Israel's allies such as the USA strongly condemn the international arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The federal government is cautious – they want to check what consequences the arrest warrant will have in this country.
The federal government has not yet decided how it wants to deal with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the resulting “domestic steps” would be carefully examined.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced in Berlin that nothing further would be forthcoming until Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's stay in Germany was foreseeable. “It is difficult for me to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis,” Hebestreit continued.
At the same time, Germany sees itself as the Court's greatest supporter, as Hebestreit also announced. “This attitude is also the result of German history. At the same time, the consequence of German history is that we have unique relationships and great responsibility with Israel,” he added. The federal government was involved in drafting the ICC statute. She took note of the Court's decision.
The International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and the recently fired Israeli Defense Minister Gallant for alleged war crimes in the Gaza war.
The judges in The Hague also issued an arrest warrant against a leader of the terrorist organization Hamas – Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, known by the surname Deif. However, according to Israeli reports, he is no longer alive.
Biden calls arrest warrants “outrageous”
International reactions to the arrest warrant against Netanyahu are divided. While Iran and the Palestinian Authority celebrate the court's decision in The Hague, several of Israel's allies are criticizing the arrest warrant – above all the USA.
US President Joe Biden condemned the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. “The International Criminal Court's issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli politicians is outrageous,” Biden was quoted as saying in a statement from the White House. “Let me be clear: Whatever the International Criminal Court may suggest, Israel and Hamas are not equal – not at all,” Biden said.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the US would not execute an arrest warrant. However, the United States does not recognize the Court and is not obliged to execute the arrest warrant.
Orban invites Netanyahu
Hungary, which, unlike the USA, recognizes the criminal court and would actually have to execute the arrest warrant, went even further. Prime Minister Viktor Orban demonstratively announced that Netanyahu would be invited to visit.
The ICC's decision was “cynical” and represented “interference in an ongoing conflict for political purposes,” Orban said on Hungarian state radio.
“Praiseworthy”
Iran, however, welcomed the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. “That is laudable, but the US and the Europeans must also respect and implement the arrest warrants,” said Kamal Charrasi, foreign policy advisor to spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The court's decision in The Hague is also shameful for the West, which has fully supported Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Hamas called the decision an “important historical precedent and a correction of a long path of historical injustice against our people.” The Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank also praised the international arrest warrants.
Ireland and Great Britain would probably enforce arrest warrants
The governments of the Netherlands and Canada indicated that the arrest warrants would be executed in their countries. Netanyahu would also face arrest in Ireland, as Prime Minister Simon Harris told the British news agency PA. If other states take the same approach, this could severely restrict the Israeli head of government's freedom of travel.
Netanyahu would probably also have to expect arrest in Great Britain. “The UK will always abide by its legal obligations as provided for by domestic law and also international law,” a Downing Street spokesman said. However, the domestic procedure for dealing with arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court has never been used because no one wanted by the Court has ever visited the country.
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell described the international arrest warrant against Netanyahu as binding for the member states of the European Union. As parties to the International Criminal Court, EU countries are obliged to implement the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu, Gallant and Deif, he said. “The Court's decision must be respected and implemented,” said Borrell.
