More countries vow to arrest Netanyahu under ICC warrant
ISTANBUL
Several countries, including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Canada, have announced their intention to adhere to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of alleged war crimes.
The ICC on Nov. 21 said that Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant may bear "criminal responsibility" for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and other crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. The court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ armed wing, over the group’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Hague-based court's decision drew mixed reactions from world leaders, with some vowing to arrest the Israelis if they entered their country's territory. The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice.
The stance taken by these countries — particularly those in the West — holds significant implications for Israel's diplomatic relations and its trajectory toward potential political isolation.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the warrants are binding for all 27 members.
France signaled it could arrest Netanyahu if he came to its territory, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine calling it a “complex legal issue” but said France supports the court’s actions.
“Combating impunity is our priority,” he said. “Our response will align with these principles.”
The Netherlands also announced that it will arrest Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country, adding that Amsterdam will cut all non-essential contacts with the Israeli government.
Following the announcement, a visit by the Dutch foreign minister to Israel has been postponed.
Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Spain, Norway and Slovenia all said they would meet their commitments and obligations regarding the Rome Statute and International Law. Austria said the same, though its Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg added that the warrant was absurd.
“The fight against impunity wherever crimes are committed is a priority for Belgium, which fully supports the work of the ICC," Belgium's Foreign Ministry said on X. "Those responsible for crimes committed in Israel and Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of who committed them."
Germany, on the other hand, said that it is "examining" how to respond the decision.
"We are now of course examining exactly what that means for implementation in Germany," Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.
Whether German authorities would move to arrest Netanyahu is currently "theoretical,” Baerbock said.
Canada also affirmed its support and compliance with the decision.
"First of all, as Canada has always said, it's really important that everyone abide by international law. This is something we've been calling on from the beginning of the conflict," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Toronto.
Many analysts posit that this development could edge Israel closer to international ostracism, with calls for arms embargoes against the nation gaining momentum. Such measures are no longer merely political but now carry a legal dimension, as supplying weapons to Israel risks complicity in internationally recognized crimes.
Other leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, have condemned the court's decision which Netanyahu dismissed as "absurd" and "driven by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel.”
"The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous," 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."
Argentina "declares its deep disagreement" with the decision, which "ignores Israel's legitimate right to self-defense against the constant attacks by terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah," President Javier Milei posted on social media platform X.
In a rare move, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said he would invite Netanyahu to visit and defy an ICC arrest warrant.
Orban called the ICC's decision "outrageously brazen” and "cynical,” saying it "intervenes in an ongoing conflict... dressed up as a legal decision, but in fact for political purposes.”
"There is no choice here, we have to defy this decision," the nationalist leader said in his weekly interview with state radio.
