Outcry In Israel Over ICC Warrants For Netanyahu And Gallant | Who Said What?

Israeli officials and politicians reacted with anger and outrage on Monday after the International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza, along with three Hamas leaders, as reported by Times Of Israel (TOI).

The Foreign Ministry immediately established a command centre to counter the move.

Photo Credit: PTI

Outcry In Israel Over ICC Warrants: Who Said What?

Foreign Minister Israel Katz issued a statement calling the sought-for ICC warrants an "unrestrained direct attack" on the victims of Hamas's October 7 onslaught and the hostages still being held in Gaza. Katz condemned the implicit comparison between Israeli leaders and Hamas terrorists, describing it as a historic disgrace that will be remembered forever. He argued that this decision was intended to tie the hands of Israel and deny its right to self-defence.

President Isaac Herzog described the court's move as "beyond outrageous," asserting that it demonstrated a danger to the international judicial system. Herzog criticized the decision as a unilateral political step that emboldened terrorists and violated basic legal norms, as reported by TOI. He emphasized that any attempts to draw parallels between Hamas leaders and Israel's democratically elected government were outrageous.

War cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and IDF chief, slammed the decision, declaring it a "crime of historic proportions." He stated that the IDF complies with international law in its fighting in Gaza and emphasized the moral justness of Israel's war efforts. Gantz accused the ICC prosecutor's position of moral bankruptcy and distortion of justice, as per local media report.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin also condemned the move as one of the "biggest moral disgraces in human history." He characterized the comparison between Israeli leaders and Hamas terrorists as a clear expression of modern antisemitism and hatred of Jews.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid dismissed the ICC prosecutor's decision, asserting that Israel will not accept a comparison to Hamas. Lapid called the decision a terrible political failure and expected the American administration to condemn the arrest warrants.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on nations to stop funding the ICC and shut the court down entirely. Bennett described the prosecutor's request as a moment of shame for the ICC and the global community, asserting that it provided a boost to global Jihadi terror, as reported by TOI.

Shas chair Aryeh Deri, an observer in the war cabinet, labelled the ICC's request for arrest warrants a "despicable display of moral bankruptcy, hypocrisy and antisemitism." Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the ICC's chief prosecutor of antisemitism. Smotrich likened the court's actions to Nazi propaganda, while Ben-Gvir called for Israel to halt its participation in the international court proceedings in The Hague.

New Hope party chief Gideon Sa'ar, sitting in the opposition, called the ICC prosecutor's move a clear testament to the moral bankruptcy of international judicial institutions. Sa'ar denounced the comparison between Netanyahu and Hamas leaders as scandalous and an attempt to undermine Israel's right to defend itself, as per a local media report.

Labour lawmaker Gilad Kariv criticized the ICC's actions while also blaming Netanyahu for leading Israel into a diplomatic crisis. He emphasized the need to fight against the potential ICC arrest orders, though he questioned Netanyahu's ability to lead this effort effectively.

Outgoing Labor chief Merav Michaeli called the ICC's actions a scandal and emphasized that the Israeli leadership should not be equated with a terrorist organization. However, she criticized Netanyahu's leadership, arguing that it was leading Israel into a severe political nadir that endangered national security and the future of the state, as per media reports.