US rejects ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrant against Israel’s Prime Minister and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday, but the United States opposed the decision. The two men are charged with “crimes against humanity and war crimes.”
In a news conference, White House news Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre voiced her disapproval of the ruling, saying, “We fundamentally reject the court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.” She criticized the prosecutor’s hurried approach to obtaining the warrants and highlighted concerning procedural flaws that resulted in this conclusion.
The United States has made it obvious that the ICC has no jurisdiction over this issue, Jean-Pierre said. “Whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no evidence, none between Israel and Hamas, there’s just none,” she said. The White House is discussing the next actions in close consultation with Israel and other allies. Jean-Pierre said, “We fundamentally reject that the ICC has jurisdiction over the situation, and so that’s something that we’ve been pretty clear about and we’ll continue to.”
This declaration coincides with the US’s ongoing support for Israel in the face of the ICC’s accusations against its leaders.
In the meanwhile, Netanyahu and Gallant were the targets of arrest warrants issued by the ICC in The Hague on Thursday, which charged them with “crimes against humanity and war crimes.” Allegations of imposing starvation practices in Gaza and targeting people are among the complaints.
In a message posted on social media, Prime Minister Netanyahu denounced the ICC’s ruling as “antisemitic” and likened it to the notorious Dreyfus trial. “The antisemitic decision of the international court in The Hague is a modern Dreyfus trial, and it will end the same way,” Netanyahu said in a video that was uploaded to his X account.
Netanyahu compared his predicament to the fabricated accusations of treason made against Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jewish officer, more than 130 years ago. Netanyahu cited Emile Zola’s well-known essay J’accuse, which supported Dreyfus, saying, “This egregious crime is now being repeated by an international court in The Hague, which is likewise presided over by a French judge. It is making unfounded claims that Yoav Gallant, the previous defense minister, and I intentionally targeted civilians.
He justified Israel’s military operations in Gaza, saying that the steps taken were required to reduce the number of civilian deaths. “We issue millions of text messages, phone calls, and leaflets to warn the citizens of Gaza to get out of harm’s way, while Hamas terrorists do everything in their power to keep them in harm’s way, including using them as human shields,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu disputed claims that he was enforcing a policy of hunger, emphasizing that Israel had sent 700,000 tons of food to Gaza. “We have sent 700,000 tons of food to Gaza to feed the Gaza population,” he said. For every man, woman, and kid in Gaza, it amounts to 3,200 calories. Additionally, Hamas militants often steal these supplies, depriving their people of much-needed food. He said that Israel has made it possible for 97% of Gaza’s inhabitants to get polio vaccinations. “What in God’s name are they talking about in The Hague?” Netanyahu said, referring to the ICC’s accusations as unfounded.
Additionally, the Israeli prime minister criticized the ICC for concentrating on Israel while neglecting war crimes in nations such as Yemen, Syria, and Iran. He also described the crimes committed by Hamas during the most recent battle in Gaza and criticized the court for doing little to stop them. “No biassed anti-Israel decision in The Hague will prevent the State of Israel from defending its citizens,” Netanyahu said.
He reaffirmed that Israel does not accept the ICC’s authority and praised friends, especially the United States, for denouncing the court’s action. The prime minister of Israel said, “We will continue to do everything we must to defend our citizens and defend our state against Iran’s Axis of terror, which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and others.”
“Our enemies are your enemies, and our victory will be your victory–the victory of civilization over barbarism and tyranny,” Netanyahu said.
