Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hits back, accusing International Criminal Court judges of harboring “anti-Semitic hatred against Israel” after a warrant was issued for his arrest on suspicion of war crimes in Gaza did.
Prime Minister Netanyahu personally reprimanded ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan on Wednesday.
“This decision was made by a corrupt chief prosecutor seeking to protect himself from serious allegations of sexual harassment and by a biased judge motivated by anti-Semitic hatred of Israel,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said. According to the Telegraph.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is the first leader of a modern Western democracy to be wanted by the world's highest criminal court.
The Hague tribunal also accused former defense minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes.
U.S. officials denounced the ICC's decision as a “dangerous” move that undermines the Jewish state's right to self-defense.
“The United States fundamentally rejects the court's decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials. We are deeply concerned,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said.
The United States is not a member state of the ICC, and the court has not previously arrested anyone on U.S. soil. Israel is also not a member.
The ICC, along with Israeli leaders, issued an arrest warrant for Hamas's top military commander, Mohammed Deif, who orchestrated the October 7 terrorist attack that killed more than 1,200 people and started the war.
