these policies which call on France not to respect the ICC ruling

POLITICS – In France, you can be prosecuted for “crimes against humanity and war crimes”, and have the support of political parties. At least, from the National Rally and the Republicans. This is in fact what is happening this Friday, November 22 to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The day after the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court, the leader saw certain French elected officials rushing to his aid. To the point that several are calling on Paris to deviate from international law.

This is particularly the case of LR deputy Philippe Juvin, who repeats the defense of Benjamin Netanyahu word for word. “ To your question, “should Mr. Netanyahu be arrested or not if he came to France?”, the answer is no, obviously. “, he estimated on Sud Radio, denouncing “ international institutions ” Who ” shine with their primary anti-Israelism “. An opinion shared by his colleague from the National Rally Philippe Ballard. For the elected Lepéniste, he “would be ludicrous, delirious” that France executes the ICC mandate.

Others, like the Paris deputy Sylvain Maillard, ask for additional information (while the decision taken by the international court is particularly detailed). “ I suppose that France will ask for a little more detail on the reasons which prompted the ICC », procrastinated the elected Macronist, at the end of a confused response delivered on franceinfo. On the left, on the contrary, representatives of the NFP such as Olivier Faure (PS), Manuel Bompard (LFI), Fabien Roussel (PCF) and Marine Tondelier (Les Écologues) call on France to respect the arrest warrant issued by the ICC.

Will France follow the ICC?

In view of its international commitments, and by virtue of its adherence to the Rome Statute, France is legally required to respect this arrest warrant if by chance Benjamin Netanyahu sets foot in France. Especially since respect for international law is a central element of Paris' diplomatic discourse, as noted on LCI by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin. “ France has already responded. She will apply — and she had already announced this through the mouth of Mr. Séjourné — of course the court decision by the International Criminal Court », explained the former Prime Minister, stressing that France would lose credibility (particularly on the Ukrainian issue) if it brushed aside respect for international rules.

It's difficult to prove Dominique de Villepin wrong. In May, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné said nothing else at the time of the requisitions targeting the Israeli Prime Minister. “ I am very respectful of international law, including the bodies that give international law. From the moment there is an international mandate, there will be recommendations from the Court, and we will follow them as we have followed them systematically », He explained, not ruling out the possibility of arresting Benjamin Netanyahu in this context.

And while American diplomacy had given its support to the Israeli Prime Minister after these requisitions, the Quai d'Orsay had, on the contrary, taken the side of the ICC. “ France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations », replied French diplomacy. A constancy which, moreover, is similar to that expressed on the subject by European diplomacy. In a statement published on Thursday 21 November, Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called on all member countries of the Rome Statute to implement the mandate of ICC ruling.

A reminder to all EU countries, while the far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has already made it known that he intends to deviate from this rule, to defy the ICC by inviting Benjamin Netanyahu to Budapest. Which is more or less what the Republicans and the National Rally advocate, in defiance of international law.

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