Report: Joint Israeli-U.S. Effort Aims to Prevent ICC Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu

By Yoni Weiss

According to several reports from Israeli media outlets, there is a concerted diplomatic endeavor underway involving both Israel and the United States to forestall the issuance of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

Analyst Ben Caspit, writing on the Walla news site, highlights Netanyahu’s heightened apprehension regarding the possibility of facing an arrest warrant from the UN tribunal based in The Hague. Such a development would signify a significant deterioration in Israel’s global standing. Netanyahu is reportedly intensely engaged in a relentless campaign, primarily through extensive phone diplomacy, aimed at averting the issuance of such warrants, with a particular focus on the Biden administration in the US.

Echoing these sentiments, Haaretz analyst Amos Harel underscores the Israeli government’s preparedness for the potential issuance of ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. Harel notes that the US, like Israel, is not a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC but is actively involved in efforts to obstruct the issuance of these warrants.

Netanyahu, in his latest public address concerning the matter, expressed grave concern over the potential consequences of decisions made by the ICC. He warned that such actions could establish a perilous precedent, posing a threat not only to Israel but to any democratic nation combating criminal terrorism and aggression.