ICC arrest warrants: if Benjamin Netanyahu came to France, “France should respect its obligations”, says MEP Nathalie Loiseau

If Benjamin Netanyahu came to France, “France should respect its obligations“, vis-à-vis the International Criminal Court (ICC), said Renew MEP Nathalie Loiseau on Friday November 22 on franceinfo, while ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant. These two arrest warrants were issued “for crimes against humanity and war crimes”.

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**“France is a party to the statute of the International Criminal Court. It has obligations”recalls Nathalie Loiseau, while France “take note” arrest warrants issued by the ICC. “Faithful to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice”Paris “recalls his attachment to the independent work of the Court”the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, without explicitly specifying whether France, which is one of the 124 member states of the ICC, would arrest them if these people went to its territory.

The French MEP refuses “to tell the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court what to do”. She wishes to emphasize that “the independence of justice, and also international justice, is something extraordinarily important.” And while several international leaders have denounced or criticized the ICC's decision, Nathalie Loiseau is protesting. “When we start to question the requisition of a prosecutor in France, or a mandate decreed by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, that means we are washing our hands of the law.”

Israeli leaders and Hamas leader are “not on the same level”

The ICC decision has been taken “in complete independence by his prosecutor”adds the elected representative to the European Parliament. She specifies that “this is not a verdict, but it is an implementation of the accusation brought against several Israeli leaders and also against Hamas leaders”. She recalls that the ICC also issued an arrest warrant against the head of the armed wing of Hamas Mohammed Deif for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Nathalie Loiseau specifies that she “refuse” to put the Israeli leaders and the leader of Hamas “on the same level”. “In one case, there is a terrorist movement which is at the origin of the atrocities of October 7.” But in “the other case is the Prime Minister of a democratic country who, unfortunately, in his response, committed a form of collective punishment against the Palestinians”deplores the MEP.