A FORMER speaker of the Israeli Knesset has called on "one million Jews" to file a war crimes complaint against Israel.
Avrum Burg, former speaker of the Knesset – the Israeli parliament – and chair of the World Zionist Organisation called on Jewish people to file a joint appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel.
It comes as Israel's security council approved plans to escalate the genocide in Gaza by taking over Gaza City, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel planned to retake control over the entire country of Palestine.
"Together, from the top and the bottom simultanously, they have dismantled the Israeli state. That country no longer exists."
Burg went on to condemn Netanyahu as he said: "Now, a great moral exaltation is required of all who refuse to accept the dictatorship of power and corruption led by Caesar Netanyahu and his coalition of apocalyptic zealots."
Burg said that collectively, Jewish people "can and must stop the flow of blood".
"Here is how we can begin: We need one million Jews. Less than ten percent of the global Jewish population to file a joint appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague," he wrote.
"A collective legal complaint against the State of Israel for crimes against humanity committed in our name and under the false banner of our Jewish identity.
"It is time to say: enough!"
Burg added that while Hamas has "committed heinous crimes against humanity ... none of that justifies Israel's actions in Gaza since".
He issued a "plea" to Jewish people around the world to "turn to The Hague".
"If you are an individual, a community, or a Jewish organization anywhere in the world, and you are shaken by what Israel is doing; if you align yourself with the values of humanistic Judaism, with basic moral decency and collective responsibility, join this historic initiative," Burg wrote.
"Not by turning to weapons or power structures, but to the conscience of humanity. Turn to The Hague.
"In our appeal, we shall declare: We will not allow the State of Israel, which systematically inflicts violence upon a civilian population, to speak in our name. We will not allow Judaism to be a cover for crimes. This is not a rejection of our people it is a defense of its soul. Not destruction but repair."
Burg added: "We are thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands. A million Jews who simply say: We are here, and we are against."
Israel's plan to escalate the genocide in Gaza has been met with a strong reaction from politicians around the world.
In the wake of the plans being announced, Germany announced it will suspend arms exports to Israel which could be used in Gaza.
And in Scotland, First Minister John Swinney said the international community must stop Israel's plan to takeover Gaza City.
Meanwhile, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has demanded the UK Parliament be recalled in order to sanction Netanyahu.
“A genocide is happening before our eyes in Gaza. Words of condemnation aren’t anywhere near enough – if we have any hope of stopping this genocide strong actions are desperately needed, now," Flynn said.
Keir Starmer said Israel's plans to escalate the genocide "is wrong" as he called for a ceasefire, while Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a joint statement with his counterparts from Australia, Italy, Germany and New Zealand that the plans "risk violating international law".
And on Saturday, the UK Government announced £8.5 million for aid to Gaza, which will be delivered through the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The funding is part of a £101m package the UK Government has pledged to the Occupied Palestinian Territories this year.
Announcing the funding, development minister Baroness Jenny Chapman said the money would "help address urgent need" in Gaza, but only if Israel allowed the enclave to be "flooded with aid".
