Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “immune” from international arrest after a warrant by the International Criminal Court, France claimed on Wednesday.
The ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that it is committed to international justice after judges at The Hague-based court issued warrants for Israel’s Netanyau as well as Defence Minister Yoav Gallant last week.
But it alleged that Netanyahu is covered by immunity as a sitting head of government, because Israel is not a state member of the ICC.
France’s argument was previously used by states that refused to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sudanese former President Omar al-Bashir. But the court has consistently rejected their arguments as unfounded. Heads of state are not immune before the ICC, even if they belong to a state that is not party to the Rome Statute, according to the court’s previous judgments as well as the opinion of leading immunity scholars who spoke with Middle East Eye.
More to follow.