Reactions Continue to The Hague's Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu; Biden Calls It 'Shocking'

The issuance of arrest warrants for the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel by the International Criminal Court has faced a wave of condemnation and negative reactions in the United States; meanwhile, Canada and some European countries have deemed these warrants enforceable. Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, issued arrest warrants on Thursday, December 1, for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel, as well as Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, the commander of the extremist group Hamas who is likely deceased. These warrants are related to accusations of 'war crimes' and 'crimes against humanity' in the Gaza war and the operations of the extremist group Hamas against Israeli citizens. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. U.S. President Joe Biden sharply criticized the ICC's ruling, calling it astonishing and shocking. In a brief message published on the White House website, he emphasized: 'Let me be clear once again; regardless of what the ICC may address, there is no, absolutely no, proportionality between Israel and Hamas.' The U.S. President also stressed that the United States will always stand by Israel in confronting threats to its security. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, also emphasized that Washington rejects this arrest warrant, calling the ICC's action a 'flawed process.' The U.S. National Security Council stated that the prosecutor's haste and mistakes led to the issuance of such a ruling, announcing that Washington is consulting and coordinating with its partners, including Israel, for next steps. Mike Waltz, national security adviser in the upcoming Donald Trump administration, warned: 'Expect a strong response to the ICC's anti-Semitic bias and the UN in January [when the new Trump administration begins].' Several members of Congress from both the Democratic and Republican parties have also strongly criticized the ICC's ruling. In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, called the ICC's rulings 'anti-Semitic.' He released a video message stating that the issued warrants are a modern version of the 'Dreyfus Affair' and will end in the same way; the 'Dreyfus Affair,' which occurred in the late 19th century, is considered one of the most prominent examples of judicial error and anti-Semitism. Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel and one of the two officials for whom the ICC issued an arrest warrant, also strongly condemned these warrants. He wrote in a message on social media that these warrants legitimize 'massacres and assaults' and create 'a dangerous precedent in the fight of democracies against terrorism.' The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC, and the court's rulings are enforceable in 124 member countries. Meanwhile, Canada and several European countries have stated that they will comply with the ICC's ruling. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, in response to a question on this matter, said: 'Canada will comply with all rulings issued by international courts.' A spokesperson for Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, also stated that London respects the independence of the ICC. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, emphasized that the enforcement of the issued warrants is binding for all member countries of the Union and must be respected. According to AFP, Yael Vias Gorsman, who represents 300 Israeli victims of Hamas's October 7 attacks, stated: 'This arrest warrant against Mr. Deif is very important.' Speaking from outside the Hague court, she added: 'This means that the voices of the victims have been heard.' Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, welcomed this ruling, stating: 'Prime Minister Netanyahu is now officially a wanted person, and the member countries of the International Criminal Court and the entire international community must not rest until these individuals are tried before independent and impartial judges of the ICC.' Human Rights Watch also announced that the ICC's ruling shattered the perception that the law does not reach certain individuals. The arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials and a Hamas commander were also praised by Turkey. Yilmaz Tunc, Turkey's Minister of Justice, wrote on social media: 'The ICC's decision is a late but positive decision to stop the bloodshed and end the genocide in Palestine.' Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, described the issuance of this ruling as 'a very important step.' Italy, Spain, Norway, and Belgium also praised the issuance of this ruling, emphasizing cooperation with the court and respect for its ruling as an independent judicial body. However, Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, strongly criticized this ruling on social media, stating that this decision 'ignores Israel's legitimate right to defend itself against ongoing attacks from terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.' The extremist group Hamas also welcomed this ruling, despite it including one of its commanders. Bassem Naeem, a member of Hamas's political bureau, stated: 'This is an important step towards justice and could generally lead to reparations for the victims, but if all countries in the world do not support it, it will be limited and symbolic.' However, the Czech Republic rejected the enforcement of the arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. Petr Fiala, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, called the issued warrants 'regrettable' and wrote on social media that this court 'diminishes its authority in other cases by equating elected representatives of a democratic state with leaders of an Islamist terrorist organization.' Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority also welcomed these warrants and called for their enforcement by the member countries of the court. The issuance of the arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu was announced on a day when he met with Amos Hochstein, the Biden administration's special envoy, to achieve a ceasefire in the Lebanon war. According to the Associated Press, the issuance of the arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister may complicate efforts to end the Gaza war.