Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu risks having the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant for him, but the United States is engaged in an intense diplomatic effort to prevent this. The Israeli news site Walla writes this, stating that Netanyahu is engaged in ”non-stop telephone pressing” to avoid intervention by the Hague Court.
Haaretz analyst Amos Harel also wrote that the Israeli government is working under the assumption that ICC prosecutor Karim Khan may issue arrest warrants this week for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the head of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) general staff Herzi Halevi.
The United Stateswhich like Israel are not among the 124 countries that have signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, are engaged in an effort to block arrest warrantsaccording to Harel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned all Israeli diplomatic delegations abroad to “immediately prepare for a serious wave of anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish and anti-Israel demonstrations globally.” These could arise, according to Katz, in the event that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
Asking the Hague Tribunal not to issue these arrest warrants, Katz said that “there is nothing more distorted than trying to prevent Israel from defending itself from a murderous enemy who openly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.” In a note she warned that “if the warrants are issued, they will harm IDF commanders and soldiers and will encourage the terrorist organization Hamas and the radical Islamic axis led by Iran against which we are fighting”.
Katz then argued that “Israel operates in full compliance with all laws of war” and has “a robust and independent legal system, provides humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza in collaboration with international bodies, even if Hamas uses the population as a human shield , attacks and complicates the delivery of aid”.
