all

all

MembersThe Palestinians can’t start a war and then object when Israel fights it

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s warning is blunt, but the principle is basic: no nation is required to absorb violence, lawfare, and terror while pretending its enemies are merely filing paperwork.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, May 19, 2026. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, May 19, 2026. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Bezalel Smotrich has a way of saying out loud what Israel’s enemies prefer to keep buried under diplomatic vocabulary.

This week, the finance minister accused the Palestinian Authority of waging war against Israel through the international legal system, after confirming that ICC prosecutors had submitted a secret request for an arrest warrant against him.

His argument was not subtle. Nor should it be.

According to Smotrich, the Palestinian Authority is not merely “pursuing justice” at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. It is conducting lawfare — a political campaign dressed in legal robes, designed to isolate Israel, criminalize its leaders, and punish the Jewish state for defending itself.

For decades, the Palestinian leadership has played a double game. On one side: incitement, payments to terrorists, diplomatic warfare, and refusal to accept the legitimacy of Jewish sovereignty. On the other: international complaints when Israel responds with the force required to protect its citizens.

This is...

Israel Today Membership

Become a Member

  • Read all member content

    Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel.

  • Get exclusive in-depth reports from Israel

    Connect with Israel, right from your home.

  • Lift up the voice of truth and hope

    Support Jerusalem-based Zionist journalism.

Already a member? .

About the author

Patrick Callahan

This is an example of author bio/description. Beard fashion axe trust fund, post-ironic listicle scenester. Uniquely mesh maintainable users rather than plug-and-play testing procedures.

Leave a Reply

Login

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.