‘A dark day for justice’: Israelis react to Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants
Israel officials across the political spectrum reacted with anger and outrage after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued unprecedented arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday.
Former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: TPS-IL
It is the first time warrants have been issued against leaders from a democratic country.
The ICC ruling represents “a dark day for justice and humanity,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
“Taken in bad faith, the outrageous decision at the ICC has turned universal justice into a universal laughingstock. It makes a mockery of the sacrifice of all those who fight for justice – from the Allied victory over the Nazis till today,” he said.
“It ignores the plight of the 101 Israeli hostages held in brutal captivity by Hamas in Gaza. It ignores Hamas’ cynical use of its own people as human shields. It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people. It ignores the fact that Israel is a vibrant democracy, acting under international humanitarian law, and going to great lengths to provide for the humanitarian needs of the civilian population,” Herzog added.
The unanimous ruling, signed by Judges Nicolas Guillou, Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini Gansou and Beti Hohler, said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant committed crimes against humanity in Gaza, including murder, persecution and using starvation as a tactic of warfare.
A statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office called ICC judges “antisemitic,” Prosecutor Karim Khan “corrupt,” and insisted Israel would not be deterred from bringing its hostages home and eliminating Hamas as a threat.
“The decision to issue an arrest warrant against the Prime Minister was made by a corrupt chief prosecutor who is trying to save himself from sexual harassment accusations and biased judges who are motivated by antisemitic hatred of Israel,” the statement said.
“No anti-Israel decision will prevent the State of Israel from defending its citizens.”
Current Defense Minister Israel Katz called warrants “a moral disgrace that is entirely tinged with antisemitism and that degrades the international legal system to an unprecedented low. This is a shameful decision that serves the head of the snake, Iran, and its proxies.”
Netanyahu and Gallant are now liable for arrest if they travel to countries that are party to the ICC.
Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction. The ICC charter prohibits the court from prosecuting nationals of countries with independent judiciaries.
The legal action was spearheaded by the Palestinian Authority, which in 2014 was recognized by the court as a “State,” leading Israeli officials to accuse the ICC of being politicized.
The court also issued a warrant for Hamas commander Mohammed Deif. Although he was killed in an airstrike in July, Hamas never confirmed Deif’s death.
Other national leaders with outstanding ICC warrants include Russian President Vladimir Putin, former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, Libyan general Mahmoud al-Warfali and God’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.
