(Dan Tri) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on US President Joe Biden to stop the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants for him and a number of other high-ranking Israeli officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: AFP).
Axios quoted two unnamed Israeli officials as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called US President Joe Biden on April 28, asking him to use Washington’s influence to stop the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Meanwhile, Republican and Democratic US lawmakers have called for a response to the ICC if the agency issues an arrest warrant for the prime minister and Israeli officials.
Congressman Ritchie Torres (New York) emphasized that both the US Congress and President Biden must respond with `strong consequences` if the ICC issues an arrest warrant for the prime minister and senior officials of Israel.
`The weaponization of the law cannot be allowed to exist,` Mr. Torres said.
Congressman John Fetterman (Pennsylvania) said seeking to prosecute Israeli leaders `would be a fatal blow to the ICC’s judicial and moral standing.`
US House Speaker Mike Johnson declared that the ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel.
Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
In recent months, the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) military campaign in the Gaza Strip, a populous Palestinian territory, has been increasingly widely criticized, even by its allies, the United States.
The ICC has opened an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank and Gaza since 2021. The investigation covers events since 2014. The court is located
American news agency NBC News quoted an Israeli official as saying that an ICC arrest warrant may be issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other high-ranking military officers.
ICC does not confirm or deny the above information.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that `any intervention by the ICC would create a dangerous precedent`.
Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, is the only permanent international court in the world with the power to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.