Our verdict:
The Geneva International Peace Research Institute (GIPRI) filed a claim on May 22, stating that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the current president of the European Commission [.. is complicit in several violations of international humanitarian law, amounting to crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC.”
The claim has shone a light on the European Union’s support for Israel despite clear evidence of war crimes and other abuses. The petitioners contend that von der Leyen’s leadership position makes her accountable for the EU’s policies and actions and their impact in Gaza.
Von der Leyen has numerous statements in support of the Israeli government during their war on Gaza, and her native Germany is responsible for almost half of all weapons imported by the occupying government.
