Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for considering arrest warrants against him, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and several Hamas leaders. Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly, asserting that the true war criminals are not in Israel but in countries like Iran, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
The ICC is pursuing arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. Netanyahu condemned the ICC's actions, accusing them of bias and rushing to judgment.
Netanyahu expressed his dismay at the perceived antisemitism within the UN, suggesting that the ICC's consideration of arrest warrants against him and Israel's defense minister is unjust. He emphasized that as democratically elected leaders of Israel, they should not be targeted in this manner.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan previously stated that nobody is above the law, but Netanyahu criticized Khan for allegedly failing to treat Israel fairly and equitably compared to other democracies. Netanyahu attributed the ICC's actions to antisemitism, claiming that Israel is not being given the same treatment as other nations with independent judicial systems.
The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between Israel and international bodies like the ICC, with Netanyahu vehemently rejecting the accusations and asserting Israel's commitment to upholding the rule of law.
