How has Israel reacted to Netanyahu and Gallant's arrest warrants?
The decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant is unprecedented in the body's 22-year history.
It marks the first instance of the court - which has gained notoriety for allegedly focusing disproportionately on Africa - targeting a close western ally and has provoked a strong reaction.
Despite also issuing warrants for the arrest of senior Hamas officials, Israelis have widely denounced the ICC's move as unfairly targeting Israel over its war on Gaza, which has so far left more than 44,000 people dead and the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog quickly declared the arrest warrants "outrageous" and said it 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," he wrote on social media.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"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."
Gideon Saar, Israel's defence minister, said the arrest warrants undermined the court's legitimacy.
"These warrants are not merely personal attacks against them; in essence, they are an assault on Israel’s right to defend itself," he posted on X.
"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."
Netanyahu is yet to make a statement, though his office denounced the warrants as "antisemitic" and said it "categorically rejects the absurd and false lies" levelled against it by the court.
Itamar Ben Gvir, the national security minister, meanwhile said Israel should respond by annexing the occupied West Bank and sanctioning the Palestinian Authority, which joined the ICC and allowed it to have jurisdiction over Israeli activity in Palestine.
"The International Criminal Court in The Hague shows once again that it is antisemitic through and through," he said.
Opposition support for Netanyahu
Israel is not a member of the ICC and neither is its major ally, the United States.
Nevertheless, 124 states are members of the court, including virtually all of Europe, meaning that Netanyahu and Gallant's ability to travel will likely be severely limited.
Many of Netanyahu's domestic political opponents rallied to his defence on Thursday, categorising the warrants as an attack on Israel as a whole.
"Israel defends its life against terrorist organizations that attacked, murdered and raped our citizens, these arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism," wrote Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on social media.
Benny Gantz, who had been a member of Israel's "war cabinet" before quitting in June, denounced the ICC's "moral blindness" and denounced its "shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten".
Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats - which combined the left-leaning Meretz and Labor parties - called the court "shameful" and said Israel would "always have the right to defend itself against our enemy".
Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and MP for the Ta'al party, responded to Golan's comments by asking whether the "starvation, the mass killing of children, the destruction of infrastructure, the demolition of 70% of homes in Gaza, and other war crimes" could be considered self-defence.
Ofer Cassif, an MP for the left-wing Hadash party, was a lone Israeli Jewish politician welcoming the warrants.
"The truth cannot be hidden forever, even if the opposition pathetically joins forces with the criminal government and uses the worn-out and deceptive slogan: 'anti-Semitism,'" he wrote on X.
"No! It is not! It is a a right and decent call for justice. No one should be above the international law and humane justice."
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
