Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant commented on the decision International Criminal Court Regarding his arrest for war crimes in the Gaza Strip, “Gone are the days when we could be denied the right to defend ourselves.”
Gallant stressed that the decision sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare and encourages murderous terrorism. Gallant claimed that the world will remember the Hague Court’s decision that legitimizes the killing of children, the rape of women, and the kidnapping of the elderly.
The International Criminal Court issued two arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and said there were “logical reasons” to believe they committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
The court added in a statement on Thursday that “there is reason to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant supervised attacks on the civilian population.”
She said that the war crimes attributed to Netanyahu and Gallant include the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and also include crimes against humanity, namely murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
The court affirmed that Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction was unnecessary, and also considered that disclosing these arrest warrants was in the interest of the victims.
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders disgustedly condemned the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for him and Gallant, calling it shameful and anti-Semitic.
In turn, Dutch Foreign Minister Kasper Veldkamp said that his country respects the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
The Dutch minister pledged to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he arrived in the Netherlands.
Michael Waltz, National Security Advisor to US President-elect Donald Trump, said, “Expect a strong response next January to the ICC’s anti-Semitic bias,” referring to the date when Trump will officially take office.
Waltz added that the International Criminal Court does not have any credibility, and he considered that Israel “legally defended its people and its borders against terrorists,” according to his claim.
In the context of the Israeli reactions to the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz described the Hague Court’s decision as moral blindness and a historical shame that will never be forgotten, he said.
As for Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, he considered it a “reward for terrorism,” as he put it.
In turn, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir considered that the arrest orders against Netanyahu and Gallant represent an unparalleled disgrace, but it is not surprising at all. He said that the International Criminal Court in The Hague “proves once again that it is anti-Semitic from beginning to end,” he said.
Ben Gvir added that the response to the arrest orders is to impose sovereignty over the West Bank, strengthen settlement, sever ties with what he described as the “terrorist authority” and impose sanctions on it.
In turn, Israeli Minister of Transport Miri Regev said that the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant are a legal absurdity, and that Israel will not apologize for protecting its citizens, she said.
As for Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, he said that the court’s decision “is anti-Semitic and despicable, and will be remembered as the most low point in the court’s history.”
For its part, Israeli Channel 13 said that the arrest orders against Netanyahu and Gallant were issued some time ago and were considered secret and were decided to be announced today.
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