In what world does a man wanted for war crimes travel freely in Western capitals, greeted with diplomatic honours, while the very institutions meant to uphold justice are being disregarded by their own founders? 

This is not a hypothetical question. This is happening right now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity, has received nothing but warm handshakes and red carpets from European leaders.

Hungary, a member of the European Union, has just announced that it will withdraw from the ICC. This decision comes as Netanyahu is in Budapest for an official visit, effectively making Hungary a haven for an alleged war criminal. 

Yet, where is the outrage? Where are the condemnations from EU officials? There is no media frenzy, no serious political debate.

Germany, one of the founding supporters of the ICC, has also made it clear: they will not arrest Netanyahu should he visit. This is the same Germany that preaches the rule of law and human rights, yet conveniently exempts Israel from accountability. It is no longer just hypocrisy, it is complicity.

The institutions that claim to uphold international law—the ICC, the United Nations, the so-called liberal democratic order—were largely created by European powers. 

But were they ever meant to serve justice? Or were they simply designed to reinforce Western dominance while selectively punishing others?

The ICC, for example, has prosecuted leaders from Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. But when it comes to leaders from the West or their allies, justice suddenly becomes “complicated”. 

The double standards are glaring. Israel can commit atrocities with impunity, while others who resist oppression are treated as criminals. 

This is not just a betrayal of international law—it is a betrayal of the very ideals that the West claims to represent.

Western democracy in crisis

The European Union’s foreign policy chief recently visited Israel, where she had the audacity to call Israel a “very good partner”.

A good partner in what, exactly? In committing war crimes? In carrying out ethnic cleansing? In defying international law? How can the EU, which claims to stand for human rights and democracy, embrace a government that is actively engaged in the destruction of an entire people?

This is not just a failure of Western diplomacy, it is the exposure of a system built on lies. The West loves to lecture the world on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. 

But what we are witnessing today proves that these values only apply when they serve Western interests. The same governments that justify bombing campaigns in the name of democracy have no problem shielding Netanyahu from accountability. 

The same media outlets that frame Palestinian resistance as “terrorism” refuse to call Israel’s actions what they are—genocide.

Meanwhile, in the US, students who dare to protest against the genocide in Gaza are being arrested, silenced, and demonised. Universities, which once prided themselves on being bastions of free speech and critical thought, are now working hand-in-hand with the state to suppress voices of conscience. 

Students have been handcuffed, dragged away, and suspended simply for demanding justice for Palestinians. The message is clear: supporting war criminals like Netanyahu is acceptable, but standing against genocide is a punishable offence.

This is nothing new. Western powers have long used democracy as a weapon, a tool to justify their wars, interventions, and economic exploitation. 

But what we are seeing today is more blatant than ever before. The mask has slipped. The so-called liberal world order has revealed itself for what it truly is—an empire built on selective justice, hypocrisy, and endless war.

A colonial legacy that never ended

What we are witnessing today is not an anomaly but a continuation of a colonial mindset that never truly disappeared. Western expansionism has always come at the expense of non-white peoples. The language has changed, but the actions remain the same.

Centuries ago, European empires justified their conquests by claiming to “civilise” the world. Today, they justify their actions under the banner of “defending democracy.” 

But whether it’s British colonial rule in Palestine, French imperialism in Africa, or American wars in the Middle East, the goal has always been the same—control, exploitation, and the suppression of resistance.

Israel is the last settler-colonial project of the modern world, and the West will do everything in its power to maintain it. Why? Because Israel serves as an extension of Western hegemony in the Middle East. 

It is a military outpost, a tool to suppress Palestinian self-determination and to maintain control over the region. That is why the rules that apply to other nations do not apply to Israel. 

That is why Netanyahu can travel freely while Palestinians face trials and imprisonment for merely existing under occupation.

Time to end the illusion

The West’s credibility is crumbling. The hypocrisy is too blatant to ignore. Those of us who have been paying attention have always known this, but now, the entire world is starting to see it.

If the West wants to be taken seriously, it must be willing to uphold the same standards for all. 

It cannot claim to champion democracy while supporting apartheid. It cannot preach human rights while funding genocide. It cannot talk about the rule of law while allowing war criminals to walk free.

The least the West could do is stop bombarding us with its version of human rights. If democracy is nothing more than a tool to justify imperialism, then let’s stop pretending otherwise.

Because right now, the West is not a defender of democracy. It is a joke.