Germany’s government has now officially commented on the International Criminal Courts warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu and Gallant.
It said that it would “carefully examine” potential domestic measures to take in response, noting it will not take further steps until a visit to the country is planned.
The warrants come as Israel’s offensive in Gaza recently crossed a year mark, having already killed more that 44,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 103,000 others.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing and deliberate blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.
In a statement, Government Spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit said that the German government has taken note of the International Criminal Court’s decision, underscoring Germany’s role as one of the ICC’s major supporters and its involvement in drafting the ICC statute.
Hebestreit said that Germany, which helped draft the ICC Statute, remains one of the court’s “biggest supporters.”
However, he stressed that as “a consequence of German history … we have a unique relationship and a great responsibility to Israel.”
He noted that further steps would only be taken if Netanyahu or Gallant were planning to visit to Germany.
Separately, Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock said that Germany was “bound by” the court as a country which recognises the body and respects international law.
As for whether German authorities would move to arrest Netanyahu or Gallant were they to visit the country, Baerbock said that the matter is currently “theoretical,” as neither official has indicated any plans to visit Germany.
“As I said, we abide by the law and legislation nationally, at the European level and internationally, and that is why we are now examining exactly what that means for us for implementation in Germany.”
Annalena Baerbock
The German government has been a staunch supporter of Israel, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Baerbock repeatedly saying that Germany bears special responsibility for Israel’s security due to the country’s Nazi past.
Berlin last month resumed arms sales to Israel despite international concerns about a genocidal military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Germany, a close ally of Israel, has itself fended off international legal challenges related to its support for Israel. Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against Nicaragua’s bid for it to order Germany to halt arms sales to Israel.
Meanwhile, Germany reaffirmed its stance on arms deliveries to Israel. According to a spokesman, the German government’s position on delivering weapons to Israel is “unchanged” despite the ICC’s arrest warrants.
The spokesperson said, “Arms deliveries to Israel are always subject to a case-by-case assessment, and that remains the case now. Our attitude towards Israel remains unchanged.”
Cyprus Studying ICC Arrest Warrants
Separately, a government source in Cyprus, a close ally of Israel, told a news agency that the country is studying the ICC’s arrest warrants against Israel’s Netanyahu and Gallant, but considers ICC warrants binding in principle. “The decision is being studied and we have no comment on that,” said the source, which spoke on condition of anonymity.
Numerous Western countries have affirmed their respect for the ICC’s work after it issued the landmark rulings, though several other states, including the US, Hungary and Argentina, slammed its decisions as unjust.
The implications of these orders are profound. Netanyahu and Gallant will be unable to enter numerous countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Greece, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, Canada, Seychelles, South Africa, Cyprus, South Korea, Argentina, and Brazil, among others.
This extensive travel ban reflects the serious nature of the ICC’s decisions and underscores the potential diplomatic repercussions for Israel.
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