'Based on false reports': UK Lawyers for Israel accuses ICC, Khan of deception

The post mentioned Khan's announcement that he was filing arrest warrants on the exact day that ICC and Israeli officials were supposed to meet, which canceled the meetings without prior notice.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 1, 2024 12:02 Updated: DECEMBER 1, 2024 12:03

ICC PROSECUTOR Karim Khan speaks during an interview in The Hague, earlier this year. (photo credit: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS)

The UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its prosecutor, Karim Khan, of deception in a Saturday thread to X/Twitter.

The association initially charged Khan with dishonesty regarding his decision to cancel a planned trip to Israel in May. This cancellation came after he had announced several months earlier that he would "engage with relevant national authorities in accordance with the principle of complementarity at the heart of the Rome Statute."

Timeline of Deception @IntlCrimCourt (ICC)On 3/12/2023, following a visit to Israel, the ICC Prosecutor stated “I also stand ready to engage with relevant national authorities in line with the principle of complementarity at the heart of the Rome Statute.”

— UK Lawyers For Israel (@UKLFI) November 30, 2024

The thread added that Khan's announcement of filing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant was deceptive. The announcement of the warrants coincided with the day that officials from the ICC and Israel were scheduled to meet in Jerusalem, which ultimately led to the cancellation of those meetings without prior notice.

Khan threatened with professional misconduct

In May, Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, requested the court to issue international arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders, as well as for Netanyahu and Gallant. His application included a detailed list of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity that he accused the Israeli leaders of committing.

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters about the violence in Israel and Gaza in The Hague, Netherlands October 12, 2023 (credit: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS)

In the X thread, the UKLFI stated, "Had they known the Prosecutor was about to apply for arrest warrants based on the false reports, they might well have published their analyses earlier."

In response, the UKLFI threatened to charge Khan with professional misconduct. 

In a letter to Khan dated August 27, the UKLFI rebutted his accusations against Netanyahu and Gallant and provided detailed evidence showing that all his allegations were false.

“We are dismayed to read that you intend to rest on the submissions you advanced in the applications, despite our having shown that every allegation against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant set out in your published summary of them is false, and despite the highly relevant evidence that has emerged since you filed the applications," UKLFI wrote.

“With all due respect, this seems to us to manifest a serious lack of integrity on your part. We respectfully urge you to reconsider this position in the light of your professional obligations.”