Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing arrest warrants against him and his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, calling the move “anti-Semitic.”
The ICC’s decision, announced on Thursday, also included a warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif.
In a statement, Netanyahu likened the ICC’s actions to the infamous 19th-century Dreyfus affair, in which French Jewish military officer Alfred Dreyfus was wrongfully convicted of treason.
Netanyahu described the ICC’s decision as a “modern-day Dreyfus trial” and predicted it would end in a similar manner, referencing Dreyfus’s eventual exoneration.
The arrest warrants were issued in connection with Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which have been ongoing since Hamas launched deadly attacks on October 7, 2023.
Netanyahu defended Israel’s actions, stating that the country’s war in Gaza was justified, and called the ICC’s accusations “absurd and false.”
He further accused ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan of corruption, alleging that the warrants were part of an attempt to deflect attention from Khan’s own sexual harassment allegations, a claim that Khan has vehemently denied.
Netanyahu also accused the ICC judges of being motivated by “anti-Semitic hatred” toward Israel, stating that the warrants would not prevent Israel from continuing to defend its citizens.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former Defence Minister, also denounced the warrants, calling them a “dangerous precedent.”
He argued that the ICC’s decision effectively placed Israel’s government on the same footing as Hamas, equating Israeli officials with the leaders of a group responsible for mass violence, including the killing of children, rape, and abductions.
President Isaac Herzog joined the condemnation, calling the ICC’s decision a “dark day for justice.”
Herzog said on social media platform X that the court had ignored the fact that Israel was “barbarically attacked” and had the right to defend its people.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar echoed the sentiment, declaring that the ICC had “lost all legitimacy” in attacking Israel’s right to self-defense.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on the Israeli government to respond by annexing the entire occupied West Bank, territory Palestinians claim for a future state.
Centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid also criticized the court’s move, stating, “Israel is defending its citizens from terrorist organizations that attacked, murdered, and raped our people. These arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem called on foreign governments to “enforce the warrants” against Netanyahu and Gallant, labeling the ICC’s ruling as one of the “lowest points” in Israel’s history.
B’Tselem emphasized that personal accountability for decision-makers is essential for justice and freedom for all people living in the region.
