US senator warns nations not to enforce ICC warrants on Israeli leaders
Republican Lindsey Graham has promised to sanction countries that enforce arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Speaking in Jerusalem, Graham called the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant “beyond outrageous”.
“I am going back to Congress and introduce legislation very soon that would sanction any country that tried to enforce the arrest warrant against Israel,” Graham said.
“So you can be a close ally, Canada, Britain, France, you name it, if you buy into this arrest warrant as legitimate, then you’re going to meet stiff bipartisan resistance in America.”
Netanyahu to notify ICC that Israel will appeal arrest warrants: Report
Israel has informed the International Criminal Court (ICC) that it will appeal against arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant over their conduct of the Gaza war, Netanyahu’s office has said.
Netanyahu also said that US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had updated him “on a series of measures he is promoting in the US Congress against the International Criminal Court and against countries that would cooperate with it”.
Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes. The court said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the dup “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival”.
Amnesty: France should ‘confirm acceptance’ of Netanyahu’s ICC arrest warrant
The human rights group says France’s decision that the Israeli prime minister is “immune” from the International Criminal Court’s war crimes and crimes against humanity case against him is “deeply problematic”.
“Rather than inferring that ICC indictees may enjoy immunity, France should expressly confirm its acceptance of the unequivocal legal duty under the Rome Statute to carry out arrest warrants,” Amnesty said.
Earlier, we reported that France believes Netanyahu has immunity to actions by the International Criminal Court, which is seeking his arrest. France argued that Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC.
France playing ‘a double game’ by claiming Netanyahu has ICC immunity
William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University, says France’s argument that Netanyahu has immunity from ICC prosecution because Israel is not party to the Rome Statute is “flimsy”.
He told Al Jazeera that this contradicts France’s stance on the ICC since it encouraged the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is legally in a similar situation as Netanyahu.
“France is playing a bit of a double game” on this, Schabas said, adding that the argument has already been rejected by the judges of the court. “Only time will tell” whether Netanyahu is going to show up in court, Schabas said, because there is no appeal process for an arrest warrant – something that the Israeli leader said he was seeking.
UK foreign minister says he will still talk to Netanyahu after ICC arrest warrant
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy says he would continue to talk and meet with Netanyahu after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Lammy told parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee he would comply with the ICC’s request to arrest Netanyahu if he entered Britain, insisting he had no option to ignore the order.
But Lammy said he would continue to talk to Netanyahu and other senior Israeli government officials about issues such as seeking a ceasefire in Gaza and the importance of getting aid into the Palestinian territory.
“I do believe they are important matters that require engagement from those of us in government,” Lammy said. “I can’t see circumstances under which I would not be speaking to the elected representatives of the Israeli government.”
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