Hannah Arendt believed that, ultimately, the survival of the state is the first priority - and human rights have to take second place to that, and most of us agree to that premise.

However, in the case of Gaza, in January, Israel's survival was not in any sense, at stake or at risk. The rockets that were fired by militants into northern Israel was and is a warlike act and Israel has to take appropriate action to nullify that threat.

But the murder of over 500 women and children by heavily armed troops was a cowardly and obscene atrocity that had no link with the militant rockets or with any other military objective. It was killing for killing's sake by an army that has been brutalized into believing that Arabs are sub-human and not worthy of life.

That is why Olmert and Barak have to be brought before the International Court to answer charges of war crimes.