Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Study of the Legitimacy of Jurisdiction Based on Universal Interests

Abstract

Although the trial of Adolf Eichmann by the Israeli court has been more than half a century, the case has been widely discussed by the academic community during the trial and for a considerable period of time thereafter, especially about the issue of the jurisdiction of the Israeli court which is still worthy of study now. On the issue of Eichmann’s trial jurisdiction, from a legal point of view, the “Eichmann case” has neither the nationality of the victim nor the national interest relationship between the “Eichmann case” and the State of Israel. Israeli Court adopts Negative Personality Doctrine to “Localize” Eichmann’s Crimes and makes the crime become a crime against Jews only, and because of this, the court believes that it judges crimes on behalf of all human beings and not its own nationals, thus ignoring the nature of the Holocaust crime against all human beings. The exercise of universal jurisdiction over international crimes is justified only because the crimes against humanity as a whole. Therefore, we need the objectivity of historical events and the moral judgment of human beings, and the use of universal jurisdiction in the trial of international crimes should only focus on justice and not be influenced by external politics.