgium have all stopped selling weapons to Israel.
      More countries are also taking similar actions.
      Denmark has even stopped selling F35 parts to USA, because USA is reselling them to Israel.

      I cannot write hare all the actions that have been taken against Israel by EU countries, but there are numerous actions taken, that show a clear cooling in the relation between European countries and Israel.

      • Mihies@programming.devEnglish
        31·
        28 days ago

        Oh. We are cooling the relations, that will teach them, am I right? After 2WW we had Nürmberg for stuff than that Israel is doing today. Now we cool relations a bit, on surface that is.

        • Buffalox@lemmy.worldEnglish
          22·
          28 days ago

          I don’t think you understand what cooling of relations amongst countries mean.
          There are 3 basic levels, ally, neutral, enemy.
          The cooling means Israel is going from ally/neutral to neutral/enemy.

          IDK why I deserve such sarcasm for describing the reality of the political relations between EU and Israel?

          Also Benjamin Netanyahu is actually wanted as a war criminal by the ICC that resides in EU!

          Could you please shut up with your sarcasm on things that are not as you claim they are?!
          We all agree here that Israel is a terrorist state, and EU shouldn’t support them. You just fail to acknowledge that EU support for Israel is actually diminishing. And claim that EU is as guilty as Israel as if we were the ones to actually pull the trigger.

          The hate against EU here is bordering on insanity!!!

          • Mihies@programming.devEnglish
            21·
            28 days ago

            IDK why I deserve such sarcasm for describing the reality of the political relations between EU and Israel?

            Because you are disrespectful and because you think EU actions result in anything meaningful.

            Also Benjamin Netanyahu is actually wanted as a war criminal by the ICC that resides in EU!

            That’s on paper. Meanwhile he visited Hungary plus France and Germany said they wouldn’t arrest him.

            You just fail to acknowledge that EU support for Israel is actually diminishing.

            Dude, there is an active genocide going on from a terrorist state armed with nukes and you are talking about meaningless actions. It’s like fireman pissing on a huge forest fire to extinguish it. When asked how it is going, they’d say “no problem, soon another couple of guys will join me”.

            And claim that EU is as guilty as Israel as if we were the ones to actually pull the trigger.

            Who is claiming that? EU is guilty of not taking any meaningful steps whereas some member states are guilty of enabling Israel.