German officials indicate they will defy 'antisemitic' ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu
A spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has intimated that Benjamin Netanyahu would not be arrested in their country despite the ICC arrest warrant issued against the Israeli prime minister.
Following the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to issue the arrest warrant against both Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes, Steffen Hebestreit has indicated that no such arrest would be made in their country due to its Holocaust history, according to a report in Friday’s Telegraph.
Hebestreit’s statement expressed respect for the ICC as a body but qualified Germany’s endorsement, saying: “At the same time, it is a consequence of German history that we share unique relations and great responsibility with Israel. We will carefully examine the domestic steps. Any further action would only be taken when a visit [to Germany] by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant is foreseeable.”
Though not going as far as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has extended a welcome to the Israeli prime minister, Hebestreit described the threat of arrest as “antisemitic,” according to the Telegraph, criticizing the ruling as “political” and saying it “discredits” international law. He also warned that it could add “fuel to the flames” of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
“I find it hard to imagine that arrests could be carried out in Germany on this basis,” he said.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has previously given assurances that Germany complies with the ICC “at every level,” according to a Reuters report, but she has recently said, "Whether the Israeli prime minister will enter the European Union is a hypothetical question. But we are now examining exactly how we will deal with it," in an interview with broadcaster RTL/ntv.
On Thursday, Italy’s defense minister explained on RAI television that as a member of the ICC, Italy was bound to act on the court’s warrants. Guido Crosetto told the news outlet plainly, “We would have to arrest them.”
All EU countries are members of the ICC, and are obligated to enforce warrants from the court. The UK has also said they would respect the court’s decision, but Hungary’s Viktor Orban has openly promised to defy it:
“The ICC arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu is brazen, cynical, and completely unacceptable. I invited Prime Minister Netanyahu for an official visit to Hungary, where we will guarantee his freedom and safety,” said Orban, calling the ICC ruling a “disgraceful decision.”
Netanyahu expressed gratitude for Orban’s statement of solidarity, saying, “Against the shameful weakness of those who have lined up alongside the outrageous decision against the state of Israel’s right to defend itself, Hungary – like our friends in the U.S. – has shown moral clarity and steadfastness on the side of justice and the truth.”
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
