Nearly twelve months after "Operation Cast Lead" in Gaza, accusations of war crimes still hang over the Israeli army. This is of no surprise, according to Israeli lawyer Yoram Sheftel. He defended John Demjanjuk, who stood trial in Israel for war crimes against Jews. In one of the country's most important cases, Sheftel convinced the judges that Demjanjuk was not the Nazi camp guard responsible for killing nearly 30,000 Jews in World War Two.
Sheftel is a controversial figure in Israel, but no one disputes he knows his law. He is convinced Israel will not have to answer charges of war crimes in front of the international courts for what it did in Gaza.
"I dislike the idea that only nations like Serbia and Rwanda will be brought to The Hague. There is a lot of hatred against Serbia, which in a sense they earned quite rightfully. But they are a very weak nation politically, whoever commits such or similar acts belonging to strong nations will never be brought to any justice," Sheftel says.
It is a view echoed in Serbia where for many years Ljiljana Smajlovic edited the country's leading daily newspaper, Politika. She says it is nothing more than politics – powerful nations get away with murder whereas weaker ones are held to ransom.
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