After the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden called ICC’s move “outrageous”.
US Rejects ICC’s Move, Joe Biden Calls Arrest ‘Outrageous’
After the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden called ICC’s move “outrageous”. Since the warrant also includes Israel’s former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military Chief Mohammed Deif, Biden on Friday said that Israel and Hamas cannot be equated. The three are alleged to be part of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. 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,” said Joe Biden’s official statement on November 22. The US “fundamentally” rejects the court’s decision, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement.
The US has previously welcomed ICC war crimes warrants against Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials for atrocities committed in Ukraine.
Italy, a member of the ICC, has stated its legal obligation to comply with the arrest warrant. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto acknowledged that Italy would be required to arrest Netanyahu should he enter Italian territory. France adopted a cautious tone, emphasising its respect for the ICC’s independent work while stopping short of confirming any commitment to arrest Netanyahu.
Germany, another staunch ally of Israel, maintained its existing policies, including arms deliveries to Israel, unaffected by the ICC’s decision.
Hungary And Slovenia
Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, openly rejected the ICC’s ruling, labelling it as “wrong” and offering Netanyahu a guarantee of safe passage if he visited Hungary.
Hungary currently presides over the European Union’s six-month rotating presidency. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said that implementing the ICC’s decisions is a legal obligation rather than a political choice.
Implications For Netanyahu
The ICC’s arrest warrants significantly constrain Netanyahu’s international mobility. While not all nations will act on the warrants, the threat of arrest looms over Netanyahu’s potential visits to the ICC’s 124 member states.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin found himself in a similar situation after the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against him for war crimes in Ukraine. Putin and then avoided travel to South Africa for a BRICS summit. South Africa, as an ICC member, was obliged to arrest him had he turned up for the summit.
