ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In an unprecedented move, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza that places the leaders at risk of being detained across over 120 member states of the ICC.

The ICC cited credible evidence suggesting that Netanyahu and Gallant were involved in committing the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare, along with crimes against humanity that included murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.

The warrants prevent Netanyahu and Gallant from entering any of the ICC’s 124 member states. Both Israel and the US, which are not members of the court, have strongly criticized the court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s outgoing foreign policy chief, emphasized on Thursday that the decision was judicial rather than political and should be respected and enforced. He stated on X, “These decisions are binding on all States party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States.”

Netanyahu condemned the arrest warrant, labeling it “anti-Semitic.”

“Today marks a grim moment in the annals of nations. The International Criminal Court in The Hague, originally founded to safeguard humanity, has now turned against humanity itself,” Netanyahu stated in a video shared on the social media platform X.

The antisemitic decision of the international court in The Hague is a modern Dreyfus trial, and it will end the same way. pic.twitter.com/e1l8PMghrB

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 21, 2024

Across the United States, leaders from both sides condemned the ICC’s decision.

“Let me be clear once again: there is no equivalence—none—between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” stated US President Joe Biden in his initial response to the ICC decision, which he slammed as “outrageous.”

Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the newly elected leader of the Senate Republicans, criticized the ICC for its “outrageous, unlawful and dangerous” actions, which he said “threaten Israel, but left unchecked they could pose a threat to the United States in the future.” He called on his Democratic counterpart, Schumer, to bring a bill to the US Senate that would sanction the ICC, warning, “If he chooses not to act, the new Senate Republican majority next year will.”

President-Elect Trump’s designated national security adviser,  Mike Waltz (R-FL), stated on X, “You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January,” referencing the time when Trump assumes office.

“The ICC has no credibility, and these allegations have been refuted by the US government,” Waltz continued, adding, “Israel has lawfully defended its people [and] borders from genocidal terrorists.”

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) also criticized the ICC and its prosecutor Karim Khan, remarking, “The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants,” as stated on X. He added, “Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law concerning the ICC is called The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.”

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