If you look up the dictionary definition of the word “debonair” it says: “See George Clooney”.
Ok, it doesn’t say that, but I’m sure we can agree that Clooney epitomises all things cool, suave and, of course, debonair.
And what a guy to envy: on the face of it – and what a face! – he seems to be everything and have everything. Find me someone who doesn’t like Clooney and they’re probably his jilted former lover. And I bet they’re amazing and beautiful and nearly perfect, too.
And if what appears to the outsider to be a perfect existence, he then goes and tops it all off by marrying Oxford-educated human rights barrister, Amal Alamuddin. And how might I put this to the unfamiliar: Amal Clooney is as beautiful as her husband is handsome.
And this coupling, this piece de la resistance in George’s life, is the reason why envying George Clooney is now ill-advised. And that’s because Amal Clooney doesn’t frighten easily and knows a genocide when she sees one.
For Amal Clooney has been part of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) team of top lawyers who has been reviewing the evidence of atrocities first in Israel and then in Gaza, since the horrors of 7 October 2023. As readers may know, the ICC’s panel of legal experts’ investigation led to the prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas and the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu and his defence minister, Gallant – Gallant who, let’s not forget, said the following:
“We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.”
“We are imposing a complete siege on Gaza.”
“There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything will be closed.”
Now, many things could be said of Defence Minister Gallant, but nobody can doubt that he does what he says that he will do.
Responding to reports that the ICC prosecutor – a top British lawyer – might seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, twelve deranged, hillbilly Republican senators fired off this gangsterish warning. The most chilling lines of which are:
“Target Israel and we will target you. If you move forward with the measures indicated in the report, we will move to end all American support for the ICC, sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States. You have been warned.”
You have been warned. It really does say that.
So, the Clooneys may now find themselves personas non grata in George Clooney’s homeland, for the sin of upholding international law. The targeting of lawyers and their families really is Putin-esque stuff.
Some years back, British comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb created a thought-provoking and brilliant sketch entitled “Are we the baddies” in which two army officers, in the middle of a battle, suddenly realise that they might be on the wrong side, because of the skull and crossbones on their uniforms. With the British government still standing by the side of Israel, and, as ever, still wedded to US foreign policy, are we – the Brits – now on the side of the baddies?
