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ICC Warrant Against Netanyahu: Who Said What?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant face an unprecedented challenge following the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against them

Friday November 22, 2024 7:30 PM, ummid.com News Network

The Hague: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant face an unprecedented challenge following the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against them for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The warrants issued on Thursday, mark a pivotal moment in international justice and restrict their travel to 124 countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, obligating them to cooperate with ICC rulings.

The ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant also put them in a small group of leaders to be accused of crimes against humanity.

ICC judges have issued about 60 arrest warrants, and 21 people have been detained and appeared in court, according to its website. Some 30 people remain at large. The court has issued 11 convictions and four acquittals.

Here are some of the key reactions to the ICC decision:

Israel

Netanyahu’s office rejected the decision and described the move as “anti-Semitic” in a statement.

“Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions leveled against it by ICC,” his office said, adding Israel won’t “give in to pressure” in defense of its citizens.

In separate comments, Netanyahu’s office claimed the decision was comparable to “the modern-day Dreyfus trial – and it will end in the same way,” referring to Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army captain who was wrongly convicted of treason in France.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called the ICC warrants “a shameful and political decision”.

“We need to speak with our allies and move forward with a decision to boycott the ICC and anyone who cooperates with it,” said Danon.

Palestine

Hamas welcomed the decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling it an “important step towards justice”.

“[It’s] an important step towards justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world,” Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim said in a statement.

Hamas also called on the ICC to expand its scope to other Israeli officials.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs the occupied West Bank, said, “the ICC’s decision represents hope and confidence in international law and its institutions”.

It urged ICC members to enforce “a policy of severing contact and meetings’ with Netanyahu and Gallant.

Jordan

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the ICC’s decision must be respected and implemented. “Palestinians deserve justice,” he said.

United States

“The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.

“Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”

The White House also expressed concern over “the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision”.

“The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter,” a National Security Council spokesperson said.

Canada

“It’s really important that everyone abide by international law,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, adding Canada would abide by rulings of international courts.

South Africa

In a statement, the government welcomed the ICC decision and said it marked a “significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine”.

“South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law and urges all state parties to act in accordance with their obligations in the Rome Statute,” it said.

“We call on the global community to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations.”

European Union

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ICC warrants were not political and should be respected and implemented.

“This decision is a binding decision and all states, all state parties of the court, which include all members of the European Union, are binding to implement this court decision,” he said.

The Netherlands

Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said that his country “respects the independence of the ICC”.

“We won’t engage in non-essential contacts and we will act on the arrest warrants. We fully comply with the Rome Statute of the ICC,” he added.

France

France would act “in line with the ICC’s statutes”, said Christophe Lemoine, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, he declined to say whether France would arrest Netanyahu if he came to the country, saying it was “legally complex”.

Germany

A government spokesperson says Germany will “carefully examine” the ICC’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, but will not take further steps until a visit to the country.

“The Federal Government was involved in the drafting of the ICC Statute and is one of the ICC’s biggest supporters. This position is also a result of German history,” the spokesperson said.

“At the same time, a consequence of German history is that we have a unique relationship and a great responsibility to Israel.”

Norway

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said, “It is important that the ICC carries out its mandate in a judicious manner. I have confidence that the court will proceed with the case based on the highest fair trial standards.”

Ireland

Prime Minister Simon Harris said the warrants “an extremely significant step”.

He added that Ireland respects the ICC’s role and that anyone in a position to assist it in carrying out its vital work must do so “with urgency.”

Italy

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome would consider with allies how to interpret the decision and act together. “We support the ICC … the court must play a legal role and not a political role,” he added.

Sweden

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said Sweden and the EU “support the court’s important work and protect its independence and integrity”.

Swedish law enforcement authorities decide on the arrest of subjects of ICC warrants on Swedish territory, she added.

Hungary

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned the ICC decision, calling it “shameful and absurd”, presidential spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs reported on X.

“This decision disgraces the international judiciary by equating leaders of a country attacked by a heinous terror attack with the leaders of the terrorist organization responsible,” Szijjarto said, adding, “Such a decision is unacceptable.”

Reacting strongly a day after ICC warrants, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban not only slammed the ICC warrants but also said that he would invite Netanyahu to Hungary.

“The ICC arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu is brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable. I invited Prime Minister Netanyahu for an official visit to Hungary, where we will guarantee his freedom and safety,” Orban posted on X with a video clip of his interview given to the state radio.

United Kingdom

Britain respects the independence of the ICC, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said without confirming whether Britain would uphold the warrants.

Emily Thornberry — Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee, and former shadow foreign secretary and shadow attorney general, however said the UK will arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country.

“If Netanyahu comes to Britain, our obligation under the Rome Convention would be to arrest him under the warrant from the ICC", she said.

“(It is) not really a question of should — we are required to, because we are members of the ICC", she added.

Belgium

“The fight against impunity wherever crimes are committed is a priority for Belgium, which fully supports the work of the [ICC]”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X.

“Those responsible for crimes committed in Israel and Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of who committed them.”

Austria

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg called the warrant incomprehensible and ludicrous, but his office also said as a party to the Rome statutes Austria was obliged to implement ICC arrest warrants.

Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said it is obliged to cooperate with the ICC under the Rome Statute and would therefore have to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they entered Switzerland and initiate extradition to the court.

Argentina

President Javier Milei said on X that his country “declares its deep disagreement” with the decision.

He wrote that the warrant “ignores Israel’s legitimate right to self- defense against the constant attacks by terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah”.

Turkey

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the ICC arrest warrant was a “hopeful” and crucial step in bringing to justice Israeli authorities who committed “genocide” against Palestinians.

“We will continue to work to ensure that international law is implemented to punish genocide,” Fidan added.

United Nations

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “respects the work and independence” of the ICC, said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when asked about warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant.

Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine, called it a “rare moment of euphoria”.

“I want to acknowledge the innumerable victims of too many wars on Gaza, and the indomitable work of Palestinian HR orgs … without whom the hope brought about by the ICC decision today, would have not come,” she said.

Amnesty International

The human rights organization said on X that the “wheels of international justice have finally caught up with those alleged to be responsible for war crimes & crimes against humanity in Palestine and Israel”.

“There can be no ‘safe haven’ for those alleged to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity,” it added.

Human Rights Watch

“The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law.”

[With inouts from Quds News Network.]

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