Israeli Leaders Unite Against ICC Arrest Warrants

Israeli politicians from different sides of the political spectrum have joined forces to criticize the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu's office labeled the warrants as "antisemitic" and compared them to the Dreyfus trial. They argued that Israel's actions in Gaza were justified self-defense against Hamas, and that the ICC is biased and politically motivated. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, described the ICC's decision as a "dark day for justice" and "a universal laughing stock. " Many Israeli leaders saw the warrants as a reward for terrorism, claiming that Israel was merely defending itself against attacks by Hamas. Some even suggested responses like annexing the West Bank. The ICC, however, said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant committed war crimes, including using starvation as a method of warfare and committing murder and persecution. The warrants came on a day when Netanyahu was discussing a potential ceasefire with Hezbollah. Political scientist Dahlia Scheindlin noted that international institutions are often seen as antisemitic and hypocritical in Israel, leading to a united front against the ICC's decision.