Israeli soldiers face growing risk of arrest abroad after Gaza service
CNNJan 08
Israeli Flees Brazil Over Probe Into Alleged Gaza War Crimes
story
Above: Rubble in Gaza City, Gaza on Jan. 4, 2024. Image copyright: Khalil Ramzi Alkahlut/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Facts
Yuval Vagdani, an Israeli reservist who had been vacationing in Brazil, fled to Argentina on Sunday with the support of Israeli authorities due to a looming arrest warrant he faced over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
This comes after news broke that a federal judge in Brasília had authorized a criminal investigation into his alleged actions while serving an Israel Defense Forces soldier in the Gaza Strip last November.
The Spin
Right narrative
Organized anti-Israel activism has reached a global peak, and the shameful decision of other countries to act as if organizations have the right to dox Israeli soldiers and push lawfare against them further illustrates this sorry state of affairs. The Hind Rajab Foundation is not so much concerned with the universal protection of human rights, but the calculated persecution of Israeli citizens.
Left narrative
This is just the latest incident to expose the consequences of having a man wanted for war crimes as prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership has been a complete disaster and, while every Israeli who served in the Gaza war now faces the threat of arrest warrants abroad, the Israeli government has no clear strategy to protect them.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Though this Israeli soldier managed to escape from Brazil before being arrested, these developments put a spotlight on global efforts to hold Israel — and its military personnel — accountable for the genocidal campaign in Gaza. International legal action against Israel is the only way to halt this massacre.
