Economist Podcasts Not all’s fair: Israel and accountability
80 snips
Aug 8, 2025 
Shul Pfeffer, the Israel correspondent for The Economist, dives deep into the accountability of Israel's military actions in Gaza. He sheds light on the challenges within the Israeli legal system regarding war crime allegations and the implications for democracy. The conversation takes a turn to the phenomenon of job hopping, discussing its declining effectiveness as inflation rises. Lastly, the podcast reflects on Father Patrick Ryan's troubling journey from priest to IRA figure, raising profound questions about morality and violence.
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Three Types Of Allegations
- Allegations against Israel fall into three groups: ground-level soldier actions, official operations like airstrikes, and government policy including humanitarian restrictions.
- These categories determine whether accountability should be military, civilian, or international.
Built-In Accountability Layers
- Israel has layered accountability: fact-finders, military CID, the military advocate general, the civilian Attorney-General and the Supreme Court.
- Those institutions theoretically allow internal probes to meet international complementarity requirements.
Investigations Are Overwhelmed
- Israel's investigators face hundreds of complaints and only a handful of indictments so far.
- Critics and some officers say probes have been too slow and discipline has been limited.