Israeli President Isaac Herzog commented on the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant.
"This is a dark day for justice. A dark day for humanity. Taken in bad faith, the outrageous decision at the ICC has turned universal justice into a universal laughing stock. It makes a mockery of the sacrifice of all those who fight for justice - from the Allied victory over the Nazis till today," the President stated.
According to him, the decision, "Ignores the plight of the 101 Israeli hostages held in brutal captivity by Hamas in Gaza. It ignores Hamas’ cynical use of its own people as human shields. It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people. It ignores the fact that Israel is a vibrant democracy, acting under international humanitarian law, and going to great lengths to provide for the humanitarian needs of the civilian population.
"Indeed, the decision has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity.
"This cynical exploitation of the international legal institutions reminds us once again of the need for true moral clarity in the face of an Iranian empire of evil that seeks to destabilize our region and the world, and destroy the very institutions of the free world.”
The Prime Minister's Office said that "The antisemitic decision of the International Criminal Court is a modern Dreyfus trial – and will end the same way.
Israel utterly rejects the false and absurd charges of the International Criminal Court, a biased and discriminatory political body.
No war is more just than the war Israel has been waging in Gaza since October 7th 2023, when the Hamas terrorist organization launched a murderous assault and perpetrated the largest massacre against the Jewish People since the Holocaust.
The decision to issue an arrest warrant against the Prime Minister was made by a corrupt chief prosecutor who is trying to save himself from sexual harassment accusations and biased judges who are motivated by antisemitic hatred of Israel.
The ICC prosecutor lied when he told American senators that he would take no action until he had visited Israel and heard its side.
Instead, he cancelled his arrival in Israel last May, several days after suspicions of sexual harassment were made against him, and announced his intention to issue arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and former Defense Minister.
No anti-Israel decision will prevent the State of Israel from defending its citizens.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not give in to pressure. He will continue to pursue all the objectives that Israel set out to achieve in its just war against Hamas and the Iranian axis of terror."
MK Yoav Gallant responded to the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants against him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "The Hague's decision will be remembered as a disgrace - it places the State of Israel and the murderous Hamas leaders on the same level, thereby granting legitimacy to the murder of infants, rape of women and kidnapping of the elderly from their beds. The decision constitutes a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare, and encourages murderous terrorism."
Minister of Defense Israel Katz denounced the warrants: "The decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant is a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low. This shameful decision serves Iran, the head of the snake, and its proxies."
"The ICC has chosen to lend support to a biased and corrupt prosecutor rather than confront those who openly seek the destruction of the State of Israel."
"We will not allow a hostile, hypocritical, and illegitimate body to harm our leaders or our soldiers. We will continue to defend the citizens of Israel with determination and pride, standing firm against anyone who attempts to undermine our right to self-defense."
"Anyone who thinks they can deter us from achieving all our war objectives through absurd decisions that serve Iran and its proxies will face a strong and resolute state, acting with power in every arena—military, political, and legal—to counter every threat."
"I stand firmly with Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant."
Justice Minister Yariv Levin criticized the International Criminal Court and stated that "the decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant is despicable and antisemitic. This is a historical disgrace that will be remembered as one of the most shameful and hypocritical moves of any international institution."
"The court has become a tool in the hands of terrorist elements and the Axis of Evil. We will continue to fight with full force against all terrorist elements, and we will stand up for our right to defend the citizens of the State of Israel wherever they may be. I back and strengthen the Prime Minister and former Minister of Defense."
Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, responded: "Issuing an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant is a disgrace, but not surprising at all. The International Criminal Court in the Hague has once again demonstrated that it is antisemitic from beginning to end. This is absolute madness. I support the Prime Minister in his just war. The response to the arrest warrant is sovereignty over all areas of Judea and Samaria, settlement in all parts of the Israel, and cutting ties with the terrorist Palestinian Authority."
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar tweeted "A dark moment for the International Criminal "Court" (ICC) in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity. It acted as a political tool in the service of the most extreme terrorists working to undermine peace, security, and stability in the Middle East. This so-called “court” issued absurd and unauthorized warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and its former Defense Minister Galant, despite Israel not being a member of the court."
"These warrants are not merely personal attacks against them; in essence, they are an assault on Israel’s right to defend itself. This is an attack on the most threatened and targeted nation in the world—also the only country in the region openly called for and acted against by other nations seeking its elimination."
"From a moral perspective, this represents a moral eclipse that turns good into evil and serves the forces of evil."
"From a political perspective, issuing warrants against a state that operates in accordance with international law is a reward and encouragement for the axis of evil, which blatantly and consistently violates it."
"Decent nations and every moral person in the world must unequivocally reject this injustice."
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel, Responded to the ICC decision: "The ICC judgment says the Jewish state has essentially no right to defend itself and creates a false equivalence between a terror organization and their barbaric terrorism and the State of Israel. It gives legitimacy to terror and to those who fund it – not only in Israel or the Middle East but throughout the world.
Israel has every right to protect its people, particularly while 101 citizens are still being kept hostage in Gaza. Israel always acts under international humanitarian law, while the terror organization Hamas we are fighting is still holding 101 hostages for the past 411 days. Why is the ICC so blind to the facts of this conflict?
This decision erodes any credibility the ICC has. This decision should be laughed at and then ignored."
