Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded strongly to reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may soon issue arrest warrants for him and other senior officials.
The ICC, based in The Hague, is said to be nearing the decision to issue warrants for Netanyahu and other high-ranking figures in the Israeli government. The allegations are tied to events that took place during the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Despite Israel’s non-membership and non-recognition of the court, the Palestinian territories were admitted as a member state in 2015, allowing the court potential jurisdiction over alleged war crimes committed by both Hamas and Israeli forces in Gaza.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan previously stated that the court has the “authority” to investigate any such crimes, with the intention to hold accountable those found to be in violation of international law.
In a fiery statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the ICC’s potential move, framing it as a gross misjudgment and a threat to Israel’s national security.
“The International Criminal Court in The Hague is contemplating issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli government and military officials as war criminals,” said Netanyahu in a video released Tuesday.
“This would be an outrage of historic proportions. International bodies like the ICC arose in the wake of the Holocaust committed against the Jewish people. They were set up to prevent such horrors, to prevent future genocides. Yet now, the international court is trying to put Israel in the dark.”
“It’s trying to put us in the dark as we defend ourselves against genocidal terrorists and regimes Iran, of course, that openly works to destroy the one and only Jewish state.”
Highlighting the ethical conduct of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Netanyahu praised their efforts to minimize civilian casualties, a task complicated by Hamas’s alleged use of human shields.
“Branding Israel’s leaders and soldiers as war criminals will pour jet fuel on the fires of anti-Semitism, those fires that are already raging on the campuses of America and across capitals around the world. It will also be the first time that a democratic country, fighting for its life according to the rules of war, is itself accused of war crimes.
“The Israeli army, the IDF, is one of the most moral militaries in the world. It takes endless measures to prevent civilian casualties, measures that no other army takes. It does so while fighting a terrorist enemy which uses its own civilians as human shields. You know the truth. Hamas places its weapons, its terrorists, in hospitals, schools, mosques, and throughout civilian areas. They do this in order to win immunity and to maximize civilian casualties.”
The Prime Minister also highlighted Israel’s ongoing humanitarian efforts in Gaza, contrasting them with Hamas’s claimed disregard for Palestinian lives and misuse of humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu’s response was clear in its rejection of the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israeli actions and its insinuation that Israel’s self-defense measures could be equated with war crimes.
He stressed Israel’s robust legal system, capable of investigating any violations, and dismissed the ICC’s actions to paralyze Israel’s defensive capabilities rather than seeking justice.
“The government and people of Israel reject outright this grave threat to our security, this grave threat to our very existence. I want to assure you that no ICC action will impact Israel’s iron-clad determination to achieve the goals of our war with Hamas terrorists. We will destroy Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in Gaza. We will release all our hostages, and we will ensure that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again.”
The Prime Minister concluded his statement by calling upon the international community, particularly the leaders of democratic nations, to oppose the ICC’s “outrageous assault” on Israel’s right to self-defense.
He urged allies to stand with Israel in their confrontation with “the barbarians of Hamas and Iran,” and in the broader effort to establish global peace.
WATCH:
You have to hear this to believe this. pic.twitter.com/msPDwc3H7t
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 30, 2024
