‘Dark day for justice’ – ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

International Criminal Court at The Hague issues warrants calling for the arrest of Israel’s prime minister and its former defense minister, drawing sharp condemnation from both the Israeli government and Opposition.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News Staff

The International Criminal Court at The Hague issued arrest warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, six months after ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced plans for the warrants.

Marking the first time the ICC has called for the arrest of leaders of a democratic country, judges wrote that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant had violated international law between October 8th, 2023, and May 20th, 2024, marking the period spanning the beginning of Israel’s response to the October 7th invasion through the first weeks of the Rafah operation in southern Gaza.

The decision immediately drew sharp condemnation from not only the Israeli government, but also from Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, a former rival of Netanyahu and critic of the Netanyahu government, as well as from Opposition leaders.

“This is a dark day for justice. A dark day for humanity,” Herzog tweeted Thursday afternoon.

“Taken in bad faith, the outrageous decision at the ICC has turned universal justice into a universal laughing stock. It makes a mockery of the sacrifice of all those who fight for justice – from the Allied victory over the Nazis till today.”

“It ignores the plight of the 101 Israeli hostages held in brutal captivity by Hamas in Gaza. It ignores Hamas’ cynical use of its own people as human shields.”

“It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people. It ignores the fact that Israel is a vibrant democracy, acting under international humanitarian law, and going to great lengths to provide for the humanitarian needs of the civilian population.”

“Indeed, the decision has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity.”

“This cynical exploitation of the international legal institutions reminds us once again of the need for true moral clarity in the face of an Iranian empire of evil that seeks to destabilize our region and the world, and destroy the very institutions of the free world.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called the warrants a “mark of shame” for the ICC, saying that Israelis “left and right, stand behind the war.”

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid excoriated the ICC over the issuing of the warrants, calling them a “reward for terrorism.”

“Israel is defending itself against terrorist organizations that attacked, murdered and raped our citizens. These arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism.”

Fellow Opposition leader MK Benny Gantz condemned the ICC decision as “moral blindness” which will “never be forgotten.”

Yair Golan, chairman of the left-wing The Democrats party also took aim at the ICC.

“This is a shameful decision of the International Court in The Hague,” Golan said. “Israel had and will always have the right to defend itself against our enemies.”

While the ICC warrants cannot be enforced so long as Netanyahu and Gallant remain in Israel, the two could face arrest if they travel to any of the 123 countries bound by the Rome Statute which established the ICC.