Western opinion on the ICC ruling against Netanyahu and Gallant divided, with the US strongly defending Israel and Europe supporting the court.
The US State Department explained the “fundamental difference” regarding the ICC’s jurisdiction over the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. According to Washington, the ICC’s functionality extends to cases where at least one party to the conflict recognises it. Neither Israel nor Palestine recognise the jurisdiction of this court, but Kyiv, the US stresses, does. Therefore, the US believes that only Russia can be prosecuted, and Israel is not concerned.
The State Department also emphasised Israel’s readiness to cooperate with the ICC, despite the fact that the Israeli authorities had previously rejected all attempts to investigate possible violations of humanitarian law in Gaza.
The world media is reporting on a difficult situation for Israel
An arrest warrant from the ICC is Netanyahu’s greatest fear, which could now become a reality. Corruption allegations against the Israeli prime minister have long been seen as a reason for him to cling to his post, and the prospect of a trial in The Hague is unlikely to loosen his grip, The Telegraph reports.
The prosecutor’s decision represents one of the most vigorous international responses to Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began in October 2023, according to País.
The prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carries risks for the International Criminal Court (ICC), The Wall Street Journal reports.
US support for the ICC, which the media points out has grown since the Russian investigation began, is crumbling after the organisation’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, targeted the Israeli leadership.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Chris Coons worked together to secure US funding for the ICC, something that was unbelievable back in 2020 when the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the court because of the then-prosecutor’s take on war crimes cases against US troops in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said he did not consider the Israeli army’s actions in the Gaza Strip as genocide. He added that Washington will continue to support Jerusalem in the fight against the Palestinian movement Hamas.
At the same time, the US Congress is considering the possibility of imposing sanctions against the ICC if the court issues an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a released statement.
Opposite situation in Europe
The head of Eurodiplomacy agreed with the ICC’s demands for Netanyahu’s arrest. Josep Borrell said he takes note of the ICC prosecutor’s decision to request an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister. According to him, all Rome Status member states have to honour the ICC ruling.
The French Foreign Ministry commented on the intentions of the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials:
“We support the ICC and its independence.”
The Russian ambassador to the US said that Washington’s assessments of the ICC’s actions against Russia and Israel are a model of double standards and hypocrisy.
The US authorities deny the legitimacy of the ICC and intimidate this institution with sanctions when it comes to the interests of Washington itself and its allies. However, they shamelessly use this pseudo-legal instrument against those they consider enemies.
Earlier, the ICC issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for the “abduction of children”, who later turned out to live in Germany, on false accusations from Ukraine.
THE ARTICLE IS THE AUTHOR’S SPECULATION AND DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE TRUE. ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OPEN SOURCES. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY SUBJECTIVE CONCLUSIONS.
Bill Galston for Head-Post.com
