US rejects ICC arrest warrants for Defense Minister Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

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.”

WASHINGTON: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed concern over the decision in a press briefing, stating, “We fundamentally reject the court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.” She criticised the prosecutor’s haste in seeking the warrants and pointed out troubling process errors that led to this outcome.

Jean-Pierre also added that the United States has been clear about the ICC’s lack of jurisdiction over this matter. “Whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no evidence, none between Israel and Hamas, there’s just none,” she said. The White House is working closely with its partners, including Israel, to discuss the next steps. Jean-Pierre reaffirmed, “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 statement comes as the US continues to show support for Israel amid the ICC’s charges against its leaders.

Meanwhile, the ICC in The Hague on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of “crimes against humanity and war crimes.” The charges include allegations of targeting civilians and enforcing policies of starvation in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the ICC’s decision in a statement on his social media platform, calling it “antisemitic” and comparing it to the infamous Dreyfus trial. In a video posted on his X handle, Netanyahu said, “The antisemitic decision of the international court in The Hague is a modern Dreyfus trial, and it will end the same way.”

Netanyahu drew parallels between his situation and the false treason charges against French Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus over 130 years ago. Referring to Emile Zola’s famous essay J’accuse, which defended Dreyfus, Netanyahu said, “Now an international court in The Hague, also headed by a French judge, is repeating this outrageous offence. It is falsely accusing me and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of deliberately targeting civilians.”

He defended Israel’s military actions in Gaza, claiming that the measures implemented were necessary to minimise civilian casualties. “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 dismissed accusations of imposing a starvation policy, highlighting that Israel had supplied 700,000 tons of food to Gaza. He stated, “We’ve supplied Gaza with 700,000 tons of food to feed the people of Gaza. That’s 3,200 calories for every man, woman, and child in Gaza. And these supplies are routinely looted by Hamas terrorists, who deprive their people of much-needed food.” He also noted that Israel had facilitated the vaccination of 97 percent of Gaza’s population against polio. Netanyahu called the ICC’s charges baseless, asking, “What in God’s name are they talking about in The Hague?”

The Israeli Prime Minister further criticised the ICC for focusing on Israel while ignoring war crimes in countries like Iran, Syria, and Yemen. He also denounced the court for its failure to act against Hamas, describing their atrocities during the recent Gaza conflict. “No biassed anti-Israel decision in The Hague will prevent the State of Israel from defending its citizens,” Netanyahu asserted.

He thanked allies, particularly the United States, for condemning the ICC’s move and reiterated that Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. The Israeli PM 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 added.

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