US and Israel reject ICC warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest as number of countries signal they will abide by it
With allies like these -- in particular Canada, EU, The Netherlands... Why in such a hurry?
From: Al Jazeera November 21, 2024 Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the ICC’s decision must be respected and implemented. “Palestinians deserve justice,” he said.
United States The White House said Washington “fundamentally rejects” the ICC decision, adding that they are “deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision”.
“The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter,” a National Security Council spokesperson said.
Canada “It’s really important that everyone abide by international law,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, adding Canada would abide by rulings of international courts.
South Africa In a statement, the government welcomed the ICC decision and said it marked a “significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine”.
“South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law and urges all state parties to act in accordance with their obligations in the Rome Statute,” it said. “We call on the global community to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations.”
European Union Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said the ICC warrants were not political and should be respected and implemented.
“This decision is a binding decision and all states, all state parties of the court, which include all members of the European Union, are binding to implement this court decision,” he said.
The Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said that his country “respects the independence of the ICC”.
“We won’t engage in non-essential contacts and we will act on the arrest warrants. We fully comply with the Rome Statute of the ICC,” he added.
France The Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Christophe Lemoine, said that France would act “in line with the ICC’s statutes”. However, Lemoine declined to say whether France would arrest Netanyahu if he came to the country, saying it was “legally complex”.
Norway Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said, “It is important that the ICC carries out its mandate in a judicious manner. I have confidence that the court will proceed with the case based on the highest fair trial standards.”
