The International Criminal Court ( ICC ) was criticized by Israel’s opposition leaders on Monday for ordering the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the Hamas conflict.
The judge also targeted three Hamas officers, but Hamas is a terrorist organization and Israel has a strong court that adheres to international law. Essentially, the ICC criminalized Israel’s proper t0 personal- defense.
While they have no passion for Netanyahu, the rulers of Israel’s opposition — chief rival Benny Gantz, who is in a unity state with Netanyahu, and Yair Lapid, who leads the opposition in the Knesset — panned the ICC permits.
The Times of Israel notes that Gantz called the choice” a crime of ancient proportions,” noting that it would apply to any Zionist head who dared to intervene against Hamas extremists who target and hide among residents.
Lapid said the ICC warrants were “unforgivable”, noting the irony of equating Israel with Hamas. He added:” I expect the American administration to condemn the arrest warrants”, though U. S. opposition had been lukewarm.
According to Breitbart News, President Joe Biden lifted an executive order from 2021 that imposed restrictions on the ICC for attempting to research the United States or friends not parties to the ICC’s Rome Statute for actions taken against terrorists.
Unfortunately, Gallant is also viewed as a possible adversary to Netanyahu, and publicly criticized Netanyahu’s guidelines for post Gaza last month. The ICC considers both similar to jihadists.
Next month, as rumours of ICC charges emerged, Netanyahu warned that the ICC would destroy its own validity:
Under my management, Israel does not allow the ICC to attempt to subvert its fundamental right to self-defense.
The danger to seize the soldiers and officials of the only democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish state on earth is absurd. We wo n’t bow before it.
Israel…— Benjamin Netanyahu– ×‘× ×™×ž×™×Ÿ × ×ª× ×™×”×• ( @netanyahu ) April 26, 2024
Netanyahu added that the potential charges were” an interruption of ancient measurements,” noting that the ICC, which had been established in the midst of the Holocaust, was presently being used in an effort to annihilate the Israeli state. He even warned that all democracies would be threatened by ICC charges against Israeli officials for fighting terrorism.
Israel anticipates a strong response from the world’s leaders to the absurd ICC’s assault on Israel’s fundamental right to self-defense. We anticipate that they will use every means at their disposal to put an end to this risky course. photograph. twitter.com/mZB85XbnSd
— Benjamin Netanyahu– ×‘× ×™×ž×™×Ÿ × ×ª× ×™×”×• ( @netanyahu ) May 1, 2024
Israel’s royal president, Isaac Herzog — even a former opposition leader — issued a caution on April 30:
As I have repeatedly stated to officials from all over the world over the past few decades, Israel has the whole right and duty to release our captives and protect our people.
Working in full compliance with international law, the state of Israel, our defense, and our protection troops are all working tirelessly to achieve these objectives. I vehemently oppose any effort to abuse global legal systems, including the ICC, which violate the state of Israel’s fundamental rights. Our judiciary is strong and independent, with the ability to conduct impartial investigations as necessary.
Such behavior may be vigorously opposed because they will only serve to tie the hands of all free and democratic countries in the fight against terrorism.
It remains to be seen whether the United States and other political countries alter their position on the ICC.
Joel B. Pollak is Top Editor- at- Big at Breitbart News and the number of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday night from 7 p. m. to 10 p. m. ET ( 4 p. m. to 7 p. m. Platinum ). He is the creator of the new e- guide,” The Zionist Conspiracy ( and how to meet it )”, now available on Audible. He is also the creator of the electronic- text, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U. S. Presidential Election. He is a success of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Following him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
