Why does the ICC want to arrest Israel's prime minister?
The media is rumored that Israel is concerned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is about to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The New York Times quoted 5 Israeli officials and the country's diplomatic service as believing that the ICC is preparing an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister.
Meanwhile, NBC News reported that an Israeli official, who asked not to be named, acknowledged that Israel was lobbying diplomatic channels to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi
What can an Israeli prime minister be arrested by the ICC for?
Rumours that the ICC will arrest Israel's prime minister have circulated amid the fierce war in the Gaza Strip. Israel is known to have approved plans to attack Rafah, a densely populated area considered the last sanctuary for many innocent Palestinians, which Israel believes Hamas members are present
.The ICC's anticipated arrest warrant is closely related to Israel's Gaza Strip campaign, which begins Oct. 7, 2023. That was when Hamas attacks killed about 1,200 people on Israeli soil. But Israel's response has also come under intense pressure from the international community because of the humanitarian situation, with more than 34,000 people having died in the past half year alone. It is unclear what the ICC will arrest the Israeli prime minister for, even if it were real.
In response to questions from international media, the ICC issued a joint message that it is conducting an independent investigation regarding the situation in the State of Palestine. However, the Hague-based court said it would not comment on the ongoing investigations, nor respond to "speculation from media reports".
To talk about the "crime" of the Israeli prime minister if the information about the arrest warrant is true, now the press thinks that it is most likely an investigation case 3 years ago. In 2021, the ICC launched an investigation into possible war crimes committed by both Israel and Palestinian militants. It is an incident related to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but it has been a war since 2014.
Newsweek also noted that rumors of a potential ICC arrest warrant are also unrelated to the International Court of Justice's (ICJ), also based in The Hague, genocide investigation. The ICJ handles disputes between states, while the ICC is a court focused on the possibility of committing war crimes.
ICC is unlikely to arrest Israel's prime minister, but will exert influence
On Sunday evening (April 28), Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly held a phone call with US President Joe Biden. Now the United States is seeking to defend Israel. CNBC insists any arrest warrant does not mean Netanyahu should go to jail.
Neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the ICC's authority. The court cannot enforce arrest warrants, but must be signed by member states (more than 120 countries), including a majority of European countries.
"As has repeatedly stated publicly, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support that investigation," a National Security Council spokesman said. The problem is that neither the US nor Israel wants the ICC to issue an arrest warrant. This, while not directly affecting Israel's de facto leadership, still discredits the country. In addition, the ICC's decision is likely to influence the ICJ's separate decision.
Crucially, such an arrest warrant could lead to stronger anti-Israel protests across the country, which would directly affect the governments of countries that want to support Israel. This will be the real impact. As of April 30, most of the analysis in the U.S. media was skewed in favor of the ICC likely not issuing an arrest warrant at this time. Read the original post here.
