Ex-Israeli premier says Jews guilty of crimes against humanity

Ehud Olmert, who served as Israel's prime minister from 2006 to 2009, has issued a stunning condemnation of his own country's policies in the occupied West Bank. In an interview with Channel 12 on Saturday, Olmert stated that Jews are committing killings, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity in the Palestinian territory, warning that such actions would ultimately bring Israeli officials before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Direct warning to military and police leadership

Olmert addressed his remarks directly to Israel's chief of staff Eyal Zamir and police commissioner Danny Levy, urging them to "save the country from this catastrophe." He warned both officials: "You will end up in The Hague." The former premier's unusually candid criticism reflects growing concern among some Israeli political circles that the international legal noose is tightening around Israeli decision-makers responsible for West Bank operations.

Escalating violence since October 2023

Olmert's warning comes against a backdrop of relentless Israeli aggression across the West Bank, including daily killings, home demolitions, forced displacements, and rapid settlement expansion. These operations have been ongoing since October 2023, parallel to the larger military campaign in Gaza. According to available figures, Israeli forces have killed 1,340 Palestinians in the West Bank, injured approximately 11,750 others, and arrested nearly 22,000 residents. International observers have repeatedly warned that Israel appears to be laying the groundwork for a formal annexation of significant portions of the territory.

ICC arrest warrants already issued

On November 21, 2024, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I issued arrest warrants for current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza war. In December 2025, the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected Israel's appeal against those warrants by a majority vote. The court also dismissed Israel's challenge to halt its broader investigation into Israeli actions during the Gaza conflict. The ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, ended a two-year war that killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, wounded over 171,000, and destroyed approximately 90 percent of Gaza's civilian infrastructure. The United Nations has estimated reconstruction costs at around $70 billion. Türkiye has consistently supported ICC investigations into Israeli war crimes and called for accountability at the highest levels of international justice.