Head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Liberman, criticized the arrest warrants, stating: "The Court today provided additional evidence of the double standard and bias of the international community and UN institutions," he said. "The State of Israel will not apologize for defending its citizens and is committed to continuing the fight against terrorism without compromise."
Chairman of Shas MK Aryeh Deri responded to the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
"This is a shameful and disgraceful decision, indicative of a total loss of values and hatred of Israel. As one who was a partner from the very first moment of the 7th of October in all the security discussions, I know how much this is a despicable lie, how much the political and military echelons did everything to avoid harming civilian populations and even made efforts to provide for their needs.
This is a modern blood libel based on anti-Semitism and hypocrisy. I back and support Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Galant in the face of these shameful orders. Israel will not be deterred and will continue to fight valiantly against all its enemies and with God's help will win."
MK Matan Kahana, said that, “The decision of the International Criminal Court in the Hague is outrageous and lacks basic discernment between good and evil. There is no more justifiable war than our fight against Hamas. Israel's struggle against the terrorist organization Hamas does not only concern us, but is a fight for the entire free world. Our war against evil is for the entire Western world. It's a shame that the Hague supports the dark side of history."
Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely condemned the ICC for issuing arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant: "The ICC has forfeited its legitimacy, exposing itself as a political tool. By issuing warrants, the ICC undermines Israel’s right to self-defense and emboldens terrorists who repeatedly threaten global peace and stability. Targeting Israel—a state that upholds international law—only serves to empower those who blatantly defy these laws."
Incoming US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz tweeted "The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government. Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January."
Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted: "The International Corrupt Criminal Court has acted in the most absurd and irresponsible manner possible by issuing arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and former Defense Minister of Israel while there is a serious cloud of allegations hanging over the prosecutor who sought these warrants.
The Court is a dangerous joke. It is now time for the U.S. Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body.
The Court defied every concept of fundamental fairness and legitimized a corrupt prosecutor’s actions.
Calling for an independent investigation of the prosecutor’s misconduct one day and issuing a warrant based on his work product the next day is an affront to any sense of fairness and the rule of law.
Senator Schumer needs to pass the bipartisan legislation that came from the House sanctioning the Court for such an outrage and President Biden needs to sign it.
Now."
Graham later added: "To President Biden, President Trump, and current and future members of Congress: If we do not act forcefully against the ICC after their outrageous decision to issue arrest warrants for the duly elected Israeli Prime Minister and former Minister of Defense, we are making a huge mistake, and I fear the United States is next.
"Israel is not a member of the ICC nor is the United States. Israel has a very robust legal system and so does the United States. If we do not fight back against the ICC’s attack on Israel, it is as if we are conceding that they have jurisdiction over the United States.
"We cannot let the world believe for a moment that this is a legitimate exercise of jurisdiction by the Court against Israel because to do so means we could be next.
"I will be introducing legislation that puts other countries on notice – If you aid and abet the ICC after their action against the State of Israel, you can expect consequences from the United States. Any nation that joins with the ICC after this outrage is a partner in a reckless act that tramples the rule of law."
Senator John Fetterman tweeted "No standing, relevance, or path. ---- that."
US Representative Anthony D'Esposito tweeted "The ICC further degrades itself in its latest attempt to prosecute Israeli leaders for engaging in a justified defensive war against Hamas terrorists."
Argentinian president Javier Milei tweeted: "The Argentine Republic expresses its profound disagreement with the recent decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant. This resolution ignores Israel's legitimate right to defend itself against constant attacks by terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Israel faces brutal aggression, inhumane hostage-taking, and the indiscriminate launching of attacks against its population. Criminalizing the legitimate defense of a nation while ignoring these atrocities is an act that distorts the spirit of international justice. Argentina stands in solidarity with Israel, reaffirms its right to protect its people, and demands the immediate release of all hostages. We call on the international community to condemn the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah, defend Israel's sovereignty, and act with justice and impartiality in the search for a lasting peace in the region."
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala expressed displeasure with the decision. "The unfortunate decision of the ICC undermines its authority in other cases when it equates the elected representatives of a democratic state with the leaders of an Islamist terrorist organization."
The Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, denounced the warrants: "This is a shameful and ridiculous decision. I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and assured him that Hungary will vigorously oppose the politicization of the international judicial system, as has happened in this case."
"This decision demeans the international judicial system by equating the leader of a country that was attacked by a satanic terrorist assault with the leaders of the terrorist organization that perpetrated the attack. Such a decision is unacceptable", said Sajjad.
Turkish Justice minister Yilmaz Tunc called the warrants “a belated, but positive decision to stop the bloodshed and put an end to the genocide in Palestine. The barbaric Israeli authorities, who target our innocent Palestinian brothers and sisters… must be brought to justice as soon as possible for their war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg denounced the warrants but called for them to be respected: "The International Court's decision is not open to negotiation and must be respected everywhere. Nevertheless, the decision casts doubt on the court's credibility. It is absurd to compare elected officials in a democratic state with the leaders of a terrorist organization."
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani responded to the decision: “We support the ICC, while always remembering that the court must play a legal role and not a political role. We will evaluate together with our allies what to do and how to interpret this decision.”
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have both welcomed the warrants.
The government of Holland has announced that it will comply with the warrant.
The Mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, Abdullah Hammoud, said his city would comply with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant if they were to enter the city.
"Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits.
"Other cities should declare the same. Our president may not take action, but city leaders can ensure Netanyahu & other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States."