The ICC's arrest warrant against Israeli leaders divides the West

2024-11-22 16:31:20, Kosova & Bota CNA

The International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking the first time a sitting prime minister of a key Western ally has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by an international court, has divided world leaders. The White House contested the decision, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the matter, while senior European Union officials said the decision is legally binding on all its members. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called the issuance of the arrest warrant "moral bankruptcy."

The decision by the top international war crimes tribunal to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the 13-month war in Gaza prompted widespread reactions on Friday.

The International Criminal Court accused the two Israeli officials of using "starvation as a weapon of war" by limiting humanitarian aid and deliberately targeting the civilian population during Israel's war in Gaza, which began after Hamas attacked Israeli settlements.

The decision was strongly opposed by Prime Minister Netanyahu, who called it an anti-Semitic move aimed, he said, at denying Israel its right to defend itself from enemies bent on its destruction.

"This is a black day in the history of states... This is a moral bankruptcy that violates the right of democracies to protect themselves from murderous terrorism ," he said.

The issuance of the arrest warrant was also criticized by the White House.

"We fundamentally oppose the court's decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials. We are deeply troubled by the prosecutor's haste to seek the issuance of arrest warrants and the errors in the problematic process that led to this decision. The United States is clear in its position that the ICC has no jurisdiction over this issue ," said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

The United States and Israel are not members of the International Criminal Court. But Israel's other allies, including some European states that enjoy friendly relations, have been put in a difficult position. Some, such as France, welcomed the court's decision and signaled they could arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visits them.

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas officials
November 21, 13:58

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said Friday that the court's decision is not political and that European states are legally bound to implement it.

"The tragedy in Gaza must end. The decision is not a political decision, it is a decision of an international court of justice, which must be respected and implemented... This decision is legally binding on all states, all member states of the court, which include all member states of the European Union, which are obliged to implement the court's decision," he said.

But divisions were also present in this block.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of Prime Minister Netanyahu, vowed to ignore the international arrest warrant against the Israeli leader and invited him to visit Hungary.

"It is a brazen, I would say cynical, decision of the Court, which intervenes in a conflict that is still going on, dressed in legal clothing, but in fact it intervenes for political purposes because the conflict in the Middle East has not yet ended.. And this leaves me no choice but to oppose this decision" , he declared.

A German government spokesman suggested on Friday that Germany may be reluctant to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu under the warrant.

"I find it difficult to imagine that we would make these arrests in Germany on this basis" , declared the spokesman of the German government, Steffen Hebestreit.

The court ruling turns Prime Minister Netanyahu and the other defendants into internationally wanted defendants who risk arrest whenever they travel abroad. The arrest warrant could isolate them even more and, according to analysts, it will deepen the rift between the states even more.

"The United States is not ... a member of the International Criminal Court and cannot issue the arrest warrant, but most of the countries in the world are, and Netanyahu cannot go to those countries. These countries include Great Britain, France, Germany. It is a very serious matter and I don't think he will be able to travel there. (This decision) will divide the world even more ," said analyst Nomi Bar-Yaacov at the Chatham House Institute.

While the number of people killed in Gaza reached 44,000, according to Palestinian health officials, human rights organizations welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court as a decision that "hits the impression that certain individuals are above the law"./ VOA