“It’s an entirely arbitrary decision” and “clearly anti-Israeli”, reacts the Israeli ambassador to France

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “for crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

“It’s a decision that is entirely arbitrary” et “clearly anti-Israeli”denounces Friday November 22 on franceinfo Joshua Zarka, Israeli ambassador to France, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and the former Minister of Defense in Israel Yoav Gallant.

“We are defending ourselves in the best way we can, without creating famine and without targeting civilians,” defended Joshua Zarka. According to him, the International Criminal Court is trying to''to prevent” Israel to defend itself. “The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants against the Prime Minister who manages Israel's defense during the most terrible war the state has seen since its creation, it is clearly for political reasons. castigates the ambassador. The arrest warrants have been filed “secrets”in order to protect witnesses and ensure the conduct of investigations, the ICC said. “We are at the investigation stage. There has been no decision to charge,” specifies Joshua Zarka. “The ICC, which should be the moral compass of the international community, is completely broken, according to him. We are a democratic country that is capable of carrying out independent investigations. If crimes have been committed, it is our legal system that must investigate.”insists the ambassador.

The head of Hamas's armed wing, Mohammed Deif, is also being prosecuted. These warrants were issued “for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the territory of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine since at least October 7, 2023”details the ICC in a press release. “This decision to put a democratic country and a terrorist organization on the same level is truly an offense to all the victims of this war, whether Israeli or Palestinian,” believes the diplomat.

Joshua Zarka asks Emmanuel Macron not to apply the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court if Benjamin Netanyahu were to come to France. France must “follow the example that was given by the United States, by the American president and by other countries of the European Union such as Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic, which deplored this resolution”he explained. The arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court will indeed force the Israeli Prime Minister to limit his travel.