Criticism of Submission of Detention Warrant by ICC Prosecutor, Israeli PM: Distortion of Reality

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (GPO/Amos Ben Gershom)

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision by Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan on Monday to request arrest warrants against himself and Defense Minister Yoav Galllant was unreasonable, saying it targeted all of Israel.

"I reject with disgust the comparison by the prosecutor in The Hague between democratic Israel and the mass murderer Hamas," said PM Netanyahu, as reported by Reuters, May 21.

Khan said on Monday that the charges against the two Israeli leaders included the crimes of "causing extermination, causing famine as a method of war including denying supplies of humanitarian aid, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict," as quoted by The Times of Israel.

"With what courage do you compare the Hamas who killed, burned, massacred, beheaded, raped and kidnapped our brothers and sisters with the IDF soldiers who fought a war like no other," said PM Netanyahu.

"This is a complete distortion of reality," he said.

In addition, PM Netanyahu called the ICC prosecutor's move a new form of antisemitism.

"Citizens of Israel, I promise you one thing, attempts to tie our hands will fail," he said.

"As Israel's prime minister, I promise that no pressure or decision in any international forum will prevent us from attacking those who seek to destroy us," he stressed.

Last month, Israel raised concerns about the possibility of the ICC issuing arrest warrants against its officials, related to the war in Gaza.

PM Netanyahu said at the time that the ICC's decision would not affect Israel's actions, but would set a bad precedent. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not lower its head or feel afraid and would continue to fight.

Prosecutor Khan said that if Israel disagrees with the ICC, "they are free, even if they object to jurisdiction, to challenge before the court's judges and that is what I suggest they do."

"No one is above the law," Khan told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Apart from PM Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Gallant, Prosecutor Khan also asked for arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif.

The charges against them include extermination, murder, hostage-taking, rape and sexual assault in custody.