The lenient treatment of the Netzah Yehuda battalion's war crimes and human rights violations by the government and military justice system has severely damaged the reputation of the entire #IDF.
Attorney Nick Kaufman, who has served as both a prosecutor and defense lawyer at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and currently represents a number of individuals and companies subject to sanctions from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, tells #Ynet the possible consequences:
The imposition of sanctions on the Netzah Yehuda battalion is an unprecedented move against an allied military unit, seen as a "shameful stain" and "low point" for the IDF.
The battalion is being associated with questionable groups like the Wagner Group in Russia and drug cartels in South America, which damages its "reputation" [I doubt it Kaufman is using it cynicaly....]
There are potential links between the U.S. sanctions and investigations by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, as some ICC suspects have previously been sanctioned by the U.S.
The military prosecution and the IDF have been criticized for not doing enough to curb the violence attributed to this battalion, which could amount to war crimes.
The U.S. designated the Netzah Yehuda battalion in 2022 after the death of an 80-year-old Palestinian-American, citing a pattern of abuses by the unit.
Reports of potential arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and others by the ICC are likely just "spin" and misunderstand the ICC's processes.